{"id":518,"date":"2008-10-12T17:43:47","date_gmt":"2008-10-12T17:43:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/?p=518"},"modified":"2020-12-02T09:18:50","modified_gmt":"2020-12-02T09:18:50","slug":"fans-of-jesus-always","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/fans-of-jesus-always\/","title":{"rendered":"Fans of Jesus Always"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Philippians 4:1-9<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

October 12, 2008<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sermon preached by Rev. Donald Ng at the First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of you may not know that a week ago Saturday marked a significant 100th<\/sup> anniversary. As a baseball fan, I do. On October 4th<\/sup>, the LA Dodgers swept the Chicago Cubs in the NL Division Playoffs eliminating the Cubs from advancing to the World Series. The last time the Cubs won the World Series was on Oct. 14, 1908 by defeating the Detroit Tigers by 2-0. While this was their second World Championship win in a row, it was also their last. As a die-hard Red Sox fan who have tasted the sweetness of championship, I now feel sympathy for the lowly Cubbies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For 100 years, the Cubs have been in a World Series drought. Our country has changed radically over the past century, but the failure of the Cubbies to win a championship has been a depressing constant in American life. I know some of you feel the same way for the Giants or the A\u2019s. When the Cubs last won, Henry Ford was producing his first Model T. Orville Wright was demonstrating his flying machine. And the First World War was still years away. Being \u201conline\u201d meant hanging your clothes out to dry!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cubs have suffered the longest dry spell between championships in modern sports history. No one else in Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Hockey League or the National Basketball Association comes close. In fact, the other three major sports leagues were not even in existence when the Cubs last won the World Series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet, despite this long drought, Chicago fans remain faithful. There\u2019s always next year. They rejoice in the Cubs always.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rejoice Always<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It may hurt for awhile when our beloved teams lose, but this persistent faithfulness and loyalty to the Cubbies is what the Apostle Paul is calling the Christians in Philippi to show each other. There was some division in this church leading Paul to write, \u201cRejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notice that Paul says nothing about winning and losing, nothing about being champions of the faith. Instead, his focus is on rejoicing in the closeness of Jesus Christ, and on practicing the quality of gentleness, a Christ-like characteristic toward others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s like the long-suffering Cubs fans. They still don\u2019t have the World Series Championship but they are still faithful fans. There\u2019s always next year! The Philippians are not supposed to be obsessed over wins or losses. Instead, they are to find joy in being a fan of Jesus, while behaving in a Christ-like way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rejoice in the Lord. Always.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul goes on to say, \u201cDo not worry about anything\u201d especially your failure to be World Champions! But \u201cin everything by prayer and supplication (humble request) with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.\u201d We Christians are to make our requests known to God, but to realize that God will not always give us what we want. Instead, he will give us what we need\u2014give us what Paul calls \u201cthe peace of God,\u201d a total sense of well-being that comes from the Lord and links our hearts and minds with Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s a great gift, even when your team may be losing or lost and you are waiting for a hundred-year drought to end. It\u2019s a great gift when you are struggling to make ends meet, or feeling miserable at work, or failing at marriage, or dealing with deep anxiety and depression. Paul says, \u201cThe peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What a wonderful gift and promise this is\u2014even for the most despondent Cubs fans\u2014the promise of peace in the Lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fan of Peace<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul challenges us to place our focus on the peace of God, rather than on wins and losses. Too often we look at the church as though it were a baseball team\u2014or, in this season of presidential politics, presidential debates, and statewide propositions\u2014and we spend time and energy debating who\u2019s going to win and who\u2019s going to lose. We wonder who really didn\u2019t lose the Vice-Presidential Debate or who left with a leading edge from last Tuesday\u2019s second Presidential Debate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who\u2019s in? Who\u2019s out? Who\u2019s on top? Who\u2019s on the bottom? It\u2019s hard to resist the temptation, especially now, with the World Series upon us and an election coming up in just a few weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But does Jesus really care about who wins the World Series or who wins the White House? For Jesus, what\u2019s important is that we rejoice in him, and let our gentleness be known to everyone. This is true whether we are liberals or conservatives, Republicans or Democrats, Cubs fans or Red Sox fans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we are fans of Jesus with our hearts and minds focusing on peace, it\u2019s not a bad idea to have people on the left and others on the right. When the Left Wing and the Right Wing of the church are together, it brings vitality and wholeness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too often Christians focus on winners and losers in a way that reflects partisan political struggles, instead of seeing conservatives and liberals as siblings in the family of faith. Churches need conservatives who appreciate moral clarity, but also liberals who stress God\u2019s love for the oppressed of the earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conversation about immigration is enriched by both clarity about legal issues and charity toward undocumented workers. Conversation about the definition of marriage is enriched by both clarity about what the Bible teaches and maintaining parity over human rights for all people. Conversation about stem-cell research is enriched by both clarity about when life begins and the possibility of discovering new remedies and treatments to save human lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, in our politicized win-lose approach to the life of faith, critical points of view are lost when one group is judged to be a loser. When liberals are out of favor, conservative Christianity can become inward-looking and self-centered\u2014an approach that neglects the work of social justice that began when God brought the Hebrews out of captivity in Egypt. But when the conservatives are out of favor, then liberal Christianity can end up wandering in the wilderness, without any moral compass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On thing that we\u2019ve lost in our highly polarized political climate is the idea that church can be a meeting ground\u2014a community where people of diverse opinions and perspectives can gather, talk, debate, and argue. Church can be an excellent place for people to wrestle with difficult issues, share perspectives and learn from one another. But if such discussions are going to be fruitful, Christians have to ground their comments in shared religious values, and make a commitment to search for the truth in a spirit of gentleness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul knew that Christians are not always going to agree, which is why he urges Euodia and Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. It may not be possible for them to be of the same mind about tough political issues, but they can be of the same mind in the Lord. Especially if they come together to rejoice in the Lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whole-Bird Christians<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church and author of the Purpose-Driven Church <\/em>says, \u201cI\u2019m not left wing and I\u2019m not right wing. I\u2019m for the whole bird.