Work For The Night Is Coming

John 9:1-7  (NIV)

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

            9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

                  ³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

                  ⁶ After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

1 Peter 4:7-11

                  ⁷ The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. ⁸ Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ⁹ Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Work For The Night Is Coming (1)

Work, for the night is coming, Work through the morning hours;

Work while the dew is sparkling, Work ’mid springing flowers;

Work when the day grows brighter, Work in the glowing sun;

Work, for the night is coming, When man’s work is done.

Work For The Night Is Coming.

I started my journey into pastoral ministry back in 1975 when at the tender age of 21 I was appointed to serve as pastor of the Norwalk and Wilton United Methodist Churches. It was an amazing and frightening time for me and it didn’t really sink in until some years later that I had actually been asked to lead a congregation in which I was just a few years older than many of the kids in the church’s youth group. In 1975 I was introduced as the “new, young minister” and the label made a lot of sense even to me. I was literally the “new” “young” pastor.

After two years in Norwalk, Julie and I got married and we moved to Soldiers Grove where I was the Student Assistant on (what was then called) a Greater Parish. There were five (5) churches and I assisted the Senior Pastor with those five individual congregations. At the time I was the ripe old age of 23. Again, I was the “new, young minister” but I came with two years of experience. I was starting to feel like the “old man.”

From there we moved to Southern Indiana so that I could continue my schooling in Kentucky. We moved into a parsonage and I served Wesley Chapel, Blocher and Liberty United Methodist Churches. They seemed excited about having a “new, young minister” who was 24 years old and had 3 years of experience serving seven (7) different congregations. I suspect that they were just being kind. That’s the kind of people they were.

After I graduating from seminary Julie and I (and our first two children, Matthew and Anna) made the move back to Wisconsin where I was appointed to serve three (3) churches; Livingston, Arthur and Stitzer. By this time, I was a family man with six (6) years of pastoral experience (having served 10 different churches.) I was 27 years old and everyone referred to me as the “new, young minister.”

From there we moved to Mosinee and from Mosinee to Eau Claire and from Eau Claire to Fort Atkinson. Even moving into Fort Atkinson at the age of forty-one (41) I was referred to by many in the congregation as the “new, young minister.” It gives you a sense of what the average age of the congregation was.

After 15 years of service in Fort Atkinson I was asked to come here to Elm Grove: Community UMC. When I arrived here I had already served thirty-five years (35) in ministry and had been the pastor of seventeen (17) different churches.

When I came to Elm Grove it was the first time in my career when I wasn’t referred to (by someone) as the “new, young minister.” In fact, one of the concerns was that I might not be “young” enough. This was significant for me because in the 35 years I had been doing this work this was the first time that I recognized that my ministry was time limited. I was ready to admit that I wasn’t “young” anymore and that one of these days would be my last day in ministry. Jesus said, “Work for the night is coming…”

⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Work For The Night Is Coming (2)

Work, for the night is coming, Work through the sunny noon;

Fill brightest hours with labor, Rest comes sure and soon.

Give every flying minute, something to keep in store;

Work, for the night is coming, when man works no more.

Work For The Night Is Coming.

Some people would ask what this WORK is that we have been called to do? In general, we could use the words of Jesus as a guideline. Our work is to carry on where Jesus left off and to be his representatives in the world. We are commissioned to bring the “light” of Jesus into the lives of the people who live around us. Jesus said,

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world.

…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds

 and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14, 16

Our challenge is to find ways for us to actually be “the light of the world.”

This is not something that someone else can do for you. When we sign up to be an individual part of the church (the “ecclesia” of God…those who are called out of the world to be God’s servants) we are then making this task our personal task. We have signed our names to this agreement. We are working to be the light of the world and, with all of the hatred, fear and loneliness at work around us, the world could certainly use more light.

But we can’t stop this conversation here because if we don’t clarify for ourselves what this means in very practical terms we will accomplish nothing. We have to know what it means to be “light” in the world and this is where Peter can help us. He said,

“⁸ Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ⁹ Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

We need to…

“…love each other deeply”

“Offer hospitality…without grumbling.”

