 A sermon 'Here I Am' By L. Rus Howard Special to The Layman Online Tuesday, May 22, 2007 Joshua 1:1 and 6-9 and 24:14-15 and Psalm 26 Before beginning, I need to offer a personal word of thanks and support to the elders of the congregation who serve as the session, our ruling body. During 30 years of ministry, I have never worked with a group of men and women who have so prayerfully, carefully, thoughtfully and diligently sought God's wisdom and guidance in making a decision, as your elders have during the past nine months. On March 3 when, in a special five-hour Saturday meeting, all of your elders indicated that God had led them to the same conclusion about their recommendation to seek dismissal from the Presbyterian Church (USA) to the New Wineskins Association of Churches Presbytery in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. I was stunned. Furthermore, as each elder has explained how God brought them to this point, I have marveled that, for each elder, this was a prayerful and uniquely different journey. Whether you agree or disagree with their recommendation, your elders needed to be commended by you for their faithful and prayerful work during this process as they have individually and corporately sought God's will for us. They have served you and God faithfully. I am proud of them and I am grateful for their service. To all of our elders, I want to say, "Thank you, good and faithful servants." Read Psalm 26 Prayer: Gracious Lord, may the words of my mouth, the hearing of our ears and the reflections of our heart be inspired and guided by your Holy Spirit in order that I may speak and we may hear your Word this day. Amen. When I was in the 11th grade, the youth of my church participated in a presbytery-wide, inter-racial and inter-generational retreat. While I remember very little about the retreat, two events remain crystal clear in my memory. When we arrived at the retreat center, everyone was divided into groups of 12. Each group was randomly composed of a diverse group of individuals – all ages, all sexes and all races. Upon seeing that I was in a group of 10 strangers, I was not a particularly happy camper. Every activity for the weekend, except sleeping, took place in our small groups. On Sunday afternoon before closing worship, each group was assigned the task of giving an appropriate nickname to each member of the group. I was one of the last to be so named. As we were giving nicknames to others in the group, I was hoping that I would be named, "Best Looking," "Friendliest," "Cutest," "Stud Man" or "Chick Magnet." Much to my disappointment, I was given the nickname "honest and open." Little did I realize that this nickname "honest and open" was both well-deserved and would stick with me throughout my life! Concur with session's recommendation Today, I want to share with you in a simple, yet honest and open manner, why I concur with the session's recommendation that the congregation vote on whether to be dismissed from the PCUSA to the NWAC-EPC. The Presbyterian Church had its birth in the Protestant Reformation of the1500s under the leadership of two ministers, Martin Luther and John Calvin. Before the Reformation, the message preached and taught by the Roman Church had become corrupt. This corruption, which revealed itself in a variety of diverse manners, some theological and some moral, became pervasive in the Roman Church because the church had replaced the authority of Scripture with the authority of the pope, the traditions of the church, and the ways and wisdom of men. Because of this corruption, men, women, and children were not being taught the truth about God – His love, Jesus; His grace, the forgiveness of sins; and how God wants us to live as His children. The Good News of the Gospel was no longer being faithfully proclaimed by the church. Martin Luther and, after him, John Calvin, began to insist that the church return to preaching and teaching according to the authority of Scripture. By doing so, they and others were forced out of the Roman Church by the authorities. Because of this, they re-formed as a church that was committed to preaching and teaching according to the authority of Scripture – God's inspired, authoritative and infallible Word. One hundred years after the Protestant Reformation, the Roman Church repented of her errors and underwent her own reformation, which restored the proper place of Scripture as the authoritative source for teaching about God and proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel. Unfortunately, we in the PCUSA are living during a similar time when the authority of Scripture as God's inspired, authoritative and infallible Word is being rejected by leaders and others within the denomination. While this rejection of God's Word has happened slowly and quietly, here and there throughout the denomination, it has now reached a crescendo of energy and power that we can no longer ignore and brush off as a simple event here and a simple event there. PCUSA has either ignored or clearly rejected the teaching of God's Word If we had several hours, I would outline for you a long itinerary of events to prove my concern. However, since time is of the essence, let me share with you briefly about several key events where our denomination has either ignored or clearly rejected the teaching of God's Word and the necessity of living according to the Bible as the authoritative, inspired and infallible Word of God. This has occurred in both theological and moral issues. In the area of theological teaching and preaching, these events have raised my concerns:
Human sexuality curriculum In 1998 or 1999, I served as a clergy commissioner at the national meeting of our General Assembly. During the meeting of the assembly, a particular matter about the denomination's human sexuality curriculum came up for discussion. The denomination had printed and distributed a human sexuality curriculum that did not mention or teach our children and youth to practice abstinence before marriage. The previous assembly had instructed the denomination's leaders to include teaching Biblical abstinence in the curriculum. Guess what? When the curriculum was reprinted, it did not include a word about abstinence. The assembly I attended re-instructed the denomination curriculum writers to insert into the curriculum lessons on the Biblical teaching about practicing sexual abstinence outside of marriage. Guess what? The next printing of our curriculum excluded this instruction. Finally, several years later, the denomination's curriculum included a supplement, not part of the main curriculum, which teaches abstinence to our teens and youth. If churches want to use PCUSA curriculum resources and teach abstinence, they have to order the supplement separately. The Bible consistently and clearly teaches one sexual ethic for all believers: Sexual activity is to be confined between one man and one woman who live together in the holy bond of marriage. The only way denominational leaders could justify not teaching abstinence in our human sexuality curriculum would be to reject the authority of Scripture. Why would the denominational leaders refuse to do this? You