NOBODY’S A NOBODY



Church Appreciation Sunday

Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020

Series: None

Scripture: Philippians 1:3-11 (pg. )

Theme: My gratitude to our church.

If you read our weekly e-news, you probably know that I have a secret…

Rather than trying to prepare you for what we’d be talking about today, I told you it’s a secret…

I thought that maybe a handful of people might be intrigued by that and would ask what the secret is…

But, no one asked… so I’m not going to tell.

Actually, my secret is that I knew you had one… finally.

I suppose I’m easy to fool because there have been some Pastor Appreciation Sundays where I watched people carry in pictures w/a caricature that resembled me, an outdoor Christmas display, and even a small model of our house… and it simply never occurred to me what was going on…

But this year, I caught on… I won’t tell you how, but knowing allowed me to think about an appropriate message to you on what I think of as Church Appreciation Sunday.

So, I want to read a letter to you… truth is, this is a letter from Paul to the church in Philippi that everyone is pretty sure was Paul’s favorite church…

The letters in the NT were meant to be read out loud.

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None of the authors of NT letters ever sent a letter and said, “OK, over the next couple months, get together on Wednesday evenings and study this letter one paragraph at a time.”

It was meant to be read to a church that met in a house… many of you are in your house.

Probably they were meeting in a house owned by a prosperous businesswoman named, Lydia… the story of how this church came to be & how it ended up in Lydia’s house is told in Acts 16 – you can read it later.

Meeting in Lydia’s house that day were the members of her household… probably some servants & maybe some family members.

Probably also there was a young slave-girl who was healed of an ugly demonic thing…

Almost all were several Romans… one family was the family of the warden from the Roman prison… his wife, children, & his household servants were there.

And there were others whose names we don’t know.

Altogether, there were men & women, boys & girls, rich & poor, young & old… followers of Jesus, all.

Someone would have stood up and said, “We have a letter from Paul… let me read it.”

Well, I’m going to read some sentences from the letter, but at the risk of a heresy accusation, I will confess up front that I have added three words --- the first three…

Because, this is what I would say to you:

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READ Philippians 1:3-11, 4 SLIDES

Now, although there’s a lot I could talk about, I’d like to just kind of color in the lines on 4 images from what I just read…

The first image is partnership… as in, “Whenever I pray, I make my requests with joy, for you have been my partners….”

A couple years ago, we were discussing membership at Horizon…

There were years we did do the membership song & dance and years we did not…

We knew we needed to do something, but for lots of reasons we don’t have time for today, I’ve never been thrilled about church membership…

But we needed something.

We settled on the idea of Partners… and every year we begin the year asking if you would like to be a partner with us…

I have 4 Horizon Partner cards on my bulletin board next to my calendar on the side of my desk.

Maybe it’s the Wyoming in me and my desire to start every service by saying, “Howdy, Pardner,” but I love the image of a partnership.

Now, if we were speaking Greek instead of cowboy, we’d all read an interesting word Paul wrote for partner – koinonia… which doesn’t mean much to most…

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Some of you will have heard this word as the classic NT for fellowship...

As in, “Let’s meet in the basement Fellowship Hall and have a pot- luck dinner.”

But the word means much more than being friendly with each other… it’s a word that means, “being drawn together by participation…”

“Participation” being the key.

Church life is truly a participation… a partnership.

To my core, I believe that you, the partners of Horizon, are our most valuable resource…

You all are what makes Horizon. You.

I get to stand here… but do you know how many people it takes to make this possible?

Obviously, there’s a row of people at our tech table who, in a year’s time, put in hours and hours and hours…

This past year has been extraordinarily challenging for our tech people…

Stephen Hinkle deserves so much gratitude for making our on-line presence work.

There are people who donated quite a bit of $$-w/out them, Stephen would have had nothing to do!

There are dozens of children’s workers, some of whom braved Covid to do an outside preschool program this summer and who right now figuring out how to get our kids meeting again.

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There’s Andy, and his staff of volunteers and parents who are all in & get kids here…

There are bible study leaders… Diva & Breakfast Brigade leaders, Men’s ministry leaders… a clean team… greeters… pray-ers… gardeners… painters… decorators… care-givers… all of you who tithe or who give what you can…

There’s our band… all of whom show up on Thursday night and early Sunday for practice…

There are our leaders… our lawnmowers…

There are the dozens and dozens of you who show up to pack meals for policemen, backpacks for school kids, shoeboxes for Christmas presents, socks for our areas shelters, and popcorn for movie nights…

There are hot dog grillers for those Sundays when we just feel like handing them out…

There are men who women who show up when a toilet breaks, a boiler won’t start, or the ceiling collapses (true story: it happened).

Once upon a time we had bulletin folders… technically, they were donut eaters disguised as bulletin folders and I suspect someday they’ll be back.

There’s a team of people who pick up left-over sandwiches from Wawa twice a week and another team that delivers it to halfway houses and homeless.

