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The Message for July 28, 2019Luke 11:1-13Waiting on the World to ChangeRob Miller, PastorToday we begin a new worship series with music as the basis. Imagine what our world would be like without music – boring, dull, depressing. Music calms and inspires. Music can cheer you up when you're sad, make you dance like a fool, and allow you to drown out your problems when you need to. Music can help dementia patients come alive when they hear their old favorite songs. Music can help patients who are recovering from heart attacks and heart surgeries heal quicker and better by lowering their blood pressure, slowing their heart rate, and reducing their anxiety. Music can even help young students become better learners. There is power for life in music.We will look at five songs over the next five weeks – five songs in video form including:Week 1: Waiting on the World to Change – John MayerWeek 2: Live like You Were Dying – Tim McGrawWeek 3: When the Sand Runs Out – Rascal FlattsWeek 4: Turn, Turn, Turn – The ByrdsWeek 5: Our God is and Awesome God - HillsongIf you know someone who really likes music or really likes one of those songs, invite them to come and join you for worship. Or invite them to check out our messages on Facebook or on our church webpage.Our first song, “Waiting on the World to Change,” came out in 2006. It has a great musical tone and probably describes how many people are living their lives right now – just waiting, waiting for the world to change.Video Song: this song points out the world seems to be broken or in big trouble. And it seems there isn’t much we can do about it. I wonder how many people live with the mindset that all we can do is wait, wait for the world to get better. We’d like to get involved but there are too many problems, too much pain, too many obstacles and so we are wooed into doing nothing. We give up trying to make this world a better, brighter, healthy, happier place. I wonder - why is that?We often verbalize this attitude when we say things like:When things settle down, then I will…When I can afford it, then I will…When the situation improves, then we can…We’ve all been guilty of waiting for the world to change at one time or another. We’ve probably all been guilty of waiting for a better time to get involved too. Here’s the thing. There is no need for us to point fingers. There is no need to say “Hey people you’ve messed it up, now fix it!” There is no need for sending people on a guilt trip. That is not going to help. Truth is… I’m pointing a finger at myself realizing that I have failed at times to do what I could have done to make this world a better place. I’ve messed up and you probably messed up too. That’s why there is forgiveness. So let’s not beat ourselves up. We focus not on being people who have messed up, we focus on being people who have a mission. So let’s turn this around. We humans have a tendency to procrastinate. Many of us live with the mantra -- Why do today, what you should have done yesterday, wait and do it tomorrow. Instead since the world is the way it is, maybe we ought to live with the mantra -- Why wait until tomorrow, to do what you should have done yesterday, do it today. That’s the approach God takes. That’s the Good News for us to consider here this morning. God didn’t wait! God’s doesn’t wait! God’s timing is perfect.When the world was in an even bigger mess than it is right now, lost in selfishness and rebellion, driven by sin, God did something about the problem. God had a plan to solve the problem of this world.With God, there was no waiting for the world to change. God is actively changing the world even as we speak.At the right time, God sent Jesus to begin (to begin) changing the world for good. Jesus’ mission began to radically transform the world with love, not hate. His mission is our mission – a mission of love, not hate. I read in a book somewhere, For God so loved the world… and God loves the world still. Jesus continues to send the Holy Spirit to be at work in our lives so that his mission continues in us and through us. This is a radical mission.In that same book is a book called Acts. In Acts chapter 17 there is a wonderful story about Paul and Silas going to Thessalonica telling people about Jesus, telling people about how God’s mission is to change the world for good through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Some people believed and some did not. Those who didn’t believe went looking for Paul and Silas but couldn’t find them. So they went to Jason’s house where Paul and Silas had been staying. They rounded up Jason and a few other disciples and accused them of “turning the world upside down” because they were helping to spread the message about Jesus. Oh… if we… here at First Lutheran Church… were accused of “turning the world upside down” because of our devotion to tell others about Jesus and his love. That would be awesome. Timing is everything. Timing is everything when it comes to a song and timing is everything when it comes to the mission we share in and through the church.That brings us to our reading for today. Jesus prayed. He prayed regularly. He prayed first before doing anything. His disciples noticed the power of prayer and asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Prayer keeps us in time and in tune with God. Read Text – Luke 11:1-13The Lord’s Prayer is to be a model prayer for us. I wonder if perhaps instead of being a model prayer, it’s become something in the background like elevator music. It’s there, we say it, but we really don’t pay attention to it or live by it. Let’s take a look at what Jesus is saying to us in this prayer. This is an early form according to Luke. By the way the Lord’s Prayer only appears in Matthew’s Gospel and Luke’s Gospel but not in Mark or in John.Father, hallowed be your name. Jesus is saying that our God is a personal God – our God relates to us like a loving, perfect, caring parent. It doesn’t get any better than that. And God’s name is holy.Your kingdom come. God’s kingdom is all about love. Someday God’s love will rule the world. No wonder we are to pray for God’s kingdom to come.Give us each day our daily bread. This is a reminder that God provides all that we need every day, no matter what, which suggests we ought to be thankful every day.And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. Whoa wait a minute that is not in our version of the Lord’s Prayer today. Somewhere along the way we drop this second part about forgiving one another. I wonder why… Forgiveness is a crucial part of Jesus’ mission for turning the world upside down. And do not bring us to the time of trial. As we go about doing Jesus’ mission in the world, may we not be accused of committed a crime and end up in court.The next time, and every time, you pray the Lord’s Prayer think about what you are saying. Let those words be music to your ears and a song in your heart. Let’s stop waiting for the world to change, let’s be the change agents that God is calling us to be every day. Amen.Next week our song will be – Live Like You Were Dying by Tim McGraw ................
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