Elizabeth Achtemeier - "The Word of the Kingdom" (July 15, 1990)

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	(organ music)	0:00
	(upbeat organ music)	1:12
-	Grace and peace to you in the name	2:07
	of the Lord Jesus Christ.	2:08
	We welcome you to this service of worship here	2:10
	at Duke University Chapel on the	2:12
	sixth Sunday after Pentecost.	2:14
	Recognizing that many of you may be visitors	2:16
	to our campus for the first time,	2:18
	we wish you a pleasant stay and offer our assistance	2:20
	to you in any way that we may be helpful here at the chapel.	2:23
	Our guest preacher for this morning's service	2:27
	is the Reverend Doctor Elizabeth Achtemeier,	2:28
	who is adjunct professor of Bible and Homiletics	2:31
	at Union Seminary in Richmond, Virginia.	2:34
	She is no stranger to this pulpit,	2:37
	having preached here on a number of occasions.	2:38
	The author of 15 books, she is a well-known	2:41
	preacher and lecturer.	2:44
	We also welcome her son Mark, who is currently enrolled	2:46
	at the doctoral program here in the Department	2:49
	of Religion, as our lector for today.	2:51
	We are indebted to Ms. Jane Lynch, who is serving	2:55
	as our guest conductor of the Summer choir	2:57
	for the next three Sundays,	2:59
	and to Doctor Thomas B Clark III our guest organist.	3:01
	The flowers in front of the altar today	3:05
	are given by Chuck and Susan Vansant,	3:07
	in honor of their grandparents.	3:10
	And now let us continue our worship.	3:12
	♪ O come ye servants of the Lord ♪	3:20
	♪ And praise his holy name ♪	3:25
	♪ From early morn to setting sun ♪	3:30
	♪ His might on earth proclaim ♪	3:36
	♪ His might on earth proclaim ♪	3:39
	♪ O come ye servants of the Lord ♪	3:44
	♪ And praise his holy name ♪	3:50
	♪ From early morn to setting sun, ♪	3:55
	♪ His might on earth proclaim ♪	4:01
	♪ His might on earth proclaim ♪	4:04
	♪ His laws are just and glad the heart ♪	4:09
	♪ He makes his mercies known ♪	4:15
	♪ Ye princes come, ye people too ♪	4:21
	♪ And bow before his throne. ♪	4:28
	♪ And bow before his throne. ♪	4:33
	(organ music)	4:45
	♪ Ye servants of God, ♪	5:19
	♪ Your Master proclaim. ♪	5:22
	♪ And publish abroad, His wonderful name. ♪	5:26
	♪ The name all-victorious of Jesus extol. ♪	5:34
	♪ His Kingdom is glorious, and rules over all. ♪	5:42
	♪ God ruleth on high, ♪	5:52
	♪ Almighty to save ♪	5:56
	♪ And still he is nigh, ♪	6:00
	♪ His presence we have. ♪	6:04
	♪ The great congregation his triumph shall sing. ♪	6:09
	♪ Ascribing salvation to Jesus, our King. ♪	6:17
	♪ Salvation to God, who sits on the throne ♪	6:28
	♪ Let all cry aloud, ♪	6:36
	♪ And honor the Son. ♪	6:40
	♪ The praises of Jesus the angels proclaim ♪	6:44
	♪ Fall down on their faces, ♪	6:52
	♪ And worship the Lamb. ♪	6:56
	(organ music)	7:01
	♪ Then let us adore, and give him his right ♪	7:45
	♪ All glory and power, all wisdom and might ♪	7:51
	♪ All honor and blessing with angels above ♪	8:00
	♪ And thanks never ceasing and infinite love. ♪	8:08
-	O Lord, God, mercifully receive the prayers	8:25
	of your people who call upon you.	8:29
	And grant that they may know and understand	8:32
	what things they ought to do,	8:36
	and also may have grace and power,	8:38
	faithfully to accomplish them.	8:41
	Through Jesus Christ, our Lord,	8:44
	who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,	8:46
	One God, now and forever, Amen.	8:49
-	Let us pray.	9:04
	Open our hearts and minds, O God,	9:07
	by the power of your Holy Spirit,	9:10
	so that as the Word is read and proclaimed,	9:13
	we might hear with joy what you say	9:17
	to us this day, Amen.	9:20
	Our first lesson is from the Book of Exodus.	9:27
	This is a description of the early life	9:32
	of Moses, setting the stage for God's call,	9:35
	which would result in his leading the Children	9:39
	of Israel out of Egyptian bondage.	9:42
	Listen for the Word of the Lord.	9:44
	One day, after Moses had grown up,	9:48
	he went out to his people, and saw their forced labor.	9:51
	He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew,	9:55
	one of his kinsfolk.	9:58
	He looked this way and that,	10:00
	and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian,	10:02