“…use whatever gift (we) you have received to serve others,”

And let the world see that we are…

“… faithful steward(s) of God’s grace”

LOVE always requires definition, especially in the culture we live in every day. Here’s a summary:

            •Love is not always giving people what they want but offering them what they need.

            •Love is not defined by what we receive but is measured in what sacrifices we are willing to make.

            •Love is not situational or temporary; love is steadfast and eternal.

“…love each other deeply”

HOSPITALITY shouldn’t be too hard for us to get our arms around. The Greek word used here is “φιλόξενοι“ (philoxenoi) which literally means “treating a foreigner (stranger) like a friend.” We are called to treat the people around us as if they were all dear friends to us. This involves caring, compassion and a willingness to be inconvenienced. This means being willing to set aside our schedule and our agenda in order to care for someone else.

In the work we do in the Church we often talk about what it means to be hospitable and the definition that gets repeated over and over again is that we need to treat people who come to our Church gathering as if they were guests in our home. We need to go out of our way to make them comfortable, provide for their needs and have them go away feeling like they were cared for.

“Offer hospitality…without grumbling.”

Because we know when people are being genuine. We need to learn to genuinely care about the people who come here AND the people we meet on the street every day.

We are called to USE OUR GIFTS to serve others (which means that we have to discover what our spiritual gifts might be; which, in turn, means that we have to take learning about spiritual gifts seriously. We have been using a spiritual gifts inventory for a couple of years now and we have copies available to you again today. If you haven’t taken this inventory or if you haven’t taken this inventory for a while you will want to fill it out today so you can discover where you might be best suited to serve. It is, after all, about service.

“…use whatever gift (we) you have received to serve others,”

You and I are have been commissioned to be stewards OF GOD’S GRACE.

“… faithful steward(s) of God’s grace”

Grace means “free, unwarranted gift” which means that we have to embody and proclaim the love that God has for everyone. We need to be able to remind people (and live it out) that our God has loved them from the very beginning, before they even knew his name, before they even cared to look and that God has been calling out to them offering forgiveness and healing and new life.

But, the reality is that all of us are all “time limited.” We don’t have forever. Everyday news reports remind us that (given the uncertainty of our world) we have little control over when the “night” comes.

Work For The Night Is Coming (3)

Work, for the night is coming, Under the sunset skies;

While their bright tints are glowing, Work, for daylight flies.

Work till the last beam fadeth, Fadeth to shine no more;

Work, while the night is darkening, When man’s work is o’er.

Work For The Night Is Coming.

Find out what work God has given you to do. Train yourself to be the best servant you can be and then work at it. Work while you are here. Work while you have the opportunity. Work because you love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength. Work because you love you neighbor as yourself. “Work, for the night is coming, when man works no more."

The Power of Words (Speaking The Truth In Love)

Romans 10:8–15

     ⁸But what does it say? “The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); ⁹because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. ¹¹The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.”

    ¹²For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. ¹³For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” ¹⁴But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?      ¹⁵And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Colossians 4:2-6

    ²Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. ³At the same time pray for us as well that God will open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ, for which I am in prison, ⁴so that I may reveal it clearly, as I should.

    ⁵Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. ⁶Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.

“…that we may declare the mystery of Christ,” +Colossians 4:2

 

    A few weeks back I had the opportunity to go to see the Brewer’s play on Bob Uecker Bobble Head Day. The place was sold out (and I’m fairly certain it was because of the bobble heads.)

    The only tickets that we wanted to pay for were in Bernie’s Terrace, which are “nosebleed” seats above the foul pole in left field. They weren’t “bad” seats, you could see the whole field, there was a nice breeze. But, in about the 2^nd inning the dozen or so seats right behind us filled up with a group of young people who had decided to come to the game drunk and they were still drinking. I think they thought they were having a good time. From my perspective they were loud, obnoxious and acting inappropriately.

