Fr.Vladimir's Sermon Delivered on the 18th Sunday after Pentecost, October 19th, 2008:

Today, dear brothers and sisters, is the feast day of St. Apostle Thomas, and I wish a happy names day to all who hold this Saint Apostle as their patron saint.

Recently, in a furniture store I saw a table that looked like mahogany. But it wasn't. In fact it really was a large piece of glued sawdust that was cut in the shape of a circle and then someone took a picture of mahogany glued it to the top so that it looked better than what it was. The kitchen and hallways looked like they were hardwood floors. But they were not. In fact they were long planks of particle board with a nice picture of hardwood glued on the top. Any gouge in the floor would reveal what was really underneath. Both, the table and the kitchen floor had a veneer that covered the real substance. That is what a veneer is all about: a thin covering of reality.

Unfortunately, people who call themselves Christians, and even churches, can be just like that. I call it veneer Christianity, a thin and fake covering of what is really going on. It looks like church, smells like church, even feels like church - but there is not power, no life change, no transparency, no honesty. Have you ever met someone like that, my dear brothers and sisters? Have you ever been someone like that? Have you ever been a part of a parish like that? It is not good. In fact, there are millions of people who will never come to church because that is the way that they believe the Church is.

This morning I'm here to tell you that church doesn't have to be like that, and this morning's Epistle reading, 2nd Corinthians 9:6-11 is a great text, to remind us about what a Jesus-centered church looks like. What are the marks of a consistently Christian church? Now, that is an important question and one worth answering.

What are the marks of a Jesus-centered community of believers?

Followers of Jesus reflect Jesus. They are captivated by the great grace and love of God and that leads to obedience. In other words people who know Jesus, put on the attitudes and actions that fit Jesus. We put on spiritual clothing that belongs to Jesus. We are putting on Jesus. In other words, as mirror reflects an image, so also the Church through us should reflect our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ to others. That is what the Church is all about. As those who are trying to follow Christ, the first thing we have to keep in mind according to Scripture is: Compassion - this is heartfelt graciousness; it is a deep concern for others. To make this statement even more clear, a deep concern for others is nothing else, but a concern about their life in Christ, and their salvation. Why? Because, that is what leads to eternal life; every other concern is ostentatious and of no value. Second-Kindness - the word means an abundance of goodness. You could translate the word as goodness or generosity, and it is often used to describe the way that God deals with sinners (see Luke 6:35 and Rom 2:4). It means to treat people with graciousness regardless of what they actually deserve. The followers of Jesus who have been captivated by so much grace will have a disposition toward compassion and kindness. They will see life through this Jesus-centered lens. In fact, everything they do, they will do through and for Jesus Christ. That is how the Church is meant to be-a community of the followers of Christ. Humility - is a call to emulate the life of Jesus. It is to put on Christ-like humility. It is the frame of mind that understands who God is and who we are; that is where real humility begins. But it demonstrates itself in real actions: a dependence upon Christ: "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matt 11:29), considering others as more important: "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Phil 2:4), a willingness to submit to others: "Young people, in the same way be submissive to your presbyters. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." (1 Pet 5:5), and commitment to obedience to God: "Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil 2:8). Humility is both attitude and action. Followers of Jesus don't have to get the credit. They don't have to be honored or thanked. They are free from the need to be somebody because everything they are is wrapped up in Jesus Christ. And, when the time comes for the reward, everything they will receive is from Jesus Christ, not from people, as it is promised in the Scriptures, and the Scriptures are true; thus we hear: "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may exalt you… Be sober, be watchful… And after you have suffered little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strengthen you" (1 Peter 5:6,8,10). Thus, the reward is from God, not from people, because if you receive your reward from people, then you will not receive it from God also. Following Christ means doing what He says, and this is what the Lord Himself says: "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

"So when you give alms, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give the alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (Mt. 6:1-4).

Meekness - my favorite definition is "power under control." Meekness doesn't mean weakness. Rather, it means a choice to be gentle when you don't really have to. In Numbers 12:3 we get a good example of this in Moses. Even when facing undeserved and back-stabbing criticism, he chooses to be gentle or meek. Implicit in this word is a willingness to give up the right to be right, to defend yourself, or to win. Meekness is tested when you are wronged, and it needs to be applied when you are defensive or offended.

Patience - this is closely linked to meekness, but the meaning relates to putting up with, and bearing the exasperating conduct of others without flying into a rage or desiring to get even. That is why many times it is expressed with the word longsuffering- a word that is rarely used any more but it really is a great way to capture the meaning. Pride, a lack of self-control, and impatience trap us when we get our eyes off of Jesus.

