Dr. David L. Gray, Guest Minister, January 5, 2020

How dark is the night sky when one is in a boat out in the ocean where there are no lights and the water around you is black as far as your eyes can see?

It is God who first said “Let light shine in darkness. The God who sent Jesus into the world has come to be in our hearts.

What an awesome treasure – to have “God with us” here on earth – come to save us from our worst selves that we might have the inner strength to realize the potential God has placed within us.

And God gave each of us His Grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift to us. But it is up to us to use the talents and skills that we have as potential to help bring God’s kingdom into reality here on earth. What an awesome job description we have been give.

At times the problems in the world seem so vast that it is easy to loose sight of what is most important.

Where does real power lie in this world –

Is it in strong economy, strong military. Etc.?

Is the media so powerful that it can and does determine the wishes of the masses?

We live “caught in the middle”

Between birth and death

Between childhood and adulthood

Between control and letting go.

Between trusting ourselves and trusting in God.

Between being our best selves and or giving in to our worst selves?

How are we to live in the middle of a secular world in which the goal seems to be to take care of oneself no matter what the cost to anyone else?

What difference can one person make in the world for God?

ILLUS

I received an email that has been circulating before. I have no idea where it started but it still has a clear message for us. The email said

“One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class walking home from school.

His name was Kyle.
It looked like he was carrying all of his books.

I thought to myself, 'Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd.'

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friend’s tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.

They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.

His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him.

He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.

My heart went out to him.

So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.

As I handed him his glasses, I said, 'Those guys are jerks.'

They really should get lives.

'He looked at me and said, 'Hey thanks!'

There was a big smile on his face.

It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.

I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.

As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.

He said he had gone to private school before now.

I had never hung out with a private school kid before.

We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.

He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.

I asked him if he wanted to play a little football
with my friends

He said yes.

We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.

I stopped him and said, 'Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday! He just laughed and handed me half the books.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends..

When we were seniors we began to think about college.

Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never
be a problem.

He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship..

Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd.

He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak

Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great.

He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.

Boy, sometimes I was jealous! Today was one of those days.

I could see that he was nervous about his speech.

So, I slapped him on the back and said, 'Hey, big guy, you'll be great!'

He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. 'Thanks,' he said.

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began

'Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach….but mostly your friends...

I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them..

I am going to tell you a story..'

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met.

He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying all his stuff home.

He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.

'Thankfully, I was saved.

My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable..'

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy

told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.

Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.

Never underestimate the power of your actions..

With one small gesture you can change a person's life - for better or for worse.

God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way.

Look for God in others.”

It was God who said “Let Light shine out of darkness” Who is the One who has shone light into the world and today shines His Light into our hearts and minds.

“God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting our sins against us.” John 3:17 “For God sent not His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

Every person is made with God’s Spirit within them giving him or her the ability to share joys and sorrows, the yearning to become what God created us to be, and the deep longing for the home which awaits us in heaven where there is no more pain and suffering, where tears and sorrow are turned to joy.

The spiritual part of us is created to see the Spirit of God in the spirit of another human being.

When we focus on the Spirit of God within us, we are no longer caught in the middle between what we know is wrong and what we know is right.

Whatever belittles the stardust in our nature tears us down, is not of God’s Love.

On the other hand, whatever build us up, which strengthen us by helping us be kind and loving to one another, is right because it is an expression of God’s Spirit coming through us.

We can say with Paul, “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

There is great work to be done for the Almighty God who can fill us with His Love.

Often God calls persons like you and me for His awesome work of reconciling the world so we can live together in peace.

ILLUS

(From Cousin Jim’s Christmas Letter)

“In March we returned from our second season of service as Visiting Pastor for one year at the American Church in Paris.

“The France we left was, and is, conflicted by ongoing political, economic, and labor struggles. The America to which we have returned is divided with an enmity and inequity that weigh heavily on the heart and lives of many and cry out for the compassion and self-emptying love of Christ.”

When Jesus sent out his disciples into the villages He instructed them to preach saying “the kingdom of heaven has come near you.” (Matt. 10:7)

When you think of someone you know that is headed in the wrong direction or being harassed by his or her friends to turn away from God, God may be calling you or me to respond in some loving way as the friend did for Kyle.

Sometimes it is only through prayer that we come to learn what God is calling us to do. Sometimes God is calling someone else to share their faith in some other way and our task is to pray -- not to intercede except through earnest prayer.

No matter who you think you are – young or old, tall or short, poor or comfortable, you may be the one special person through whom God may choose to reach another person. Perhaps someone you thought would never ever be filled with the Spirit of God, may be the very person God is calling you to pray for.

It is no secret what God can do. What He’s done for others he’ll do for you. God answers prayers in His own way and in His own time.

We live in the middle of a society and a world where many people and nations do not know the God who loves the world so much that God sent His Son that we might not perish but have everlasting life.

It is a common human trait to try and earn ones way into heaven and be proud of our earthly achievements. But inner peace does not come from things that we do but rather from receiving God’s greatest gift given to us through Jesus Christ. We have that treasure in earthen vessels of clay. (2 Cor.7)

God has written His Love and Grace not on tablets of stone but into our minds and heart. We show God’s love is in our relationships with one another.

[We are able to know what it’s like to be forgiven by God.

We can know the blessing of being accepted by God completely.]

This is a wonderful time to be alive and serving God.

We are learning what it means to be a fellow worker with Jesus Christ in the world today.

I close with these few lines:

New life begins again and again through Christ within you.
If you really care you can dare To share Christ’s love
Knowing the Holy Spirit will be there.
Do not underestimate God,
The Eternal, all powerful King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
What the world needs now -at Christmas time- and all year long
Is God’s love experienced
“On earth as it is in heaven” partly through you and me.
God has placed His Stardust into our Clay so we can pass on God’s love to others
keeping the joy of Christmas ringing
Throughout the New Year.
Amen 2 Corinthians 5:14-20