    At one point, one of the young men who was particularly inebriated and whose name was John; (I found that out because the young man right behind my right ear kept yelling his name for no apparent reason) got up from his seat, stepped into the row below him (our row) and then fell over two more rows of seats into the people who were sitting there. People were (understandably) upset and one of John’s companions finally picked him up and tried to guide him down the stairs and presumably out of the stadium.

    On the way down, John who thought he was funny (like only drunk people can think they’re funny) decided to jump up onto the railing and almost fell on to the concrete fifteen feet below. His friend reached out in time to keep him from going over the edge. John was a hoot or at least some of John’s other friends thought this whole thing was very funny. I (on the other hand) thought this was very sad but I understand that I am just a prude.

    What I was thinking was that someone needed to say something to John (and to a half-dozen of John’s friends) about what they were doing to themselves and to the people who happened to be situated around them.

    Someone needed to say something about how they may have ruined what could have been a pleasant afternoon for dozens of people. Someone needed to say to John that he endangered himself and other people by his actions and that it wasn’t funny. Somebody needed to care about John.

    THE PROBLEM WAS THAT even though I was convinced that SOMEONE NEEDED TO SPEAK I was also convinced that that person WAS PROBABLY NOT going to be me.

    This is not meant to BE an excuse for my inaction. I believe that I was the wrong person to speak to this group of “20-something’s” FOR ALL OF THE REASONS WE HAVE BEEN OUTLINING ALL SUMMER long. They DIDN’T KNOW ME; they DIDN’T TRUST ME; and JOHN (in particular) DIDN’T KNOW THAT I might CARE ABOUT HIS LIFE. So, other than the fact that John was hugely drunk (which made any kind of discussion a problem) I was not in the best position to have a conversation with him or with any of them. BUT someone needed too OR should I say, “someone still needs too.”

    What we keep reminding ourselves of is that WE ARE CALLED by God TO REACH OUT TO PEOPLE LIKE JOHN who are living ALL AROUND US every day. Someone DOES need to speak to people like John about their behavior and maybe HAVE A CONVERSATION about what might be a deep-seated emptiness in their lives; a God shaped hole in their hearts that only Jesus can fill.

    BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT OUR OUTREACH CAN’T BE FROM IGNORANCE OR LACED WITH JUDGMENT OR BE motivated by our own personal discomfort. We can’t decide to speak simply because we have become irritated by the actions of other people BUT we should speak because we care.

    I know that I’m sounding presumptuous. Maybe this was the first time that these young people had over indulged and maybe they will never do it again. Maybe they’ve learned a lesson from this afternoon at the ballpark. Maybe, but I won’t know AND that is exactly part of the point I’m trying to make here. There has to be someone who is connected to this group of young people who has earned the right to care for them, WHO KNOWS IF THIS IS AN ABERRATION OR ON-GOING BEHAVIOR and who MIGHT BE willing to have a difficult conversation with THEIR FRIENDS precisely because they care.

    In general, this is the work that we have been commissioned to do but it can’t be done like firing a “shot-gun” at a target, hoping that we will maybe hit something. Caring is personal and for these conversations to be meaningful they have to be approached personally (maybe we would even say STRATEGICALLY.) These conversations need to be done by the right person at the right time.

    In the ballpark (on that Sunday afternoon) I was not that person BUT that doesn’t mean that I won’t be that person at some other time, in some other setting.

    I SAID THAT I DIDN’T WANT THIS CONVERSATION TO BE AN EXCUSE FOR ME AND I don’t want this conversation to become an excuse for you.

    I don’t want you to intentionally decide that this will never be your work to do because there may be a time when it will be something that ONLY you can do.

    In the meantime all of us need to commit ourselves to being prepared to care about the people we live with every day AND we need to be prepared (when the moment arises) to say a good word for Jesus. Paul said,

“…how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?” Romans 10:14

    We need to understand that words have power especially when those words are spoken to the right person by the right person at the right time and we should never get it into our heads that we are not going to be that person who is used by God to help someone who is lost be found.

