Sermon Title: “God is in the Consequences”

Sermon Date: September 2, 2007 “Worship in the Park”

Sermon Text: Luke 15:1-7

1-3”By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, "He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends." Their grumbling triggered this story.

4-7"Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, 'Celebrate with me! I've found my lost sheep!' Count on it—there's more joy in heaven over one sinner's rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue.”

I had the weirdest dream the other morning. I was an actress in a play. My part was the ditzy one, meeting the prospective in-laws (no comments about type-casting, please). As the play got to the final week of rehearsals I had to have my gall bladder removed but they only did half of the operation. (Now I have absolutely no idea what half of gallbladder operation is like but hey, it was a dream!)

So I missed a few hours of rehearsal, (yes, hours); then during the first performance the hospital called and asked me to come back for the rest of the operation and I had to go. My understudy did the parts I missed and I rushed back for the rest of the performance. (Long operation, eh?) I was getting dressed to do the final scenes and it hit me – I had only rehearsed the early parts. I had never rehearsed the rest of the play. I had read it but had spent no time in rehearsals for the final scenes. So I was getting ready to go on stage without any preparation. Yes, there was a moment of panic.

I’ve had other dreams like this. I’ve dreamed that I got in the pulpit to preach and my sermon had disappeared. Or I’ve dreamed that I got in the pulpit and realized I had totally forgotten to prepare one. That’s when you realize life is full of consequences -- for your actions or in this case, inactions.

Usually when one thinks about “consequences” you think about the negative side of it.

If you drink and drive, you may get arrested, hopefully before you hurt someone. There are consequences for your actions.

If you don’t do your homework or attend play practice, you won’t perform well. There are consequences for your inactions.

I could go on, but you understand. Michael Vick, former quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, has recently discovered that when you break the law, there are consequences. And when you lie about it, there are even bigger consequences.

The bottom line is that in a fair and just world, you are responsible for your actions and inactions. Therefore there are consequences. Lie and people don’t trust you to honor your world. Cheat your customers and your business will decline. Unfortunately things aren’t always fair and just, so there are people who “get away” with immoral and illegal behavior. Sometimes they don’t have to deal with the consequences.

But if you are like me you haven’t always had to deal with consequences either. You fail a test and the professor offers mercy instead. You need money to pay a bill because you spent unwisely and a refund check shows up in the mail, totally unexpected. You drive too fast and the officer gives you a warning. There are times when we don’t have to face the music and we go onto worse things, but there are those times when we don’t face the music and we learn from them.

When we look at this scripture today we see that Jesus is telling the religious leaders of the day that spending time with these “sinful” men and women is an investment in the kingdom of God. He is saying that there are times when their time needs to be spent helping those who really need the help or encouragement.

Jesus uses the model of a shepherd, but think of it as a parent. If one of your children comes up missing or is going through a really bad time you might need to take off and find your child. Now you don’t totally leave your other younger children home alone, but you do leave them to look for the one who is lost.

And there are also times when you’ve done all you can to help them and it isn’t enough. Times when you have to return home to the children you left behind and leave them in God’s hands.

Either way, Jesus is saying that God is in the consequences. Jesus is saying that the time to leave them in God’s hands and walk away isn’t now. Jesus is saying that God won’t forsake or abandon us when we do stupid things like dogfighting and gambling, or do drugs, or cheat on our taxes, or be mean-spirited to our neighbors. God won’t forsake us when we abuse our spouses or children. God won’t forsake when we struggle with things out of our control like mental or emotional illnesses. God won’t forsake us even if we don’t believe in God’s existence.

So no matter what we do or don’t do; no matter how we treat people; no matter what we think….God is with us in the consequences, hoping that we learn from our mistakes and become more like the shepherd than the stubborn sheep.

I can’t deny that there are preachers who don’t agree with me. Recently there was a preacher calling on his congregation to use prayer to bring harm to those he considers to be enemies. But he is wrong. God is there to be with us in each and every circumstance of our lives.

Regardless of the circumstances, God is there in the consequences. Just as Jesus was there for the sheep that ran away, he is here for us too. In everything. All the time. Even when we have to face the music, God is there. And you know, we should be there too. For those who are struggling with making the right decisions. For those who have made bad decisions. For those who are stubborn.

I don’t know about you but I take great comfort in knowing that no matter how many mistakes I make, God will be with me in the consequences and after we sing “Amazing Grace,” you are invited to come and receive Holy Communion and once again give your heart to Jesus.

Holy God,

We cannot be grateful enough for all you do for us. All you have done for us. All you will do for us tomorrow and the all the tomorrows that follow. Help us to take advantage of your presence in the consequences, to learn from them and grow as your disciples. But also help us to be compassionate for the other sheep in our midst that have also gotten off the track. Help us to love them as you love us. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.