Latest / Belin Memorial UMC / Rev. Will Malambri - "Since"
Transcript
- Belin Memorial UMC: You know what I thought would be fun before we hear the scripture is a lesson in Greek. Does that sound fun to y'all? Yeah, really? Good. Well, I'm not the best one to give a lesson in Greek. I took two semesters as an eighteen and nineteen year old nineteen ninety-four. I've forgotten a lot of Greek since then. I was one of two in Like two students in Greek 102. There was the professor and the two of us. So I I think I'm still going to getting over the trauma of it, which is why I don't remember a lot from that. But the one thing I did learn is that there are people who know Greek and who write commentaries in English. So I know how to learn from them. And one of those scholars reminded me recently that. Really, the point of all this, which is in Greek, there are often words that in English we have a variety of. And then sometimes it works the other way. It's all translations from one language to another. You have to make decisions, of course, from what the word is in one language to what might be the way to understand it in another. For example, the word if. There are two, at least, ways to understand the Greek word if in the English language. One of those is more like the word we frequently mean when we say if. If, and I'm not sure it's the case kind of thing. So that word is en there it is. You recognize that. Eon, eon, that's the eon. And Excuse me, Aeon. See, I'm telling you, I'm struggling. Sandra, need you to be doing this part. Aeon. So, Aeon is the idea that it's if and not sure it's the case. For example, a couple weeks ago, Jim Sellers should have stood before the congregation and said, if the sanctuary is ready on September 27th, but I'm not sure it will be, we'll be in it. And what he did was he stood up here and said it in the A version. He said, if it's ready and it will be, which was not the version of if he needed to use. So that is the way it works in Greek. In English, I think the word would be better sense. The second one, the A, sense is really what it's meaning to say. If, and I know it to be the case, I think the simpler word would be sense. Sander's better at Greek, you can help ask her to understand why they don't just say sense when they translate it. But I want you to hear all of that as a prelude to Philippians chapter 2, because I'm doing my own Malambri standard version. And I'm translating it the way I think it should be read. If. And I know it to be the case. So since then there is comfort in Christ, since there is consolation from love, since there is partnership in the Spirit, since there is tender affection and sympathy, make my joy complete. Be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not into your own interest, but into the interest of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself. Taking the form of a slave, assuming human likeness, and being found in the appearance as a human, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted him and made him more highly, even more highly, and gave him the name that is above every other name, so that the name of given to Jesus every knee should. Bend in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but more now in my absence, work on your salvation with 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. This is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. It lands differently when we take the question out of it, doesn't it? If and it might be the case is not as compelling as if and I know it to be the case, since it is the case. Since you know it is the case that there is comfort in Christ, since you know it is the case there is consolation, partnership in the Spirit, tender affection, sympathy, since you know that is the case, Paul is telling you, live it. Since you've been the beneficiary, since you've been the recipient of this in your life, since you've experienced comfort, consolation, partnership, tender affection, sympathy, show it. Let the same mind be in you. It was in Christ Jesus. That's the way usually hear that verse. The Greek scholars would tell us there's another way we could hear it. Let the same mind be in you that you have in Christ Jesus. Subtle difference, but an important one. And both are correct. We aspire to have the mind of Christ. We want the same mind that was in Jesus Christ. would like to grow into that. But Paul is also telling us by God's grace, by God's work in our lives, we have that mind within us already. We don't have the excuse to say one day when I get there I'll take on that mind and then I'll do the things that Christ would have me do. It's in us already. 'Cause God's at work within us already. All right. If you've zoned out because the only thing worse than a Greek lesson and worship is an English lesson and worship, come back because this does matter. Since the Apostle Paul asks of us. Something that is contrary to what the world encourages within us. Something that goes against what our worst instincts lead us toward. Since he is asking us to do something that and to be somehow. That so much says don't be come back. Since the apostle Paul says by faith we should do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than ourselves. Since he says to us, Let each of you us not look to our own interest but to the interest of others. And since we are quick to defend ourselves against such a high calling on our lives. Since we will dismiss this as being weak or impractical or dangerous or perhaps noble but there's no way I can get there so illogical. We need something more than try harder to be like Jesus. Just give it a little effort. You'll get there. We need something that says to us, This is who you are already, because God is at work in your life making this so all ready. It's something like this. There's a parenting tactic that I think is a little risky. Child's about to leave the driveway, headed out. Parent wants one more appeal to the child doing things right while he or she is out there in the world. So the parent says, Remember, you are a Smith. Hoping so badly that the child will think, that's right, I'm a Smith. I'm carrying the family name, the reputation. I need to live into what I want our family to be known for. But the risk is in that is that they may know some Smiths like I know. And they may say, Yeah, I remember I'm a Smith. No rules apply. If it works the way it's meant to, then in that short phrase the parent is is commending a lot. What they hope the child will do is say, I'm a Smith. I have s f some of my grandfather in me. He was a kind man. I'm a Smith. I can look out for the ones that others are not paying attention to and see if I can bring them into our group. I'm a Smith. I'm a smith. I I have that aunt who's so full of a positive sense of self that she