This was the first sermon focused fully on our summer preaching series on membership (last week, I mentioned it briefly in the Pentecost sermon). I discovered a couple of pitfalls to the sermon series: 1. It is going to be hard to find biblical texts that speak to membership since that was not really a thing in the stories from the Israelites or Jesus' followers. So, I am going to have to do some interpreting. This week, I had to explain how a "kingdom of heaven" parable connected to membership. 2. What is the point of connection for people in worship who are not members and are not planning on becoming members? I am going to address that in the introduction to next Sunday's sermon.
I did not like this sermon very much. Did not have a single comment from anyone about the sermon, so I would say the congregation confirmed the "ho-hum" nature of the sermon.
“Buying In” Matthew 13:44-49; SAPC, Denton; June 12, 2022; Church membership series; Richard B. Culp
Matthew 13:44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. :47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 48 when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad.
Introduction: Last week, we began the summer preaching series on church membership.
Each week, we will reflect on aspects of church membership as described in the Book of Order. If you are thinking about how the sermon series will build,
or maybe you are already counting the weeks until it’s is finished!
the sermon series will go until Rally Day on September 11, a day on which we will give everyone an opportunity to renew their baptismal vows in worship.
An ending to the preaching series and a kick-off to the fall.
Last week on Pentecost, we reflected briefly on how the church welcomes all people into membership.
This week, we reflect on the phrase, ”Membership in the Church of Jesus Christ is a joy and a privilege" (G-1.0304, Book of Order).
Move 1: We read about joy this morning in a unique parable in Matthew;
one in a series of quick hitters in this section of Matthew;
not found in the other gospels.
a. Jesus is describing what the kingdom of heaven is like.
1. I am not saying membership in the church is like getting into the kingdom of heaven.
2. as I say that, I am reminded of a story Ted Wardlaw, the soon-to-be-retired president of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, tells about a man who had been on the outs with the church since his adolescent days. The church, he argued, was too concerned about the rules, so he left and said he was finished with it.
his mother worked on him, begging him to give the church another chance, and finally, the man agreed that we would go again.
he got up one Sunday and wandered into a Presbyterian church a bit late. He got there right as the congregation has just begun the prayer of confession, and he heard the congregation pray: “we have done those things which we ought not to have done and we have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and there is no health in us.” the sampled to himself and sat down saying, “Good, these sound like my kind of people.” (Feasting on the Word, Year A, Vol 3, Ted Wardlaw, 289).
3. The church is not the kingdom of heaven, although in the kingdom of heaven we are in the presence of the Triune God.
God the creator who calls us into a relationship with God and each other;
God the Son, Jesus Christ, who invites us into the church e call the body of Christ.
God the Holy Spirit, who guides and directs us as the church.
b. Despite the church not being the kingdom of heaven, we turn to this parable because of the joy we discover in it.
1. Imagine the joy the man has after discovering the treasure in the field.
2. Can you see the man walking back home with a smile on his face.
not too big a smile because he does not want to give away his secret, but a smile he cannot wipe off his face.
3. Can you hear him as he tells his wife, excitedly sharing with her this joy that has taken over his life,
And what he wants to do - sell everything!
4. maybe she has doubts about what he tells her;
she has not seen this treasure;
but, how can she restrain this joy?
c. why are you a member of hits congregation?
1. Why do you show up each week for worship?
Or live stream?
Or participate in the choir?
or go to Sunday School?
Or join in the mission efforts?
2. I suspect we have a wide variety of reasons for becoming a member.
3. One of the fun parts of the Session meeting with potential new members is hearing why they want to join with us here at St. Andrew.
4. AS evidenced by the reception of new members later in the service, that happened again last week.
5. I always leave those meetings feeling uplifted because of what our new members see in St. Andrew.
and listening as the Session members are spurred on to reflect on why they are members here.
6. I hope you find joy in being a member of St. Andrew.
The kind of joy the man felt when he found the treasure in the field.
Move 2: Notice what the joy does to the man
a. His joy leads to buy-in, literally.
1. everything he has is sold to purchase the land.
2. total commitment.
3. his joy at finding the treasure is so great he is willing to make it the sole focus of his life.
4. As Matthew has already told us back in Chapter 6, 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21).
b. The joy changes the man’s life.
1. Imagine how the man’s life has now changed?
2. he owns a field he had not owned before;
he has this treasure that he has never had before;
his tomorrow will be markedly different than the day before;
c. His joy even makes the man engage in subversive action.
1. It is not really the focus of my thoughts this morning, but did you notice that to make all this happen, to get the treasure, the man has to not tell the owner of the field what is there.
2. that sounds like the topic of another sermon for another day, but do not miss how this joy dictates who the man will act.
d. How has the joy of being a member of St. Andrew changed you?
move 3: A final thought - Membership is a joy and privilege.
a. Privilege begins with the invitation Jesus offers us.
1. Jesus invites you to be part of the body of Christ.
2. did you ever play the kids' game, Red Rover?
You know, where you had two teams and they would hold hands and form a line and then invite someone from the other side to run across and try to break through their line.
Sort of silly, I guess, but I still remember how great it felt when they shouted, “Red Rover, Red Rover, let Richard come over.”
Clearly, not a popularity contest. Probably inviting me over because they figure they could hold me off.
But it didn’t matter. it felt good to be invited by name to run across and try to break through.
b. . church membership is lived out in a local contest, but it is Jesus calling you by name to be part of what he is doing in the world.
1. . We may be reflecting on church membership as described in the Presbyterian Church, USA, but it is not about following a bunch of Presbyterians;
2. it is about following Jesus Christ.
3. what greater privilege is there than to be invited by Christ to join with him as the body of Christ.
Conclusion: Clinton Marsh, former moderator of PCUSA, on entering Peaks Presbytery late in his life was asked how they could serve him after his long years of faithful service to the church. He replied, “find me places to preach, places to serve with you.”
the joy and privilege of church membership.
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