I don’t know what to believe!  I’ve always been warned: “Be careful about making friends within the churches you serve.”  Yet, a beloved District Superintendent once told me: “You’ve got to take time to make a few friends along the way.”  Two men I respected; two different views on the same subject.  Yet I find myself in an odd situation.  I have been serving the same church for 8 1/2 years.  That’s 75% longer than I’ve served anywhere else in my 24 years of pastoral ministry.  And I’d be very lonely except for … FRIENDS.

But another thought has been floating through my mind in the last day or two: my friendships are evidence of true success in ministry.  My friends are from two completely diverse circles.  First, I am blessed to have a small group of pastors who love me, hold me accountable, encourage me, pick me up when I’m completely down and out, and challenge me to be better than I am.  We share life together.  We laugh together; we struggle together; we plot and plan together.  We hike together, observe nature together, eat together, and celebrate together.  We are brothers and there’s nothing I would take in return for the friendship we enjoy.

After 8+ years, I’ve also developed friendships within the church.  We laugh together; we pray together; we struggle together and celebrate together.  We serve together, worship together, study together, reach out together, and love together.  We are friends.  No!  We’re more than friends; we’re a family and there’s nothing I would take in return for the friendship we enjoy.

From time to time, I feel very ineffective as a pastor.  In a church with declining membership, declining attendance, and declining finances, it’s very hard to feel effective.  In a generation that would rather fuss about worship style than celebrate diversity, it’s very hard to feel effective.  When people choose to complain about what creed is used or the use of more modern language instead of archaic English from our past or the infrequent use of their favorite hymns, it’s hard to feel effective.  And so, I have despaired!  Like Elijah, I have wondered if this thing called ministry is really for me anymore!  Is the anointing of God still upon me?  Am I still meant to do this?  And at times, I’ve clearly answered …. NO!

And then, I remember my friends.  You know, the angel Clarence wrote: “Remember, George, no man is a failure who has friends.”  So, while some will count membership, and others finances, and still others attendance to judge the effectiveness of their ministry, I will count my friends.  Because in their eyes, I see the me that I want to be, the me that is making a contribution and maybe even a difference in the lives of others.  Thanks Rodney, Thad, Craig, Dennis (and Barry).  And thanks for the friends I’ve made within the churches I’ve served: Salem, Avalon, Buena Vista, Wrightsville, and Jesus.  Thanks for saving my ministry!!

It was one of those moments that changed my thinking about the church, especially our United Methodist Church, forever!  It was 1992 and 1400 delegates from around the world were gathered at the United Methodist General Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.  There were business sessions and there were worship services; and one of the things on the agenda was the recognition of the Methodist Church in Jamaica as an autonomous church.  The president of their delegation stepped to the mic and made the motion; it was seconded and unanimously approved; and then, the whole Jamaican delegation came through the Civic Center, dancing and singing praises to God in their own language.  And the Holy Spirit spoke, saying: “Tucker Lewis, you’re part of something bigger than you, bigger than your home church, and bigger than your home Conference.  Tucker, this is the Church, the Kingdom of God.”

Friends, I’m glad to be part of something bigger than me, bigger than I can even imagine.  One day, a lady from Teach America visited Duke University.  She stepped to the podium and said: “I’m sorry.  I think I’ve come to the wrong place.  I can tell by looking at you that you are a BMW campus.  You’re successful and driven and headed for important jobs.  I came here today, hoping to find someone willing to give your life in the toughest job in the nation.  I’m looking for someone to go to the hollows of West Virginia and the ghettos of South Los Angeles, to teach in the most difficult schools in America.  Last year, two of our teachers were killed in their classrooms.  And I can tell by looking at you that you’re not interested.  But just in case you are, I’ll stand in the back with a few brochures.”  And with that, she walked away and immediately, she was rushed by a room full of students who wanted to be part of something important, something significant, something bigger than themselves.

For about two years, they had been following Jesus … from the Sea of Galilee and Capernaum to Judea and beyond.  Jesus was always on the move and they were right beside Him.  And one day, as they were visiting the area of Caesarea Philippi, He asked them: “What are people saying about me?”  They said: “Some say you’re John the Baptist; and some, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”  And He said: “Well, what do you think?”  And Peter said: “You are the Messiah.”  Then, Jesus began teaching them what being the Messiah was really about.  But Peter didn’t like it; he pulled Jesus aside and rebuked Him, and Jesus said: “Get behind me, Satan, because you’re not thinking the things of God; you’re thinking about human things.”  Peter, your thinking is too small.  You’re part of something big … really, really big!