doesn't worry what others say or think about her. She knows that her value comes from who God is and who God has made her to be. And so she's not determining her decisions based on how they think of her. I'm a smith. I can be like that. I I can be like my aunt who who chooses to think highly of others and to walk humbly with God because not because she thinks lowly of herself, but because she thinks so highly of God and others and herself. I can too. I'm a Smith. There's something about knowing that it is in there. that makes it likelier to come out of there. Since you have the mind of Christ Jesus in you, operate as one who lets the mind of Christ be at work in you. Since you have it. Live like it. And what is that mind? What is the mind of God that is revealed in Jesus Christ? Where does your mind go when I ask that question? When when I ask what is God's li God like, what are your first thoughts? Now for some they go to the omnis, the alls, the all powerful, all present, all knowing. Good. Some will quickly go to God's love. Some may get there, but it's probably going to take them a few minutes to get to where Saint Paul, the Apostle Paul, leads us today, which is God is humble. When he thinks of the mind of God as demonstrated in Jesus Christ, when he thinks of God's disposition towards humanity, God's way of engaging with us, he thinks of humility. I think he thinks of that because of the story. You know the story. A baby called Emmanuel God with us born to a young mother and a poor husband out in a barn in a no known town. That that child who grew up in a community that was dismissed by many, can anything good come out of Nazareth? An untrained man who ministered for years in a region that was known as backwards, who wandered around with no place to lay his head, a man who touched and dined with people others ignored or despised, changed lives until they called him Lord. That Lord rode on a donkey into Jerusalem before kneeling and washing his friend's feet. And he did that the night before he allowed himself to be mocked, scorned, lied about, beaten, and killed. A Lord who was raised, and on that day made his first act to comfort a woman in grief. And then he walked with confused men. And then he allowed doubters to see his wounds. And then he ate with and fed and reconciled with friends who had denied. Humility. It's part of Jesus' story. Therefore it's part of our. And since God's way of embracing us in this world is with such humility, we are called to have the same mind, the same way of embracing the world. It is in us, and it is to be lived by us. Not because it is weak or because it is secretly strong, not because it's a sneaky good tactic. Or a bad one. Humility is in us and is to be lived by us because it is God's way. If And we know it is the case. So since there is comfort in Christ, since there is consolation from love, since there is partnership in the Spirit, since there is tender affection and sympathy, since that is the case, be of the same mind, having the same love as Jesus Christ our Lord. If you're wondering how? Like specifically how? Then good. Pray about that. Read the gospels, the stories of Jesus. Learn from others. Know that since you are in Christ, humility is in you and is to be shown by you. I can't imagine every scenario that you or I will face and tell you what might be the humble way to approach each of those scenarios, but you don't need me to. You have the Holy Spirit. You have the example of Jesus Christ. You have God at work in you. Since you have God at work in you, live it. Since we have God among us working, we are striving together to live it. part of what makes us one. Ryan Schellenberg, New Testament professor, Methodist Theological School in Ohio, writes the path to unity, one of Paul's great ambitions for his church, the path to unity is for members of the community to set aside selfish ambition and self-interest and instead set their hearts on what is best for others. Set their hearts on what is best. For others. Here's a way. It's not the way, but it is a way to set our hearts together on what is best for others. The insert in your bulletin this morning, the you can find it online, this opportunity to serve in the fall harvest festival and barbecue. It's a way of doing it. Now you might read that and think, well, that's a nice way to volunteer for a good cause and have some fellowship with our church family. It's all that's all true. That doesn't tell the full story, the the why of it, not completely. Here's something that came from people being humble enough to set aside their selfish interests and serve through the fall harvest festivals in years past. Last year one of our church members was facing significant financial difficulty, crippling. We learned of it and were able to help her. And as Paul Gardner, our exceptional church administrator, went to help that situation out, the person where he who was serving, working where he went, handled that and then said, You're from that blame church, aren't you? Paul said he was. The man said, Your church helps a lot of people. I wonder if you'd be willing to help a family I know about. Paul's compassionate and he said, Maybe tell me the story. Men said there's a family who's in bankruptcy and they're living in the camper they pull behind their car. A camper that's at risk of being repossessed because they can't pay for it. parked in a parking lot outside of where they need to go inside to get their medicines that they can't afford. So they're trying to decide do they get the medicines and lose the camp or do they keep their home and try to get by without the medicine. And because of the faithful service of humble servants who made the Fall Harvest Festival and Barbecue happen, and those generous persons who've supported it of Paul paid off their camper, bought their medication, and changed their spirit from one that knew they were either going to be homeless or sicker. To one that said we have hope for our future because of God's work through that church. The Fall Harvest Festival is a great opportunity for fellowship. It's a great opportunity to do a good work for a good cause. But the good cause is literally changing people's lives. And it happens because people like you understand that since Jesus Christ was humble enough to come among us and show us what love looks like. And since his followers across time have been given the mind of Christ and sought to live within it, there is comfort in Christ. There is consolation from love. There is partnership in the Spirit. There is faithful living of the good news that changes lives and gives glimpses of that coming day when every knee shall bow. Every tongue confessed. Jesus Christ is Lord. Since that is the case. Let the mind of Christ be in you. The one that you have in you. Work through.