SPECIAL DAYS: March 9, 2003, First Sunday in Lent

Lessons: Genesis 9.8-17; Mark 1.9-15

Sermon Title: Change and Decay

(Back to Study Home Page)    (Back to Sermons for 2002-2003)
(Back to Sermons Home Page)     (Back to Shultz Home Page)

INTRODUCTION:

A marvelous old story tells of a man who went to the races and noticed a priest making the sign of the cross over a horse. That horse went on to win the first race. So he watched each time the priest made the sign, bet on that horse and the horse won.

When the last race came up, the man had won $20,000. He bet the whole bundle on the horse the priest approached. The gates opened, the horses were off - and the one he had bet on took a few steps and fell dead.

Finding the priest, the man asked what went wrong. The priest replied, "That's the trouble with you Protestants: You don't know the difference between a simple priestly blessing and the last rites."

  1. That may be true for many people.

    1. There is one person who knew the difference.

    2. Perhaps it is because he was a priest in the Church of England.

Henry F. Lyte wrote the words to Abide with Me.

1

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;

The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide!

When other helpers fail and comforts flee,

Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

2

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;

Earth's joys grow dim; its glories pass away;

Change and decay in all around I see;

O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

    1. Henry F. Lyte was inspired to write this hymn as he was dying of tuberculosis.

    2. He finished it the Sunday he gave his farewell sermon in the parish he served so many years.

      1. The next day, he left for Italy to regain his health.

      2. He died in Nice, France, three weeks after writing these words.

      3. In his farewell sermon on that Sunday he said:

"O brethren, I stand here among you today, as alive from the dead, if I may hope to impress it upon you, and induce you to prepare for that solemn hour which must come to all, by a timely acquaintance with the death of Christ."

    1. To induce you to prepare for that solemn hour which must come to all.

    2. This is the true purpose of the Lenten season as we prepare for Easter and the revelation of immortality.

    3. Lent is a period of forty days, not including Sundays before Easter.

      1. Moses spent forty years in the wilderness.

PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH AND MOSES

After many long and fruitful years, ex-President George Bush dies and goes to Heaven.

Within the first few months of eternity, he finds Moses walking the streets of gold. Thinking to himself: "It would be interesting to compare notes, head-of-state to head-of-state." he approaches Moses.

Moses sees him coming, turns white and runs the other way!

Puzzled by this reaction, George goes on his way in paradise.

A few hundred years pass, and George Bush again sees Moses walking the streets of Gold. This time he is able to stand right beside Moses before Moses notices him.

George asks: "Why did you run away from me the first time we saw each other? All I wanted to do was discuss the aspects of being head-of-state with you."

Moses replies: "Well, the last time I spoke to a 'Bush', I wound up spending 40 years in the wilderness!"

      1. Jesus spent forty days fasting in anticipation of his confrontation with Satan, and preparation for his public ministry.

      2. Lent was a time for the preparation of candidates for baptism.

      3. Now it has became a time to prepare for Easter.

  1. But first we acknowledge the true nature of life.

CHANGE AND DECAY - ALL AROUND ME

Sent in by Gwen Coles, Parsons Green, Shrewton

Everything is further away than it used to be. It's twice as far to the corner, and they've added a hill, I notice. I've given up running for the bus; it leaves faster than it used to do. It seems to me that they are making steps steeper than in the old days, and have you noticed the smaller print they are using in newspapers?

There is no sense in asking anyone to read aloud: everyone speaks in such a low voice that I can barely hear them. And the material in clothes is getting so skimpy, especially around the hips and waist.

Even people are changing; they are so much younger than they used to be when I was their age. On the other hand, people my own age are so much older than I am. I ran into an old friend the other day and she had aged so much that she did not recognize me!

I got to thinking about the poor thing while I was combing my hair this morning and I glanced at my reflection - and do you know what? They don't make mirrors like they used to!

