In anticipation of this Sunday’s message on the foolishness of the Cross…

The Hazardous Gospel–message preached by Barbara Shafer at Advocate Condell Medical Center, January 26, 2014

Some of you may remember clerks who worked the customer service desk at our local Post Office in days gone by.  One of those clerks was Mervin.  I really liked Mervin.  I came to know a different side of him when one day, I was mailing copies of a sermon I’d given, sending them to a bunch of friends, including postage to mail it back to me.  The instructions were to let it minister to people they knew and to share the “traveling” Gospel, because I DO Love to Tell the Story.

Well, I brought my packages up to the desk and Mervin asked the usual litany of questions about packages, ““Does this parcel contain anything fragile, liquid, perishable, or potentially hazardous?”  I told him it was the Gospel.  He smiled at me and said with a chuckle, “Should we list it as potentially hazardous then?”  I laughed because I knew what he was saying as he continued, “It depends on whether someone receives it and what they do with it…as it says in the Bible.”

I learned that Mervin was a clerk by day, but at night and on weekends, he pastored a church.  It was a small but spiritually vibrant African American church in a somewhat dying neighborhood.  We became friends and I went to his church to hear him preach.

The Gospel is potentially hazardous depending on whether we receive it and what we do with it when we do receive it.  It’s hazardous to our old way of life.

That’s what our passage today talks about.  When we receive the Gospel, our response will be hazardous to our old way of life but it will be a really good thing because our new way of life will be true life.

The Gospel is hazardous in that it calls us to:

1. PERSONAL HOLINESS
2. FEAR OF GOD
3. AND LOVING OTHERS LIKE JESUS LOVED THEM

All of these things–Personal Holiness, Fear of God, and Loving Others like Jesus Loved Them– can’t be adequately done apart from the Gospel.  It is hazardous to our old way of life.

Where does it say this in our passage for today?  Well, let’s take a look:

1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

When we become followers of Jesus Christ and when His Gospel—the Good News of salvation for those who believe in Him—is embraced, we become children in the family of God.  We’re adopted out of our old life of sin, of evil desires, of ignorance to God’s ways and we are called to take on our new family name.

Just as when a child is adopted into a family and takes on the family name and becomes under the new parental authority, so we do too when we take on the name Christian.  We live under the loving guidance of our Father in heaven.  In the Christian life, we have a new knowledge of who God is.  We experience God’s Holy Spirit coming to dwell within our hearts and we learn to listen to God’s instruction.  Therefore we are no longer uninformed about what holy actions are and must learn to act accordingly.

The Gospel is hazardous to our old way of life, calling us out of that and toward personal holiness.

After I became a Christian, God began working on my personal holiness.  I had a silly habit of feeling guilty when I had not allowed 5 days mailing time for bills, even if 2 days would get it there on time.  So when I wrote out my check, I back dated it.  I didn’t think that God particularly cared about my doing that since no one was really being hurt by it.  I thought that it was just covering my embarrassment, even minus the embarr and the ment.  One day, I was writing out a check and back dated it.  God’s Holy Spirit said into my conscience, “How about you void that, tear it up, and be honest this time.”  I had no idea that God even cared about that.  But now I do and whenever I’m tempted to do that, I remember that my personal holiness is important to God because I bear His name as His child.

Yes, the Gospel can be hazardous to our old way of life, even things we don’t think He cares about.  Personal holiness extends from the truly important to the seemingly insignificant.  We all have our areas where change is necessary and the Gospel will be hazardous to those wrong things we did in ignorance.

But the Gospel is also hazardous to what we might fear. 

Many of us are afraid of something as our natural default.  Some of us are afraid of strangers or of heights or of the dark.  Some of us are afraid of the dentist or shots or something.  But that’s not what our passage is talking about.  Our passage is talking about the fear of God.

Sometimes we’ll hear people talk about putting the fear of God into someone.  But in reality it’s more like fear of the belt or the paddle.  The fear of God is something totally different.  The fear of God is a reverent awareness that God is God and we are not.  It’s a reverent awareness that God is supremely knowledgeable, even about things we think are hidden.  It’s a reverent awareness that He will judge our actions, or as it says in our passage:

1 Peter 1:17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.

We’re strangers because many people think that Christians are a bunch of kooks, believing in God.  We’re strangers among such people.  We’re different and don’t fit in anymore.  But we know something that they don’t know:

 1 Peter 1:18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

The Gospel is hazardous to our former ways of thinking because Jesus bought us and didn’t pay for us with anything we could have used on our own—enough silver or gold.  No, those only lead to the empty old ways of trusting in ourselves.  Jesus bought us with His blood.  It sounds kind of gross, but Scripture says Hebrews 9:22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

This is a NT explanation of what is found in everyone’s favorite book of the Bible, Leviticus 17:11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.