Listen, friends, you and I are part of something big!  God has called us to be part of His Kingdom, a people from every race, tribe, and tongue on this planet and maybe even planets we don’t know about.  We’re not part of exclusive club, that only welcomes certain people or certain types of people; we’re part of a community of faith that opens it arms to “whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord.”  We’re not just from gated communities and upscale neighborhoods; we’re from the highways and byways, the hedges and the back allies!   But there are a few things we have to keep in mind:

First, we have to come to terms with who Jesus is!  Jesus asked them: “What are people saying about me?”  And they gave Him the same answers we hear today: “Some say you’re Elijah,” just a miracle worker.  That’s all He is!  When we’re sick, when we have a physical problem or an emotional problem, then we call upon the miracle-worker.  We’ll following Him from village to village and from evangelist to evangelist, hoping against hope to find our healing in Him.  And still He asks: “What are people saying about me?”  And they said: “Some say you’re John the Baptist or one of the prophets,” a fiery preacher that dresses strange and follows strange dietary habits.  That’s all He is!  So, when we need our toes stepped on a little bit or when we need to have our ears tickled, then we do what Herod Antipas did to John the Baptist; we call Him out of the dungeons we’ve put Him in and let Him do His thing, but we don’t turn Him loose because that can be dangerous.  And still He asks: “What are people saying about me?”

Now, we human beings who were created in the image of God have a tendency to make Jesus in our image.  We worship and serve a Jesus that looks like us, thinks like us, and acts like us.  So, some people worship the Jesus that accepts gays; and some people worship the Jesus that hates gays.  Some people worship the Jesus wrapped in the American Flag or the Confederate Flag and some worship the Jesus that doesn’t.  Some worship the white Jesus, the black Jesus, the Hispanic Jesus.  But still He asks: “What are people saying about me?”

And more importantly, He asks: “And what about you?  Who do you think I am?”  When He asked that question in the region of Caesarea Philippi, Peter responded: “You are the Messiah.”  You see, the identity of Jesus is determined by His Purpose!  He’s more than a teacher, more than a healer, and more than a preacher.  He is the Messiah: He is Israel’s promised deliverer.  He came to “preach good news to the poor and liberty to the oppressed, to set the captive free and to announce that God’s Kingdom had arrived.”  He is King of kings and Lord of lords; He is the “Prince of Peace” and the “Bright and Morning Star.”

And still He asks: “And what about you?  Who do you think I am?”  In Matthew’s version of this story, he records another statement by Peter: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.”  You see, Jesus’ identity is determined by His paternity!  That’s who He is!  He is the Son of the Living God, God in the flesh, the “Alpha and Omega,” the “First and the Last,” the “Beginning and the End.”  And friends, Paul tells us: One day, “Every knee in heaven and on earth will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”  Friends, who is Jesus?  What do you think?

Second, we have to come to term with our identity in Him!  Who are we?  Some people say, we’re just the result of an evolutionary process, descendants of a creature that crawled out of a pool of slime millions of years ago.  Some say we are gods, making our own lives and creating our own destinies.  But friends, the Bible says we’re more than that!  The Bible says we are intentional creation of a loving God, who formed us from the dust of the ground and breathed into us the breath of life.  The Bible says we get our identity from our Paternity!  We are the Children of God for John tells us: “Behold, how great a love God has for us that we should be called the sons and daughters of God and that is what we are.”  One day, Jesus met a Pharisee named Nicodemus and in their very spiritual conversation, Jesus told him: “You must be born again.”  You’ve got to experience a second birth, a spiritual birth.

We are disciples of Christ, perfectly imperfect followers and students of Jesus; Jesus said: “If anyone wants to follow me, let them deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me.”  So, “it’s no longer I that lives, but Christ now lives in me and the life that I now live I live by faith in the one who loved me and gave His life for me.”  That’s where we get our identity … from our Purpose!  We are here to reflect the glory of God.  We have been recreated in God’s image so the world would have an idea what He is like!  And they see that is us as we follow Jesus … carrying our cross daily and laying down our lives for the sake of Christ and the Gospel.  That’s who we are supposed to be!  Now … who are we really?

