Sermon Archives

January 3, 2010
Pastor Judy Bangsund

"Sharing the News in 2010"
John 1:10-18

Dear Friends, Grace and peace to you in this New Year and every year, from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

I wonder if one of the gifts under your Christmas tree was a dud. You know what I mean? Like socks: useful, perhaps, but just not the iPhone that was desired. That unwanted gift gets set aside (politely, one hopes), tossed into the back of a drawer, dismissed and forgotten.

At Christmas, God's greatest gift was given - the most awesome gift in the world. God gave his very own son, the child destined to be the Savior of the world. It wasn't the gift the world was looking for, however much the world needed it. And even though this gift came specially gift-wrapped with an unusual star, angel announcements and wise men visitations, it was apparently tossed away in the back of the drawer. It was the best possible gift, truly needed - but not universally desired. And thus, not well received.

Our Gospel lesson today tells us this. It calls Jesus the very Word of God, and says that this Word created the sun and the moon and the stars. Through him were created the lively and colorful diversity on this planet, including you and me. And then this Word became flesh in order to know us better, to walk in our shoes, and to restore us to God.

We read in Scripture that the Jewish religious leaders - part of God's own people - rejected Jesus. We know that the people of Jesus' own town of Nazareth refused to believe in him, and so he walked away, unable to do any miracles there. We also know that in contrast, strangers and outsiders often welcomed him and treated him with honor (like the wise men). Some received him; many did not.

But where ever Jesus was received, God's plan got traction. Some believed the word of the angels and the testimony of the shepherds. Even more believed Jesus himself as he walked on this earth, teaching and healing. And John, the gospel writer, tells us today that those who did receive him inherited the legacy God gives to his own children. By giving them his name, the name in which all God's children are baptized, they receive the promise of God's inheritance: life itself, and forgiveness. They also receive God's very presence with them, a purpose in life, and joy and peace so often missing in human experience.

God has made himself known to us in Jesus, who lived among us, walked in our shoes, and has given us his own life. Now we, like those who initially received him when he walked on this earth, are witnesses to the gift of God's great love.

So, how do you share this gift in 2010? How do you share the news given by angels so long ago - in this century? In this year? How do you share it so that people can receive and believe it?

You know, I think about my own neighbors, nice folks who may or may not go to church. Who may or may not hold any kind of religious belief. And I know that some of these folks don't want to hear about someone else's beliefs. Religion is a private thing, so they say. It's not considered polite to bring up religion in social contexts - you know? Suddenly the room gets quiet and people begin to look down and feel uncomfortable.

I often wonder about that, and have come to realize that lots of assumptions are made about Christians and their beliefs, often based on what is portrayed in the media - not the most reliable of sources. There's a lot out there about Christianity that just isn't true. Certain assumptions and misunderstandings have raised a lot of barriers against hearing the news that IS true, the good news that we have to share. Someone put it this way: "Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it's been found difficult and not tried."

These misunderstandings didn't start in our generation. Jesus was in the same boat. And these misunderstandings revolve around certain questions, like what you are supposed to do. What you need to do to be acceptable in God's eyes. People have a lot of ideas about that. Or, what God is supposed to do. People often accuse God of doing or not doing things, based on assumptions they make about Him. Maybe they confuse him with Santa Claus (you know: "he knows when you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake"). But God's desire is not to punish, rather to forgive and start new relationships. (Scripture makes that very clear.) If you and I have difficulty sharing the Good News, we're in good company, because Jesus had the same problem.

People had a hard time understanding who Jesus was and why he came, even though he was quite clear about it. People choose to believe their own assumptions, rather than listen to what God, himself, has to tell them. It was true in Jesus' day; it is true in ours. God's Word - living and written - tells us what is true. Our task is to set aside our own assumptions and to listen to what God tells us in his word.

You may have seen the story of the cowboy boots that's making the rounds these days. A teacher in Texas was helping a kindergartner get his cowboy boots on - a battle he was valiantly fighting, but losing. After struggling together with the boots for some time, working up quite a sweat, the child observed, "They're on the wrong feet." The teacher nearly cried, because he was right. How could she have missed that? So they tried again, and just as they achieved victory the child added this information: "They aren't mine. They belong to my little brother." Well, no wonder. Finally, his little boots crammed onto his feet and ready to go outside, he was asked by the teacher, "Where are your mittens?" And he answered, "Oh, I stuffed them into the toes of my boots." Well, how many wrong assumptions had the teacher made, not checking out the truth from the beginning? Our assumptions about God can lead us into unnecessary struggles and wrong conclusions - sometimes painfully so.

