2561) Sunday Worship #5

“What Are You Looking For?”

NOTE TO READER: Sundays (at least for a while) I will be posting a one hour video in two parts: Part One will be a worship service, and Part Two will be something else. The video is directly below this text. Below the video on this page is the Order of Service for the worship. And below that is the text of this video (but not the music), in case you would rather read than watch.

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ORDER OF SERVICE:

Bell/Call to Worship

Confession of Sin and Forgiveness

Kyrie

Opening Prayer

Scripture Reading: I Timothy 6:6-12

Hymn “To God Be the Glory”

Gospel: John 1:29…32-38a

Sermon

Hymn “I Saw the Light”

Offering

Apostles’ Creed

Prayer of the Church / Lord’s Prayer

Benediction/Bell/Prayer

(PART TWO: “Father’s Love Letter” video)

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CALL TO WORSHIP: Let us pray: O Gracious Heavenly Father, we pray that you give us diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you, a spirit to know you, and patience to wait for you. Grant us, O God, a mind to meditate upon you, eyes to behold you, ears to listen for your Word, hearts to love you, and lives pleasing to you. Grant that we may remain faithful to the end, and then receive your promise of a blessed resurrection unto life everlasting. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. –St. Benedict of Nursia (6th century)

CONFESSION OF SINS AND FORGIVENESS:

(Pastor) Pray with me as we confess our sins:

Almighty and merciful Father, I come before you to plead for your forgiveness. In the midst of a life of carelessness and wickedness, have mercy upon me. I have committed many trespasses; I have neglected many duties. I have done what you have forbidden, and left undone what You have commanded me to do. Forgive me, O merciful Lord, for all my sins, and enable me, by the Holy Spirit, to amend my life according to thy Holy Word, for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen. –Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) (adapted)

(Pastor) In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for you, and for his sake God forgives you all your sins. To those who believe in Jesus Christ he gives the power to become the children of God and bestows on them the Holy Spirit. Amen.

OPENING PRAYER: (Diary of Private Prayer, John Baillie, twelfth day, morning, adapted)

O Eternal God, although I cannot see you with my eyes or touch you with my hands, yet grant me this day a clear conviction of your reality and power. Let me not go forth believing only in the world of sense and time, but give me grace to understand that the world I cannot see or touch is the most real world of all. My life today will be lived in time, but eternal issues will be of concern in all I say and do. The needs of my body will appear to be most compelling, but it is for the needs of my soul that I must care most. My business will be with material things, but let me be aware of spiritual things behind them. Let me keep steadily in mind that the things that matter are not money or possessions, not houses or lands, not bodily comfort or pleasure; but truth and honor and meekness and helpfulness and a pure love of you, my Lord.

I give thanks to you, O God:

For the power you have given me to lay hold of things unseen;

For the strong sense I have that this world is not my home; and,

For my restless heart which nothing on this earth can satisfy;

And Lord, I give you thanks:

For the presence in my soul of your Holy Spirit;

For all human love and goodness that speak to me of you; and

For the fullness of your glory poured out in Jesus Christ;

I, a pilgrim of eternity, stand before you, O eternal One. Let me not try to deaden or destroy the desire for you that disturbs my heart. Let me rather yield myself to its inspiration and go where it leads me. Make me wise to see all things today in the light of eternity, and make me brave to face all the changes in my life that come from this way of seeing; through the grace of Christ my Savior. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and forever shall be, world without end. Amen.

SCRIPTURE READING (I Timothy 6:6-12):

Let us pray as we prepare our hearts to hear God’s Word: Most gracious God, our heavenly Father, enlighten our minds by your Holy Spirit so that we may truly understand your Word. Give us grace to receive it reverently and humbly, and then, may it lead us to put our whole trust in you alone. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. –John Calvin

⁶Godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸But if we have food and clothing, we can be content with that. ⁹Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. ¹¹But you, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ¹²Fight the good fight of the faith, taking hold of the eternal life to which you were called… This is the Word of the Lord./Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL (John 1:29…32-38a):

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

The Gospel of the Lord.