No one can belong to something bigger without this being confirmed in your heart and life
… Who is Jesus?  And Who am I in Him?  Can you answer those questions?

anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.” He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. . Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” . Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.” At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”

Recently, I found myself in a situation that ended in total disaster. I went to Walmart with one think in mind: buy Communion Bread. Now, you don’t need a buggy for a pack of flat bread; so, I walked straight to the shelf, picked up a pack of bread, and when I turned toward the checkouts, I saw the fruit. Man, it looked good. So, I picked up one of this and two of that; and but I turned toward the checkouts, I remembered I needed a cucumber. So, I walked over to the wall, reached down, and picked up a cucumber. And that’s when I started getting nervous, because the things in my arms were shifting around too much. So, I said to myself: “I think I can make it to the checkouts if I go right now. Yeah, I can make it,” but when I turned toward the checkouts, I saw the sweet potatoes. Now, I love sweet potatoes and they started calling my name, so I went over and … very carefully, picked up a few to take home. And then, I was in trouble, because my arms just weren’t big enough for all that stuff. So, I started walking a little quicker and then, I stubbed my toe … and everything – bread, fruit, cucumber, sweet potatoes, and Tucker – went flying in all directions. And an interesting thing happened at that moment: God seemed to speak to me, saying: “Tucker, you can’t hold onto everything.”

When we read the Gospels, we can’t help but notice the overwhelming response to Jesus’ ministry. Hundreds and thousands came to Him. In fact, when He fed the multitude with five loaves and two fish, there could have been as many as 12-15,000 or more on that hillside! They came to Him and He taught them; He fed them; He healed them; He loved them! But just a short time later, He was down to a handful of faithful disciples and in the end, when He was dying on the cross for our sins, only the women (and John) were there. What happened? How did we go from hundreds and thousands to just a handful of faithful followers? Could it be that Jesus – the Son of God, the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of the Universe, couldn’t hold onto everything?

John 6 is often called “The Bread of Life Discourse.” In John 6, Jesus got out of a boat and found a hungry crowd and He fed them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then, He left them and went home to Capernaum, but they followed Him. And He said: “I know why you came looking for me. It wasn’t because you saw the miracles and believe; it’s because I fed you. You’re still looking for something to eat.” Then, He said: “You’ve got to look beyond your growling bellies and the physical bread and see what’s really important. I am the Bread of Life … I am the True Bread that comes down from heaven … and those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life.”

Now, you would think He had them hooked, because not only did He offer them physical bread, but He offered them spiritual bread too. But look what happened next: verse 60 says: “When many of His disciples heard this, they said: ‘This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?’” And verse 66 says: “Because of this, many of His disciples turned back and no longer went about with Him.” Jesus had an arm full of disciples, but even Jesus couldn’t hold onto everything.

Friends, I want to share some thoughts with you this morning, thoughts about the church, about your life and mine, and about our life together:

First, the arms of the church must be open wide to everyone! As far as I can tell, Jesus never turned anyone away! He welcomed everyone: saint and sinner, rich and poor, healthy and sick, the outcast and the in-crowd. He said: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest.” _ So Paul told the church at Rome: “So, then, whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” _ Whoever! Every church ought to be a church for whoever! The church of yesterday was an either/or church. It was either White, or Black, or Asian, or Hispanic. It was either upper class or middle class or lower class. It was either Methodist or Baptist or … (You name it). But the church of today is a both/and church! Healthy, growing, thriving churches don’t exclude people, but constantly open their hearts, minds, and doors to welcome “whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord.” Our arms must be wide enough to welcome everyone!

Second, some just won’t be held! Jesus invited a few people who refused to follow. One day, He met a man and said: “Come, follow me!” and the man said: “Okay, Jesus, but first let me go bury my daddy,” and the man walked away! Later, Jesus met a man who said: “Jesus, I’ll follow you, but let me say goodbye to my family first,” and he walked away too.  You see, some people just don’t answer the invitation. Now, friends, we don’t live in a Christian nation anymore. The church – even in the Bible Belt – has lost its place of control and influence in our culture. This morning, somewhere between 70 and 75% of Wayne County has said “No” to church! And most of them have said “No” for a very long time, but that doesn’t mean we stop reaching! One morning, Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee and saw a boat filled with tired fishermen. He asked them: “Did you catch anything?” They said: “No! We fished all night and caught no fishes.” So, Jesus said: “Cast your net on the other side.” And when they did, their nets were filled to overflowing!

So, even when we’ve fished all night without having any luck, we just keep fishing. And even when we’ve fished in the shallows like all good fishermen are supposed to do, we keep fishing and we try a different method; we cast our nets on the other side. We keep tweaking the way we fish until we get the response that we’re looking for. We’re Methodists and Methodists find a method – any means necessary – to accomplish our mission. But in the end, some fish just will not be caught. And that’s sad, but we’re not responsible for the catching; we’re responsible for the fishing! So, keep fishing!

