Calvary Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Debra May Cerra
March 29, 2009

Psalms 51:1-12 (NRSV)
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. 5 Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. 6 You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.

John 12:20-33 (NRSV)
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." 22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. 27 "Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." 29 The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." 30 Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." 33 He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

“How Do We Serve Jesus?”

             Is there such a thing as good luck? When things happen that are in line  with our wishes, do we think of it as our good fortune? Could it be considered good karma? Or is that just a fluke? When things seem to line up in our lives, do we claim it as our destiny? Or is it just a coincidence when something happens when it does? Listen to this story before you decide:
            As I mentioned several weeks ago, the Session of Calvary is rewriting the way ministry will be done at this church. At the March 3rd Session meeting, the elders asked if I would speak about this change during a sermon. Without checking my calendar or my preaching texts, I assured them that I would mention it on March 15 but would detail the changes during the sermon on March 29 – today. It was a wonderful surprise when I looked at the preaching text and the sermon title that I chose back in February for today. The title of today’s sermon, chosen over 6 weeks ago is: “How Do we Serve Jesus?” How appropriate for today!
Coincidence? I don’t think so! This is how God works! This is the Holy Spirit’s leading. It is the Spirit planning and working so we can hear God’s message for us this day. As my friend Susan Eich would say, “This is not a coincidence, it’s a God-incidence!”