SERMON:

Let us pray: These are your words, Oh Lord. Your Word is truth. Lead us all into that truth. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

The Gospel of John begins with John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus. Several verses describe how John is proclaiming to the people about the One who is to come—the ‘true light of the world’ says verse nine; the ‘Messiah’ says verse 20; the ‘chosen one of God’ says verse 34. And then, in verse 36, Jesus walks by, and John says to two of his disciples, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” And then the next verse says that when the two men, who had been followers of John, heard this, they decided to follow Jesus.

This sermon will be on the next verse, verse 38, which reads: “Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, ‘What do you want?’” Other translations have Jesus putting the question like this: ‘What seek ye?’ or ‘What are you after?’ or ‘What are you looking for?’

Well, no matter how you translate it, these are all good questions for a sermon. What are you after? What do you want? Do you have it? What are YOU looking for? Have you found it? And if not, when do you think you will find it?

Almost forty years ago right about now, the Irish rock band U2 was working on an interesting song about this very thing. The name of the song is “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and it’s been praised for its unique blend of American Gospel music and Celtic soul music. It was released in the Spring of 1987 went to the top of the charts in the United States. Rolling Stone magazine lists it at #93 of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” Here is the official video of the song. If you don’t catch all the words, don’t worry, I’ll fill you in on them later. (3:30)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3-5YC_oHjE

This song was written by U2’s lead vocalist Paul Hewson, better known by his nickname, Bono. Bono’s friends gave him that nickname when he was a teenager, and at first he did not like it. Then he was told it was based on a Latin phrase which means ‘good voice,’ and after that he accepted it. Bono is an international superstar, famous not only for his music, but also for his humanitarian work all over the world. He is a one-man World Relief Organization, has given tens of millions of dollars to help others, and is constantly pestering other celebrities to do the same. Few people have done more than Bono to alleviate poverty, disease, and illiteracy in the world.

And Bono is a Christian. And his faith is not limited to the watered down, flimsy, ‘God is nice and so we should be nice’ kind of Christianity of so many celebrities. Bono is very outspoken about his faith in Jesus Christ who is the Son of God, and that no one else like him has ever lived; and Jesus Christ died for our sins, because we are all sinners, and we need Grace, not Karma, not some vague spirituality, and not some silly inner voice. We need Jesus, Bono says, so believe in Jesus and you will be all right, or else, you will not be all right. Bono is not ashamed or embarrassed to talk that way, and people who interview him usually don’t know how to handle that. They are not used to hearing that from rock stars. Like many big stars, Bono can be an arrogant loud mouth, he swears too much on stage (at least he used to), and he has been very critical of the church, sometimes in an unfair and uninformed way. Criticism is always needed, though sometimes his lack of perspective is annoying. And Bono would be the first to admit he is still a sinner in need of God’s grace; but he is indeed a Christian and a good man.

Now to the song. It starts out like a love song, “I have climbed the highest mountains, I have run through the fields, I have crawled, I have scaled walls—only to be with you.” So, who is you? We don’t know yet, but probably some young lady he is pursuing. That’s what it sounds like so far, and especially in the next verse when it talks about kissing honey lips and this burning desire.

But then comes something really unexpected. The next verse says, “I believe in the Kingdom come.” Wow… what does that sound like? Sounds to me like the Lord’s Prayer. And then we finally found out who the “you” is that he wants to be with. Listen to this verse: “You broke the bonds, and you loosed the chains, you carried the cross of my shame… you know I believe it.” Believing in the cross that breaks my bonds and takes away my shame. It is sounding like an old Gospel hymn, which is precisely what Bono and the band said influenced the writing of this song. He is doing everything he can, he says, only to be with Jesus.

Now, for the confusing part. After that verse affirming his faith in Jesus, the song goes back to the refrain again, and repeats several more times, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.” What? It sounded like he did. He believes in the Kingdom come, and believes in the one who loosed his chains and took away his shame on the cross. So what does he mean he still hasn’t found it?

A few years ago I taught a class called “Rock (and Roll) of Ages” in which I looked at what was going on spiritually in some of my old favorite rock and roll, and, country songs. I wanted to include this song, but I couldn’t make any sense out it. It seemed too contradictory. So I didn’t use it.