	and hid him in the sand.	10:05
	When he went out the next day,	10:07
	he saw two Hebrews fighting,	10:09
	and he said to the one who was in the wrong,	10:12
	why do you strike your fellow Hebrew?	10:14
	He answered, who made you a ruler and judge over us?	10:18
	Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?	10:22
	Then Moses was afraid, and he thought,	10:27
	surely, the thing is known.	10:30
	When Pharaoh heard of it he sought to kill Moses.	10:32
	But Moses fled from Pharaoh, he settled	10:36
	in the land of Midian and sat down by a well.	10:39
	Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters.	10:43
	They came to draw water and fill the troughs	10:46
	to water their father's flock.	10:50
	But some shepherds came and drove them away.	10:52
	Moses got up and came to their defense,	10:56
	and watered their flock.	10:59
	When they returned to their father Roel,	11:01
	he said, how is it that you have come back so soon today?	11:03
	They said, an Egyptian helped us against the shepherds.	11:07
	He even drew us water and watered the flock.	11:12
	He said to his daughters, well where is he?	11:16
	Why did you leave the man?	11:18
	Invite him to break bread.	11:20
	Moses agreed to stay with the man,	11:23
	and he gave Moses his daughter, Zipporah in marriage.	11:25
	She bore a son, and he named him Gershom,	11:29
	for he said, I have been an alien	11:33
	residing in a foreign land.	11:35
	This is the Word of the Lord.	11:38
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	11:41
-	Please stand as we join together	11:48
	in singing responsibly Psalm 31,	11:50
	verses nine through 16, found	11:53
	on page 765 in your hymnal.	11:55
	(organ music)	12:01
	♪ Be gracious to me, O Lord, ♪	12:11
	♪ For I am in distress, ♪	12:14
	♪ My eyes wasted from grief ♪	12:16
	♪ My soul and body also ♪	12:19
	♪ For my life is spent with sorrow ♪	12:24
	♪ And my years with sighing, ♪	12:28
	♪ My strength fails because of my iniquity, ♪	12:33
	♪ And my bones waste away ♪	12:39
	♪ I am the scorn of all my adversaries ♪	12:44
	♪ A horror to my neighbors ♪	12:49
	♪ An object of dread to my acquaintances ♪	12:52
	♪ Those who see me in the street flee from me ♪	12:57
	♪ I have been forgotten like one who is dead ♪	13:03
	♪ I have become like a broken vessel ♪	13:09
	♪ For I hear the whispering of many ♪	13:15
	♪ Terror all around ♪	13:18
	♪ As they scheme together against me ♪	13:21
	♪ As they plot to take my life ♪	13:25
	♪ But I trust in you, O Lord ♪	13:29
	♪ I say, you are my God ♪	13:34
	♪ My times are in your hand ♪	13:39
	♪ Deliver me from the hand of my enemies ♪	13:43
	♪ And persecutors ♪	13:47
	♪ Make your face shine on your servant ♪	13:50
	♪ Save me in your steadfast love ♪	13:55
	(organ music)	14:02
	♪ Glory be to our Creator ♪	14:10
	♪ Praise to our Redeemer, Lord ♪	14:17
	♪ Glory be to our Sustainer ♪	14:25
	♪ Ever Three and ever One ♪	14:32
	♪ As it was in the beginning ♪	14:40
	♪ Now and evermore shall be. ♪	14:48
-	Our second reading is taken	15:11
	from Paul's letter to the Church in Rome.	15:13
	This passage forms part of an extended discussion	15:17
	of life in the flesh, which is life centered	15:20
	on a sinful self in rebellion against God,	15:24
	as opposed to life in the Spirit,	15:28
	which is a life founded on the grace	15:30
	of God in Jesus Christ.	15:31
	Listen for the Word of God.	15:34
	But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit,	15:39
	since the Spirit of God dwells in you.	15:43
	Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ	15:47
	does not belong to him,	15:50
	but if Christ is in you, though the body is dead	15:52
	because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.	15:56
	If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead	16:01
	dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead	16:05
	will give life to your mortal bodies also	16:09
	through his Spirit that dwells in you.	16:12
	So then, brothers and sisters,	16:15
	we are debtors not to the flesh,	16:17
	to live according to the flesh,	16:19
	for if you live according to the flesh, you will die.	16:22
	But if, by the Spirit, you put to death the deeds	16:25
