May 26, 2002
Trinity Sunday
"He's Everywhere, He's Everywhere!"
(Matthew 28:16-20)
Rev. Billy D. Strayhorn
[16] Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.
[17] When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.
[18] And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
[19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
[20] and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
[NRSV]
Back when I was in High School, which at times seems like a million years ago and at other times seems like only yesterday, the local pop radio station ran one of those short comedy series. I'm sure it was a syndicated program so some of you probably heard it as well. The series was "Chicken Man."
Remember now, this was when the TV series Batman and The Green Hornet were popular.
"Chicken Man" always started the same way, with it's theme song so to speak. I still remember it. "Bwock, bwock, bwock, bwock, Chicken Man. He's everywhere. He's everywhere."
I guess my mind is a little warped. Either that or those little radio episodes scarred me for life because there's a part of me that thinks of Chicken Man whenever I read this passage from Matthew 28. It's that last part, "And remember, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
While my mind goes strange places when I hear that verse, my heart is filled with joy and comfort. Jesus said He would not leave us "orphaned." He promised that once we put our lives in His hands, we would never be on our own again. We would never be alone again. He promised to be with us forever.
This happens to be Memorial Day Weekend, a time to remember all those who have given their lives for our freedom. What better time to remember what Jesus did for us and the sacrifice He made for our sakes, so He COULD be with us forever.
This is also Trinity Sunday. And believe it or not, Trinity Sunday is a good day to remember that phrase from Matthew: "And remember, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Because remembering the threefold aspects of the Trinity, also helps us remember Christ's presence with us.
Rev. Roland McGregor, Pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico writes:
"The doctrine of the Trinity is a confession not a definition. Who can define God?! Christians can only confess their historic and personal encounter with God. To confess God apart from God in Christ is impossible. To confess Christ apart from God the creator of all is impossible. To confess God in Christ apart from our experience of both through the Holy Spirit sustaining the church is impossible. Therefore, we are constrained by our experience of God to confess the one God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There are other words, but there are no better words." (1)
I agree, "there are no better words." And I agree that the "doctrine of the Trinity is a confession not a definition." It's a confession because this truly is how God is revealed to us in our daily lives. God reveals the very nature and purpose of God through the threefold aspects of the Trinity: GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT.
A. God is revealed to us as GOD THE FATHER. That in no way means that God is strictly male. God is God and as far as we know has no gender. But the Biblical concept of God as Father deals with how Jesus revealed God to the world. It was Jesus who introduced that relationship.
Jesus had a very close relationship with God. One that every son dreams of having with his father. One that every daughter dreams of having with her mother. Jesus' relationship with God was so intimate that Jesus even referred to God as "Abba" the Hebrew honorific which means "Daddy."
But that doesn't define God. It just defines a relationship. And that relationship reveals a God of love and grace. A God who cares. And a God who is willing to sacrifice to prove that love.
This relationship reveals both what it means to be the ideal child and the ideal parent. And this relationship reveals the ideal child/parent relationship.
The point is, it's all about revelation. Revelation that gives us a glimpse of what God is like.
But again, that doesn't define God. It simply reveals a portion of what God is like. It gives us a glimpse. And sometimes a glimpse is all we need.
C. S. Lewis wrote: "A glimpse is not a vision. But to a man on a mountain road by night, a glimpse of the next three feet of road may matter more than a vision of the horizon." (2)
B. The revelation of GOD THE FATHER reminds us of God's Creative power. It reminds us that God is the ultimate Creator. Through worship, prayer and Scripture and through our own personal experience we can see God's Creative presence in the world. The Doctrine of the Trinity reminds us that GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE GOOD AND PERFECT PARENT is watching over us.
There's a poignant story of a young husband whose wife died and left him with a small son. Back home after the funeral, they went to bed as soon as it was dark because there was nothing else the father could think of that he could bear to do.