Third, the arms of the church aren’t going to hold everybody! Some people are going to leave. It happened to Jesus; verse 66 says: “Because of this, many of His disciples turned away and followed Him no more.” Now, listen, if people walked away from Jesus, who are we to think they won’t walk away from us? By the latter part of the first century, people were turning away from the church left and right, and the writer of the Book of Hebrews wrote to the church, saying: “Don’t stop meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten into the habit of doing. Instead, encourage each other.” _

Some leave because they haven’t put down roots! They come to worship, and that’s it. They don’t belong to a cell – a Small Group or a Sunday School Class. They don’t have a place to serve or to fellowship with others. They only tie they have to the church is they like the worship service, the music, or the preaching and when that ceases to meet their needs. They walk away! Some leave because their priorities aren’t right! In the final days of his life, Paul wrote one last letter to his son in the ministry, Timothy. And at the end of this letter, Paul asks Timothy to come see him because he is alone and listen to this closing statement: “Do your best to come to me quickly. Demas has fallen in love with this present world and has deserted me. Crescens has gone to Galatia; and Titus has gone to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me.” _ “Demus has fallen in love with this present world.” Demus had children who played rec ball or maybe, they were dancers or twirlers. Whatever the case, church wasn’t Demus’ priority and he walked away. In an anti-christian culture, the alternatives are many and those who do not make church a priority will find themselves pulled away. Some leave because their motives weren’t pure! Listen, nobody joins a church with totally pure motives. We’re all here this morning for a variety of reasons. Some come to be entertained; they like the music; they like the choir or the praise team; or they like the preacher. And as long as they’re being entertained, then they’re happily present. Some come to because of what the church gives them. They have a place of power, a place of prestige, a place of influence. Long after some people lose influence at work or in the community, the church continues to be the place where they can be seen and looked up to and respected. Some come for friendship! Church is still a place where you can meet good people and find new friends. Hey, I know single people whose only reason for going to church every Sunday is so that they can meet someone to date. Everybody that attends church isn’t here to worship or to grow in their relationship with God. And when the church is shaken everything and everybody scatters in a hundred directions.  Continue reading →

Afterward, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at a kiosk for collecting taxes.  Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”  Levi got up, left everything behind, and followed Him.  Then, Levi threw a great banquet for Jesus in his home.  A large number of tax collectors and others sad down to eat with them.  The Pharisees and their legal experts grumbled against His disciples.  They said, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”  Jesus answered, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do.  I didn’t come to call righteous people but sinners to change their hearts and lives.”

Religion bothers me!  And so do the religious!  In Luke 5, Luke, a disciple of Paul, describes a party.  Can’t you just see it?  A tax collector has discovered a new identity as a follower of Jesus of Nazareth.  Immediately, he thinks of all the others like himself, and invites them to meet the Master.  Those who are disenfranchised have been brought near to the Kingdom.  There is a party over at Levi’s house and the itinerant Rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth, is laughing and talking and rubbing elbows with a courtyard full of tax collectors.

Now, just around the corner are the religious, the Pharisees.  With long faces and accusing attitudes, they seem to be looking for anyone having fun.  The music is too loud.  It’s not the right kind of music.  The guest are tattooed or pierced.  The aren’t well groomed and their hair is too long.  They’re not dressed properly.  Now, this is what the Pharisees see, not the fact that a courtyard full of sinners is interacting with a holy man, Jesus of Nazareth.  So, they complain.  And like many complaints, it is veiled in a question: “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

Do you ever wonder where Jesus would be if He visited your community?  I’m sure the Baptists think He’d certainly visit their church; and the Methodists know for certain He’d visit theirs.  He’d attend every revival, every special program.  With the right hand of fellowship, He’d pat us good little Christians on the head and tell us all just how right we’ve been all these years!  Right? …. WRONG!

I think He’d certainly visit our churches because He visited Israel’s synagogues often and routinely.  But I know we’d see Him hanging out in bars.  We’d see Him sitting in a circle of homeless people in the center of a vacant lot.  We’d see Him coming out of the home of a woman of questionable reputation.  We’d see Him attempting to ride skateboards with the goth kids.  And all the while, He’d be laughing with those who laugh and crying with those who cry.  Those arms of love and acceptance would embrace people we’ve long ago rejected or ignored.  That’s where Jesus would be!   Cause that’s where the sick people are!