To rescue my life, your life, blood had to be shed…and that blood was Jesus’.  The Gospel is hazardous because we cannot go back to believing that we can save ourselves.  We must swallow our pride in believing in our own messianic abilities and instead, learn to fear God who not only judges impartially but judges through Jesus’ purchase of us.  The Gospel is hazardous in that it calls us out of our former lives of empty days and self-reliance and into a life of holiness and fear of God by believing in His Son whom He sent to purchase our souls.

About Jesus, our passage continues with a third hazard of the Gospel: its call for us to love like Jesus loved.

1 Peter 1:20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. 22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.  23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

Because God loved us and sent His Son Jesus, our response as Christians is to love others.  Not just to love people who are lovable like maybe parents or children or siblings or a spouse.  There’s a higher standard of loving even those who are our enemies.  How hard is that!  Don’t we all have people in our lives who annoy us or find really unpleasant?  In our old ways of life, loving them would have been very hard–indeed, impossible!  But the Gospel is hazardous to our old way of life.  We know that we have been bought with the highest price paid…as Scripture says, Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us….10 For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Think about it: We were God’s enemies, but Jesus loved us so much that He ransomed us anyway in order to demolish our old ways of human selfishness and loving only the lovable.  Now, we seek God because we’ve been born again.  And we’re called to that higher standard of love.

Once you’ve been “born again”—a great and descriptive phrase that has received an unfortunate and undeserved connotation—because the idea is that once you’ve been born, there is no going back to the womb.  Once you’ve been born there is no old way anymore.  Once you’ve been born, everything is ahead of you and nothing is behind you.  The Gospel is hazardous because there is no turning back to the way we were before.

Much as many a mother who just wants to take a shower (without seeing the toddler’s hands under the door or hearing the doorknob rattling amidst cries for Mommy) wishes that for just a moment she could shove the child back inside her belly to take a shower in peace…and many a mother of a teenager wishes she could have the teenage years pass back in the womb so that we didn’t have to deal with teenage drama, the truth is there is no going back!

That’s why “born again” is such a great phrase.  It accurately depicts how the Gospel is hazardous to our old way of life.  There’s no going back and that’s a good thing!

• It’s hazardous to our old sinful ways.  We are called to be holy, obeying the Word of Truth.
• It’s hazardous to our old fears and what we trusted as wisdom.  We are called to fear God and Him alone.  That’s true wisdom!
• It’s hazardous to our old view of love.  We are called to love others as Jesus did–a high standard to be sure, but possible by the power of the Gospel.

So where does today find you?  Have you been born again? 

Have you embraced the hazardous, risky Gospel and the new way of life that represents true living?  Have you accepted God’s forgiveness offered in the blood of Christ?  Have you decided to pursue a future of holiness because the God you serve is holy?  Have you let go of fears of man and worldly wisdom and acknowledged that fear of God is the beginning of wisdom?  Have you made the decision to love as Jesus did even if you fall short from time to time?

If you haven’t, then you can be born again, no going back to that old empty way of hopelessness, fear, trusting in yourself, and worrying about the future.  You can be born again to be the person God has always desired you to be: holy, godly, and loving.  You can pray something like this:

Lord God, I acknowledge you and the love you had for us in sending your Son Jesus.  I admit what you already know—that I fall short all the time of the holiness and call to love others that you would have me to show.  I admit that heaven is not inherited second-hand by the faith of others, but that it’s a gift I must receive.  I understand that heaven is not purchased by anything I can bring.  I ask that you would make me born-again by the blood of Christ, the cleansing of forgiveness and the power of your Holy Spirit.  Remind me, Lord, that there is no turning back to old evil ways.  Strengthen me to pursue the certainty of eternal life though it is hazardous to the old ways I knew.  I thank you for sending Jesus and ask that His forgiveness would cover me and help me to live a life of holiness and love.  Thank you Jesus.  Amen

Chapel Worship Guide for Sunday 9 AM, January 26, 2014

The Nemmers Family Chapel at Advocate Condell

Worship music this morning is provided courtesy of the First Presbyterian Church of Libertyville

Prelude—LeAnn Malecha

Welcome—Barbara Shafer, Christ Church Highland Park

Worship in Song 

Scripture Reading (Old Testament)  

Leviticus 11: 44 I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves about on the ground. 45 I am the LORD who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.