But this week, when I read these words from Jesus in today’s Gospel, it came to me. It came to me when I asked myself, “Am I still looking for anything?” Of course I am. But don’t I, also, already believe in Jesus? Yes, of course. So, what’s up?

Well, the key is in seeing our desires on two levels. There are day to day desires and needs, and there are eternal desires and needs. There are many concerns on the surface of life; and those are important and need to be taken care of. But there are also the deeper concerns that are always there, no matter how good or bad things are going on the surface.

For example, I believe in Jesus as my Savior, and therefore I believe that even if I die today, I will still be all right, because the promises of Jesus are forever. There was a time, many years ago, I did not know what to believe about life and death, and I was looking for something to believe in. For many good reasons, I decided to believe in Jesus as the way and the truth and the life, and I am not looking anymore. I found in Jesus not only what I need, but also, what is true. I have already looked at the other options, and now, I’m all in with Jesus. So on that level, I have found what I am looking for.

However, on another level, I am still looking for many things. If a month ago right now you would have asked me if I had found everything I was looking for, I would have said “no,” because I was desperately looking for someone to fix the water heater in my house. So, that led to some frustration, because I couldn’t find what I was looking for—on that other level.

But, then again, as you well know, one wrong move on the highway, and an ambulance ride to the intensive care unit of a hospital, and I would have forgotten all about that water heater;– but I would still be holding on to and taking comfort in that deeper hope—and at a time like that, more than ever. We’re always going back and forth like that in life, between the smaller and larger concerns of life—aren’t we?

Now I don’t know if Bono had all that in mind when he wrote those lyrics; but that all certainly is a part of the life of faith, as are the doubts and frustrations that come to us all, and also came to those people of faith in the Bible. The life of faith is always a challenge, for everyone. The song is not only about spiritual seeking and finding, but it is also about the ongoing struggle of faith.

I am reminded of that story in Mark chapter nine where a desperate father asks Jesus to heal his troubled son, saying to Jesus, “If you can do anything, help us.” Jesus replies, “What do you mean ‘if?’ Everything is possible for one who believes.” And the man says, “Lord, I do believe; but help me overcome my unbelief.” Belief and unbelief are there, in the same person, at the same time. Isn’t that just how it is? I know that is how it is for me. And the song by Bono brilliantly reflects the same struggle, describing a believer, declaring his faith, but one who is still searching, still wondering, still trying to figure it out, and still looking for more– of something.

Keep in mind those two levels of need. Deep down, those who believe in Jesus can possess that ‘peace that passes all understanding.’ But on the surface, we still might be looking for more; much more—a stronger faith, the courage to do the right thing, the ability to forgive someone at work, reconciliation with an estranged family member, a little peace and quiet once in a while, a day off, or a good report from the doctor which will mean a little more time to make amends. There are many different things we are still ‘looking for’ and have not found.

Now, of course, we have to be careful. We do have a tendency to want too much and expect too much on that surface level. There is no need to be always unhappy about the normal day to day frustrations. That’s life. And the desire for a more secure income can become endless and impossible to satisfy. And the quest for good health can become an obsession, and we are all, one day going to die of something. And no two people are always on the same page, so a part of life is learning to live with the differences. And the Bible does say life is a test, and that in this world you will have trouble, and God may not want to answer your prayers and take away all your afflictions, because it is by those afflictions that we grow in our faith and are reminded of our need for God. So the Bible teaches us to be content, troubles and all.

The Bible, in fact, teaches us how to live on both levels. For those concerns on the surface, II Timothy says “Godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out. If you have food and clothing, be content with that.” The Bible also warns us about wearing ourselves out seeking that which does not satisfy.

And the Bible has even more to say about our hope and confidence on that deeper level. Romans 14:8 says, “Whether we live or die we belong to the Lord;” Philippians 1:21 says, “To live is to be in Christ, and then to die is gain;” and the 23^rd Psalm says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou are with me… and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Everything, even life itself, can be taken away, and we will still be all right.

