Sermon July 19th - The Promises of God

This is the manuscript version of my July 19th sermon at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Austin, TX. I know for a fact that I did not stick to the manuscript the whole time.

Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:1-16 - God's Covenant with David


In the 2009 movie “Up” we follow Carl Fredrickson in his adventure. If you have seen the movie or even the movie poster or trailer, you have see the house floating underneath thousands of balloons. His adventure is about following a dream his wife had a young child, to live at Paradise Falls. So after her death, he takes the house with him and floats off on his adventure. When he arrives in South America, he doesn’t land where he wanted, so he carries his house, which is still supported by balloons, attached to him by a garden hose, in an effort to place the house in just the right spot. He is tied to his house not only by the garden hose, but by the memories in the house of his wife.
Buildings signify presence and give a sense of stability. Building a house sends the message that people intend to occupy that land for a length of time, the builders intend to stay put. Since 1948, there has been a building at this site bearing the name Westminster Presbyterian Church. In the 1950’s fellowship hall and the education building were added to the campus. Later the parking lot and the Annex became part of what we call Westminster. Over the past year, we have watched as the old fellowship hall was torn down and another was built in its place. We have a new addition to our house. We are planted in this place.
In our text this morning we find the Israelites planted along with their king. David, given the gift of a new luxurious palace, is settled in and as he looks around his house, he decides that God needs a house as well. David says this to the prophet Nathan. Nathan tells him to go ahead with his plan. David doesn’t ask for God’s help, but makes plans on his own. At one level, David’s decision to build a house, in this case a temple, for God can be seen as a gesture to provide for God as God has provided for him, but underneath it all, David’s decision to build the temple is political and theological.
David has brought the people from tribal associations to a united kingdom, a people governed by judges who are now ruled by a monarch. There have been many battles along the way as the kingdom has been established. This has been a time of upheaval as the people enter a new way of understanding themselves and of understanding God. God has been with David as he battled many enemies and David is looking to legitimize his rule. One of the ways to do this in the ancient near east was to construct a temple, a house that represented the divine presence with the king. A temple would give David the authority of God.
The temple would also ensure that God would stay with David and with the people. As Moses brought the Israelites out of Egypt, the ark was carried in front of the people. God tented with the people and moved with them as they moved. The ark was carried into battle as God went with them. David moved the ark into Jerusalem, signifying that God was in Jerusalem. David’s decision to build a temple meant he would have God in a box, contained, controlled. But God has other ideas.
Speaking through the prophet Nathan, God sends a message to his servant David reminding David that God has always moved among God’s people and in the past has never asked for a house of cedar and that David will not be the one to build it either. God reminds David that God called him from the pasture to be the king; that God has been with him; and that God has cut off all his enemies. God has been faithful to David in the past and to show God’s continuing faithfulness God agrees to make David’s kingship legitimate but in God’s way. David will not build God a house, a temple, instead, God with build David a house. Not a house of brick or wood, but a dynasty.
God will not be contained nor controlled, but God promises that God will ever be with David and David’s descendants. David’s throne will be established forever. With this promise a new covenant has been formed. While in the wilderness God established a covenant with Moses on Mount Sinai. Written as a treaty , God promised to be with the people if they were obedient. The people were to follow the commandments given to Moses if they wanted God to remain with them. This covenant is what had defined the Israelites; it is why it was important for David to have the ark in Jerusalem, why it was important for David to find a way to ensure God’s presence.
The “if” of the Mosaic covenant has defined how the people understood God. They saw with Saul losing God’s favor what happened if one was disobedient. However, as the people were shifting from tribal to centralized government, from judges to a monarchy, God provides a new promise and a new relationship. God still wants obedience, but the if is no longer part of the equation.
In the new promise made in our text this morning God says “I will be a father to him and he shall be a son to me.: There is relationship. “when he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings.” Obedience is required and if not there are consequences. “but I will not take my steadfast love from him as I took it from Saul.” Steadfast love is how the word hesed has been translated. A Hebrew word with no true English equivalent. Steadfast love, mercy, kindness, goodness, everlasting love, unconditional love. God declares that God will always love and will always be present with David’s house. This promise brings hope. Hope in God’s faithfulness. Hope in God’s righting of the world. Hope for the future, hope for a messiah.
Today, Christians recognize this hope in Jesus Christ. This text, often used during Advent reminds us that Jesus is born of the house and lineage of David. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament covenants with Abraham, Moses and David and we have been made heirs to these promises. We have been brought into the kingdom. There are no longer to be insiders and outsiders. We are all equal and have the same access to God. As we heard read in Ephesians, God is building a home. It’s foundations are the prophets and the apostles and Christ is the cornerstone. We are being fashioned into the bricks to build a temple in which God is at home.
Last summer we watched as the old fellowship hall was demolished. The squeals, squeaks and clunks of the machine that would tear it apart. The cracking of the timbers. We had said good bye to the old space. Messages on the wall including “I hope there will always be mac and cheese for the kids.” The messages adorning the walls, spoke of a home. A place were memories had been made, a place where friends gathered and where God moved. The land was cleared and it was time to begin to build.
The space was prepared and the foundation poured. Careful watch was kept to ensure that it cured would provide the foundation needed for our new building. Over the months steel beams went up, the walls went up, the roof went on. As the building began to take shape, I think many of us wondered what it would be like. I remember the first time I went into the nearly completed space. It felt large and empty, hollow. It was the new part of our house. But now, as we have celebrated together and we have begun to make it our own, it feels more and more like home. The space will be filled with new memories and more importantly, the space will be filled with love.
Love makes the difference between a house and a home. God did not want a house. God did not want to be contained in a physical structure. If God did not want to be contained then, should we contain God in our physical structure now? God has promised God’s steadfast love, God will be faithful, so may we find ways to transcend the physical space of 3208 Exposition Blvd and take the love of God and the hope we find in the promise made to David out into the world around us.
Israel had a new page, a new way to understand God as they are given a new covenant. We have been given a new page here as well. Will we choose to be a fort and hunker down inside the walls of the physical space, or will we choose for this to be a home. A place where God’s unconditional love transcends the brick, stone and wood, a place were we welcome the world in and where we are refreshed to go out into the world.

Calvin's Definition of Faith

Dear Fellow Followers of the Way:
This past Sunday we, along with reformed Christians around the world, celebrated the 500th birthday of John Calvin. In the weeks leading up to the celebration, I found myself pulling out books and notes on Calvin, most from my days in seminary. One of my memories of learning about Calvin is the first seminary quiz I took, writing Calvin’s definition of faith from memory for Systematic Theology I with Dr. Cynthia Rigby.
Found in Book 3 of the Institutes of the Christian Religion (3.2.7 to be exact), Calvin’s definition of faith is this: “Faith is a firm and certain knowledge of God’s benevolence towards us, founded upon the truth of the freely-given promise in Christ, both revealed to our minds and sealed upon our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” So what does it mean?
It means that faith is a gift of God and it is nothing we can achieve by our own work or study. Faith is beyond simple comprehension, it is our assurance of God’s steadfast love for us as we experience the mercy and compassion of God in the depths of pain and the heights of joy. It is our growing confidence that although we have never been promised great riches or all that we could want, as the prosperity preachers would lead us to believe, God is always with us.
Through Scripture as illumined by the Holy Spirit, we come to know Christ Jesus. We are assured of salvation because of God’s overflowing love that meets us in the manger every Christmas and on the cross every Easter. We know this both in our mind, for our intellect is a gift from God, and in our hearts, the very core of who we have been created to be. Just as the Spirit gives us the gift of faith, it also leads us to increase our faith as we desire to learn more of God, more will be revealed.
I encourage everyone to spend time thinking about faith and your own journey. How did you come to faith? Have you known it all your life or was it an epiphany? When did you first truly know that you were loved by God? How has your faith shaped your life? What in your life is shaping your faith? Spend time in prayer, spend time in study. Pray for illumination and spend time with God that your faith may be firm and certain.

Grace, mercy and peace,
Karen