And where would we, religious people, be?  Peeping around every corner, ready to condemn the love, acceptance, and generosity of Jesus.  Why, you can’t do that!  You can’t hang out with those people!  But He did!  And He would!  And He does!  And the question remains unanswered …
If we know that’s where Jesus would be (and that’s where Jesus is), then why aren’t we there?

O God, help us!  We, your people, have become the very thing we detest … Pharisees!  We so quickly size people up and put them in categories that we can understand and control.  We determine so quickly and so superficially who is on “the inside” and who we must keep on “the outside.”  Forgive us!  And give us the courage to see the world and all its people through your eyes.  Help us to walk among the “tax collectors and sinners” of our community so that we might rub elbows with you!  For the sake of our souls and your Kingdom work, we pray … Amen.

When Jesus had seen the great crowds around him, He gave orders for departure to the other side of the lake.  But before they started, one of the scribes came up to Jesus and said to Him, “Master, I will follow you wherever you go.”  “Foxes have dens, birds in the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere that He can call His own,” replied Jesus.  Another of His disciples said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”  But Jesus said to Him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

Most lay persons have no idea how badly clergy feel when one of their sheep leaves the fold.  The Lord, our Great Shepherd, has called us and the church has set us apart for a ministry of leadership on the Lord’s “Sheep Farm.”  Working under the care and guidance of the Great Shepherd, we serve as under shepherds of the flock.  We preach and teach the riches of God’s Holy Word.  We pray for and give council to the sheep.  And we visit when we can.  But some sheep wander away!  That hurts!

In our culture, people pick churches like they pick their groceries at Walmart.  Decision about church are made based on consumerism.  People look for the church with the best music or the best children’s program or youth program.  And if their current flock disappoints them, they are quick to look for greener pastures.  And not to be outdone, clergy do this too.  Clergy look for the church with the best music or the best staff or the best resources.  And if their current flock resists them or disappoints them, they quickly leave the church or the bigger and better, discouraging the church and causing great harm.

By the later days of the First Century, this tendency to wander had begun.  The writer of the book of Hebrews encouraged his people, “Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves.”  DON’T GIVE UP GOING TO CHURCH!  And yet, Paul predicted it would happen, “There will be a great falling away.”  I’m sure all the disciples experienced it, because Jesus did!  He invited some to follow Him, but they refused because they had better things to do.  Some who were following Him left because they had other priorities.  And guess what?  It troubled Him.  He turned to His disciples one day after many walked away and asked: “Will you leave me too?”

It matters not that Jesus experienced it … or Paul … or the writer of Hebrews … or the other disciples for that matter!  when the relationship between Pastor and Parishioner or Shepherd and Sheep is broken it hurts.  And wow!  I get tired of hurting.  I long to see people really love God.  I long to see people really commit to God’s people.  I long to see healthy, growing, vibrant churches!

O God, there are times when your under shepherd has been less than you’ve called him to be.  And there are times when your sheep have been less than you’ve called them to be.  Some have wandered away from the fold of your churches!  Some have even wandered away from you.  Forgive me for my part in this ugliness.  Heal the pain that I’ve caused others and the pain that they’ve caused me.  And make your under shepherd and your faithful sheep to more perfectly reflect your nature to our world.  Amen!

What would you do if you only had 10 months to live? Nobody wants to think about that, right? But a few years ago, my father-in-law was diagnosed with bone cancer. The doctor recommended chemo, but dad refused it. So, the doctor recommended a radioactive shot called Quadramet, instead. And on the day, he got his first shot, the nurse took the needle out of the port, looked at him, and said: “Mr. Lovejoy, if you’re still with us in 3 months, we’ll give you another shot.” That’s when we realized they didn’t expect him to live three months.

A while back, country singer, Tim McGraw had a hit song about a conversation between two men. One was telling the other about a life-changing experience. He was in his early 40s when he was diagnosed with cancer. And his friend asks: “Well, how’s it hit you when you get that kinda news? Man, what’d you do?” And the man says: “I went sky diving; I went Rocky mountain climbing; I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Foo Man Choo. And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter and I gave forgiveness I’d been denying. Then he said: I hope someday you get the chance to live like you were dying.”

In the spring of 2007, leaders from this church asked the District Superintendent for a younger pastor, someone to fill the new parsonage with kids. And they scrapped the bottom of the bucket and picked me. For the last 8 years, I’ve given you the best I could give. I’ve done my best. I’ve stood before you and preached and taught God’s Word. I’ve stood beside you as you faced surgery and said goodbye to your loved ones. And I’ve tried to offer good, godly leadership in a time of great change in the church and in the culture. I’ve tried to tell you and show you that what worked yesterday may not work today. And along the way, I’ve made lots and lots of mistakes. I’ve disappointed some of you and angered others. And I’m really sorry about that! I wanted to do better and be better … for God … for God’s Kingdom … and for you, God’s people!