A while back, several people gathered at our church for a few Thursday evenings to learn about Christians who are being persecuted for their faith, especially in the Middle-east. You have seen these people on the news; Christians being targeted for their faith, driven from their homes, even killed by radical Muslim fanatics. In the class we read a book and watched several video segments about these people. We were amazed again and again by their faith, persistence, forgiveness, and strength. On the surface, they were losing everything. If you would have asked them what they were looking for, they could have told you they were looking for peace, safety, a way to feed their families, a place to sleep, a chance to go home again, and perhaps they were even looking for missing loved ones. They had lost so much. And yet, deep down, they were still okay. They were smiling and thanking God for the hope they had within them, for whatever meager blessings they did receive each day, and for the love of and presence of Jesus. Deep down, they indeed had that ‘peace that passes all understanding.’ They were joyful because they still had what was most important. They had Jesus and his promise of that place where there would be no more danger, no more grief, no more death or sadness of pain, anymore, for Jesus has said that he would make all things new.

Bono wrote that song nearly forty years ago, so I don’t know whether or not he has finally found what he is looking for. Actually, none of us ever get everything we are looking for. This life always falls short, and we are always looking for something else, something better, an easier path, or, if nothing else, just a little more time. C. S. Lewis, always one with a brilliant insight into everything, turned such unfulfilled desires into a reason for faith—in fact, even as evidence there was something to hope for. He said, “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” Right!

And the Bible says we were made for God and his home. That is what we are looking for most of all. Or, as St. Augustine prayed, “You have made me for yourself, O Lord, and my heart is restless, O Lord, until I rest in you.” Amen.

Let us pray: Lord, where else can we go? You alone have the words of eternal life. Amen. –(Simon Peter in John 6:68)

OFFERING: At this time, if you have not already done so, make a decision about what you will give to the Lord’s work this week. As you think about that, consider these words of Jesus from Matthew chapter 25: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

“Then the King will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Here ends the reading.

This parable of Jesus teaches us two lessons. The first lesson we learn is that Jesus considers any help given to the poor and needy as help given to himself. We may not feel like we owe the anything to those in need, but we know that we owe Jesus everything. That is a crucial perspective to keep in mind.

The second thing the parable does is it gives us a long-term perspective on our generosity. What help we give, or do not give, will be remembered for a very long time, says Jesus, and it will have eternal consequences. That message in the parable cannot be missed.

Eternity might be difficult to imagine, but this future perspective can be illustrated in a way you can all easily understand.

In March when you prepare your taxes, you look for every possible deduction. Charitable gifts are tax deductible, so when you go through your box of receipts you are thrilled every time you find a receipt for money donated. However, you may not have been as thrilled when you made the donation. Perhaps you resented feeling obligated, maybe you felt you couldn’t afford it at the time, maybe you and your spouse had a disagreement over how much to give and you lost and you gave more than you thought necessary, and maybe you just don’t like writing out a check and not getting anything back for it. But even if you are the type of person who does not ever feel generous and never enjoys contributing to anything, you are, at tax time, very happy about each and every donation receipt you find. Tax-time puts an entirely different perspective on your contributions. What may have been an irritation a few months ago, is now eagerly sought out and great to find.

That is how it will be on that last day when our Lord reviews with us the good that we did and the good that we failed to do– as he does in the parable. Jesus will say, “Come on in, you who helped me, for whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Then, we will be happy about every bit of help given, and not just because it was tax deductible. Then, as Luther said, “When we see God in all His goodness and glory, we will want to spit on ourselves for not doing more to serve him in this life when we had the chance.”

Let us pray: Lord, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labor and not to ask for reward,
save that of knowing that I do your will. Amen.

–St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits (1491-1556)

CREED: God promises in Romans chapter 10, “that if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Therefore, let us confess our faith in the words of the Apostle’s Creed.

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH:

Trusting in the goodness of our heavenly Father, let us pray in Jesus’ name for the Church, the world, and for one another.

Almighty God, we pray that you fill your Church with your Holy Spirit, so that we may all be instructed in your way. Strengthen us in faith and holiness, give us courage to proclaim your Word, and make us willing and able to serve you by serving others.