God's Got You! - Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Author: Pastor Carolyn Hetrick
August 25, 2024
To pick up on what our Faith Formation team shared today,
“You’ve Got This!” And more importantly, “God’s Got YOU!” So we’re going to
practice that. Each time I raise my hand, you all are going to say, “God’s Got
YOU!” Last week in my sermon I ended
with reminding you all that we are each other’s spiritual support network. So now what do we do in the face of struggle
for someone? Once that was me and
someone cheerfully piped up with “Stay strong!” Has anyone ever told you this
in a moment when what you really wanted was actual encouragement? Paul’s
exhortation today in Ephesians, “be strong in the Lord” could sound like modern
day toxic positivity of “Stay Strong!” But, he’s actually getting at something
much deeper that can help us now, in our personal struggles or in our world as
we look around and wonder what to make of all of it. We can be strong in
struggles against forces that seem to captivate people and turn them from God
and each other; from love and joy and peace. These struggles are the hallmarks
of sin. Sin alive and well, but sin which will not have the last word. In the
meantime, Paul says, “you will be able to withstand. You will be able to stand
and not be shaken. We can be strong because we have what we need from God to be
able to do just that- to withstand and to stand. Because…God’s Got YOU!
The forces of sin deceive us, but the good news is what
we possess. Our life does not depend upon fighting. It does not depend upon
being on the offensive. It does not depend upon mastering a popularity contest,
or coercing others. And it does not depend upon the might that we or others
impose. We are instead given freedom from those things which COULD hold us
captive, free to instead proclaim God’s love. To say, “God’s Got YOU!”
Then, what we show as we walk in the world, shows that we
are a part of a different spiritual force. We are a part of God’s presence in
the world.
Paul uses a lot of imagery to tell us that we “put on” what
we need to walk in the world. He does this by talking about things that sound
like armor. A helmet, a sword, shoes and a breastplate which for us today might
be a Kevlar vest. In my last congregation, every year they put on a drive-thru
Living Nativity. They spent a lot over the years acquiring costumes including
Roman soldier garb. When I got there, kids had to take a final exam for
confirmation. I awarded the person with the highest score, the “helmet of
salvation” which was the Roman guard hat.
Joking aside, the helmet and armor in Paul’s day and
Jesus’ day would have reminded people more clearly that armor was a sign to the
people around- “You are captive to the coercion of powers that are bigger than
you and stronger than you.”
Paul transforms that imagery to talk about powerfully living
in a new way. Telling us that we, as a part of a different spiritual force,
carry the sword of the Holy Spirit. That sword cuts through the noise with the
truth of our Lord Jesus Christ- that all fall short of the glory of God, but
all are redeemed. The breastplate is there to cover and protect our heart
because hearts are tender, and can be swayed, but they are precious to God.
The shoes that we wear are shoes that need to go the
distance that we journey to proclaim the gospel, not of war or domination. We
proclaim a gospel of peace. A plastic version of the helmet of course offered
no protection, but we can put too much reliance upon the real one. The true
armor we are given is what we need to transform the world with a force of love.
Along the way, we will proclaim the boldness of “the mystery of the gospel.”
The mystery of the good news is that peace and love are
stronger. People everywhere will tell us that this is illogical, impractical
and impossible. That the forces readily seen are the only ones that can win the
world. And I must boldly speak and say this is what we see with Christian
nationalism in our country today. And in many other really visible options.
We will find that having the sword of the Spirit which is
essentially invisible and carrying the gospel of peace is less demonstrative.
People will try to convince us we should feel that they are too quiet and too
insufficient. Never underestimate the power of God’s word, God’s truth and
God’s spirit. It is God alone who saves.
And along the way God also gives us what we need for the
days of the journey- our daily bread. We are given what Jesus says in the
gospel, given the bread of life and cup of salvation, and each time we gather
here in word and in the meal, we hear this is the body of Christ, this is the
blood of Christ. This is for YOU. Because…God’s Got YOU!
This is for you so that you can be sustained in the
journey. Because the journey will lead us to what is beautiful and joyful and
the journey will be long. There will be hard work alongside the good work on the
way.
None of these things- the sword, the helmet, the
breastplate, the shoes- none of these things, through the lens of the gospel,
are offensive. They are so we can defend. We are not defending Jesus, even though
some try to convince us that Jesus is under attack and needs us to save him,
Jesus does not need this, nor does he call us to it. We are given these things
so we can defend our selves. Remember… we can be strong because we have been
given what we need. And…God’s Got YOU!
And there’s one more weapon we have that Paul mentions a
lot in this passage. It is the powerful force of prayer. Pray, pray that I can
make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. Pray for yourselves, pray for
creation, pray for all of God’s world, pray for hearts to be moved and thoughts
reframed and souls to be at peace. Pray for God’s will to be done and for God’s
kingdom known. Prayer is one of the most powerful things we can bear and share.
It leads us in situations where we must withstand, but where we can stand.
Prayer guides our feet and reminds us we will be given what we need to walk in
the world in words and deeds as Jesus asks.
Yes, bad news sometimes seems like a stronger weapon. Yes,
popularity sometimes seems like a stronger force. Yes, coercion sometimes seems
like the better power. Yes, might imposed sometimes seems faster. But good news
is what helps us not feel beaten down. Good news helps us rise and stand and
stand firm in believing in the worth of every one of God’s people. Saying,
“God’s Got YOU!”
That real good news is a threat to those like chaos, and
coercion and the false victories of the moment. Yet, it is what we need to keep
breaking the chains that try to keep us from knowing and sharing God’s goodness
and knowing our own goodness.
Friends, Jesus is right that we need what he gives. And
Peter is right when he says, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of
eternal life.” Jesus has the words of life and is the word of life.
By the power of the Spirit and our prayer; by the power
of God’s truth about who we are, and who the world is and how God sees what God
has created; by the love of God we know in our hearts, may we stand firm and
joyfully lift each other up. Love wins. Be strong. We are not here to conquer.
We are here to transform. We have work
to do to proclaim this beautiful mystery of love and joy and hope and peace. But
the kingdom is ours and… God’s Got YOU! God’s Got US! So friends, grab whatever
shoes you need to tell the news and let’s GO!
Copyright Rev. Carolyn K. Hetrick, 2024 All rights reserved. May not be
reproduced in whole or in part without written permission.
Sermon Text: Ephesians 6:10-20
10Be strong in the Lord and in
the strength of his power. 11Put on the whole armor of God, so
that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For
our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness,
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13Therefore
take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that
evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14Stand
therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the
breastplate of righteousness. 15As shoes for your feet put on
whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16With
all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench
all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of
salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication.
To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the
saints. 19Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may
be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20for
which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I
must speak.
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