"How Sacraments Work"
November 14, 2010
You can listen to this message on itunes or at http://www.connectionschurch.ca/sermons/
Technically, I have a lot of titles as an ordained clergyman. “Pastor” or “minister” are the usual ones. There’s also “Reverend.” Some have called me “Father,” but I’m really not fond of that, as I have one earthly father, and one heavenly Father. When I landed in Canada and preached at a few established churches some old dutch guys called me “Dominae.” At first I was freaked out. But then my wife told me they were calling me Lord, which really freaked me out. One that has always been a favorite of mine goes back a long way, “Keeper of the Sacred Mysteries.” Sometimes I’m tempted to use that one. Fill out a reference for someone and sign it, Rev. GJS, Keeper of the Sacred Mysteries. That would convey some serious cred!
Of course this begs the question, what are the mysteries, why are they sacred, and why do they need a keeper? This is what we’re talking about today. The mysteries are baptism and communion - the sacraments. Baptism is the sign of our faith, the offering of our lives to Jesus, or our children that they will come into and profess faith. The Lord’s supper is the sign of our communion with jesus in his redeeming death, and more importantly, his resurrection life. I’m their keeper because the bible says they’re special, and we’re going to focus on what makes them sacred, or rather, how sacred things work. The thing about sacraments, baptism, and the Supper, is that they are just ordinary things: washing with water, a loaf of bread, a cup of juice. And that’s the mysterious, wonderful thing about the sacred- it comes into and changes the ordinary. That which is sacred may best be understood through experience, rather than explanation. And so we will be inviting you to experience the sacred this morning. Also, the sacred might better be expressed through story, rather than explanation.
2 Samuel 23 tells the end of David’s life. David has served as king over the people of God. He would come to be known as the greatest king to ever serve over the people. In fact, he was really the only king to serve well in this role. In fact, it was promised to him that through his blood line would eventually come the final king, the greatest king, Christ the king. And so Jesus, in fulfillment of this promise was born in the bloodline of David.
Toward the end of David’s life his biographer is reflecting back on some of the events and the people that surrounded him. And one of the final stories points all the way back to when he first becomes king. Actually, he’s only been promised he would be king. That would have been just great, but another man was still serving in the role. A man named Saul. And he was none to happy or eager to give up the throne.
And so it is that David finds himself in exile, in the wilderness, in a place called Addullam, in a cave. In 1 Samuel 22, we read about life at the cave. It says that David escaped from King Saul, fled the land he called home, ended up in this cave, but word slips out, and his family shows up. I don’t think that was such good news for David because in verse 3 we read that he took took his family to Moab and asked the king if he could leave his family with him. I can’t be sure of this, but I think David and the king exchanged a knowing look with each other, and the king apparently said it would be fine for David to leave his family there. And as if this wasn’t enough, it says that about 400 other men came to join him- all those in distress, debt, or discontent. Wow, does this sound like a great group of folks to be around or what? It becomes the drop in center for everybody who has baggage. And finally, as if all this wasn’t enough, the Philistines take over the town of Bethlehem. David’s home town.
Why is it that just when you think you are at the end of your rope, you find out you have to give a little more? (I have a friend who has had a year this past year like I can hardly imagine. Things got really good for him when he got a new job. But right after that happened, all the junk came his way. His marriage started to fall apart. He worked tirelessly on restoring the relationship, but time and time again hit nothing but conflict and dead ends. Then, the very week that the separation is going to be come final, in what might be the darkest moment in his life up to this point, he gets the call that we fear the most. His father had been tragically, killed in an accident while on vacation. You know, as hard as that season was for him, and still is, I never heard him blame God. He grieved, he cried, he wondered why. But I give him so much credit. He never cursed God. He didn’t blame God for the choices he made. He never shook is fist at God because of decisions and circumstances around his fathers death. I’m not superstitious, but I would be very wary of ever saying, I don’t think I can take anymore, because it seems like in those moments we are often called to take a little more.)
Well David doesn’t think he can take much more. And it must have been the mention that his hometown was taken over by his enemies which gets him thinking about his hometown, and about his life in that town not long before. And we read, v. 15, David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem.” Rob Bell mentions this in a message and notes how David, at his wits end, looks back, and longs for a simpler time. Remember when life was so much easier, so clear cut and straightforward, when I was a boy, shepherding my fathers sheep, hanging out near that well in Bethlehem. Remember when life was so much simpler? Remember when we were first married. Sigh. We didn’t have a dime in our pockets. but that was ok, because we were too poor to have pockets to put one in. Remember when work was so much easier, before I was the boss, and was responsible for all these people, and their families. Remember when I had work! What I wouldn’t give to complain about my boss again, because at least I had a boss, and paycheck, and hope. Remember when...
