Abide In Me
125th Anniversary
of Early UMC
Psalm 84, Colossians 1:3-13. John
15:5-15
In reading the history of
Early I discovered that the first settlers here were really rather
remarkable people. Early was already established when in the North
Western Railway was laid in 1882. People of vision and foresight
realized that there was far greater opportunity to live and provide
services and businesses along the rail road than off the beaten track.
So they moved the town 21/2 miles north. Now there's a commitment to
growth. They were my kind of people.
A few of these pioneers were
Methodists. They saw the need and had the desire for a church. North
Western Railway Co. had the good sense to know that churchly folk make
for good business donated the lot. Churchly folk make for good business.
Anderson Mason made the single largest donation - $100 – towards its
construction. He also gave the large pulpit Bible from which I just read
the Gospel. Everything looked good to go. The church was framed up but
demolished by a tornado. Now folks willing to move a whole town aren't
likely to let a puff of wind derail them. Once again they raised the
money and completed the new church for about $2800.
Such was the beginning of
enduring faith that has withstood 125 years through six wars, epidemics
of influenza and polio, the drought and dust of the dirty thirties, the
Great Depression, farm crisis and depleting population. From its
infancy, this church was fired by passion for the ministry and mission.
At one time the Sunday School roll numbered 75. The ladies raised
considerable funds for foreign and home missions. Mabel Allen, inspired
by her years in this church, answered God's call to mission and served
in China for twenty years. The panels in the hall named in her honor are
testimony of the gratitude of hundreds of students under her charge.
When an explosion closed the
school, this church opened its doors to students and faculty and classes
were held within these walls. Likewise, when the Catholic Church needed
a space to worship temporarily, Furrow Hall became their sanctuary. The
congregation of Early United Methodist Church has an endearing history
of enduring faith.
Then came the lean years.
Budgets failed. Spirits flagged. And what had once been a weekly
celebration of enduring faith became a Sunday to Sunday struggle. The
passion and power of the faith of those pioneering Methodists waned over
the years. This big beautiful church, intended to inspire and instruct
souls in Christ, became instead a financial burden and liability. One
hundred and twenty-five years after the vision of it's founders, four
generations of worshipers how do we view our church today? Is it really
just a beautiful inspiring building, where good people gather to plan
and do good things? If a mighty tornado again razed it to the ground,
would we have passion and faith to rebuild?
In King David's day, church
was still held in a tent: Albeit, a rather elaborate affair with its
purple embroidered curtains, silver and gold rings, and of course, the
gold-leaf Ark of the Covenant with hammered gold cherubim hovering the
mercy seat. But still, it was a tent with animal skin walls stretched
over rods of acacia wood. How did people regard their church: Look again
at Psalm 84: How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord
Almighty! They saw beneath the skin of their tent: It was considered
the dwelling place of the Lord. The whole attraction of church was not
church, but the God who dwelled there.
Vs. 2 My soul yearns,
even faints for the courts of the Lord; my hear and my flesh cry out for
the living God. This is not about going dressed up for Sunday
meeting. This is passionate desire to be in the presence of God. The
worshiper's whole being is engaged. The primary command of God to His
people found in Deuteronomy 6: 4 is "You shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength."
That is exactly the cry of this worshiper to God: My soul yearns, my
heart and flesh cry out for the living God. That is passionate worship.
Vs. 3 Even the sparrow
has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself where she may lay
her young. – a place near Your altar, O Lord Almighty, my King and my
God. Biblically speaking, the sparrow is the least of the birds, of
very little if any value. But the psalmist envies the sparrow because
she has made her home at the very altar – there too, the swallow has
found safe refuge to raise her young. God's presence is a refuge, a
place to be safe and call home.
Look at vs. 4:
Blessed are those who dwell in your house, they are ever praising you" ´Here
he is talking about folks who draw close to God. They are so blessed,
they can't stop praising God. God inhabits the praise of His people. The
more we praise, the closer we come to Christ. The closer we come to
Christ, the closer we come to each other.
Vs. 10: Better is one
day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere; Here he is saying that
even just a day, not a week or a month, but even just a day in God's
presence excels over three years anywhere else.
Perhaps you have seen bumper
stickers that say, "I'd rather be driving a Lamborghini" or "I'd rather
be fishing", or "I'd rather be golfing." If you would rather be doing
something else, then you are dissatisfied with what you have or what you
are doing. But look at this. Look at what the psalmist says in vs. 10: "I'd
rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of
the wicked.´ Now, there's a bumper sticker for you! I'd rather be
just outside the door of God's presence than anywhere else in the world.
I'd rather be here in church than having Sunday brunch at a fancy
restaurant in Omaha, or in my lazy boy watching the game, or in snoozing
in bed until noon. I'd rather be in the presence of God than
any other place else on earth. When it is in God's house your
passion can be satisfied, when in God's house you know a place of
refuge, and in God's house you are blessed as you lift up praises to the
Lord, then you will rejoice saying "God's house is a place I'd rather
be!"
