Sunday, May 24, 2009 
Scripture Reading: Galations 1:
1Paul an apostle—sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2and all the members of God’s family* who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel* from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! 9As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed!
10 Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant* of Christ.
11 For I want you to know, brothers and sisters,* that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; 12for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
13 You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. 14I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. 15But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased 16to reveal his Son to me,* so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus.
18 Then after three years I did go up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him for fifteen days; 19but I did not see any other apostle except James the Lord’s brother. 20In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie! 21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, 22and I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea that are in Christ; 23they only heard it said, ‘The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.’ 24And they glorified God because of me.
Sermon Title: "KON TIKI" Sunday, May 24, 2009
PASTOR HUDSON: Thor Heyerdahl, an explorer, back in 1947 decided
to test a theory whether people from an ancient time
could have successfully spread their culture, ideas
and even physical presence in an inter-continental way
long before there was any will for those kind of
transitions to exist.
Heyerdahl's idea was the ancient people could
have built a water craft which allowed them to cross
continents, and therefore, move from one location to
another. He built an immense raft called a kon-tiki
to set off on this voyage using equipment only
available during that ancient time period which later
became a book.
Can you image what creativity, determination and
courage it would have involved to build that kind of a
raft and set out on that voyage? The biblical link
for me is that's the way the early church was. It was
like living in a flood tide. People truly did not
know what was coming. They understood they were
following Jesus Christ and that Christ himself had
broken new ground.
I think in some ways today we have so refined the
church that it is eminently predictable for us. We're
not wondering what's out there. We have a notion we
know where it's going and what's going to be on the
other side. In some ways, perhaps, we have lost the
captivating element of it.
In the Book of Colossians Paul speaks of people
building a raft and launching out into they knew not
what. He said we are constantly in prayer for you,
and we are asking that you may be filled with the full
knowledge of God's will and all spiritual wisdom and
understanding so that you may walk in a manner that is
worthy of the Lord.
When Paul says we should walk in a manner worthy
of the Lord, I don't think he's talking about second
and third generation kinds of things, no disrespect to
Mr. Heyerdahl, but I don't think Paul had the image in
mind of simply recreating something. I believe he's
talking about being willing to simply say, Lord, I
will make myself available to you even though I do not
know what the outcome might be.
On this Memorial Day many of us will lay wreaths
remembering those who have gone before, but to lay a
wreath by itself would be no more perhaps than what
Heyerdahl did with his raft. It would be to do that
which is safe and predictable. It takes only a moment
and then we're on with our life as normal.
I believe we need to capture in our walk with
Christ what it meant for Paul and Peter and others to
walk in a manner that is worthy of Christ, to say,
Lord, I don't want to simply do the predictable, I
want to become Christ in my generation and experience
something I never saw coming.
My concern has been for our own generation,
because of our comfort, our apathy, we would be
willing to fritter away everything the World War II
generation lived for. What that says to me is there
is a burden upon me and our generation to not just be
willing to simply lay a wreath, but to link actions to
words and step up and do what's necessary to live in a
manner that is worthy, first, of those who gave
everything so we could enjoy it and not to be
apathetic, careless or indifferent, but so too for the
church.
When we remember Christ, are we willing to
remember him both in word but also in deed? Be
willing to say, Lord, take me to the place where it's
risky, it's unknown because that's where the greatest
honor is going to be.
My prayer is we as Americans and also as
Christians will live that way because that's where the
greatest honor, not only for others, but also self
honor is to be found. Walk in a manner worthy of
Christ who gave himself for you.
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.