can ask them, but I think it is because leaders in the church want us to teach two conflicting sexual ethics, one which is clearly Biblical and the other which is not. We are being pressured to teach two conflicting sexual ethics to the church. One ethic is for heterosexual boys, girls, men and women and the other is for gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered individuals. To Heterosexuals, we are expected to teach what the Bible clearly and consistently teaches: Sexual activity is to be confined between one man and one woman who live together in the holy bond of marriage. For gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered individuals, we are being pressured to teach a sexual ethic that says sexual activity is OK between Individuals if it is in the context of consensual faithfulness. This is not a wholly Biblical sexual ethic. I suspect that if I went to our middle school or senior high fellowship, or if one Sunday from the pulpit I preached this un-Biblical sexual ethic to our pre-teens and teens, you'd toss me out of the church in a flash. If I counseled married men and women and told them that sexual activity outside of marriage between one man and one woman was OK, I'd be fired as quickly as possible. The only way I could teach and counsel in this manner would be to reject the authority of Scripture. Partial-birth abortion The PCUSA has been unwilling to take a clear stand against a procedure called partial-birth abortion. In fact, last month the Washington Office of the PCUSA criticized the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding the ban against partial-birth abortion. Furthermore, this office has called on the church to protest any restriction on abortion. The Washington Office has supported in its rhetoric "abortion on demand" and advocacy groups which support this cause. The only way our church can allow the Washington Office of the denomination to continue advocating this position is to ignore Psalm 139:13-15:
PUP report Last year, our General Assembly approved a report, the "Peace, Purity and Unity" report," which would allow congregations and presbyteries to ordain individuals who reject Biblical teachings on sexual behavior. This peace, unity and purity report has torn the church asunder because it allows congregations and presbyteries to ordain men and women to the offices of deacon, elder and minister who reject the clear teachings of Scripture on this matter. Furthermore, it allows for the ordination of individuals who reject other teachings of Scripture. I could go on, but time does not permit me to do so. Our denomination has willingly permitted teachings and practices which reject the clear Word of Scripture. The only way the church can do this is to reject the Bible as the inspired, authoritative, and infallible Word of God. Let's pretend for a minute that the instances I have already raised before you are not that critical. I mean, "Rus, we live in a different and diverse world and we need to be more tolerant and allow these teachings to be taught and accept these practices." In other words, like Rev Dirk Ficca said about Jesus, "What's big deal?" Why should we believe anything in the Bible? If we no longer believe the Bible is the inspired, authoritative and infallible Word of God and if we allow individuals, pastors, congregations and governing bodies to ignore the teachings of Scripture and to advocate non-Biblical teachings and practices, why should we believe anything in the Bible? If the Bible is not God's Word, and if it teaches falsely, why not reject the teachings of Scripture that tell us about God's love and mercy, the forgiveness of sins, and the fact that God sent Jesus to die on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins? Why not remove John 3:16-17 from our Bibles and tell people that God loves us so little that He was unwilling to send His Son Jesus to die for the forgiveness of our sins? Why not remove John 14:1-6 from the Bible and tell people that Jesus was lying when He said that He was going to prepare a place for us in God's kingdom and that He would come to receive us into God's kingdom and that He is The Way, The Truth and The Life, and we all go to God through Him. Why not remove Romans 8:35, 37-39 from the Bible and teach people that God is going to let things out of our control separate us from His love for us which is ours in Christ Jesus. Why not remove Psalm 23 and teach that the Lord is not our shepherd, that He does not lead us into green pastures, that He does not walk with us through the valley of the shadow of death, and that He prepares a table for our enemies even though we trust in Him. If we do not believe the Bible is the inspired, authoritative and infallible Word of God, why are we here? Why do we adorn our sanctuary with a Cross? Why do we place in the sanctuary a communion table and a baptismal font? If we do not believe the Bible is the inspired, authoritative and infallible Word of God, why don't we remove Micah 6:8 from our Bibles? This verse tells us, "To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God." Furthermore, let's remove Matthew 25 from our Bibles. In this chapter, Jesus tells us to feed the hungry, to house the homeless, to care for the ill, to clothe the naked, to be friends with the friendless. Without theses verse and many others like them, we can justify a decision to stop participating in and supporting the Interfaith Hospitality Network, the Peters Township Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, and the Brookwood Adult Day Care. If we want to remove these passages from the Bible, we can justify canceling our Mission Trip to Gulfport, Mississippi, this summer. Inspired, authoritative and infallible Word of God Friends, we are here and the Presbyterian Church is here because we believe the Bible is the inspired, authoritative and infallible Word of God. To not believe this means not only are we not Christians, but we are not Presbyterians. The PCUSA has continually and increasingly acted as if the Bible is not authoritative. For over 30 years, faithful men and women, congregations, sessions, national renewal groups, and I have pleaded with the PCUSA to confess and to repent of the errors of their way, all to no avail. Despite the work of thousands of men and women like you and I, the PCUSA has refused to return to living according to the truth of God's Word. This is why your session is recommending that we move into a different Presbyterian denomination, one which clearly affirms in word and practice its belief that the Bible is the inspired, authoritative and infallible Word of God. Now, some might say, "Rus, we are adults, we are aware of the false teachings in the PCUSA, we are mature, we know the difference; can't we just stay in the PCUSA and do the right thing here at Peters Creek Presbyterian Church?" I guess we could, but what message would we be sending our community, much less our children and youth? Last Sunday, we had a powerful worship service. If you were here, you remember the voices and presence of so many children who have come to love Jesus, as He is taught about in the Bible. If you were here three weeks