\u201d The challenge of the Christian community is to take both liberals and conservatives seriously, and not write off or disparage the beliefs of either wing of the church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being a whole-bird Christian means accepting that conservative Christianity rises out of the covenant made between God and Abraham, when God said, \u201cwalk before me, and be blameless\u201d (Gen. 17:1). But it also requires affirming that liberal Christianity is equally biblical, and grounded in the exodus of God\u2019s people from slavery in Egypt (Ex. 3:7-8<\/a>). Since Jesus continued this balancing act by making a new covenant and freeing people from sin and death, both conservative and liberal perspectives should be accepted as critical parts of a fully informed Christian faith. We are for the whole bird and not just for the wings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notice that Paul has no interest in taking sides when he gives the Philippians their game plan for Christian living. \u201cFinally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things\u201d (4:8). He wants them to focus on whatever is true and honorable and just\u2014whether it comes from the Left Wing or the Right Wing. He wants them to celebrate whatever is pure and pleasing and commendable\u2014whether it wins or loses. He wants them to rejoice in whatever is excellent and worthy of praise\u2014just like Cubs fans, who have rejoiced in their players through a century of broken dreams. He wants them to stand firm in the Lord\u2014not in a particular political party or a particular candidate or a particular proposition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fans of Jesus<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a woman named Mae who celebrated life and her laugh was a pure joy. Her laugh made her pastor remember how to laugh himself. As she became sicker, the pastor began to call her every few days to check on her. She would always answer the phone in the same way. The pastor said, \u201cMae, how ya doin\u2019?\u201d and she would chuckle and reply, \u201cI\u2019m blessed, Pastor. I am blessed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The night before she died, the pastor called and her family brought the phone to her. \u201cMae,\u201d the Pastor said. \u201cIt\u2019s me.\u201d The pastor could hear her coughing and clearing her throat, looking to find breath enough to speak in a lung filled with cancer, willing herself past the morphine to connect with the pastor\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMae,\u201d the pastor said again. \u201cIt\u2019s me. How ya doin\u2019?\u201d There was a sound the pastor couldn\u2019t at first identify which slowly unwrapped itself into a deep chuckle. \u201cI\u2019m blessed, Pastor. I am blessed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can bless others only when we feel blessed ourselves. Blessing life may be more about learning how to celebrate life than learning how to fix life. It may require an appreciation of life as it is and an acceptance of much in life that we cannot understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is much in this world that I know I don\u2019t quite understand. I realize I can\u2019t go around fixing things. I can\u2019t help the Cubbies win the World Series nor can I really project who will be in the White House come January. I can\u2019t resolve the differences that people have in taking one side on a proposition or taking the other side. But there\u2019s one thing that I do know about and am certain about. I am a fan of Jesus always. For that, I am blessed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being a fan of Jesus, we discover peace in the living of a Christ-like life. For this, I am blessed. World championships, presidential elections and other worldly prizes have no real significance for the Savior who emptied himself, humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death\u2014even death on the cross (2:8).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any true victory is going to come from God, who raised Jesus from the dead and highly exalted him. Any lasting achievement is going to come from imitating the Christians who have gone before us, living in ways that are true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent and worthy of praise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul says to the Philippians, and to us, \u201cKeep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.\u201d (4:9)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The God of peace will be with us, whether we win, lose or have to wait another hundred years for a World Championship. These kinds of triumphs, in sports or politics, really don\u2019t matter in the divine scheme of things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What really matter is to rejoice in the Lord always as fans of Jesus!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us pray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gracious Lord, reminds us once again that we are truly blessed when we know our Savior, Jesus Christ. In a world spinning with challenging issues and divided opinions, teach us to pray making our requests known to you so that your peace that surpasses all understanding will give is peace in our hearts and know the mind of Christ. If we are to be fans of anything, let us be fans of Jesus always. It is in his name that we pray. Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Philippians 4:1-9 October 12, 2008 Sermon preached by Rev. Donald Ng at the First Chinese Baptist Church in San Francisco. Some of you may not know that a week agoContinue readingFans of Jesus Always<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[11,39],"class_list":["post-518","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-donald-ng-sermons","tag-fcbc","tag-philippians"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/518","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=518"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/518\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2259,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/518\/revisions\/2259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=518"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=518"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.followgreg.com\/revdonaldng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=518"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}