Scripture Reading (New Testament)

1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. 22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

Prayer

Message:  “The Hazardous Gospel” by Barbara Shafer

The Gospel is Hazardous to our old way of life, calling us to a new life of:

1. Personal Holiness
2. Fear of God
3. And Loving Others like Jesus Loved Them

The Gospel may be hazardous to the empty things of our past, but the new life ahead—with victory in Jesus, the beauty of holiness, and eternal life with our God who loves us—will be well worth the risk we took in being born-again.

Benediction—Barbara Shafer

Chapel Worship Guide for Sunday 9 AM, January 19, 2014

The Nemmers Family Chapel at Advocate Condell

Prelude— Amazing Grace, LeAnn Malecha, First Presbyterian Church of Libertyville

Welcome—Barbara Shafer, Christ Church Highland Park

Today’s teaching leader is Nicole Collins (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and First & Santa Cruz Lutheran Parish of Joliet, Illinois)

GATHERING , WE CONFESS AND RECEIVE MERCY  

Leader: Blessed be the holy Trinity, † one God,

who spoke light into creation,

who calls us to listen and follow,

who sends us to shine like stars.

 ALL: Amen.

 Leader: Let us come before God, confessing our sin.  Silence is kept for reflection.  Holy and merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against our sisters and brothers and against you. We cherish the values of this world. We cause others to stumble. The earth is wounded by our excess. Have mercy, O God. Forgive us, renew us, and raise us up on eagles’ wings, that we may do your will with courage and delight.

 ALL: Amen

 Leader: Hear the voice from heaven: “You are my own, my beloved.” God gives power to the weary and strengthens the powerless.  Be cleansed, be healed, for in the name of † Jesus Christ, I declare to you the forgiveness of your sins and the revealing of God’s reign.

 ALL: Amen  

Worship in Song:  

Hymn #304  There is a Name I love

Hymn#344 Be Thou my Vision. 

Scripture Lessons

A Reading from Isaiah (49:1-7)  49:1 Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away! The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb he named me. 2He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away. 3And he said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” 4But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the Lord, and my reward with my God.” 5And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him, for I am honored in the sight of the Lord, and my God has become my strength— 6he says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

7Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers, “Kings shall see and stand up, princes, and they shall prostrate themselves, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

A Reading from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians (1:1-9)

1Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus,5for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— 6just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— 7so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 8He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John (1:29-42)   “Glory to You, O Lord”

John 1: 29The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ 31I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” 35The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”

 37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. 40One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). 42He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

— “Praise to You, O Christ”

Message by Nicole Collins

Worship Response: Hymn 484 It only Takes a Spark

Affirmation of Faith (inspired by C.S. Lewis) (Please be seated)

Leader: We celebrate!

All:   The triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The incarnate Son: Jesus Christ, fully God, fully man.

The goodness and beauty of the world, created and sustained by the Word of God’s power.

Salvation by grace received through faith in Jesus Christ, who alone, through His life, death and bodily resurrection, redeems us from sin and reconciles us unto God.

The essential unity of all believers, who together form one Church, diverse in form and expression, of which Christ is the Head.

The continuing ministry of God the Holy Spirit, who empowers the worship, service and witness of God’s people in all their activities.

The ultimate deliverance of the children of God and of all nature from the destructive consequences of the Fall. AMEN.

FOR EXTENSION OF GOD’S KINGDOM  (Inspired from Martin Luther’s prayer #49)

Leader: Saving God, thank you for setting us free from darkness, captivity, and oppression, and making us part of Christ’s body.

Help us to live harmoniously, serving and helping one another, and being your instruments to bring good news, healing, and liberty to others.

ALL: Amen

BENDICTION Scattering Proclamation

Leader:  God most high, God with us, God poured out on us,

In the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit

ALL:   Amen.

Chapel Worship Guide for Sunday 9 AM, January 12, 2104

The Nemmers Family Chapel at Advocate Condell

Prelude—LeAnn Malecha First Presbyterian Church of Libertyville.

Welcome—Barbara Shafer, Christ Church Highland Park

Worship in Song: 

 Like a River Glorious (Hymn 397)

I Love to Tell the Story (Hymn 302)

Prayer

Message –“Resting in Jesus” by Nathan LeMahieu (Campus Pastor, Christ Church Highland Park)   

Luke 6:1 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. 2 Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” 3 Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” 5 Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” 6 On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. 7 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. 8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there. 9 Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” 10 He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 11 But they were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Worship Response 

The Lord has said: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Jeremiah 6:16)

 People:  Let us turn from rebellion and seek the way of life.

 The Lord has said:  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

People: Let us trust you, O Lord, to guide our lives.

The Lord has said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11: 28-30)

People:  Let us seek the way of humility and rest.

The Lord has said:  “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)

People:  Let us hear your voice and find rest in your Truth.

All:  Amen.

Benediction—Barbara Shafer