Then there’s JoAnn… we’re gifted with a woman who not only knows her job, but has an extraordinary heart for people.

And on and on and on and on…

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Once I met someone and when I introduced myself and the person said, “Oh, I know someone you know. They told me they go to Pastor Bud’s church.”

There is not a more foolish, silly, ridiculous phrase than that… it’s almost embarrassing to say… “Pastor Bud’s Church.”

No… what a dismal, lonely place that would be… So, whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners.”

[SLIDE]

2nd, confidence… as in, “I am confident that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ returns.”

I don’t know if you know the story of how Paul came to be in Philippi – but it’s a rather miraculous story…

Again – Acts 16 if you want to read it later…

Paul and Silas were on a missionary journey… Paul’s 2nd… they were planning on going an entirely different direction but something prevented them & Paul attributed it to God’s Spirit.

That night, while he was sleeping, Paul had a vision of a man from the other side of the Aegean Sea pleading, “Come over & help us.”

Paul believed this was God’s direction and so they crossed the sea and the Gospel spread farther then it ever had.

So, I understand why Paul believed God started this, and if he started it, God would certainly finish it.

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I never set out to start a church – I was going in an entirely different direction…

I would say for 7/8 of my pastoral life up until that point, I never once entertained the idea…

It takes a special kind of person to do that and I know for sure I am not that person.

Well… turns out I had to learn that God is that kind of a God… doesn’t matter much what kind of person I am.

We had no money to start a church… that didn’t bother me ‘cause I didn’t know you needed money.

Actually, I didn’t know anything… truthfully.

When a friend learned I was thinking of starting a church in my back yard, he said, “He, I’d like to be part of it. Do you have a bank account so I can make a donation?”

We did not. We did not need a bank account.

We had nothing to put in it.

Well, that didn’t stop him… so he said, “Let’s have breakfast. I just got a bonus and I want to tithe it to the church you start.”

Well… in the world I’m familiar with, a tithe – that’s 10% - of a bonus might be somewhere between $50 & $100.

I was hoping for $100… and I wasn’t sure about the need for breakfast for $100 but, I’ve never been one to say, “No.” to breakfast.

At breakfast, he wrote a check for $20,000.

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Said, “Tho’t tithe – not whole bonus.” It was tithe.

I’ve never ever been around that kind of money.

I don’t understand it.

I can’t fathom writing a check like that.

But thank God, Jesus knew someone who could.

While we were sitting at breakfast, the same friend said, “What about an office?”

I said, “My basement.”

This was before I discovered Panera & we opened Horizon West in the 2nd booth to the left at the Trexlertown Panera.

Anyway, he asked, “Do you have a copier?”

“No.”

“OK,” I’m writing you a check for $5,000. Go buy a copier.” He did and I did. (convince – horse!)

Our church, which hadn’t even met yet, went from a balance of zero to $25,000 in the time it took me to order two dippy eggs, rye toast, scrapple & coffee.

I am confident that God began a good work in us.

Of course, Paul is talking about more than bank accounts; he’s talking about what God is doing in you.

Of course, not everyone who has ever been part of our church has benefited in their relationship with God.

I have made some mistakes… and when leaders make mistakes, people can get hurt.

I understand why Paul sometimes said things like, “I am the least deserving…” or, “I’m the worst of sinners.” I get that… I think I live with that.

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But all I have to do is look around, and I know that for many of you, God has met you here.

Shortly after we moved into this building, I was sitting in my office on a Sunday morning and I saw someone I know walk by…

He stopped at our sidewalk… looked… and walked in.

God had an appointment with him that day – he didn’t know it when he woke up that morning, but He did.

And I’m confident, that God, who began a good work within him, will continue it, until that day.

I had lunch with another good friend.

He said to me recently, “I was not always a nice person. But then I met the Lord here, and everything changed.”

And I’m confident that the God, who began a good work within him, will continue it until that day.

A young lady saw our sign outside about needing help during Covid.

It took her several weeks, but eventually her circumstances got so desperate she risked a terrifying phone call.

“Of course, we could help,” I said. “Can you get here?”

I gave her instructions about using the red doors and coming the steps…

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She was petrified, so I was watching the security cameras so that I could get to her quickly and she wouldn’t have to wander around…

I thought I saw her arrive but she immediately went down the steps instead of up…

There was another young lady from Horizon working downstairs at the time, and I heard talking and laughing & I thought, “Must been a friend and not the lady I was expecting.”

Turns out it was who I was expecting… somehow she missed my instructions to go up the steps… she went down… and she ran face-to-face into a young woman she had just met and who had helped her out in a totally unrelated situation…

She met a friendly face… exactly what she needed.

This lady eventually came up stairs in tears and said, “Now I know God hasn’t given up on me.”

Turns out, she thought she was here for a gift card when in fact she had an appointment with God that day.

She didn’t know it when she woke up, but she did.

