Sermon (May 12) - "Real Power"

     This morning, I want us to think about what real power is. Since today, is Mothers’ Day, I think of the power of a mother’s love. This will be the first year that I won’t be able to call my mother to tell her “Happy Mothers’ Day.” These past few days, I have been thinking a lot about the power of a mother’s love.

     Last June, my brother, two sisters were able to be by our mom’s bedside before she passed away. And during those four very difficult days together, we were able to tell mom how much we loved her and we thanked her for being a wonderful mom to us.

     We told stories about how you couldn’t get away with anything when mom was around, maybe with dad, but never with mom. We remembered how hard she worked on the farm and the many years that she worked third shift at a factory to help us go to college. Our mom had always been a powerful presence of love in our lives.

     The day before she died, we gathered around her. We thought that maybe she reached a point where she didn’t know who we were because of her very weakened condition.

     As the four of us were by our mom, my brother, pointing to one of my two sisters asked her, “Mom, do you know who this is?” My mom said, “Teresa.” Then my brother asked her, “Do you know who this is?” My mom said, “Dena.” Then he pointed at me and said, “Do you know who this is? And my mom said, “Robert.”

     We were all surprised that mom still knew who we were. And then my brother who is the musician of the family said, “And mom, do you know who I am?”

     For the next few seconds, my mom’s eyes gazed intently at my brother and then with a mischievous smile she said, “Bing Crosby.”

     Even in her very weakened condition, our mom knew how to make us laugh. Now, that’s real power!

     During worship one Sunday morning, you’re surprised when someone stands up in the middle of the service to read an important letter to the entire congregation.  You wonder what important message this might be so you lean forward in your seat to not miss a single word.

     And this is what you hear:  “I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason, I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.  I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.  God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.”

     As you hear these words, you can’t help but to look around to see the reactions of the people.  Surely, they will be overjoyed and stunned to hear such overwhelming news of hope and promise. 

     But when you look across the room, what you see is a man dozing off as his bulletin falls to the floor.  You look the other way only to find someone making out their grocery list.  You look to the front and are surprised when you see the pastor fidgeting with his watch.

     No one seems to be listening, or if they are, they’re certainly not hearing this letter as a word of good news meant especially for them.

     When this letter was first read to the various churches located in the greater Ephesus area around the middle of the first century, it must have been startling for these congregations to hear these words.  Here, they were living in or near a city which at that time, was a very powerful city, a city which was home to powerful Roman leaders, and a pagan religion which used powerful displays of magic to impress it’s followers.

     This was the kind of city that would give a new religious movement an inferiority complex.  What power do they have?  Certainly not anything that can rival the glamour and prestige of a progressive major city that is adopting Roman culture and customs at a fast and furious pace.  In writing his letter for the churches located in or near the city of Ephesus, the Apostle Paul, is reminding these congregations that what they have been given in Jesus Christ puts them head and shoulders above anything their surrounding culture can ever hope to offer.

     Paul doesn’t want them to ever forget what they have received through Jesus Christ.  It’s an impressive list:  Wisdom, hope, a glorious inheritance, and power.

     Power.  Paul uses this word four times in this short passage of scripture.  Obviously, he wants the church to not only know about this power, but to live out this power through their ministry.

     One of the reasons that we may find the pastor of a church fidgeting with his watch, or a man dozing off, or someone putting together a grocery list during the reading of a scripture like this, is because the church has at times, misused its power.

     One only needs to mention the phrase, “Spanish Inquisition,” and all kinds of negative thoughts about the church come to mind.

     Or think of more recent times.  What about people who bomb abortion clinics in the name of Jesus Christ or who use their religion as a way of bullying people into accepting their point of view?

     You have probably heard of a small church located in Topeka, Kansas that sends its church members to protest at military funerals to show that the deaths of our soldiers are a sign of God’s judgment against America.  Their website is filled with hate language all in the name of the Christian faith.

