Message by Janice Good : November 25, 2007
“Old Fashioned Leftovers”
Texts – Deuteronomy 8:1-20; Philippians 4:4-9
Leftovers! – Those joyful tidbits, which remind us of what we had. If you are like millions of Americans, last Thursday after you spent hours preparing all that food, baking pies, and stuffing that bird, you sat down and stuffed yourself. And even when you thought you had eaten everything in sight, you still found you had leftovers. Yes, I too, still have leftovers from last Thursday’s meal. I don’t know about you, but in my household not much has changed when it comes to this annual day of Thanksgiving. Little has changed over the course of some thirty years, but that’s what makes it a tradition. The menu is the same, the recipes are pretty much the same. In fact I think the only things that have changed besides the numbers of people around the table, are substituting whole wheat bread for white for the stuffing; using less salt and everything that can uses a sugar substitute. And, like so many Americans, this very day we are still eating leftover turkey, stuffing and that congealed red stuff we lovingly call cranberry sauce. Perhaps you are known for your 100+ different recipes to use up those leftovers, but just the fact that there are leftovers is a blessing. There’s probably someone out there who hates Thanksgiving leftovers, but I have yet to meet him or her. You see to me, leftovers are like memories. They constantly remind me of what has been, and are a blessing for the future to relive the past. Leftovers from the old-fashioned Thanksgivings we have celebrated, leftovers from the most recent Thanksgiving are memories of all the good that God has given and the promise of His goodness yet to come. But just as the leftovers from four days ago are not gone from our memory, neither are the leftover memories from our heritage as a nation, as a people, as a church, a Christian community gathering together to remember what has been, and what is yet to come.
Thanksgiving is that special day when we are reminded to thank God and what He does in the normal and routine parts of our lives a little more than we normally do. Today it helps that our text from Deuteronomy focuses on what God has done. The beauty of the world outside also gives us a natural reminder of God's handiwork. Indeed the very crispness of the air at this time of year seems to encourage us to pause and to reflect on just how blessed we are, just how much we are recipients of God's grace. And that's good because it leads us into this transforming time of thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is an important part of our faith. I don’t mean just this time of year called Thanksgiving - though that is blessed. What I mean is the very act of giving thanks. Thanksgiving is really thanks giving. That implies action! We are not to calmly sit around thinking about our blessings, but we are to actively give thanks to all for which we have been blessed and for all who have blessed us with their presence in our lives, not just recently, but over the past year, the past years. The blessings of God in whatever form they may be are too important to forget.
Moses understood that. He also knew how important it was for the people of God to remember God, to remember His word to them and His generous care of them. In the 8th chapter of Deuteronomy, which I read to you this morning, the people of Israel are reminded again, twice actually, of all that they have endured. They are reminded of all that God has given them, how He has taken care of them, how the Lord has brought them to the land of plenty. Included within this reminder is a warning about the dangers of forgetting, with the dire consequences that would result.
As the people of Israel stood on the edge of the Promised Land, Moses reminded them of their smallness before God and their absolute dependence on His grace. He reminded them of all that God had done for them. He reminded them that they did not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. You know “bread” can have multiple meanings – anything from the literal wheat flour and yeast leavened loaf to food in general, to even the slang usage of the 60’s and 70’s when bread meant money. But there is no question what the second part of this statement is saying: man lives by “every word that comes form the mouth of God!” How trivial do we make our lives when we feel that we are sustained only by bread – whether it is food, or money. There are so many beautiful and wonderful Words of Life that we sometimes forget, but that will sustain our years and increase our joy!
Jesus quotes from this verse first when He is in tempted by the devil while in the wilderness. And again when He designates Himself as the “bread of life” (John 6:35). Jesus also confirms His Jewish heritage by quoting from Deuteronomy 6 in His response to the question of which is this greatest commandment… the commandment that Moses reminded his people not to forget:
Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deut. 6:4, NIV)
This was the creed of the Israelites – to be repeated twice daily, sewn into one’s garments and written on the doorframe to one’s home. This is the greatest commandment and it is to be a living active realization of one’s very life.
And Moses reminded his people that it was God and God alone who had provided food and clothing, shelter and protection for them in the wilderness -- that neither their clothes or sandals wore out even while walking through the desert for 40 years! Moses reminded them that it was in that wilderness where they learned to trust God. In that wilderness they came to understand God’s adequacy and their own inadequacy. And now, with that wilderness behind them and the land of Canaan before them, Moses reminds them not to forget their wilderness journey, nor to forget Who provided for them there. Moses pleads that they always remember the Lord and the Lord’s goodness to them. Moses tells them to follow the Lord’s commands for fear that their hearts would harden and they would turn away from the One who had led them by the hand and had liberated them from slavery in Egypt. He reminded them to remember the One who had kept them safe through many dangers, poisonous snakes and scorpions. They are reminded to remember it was the Lord who provided water from flint rock – the rock that we associate with fire. Remember! Remember the One who had proved again and again to be true to His Covenant and faithful to His promises.
But we all know what happened? Time and time again the people of Israel forgot. Time and time again they turned away from God. And time and time again they suffered the consequences of their hard-heartedness, until finally God said, “Enough!” and pronounced His judgment against the nation. But we are no better. Time and time again God covers us with blessings – so much so that there are leftovers, more than what we truly need. And time and time again, we forget where those blessings come from.
There is an old story told about a far-off land that was ruled by a tyrant. The tyrant had an ironclad grip over all parts of his kingdom, except for one area. He was unable to destroy the people's belief in God. He summoned his counselors and put the question to them: “Where can I hide God so that the people will end up forgetting Him?”
One counselor suggested that God might be hidden on the dark side of the moon. This proposal was debated for some time, but voted down because it was believed that one day scientists would discover a means of space travel and God would again be found.
Another advisor to the tyrant came up with idea of burying God beneath the depths of the ocean floor. This was voted down for basically the same reason - it was felt that scientific advancement would lead to the discovery of God even beneath the depths of the ocean floor.
Finally the oldest and wisest of the counselors had a flash of insight. “I know” he said, “why don't we hide God where no one will ever think of finding Him?” He explained, “If we hide God in the ordinary events of people's everyday lives they'll never find Him.”
And so it was done - and they say that people are still looking for God - even today! Some things are just too important to forget. And we forget at our own peril. Look around you - find what is good and thank God for it - find what is caring and thank God. Look around - look inside - look outside - and think on all that which is noble and true and beautiful and express your praise for it - express it no matter what the bad or the ugly may be. God is hidden in the ordinary routine events of our life – our practice of thanksgiving will bring Him to our sight and in so doing bring about a better world.
So thanks giving is all about remembering: remembering where we came from, remembering how we got to where we are today, and remembering Whose we are! Remembering that we were bought with a price. Remembering the kind of life we would now have had it not been for the grace of God in our lives. Like the people of Israel, you and I must not forget the God who has revealed Himself to us in His grace, His truth and His goodness. We must not forget all that God has done for us. We must not forget the promises of God!
Like the Israelites, our nation has a history for which we are to be thankful. The first Pilgrims considered that frightening and dangerous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to be an exodus from oppression to a new and promised land. But that journey took its toll and by the time of that first day of thanksgiving in the new land, half of the group had died, supplies were scarce and conditions were harsh. Yet prayer and rejoicing where the order of the day! Things have changed over the last 2 ½ centuries. Our survival is almost guaranteed. There is an abundance of supplies, and abundance of food. The only thing that seems to be lacking is an abundance of thanksgiving – of raising our voices in praise to the One who has sustained us. Not raising our voices in praise to our own hard work and cleverness – but to the God of our fathers, to the God of Abraham and Jacob, to the God of the Mayflower Pilgrims, and the God of the 21st century… the very God that we worship in this church.
Yet, we still fail to notice the blessings around us, things like health and security, even homes and protective buildings. We take so much for granted. Sometimes we even overlook this very church building that we have been blessed to occupy. Not only is it a reminder of God’s greatness and glory, but everywhere you go within this building there are leftovers of those who have gone before you – those who have left a lasting legacy of their commitment to God and to Tower Church. Look at this building -- our sanctuary – open to all for the free and glorious worship of the Lord. Everything about it and everything in it, from the cross at the front of the sanctuary, to each stained glass window, to the massive wooden doors facing the street. All are here by the grace of God! Indeed we are all here by the grace of God. The Lord has brought us to this place, and the Lord has given us our daily bread here. He has brought us safely to this point in time. This is the message of scripture: that everything around us, and everything that we are, and everything that we have is a gift of God. Indeed the scriptures go further - they remind us that the gifts of God are often given to us through others, some through the work of other people who are known to us, some through people who may always be unknown to us, nameless servants of God's grace.
Consider this building again - this gift from God. It is not just a structure that we have been blessed with. It is a reminder of all who have loved and cared for it. It is a reminder of all who now love and care for it. The decorations for the seasons are placed here by particular people, they just didn't happen to show up. Time and energy were expended to keep the church clean and well lit, time and energy are expended by those who lovingly decorate for each season of the church, time and energy which might have been used for a shopping trip or a visit with a friend, or even time that could have been spent caring for their own home, but which were instead dedicated to the glory of God.