Then the psalmist tells us
why: God does it all! He is light in our darkness, He is protection in
the face of danger, He bestows favor and honor. That's really
interesting. People long to be recognized. People hunger for success and
acknowledgment. People are known to connive, lie and cheat and steal to
satisfy that insatiable appetite for achievement and glory. But look
here, to those who earnestly seek Him and desire His presence, God
bestows, awards, favor and honor. It's a gift, without striving after
it, God freely gives favor and honor.
Check it out, vs. 11
No good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
God is by no means stingy. Those who seek to honor Him He honors. Those
who trust Him, He entrusts with every good thing. This is enduring
faith; faith is stands firm in the whirlwind of destruction; faith that
holds body heart and soul together when the ground quakes beneath; faith
that withstands fiery trials.
This kind of faith was what
the apostle Paul encouraged in the Christians at Colossae. False
teachers had risen up persuading people to believe Jesus was less than
the Savior they first believed. Tone down your take on Jesus. It's ok to
include him along with others, just don't go overboard. That is very
much the current trend. Jesus was a man, a good teacher, and it's ok to
include him with Buddha, the rest. Just don't make too much over on Him.
Paul starts out his letter as
a thank you, and he doesn't focus much on the false teaching. Instead he
tells them straight out faith in Christ brings grace and peace. No other
man who ever lived, lives now, or will yet live can give what Christ
alone gives: personal knowledge of God, wisdom, peace beyond a lifetime.
Our Church has withstood much
by faith that endures. But there is more to faith than enduring. Jesus
takes it up a notch when He bids us to abide in Him. He compares our
relationship with him as branches to a vine. Vineyards were as common to
the people as cornfields are to us. Jesus talks about what we have been
talking about for weeks: harvest. He says in John 15:5 and following, "Í
am the vine: you are the branches. If a man remains (abides) in me and I
in him, he will bear much fruit." Just as the function of the
cornstalk is to bear ears of corn, the function of the grape vine branch
is to bear fruit. Jesus is the supporting vine, the stock, and from Him
we receive the nourishment, strength, and life to bear fruit. But to do
so, we have to stay attached, remain, dwell in Him. For Jesus goes on to
say, "Apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not
remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers."
There are lots of ways why
Christians and churches begin to wither but only reason: they have lost
their vital connection with Jesus. They have lost their passion for
Jesus. When we get too comfortable, our comfort makes us forgetful. We
get lulled into thinking, we can and have done this all on our own. We
are too comfortable when we cannot think of anything for which we can
thank God. When our praises are few and faint, we are in danger of
withering.
When we do things out of habit
instead of love, we begin to wither. When our hymns have lost their
zeal, our offering becomes routine, our prayer a matter of memorization
or ritual, we are in danger of withering.
When we forget or refuse to
forgive, we begin to become judgmental. When the speck in our neighbor's
eye bothers us more than the log in our own, we are in danger of
withering.
When we take our ease and grow
lazy, forgetting the word of God, prayer and devotion, we pull ourselves
away from the life-giving vine. We are in danger of withering.
When we are too busy, when our
lives are filled to the gunnels with activities, commitments, and
obligations that crowd our commitment to Christ to the least on our
list, as individuals, and as the church, we are in danger of withering.
But thanks be to God, by His
grace and through His Holy Spirit, we can be brought back from the
withering dieing branch, to a vital and thriving church. As a child I
remember an experiment we did in science. Take a piece of celery that's
been lying in the refrigerator for I don't know a week or more. It's
limp. It's rubbery. It's withered. Then put it in a glass of water –
preferably water with red food coloring in it for a really cool effect.
What happens? In a few days, not only has firmness returned to the piece
of celery, but it almost looks as if it has blood running in its veins.
A Church abiding in Christ will have His love visible in its veins. As
evidence, I quote from the letter we received from our DS Bernie
Colorado which I read during the announcements: "You were able to
explain in a very effective way the life and the ministries of our
church there. Everything was perfect and full of grace and love. We
enjoyed your stories of ministry and inspired by your renewed
enthusiasm to move forward with the Lord."
This is what abiding in Christ
will do for a soul and the soul of a church. His Life brings back life
to His body, the church. Abiding faith rejoices in the very presence of
God. Every heart be lifted up! Every knee be bowed! Every voice give
praise to our Almighty God through Jesus Christ His Son! Enduring faith
brought us to the present. Abiding faith brings us into His glory. Amen.
As you enjoy this day of feasting and thanksgiving to our creator who
has blessed us so abundantly, enjoy a few moments to review Pastor
DeeAnn's sermon from our 125th Anniversary celebration, reprinted for
you below: