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INTRODUCTION TO THE GOSPEL LESSON

 

            The themes of sin and death, which have been central to the Lenten Old Testament lessons up to this point, give way to the divine promise of life and blessing in Genesis, and Psalm 121 takes that promise into the setting of worship.  As we have reflected upon that in our worship already with our prayerful recitation of the Lenten Litany of Assurance, we see, also, that the Gospel lesson shares that theme of promise.

            With the familiar story of the Pharisee, Nicodemus, who comes to Jesus in the night, we’re told of how Jesus brought him out of darkness into the light of the good news that eternal life isn’t something we earn.  It’s a gift of God.  That’s what Jesus means when he says that one must be “born from above.”  We don’t trust in what we can do, but in what God does as his Spirit enters into our lives and we respond with open hearts.  “Nicodemus, God didn’t send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  So, stop condemning people with demands they can’t meet.  Give them the good news of the gift from above.”

            Hear the reading of John 3: 1-17, and listen for the good news that sets you free from condemnation.

 

            3 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. ² He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.”

³ Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” ⁴ Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” ⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. ⁶ What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.

⁷ Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above. ⁸ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” ⁹ Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” ¹⁰ Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

                ¹¹“Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. ¹² If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. ¹⁴ And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

                ¹⁶“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

                ¹⁷“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

 

Introductory statement re: Abram’s and Sarai’s name:

Before I begin this sermon, I want to comment on the names of the two people who are the center of the story in our lesson from Genesis.  They are referred to as Abram and Sarai.  I propose that we use their names that are most familiar to us, Abraham and Sarah, for that simple purpose—those names are most familiar to us.  Now, let’s hear today’s sermon.

 

I.          The call of Abraham in today’s lesson, is one of the pivotal theological moments in the Scriptures of Jews and Christians, second only to the Exodus-Sinai experience in importance for the self-understanding of those shaped by the Hebrew Bible, which includes us.

            A.            The story of Abraham actually begins with the genealogy in Genesis 11: 27, which is the bridge between the story of Noah and the flood and his surviving descendants.

                        1.            Abraham is introduced there by his ancestry and kindred: “Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.”

                                    a.            Abraham first appears as part of the family of Terah, one of the descendents of Shem, one of the three sons of Noah.

                                    b.            The Shemites were the ancestors of the Semitic peoples (take the “h” out of Shemites and you have Semites) among whom biblical Israelites counted themselves.

                        2.            In these verses that precede our lesson are two family calamities that will help us understand that Abraham’s story begins with hardship.

                                    a.            The first is the statement in verse 28 that “Haran died before his father Terah.”

                                                i.            A parent in the ancient world outliving his or her offspring was considered one of life’s greatest tragedies by the writers of the Bible.                                                

                                                ii.            And, as we’ve witnessed among some of our dear friends here at Hope, we still and always will hold that to be the most painful truth.

                                    b.            The second is that of the brief comment in verse 30 that “Sarah was barren; she had no child.”

                                                i.            Many women experience, what is for them, heartbreak because they’re not able to bear a child.

                                                ii.            For some there are various options, such as adoption and foster parenting, and for others parenting options aren’t readily available and those needs and desires to nurture have to find fulfillment in other ways.

                                    c.            This comment, made apparently in passing, actually forms the lynchpin of much of Abraham’s subsequent story             and permeates his call to become a “great nation” with an aura of impossibility.

                                    d.            The truth is God doesn’t always promise us what we desire, but an even greater truth is that God does keep the             promises he’s made to us, and sometimes in ways that we can’t even imagine.

                        3.            So, the story of Abraham’s call begins with the pragmatic question: “How will a man with a barren wife become a great nation?”

                                    a.            Though we readers don’t recognize it until much later in the story that unfolds far beyond the earthly lives of Abraham and Sarah, this question gets answered in verse 4 of our lesson: “So Abraham went, as the Lord had told him.”

                                    b.            This is the message that each of us need to hear and embrace as we seek  to be faithful to God’s call on our lives.

II.            Abraham went: It’s about leaving.

            A.            Millions of people leave their homes every year to make religious pilgrimages, to visit those places where something spiritually significant has happened that has impacted their religion is some formative way—and they went to experience the awe of being in such a place.

                        1.            In just recent months I made such a pilgrimage to what is popularly known as the Holy Land—the birthplace of our faith and our Lord—and I made that journey for a number of reasons.

                                    a.            One was to better inform my preaching and teaching of the Scriptures, and I hope that has been evident as I’ve shared my experiences with you.

                                    b.            Some was just purely academic, wanting to be able to weigh the facts, and I was able to accomplish that to a degree; but then again, some facts just became more blurred (which helped me to understand even better that historical,facts don’t really matter as much as the truth conveyed).