I looked at the calendar this week and counted the days … 10 months! Now, I don’t know the heart of God or the mind of our Bishop, but 9 years is a long time for Methodists, even in these days of longer appointments. So, I know, realistically, I have 10 months to live as your pastor. 10 months! So, I’ve racked my brain and searched my heart, trying to decide what to say to you this morning when we’re gathered here as a church family. What could I possibly say that would set us on a 10 month journey of happiness and holiness? And here is what God seemed to say to me: Get back to the Basics!

Now, in the world of education, back to the basics means: Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic! In the world of golf, back to the basics means: driving, chipping, and putting! In the world of football, back to the basics means: punting, passing, kicking, blocking, and running. We have a tendency to make things so complicated and sometimes, we lose sight of what’s really important – what we should do and be! So, this morning, I want to remind us all of the basics! It’s time to get back to the basics.

To get back to the basics, I must engage in celebration! Celebration is worship! From the first pages of Genesis to the closing pages of Revelations, the Bible is a worship manual. It tells us who to worship, how to worship, and when to worship. It starts with God calling Cain and Abel to worship and ends with all the nations gathered in heaven’s temple, singing praises to the Lamb who is seated on the throne.
We were created to worship! Moses told the people of God: “Honor the Lord your God, worship only Him, and make your promises only in His name.” And when Jesus battled Satan in the wilderness, Jesus referred to this verse, saying: “You will worship the Lord your God and Him alone will you serve.” Now, we can worship God anywhere. When the woman at the well was preoccupied with the proper place of worship, Jesus said: “Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you and your people will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem … true worshipers will worship in spirit and in truth.”

So, we need to make time every day to worship God at home! There needs to be a moment, a moment of awe and wonder, of holy reverence, when the presence of God breaks into our everyday, common, ordinary lives, a moment of thanksgiving, a moment when I surrender all that I am to all that God is. And then, we need to make time to celebrate in community with other believers! It doesn’t matter if it’s traditional contemporary. It doesn’t matter if we’re singing “Amazing Grace” or “This is Amazing Grace.” It doesn’t matter if everybody is gathered at one place and time! What matters is: Is God here? Because if God is here … then, it’s worship! It’s celebration! And that’s one of the basics of the Christian life and the very heart of Methodism!

Second, to get back to the basics, I must engage in a Cell – a small group! Methodism was formed on the belief that every Methodist needed a Class Meeting. When Jesus came to usher in the Kingdom of God, He did it by forming a small group. He chose 12 men and changed the world. Now, at First UMC, we have two kinds of groups – Sunday School Classes and Small Groups. Some choose one; some choose the other; some choose both, but sadly most have chosen “none of the above.” Let me say this very clearly: Everybody needs a small group!

My small group is the primary place for Christian Fellowship! In worship, we come to honor God and everything we say and do should be directed to God. But in small groups we get to know and love one another. In small groups, we make ourselves accountable to one another and everyone needs accountability! For 11 years, viewers tuned in to watch Cheers, because “Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name. And they’re always glad you came. You wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same. You wanna go where everybody knows your name.”

My small group is the primary place for discipleship! We study God’s Word – not in isolation, apart from one another, but – in conversation and dialogue with one another. Now, for several generations, Sunday School has filled that role. It has been the place where people of all ages have been instructed in God’s Word and Christian doctrine. But the trend today in churches across America is back to our roots – Small Groups, and back to discussion and away from instruction.

My small group is the primary place for mutual care! In the old model, one person – the pastor – took care of all the needs in the church. The Pastor was leader, shepherd, preacher, caregiver, counselor, and lots more – all wrapped up into one. But one person can’t do it all. There’s no way one person can care for all 170 people who attend worship at First Methodist Church or the 380 members on our rolls. We – as Christians – are called to love one another, to care for one another, to comfort, encourage, and challenge one another. And a great place to do that is in a small group where 10 people can care for the needs of 10 people. Joining a cell group – a Sunday School Class or Small Group – is one of the basics of the Christian life and it’s at the very heart of Methodism.