            So, friends, hear the message for us today, as it comes to us from the Gospel of John and the Holy Spirit: In our reading this morning, Jesus teaches three things which are all variations of one central truth and all at the heart of the Christian faith and life.
            Jesus’ first point is that only by death comes life. About a grain of wheat He says: “Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over.” (24)
When we choose to follow Jesus, we are challenged to change our ways. No longer are we to live according to the demands and desires of the worldly views. In this new life, we are to turn over a new leaf, so to speak. Like the newness of Spring, we are to grow into a life that breathes God’s Spirit, that reflects God’s Son, that speaks God’s message. As Paul writes in his letter to the Colossians, “When you were stuck in your old sin-dead life, you were incapable of responding to God. God brought you alive—right along with Christ! Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ's Cross.” We must overcome the need for our personal desires and personal ambitions to be first in our lives. We need to allow Christ to be our life, for then we become servants of God – we become disciples of Jesus.
            Secondly, Jesus says that only by spending life do we retain it. “In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal.” (25) People who loves their lives are moved by two things: selfishness and the desire for security. They may find happiness for a time but when difficulty strikes, when things get tough, they find that their world is shallow and unfulfilling.
Think about the men and women who give of themselves to God and others. They still face obstacles, hurdles, and the concerns of life, but they love and they live – fully and with meaning. We may live longer if we avoid strain and stress, if we skirt around problems and live with our head in the sand. Yes, we may live more days than others – but will we find fulfillment of life? Remember, true fulfillment is found in Jesus Christ.
            Finally, Jesus says that only through service comes greatness. "If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you'll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment's notice. The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me.” (26, 27) People may argue, “Deb, as Presbyterians, we believe that we are saved by grace through faith. How can service bring us reward?”
We all have a favorite person in our lives: a favorite teacher, a favorite sports player, a favorite actor – and we can name that person. But, as life moves on, we may find an even better teacher or a greater athlete or more convincing actor and we waiver. We change alliances; we move on to our next favorite.
The people who are remembered for greatness are those who served others: Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, Bob Hope to name but a few. They made a difference in the world that sticks. People who give from the heart are remembered…for years to come.
Now mind you, we are not to serve in order to be remembered. Friends, when we serve in the name of Christ, we gain much more than we give. To borrow a saying that Pastor Kevin Dill used to define Christian commitment: “Worship plus Two.” Your presence in worship is central, crucial to your faith journeys, for here you sing and pray and listen in the company of the saints, your brothers and sisters in Christ. But our journey is not over when the benediction is given. Christ calls us to serve – with joy and with commitment. That’s where the “plus two” comes into play. When we attend worship, the Lord feeds us spiritually with God’s love; when we serve the Lord, we feed others with the love of Christ. In order to do that , we need to find another way or two to be involved in the life of the church.
The challenge is to choose a ministry or area that you can serve and then do it. We’ve got lots of opportunities: Choirs, Board of Deacons, and Session; Ushers, Counters, and Child Care Helper; Summer Fellowship Ministry, Scholarship Ministry, and Red Balloon Ministry; Garbage and Recycling Ministry, Christmas Decorating and Chili Cook-Off Ministry, and Fellowship Hour Ministry are but a few. Sometimes serving the Lord takes only hours, sometimes its weekly; sometimes our commitments are seasonal, while other times it is for a specific event. The good news is that, when you serve Jesus Christ, you will realize a newness of life. You will find fulfillment.
            Yes, Jesus gives a new view of life. He teaches that only by death comes life; that only by spending life do we retain it; that only by service comes greatness. We must die to self – giving up the worldly demands and measures – and live for Christ – following the call to love God and others. When we do, we gain a new life. We sow the seeds of the Gospel. We serve the Lord even as we serve others.
Maybe some of you have noticed the bulletin boards in the Assembly Room to the back of the sanctuary. They have been transformed into visual representations of the ministries here at Calvary. It’s time for each of us to realize the gifts that God has given us and to use those gifts in ministry. Yes, each of us needs to do our part but none of us need to do it all. That’s where the bulletin boards come into the picture.
            The ministries of Calvary are noted on these boards. The Team Leaders – your Elders – have compiled worksheets for every ministry opportunity that is currently offered. Each sheet gives the name of the ministry, the Team that oversees it, a space for the name of the minister or ministers that will manage this ministry, the commitment of time needed, and a detailed list of the responsibilities for that particular ministry.
            It’s time – time to make a difference, time to get off the fence, time to make a commitment to the Lord in a new and different way. Here at Calvary Church, every minister – that’s YOU – should be able and willing to find a ministry that suits your calling, your gifts, your available timeframe, and your interests. There will be no organized committee meetings. But there will be many ways to serve the Lord with joy and gratitude, love and commitment.
            Look over these ministries. Ask questions of the team leaders. Pray about where God is calling you to serve. And then commit – take one or two of these ministries as your way to serve. You can have a copy of the Ministry details.  You can share a ministry with someone. The goal is to get everyone involved – not in everything but in one or two things. Remember the slogan: “Worship plus Two!”
            If you go from the beginning of the Bible to its end, you will see over and over again the story of men and women who had servant hearts, minds and spirits. They made a difference; they followed the call of God. They said “Yes, Lord!” Scriptures give us example after example of ways to serve. Praise the Lord that the world is a better place, because:
Moses didn't say, "I don't do rivers."
Noah didn't say, "I don't do arks."
Jeremiah didn't say, "I don't do weeping."
Amos didn't say, "I don't do speeches."
Rahab didn't say, "I don't do carpets."
Ruth didn't say, "I don't do mothers-in-law."
David didn't say, "I don't do giants."
Mary didn't say, "I don't do virgin births."
Mary Magdalene didn't say, "I don't do feet."
John didn't say, "I don't do deserts."
Peter didn't say, "I don't do Gentiles."
Paul didn't say, "I don't do letters."
And Jesus didn't say, "I don't do crosses."

            Alfred and I may be the pastors here, but YOU are the ministers of Calvary Church. YOU are the ones that will lead this church into the future. YOU are the hands and feet that will allow this church to live the good news of Jesus Christ and to share that good news with others.
Think back to the sermon title for today: “How do we serve Jesus?” That title is not a coincidence; God is speaking to us! Friends, there are many ways to serve Jesus. No one is too old or too young, too busy or too tired, too slow or too fast! There are no exemptions. God wants us choose a ministry and do it. If there’s a ministry on your heart and not on a bulletin board talk to me, to Alfred, to the Elders and make it happen. They key is in our commitment. We need to say: “Yes! I can and I will. I can and I will serve the Lord!” As we serve the Lord, the world experiences God’s love. And we will be blessed in our serving. We will have a sense of fulfillment – a reward that only God can give – a fulfillment that is life changing and life giving. Amen and Amen.