Sermon – Knowing the Cost of Joy
Psalm 126; Philippians 3:4b-14
Farmville Presbyterian Church
4/6/25
The timing of my message and my thoughts last week had something to do with the birthday of my middle daughter, Grace. Yes, that sermon was about grace, not necessarily my Grace, but yes, she was a part of that conversation, also. A number of you have shared how meaningful that exploration of God’s grace was, and I appreciate that. God’s grace is more important than any of us can truly know. I will need a bit of grace this week as I move to my oldest daughter and her birthday this last week. Yes, our two older daughters have birthdays within a week of each other. They really appreciated that growing up and having joint birthday parties when they were little. But, hey, at least they got to have birthdays, right? This sermon is not about my oldest daughter’s name, though, but about the fact that my oldest daughter is now one year older. As an oldest child, myself, in my family, I have noticed that parents tend to age themselves based on how old their oldest child is. The older that the child gets, the older the parent must also be becoming. I am not sure it is proportional, however. One year in the child’s age must be like three years in parent’s age. At least it feels that way with the passage of time. All I know is that the PAST keeps getting bigger and bigger and that is something we all have to hold.
That is also how we might explore today’s readings. Psalm 126 is a song of yesterday and today. As pilgrims would travel to Jerusalem in ancient days, they would sing hymns to God. That is not hard to believe. There were certain songs they sang and remembered, certain songs that called to mind the love of God and God’s faithfulness. There were certain songs that they kept to pass down and that we are even able to read to this day. This is one of those songs. It is a song of hope out of a long, hard, tough story. Those pilgrims making their way to Jerusalem knew how God had called the people to be faithful but they failed. They knew how the people had been freed from Egypt but became enslaved to their fears. They had been given a new land but did not keep it well. They had been ruled by corrupt kings instead of by God. They had even been captured by an enemy and led off into captivity. They lost the Temple and the land completely. As we have seen in Bible study, the land of promise was everything. The worst thing that could happen was to lose it. This was a people that was called by God but suffered failure again and again at being God’s holy people. They knew heartache in their lives and in their history, but God always came back. That’s why their song calls for God’s help, again. Restore our fortunes, O Lord! That can also mean “Bring back the captives.” This is even more poignant if they are praying for their sisters and brothers to return from far off places. Make us whole, O God. Help us to be whole, O God! Make our sorrow, our weeping, into joy. Do not leave us in a history of brokenness but give us a new day in joy.
The past cannot be relived. No one is going backward. In fact, there is plenty of shame and guilt in the past. The scars and brokenness is proof. It is about being restored, healed, and made whole today in spite of what yesterday meant. This is a great gift to those who follow Christ Jesus. The past is the past. Who we were is not who we are. If we are new creations, we are new creations. If we have died and risen in Christ, we are new people. Our faith is for those who want to become more and more of who God wants us to be. Our faith is not for those who want to turn back the clock. It is always living in today, even if it is tough to live in today.
This was a struggle for some in Paul’s time – just like in our time. Paul had a radical vision of following Jesus, but others did not share that vision. There were people who thought they were followers of Christ and who told those early churches that in order to be Christian, they first had to be Jewish. After all, Jesus was Jewish. Specifically, new believers had to be circumcised and adhere to the Old Testament law before they could be present with Jesus today. Their focus was on that basic act of surgery as a sign of Jewishness. Paul literally calls them “THE mutilation.” It is supposed to sound as bad as it does. In fact, his language about them was more shocking than polite readers would have expected back then. He is furious with these so-called missionaries who are trying to rewrite his explanation of the gospel. All you need is Jesus, and HIS faith is good enough for you. There is nothing any of us can do to save ourselves. This is crucial for Paul. Your past will not save you nor prevent you. Who you were will not save you nor prevent you. What you have done will not save you nor prevent you. This is why some who cling to those things have a hard time actually following Jesus. There is a cost to this kind of joy, and not everyone is willing to pay it. It means valuing God’s grace most – not our own self-importance.
When those “dogs,” as Paul calls them, showed up to the folk at Philippi, they impressed on the people there their credentials. “This is why you should believe us more than Paul,” they would have said. “We are part of the true faith.” That’s why Paul gives us his life. His credentials were beyond compare, yet he was happy to show them that all of it amounted for nothing. He even counts his specialness as a loss. What matters is how special Jesus is. And Jesus is so special that he fills the life with joy. Paul is saying this as he is locked up in prison, by the way, and as his own death looms before him. He plays no pity card here. He also does not give up, but he continues to promote the wonder and value of Jesus and Jesus alone.
I cannot help but think of yesterday’s birthday party as I consider finding joy in the present. Allison Martin had her 80th birthday party here, and it was a lovely gathering of friends and family – a beautiful occasion. Birthdays are all about reconciling past and present. Being surrounded by family and friends and memories that have been with us for decades is a joy. That’s why we have the parties, but there is even more joy to come. Having a birthday also means looking into a future and what is coming. We are talking a new year and how we might live and grow as people. Most of all, we recognize how God’s grace will only increase. Our Lord and Savior is still and will always be the heart of our hope and the ground of our life. We can look to a new year with confidence because what matters most is God’s unyielding love. Nothing else will sustain us. Our memory of God’s faithfulness can comfort us, but only today’s faithfulness will save us. I love the fact that Allison knows full well that her story is still unfolding in beautiful and gracious ways. She has no interest in giving up or sitting idly by as the world marches on. She will never rest on her laurels or assume her accomplishments will suffice. She knows where her true joy resides, and one day, her joy will be complete.
I believe that very many of you can relate to that faith, and for that, I am truly grateful. I am also grateful for those of you who struggle to relate to that because you are here and the Spirit is speaking to you. Today is the day that matters. To God be the glory. Amen.