Sermons
A Climate Of Change
A CLIMATE OF CHANGE
Sermon Outline By Terry Siverd
Cortland Church of Christ / November 13, 2016
Thanks to Vic Rossi for his October 30th pastoral sermon and Bob Villers for his sermon at last Sunday’s Veterans salute.
Change is inevitable, but it is seldom comfortable.
Silly though it may seem to some of you, Jeannie and I are still grieving at the lost of our beloved dog.
Life A.D. (after dog) has been painful in many ways.
Perhaps to a fault, our world over the last twelve years had become intertwined around Siegfred.
Having my office in my home, he was a constant presence for me.
We walked together every morning and evening. He slept on the sofa in my study while I worked.
Weather-permitting, he even went with me on many of my visits to hospitals.
One time I visited with Sandy Brown at the hospital in Conneaut and I took Siggy in with me (I wore sunglasses).
Over the last twelve years we were only apart from each other for probably a total of 20 days.
(Basically the only time we were apart was when I went to the Pepperdine Lectures).
He went on every vacation with us.
The adjustments we’ve had to make in his absence have been particularly painful for us.
Some of you are saying: “just go get another dog” and in due time we may, but it’s not been that simple.
Long ago, God called and blessed the seed of Abraham to be His chosen people.
All throughout the ancient history of the nation of Israel, they went through change. Built into their national
psyche was the hope of a very significant change that would transpire with the arrival of their Messiah.
What was truly sad and tragic is that when Jesus finally did arrive, many would not accept Him.
The changes they were confronted with were too sweeping to stomach.
This is the primary context of the text of Rom.12:2 - -
do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
This change was taking them from the Old Covenant realm (the law of sin and death / Rom.8:2b)
to the New Covenant world (the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus / Rom.8:2a)
Many of the Jews of the first century dug in their heels against Jesus, refusing to acknowledge Him as The Christ.
Some, actually quite a few, welcomed His arrival and embraced the life-changing scope of His message.
Our nation has been undergoing some radical changes over the last few decades.
Many, if not most of us, have been made to feel uncomfortable by some of these changes.
Those of us who are preachers of the gospel have been put in a bind of sorts, when it comes to the world of politics.
We’re told that we should not opine of such matters from the pulpit. Over the course of my preaching career
(spanning forty years), my preaching, for the most part, has been a-political (non-political).
I’m okay with that - - my role is to preach the gospel and not tell others how to vote.
The difficulty comes when politics and the gospel intersect, as they sometimes do.
I have trouble with the notion that we preachers must refrain from addressing this conflict of ideas.
Why is it that we’ve told to keep quiet and yet politicians can visit churches in an effort to get out the vote?
There seems to be a double-standard here that is just not right. I don’t desire to preach politics,
but I do feel compelled to address from time to time politically-born ideas that conflict with Biblical truths.
Many of us are nervous about the future. Even worried and anxious - -
although we know that Jesus taught us to not be anxious about the future (Mt.6:25).
I respect the duty, right and privilege that we all have to vote, to cast our ballot.
Whether it’s for a levy or a mayor or a congressman or a president or whatever person or issue that’s on the ballot.
Some of our brethren have argued strongly in times past that a Christian has no place in the voting booth.
While I respect their thoughts, I disagree with them.
I think it is good for us as Christians to speak up on matters that concern us and let our voice be heard.
And I would urge all of us to make a studied review of the voting issues that confront us from time to time.
I think is it wrong for us to withdraw from the cultural arena of ideas.
How can we be the salt of the earth (Mt.5:13) if we refuse to interface with that which we’re aiming to preserve?
So here we stand in the aftermath of a bitterly-fought presidential election.
Some of us are unhappy. Some of us are elated. Some of us don’t know what to think. Most of us are just glad it’s over.
A few are may be content in singing que sera, sera (whatever will be, will be).
Such a song may spill forth because we’ve grown somewhat cynical - - W-h-a-t-e-v-e-r!
But such a song might also spring forth from our belief in the sovereignty of God (God rules).
It is comforting to realize that all CHANGE is under the watchful eye of our Father, even when we don’t like the change.
Change is difficult. It can even be gut-wrenching and painful.
If you stayed up watching the election results last Tuesday you probably heard how the stock market swooned.
Wall Street doesn’t like change. When the polls revealed that Trump appeared to be winning things plummeted.
But then the next morning, there was a big rally and it seems to have continued at least for the time being.
Some people are still bent on protesting this change and some may never come to accept it.
Others are not happy with the change but are willing to give it a shot.
For what it’s worth, pre-election polls revealed a pretty strong consensus among Democrats, Republicans and Independents - - that a many (a majority) of Americans were not happy with the trajectory of our country.
Our congregation is pretty well split on matters political. Like we are with the Browns and the Steelers,
We are divided in our interests. Although us Browns fans are currently continuing to be sorely tested.
We’re a cross-section of democrats, republicans & independents with maybe a few libertarians & green party advocates.
Our current president ran on the platform that he wanted to fundamentally transform America.