                                    c.            Another reason was just to satisfy my curiosity and to have some exotic experiences, both of which was accomplished.

                                    d.            And then there was the desire to be inspired by seeing and touching the places where great events of our faith took place and where our Lord walked, taught, and ministered—

                                                i.            the spiritual aspect of the journey—

                                                ii.            something that will continue to impact me and my faith as I continue to reflect upon those experiences and as the Spirit continues to move in me through those experiences.

                        2.            That journey was more about the destination than the leaving.

                                    a.            Leaving was important,

                                    b.            but it was mostly about the destination.

            B.            Now, Diane and I are about to embark upon a journey that’s more about leaving than about the destination.

                        1.            The destination is important, very important; but for us, right now, it’s about leaving, and that puts it more akin to Abraham’s and Sarah’s journey.

                        2.            God instructs Abraham and Sarah to, literally, “Take yourself from your country and (instead of “kindred” the word should be translated “your birthplace”) and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.”

                                    a.            God was telling them to leave everything familiar and start completely over, away from their country, their birthplace, and their families—to establish their own identity.

                                    b.            What kind of an itinerary is that?

                                                i.            “Go and leave everything behind,

                                                ii.            and, by the way, don’t concern yourself with where you’re going.  You’ll know when you get there.”

                                    c.            Centuries later, the New Testament writer of Hebrews must have noticed that the destination wasn’t included in the instruction to go, because he wrote about this story: “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing  where he was going” (11:8).

                        3.            The point is we don’t have to know where we’re going when God calls us and says “go.”

                                    a.            The correct response is to go—

                                    b.            to be obedient.

                        4.            Even though there are a lot of unknowns and we’re picking up and leaving a place that’s familiar where we have friends here at Hope and in the community, for both of us we’re leaving a place very close to our birthplaces, and our families.

                                    a.            As I mentioned last Sunday and in my letter, that’s not easy.

                                                i.            But at least we know where we’re going!

                                                ii.            We’ve seen the destination.

                                    d.            But what’s most important is that we’re going because we believe that this is God’s will for us, for you, and for First Presbyterian Church Charleston.

                                    e.            God hasn’t promised us a great nation, but God has promised us, if we remain faithful, a place to serve, and through our ministries God will bless the people of First Charleston, and in turn they will bless the families of the Charleston community and those far beyond.

            C.            It’s all about leaving for Hope Presbyterian Church, too.

                        1.            “Well, where am I going?” you might ask.

                        2.            If you’re going to be obedient, you’re going to step out in faith.

                        3.            You’re not going to fret over, “What are we going to do, now?”

                                    a.            Each of you are going to answer God’s call when you’re asked to do something for the church or on behalf of the church.

                                    b.            Why?  Because you’re a disciple of Jesus Christ, and you’ve made a commitment to him and this church.

                        4.            You’re not going to withdraw into the “survival mode” because the church’s income is off.

                                    a.            Those of you who aren’t giving your fair share are going to step out in faith and adjust your personal budget so you can start giving more. (I’m not talking about those of you who are just getting by financially because of the limitation of your income or extenuating circumstances, but those who need to re-prioritize your personal finances so that you can appropriately support your church’s ministries)

b.            Those of you on the session who are responsible for planning and implementing the church’s ministries, you aren’t going to say we can’t do it because we don’t have the money.                                                         i.            The money is here, it’s just in people’s pockets.

                                                ii.            Yes, you’re called to be responsible stewards, but when God tells you to go, the story had better read, “And they went.”

                                    c.            This is not the time to be safe.

                                    d.            It’s the time to take risks, if you think having faith in God is risky.

                                    e.            But Abraham’s actions say more than words—he went, he obeyed, he had faith in God.

III.        It’s always about leaving.

            A.            I don’t care if it’s Abraham and Sarah, Jim and Diane, Hope Presbyterian Church, each one of you.

                        1.            What matters is that you trust God and obey, even when you don’t know the destination.

                        2.            God will take care of that and everything else.

            B.            The Lord Jesus took the ultimate risk.

                        1.            He gave his very life trusting that God would raise him from the grave.

                                    a.            He was willing to leave this life in obedience to God’s will for him.

                                    b.            And God vindicated his faith and obedience.

                        2.            If we believe that to be true, then what do we have to risk?

                        3.            It’s about leaving our comfort zones and discovering the blessings of a journey that leads to God knows where,

                                    a.            and that’s just it—God does know where, even when we don’t.

                                    b.            Leaving when we hear God’s call—it’s all about trusting God.

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