ago for Youth Sunday, you heard our high school seniors talk about how their faith in Jesus, as taught in the Bible, has given them hope and joy. If you are here in two weeks, you'll read the statements of faith which were written by the youth in our 8th Confirmation Class, as they affirm and accept the Lordship of Jesus and the call to holy living as taught in the Bible. These children and youth have found a home in the arms of our loving and forgiving God. They have found this home, this peace, this truth, this security because we have taught them the loving truth of the Good News of the Bible, God's inspired, authoritative and infallible Word. Can we remain? Can we remain in a denomination which rejects the authority of God's Word? I guess we could, but I do not believe we should. If you dispute this, I ask you to read and pray through chapters 2 and 3 of the Book of Revelation. In these two chapters, you will Find letters from God written to the earliest seven Christian churches. While each church is commended for faithfulness in many matters, they are rebuked for their unfaithfulness in other essential matters. These letters make it clear that deciding to stay in a denomination which rejects the authority of Scripture can be a grievous mistake. I love you. I love your children. I love all the men and women of this community too much to say, "Let's abandon telling them the truth about God's love and mercy, about God's grace and the forgiveness of sins." To do so is to tell them to find their home in the harsh realities of the world, rather than in the loving arms of a God who loves them so much that He sent His only Jesus to die for the forgiveness of their sins. To abandon the authority of Scripture is to tell them they do not have a home with God. Friends, I am unwilling to do this. The Rev Dr. L. Rus Howard is teaching pastor at Peters Creek Church in Venetia, Pa. Joshua 1:1, 6-9. 24:14-15 After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua, son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law Depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." (At the end of his life, Joshua spoke these words to God's people): "Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Psalm 26 Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and mind. For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to you. I do not sit with the worthless, nor do I consort with hypocrites; I hate the company of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked. I wash my hands in innocence, and go around your altar, O Lord, singing aloud a song of thanksgiving, and telling all your wondrous deeds. O Lord, I love the house in which you dwell, and the place where your glory abides. Do not sweep me away with sinners, nor my life with the bloodthirsty, those in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes. But as for me, I walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me. My foot stands on level ground; in the great congregation I will bless the Lord. Chapters 2 and 3 from The Book of Revelation "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2 "I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false. 3 I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember then from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this is to your credit: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God. 8 "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the first and the last, who was dead and came to life: 9 "I know your affliction and your poverty, even though you are rich. I know the slander on the part of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death. 12 "And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword: 13 "I know where you are living, where Satan's throne is. Yet you are holding fast to my name, and you did not deny your faith in me even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan lives. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel, so that they would eat food sacrificed to idols and practice fornication. 15 So you also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent then. If not, I will come to you soon and make war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give a white stone, and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it. 18 "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze: 19 "I know your works - your love, faith, service, and patient endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first. 20 But I have this against you: you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practice fornication and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time torepent, but she refuses to repent of her fornication. 22 Beware, I am throwing her on a bed, and those who commit adultery with her I am throwing into great distress, unless they repent of her doings; 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call 'the deep things of Satan,' to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden; 25 only hold fast to what you have until I come. 26 To everyone who conquers and continues to do my works to the end, I will give authority over the nations; 27 to rule them with an iron rod, as when clay pots are shattered. 28 even as I also received authority from my Father. To the one who conquers I will also give the morning star. 29 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Chapter 3 "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works; you have a name of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God. 3 Remember then what you received and heard; obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 4 Yet you have still a few persons in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes; they will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 If you conquer, you will be clothed like them in white robes, and I will not blot your name out of the book of life; I will confess your name before my Father and before his angels. 6 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. 7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens: 8 "I know your works. Look, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but are lying - I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. 11 I am coming soon; hold fast to what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 If you conquer, I will make you a pillar in the temple of my God; you will never go out of it. I will write on you the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem that comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. 14 "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The words of the faithful and true witness, the origin of God's creation: 15 "I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, 'I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.' You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich; and white robes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen; and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. 20 Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. 21 To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches." |
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