And I’m confident that God, who began a good work within her, will continue it until that day.

Like Paul, all of my confidence is in Jesus.

All of it.

He has never let me down… and so I am confident, that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work, until that final day.

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{SLIDE]

3rd image, affection, as in, “So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart.”

And you do… how could you not?

You know, there’s no other letter in our Bibles quite like this one… there are some personal letters from Paul to individuals, like Timothy and Philemon…

But there are no other letters to churches that are so personal…

And I think that’s because this church kept showing up for Paul…

When there was a need in the church in Thessalonica, the Philippians sent Paul some help for the people in that city they’d never met.

When there was a famine and horrific poverty in Jerusalem, the Philippians collected money and sent Paul resources to help people they’d never met.

When Paul was thrown in prison – that’s where he was when he wrote this letter, in prison – the Philippians heard about it, they actually sent one of their own, a young Roman man named Epaphroditus, to be with Paul and help him in prison… imagine.

So it’s no wonder Paul said, “You have a special place in my heart.”

And you do, too… how could you not.

Once, I mentioned I had a life-long dream to fly but it’s not in a pastor’s budget…

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One family got me a flying lesson… I got to fly a small single engine plane over my house in Allentown & down to East Greenville and Green Lane and Quakertown and Bethlehem and back home… it was amazing.

I got to jump out of an airplane and I still proudly display my successful skydiving certificate.

In 2010 at an outdoorsman’s banquet, a young man who would become my son-in-law, Dan Martin, and another friend from Horizon, Phil Yetter – we decided we should take a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Wyoming and spend 2 weeks in the backcountry, living out of backpacks and hunting elk.

It was going to be expensive… we estimated about $1500… that’s not the kind of money I’ll spend on something just for me so we agreed we would start saving money & we planned the trip 3 years in the future.

I made a couple dining room tables and sold them.

Then you gave me a gift to go and we got to move the trip up a whole year…

Our once-in-a-lifetime trip happened in 2012… and dozens of times since, since Dan eventually proposed to my daughter and they ended up moving out there.

You have actually helped with several of those trips… in fact, I have had the chance to take a few of you out there, too…

This is what happens with once-in-a-lifetime trips.

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It’s not only the big things like that… I have more Oreos and more Tandy Cakes and Reese’s Peanut Butter cups… than a human being should be allowed to eat in 4 lifetimes.

I have file-folders full of your cards and notes.

I made trips to Cabela’s and exited with a shopping bag that didn’t cost me a dime because of gift cards from you.

In Sept. of 2018, our Wyoming family experienced a horrific tragedy…

We spent all of Friday night and most of Saturday praying for a good friend and a guide & future partner in Dan’s business… he was known to have been attacked by a bear but we didn’t know the outcome.

Finally, Saturday, Mark’s body was found.

A sobbing Erin said, on Saturday night, “Dad, can you please come out?”

The next morning, I told that to you – many of you, including Horizon’s leaders said, “Absolutely. Go.”

By the time I got home from church, someone from Horizon called and said, “We got you tickets.”

He picked us up at 3 the next morning and drove us to the airport.

“So, it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart.”

How could you not? You have treated me better than I will ever deserve.

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[SLIDE]

Final image: Growth, as in, “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation – the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ – for this will bring much glory and praise to God.”

Church is hard.

That’s because life is hard.

Paul’s imprisonment would be fatal… he would not get out alive.

And none of us do, do we?

So, I do pray for you… I pray that you would understand what really matters… Jesus does.

Jesus matters.

I pray that your love will overflow more and more… and that you will keep on growing…

That you will live pure and blameless lives until that day when Christ returns.

At my first church, many years ago, there was a wonderful PA Dutch family – Selmer, Sadie Bair,

Daughter nicknamed Cookie, about my age.

Far from God… Cookie had a daughter, Jamie.

I did not know them… did not come.

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One day Cookie found herself in trouble and she asked if I would meet w/ her…

We did, and sitting at her kitchen table, Cookie gave her life to Jesus… she was the first person I know of to say, “Yes” to Jesus’ invitation for me as a pastor.

I’ve never forgotten that moment sitting at Cookie’s kitchen table.

Soon, they were coming to Immanuel in Adamstown and Jamie was one of the first members of a little Sunday School & youth group we started.

Today, Cookie is a worship leader in her church.

Jamie is now middle-aged… married w/ kids of her own.

Most of the older generation have gone home.

We get a Christmas card and hand-written letter every year… with pictures & we get to watch Cookie’s family, and Jamie’s family grow.

Says, “Sorry my hand-writing is so shaky, I’m getting old.”

I hope to live long enough to get shaky hand-writing.

And then, thanks to Jesus, I will go home.

What really matters?

Jesus does. What an extraordinary hope we have in him, right? [SLIDE] So, I pray for you.

“I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge

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and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation – the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ – for this will bring much glory and praise to God.”

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