(Top)    (Back to Study Home Page)    (Back to Sermons for 2002-2003)
(Back to Sermons Home Page)     (Back to Shultz Home Page)

MAIN BODY:

  1. Change and decay in all around I see.

    1. This was the experience of Noah.

5The LORD saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. 6And the LORD was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. Genesis 6:5-6 (NRSVA)

11Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. Genesis 6:11 (NRSVA)

      1. The people of his generation were in the midst of change and denied it.

      2. The people of Noah's generation were experiencing decay and ignoring it.

      3. It was not only physical change and decay, most importantly but spiritual change and decay.

    1. Noah knew what was going to happen and did what he could to help people prepare.

      1. He spent years building a boat.

      2. His building was one long sermon.

      3. He also sought to persuade people of the immanence of their danger.

    2. His warnings of impending doom were rejected.

      1. It was too fantastic.

      2. It did not fit the current world view.

      3. Who could believe it.

    3. The people of Noah's day were like Liza Hamilton, a character in East of Eden

      1. John Steinbeck described here this way. this way:

...a tight hard little woman humorless as a chicken...with a dour Presbyterian mind and a code of morals that pinned down and beat the brains out of nearly everything that was pleasant to do. (1)

      1. If we neglect our own spiritual health, our spirits will wither and decay much like this poor soul's.

    1. The flood came.

    2. Only Noah and his family were rescued in the ark.

    3. Was Jesus there?

      1. Was he watching his creation change and decay and being destroyed?

      2. He wanted to do something to help save the people.

      3. How do you save those who do not want to be saved.

      4. Mercy's door stood open until the day the flood waters came

      5. The door was closed out of necessity, not out of will.

    4. In the end God told Noah to look at the rainbow which became a sign of God's promise of preservation and comfort.

  1. Change and decay in all around I see.

    1. In time Jesus appears again.

    2. The Mark 1:9-15 (NRSVA) is spare and pointed.

      1. 9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

      2. 10And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.

      3. 11And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

      4. 12And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.

      5. 13He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

      6. 14Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."

        1. The message of Jesus is the kingdom of God is near.

        2. The message of Jesus is repent.

        3. The message of Jesus is believe in the good news.

      7. Jesus is the carrier of the good news.

    3. Jesus warns of dangers and disasters that are already at hand, are soon to come, and that will come in God's good time.

      1. Jesus communicates not by coercion, but by persuasion.

      2. Jesus seeks to help not by the application of force or control, but by the power of love.

It has been said, "That the exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God's kingdom."

    1. The sad part of the story of Mark and the rest of the disciples is that people heard him, but rejected him.

      1. In Matthew 13.14-15, Jesus talks about eyes and ears , minds and hearts. it is a quotation from Isaiah 6.6-10.

14With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says: 'You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. 15For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn--and I would heal them.' (Matthew 13:14-15, NRSVA)

      1. The people of Jesus' day were like Liza Hamilton, a character in East of Eden

        1. John Steinbeck described her this way. this way:

...a tight hard little woman humorless as a chicken...with a dour Presbyterian mind and a code of morals that pinned down and beat the brains out of nearly everything that was pleasant to do. (2)

      1. If we neglect our own spiritual health, our spirits will wither and decay much like this poor soul's.

    1. We do not have a rainbow, we have a Savior.

  1. We can avoid change and decay by changing and growing.

Henry F. Lyte wrote the words to Abide with Me.

3

I need Thy presence every passing hour.

What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?

Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?

Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

4

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;

Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.

Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?

I triumph still, if Thou abide with me!

    1. Growing into the way of Christ is the only way to fight off decay.

    2. We have all the help in the world.

    3. Don't be like Liza Hamilton, be like Jesus Christ.

(Top)    (Back to Study Home Page)    (Back to Sermons for 2002-2003)
(Back to Sermons Home Page)     (Back to Shultz Home Page)

CONCLUSION

  1. An Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations.

    1. They presented him with the words: "And this, too, shall pass away."

    2. As Abraham Lincoln noted.

      1. How much it expresses!

      2. How chastening in the hour of pride!

      3. How consoling in the depths of affliction!

  2. Change and decay in all around I see.

    1. I triumph still, if thou abide with me.

    2. O Father abide with me!

    3. O Christ abide with me!

    4. O Holy Spirit abide with me!

1. Liza Hamilton as described in John Steinbeck, East of Eden (New York: Viking Press, 1970), 9.

2. Ibid

(Top)    (Back to Study Home Page)    (Back to Sermons for 2002-2003)
(Back to Sermons Home Page)     (Back to Shultz Home Page)