David has these mighty men with him, and three of them hear him longing for the water from the well at the gate of Bethlehem. And apparently, not understanding yet that David was a very poetic man who would go on to write hundreds of songs and psalms, don’t really get that this longing was for more than the actual water for the well. So they take it upon themselves to make the trek to Bethlehem. Nearly 18 Kilometers away. Behind enemy lines. And they crazy thing is, they do it. They get the water. And the bring it to David.
And you can imagine the moment as they come to David, their commander and king, and they place before him the water. It says “But David refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD. “Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this.” he said. “Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it.
What is that about? These guys risk their lives for their commander and king, and he takes the gift, and he pours it out on the ground? What is happening here? In a word, something sacred. Something holy. Genesis 28: a man named Jacob has a dream when he sees a ladder stretch between heaven and earth, with angels ascending and descending. His life and view of the world is forever changed. The veil between heaven and earth has been lifted, and the two are much closer than he ever imagined. God is at work in the world, and his angels are doing his work in the world, and Jacob, realizes has been invited in to participate in the work that God is doing. And so he builds and altar, and upon it he pours out a drink offering. The place where I stand is holy ground, and in this place I must worship, and pour out this offering, to God.
Later, the veil becomes thin again. Jacob wrestles with God and ends up getting his named changed to Israel. After you have an encounter with God like that, you are a marked man, a changed person. It only makes sense to change your name. And the occasion is marked by an offering- he was again on sacred ground.
In Exodus instructions are given to the priests on how they are to make a drink offering before God. And in leviticus, and in Numbers, detailed instructions and examples of how to make a drink offering, and why they were called to make a drink offering. To stop, to recognize that all good gifts and all things come from God. That God is the God of the earth and the rain and the harvest, and therefore the first fruits, and the first wine, first goes back to God. God is the source, and the drink offering recognizes, and celebrates, the source.
And later, much later, a man named Paul writes to a church in the city of Philippi, and to his young protege Timothy, writes that even if I am to be poured out like a drink offering, I will rejoice and be glad in it. Even I must shed my blood, to be spent for your faith, I will be glad. I will make the sacrifice. And eventually, it comes to pass. He does shed is blood. Is poured out. He gives his life, makes the greatest sacrifice, for the church.
While at first all this seems odd, we still see this alive in culture today. In the midst of the celebration someone says stop. And everyone gets quiet. And maybe they just mention a name. To Mom. To Dad. To him or to her, who isn’t here, who would love to be here, who would love what is happening here, who maybe really is the very reason why we are all here. And instinctively, everyone remembers, and raises their glass, and everyone actually takes a moment and they look at the people next to them who have been touched by this same person, and a connection is made in that moment, without any other words, as the two of you remember, and clink glasses, and take that sip. You remember that their life has now been poured out, and spent, but not forgotten.
I have to smile when I see in videos or in awards ceremonies, and I’ve actually seen it done. Someone who has is being given an honor or and award says you know, none of this would have been possible if not for this person. And they’ll take out their drink, and they’ll pour it out as a drink offering to the one whom they wish to honor.
The mighty men, I suspect, understood this instinctively. They had seen the work of the priests and the drink offerings made to God. And so they understood. Did you see what he just did there, did you see what he just did? He took the water that we got for him, and he turned this into a moment of worship. He gave what we gave, and turned it into an offering to God. He turned it into something that we can all share in. He invited us to participate with him in this offering. “Far be it from me LORD to do this. Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” He took their water, their offering, and he turned it into a moment of worship, something sacred. David saw the world through the lenses of their sacrifice. David saw the world sacramentally. All things, everything, can be given to God, a sacrifice to him. David invites us to see the veil between heaven and earth torn, to see the two collide, to see God in and through all things in our lives. David understands that we are invited to participate in the sacrifice, and can can even be made sacred, holy, set apart, for God.
How do sacraments work? Sacraments have at their root something that is sacred. Something sacred means that something is holy. Something sacred is therefore set apart for a special purpose, and kept pure for that purpose. Those two aspects are absolutely vital: to be set apart and kept pure for God.