The fact that right now this building is warm is due to the fact that someone out of love for God and concern for God's people came early and turned the thermostat up, jiggled the right knobs and adjusted the right nozzles so that the leftover, old, tired boiler would be in tune to keep us warm. These are all gifts of God that He brings to us through the labor and the dedication of the people beside you, of the people who went before you, and of the people who went before them -- people just like you and me, who despite their flaws, served God the best they could. It’s important that we also remember that this building is not just the house of God where God manifests His presence. We are the church of God -- individually and corporately -- the presence of God is within us! It’s not this building that we are to worship, it is the God who brought us here, who brought us together in fellowship and community.
Like the Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years, this congregation has its legacy, its history. Our exodus was not for 40 years across dry and arid lands, but just a short trek down the street; each one carrying not their life’s possessions, but rather just a chair from the old church to furnish the new. Our ancestors were not attacked from all sides by inhabitants of lands that were crossed, but by our own internal sandstorms. Moses, the Israelites’ reluctant but faithful leader, led the Israelites for 40 years through rather difficult circumstances. We too have been lead by faithful leaders, and some not so faithful. But whoever that human leader may have been, we were, and still are, ultimately led by only One, the risen Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. It matters not who comes and goes within this congregation, those individual humans who have made their presence known in our church community, those who have left a legacy, or even those who have just left. What unites us, what should unite us, is the One who calls us to live a faithful and righteous life. Even though we often struggle and fail due to our own human sinfulness, we must still remember how it is we are to live. We must remember Who it is we are to focus upon, and we must remember the tremendous sacrifice that was made, not just by our predecessors in this church, but we must remember that great sacrifice of Jesus Christ so that we might continue to live on in eternity.
In our New Testament text we heard Paul’s words of encouragement: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Paul says that we are to “Rejoice, Always.” This is not merely Paul suggestion for that day! He wants us to live each day filled with joy; a life so full of the joy of the Lord that it overflows outward and those leftovers, so to speak, touch all those around us. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Paul is so adamant that he repeats the phrase twice to insure that we don’t miss its importance. We are to be joyful people! This is much more than just an encouragement, it is an emphasis for life. The Evil One wants us to focus on our own circumstances and miss out on truly living. Paul says focus on the Lord and rejoice! Rejoice!
Consider that Paul wrote this letter to his fellow Christians at Philippi while he himself was sitting in prison, sitting in chains with no certainty of future freedom. Paul wrote this letter filled with joy, while he was living out a bleak and joyless situation. Is it possible for anyone to “rejoice always?” This seems to be an impossible request in light of all the bad things in life today! However it is not for the trials that we are to rejoice, but for what comes from them when we submit to what God is doing in our lives. Since the Lord is the only constant in an ever-changing world our rejoicing can also be constant because God never changes.
Moses warned his people that they were to always remember what God had done for them, in good or bad. Paul told the church to Rejoice always! Both statements are especially important today. We live in a very prosperous nation. One would think that would be an encouragement to give God thanks. But its usually exactly the opposite, we just sit around getting fatter and lazier, thinking that we deserve all of this abundance. We have actually been heard to complain that we don’t have as much as someone else, forgetting the grace and goodness of what God has given us. Thanksgiving is a time when we are to step back and to consider how good we truly have it. Especially it’s a time to remember to give thanks to God for His abundant goodness. As a little child, who upon receiving a gift, is nudged by a parent who says, “What do you say to the nice woman?” responses with a sheepish “thank you,” we too are being gently nudged. “What do you say to the nice God who has given you that great gift, these great gifts?” “Thank You, God!!!” … and so much more
Finally, sisters and brothers,” whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy —think about such things. Whatever you have learned or heard, put into practice and the God of peace will be with you.” (Phil. 4:8-9 NIV) As long as the Lord gives you life on this earth, remember Him. Remember the One who made you and knew you, even in your mother’s womb. Remember the God who loves you so much that He sent His only Son into the world to die in your place. Remember the God who has promised never to leave you or forsake you. Remember the God who, in His mercy and grace, forgives our sins and heals our bodies.
Even though most of us would consider today just another Sunday before the end of the calendar year, according to the Christian calendar, today is the last Sunday of the year. Next Sunday we begin our Christian year with a time of expectation, a time when we prepare for the birth of our Savior. What better time to remember the past year – praise God for all that has happened – the good and the not so good – because even when we think things are bad – God is there blessing us by our difficulties. As believers, thanksgiving should not be reserved for one day a year; for that matter we shouldn’t withhold our thanksgiving for just Sundays either. We should live a lifetime of thanksgiving – of actively giving thanks. God is hidden in the ordinary routine events of our life. So remember always what God has done for you and give thanks. Rejoice! Again, I say rejoice always! Thanks be to God for all that He has done, for all we have – including leftover turkey and stuffing!