Third, to get back to the basics, I must engage my call. As Protestant Christians, we believe in the Priesthood of ALL Believers. We believe that the Pastor has been set apart for leadership in the church – to preach and teach God’s Word, to administer the sacraments, and to maintain the order and discipline of the church, but every member is a minister! Each of us is called and uniquely gifted to serve God by serving others!
Now, we do that within the church! Paul told the churches of Galatia: “You have been called to live in freedom, but don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.” He said: “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

There are so many ways to serve God at our church. And in lots of ways, big and small, people are doing that. But listen, some of us are doing absolutely nothing to serve God by serving others within our church. It’s normal for 20% of the people to do 80% of the work, but in healthy churches, 80% of the people do 80% of the work. If we want to be a healthy, growing church every member must consider themselves a minister.

We also serve engage our call by reaching outside of the church into the community! We have to stop thinking about the church as a place to go and start thinking of church as something to be. We must be the church, fulfilling Jesus’ command to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty, and visit the sick and imprisoned. We have to make our church more than a big, aging building in the heart of Jesup and make it visible by fulfilling the prophecy of Jesus: “Greater works will you do than I have done.” Serving God by serving others is one of the basics of the Christian life and it’s the very heart of Methodism!

You know, brothers and sisters, First UMC, Jesup is a great church! You are wonderful, loving and caring people – the very people of God! But the anchor of tradition, the winds of cultural change and the pressures we face in our daily lives tend to blow us off course. We have to get back to the basics: Celebration! Cell! And Call! That’s what I would do, if I knew I only had 10 months to live. In these 10 months, I’m committing myself to one goal: I want to live every moment of every day like I was dying. Won’t you join me?

Maybe you’ve heard about the couple that took a beach trip on their honeymoon. On their way down the strip, they saw a sign that said: “Helicopter rides ahead.” Well, they stopped to see how much the rides were and the pilot said: “$20 each” and since that was a little steep for their budget, they turned to leave, but the pilot said: “Listen, I’ll make a deal with you. If I take you up and you keep quiet, the ride is free, but if you make a sound – even one peep – you owe me $40.” Well, the ride started and it was anything but smooth. They jerked and bumped and climbed and dived, but the pilot never heard a sound. And when they landed, he turned around and said, “Sir, I’m a man of my word; you didn’t make a peep. So, the ride is free.” And the man said: “Well, thank the Lord! And just think, I almost said something when my wife fell out back there.”

Now, friends, that’s self-control. And self-control is something we, in our culture, know little or nothing about. Instead of self-control, we are a culture on cruise control. In the area of finances, we have “runaway spending” and “out of control debt.” In the area of sexuality, anybody can sleep with just about anybody. We are a culture of addicts, with drug and alcohol addiction running rampant. We are an over-indulgent society with obesity among children and adults at all-time highs. We say what we want and do what we want with little or no regard to the consequences. We are like children in a candy store, without discipline, without self-restraint. Listen to how James describes us: “We must never say, ‘God has tempted me,’ for God cannot be tempted by evil and He Himself tempts no one. But we are tempted when we are drawn away and trapped by our own evil desires. Then, our evil desires conceive and give birth to sin.”

But that’s not who we are! Paul says: “The person that we used to be was crucified with Him in order to get rid of the corpse that had been controlled by sin. That way we wouldn’t be slaves to sin anymore.” _ Through the cross, God has freed us from slavery to our sinful, selfish desires and put a new Spirit within us, a Spirit that makes us more godly and Christ-like. Paul said: “The works of the flesh are obvious … but the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

So, instead of being on cruise control, in Christ, through the Holy Spirit, we are given self-control. Self-control! The word Paul uses here is egkrates; it means “the ability to discipline or restrain yourself.” It is the word Paul used in 1 Corinthians 9 when he described how athletes train themselves for the games; he said: “Don’t you know that all the runners in the stadium run, but only one gets the prize? So run to win. Everyone who competes practices self-discipline in everything. The runners do this to get a crown of leaves that shrivel up and die, but we do it to receive a crown that never dies.”  Paul says: if you’re gonna win the race, you’re gonna need self-control. John Maxwell, Wesleyan Pastor and leadership guru, said: “The first victory that successful people ever achieve or win is the victory over themselves.”

So, this morning, I want to look three areas where a little self-control would make a world of difference in our lives as individuals and our life together as a church family!

First, we need to exercise more control over our bodies! Our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit, the dwelling place of God. So our lives should be marked by moderation – not over eating or under eating but healthy eating; not over exercising or under exercising but proper exercising. Paul told the church at Corinth: “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything.” _ You can be just as dominated by the gym as you can be by the buffet line and the key to both is self-control.