	of the body, you will live.	16:29
	For all who are led by the Spirit	16:32
	of God are children of God.	16:34
	For you did not receive a spirit of slavery,	16:37
	to fall back into fear,	16:41
	but you have received a spirit of adoption.	16:43
	When we cry, Abba, Father, it is that very Spirit	16:46
	bearing witness with our spirit,	16:52
	that we are children of God.	16:54
	And if children, then heirs.	16:56
	Heirs of God, and joint-heirs of Christ.	16:59
	If in fact we suffer with him,	17:02
	so that we may also be glorified with him.	17:05
	The Word of God for the people of God.	17:09
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	17:13
	(organ music)	17:30
	♪ Let all the world ♪	17:48
	♪ In every corner sing ♪	17:52
	♪ My God and King ♪	17:57
	♪ The heavens are not too high ♪	18:04
	♪ God's praise may thither fly ♪	18:09
	♪ The earth is not too low ♪	18:15
	♪ God's praises there may grow ♪	18:20
	♪ Let all the world ♪	18:26
	♪ In every corner sing ♪	18:31
	♪ My God and King ♪	18:36
	♪ The church with psalms must shout ♪	18:43
	♪ No door can keep them out ♪	18:48
	♪ But more than all the heart ♪	18:54
	♪ Must bear the longest part ♪	18:59
	♪ Let all the world ♪	19:06
	♪ In every corner sing ♪	19:11
	♪ My God and King. ♪	19:16
-	Our Gospel lesson is taken from the 13th chapter	19:40
	of Matthew's Gospel.	19:44
	It is the parable of the sower, told by Jesus	19:46
	and also Jesus' private explanation	19:50
	of the parable to his disciples.	19:53
	Listen for the Word of God.	19:56
	That same day, Jesus went out	20:00
	of the house and sat beside the sea.	20:02
	Such great crowds gathered around him,	20:06
	that he got into a boat and sat there,	20:09
	while the whole crowd stood on the beach.	20:12
	And he told them many things in parables	20:15
	saying listen, a sower went out to sow.	20:18
	And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path,	20:23
	and the birds came and ate them up.	20:26
	Other seeds fell on rocky ground,	20:30
	where they did not have much soil,	20:33
	and they sprang up quickly, since they had	20:35
	no depth of soil, but when they sun rose,	20:38
	they were scorched, and since they had	20:41
	no root, they withered away.	20:43
	Other seeds fell among thorns,	20:46
	and the thorns grew up and choked them.	20:49
	Other seeds fell on good soil,	20:53
	and brought forth grain, some 100 fold, some 60, some 30.	20:55
	Let anyone with ears listen.	21:01
	Jesus told his disciples hear then the parable of the sower.	21:07
	When anyone hears the Word of the Kingdom,	21:13
	and does not understand it, the evil one comes	21:15
	and snatches away what is sown in the heart.	21:18
	This is what was sown on the path.	21:22
	As for what was sown on rocky ground,	21:25
	this is the one who hears the Word	21:28
	and immediately receives it with joy,	21:30
	and yet such a person has no root,	21:33
	but endures only for awhile, and when trouble	21:36
	or persecution arise, on account of the Word,	21:39
	that person immediately falls away.	21:42
	As for what was sown among thorns,	21:45
	this is the one who hears the Word	21:48
	but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth	21:51
	choke the Word and it yields nothing.	21:54
	But as for what was sown on good soil,	21:57
	this is the one who hears the Word	22:00
	and understands it, who indeed bears fruit,	22:02
	and yields in one case 100 fold,	22:06
	in another 60, and in another 30.	22:09
	This is the Word of the Lord.	22:13
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	22:16
-	Just let me say that it is always a pleasure	22:27
	to be invited to fill this pulpit.	22:30
	And it is an honor to be worshiping	22:33
	with you this Sunday morning.	22:36
	This parable of the sower that we heard	22:41
	for our Gospel lesson this morning	22:43
	is one of a whole series of parables	22:45
	about the Kingdom of God that Jesus spoke.	22:48
	And that are now contained for us	22:52
	in this 13th chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew.	22:54
	We find in that chapter, not only this parable of the sower,	22:59
	but also that of the wheat and the tares,	23:02
	of the mustard seed, of the treasure in a field,	23:05