The bible speaks a great deal of holy and sacred things. Things set apart for God, and reserved specifically, purely, for God. In the old testament there are many holy and sacred things. In fact, everything about the worship of God was about holy, sacred things. Sacred clothing, sacred tents, sacred altars, sacred oil, sacred incense, sacred altars, sacred offerings. Everything, every thing use in and for worship, without except, from the place of worship to the objects used in worship to the sacrifices made in worship, everything, was sacred- set apart and pure.
But the point was never to just have sacred stuff for worship. The point was to have sacred people to worship God. Because God said I am making you a sacred people. A chosen people, holy, set apart and pure. He said I will be your God, you will be my people, a holy nation. Sacred.
The sacraments, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, work when they help us to become the sacred and holy people that God wants us to be. The sacraments work to help the work of God in us. The work of God to set us apart from the world, for the world. First God needs to pull is from, set us apart, draw us to himself. He send his spirit to us. He spirit awakes faith in us. Faith applies God grace to us. We are brought into a right relationship with God through jesus. We are made righteous through Jesus. We are made Holy! Then God can truly use us as his chosen people, his hands, his feet, in the world. Set apart, made holy, sent forth.
Let me say three things about the sacraments work in our lives, understanding that God gives these to use to d his work of sanctifying us, making us sacred and set apart for him. First, the sacraments invite us to step into the divine drama of heaven and earth that unfolds before us. The sacraments don’t just go out like a toast to someone or something. The sacraments say step in, take part, be washed. Take and eat. Take and drink. Baptism invites us to step into the presence of God, to step into the waters, and to lay down our lives, and the lives of our children. Step in, feel the water, feel it washing over you. God is present and God is in you! Jesus doesn’t just say hey, look at the bread, broken for you. he says take it, and eat it. Participate in it. Participate in ME. I will be in you and with you. This cup, take it, drink it, be forgiven and cleansed of your sins, you are a part of the new covenant!
The sacraments are our way of not just telling the story of Jesus, but inviting you to live into the story. That why we want all who come to faith to be baptized. That why we want all baptized children to fulfill their vows and profess their faith. That why we want everyone who can simply say, I believe in Jesus, to take eat, and drink.
Then, after we step into the sacred- the waters of baptism, the bread and the cup- we take them with us. We are made sacred, set apart, holy, and then we go into the world as God’s sacred vessels. Which leads us to point two...
Second, the sacraments invite us into a sacramental world view. David understood the sacrifice of his mighty men. He saw what was really happening. In his view, this was a sacrificial act to be offered to God. the sacraments invite us to change the way we see and understand the world. God can use water to demonstrate the washing and cleansing that come from him. It can show us how we can lay down our lives, or the lives of our children, and how he picks us up. God can use a loaf of break, broken, to help us remember his body broken for us. he can use a cup to remind us that his blood was shed for our sins.
This real power of the sacramental world view is that what it does is help us to stop seeing the world in secular ways. Too many of us live dualistically in a negative way: this is sacred, this secular. The sacramental WV invites us to say God, everything belongs to you, is to be given to you, to glorify you. This doesn’t invite us to withdraw from the world, but to engage with all of our lives. Our worship becomes sacred, our bible study and prayer and our tithe to god are sacred. But then, so is our work. So is our family life. So is the rest of our money. A Sacramental WV says, God cares just as much about the money I don’t “give to the church”, as the money I do. God still wants me t use this money, which all belongs to Him, in Godly ways. God cares just as much about my kids as I do, and so playing ball or shooting pucks with my kids can be a sacred act for God. Remember, the veil between heaven and earth is thin, and a sacramental WV helps to remind us of that.
Third, and bringing this all together now, sacraments work ultimately because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. There is nothing magical about the waters of baptism. Just being baptized doesn’t save anyone. Just eating the bread doesn’t make you one with Jesus. Just drinking the cup doesn’t cleanse you from sin. No, only Jesus does all that. Faith in Jesus as our Lord is our salvation, baptism is the outward sign and seal of what Jesus has done. The bread, is just bread, but Jesus’ body was broken, and when we take and remember, this becomes something sacred. The cup, just a cup, but Jesus’ blood was shed, and when we do this in faith, it’s sacred.
It the sacrifice that makes these things sacred. It’s Jesus who makes these sacred. It’s Jesus who makes us sacred. Sacred. Set apart. Pure.
And that’s how sacraments work.