As they lay there in the darkness, numb with sorrow, the little boy broke the stillness with disturbing questions. "Daddy, where is Mommy?" The father tried to get the boy to sleep, but the questions kept coming from his grieving, childish mind.
After a time the father got up and brought the little boy to bed with him. The child was still disturbed and restless and would occasionally ask probing, heartbreaking questions. Finally the youngster reached a hand through the darkness, placed it on his father's face, and asked, "Daddy, is your face toward mine?" Given assurance by his own touch, that his father's face was toward him, the boy said, "If your face is toward me, I think I can go to sleep."
The Doctrine of the Trinity reminds us that God The Father's Face is toward us. Through the Trinity we remember that always and forever, God's Face is toward us.
A. Whenever we confess our faith in GOD THE SON we are confessing our faith in the redemptive work of God as revealed through Christ Jesus.
Pastor William L. Stidger tells the story of a man in his congregation who served in the Navy during World War II. One night, this man was running his transport across the Atlantic, when he noticed the white trail of a torpedo coming toward him. His ship was manned by hundreds of soldiers; the potential loss of life would have been devastating.
Nearby, another smaller ship had also seen the torpedo coming. The captain of this smaller vessel maneuvered his ship between the transport and the torpedo. The explosion destroyed his ship. And all those aboard died.
The man who told this story ended it by saying, "Dr. Stidger, the skipper of that other ship was my best friend." Slowly, he remarked, "You know, there is a verse in the Bible which has special meaning for me now. It is this: 'Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.'" (3)
What kind of love gives itself up for someone else? What kind of love is willing to die for you and me, especially knowing that at times we are going to simply forget or ignore the depth of that love? What kind of love is willing to die for people it never met?
It's a love that is greater than human love. It's a sacrificial kind of love. It's the kind of love that Jesus revealed on the cross to show us how much we mean to God.
B. But that's not all. GOD THE SON reveals a love that goes on forever. A love that continues to redeem. A love that continues to walk before us like the Good Shepherd preparing the way for us.
There was a little girl who was riding on a train for the very first time. She saw a body of water coming up and became petrified with fear. As the train reached the water, she realized there was a bridge that crossed the water.
The same thing happened a couple of minutes later. Again she was frightened and again there was a bridge that crossed the water. A third time it happened again. Only this time she said, "I don't think I have to worry anymore. Someone has gone ahead and put bridges all the way." (4)
Our Lord and Savior has gone before us, like the Good Shepherd He is and prepared the journey for us. There are bridges we have to cross and while life may get frightening at times, Christ has already built the bridges. We are safely in His hands.
We've boarded His train, the train bound for glory. And as long as we stay on the train, as long as we keep our eyes and our lives focused on Him, we'll make it across the bridges of life. It's only when we turn away, that we have trouble.
When we confess that Jesus is the SON OF GOD, we are really confessing that Jesus has come to show us the way. And He has gone before us to clear the path for our journey.
A. But sometimes we need to be reminded. And that's where the Holy Spirit comes in. GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT reminds us of all that Jesus taught. The SPIRIT reminds us that we are the children of God. The SPIRIT reminds us that we are not alone.
When we confess GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT we are really confessing to being under the power and comfort of God's presence with us. We are confessing that we are not alone. We are confessing that we belong to the Family of God.
Secretary of State Colin Powell tells in his autobiography of an incident during Operation Desert Storm that deeply affected him. Newscaster Sam Donaldson was interviewing a young, African-American private.
"How do you think the battle will go? Are you afraid?"
The private replied, "We'll do okay . . . I'm not afraid because I'm with my family." As he said this, he motioned toward the other soldiers sitting nearby. A few of the soldiers called out, "Tell him again! He didn't hear you!"
With even more assurance in his voice, the young man stated, "This is my family, and we'll take care of each other." (5)
That young private was willing to lay down his life for those he called his family. Because he loved them, and he knew they loved him, he had the courage and commitment to do anything necessary to protect them.
That's the kind of power and determination and courage the Holy Spirit gives to the Church. We are family, empowered to love and care for one another.