Forbearance and forgiving one another - I've combined these two not because they are the same, but because they go together. Forbearance or bearing with one another is to put up with each other, to endure each other, or to embrace the suffering that comes with dealing with people. The word is used in 2 Thessalonians 1:4 for our response to tribulations and trials. We all know that dealing with other people involves tension and conflict at many levels, and Paul calls believers to the kind of life that is not easily annoyed, quickly put out, easily offended, quick to draw conclusions, or someone who everyone has to walk on egg-shells around. Do you know what the problem with forbearance is? People who struggle with it generally do not know it because people around them are afraid to tell them. Do you know why? Because they are easily offended, quickly put out, easily annoyed, and you have to walk on egg shells around them. So here's an assignment for all today: Go home and ask your family to be honest with you about this one-are you a person that is easily offended? Are you a person around whom people have to walk on egg shells?

The word for forgiveness means to treat the other with graciousness, and in this context ("if one has a complaint against another…") it means that people are ready to forgive when complaints and problems arise. So the Bible is decidedly against internal grudges and grudges.

Just think of how many marriages, relationships, and ministries could be radically different today if people consistently practiced forbearance and forgiveness.

Love - here we have what is often called the crowning grace that believers are to put on.

Love is the first part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22), the summary of law (Gal 5:14), the greatest of all Christian virtues (1 Cor 13:13). "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never ends" (1 Cor 13:7-8a). Love is the ultimate mark of the disciple of Jesus. The Lord said: "By this all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another" (John 13:35)

The text in Colossians 3 carries this even further saying that love "binds everything together in perfect harmony." Now you might think that he is referring to the list of virtues that we just covered, but it seems that the Apostle Paul's statement is more about how love has the power to pull everything together - as in all the parts of the body, creating a beautiful unity.

After we have covered the most essential Christian virtues, we come to today's Epistle reading about giving: "He that sows sparingly, shall reap also sparingly; and he that sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully." St. Apostle Paul called giving sowing; so that we may at once look unto the reward, and having in mind the harvest, we may feel that we receive more than we give. "Let each man do according as he has purposed in his heart." And he added, "Not grudgingly, nor of necessity. For God loves a cheerful giver." And he not only gives advise, but also adds a prayer: "And may God, that is able, fulfill all grace towards you." Because with the prayer he prevents a thought which imposes itself naturally and which is now also a stumbling block to many. For many people are afraid to give alms, saying, 'What if I become poor, what if I come to the point where I will need aid from others?' So, in order to prevent this fear then, he adds this statement: "And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work. As it is written, He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor." What was said is not only that God will fulfill your basic needs, but He will "provide you in abundance." And what is "abundant blessing?" It is to 'Fill you, with so great things, that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work" (2 Cor. 9:8). Thus, the Apostle Paul says: if you give where needed and when asked to give, you will receive even more.

Let us now hear for a moment what St. John Chrysostom, one of the greatest homilists of all times, and whose homilies can be applied at all times, says in his homily on the same text which we heard this morning: "Don't you see how much others give to players and harlots? Give at any rate the half to Christ, of what they give to dancers. As much as they give of ostentation to those upon the stage, so much at any rate give you unto the hungry. For they indeed even clothe the persons of wantons with untold gold; but not even with a threadbare garment the flesh of Christ, and that though beholding it naked. What forgiveness does this deserve, yea, how great a punishment does it not deserve, when they indeed bestow so much upon what ruins and shames them, but not the least thing on Him that saves them and makes them brighter? But as long as you spend it upon your belly and on drunkenness and dissipation, you never think of poverty: but when need is to relieve poverty, you become poorer than any body. For He that gives even without receiving, how will He not give after receiving? 'What then,' someone may say, 'when some who have spent much come to need other men's help?' You speak of those that have spent their all; but you yourself bestow not even a quarter of your possessions. Promise to strip yourself of every thing and then ask questions about such men; but as long as you are a niggard and bestow little of thy substance, why throw me out excuses and pretenses? For neither am I leading you to the lofty peak of entire poverty but for the present I require you to cut off superfluities and to desire a sufficiency alone. Now the boundary of sufficiency is the using those things which it is impossible to live without. No one debars you from these; nor forbids you your daily food. I say food, not feasting. God loves a cheerful giver; "what is much and what little, God defines, not by the measure of what is given, but by the extent of the substance of him that gives." St. John Chrysostom

This is quite a list isn't it? There is no one here today who doesn't need to work on something that we just talked about. In fact, this list could be pretty depressing, couldn't it? Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness, love and cheerful giving - by ourselves these would be impossible. Reflecting Jesus doesn't happen in our own strength. Reflecting Jesus springs from a heart so captivated by what Jesus has done for us that we are driven to be like Him. So can I just remind you today of the love of God that he applied to our heart?

Remember that a sovereign God, full of holiness, beauty, and awe saw fit to be personally gracious to us even when we didn't deserve it. God wants his children to be like Jesus. He wants us to be real. Look, the world has seen enough of veneer Christianity. The body of Christ is supposed to be marked by peace, by gratitude, by the Word, and by real life. But in order for that to happen it takes all of us deciding that Jesus is worthy enough, the Church is important enough, and that the power of sin is deceptive enough to take this stuff seriously. Each of us, before God, must determine what part God wants us to play in making St. Basil's a real place of worship. He changed us! But why? Here's the answer: So we could reflect Jesus, giving Him maximum glory! To Him be the glory, always, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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