“The Joy of Christ through Serving”

   

            I have been away over most of the past six weeks, co-leading a Volunteer in Missions team to Puerto Rico to assist with repairing homes that were severely damaged by Hurricane Maria—and, then taking some vacation time away. 

            This Sunday, I will begin a three-sermon series on the “Joy of Christ.”  “The Joy of Christ” has always been an important theme for Christ United Methodist Church, where I serve as Senior Pastor.  It is proudly displayed on the inside wall of our Family Life Center (gym).  But, what does it mean to experience the “Joy of Christ”? 

Contemporary Christians live at an interim period between the Resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday and the final victory of Christ, when God’s Reign is fully established, at the end-of-time.  In this interim period, God’s Reign has been established, yet it is not yet fully completed and we catch only glimpses of  God’s coming reign.  As disciples of Christ, we are called to be a Resurrection people, filled with joy because we know that ultimately God will prevail. 

For me, this cosmic interim time is somewhat akin to watching a televised recording of my favorite sports team—after checking the final score beforehand and knowing that my team won.  So, as I sit watching the pre-recorded game, I can be happy and confident, knowing that, no matter how badly my team is doing at the moment, ultimately, they will win the contest. Similarly, as a Resurrection people, we are called to live lives filled with the Joy of Christ because we are confident that, ultimately, God will prevail and God’s Reign will be established completely.

 In this series, I will look at the “Joy of Christ” from three perspectives: 

1.      Service (August 18)

2.      Abundance (August 25)

3.      Confidence (September 1)

We begin this series from the perspective of the joy of Christ through serving.  To ground our reflections on service, I will be preaching from a portion of the Apostle Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians:

“We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints— and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us…”. 

This passage of the Letter occurs at a point when Paul is shifting his focus to discuss the special offering which he is collecting for the church in Jerusalem.  Paul had a vision for the new churches which he was establishing.  It was a vision in which the various churches were in solidarity with one another; sharing and caring for one another.  One central component of his vision was a collection of money, which his Gentile churches would collect for poor Christians in Jerusalem.  For the Apostle Paul, this collection was a way for the Gentile churches to express their appreciation and solidarity with the Jerusalem church which had welcomed them as brothers and sisters in the faith.

 Paul begins his discussion with the Corinthians by sharing what the churches of Macedonia have already done.  He begins by noting that the Macedonian Christians have already contributed joyously and generously to the offering despite “a severe ordeal of affliction” and their extreme poverty.  Biblical scholars are uncertain precisely what the Macedonians’ “affliction” was.  Most likely, it was ill treatment at the hands of non-Christians in their communities.  At several other passages in other letters, Paul refers to hostile treatment suffered by the Macedonia Christians at the hands of non-believers. See Philippians 1:29-30; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; 2:14; and 3:3-4:4.

Yet, despite their “ordeal of affliction” and an extreme poverty that was probably greater than was typical for the early church, the Macedonians contributed joyously and generously to the offering.  Paul continues by noting that the Macedonians contributed beyond their means; beyond what Paul himself had expected.  This generosity brought joy to Paul’s heart. 

For the Macedonians, the offering was not a sacrifice.  No.  Instead, it was a privilege.  Paul observes that the Macedonians gave so joyously and generously because they had already dedicated their whole lives and their hearts to Christian discipleship—to following and serving Christ.  Thus, their generous donation was an inevitable expression of their whole attitude of love and devotion to Christ.

The Macedonian Christian provide not just a model for the Corinthians, but for us twenty-first century American Christians as well.  Serving is all about our attitude.  When we offer our entire lives in faith and active devotion to God through our Christian discipleship, then we, too, can experience the Joy of Christ through serving.  The forms of that serving may vary:  it can be serving through making a financial donation, as the Macedonians; or serving by going on a Volunteers-in-Mission trip to Puerto Rico; or serving by helping out with flood relief in Nebraska; or serving by preparing a meal for the hungry in Lincoln.  Growing out of our deep love for God, we experience the love of Christ through serving.

If you live in the Lincoln, Nebraska area and do not have a place of worship, then I invite you to come and join us at Christ United Methodist Church this Sunday, August 18th, where we will begin this short worship series on the Joy of Christ, by reflecting on serving.  Christ UMC is located at 4530 “A” Street.  We have three worship services on Sunday mornings at 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00.  The 8:30 and 11:00 services feature a traditional worship format and the services are held in our Sanctuary.  “The Gathering” at 9:45 is held in our Family Life Center (gym), and it is more informal and interactive.   

Come, join us.  Everyone is welcome and accepted because God loves us all.