Second, we need to exercise more control over our tongues! In James 3:7, James writes: “People can tame and already have tamed every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish. No one can tame the tongue, though. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” Now, ain’t that the truth? Our tongues get us into loads of trouble. With our tongues, we speak vulgarities. Think about how our speech has changed over the years. In 1952, on the I Love Lucy Show, Lucy and Ricky were not allowed to use the word “pregnant” on public television, but today you can almost hear anything and everything. And we can get upset about it all we want, but television is a mirror for our culture. Television simply reflects back to us what we are saying and doing in our everyday lives. But Paul said: “Let no corrupt words proceed from your mouth, but only what is good to build one another up and impart grace to your neighbor.”

With our tongues, we lie. Leviticus 19:11 says: “Do not steal, or deal falsely, or lie one to another.” And Paul told the church at Ephesus: “Put away lying. Let each of you speak truth with his neighbor.”

With our tongues, we abuse and insult one another! James said: “We use the same mouth to praise God and to curse our neighbor. Brothers and Sisters, this should not be.”

Third, we need to exercise more control over our desires! The New York Times recently reported that over 50% of the people in the United States are completely comfortable living beyond their means. The average American household is carrying $15,863 of credit card debt and $156,584 in mortgage debt. Now, to be fair, debt has become a way of life; I understand that, but we have lost the distinction between what we need and what we want. We, as a people, are no longer driven by what we need; we are driven by what we want. We see it and we’ve got to have it … the latest gadget, the newest automobile, the finest homes, in the finest neighborhoods. And as a result, we can no longer support the mission and ministry of the church. We no longer see any value in sacrificing personal convenience for the sake of greater good. It’s all about me – what’s best for me – not in the long term, but today and sometimes … right now!

Self-control! Control over my mouth, my body, my wants and wishes! That’s what I need! And that’s what the Holy Spirit offers me when I am being continually filled and refilled with the Holy Spirit. So, how can I develop the Fruit of Self-control in my life?

First, set spiritual goals and priorities! Our lives must be driven by more than the changing winds of our culture. We have to develop the ability to “not be conformed to this world” and its priorities, but to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds.” _ Our question should not be: “What’s important to me?” Our question should be: “What’s important to God?” If we “seek first the Kingdom of God”_ and seek to live in right relationship with Him, then our other priorities fall into line too.

Second, be faithful to daily spiritual disciplines! The way we come to know the mind of Christ is to spend time with Christ … time in His Word, time in prayer, time in fellowship with other believers, and time in worship. The way we know if our priorities are right or not is to spend time every day getting to know the heart and mind of God.

Third, yield control of mind, body, and spirit to God! Paul said: “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God for this is your reasonable act of worship.” _ And Romans 6:13 says: “Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but … offer every part of yourself to Him as an instrument of righteousness.” Self-control!

Well, one day a couple went down to the local car lot to buy a new car. And on the back of the lot, they saw the perfect car … sleek and aerodynamic, great gas mileage, perfect paint job, great interior, and a loud, booming sound system. So, they took it for a test drive and when he punched it, he couldn’t believe the power the engine had. In fact, he was thinking, “This might be a little too much car for my wife,” but he didn’t say anything. She wanted the car so they bought it. Well, the next day, they were showing it off to their friends and the woman said: “Y’all this is the first car we’ve ever had with cruise control.” And her husband said: “Honey, I’m not worried about the cruise control; I’m just hoping we have a little self-control.” Now, isn’t that the truth? So much of our life is spent on cruise control, but today – more than ever before – our greatest need is for self-control. “The Fruit of the Spirit is … self-control.”

O God, help us to yield to you that the greatest influence over our lives would be the leading of your Spirit and that might be demonstrated by the way we exercise self-control in all things – mind, and body, and spirit. Amen!

There is, I am convinced, very little difference between humanity and beast.  I love watching the Discovery Channel or Animal  Planet, especially the shows about Wilder beast crossing the river.  Gathered on the other bank, they watch and wait for the leader to strike out.  When one steps into the water, all follow.  And mass chaos ensues.  There is no patience, no decorum.  It is bedlam.

Now watch people.  There is little difference.  Everyone is in survival mode.  It’s me against the world.  I’ll step on you, bump you, run over you, whatever it takes to be first, to get the perfect spot.  And even the most timid must go with the flow or die.

then, I hear a faint voice … “Think of others more highly than yourself,” “The last will be first and the first will be last.”  And as I yield to that voice, I am bumped, kicked, and ravaged.  There is darkness, then light and another voice, “Well done, my good and faithful servant; enter in.”