As to exactly what he meant by that, we’ll probably have to wait for his memoirs to understand it fully.
Our president elect has run on the theme of wanting to make America great again.
As to what exactly he means by this, here too, time will tell.
So how should we, as Christians, respond to change?
Some things are more important (weighty matters / Mt.23:23) than others.
Immigration … Health Care ... Fighting Terrorism ... Educational Policies ... Trade agreements … Taxation ...
Caring for Veterans … Rebuilding our infra-structure … Creating jobs & Growing the economy … Wall Street … Main Street …
Military Spending … Student Loans … Helping Refugees … Environmental Concerns … Social Security … Fiscal Indebtedness.
Clyde Lewis on his late-night radio program, “Ground Zero”, is convinced that Artificial Intelligence is a #1 issue.
He sees a world coming very soon where robots will soon take over most jobs, and he may be more right than wrong.
How many jobs have been lost in the last fifty years to automation?
All of these are issues are important and none should be dismissed, but some issues are more important than others.
There are two “biggies” that I consider to be MUCH MORE IMPORTANT than the others.
These two intersect with Scripture in ways that the many others do not
MARRIAGE
Paul writes in Heb.12:4 / Let marriage be held in honor among all.
In the very creation of the world we witness God’s understanding of marriage. Gen.2:18 states,
Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.
Later in the same text we read (Gen.2:24) - - For this cause shall a man leave his father
and mother, and shall cleave to him wife; and they shall become one flesh. cf. Mt.19:4-5
Marriage between a man and a woman is a Divinely-ordained institution: sacred matrimony.
On this matter we must stand firmly.
Winds of change have come and may yet grow more turbulent, but we must not surrender this God-given sacrament.
On this issue we must not let the world squeeze us into its mold.
Politicians may attempt to redefine marriage, but we are not obligated to agree or give our approval.
Legislators may decide to re-write the laws, but there is an action called civil and moral disobedience.
On this matter of marriage, we must obey God rather than men. cf. Acts 4:19.
Peter and John were ordered by governing officials to stop speaking about Jesus, but they refused to do so.
I don’t have all the answers as to how same-sex relationships are to be dealt with in a secular & non-theocratic society.
There are various legal and fiscal concerns that must be addressed in a considerate, fair and civil manner,
but we must not allow sacred matrimony to be redefined & reconfigured - - marriage is between a man and a woman.
From a personal point of view, I hope I do not live to see a day when ministers are required by law to
compromise their clear Biblical understanding of marriage. If I do, you may have a preacher imprisoned.
LIFE IN THE WOMB
Ps.127:3 / Behold, children are a gift of the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward.
How is it that something so obvious has become so twisted?
Some want to obfuscate and evade the horror of abortion by categorizing it as a woman’s health issue.
As if the presence of a baby in the womb is some kind of disease (or inconvenience) that can be surgically removed.
I have compassion on those who have made panicked and painful decisions on this important matter.
And I am convinced that God’s grace is more than abundant to forgive such a deed.
I’m all for women’s health and I have no problem underwriting the poor in obtaining health assistance and birth control.
I’m not talking here about a highly extreme and very rare instance where a mother’s life is threatened.
We now live in a high-tech medical world where the early development of life in the womb is clearly defined - - sonograms & ultra-sound are truly amazing - - and where an abortion to save a mother’s life is seldom, if ever, required.
Recently an expectant woman named Margaret Boemer went in for a routine ultra-sound at 16 weeks. The checkup showed a tumor growing on her baby’s tailbone. In the weeks that followed the baby grew weaker and weaker. Some physicians recommended termination, but they ended up doing fetal surgery in a Texas hospital at 23 weeks & five days. The baby was temporarily removed from her mother’s womb, underwent a five-hour surgery to cut away 90% of tumor,
and was then placed back in the mother’s womb. Twelve weeks and five days later, she was born, weighing 5 lbs 3 oz.
Google the video titled, “Baby Born Twice”.
Prov.6:17 states emphatically that God hates hands that shed innocent blood.
Is there anything more innocent than a child in the womb?
I would love to live long enough to see our Supreme Court overturn the Roe v Wade decision.
Selfish abortion at any stage in a pregnancy is a scourge and is diametrically opposed to the sanctity of human life.
Abortion is just wrong. Those who argue for it cannot argue such with the blessing of Holy Writ.
Dear heavenly Father,
We are a troubled nation in need of Your help.
Indeed, we cry out with the psalmist of old - - unto Thee, O Lord, do we lift up soul.
Forgive us when we go astray and give us hearts and minds that care deeply about Your precepts.
Help us to be good citizens. Help us to honor those in positions of authority, even when we may not like them.
Grant us peace in the midst of a storm of anxiety that seems to have engulfed our nation of late.
May we always look to You and Your Word for guidance and direction.
Remind us of Your charge to us to pray for those who lead us and may it become a daily exercise on our part.
Bless us, individually and a nation, that we might be pleasing to You.
Through Christ, our Lord, our Savior, our Comforter and our Sustainer, we pray. Amen