	and of the pearl of great price,	23:08
	all concerning the Kingdom.	23:10
	Jesus came preaching the Kingdom of God.	23:14
	That was the content of his teaching.	23:18
	And so to understand our Gospel lesson	23:21
	we need to know what the Kingdom is.	23:23
	Now perhaps we will best understand the meaning	23:27
	of the Kingdom of God if we try to get rid	23:30
	of our usual definitions of it.	23:32
	For that Kingdom of Heaven is not so much a place,	23:35
	not so much a place off there	23:39
	in Heaven as we usually think.	23:41
	Rather, the Kingdom of God is a rule.	23:44
	It is the kingship of God,	23:48
	the exercise of God's sovereignty over us.	23:50
	Jesus came preaching the kingship of God.	23:54
	That was the content of his message.	23:57
	God rules over my life, he rules over yours.	24:00
	God is the monarch over our lives, Jesus taught.	24:04
	And so the word which the sower sows	24:10
	in our parable, you see, is that Word of the Kingdom.	24:12
	That God is in charge, that he is sovereign.	24:16
	That he rules your life and mine.	24:20
	Well if God does rule over our lives,	24:24
	that is not evident most of the time, is it?	24:27
	I can think of a dozen other influences	24:31
	that seem to run our lives.	24:34
	All of those schedules with their tyrannical deadlines	24:36
	that we feel ourselves obligated to meet.	24:39
	Or the demands of home and family,	24:43
	or of job and calling, that always hang over us.	24:44
	Or perhaps even the stereotypes of race or sex,	24:49
	or economic status, that others impose upon us.	24:53
	Or we might even say, in our society,	24:58
	that the so-called experts run our lives.	25:00
	The nutrition experts tell us what	25:04
	to eat so we won't develop cancer.	25:06
	The psychology experts tell us how to raise our kids,	25:10
	or how to avoid stress and burnout.	25:12
	The fashion experts dictate what we wear.	25:16
	The sex experts invade our bedroom lives.	25:20
	And from every t.v. screen our thought	25:24
	is guided and influenced.	25:27
	It is no wonder that so many ideologies	25:29
	and philosophies these days are searching for freedom.	25:31
	For autonomy, for self-determination,	25:35
	for the chance to run our own lives.	25:38
	And when some movement or cause	25:42
	offers us freedom, we go rushing to sign up and join.	25:44
	But the Word of the Kingdom that Jesus sows	25:49
	for us is that God rules our lives.	25:51
	He is in charge.	25:54
	He is sovereign over you and me.	25:56
	Now I suppose that could seem oppressive,	26:01
	and to some even tyrannical, if it were not	26:02
	for the fact that Jesus says it.	26:05
	But the God he presents to us,	26:09
	indeed the God he incarnates for us	26:11
	in his person is a God of such undimmed love.	26:13
	He does not care a whit how we dress,	26:18
	or what we possess, or how important	26:20
	other people think we are.	26:23
	He does not care whether we are female or male,	26:25
	yellow, or black, or white, or brown.	26:29
	No, as in our Epistle lesson he says to us,	26:32
	I am your loving father, and you are	26:35
	my beloved son or daughter.	26:37
	And he cares desperately what happens to us.	26:40
	And what kind of persons we are becoming.	26:44
	Every moment he watches over us	26:48
	and accompanies our steps, and sees our future.	26:50
	And he plans that future, you see.	26:55
	He plans our future, working, prodding, guiding,	26:58
	weeping, and judging, and forgiving,	27:02
	all in order that we may finally have life	27:05
	and have it more abundantly.	27:07
	I remember so vividly the day that	27:11
	the young woman sat in my office with tears of hurt	27:13
	and disappointment coursing down her cheeks.	27:17
	The man she had thought she was going to marry	27:21
	had turned his back on her and left.	27:23
	Well I think we all have some kind	27:27
	of devastating moments like that, do we not?	27:29
	When a love fails us, or a job offer falls through,	27:33
	or a plan for the future that we so cherished goes awry.	27:38
	But in those moments, Jesus tells us,	27:43
	we are nevertheless being guided.	27:45
	God has a planned future for us, God rules our life.	27:48
	And you see, we know that because	27:54
