"Busy For the Lord"
A sermon preached on The Ascension Sunday, May 20, 2007, at Edgemont Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), by the Rev. Christopher E. Yopp. Sermon based on
II Thessalonians 3:6-14.
Perhaps some of you have seen that commercial on television that appeared sometime back. It shows a man standing on the side of a bridge with his arms outstretched and attached to his arms are some handmade wings. Gathered all around are the people in the village, watching and waiting to see if the man will be able to fly. Finally, he jumps from the bridge and sure enough, the wind catches his wings and he is lifted into the air. The people watch as he hovers down stream and they begin cheering and shouting; "He can fly! He can fly!" It isn’t too long before the man starts to make his descent, when the camera turns to an unimpressed man who’s walking away from the crowd, who then turns back and hollers; "Yeah, but he can’t swim!"
I’m convince that many Christians can’t swim! We’re so fixated on the idea of flying that we forget about swimming. Today we celebrate Ascension Sunday and some of you may recall that scene painted for us by Luke in the Book of Acts, where Jesus reminded his disciples that they would receive power and strength when the Holy Spirit came and they would be his "witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." And after he said that, as they were watching him, he ascended to heaven. His disciples stood there looking up in awe and amazement, and two angels appeared and said to them; "Why do you stand here looking into the sky?" And, you know, that’s a good question! We have a tendency to stand gazing up into the air, fixed and focused on the kingdom which is to come that we forget about our responsibility now. While we all long and wait for the full manifestation of God’s kingdom, we must not forget nor neglect our responsibility to live out that kingdom here and now.
This was the problem Paul faced when he wrote his second letter to the Christians living in Thessalonica. They originally had some concerns about their brothers and sisters who had died. They wanted to know what happened to them and if they would miss out on Christ’s parouisa -his second coming. And so, Paul reminds them in his first letter that they will in no way miss out on Christ’s coming - in fact, he says that Christ will bring with him those who have fallen asleep - those who have died. Paul also stressed the imminent return of Christ in his first letter, so much so that many of them had quit working because they thought Jesus was coming back at any moment and they didn’t see any reason to exert themselves. Many of them also felt as though they could just simply relax because there were plenty of wealthier members in the church who were always willing and ready to share. And so, they had become laxidasical. They were like the disciples on that first Ascension Day, gaving up into the heavens.
So Paul wrote this second letter, in part, to warn the Christians in Thessalonica that even though Christ is coming again there is still work that must be done and responsibilities that are to be fulfilled while awaiting "his glorious appearing."
And to provide an illustration of this teaching, Paul pointed out that he had not abandoned his work as a tentmaker. Everywhere Paul spent much time, he established his tent-making business and began to take orders.
It has been said that lazy Christians are "so heavenly-minded that they are no earthly good." Certainly, that had become the case for many of the Christians living in Thessalonica, they were so heavenly-minded that they were no earthly good.
The word Paul uses in verse 6 as "idle" is the Greek word ataktos, which literally means, "to walk disorderly" or "to walk out of line" or "synch". This Greek word could denote someone who is trying to plow a field and finds themself weaving and getting out of line. It very well could offer a farming image. In contrast, we see in verse 7 that Paul writes; "For you yourself know how you ought to follow our example. For we were not idle..." Paul, in verse 7 adds the Greek word ou, prior to atakteo, which literally means "to not behave disorderly" or "not to walk out of line." And, once again, it could denote the idea of someone who is plowing and sows a straight line of seed.
Pastor and Teacher William Hull tells about the first time he learned to plow as a child while spending the summer on his grandparent’s farm. He said, "My first impulse was to look down, to avoid rocks and roots, to check the depth of the blade, and to watch the earth being broken." He then went on to say; "And my next impulse was to look back over my shoulder to see how far I’d come and how well I’d done." But any good farmer will tell you, as William points out, the best way to look, when plowing, is straight ahead to the end of the row and to head directly for that goal without a glance in any other direction. Pretty good advice - especially for the church, because like anything, the moment you look off, whether looking down or behind you or even up you loose track of the goal - of your responsibility.
A friend of mine who is an interim pastor in Roanoke, also volunteers a lot of his time at the Roanoke Valley Rescue Mission. He was telling me a story the other day of one of the transients who told him that he was tired of his usual sign that he held up on one of the street corners in Roanoke, which read; "I’ll work for food," because he said; "It's a lie - I don't want to work!" So, he decided to just be honest, and he made another sign to hold up which read; "I want money to buy a beer."
We are not called solely to enjoy the Kingdom; but, in this life, we must also plow it, tend to it, work it and make something grow. In fact, this farming imagery is used throughout Scripture when relating to God’s Kingdom. Throughout Jesus’ parables he stresses the importance of sowing, and reaping, and harvesting. These are all traits of Kingdom Workers - of Christ’s disciples, of the Church, of you and me.
As the hymn so well puts it; "Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun, let us talk of all his wondrous love and care..."
There are two popular traditions in Africa: drinking tea and playing soccer. However, these traditions are not unique to Africa, but were brought to the continent by the British. Even when it is very hot, each afternoon in many parts of Africa they pause to drink hot tea. Why? Because the British who colonized Africa brought those traditions with them. Even though a person may have never visited the United Kingdom, they can get a glimpse of the U.K. by watching a soccer match and participating in tea time. They are doing in Africa as it is done in England. In the same way, people should get a glimpse of heaven by viewing the lifestyles of Christians as we allow God’s will to be done "on earth as it is in heaven." We are ambassadors of Christ, we are called to point others to the kingdom. We have a responsibility to live as though the kingdom were already here. To share the wonderful message of God’s love and grace. Because it is! the kingdom is within us. But does our lifestyle - does what we say and do reflect that kingdom that is within us?