    So, THIS is another CONVERSATION ABOUT friendship, about PREPAREDNESS and about being determined to actually be what God has called us to be; his witnesses in the world.

    We are all called to be evangelists but most of us misunderstand what that means. We have this picture of HAVING TO GO AROUND knocking on people’s doors or confronting someone on the street and trying to argue them into believing in the God we serve. We have been taught to dislike something that should be as natural as breathing.

    We actually had this conversation a few weeks ago in both my Wednesday night bible study and my Sunday morning class. The word “evangelism” which comes from the Greek word “euangelion” means “Good News” and an evangelist is then someone who shares good news of hope and love and peace that is made available to us through a relationship with the risen Jesus. There are people living all around us who need to hear that there is hope for their lives and you and I have been given the privilege of sharing with those friends a relationship that is changing our lives and can change their lives as well.

    Evangelism, then, is building relationships with people. Evangelism is making and being friends with the people around us AND then being in a place where we can SPEAK TO THOSE PEOPLE WE HOLD DEAR, ABOUT the love, joy, peace and patience that fills our lives.

    There WILL be a moment when we HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY to share, with people we care about, how their actions have consequences and how they are impacting the people directly and indirectly around them. There WILL be an appropriate time for us to share with OUR FRIENDS THE KIND OF information that might EVEN save their lives.

    There WILL BE those moments and we need to be ready to take advantage of them. We need to be, like Paul, asking for people around us to pray,

“…that God will open to us a door for the word, that we may declare the mystery of Christ,”

    If someone should ask, “WHAT DO we SAY?” the answer would be that we talk about the HOPE that we have EXPERIENCED in our own lives. If someone should ask, “WHY should we SPEAK IN THE FIRST PLACE?” the answer would be because we care and if we don’t care then we have even bigger problems to deal with.

    Now, as I come to the end of this conversation  I found that I ended up with two different conclusions. I decided to include them both.

    #1: A few weeks ago the Sikh community was attacked by a “crazed” gunman who for some unknown reason felt the need to take out his hatred and his anger on a group of innocent people.

    As you well know, this isn’t the first time that this kind of thing has happened and (sadly) it probably will not be the last.

    Like many of the people who have decided to strike out in this irrational way this killer was described AS “QUIET” and a “LONER.”

    EACH TIME I hear about these “loners” I wonder if there wasn’t someone who could have spoken to them or cared about them or made an effort to help them see the world in a different way.

    I know that some of this is just an expression of my own helplessness. Like you I want to “DO” SOMETHING, to fix this problem, TO CHANGE THE WORLD and there is no fixing what has already happened in Oak Creek.

     Maybe this is all idealism and naïveté BUT I can’t help believing THAT THERE was someone who could have spoken, to this person at the right time and changed the course of these horrible events.

    Like I’ve said we may be the only one who can speak to someone else’s pain. We may be the person who cares enough but it won’t happen unless WE are committed to building RELATIONSHIPS with the people around us.  It won’t happen unless we as a congregation are committed to reaching out and inviting people (who are lost and wandering) into our lives. Not just into our churches but into our lives.

    #2: A FEW WEEKS BACK MANY OF US PAUSED TO WATCH OLYMPIC ATHLETES from all over the world COMPETE IN “the human drama of athletic competition” and what we saw were thousands of people who had given their entire lives to achieving one singular goal. The stories of the sacrifices of Olympic athletes have inspired people for decades.

    We are called to be people with a singular goal and our lives should inspire the people around us as we give ourselves to this work of loving the lord our God and loving the people around us. We are preparing ourselves to be ready at any moment to make a difference in someone’s life and to make a difference for Jesus.

⁵Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. ⁶Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.

    If you haven’t started, then it is time to begin your training program: Bible study, prayer, worship, fellowship and service. Make a friend and be prepared to make a difference.