	it is Jesus who assures us of it.	27:55
	For if ever a life seemed to end	27:59
	in shattered dreams and futility it was his.	28:01
	His mission of love and healing and teaching	28:06
	come to naught but the thirst and pain and blood of a cross.	28:08
	Denied by his inner circle.	28:13
	Deserted by those whom he had called his friends.	28:16
	But God ruled his life.	28:20
	God was in charge.	28:23
	And so Golgotha gave way to Easter morn.	28:26
	And that which had seemed futility turned	28:30
	into God's resurrection victory for us all.	28:32
	A cross which had been a symbol of death	28:37
	became the way to God's life eternal.	28:40
	And I wonder if we can remember that	28:44
	when the futility and suffering and daily disappointments	28:47
	of life walk in our front door	28:51
	and sit down in our living room.	28:53
	Can we remember that God in Jesus Christ rules our lives?	28:57
	And has a future for us all.	29:02
	Can we recall it when we worry about our kids?	29:06
	And can we trust that God nevertheless watches	29:11
	over them every moment and guides and plans their destinies?	29:14
	Will we think of it when we cannot sleep	29:20
	at night, and remember that God never slumbers nor sleeps.	29:22
	Can we trust in the good sovereignty	29:27
	of God when pain seems to rule?	29:29
	Or when we weep beside a fresh dug grave.	29:33
	God is in charge.	29:37
	God rules your life and mine.	29:39
	Indeed, I wonder if we can remember that Word of the Kingdom	29:43
	when we watch the tortured progress of nations.	29:46
	Few decades have seen the upheavals in international	29:51
	affairs that we have witnessed in the last two years.	29:54
	And all of it leaves us wondering just	29:58
	what is going to happen next.	29:59
	But then who would've thought in the time	30:02
	of our Old Testament lesson, that the Pharaoh	30:04
	Ramses II of Egypt could be challenged?	30:08
	Ramses, there with his slaves and his vast building projects	30:12
	and his picked army of horses and chariots.	30:16
	Ramses, with his counselors and magicians	30:20
	and over 2,000 years of Egyptian culture behind him.	30:22
	Would you challenge such an Empire	30:28
	with a herder of sheep from the desert named Moses?	30:30
	With one who was a fugative and murderer, at that?	30:35
	But God ruled Moses' life, you see,	30:40
	and that of the Empire of Egypt also.	30:43
	And we need to remember that midst the confusion	30:47
	of international affairs, when it seems that	30:49
	only the politicians and military,	30:52
	and multinational corporations are in charge.	30:54
	No, God rules, God is sovereign,	30:58
	that is the Word of the Kingdom from our Lord.	31:00
	And that word is the source of our hope,	31:05
	and of our courage, and of our joy,	31:09
	and of peace that passes understanding.	31:13
	But Jesus tells us, when he interprets his parable,	31:17
	that three things can take that Word away from us.	31:20
	Three conditions can leave us bereft of hope	31:23
	and courage and joy in this world.	31:26
	And the first is that we can simply fail	31:29
	to understand that God rules our life.	31:31
	When anyone hears the Word of the Kingdom	31:36
	and does not understand it, Jesus explains,	31:38
	the evil one comes and snatches	31:41
	away what is sown in his heart.	31:43
	We can just fail to understand that God is in charge.	31:45
	I wonder sometimes just where we are gaining	31:51
	any understanding in the ways of God these days.	31:54
	That knowledge used to be communicated to us	31:58
	by a largely Christian culture.	32:00
	When every school child read from McGuffey's Readers	32:03
	that God had created him or her.	32:06
	But we cannot count on the cultural support	32:09
	of our faith anymore in this pluralistic society.	32:12
	Rightly or wrongly the ACLU has seen to that.	32:15
	And the churches you see are left on their own	32:21
	to educate us in the ways of God.	32:23
	Certainly some of them are doing a magnificent job	32:27
	and are teaching us, but some of them are not.	32:30
	Some of them are preaching instead merely mental health,	32:34
	or political opinions, or the latest	32:37
	fads from their pulpits.	32:39
	As one cynic remarked, Jesus came preaching the Kingdom	32:43
