[Mcgregorpage] McGregorPage #556, Easter 7, 5/20/07

[rmcgregoralbq at aol.com]

EASTER 7 – (May 20, 2007)


Acts 16:16 34
Psalm 97
Rev 22:12 14, 16 17, 20 21
John 17:20 26

THE INTEGRITY OF THE CHURCH

If God grants a slave girl the healing for which she didn't pray, how 
much more will God give to the church the unity for which Jesus did 
pray.   If the feeble testimony of a demon disturbed Paul that much, 
how much more does the feeble testimony of a divided church disturb the 
martyrs.  When we divide the church, when we feed the division of the 
church, when we profit by the division of the church, we deny all those 
who gave their lives to bear witness to a faith that is above division; 
and we deny the efficacy of the prayer of Jesus "that they may be one, 
as we are one..."

The truth is that God answered Jesus' prayer.  We are one as the Father 
and the Son are one.  What is untrue is the division we practice.  It 
is untrue and un-evangelical because the unity that God gives the 
church is not for its own sake but "so that the world may believe..."

This unity of the church is not just integrity within itself but 
integrity with God.  The jailor was about to kill himself because the 
earthquake opened the doors of the prison and opened the shackles of 
all the prisoners.  He was about to kill himself because he assumed the 
integrity of his prisoners; that is, the unity of their self-interest, 
to flee captivity.  He assumed the integrity of his superiors, their 
common allegiance to punishment -- his execution for dereliction of 
duty.  What he discovered instead was an integrity with God on the part 
of Paul and his company.  The prayers and hymns were a foretaste of 
this integrity; the mighty act of God in opening the doors of the 
prison was a confirmation of this integrity; but Paul's interest in the 
salvation of the jailor rather than his own escape revealed this 
integrity.  God's love for the jailor and Paul's love for the jailor 
were one.  The jailor discovered God's motive and God's love in Paul, 
the very integrity for which Jesus had prayed.  That is what led to his 
conversion, not the worship service, not the miracle but the integrity 
of the church with God.

"The LORD is king! Let the earth rejoice..."  This was the affirmation 
of the Jailor and his entire household that day.  He had found the 
transcendent power of life, and it was far above the power he knew when 
he sought to take his life,  "All worshipers of images are put to 
shame..."  Luke doesn't tell us what happened to the jailor when he had 
to account to his superiors for the prisoners he had personally 
escorted out of the jail.  The jailor may have had the privilege of 
joining the martyrs.

"Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the 
right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates."  (Rev 
22:14)  This is the jailor being welcomed into the new Jerusalem by 
Jesus himself, his robe washed in the blood of the Lamb and in his own 
--  his robe the integrity of the church with God.


May these thoughts strengthen you.

An Open Letter to Fellow Pastors
>From Roland McGregor, United Methodist Pastor
(an e-mail service)

[See Web Page address below for a Children’s Message coordinated with 
these lections.]

http://www.webspawner.com/users/ChildPage/

Multiple Sermon Starter Essays are available at
http://www.webspawner.com/users/McGregorPage/

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