     While many would say and rightly so that this church really isn’t a true Christian church because of its very unChristlike beliefs and behavior, there are others who see this church as an example of the bigotry and judgementalism of the Christian faith in general.  Unfortunately, we can point to other negative examples that include greedy televangelists and abusive church leaders.

     Certainly, the church has a spotty history of how it has used power.  But let’s also not forget of all the good the church has done whenever it has lived out the power of Christ in ways that bring transformation and God’s peace and justice.

     Think of many of our institutions that we often take for granted today, like hospitals, clinics, and schools, many of which were started by churches who knew that it was their responsibility to make a difference in society.  I think of a little country church which was responsible for getting the first public school started in the County.

     Think of people like William Wilberforce in Britain and John Woolman here in America who joined together in ending the slave trade just two centuries ago.

     Think of Dr. Martin Luther King during the 1960s, whose passion for justice cost him his life.

     Think of Desmond Tutu, the Anglican leader, who in more recent memory, helped end Apartheid, the racist government of South Africa.  Most people predicted such a change would cause lots of bloodshed, but thanks to this man and his faith in Christ, it was mostly a peaceful transition.

     Think of Oscar Romero.  Oscar Romero was a Christian who was shot by an assassin because he was speaking out on behalf of the poor in El Salvador.

     And thankfully, there are many other shining examples from our history of how the church has made an incredible difference in the world by living out the power of the risen Christ in ways that bring about God’s loving kingdom to earth.

    Several years ago, I had lunch with a member of a rapidly growing church.  He told me the fascinating story of his church.  About five years before our conversation, his church was going to close its doors because it had dwindled down to just a few members.

     Located in a strategic and growing area, over the past several years, this church had lost its vision and passion in reaching the people of its community.  Just when they were about to close the church, a denominational official decided to give this church one more shot. 

     Over the next five years, this church grew to over 500 people.  So I asked this church member over lunch, “What’s the main reason why your church has turned things around in a short amount of time?”

     His eyes lit up and without even thinking about it, he said, “It’s because we pour ourselves out and share the love of Jesus in our community.”  And for the next sixty minutes he proceeded to tell me several ways that their church is pouring themselves out.  One of the ways they are pouring themselves out is by partnering with the local school district to help children and families in need.

     After our lunch and on my way back to the church, I couldn’t get that phrase out of my mind.  “Poured out.”  I thought to myself, “That’s a great image for what the church is meant to be.”  We are to be poured out for the sake of the world.

     Out of curiosity, I did a google search to find this church’s website.  I clicked on their mission statement and here’s what it says:  “We are committed to building a church that is real, transformed, connected, and poured out.”

     No wonder he used that phrase over and over again.

     Today is Ascension Sunday, the Sunday in which the church remembers when Jesus ascended to be seated at the right hand of God forty days following his resurrection.  Ascension Sunday reminds us that when Jesus ascended, he literally ascended to his throne as King of kings and Lord of lords.

     The Apostle Paul refers to Jesus’ ascension in our Ephesians scripture passage this morning when he writes that God’s power was at work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.

     But remember the events which preceded this King’s ascension.  This King gave it all.  This King gave his life.  This King was poured out for the sake of the world.

     So when we hear scriptures like this one from Ephesians which talk about power, we’re not just talking about any power.

    On this day, we are invited to remember what real power is. 

     Think about Jesus, the Son of God, being placed in a manger.  That’s power. 

     Think about Jesus telling the disciples to love their enemies and to do good to them.  That’s power.

     Think about Jesus hanging on a cross to take upon himself the sin and pain of the world.  That’s power.

     Think about the resurrected and ascended Jesus, now seated at the right hand of God, victorious over sin and death.  That’s power.

     Think about some folks going to their cars following a worship service on Ascension Sunday.  They aren’t the same people who first entered those church doors.  They can’t wait to go into the community to be the “poured out” church of King Jesus; through humble service, unconditional love, bold witnessing, and risk taking mission.

     Now, that’s real power!