B. There was a little boy who came home from Vacation Bible School and told his mom that both his teacher and the Pastor had said that God was everywhere. "That's true," his mother responded.
That sparked a whole bunch of questions for the curious little boy's mind. "Is he in the oven when it's hot?" "Yes," replied the mother.
"How about in the cupboard?" "Yes," said the mother.
"How about in the fridge when the door is closed and the light is off?" "Oh yes," retorted the mother.
"How about in the sugar bowl, right now?" asked the boy, as he took the lid off the bowl. "Well, I suppose he is," answered the mother.
With that, the boy slammed the bowl shut and announced triumphantly: "Got him!" Of course, Mom had a lot more explaining to do about the nature of God.
But basically, the boy was right. Through GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT, God reminds us that we are not alone. Through the Trinity we are reminded that God is everywhere. He's everywhere.
There's an old story about a coastal community in which a hurricane had struck. The people were all huddled together in the basement of the Church, the safest place in town. An old preacher was praying with great oratorical effects in the midst of this violent storm, crying out "Send us the spirit of the children of Israel, the children of Moses, the children of the Promised land."
Right in the middle of the preacher's eloquence, an old man with less oratorical skill but a whole lot more directness blurted out and prayed, "Lord, don't send nobody. Come yourself. This ain't no time for children."
The Doctrine of the Trinity reminds us we can't define God. We can't harness God. We can only experience God through the various revelations of God: GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT.
And as limited as the language we use to describe those revelations is, we still experience the presence of God in our lives. And we come to know that God loves us, no matter what. The Creator of the Universe loves us as if we were an only child.
We learn that God loves us so much that God did come. God didn't send anyone else. God came in the form of one of us. God became human in Jesus and walked where we walk.
And God decided to be with us all, forever, so we would never feel alone again. God came one more time as the Spirit, blowing through our lives, filling us with life giving breath. Empowering our lives with the Holy Spirit, God's Spirit, The very Spirit of the risen Christ, so that we can carry out the mission and ministry of Christ in the world today.
God is revealed through three very distinct natures GOD THE FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT, but God is still God.
1. www.deaconsil.com Resources for May 26, Trinity Sunday
2. The Autoillustrator, (Greeley, CO, 1993) 970.330.1925 (Autoill@AOL.com)
3. From Dynamic Preaching, June 1988, pg. 25.
4. Wayne H. Keller, Emphasis, Nov./Dec., 1998, pp. 41-42.
5. From An American Journey, by Colin Powell, cited in The Magic of Teamwork by Pat Williams, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1997, p. 178.
6. Parables, Etc. (Saratoga Press, P.O. Box 8, Platteville, CO, 80651; 970-785-2990), January 1987
7. The Autoillustrator, (Greeley, CO, 1993) 970.330.1925 (Autoill@AOL.com)
www.SermonWriter.com (Copyright, Richard Niell Donovan, 2000)
www.SermonMall.com
www.deaconsil.com
www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermon.html (Richard Fairchild Lectionary Resources)
Homiletics, (Communications Resources, Inc., Canton, OH)
Lectionary Homiletics, (Lectionary Homiletics, Inc. Midlothian, VA)
Dynamic Preaching, (Seven Worlds Publishing, Knoxville, TN)
The Clergy Journal, (Logos Productions, Inc., Inver Grove Heights, MN)
Preaching Magazine (Preaching Resources, Jackson, TN)
Circuit Rider, (The United Methodist Publishing House, Nashville, TN)
The Interpreter's Bible, (Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1953)
The New Interpreter's Bible, (Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1995)
Lectionary Preaching Workbook, Cycle A, (CSS Publishing, Lima, OH, 2002) SermonPrep Version.
Preaching the Miracles, (CSS Publishing, Lima, OH, 1998) SermonPrep Version.
Preaching the Parables, Cycle A, (CSS Publishing, Lima, OH, 1997) SermonPrep Version.