But God's word tells us the truth, straight out! And that means you and I have good news to share. But how to do it? I'd like to offer three ways that might make this news easier for people to receive - and easier for you to share. Here they are: First, know what you believe. Second, let love guide you. And third, leave the results in God's hands.

First, know what you believe. Al Rogness, former president of Luther Seminary, said this: "As Christians, we believe Jesus is the key to life's meaning. He has [rescued] us from sin and death. We who are his followers embrace him as the center of all things. We believe that at the very heart of this vast universe is a Person - this Jesus who let the world see him first in Bethlehem's manger.... The staggering event [in human history] is the coming of Jesus into our world" - that the Son of God - God himself - came to live, die and be raised again - for us.

If we recognize the value of this staggering event, there would be no question about sharing it. Have you ever seen the short film called The Music Box? An ordinary man is living in a hum-drum existence, a treadmill life. Nothing new ever happens; nothing means anything; it is as if his life were lived in black and white. One day he finds a music box. And when he opens it, it not only plays a tune but out jumps a band of Gospel singers dressed as angels, singing the Hallelujah Chorus at the top of their lungs and dancing as they sing. It's joy unbound. Living color. Addicting. When he closes the box they go away. When he opens it they jump out again, singing and dancing.

He keeps the box hidden for awhile, opening it only in a closet where no one else could see it. But his friends and family begin to notice a difference in him; he would be caught humming or dancing a few steps, smiling to himself - being considerate of others. Finally one day he is discovered and so he shares the music box, and pretty soon they are all caught up in that joy: singing, dancing, smiling, helping one another and seeing life through new eyes.

When you are gripped by what God really did at Bethlehem, you can't keep it to yourself. If you win the lottery, can you hold that news inside? Wouldn't you tell everyone you know? Wouldn't your life begin to change? When your eyes are opened to the value of God's great gift in Jesus - the mother of all gifts - you yourself begin to change; you see life differently. It's not so much that you have joy but that joy gets hold of you and you become - like the Bible says - a new person. So the first step in sharing the good news is simply to know what you believe - recognizing its true value - because good news like this cannot be contained. Remember the first thing the shepherds did when they heard and saw that a Savior had been born to them? They went out and told everyone they met. They recognized the value of the gift.

Second, let love guide you. If you care for others, you are going to share what you have with them. That's where you start. But you don't just dump on people. First you develop a relationship of love and trust, and then gradually the opportunities will come your way. (That's one of the strengths of the Caring Evangelism program which we offer: it avoids the dumping and confrontational stuff and works with relationships.) Then you share your hope. 1 Peter says you should always be ready to share your hope. That's what people want to know. If you feel uncomfortable sharing your beliefs, then share your hope. People today need hope - especially in 2010. The most loving thing you can do is to offer them the hope that is found in Jesus. Because it's real.

First, know what you believe. Second, let love guide you. And third, leave the results in God's hands. You may share your hope with many people, but not everyone will receive it. Jesus told the parable of the sower, where the seed of God's word was scattered under all kinds of conditions: on the hard path, in the weedy patch, under a scorching sun and on fertile ground. Our job is not to make the seed to grow. (It's not in our power to do that.) Our job is to scatter the seed in loving, caring ways - whenever opportunities arise. God gives the growth. And he does it in his own way, in his own time. You and I may never know the results - at least, not in this life. And that's ok.

The year 2010 has begun, and its calendar pages are still blank. Those pages await new opportunities and new relationships. It's a year that gives us a new chance to share the good news we know in Jesus, the rich inheritance of God's forgiveness and his gift of new life. You know, it's true that people make assumptions about Christians. But perhaps we make assumptions of others too - some true, but not all. You may assume, for example, that people don't want to come to church - and yet statistics tell us that of the unchurched, 82% would come if asked. All they need is an invitation. So - develop a relationship; begin to care and pray for that person; ask God for an opportunity. Share your hope, invite your friends to church. Be aware that if Jesus makes a difference in your life, you can't hide it anyway. And then, leave the results up to God; he will do his work in his own way.

A final thought: C. S. Lewis concluded that joy is the serious business of heaven. I like that: "Joy is the serious business of heaven." This joy is part of our inheritance. And unlike most inheritances, ours is compounded with each additional person who receives it; the wealth is not divided, it is increased as each new brother or sister comes to faith. In 2010 we have good news to share. Amen.