Sunday morning, March 22, 2009

Texts: Isaiah 58:1-12; Ephesians 2:1-10

Title: “…created in Christ Jesus for good works…”

Bill Pederson, Pastor

            There are many interesting characters and quirky things happening in the infamous Harry Potter series which have drawn legions and legions of fans from across the globe.   Arguably one of the more intriguing artifacts of the series is Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak.  Harry simply throws the invisibility cloak on at critical junctures in his magical adventures, and poof, he disappears, completely shielded from other characters.  The cloak is indestructible and cannot be worn out by time or spells.  The invisibility cloak is such a prized possession of Harry Potter’s that at the end of the seven-book series Harry keeps the invisibility cloak with the intention of bequeathing the cloak to his descendents.   

            I suspect the invisibility cloak is such an intriguing aspect of the Harry Potter series because who of us would not like to be in possession of the ability to become invisible from time to time when life demanded it?  Say for instance when I was blasting through Harris Teeter last week not watching where I was going and ran smack dab into one of the promotional booths, knocking a tray of sausage something or another into Union County.  The associate attending the booth said no problem but I turned shades of mortified red and then purple in embarrassment at the sight and sounds of my very public, very visible mistake.  I can assure you if I had had possession of Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak I would have worn it like my skin.

            At some level all of us would love to be invisible from time to time.  Ever told a joke in public and nobody laughed?  Ever stepped off the sidewalk wrong and went flying face down into the street?  Ever played in a baseball game and had a routine grounder go under your glove in front of several spectators, allowing two runs to score when it should have been an easy third out?  Ever been pulled over by the police in your neighborhood for speeding? 

            We are only human and we are going to make mistakes.  Of course we would love the ability to make ourselves invisible from time to time when those mistakes become quite visible and glaringly public and all attention is focused right on us.      

            Intrigued as we are by the prospect of making ourselves invisible, it appears we can never have that luxury as Christians.  It appears that being a Christian means that we must be very visible and very present and very engaged in this world.  The author of Ephesians writes today that Christians are what God has made us, “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” 

            It is important to note the sequence in the author’s writing.  The writer of Ephesians states emphatically that we are saved by grace, we are saved by a gift from God.  The author of Ephesians writes, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God – not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” (verse 8-9) This is bedrock Reformed theology here: we can never be good enough to save ourselves; there is no amount of good works we can muster to get God to notice us and save us from sin and for eternity; we are saved by the sheer gift of God’s grace to us in Jesus Christ; we receive this gift of salvation through faith.

            But having been saved by God’s gift of grace to us in Jesus Christ, and having grasped that salvation in our lives through faith in Jesus Christ, the writer of Ephesians says we have only just begun as Christians.  In our baptisms in Christ, God has made us, created us in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”  The Christian’s way of life is to be a very visible, tangible, created by God life of good works.  God has saved us, made us, re-created us, for good works.   Good works become the Christian’s way of life for good reason: our good works become the way that the gift and grace of God are visible, through us, in this community of faith, indeed, the world.

            There is no chance for invisibility in the Christian’s way of life.  Good works are expected of us.  In our baptisms in Christ we are obligated to do the good works that God’s gift of grace instills in us.  The New Testament is certain that Christians are gifted by God not only for salvation, but also for service, for rendering good works in a world desperately in need of good works.  The Apostle Paul’s famous line from Philippians is telling here: “…work out your salvation in fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Phil. 2:12b,13)  Again Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12 that each Christian is given a “manifestation of the Spirit [to be used] for the common good” of the community of faith. (verse 7)

              Later in Ephesians 4 the writer insists that each Christian is “given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (verse 7) and those gifts are to be visibly used to build up the body of Christ.  In our call to worship today we read an exhortation from the writer of 1 Peter that Christians are “to serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.”

            Taken all together, the message is a rather visible and bold one: in our baptisms we are made by God for good works; God is at work in us and God’s grace becomes visible and tangible as a result of the good works we do in response to God’s grace; we are gifted, graced, given people in order to serve and work, in order to do good works, so that Christ is glorified in this world and the community of faith is sustained and nurtured.   

            And you thought that whenever we ask you to teach Sunday School or cook a meal, or sing in the choir, or serve on a committee that all the church is doing is looking for volunteers!  I hope if you hear nothing else from this sermon today, you hear this: YOU ARE NOT A VOLUNTEER.  You and I are made by God, “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”  Good works are our way of life, not a volunteering opportunity we can take up and leave off at our discretion.

            This means that the good works you do here in this congregation and out there in the world have eternal significance.  When your presence brings comfort; when you send a card that encourages; when your words support; when your hands cook a meal; when your mind teaches a Sunday School lesson; when your voice sings; when your hello and handshake extends hospitality; when your smile brightens a day; when your heart welcomes a new member; when your back stoops to beautify the church grounds; when your time is given to committee work – you are not simply filling space and volunteering your time.  By your good works you are living the life God prepared for you to live and in that living, and doing, you are bringing about the kingdom of God in this church and world.  By your good works you are living the life God has prepared for you and you are mediating and sharing the presence of Jesus Christ in this congregation and in this world.    

            It has been this congregation’s practice that every two years we ask you to reconsider where your time and talents can best be utilized in the church’s life and work.  We have arrived at that point today and this evening we will gather at 6:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall for a covered dish supper and we will have the opportunity to fellowship and learn together where the church’s greatest needs of service exist right now, today, and in the coming months.  I hope you will plan to come and be a part of this discerning process.  If you cannot come this evening, watch for other opportunities in the weeks ahead to offer your time and talents to this congregation’s life and mission.  Should you receive a phone call to serve in some specific capacity in this congregation, I hope you will say Yes, or at least step back and deeply consider and prayerfully ponder the call before saying no. 

            At any rate remember: you are not a volunteer; you are made by God and created in Christ Jesus for good works.  Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.  A city built on a hill cannot be hid.  No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)