	of God, and what he got was the Church.	32:46
	A distinct disappointment.	32:49
	Yes, some of our churches are failing us.	32:52
	But on the other hand, are we ourselves	32:56
	seeking that understanding of the rule	32:58
	of God that can undergird our life?	33:00
	Have you ever read a simple textbook that explains	33:04
	the basic doctrines of the Christian faith?	33:08
	Or do you ever study one book of the Bible at a time?	33:12
	With a study Bible or a commentary at hand?	33:16
	Harper and Row has an excellent one volume commentary	33:21
	on the Bible out now.	33:24
	And for the price of a dinner out and a few minutes	33:26
	a day, you can begin to educate yourself	33:29
	in the wondrous ways of this God who rules your life.	33:32
	Or for that matter, do you ever demand	33:37
	yes, demand, and I use that word advisedly,	33:40
	do you ever demand that your minister,	33:43
	or your Christian educator, or your church school teachers	33:46
	feed you and your family with the Word of the Living God?	33:49
	Heaven knows if we do not do those things	33:55
	there are, as Jesus says in his parable,	33:57
	those evil ones waiting to snatch	33:59
	away the Word of God's rule.	34:01
	Those post-Christian feminists who try to tell us	34:04
	that we are our own gods or goddesses.	34:07
	Or those supposed sophisticates who say that	34:11
	the Christian faith is nothing but a myth.	34:13
	Or those ever-present cultists	34:17
	who claim to have some better knowledge of God.	34:20
	You know them, the mystic gurus,	34:22
	the New Age religionists, the Muslims, Moonies,	34:25
	Hare Krishnas, and God help us, even Shirley McLaine.	34:28
	We understand the Word of the Kingdom in this day and age,	34:35
	or we fall victim to the fad and follies of our time.	34:38
	Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, Jesus taught.	34:42
	We have to learn.	34:47
	We have to learn what it means that God rules our life.	34:49
	And learning that every day in the second place,	34:54
	and growing in our knowledge of the ways of God,	34:56
	then Jesus tells us that in order	34:59
	to have hope and courage and joy and peace	35:01
	we must also be willing to trust.	35:04
	There are some who endure for awhile,	35:08
	he says in our parable.	35:11
	But then when tribulation or persecution	35:13
	arises on account of that word, they fall away.	35:15
	You know it's not easy to be a Christian in our society.	35:20
	To forego all the ways we are expected	35:25
	to act by our faithless culture.	35:27
	To work at a marriage, to cling to it and refuse a divorce	35:31
	and the trust that God is working in it.	35:36
	To shun easy sexual relations when they seem	35:40
	so acceptable on the soaps.	35:43
	To act toward the poor and weak and non-influential	35:47
	as if they were the chairman of the board.	35:50
	To believe that life is more than Nouvelle cuisine	35:54
	and the latest Bill Blass fashions.	35:56
	Christians in their lifestyle sometimes live	36:00
	on the tenuous edge of ruin.	36:03
	And they sometimes suffer for their beliefs	36:06
	when there are so many easy ways out of suffering.	36:09
	If only, if only they would give up that notion	36:13
	that they are responsible to God.	36:17
	Do you remember Sir Thomas Moore,	36:22
	that man for all seasons in Robert Bolt's play?	36:24
	Who by one little word, approving Henry the VIII's	36:29
	faithless marriage could've escaped the executioner's ax?	36:32
	Just before he was beheaded he	36:38
	explained his stand to his daughter.	36:40
	If we lived in a state where virtue was profitable,	36:44
	he says, well then common sense would make us good,	36:47
	and greed would make us saintly.	36:51
	But no, since avarice, anger, envy,	36:55
	pride, sloth, lust, and stupidity	36:58
	are far more profitable in our world.	37:01
	And we have to choose, in order to be human at all.	37:05
	Why then, perhaps we must stand fast a little.	37:10
	We must stand fast a little.	37:16
	He knew, you see, that a person could gain	37:20
	the whole world and lose his own soul,	37:22
	because God rules and is in charge.	37:25
	And so in the third place, Jesus tells us that	37:31
