SERMON 505

PENTECOST 4 – 3^RD SUNDAY AFTER

JUNE 24, 25, 2006

1 SAMUEL 17, PSALM 9:9-20, 2 CORINTHIANS 6:1-13, MARK 4:35-41

NOW IS THE ONLY TIME WE REALLY HAVE.

Beloved in the Lord, grace and peace be unto you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and from the Holy Spirit the Lord and giver of life.

Paul tells us in our lesson from his Letter to the Corinthians, “See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation.” So our theme will be, NOW IS THE ONLY TIME WE REALLY HAVE.

I suspect that in many a household you will find the same type of conversation as the members of the household talk about the things that need to be done. They will agree on what has to be done but not as to when it should be done. One will say NOW. LET’S DO IT NOW! The other will say, “Let’s do it tomorrow, or next week, I don’t have the time to do it right now.”

But when you think about it, NOW IS THE ONLY TIME THAT WE REALLY HAVE. We don’t have tomorrow. Yesterday was a reality that is past. All that we really have is today, now, for every minute of our life is now, never tomorrow. So NOW IS THE ONLY TIME WE REALLY HAVE.

And as for the future, that is all in God’s hands. We have absolutely no say as to what will happen. We are told that unless God builds the house, the house is built in vain. All the plans that we may have for the future are really in God’s hands. What we have is this day, now. NOW IS THE ONLY TIME THAT WE REALLY HAVE!

We said that the future is in God’s hands. We are told that so is the present moment in God’s hands too. God is always present. God is always at work, a refuge in the time of trouble, an avenger of the wicked, a present help for all who call upon his name, the hope of the poor and the needy, as our Psalmist reminds us.

Our lessons also remind us that life is not a roller coaster ride of joy devoid of trouble and danger. To the contrary we are constantly beset by problems big and small, sometimes extremely difficult, sometimes even life threatening.

Consider the story from the book of Samuel. Israel was at war with her neighbor, the Philistines. The threat to that nations very existence came in the person of a huge warrior, some eight or nine feet tall, fully armed, fiercely competitive, Goliath by name. He stalked up and down before the hosts of Israel calling for some one to fight with. “Give me a man that we may fight together.” The existence of the nation itself was a stake. Now was the time for some one to answer the call and take up the challenge, not tomorrow.

But God was with the nation of Israel as he had promised. And God was ready to help in the time of trouble. God had prepared a young lad to take up the challenge. David, a young shepherd lad, had been prepared for this very time.

David had taken his responsibility as a shepherd seriously. He had always lived in the now. He was constantly preparing himself to be a good shepherd, ever ready to even take on a lion or a wolf if they should appear to threaten the flock. As he constantly prepared himself to protect the flock, little did David realize that God was there preparing him to protect and defend the nation. And that sling and that stone was there, ready to used by God to defeat the enemy, Goliath.

Is it not a marvel? Is it not absolutely amazing? We also are called to be shepherds: shepherds in our homes, in our work, in our church, and in our communities, nurturing and defending all those who have been placed in our care and keeping. And as we hone our skills and get ready for the challenges of every day, God is also equipping us for the danger and the battle that lies ahead of us. Our times for service, our time for preparation, our time for salvation is always now. But as we take on our responsibilities and daily equip ourselves to be the shepherds God has called us to be, God is also equipping us for the times that lie ahead of us.

When Paul put on Christ Jesus and became a believer, he was told by God that his life was not going to be easy; indeed Paul was called to suffer much for the sake of the Gospel, the good news of Christ that he was to proclaim to the whole world.

Paul had no idea what he was in for. If he had known, he would have been completely overwhelmed. There were to be more Goliaths in his path than he could possibly imagine, nine foot giants threatening his very life. The list of the troubles Paul was to face is quite stunning. He tells us of the hardships, the calamities, the beatings, the imprisonments, the riots, the work, the sleepless nights, the hunger, the treatment as an imposter. What he did not mention in that list was the stoning where he had been left for dead. All of this was to come to him because of his proclamation of Jesus Christ to the world.

But Paul was ready. Jesus had come to him and told him that now was the time of salvation. He had been baptized, anointed with the Holy Spirit, instructed by God and made ready for his calling as an Apostle of the Lord, as a shepherd of God’s flock.

But the power of God was with Paul, as it had been with David. David had a sling and a smooth pebble. Paul had been given genuine love, truthful speech, the word of God and in all of this the power of God for salvation.

In the Gospel lesson we see the disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee in a boat. There was a great windstorm, so dangerous that the huge waves were beginning to wash over and fill the boat. The boat, we are told, was swamped and almost ready to go under. Jesus was tired and sleeping on a cushion, unaware of the danger. The little rain and hail storm we experienced on Wednesday evening was a small imitation of what they were going through.

Now was certainly the time of salvation for them. They woke Jesus up from his deep sleep hoping that he might somehow be able to do something about the peril and danger that surrounded them. He could and he did. God is always ready to help in time of danger. We so easily forget that even the wind and the wave obey him. They were amazed, filled with awe. “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

One of the symbols that have been used for the church is the symbol of the boat. We, the people of God are likened to a ship sailing in deep waters. We can expect wind and hail and high waves to come our way. But we sail on in confidence because the Lord Jesus is our master, and the wind and the wave do obey him. And our Master is not likely ever to be asleep.

There is no question that a Goliath or two will come our way, sneering at us and the God of our salvation. There is no question that we will be buffeted by wind and wave.

Saint Augustine in a sermon said this. “When you have to listen to abuse,

that means that you are being buffeted by the wind. When your anger is aroused, you are being tossed by the waves. So when the wind blows and the waves mount high, the boat is in danger, your heart is imperiled, your heart is taking a battering. On hearing yourself insulted, you long to retaliate; but the joy of revenge brings with it another misfortune – shipwreck. Why is this? Because Christ is asleep in you. What do I mean? I mean you have forgotten his presence. Rouse him, then; remember him, let him keep watch within you, pay heed to him… A temptation arises; it is the wind. It disturbs you: it is the surging of the sea. This is the moment to awaken Christ and let him remind you of those words: “Who can this be? Even the winds and the sea obey him.”

Now is really the time of salvation. We walk through our journey of life ready for every peril that comes our way, either from without or from within. We walk by faith and not by sight as we said last week. We walk with Christ within us. When peril comes our way, Goliath walks across our path, or temptation assails us, the one whom even the winds and sea obey is asleep within us, waiting only for our cry for help.

Now is the day of salvation! Jane and Heidi and Jonah know that well and have come for instruction and have been prepared to joyously enter into the waters of Baptism. They have come in faith to the one into whose death and resurrection they will be baptized. It is always with a sense of awe and wonder that we baptize and are baptized into Christ, our rock, our redeemer, our refuge, our salvation, our sling, our voice that speaks with such power and authority and says to all our enemies. “Peace, be still.”

NOW IS THE ONLY TIME THAT WE REALLY HAVE! So let us remember that we walk with Christ and his Spirit in us. If we are ever treated as imposters, let us remain true. If we have reason for sorrow let us always rejoice. Even if we are poor let us make many others rich because in Christ Jesus we possess everything. Let us open our hearts wide to one another and to the world outside and love as we have been loved.

Now is always the time for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. For NOW IS THE ONLY TIME THAT WE REALLY HAVE!

AMEN!