Martin Luther once said that even if he knew Christ was going to return tomorrow, he would still plant an apple tree. But what about you? Let us not be so fixated on Christ’s coming or so laxidasical that we miss the opportunity to plow and sow for kingdom now, so that we might reap a good harvest when the kingdom fully comes.
I’m convince that many Christians can’t swim! We’re so fixated on the idea of flying that we forget about swimming. Today we celebrate Ascension Sunday and some of you may recall that scene painted for us by Luke in the Book of Acts, where Jesus reminded his disciples that they would receive power and strength when the Holy Spirit came and they would be his "witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." And after he said that, as they were watching him, he ascended to heaven. His disciples stood there looking up in awe and amazement, and two angels appeared and said to them; "Why do you stand here looking into the sky?" And, you know, that’s a good question! We have a tendency to stand gazing up into the air, fixed and focused on the kingdom which is to come that we forget about our responsibility now. While we all long and wait for the full manifestation of God’s kingdom, we must not forget nor neglect our responsibility to live out that kingdom here and now.
This was the problem Paul faced when he wrote his second letter to the Christians living in Thessalonica. They originally had some concerns about their brothers and sisters who had died. They wanted to know what happened to them and if they would miss out on Christ’s parouisa -his second coming. And so, Paul reminds them in his first letter that they will in no way miss out on Christ’s coming - in fact, he says that Christ will bring with him those who have fallen asleep - those who have died. Paul also stressed the imminent return of Christ in his first letter, so much so that many of them had quit working because they thought Jesus was coming back at any moment and they didn’t see any reason to exert themselves. Many of them also felt as though they could just simply relax because there were plenty of wealthier members in the church who were always willing and ready to share. And so, they had become laxidasical. They were like the disciples on that first Ascension Day, gaving up into the heavens.
So Paul wrote this second letter, in part, to warn the Christians in Thessalonica that even though Christ is coming again there is still work that must be done and responsibilities that are to be fulfilled while awaiting "his glorious appearing."
And to provide an illustration of this teaching, Paul pointed out that he had not abandoned his work as a tentmaker. Everywhere Paul spent much time, he established his tent-making business and began to take orders.
It has been said that lazy Christians are "so heavenly-minded that they are no earthly good." Certainly, that had become the case for many of the Christians living in Thessalonica, they were so heavenly-minded that they were no earthly good.
The word Paul uses in verse 6 as "idle" is the Greek word ataktos, which literally means, "to walk disorderly" or "to walk out of line" or "synch". This Greek word could denote someone who is trying to plow a field and finds themself weaving and getting out of line. It very well could offer a farming image. In contrast, we see in verse 7 that Paul writes; "For you yourself know how you ought to follow our example. For we were not idle..." Paul, in verse 7 adds the Greek word ou, prior to atakteo, which literally means "to not behave disorderly" or "not to walk out of line." And, once again, it could denote the idea of someone who is plowing and sows a straight line of seed.
Pastor and Teacher William Hull tells about the first time he learned to plow as a child while spending the summer on his grandparent’s farm. He said, "My first impulse was to look down, to avoid rocks and roots, to check the depth of the blade, and to watch the earth being broken." He then went on to say; "And my next impulse was to look back over my shoulder to see how far I’d come and how well I’d done." But any good farmer will tell you, as William points out, the best way to look, when plowing, is straight ahead to the end of the row and to head directly for that goal without a glance in any other direction. Pretty good advice - especially for the church, because like anything, the moment you look off, whether looking down or behind you or even up you loose track of the goal - of your responsibility.
A friend of mine who is an interim pastor in Roanoke, also volunteers a lot of his time at the Roanoke Valley Rescue Mission. He was telling me a story the other day of one of the transients who told him that he was tired of his usual sign that he held up on one of the street corners in Roanoke, which read; "I’ll work for food," because he said; "It's a lie - I don't want to work!" So, he decided to just be honest, and he made another sign to hold up which read; "I want money to buy a beer."
We are not called solely to enjoy the Kingdom; but, in this life, we must also plow it, tend to it, work it and make something grow. In fact, this farming imagery is used throughout Scripture when relating to God’s Kingdom. Throughout Jesus’ parables he stresses the importance of sowing, and reaping, and harvesting. These are all traits of Kingdom Workers - of Christ’s disciples, of the Church, of you and me.
As the hymn so well puts it; "Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun, let us talk of all his wondrous love and care..."
There are two popular traditions in Africa: drinking tea and playing soccer. However, these traditions are not unique to Africa, but were brought to the continent by the British. Even when it is very hot, each afternoon in many parts of Africa they pause to drink hot tea. Why? Because the British who colonized Africa brought those traditions with them. Even though a person may have never visited the United Kingdom, they can get a glimpse of the U.K. by watching a soccer match and participating in tea time. They are doing in Africa as it is done in England. In the same way, people should get a glimpse of heaven by viewing the lifestyles of Christians as we allow God’s will to be done "on earth as it is in heaven." We are ambassadors of Christ, we are called to point others to the kingdom. We have a responsibility to live as though the kingdom were already here. To share the wonderful message of God’s love and grace. Because it is! the kingdom is within us. But does our lifestyle - does what we say and do reflect that kingdom that is within us?
Martin Luther once said that even if he knew Christ was going to return tomorrow, he would still plant an apple tree. But what about you? Let us not be so fixated on Christ’s coming or so laxidasical that we miss the opportunity to plow and sow for kingdom now, so that we might reap a good harvest when the kingdom fully comes.
posted by Pastor Christopher @ 7:26 PM
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