	Word of the Kingdom of hope and courage and joy	37:34
	can be taken away from us if we fail to make up our minds.	37:36
	If we fail to decide that we are going	37:41
	to let God rule our lives.	37:44
	The cares of the world and the delight in riches	37:47
	choke the Word and it proves unfruitful, our Lord explains.	37:50
	We just get too busy and too preoccupied	37:53
	with other things, don't we?	37:56
	And somehow we never get around	37:59
	to making up our minds about God.	38:01
	After all, life is comfortable.	38:04
	Some personal crisis has passed.	38:07
	And we're getting along pretty well, all things considered.	38:11
	And so paraphrasing Scarlett O'Hara,	38:15
	we'll think about God tomorrow.	38:17
	And then, each tomorrow somehow creeps	38:21
	by unnoticed, and becomes the past.	38:24
	And suddenly we are at the end of our years.	38:28
	And we look back in memory and in regret.	38:33
	And we find that our living has actually signified nothing.	38:37
	That it really has been unfruitful	38:42
	and devoid of worth in the eternal scheme of things.	38:44
	Tell me, how many tombstones in the cemetery	38:48
	do you think could God mark with a zero?	38:52
	A woman in Richmond called me some time ago	38:58
	after I had spoken on a local radio station.	39:01
	I've got to get my life in shape,	39:04
	was her only explanation.	39:07
	In other words, to decide, friends.	39:10
	To vote for God's kingship in your heart,	39:14
	and then to live as if he rules everyday.	39:16
	Yes, that is the way to peace and joy	39:19
	and courage and hope in this sin-marred world of ours.	39:21
	And it is the way to a life of meaning	39:27
	and purpose that bears abundant fruit.	39:29
	For you see, Jesus promised it, didn't he?	39:33
	And then he proved it true.	39:37
	He never doubted that God ruled his life,	39:40
	even when that cross loomed before him.	39:43
	And so that trust in the kingship	39:47
	of God now shines as a light in this darkened world.	39:49
	Where we despair of ourselves and our wrong,	39:54
	Christ's forgiveness sheds hope of new beginnings.	39:56
	Where we find ourselves weak and powerless	40:01
	to go on, Christ's strength undergirds us.	40:03
	Where we cry out in pain, or weep beside a coffin,	40:08
	Christ's resurrection proclaims an eternal life	40:14
	and Kingdom that shall not pass away.	40:17
	That is the Word of the Kingdom, good Christian friends.	40:21
	God is in charge of this wayward world of ours.	40:25
	God rules your life and mine.	40:30
	And blessed are those who hear the Word,	40:35
	and understand it, and trust it, and live it.	40:38
	For their lives will bear fruit.	40:45
	30 fold, and 60,	40:47
	and yes 100.	40:51
	Amen.	40:54
	(organ music)	41:03
	♪ For the beauty of the earth ♪	41:35
	♪ For the glory of the skies ♪	41:40
	♪ For the love which from our birth ♪	41:45
	♪ Over and around us lies ♪	41:50
	♪ Lord of all to thee we raise ♪	41:55
	♪ This our hymn of grateful praise ♪	42:01
	♪ For the beauty of each hour ♪	42:08
	♪ Of the day and of the night ♪	42:13
	♪ Hill and vale and tree and flower ♪	42:19
	♪ Sun and moon and stars of night ♪	42:24
	♪ Lord of all to thee we raise ♪	42:30
	♪ This our hymn of grateful praise ♪	42:35
	♪ For the joy of ear and eye ♪	42:44
	♪ For the heart and mind's delight ♪	42:49
	♪ For the mystic harmony ♪	42:54
	♪ Linking sense to sound and sight ♪	42:59
	♪ Lord of all to thee we raise ♪	43:05
	♪ This our hymn of grateful praise ♪	43:11
	♪ For the joy of human love ♪	43:19
	♪ Brother, sister, parent, child ♪	43:24
	♪ Friends on earth and friends above ♪	43:29
	♪ For all gentle thoughts and mild ♪	43:35
	♪ Lord of all to thee we raise ♪	43:40
	♪ This our hymn of grateful praise ♪	43:46
	♪ For the church that evermore ♪	43:54
	♪ Lifteth holy hands above ♪	44:00
	♪ Offering up on every shore ♪	44:05
	♪ Her pure sacrifice of love ♪	44:11
	♪ Lord of all to thee we raise ♪	44:16
	♪ This our hymn of grateful praise ♪	44:22
	♪ For thyself, best Gift Divine ♪	44:29
	♪ To the world so freely given ♪	44:35
	♪ For that great, great love of thine, ♪	44:41
	♪ Peace on earth and joy in heaven ♪	44:46
	♪ Lord of all to thee we raise ♪	44:51
	♪ This our hymn of grateful praise. ♪	44:57
-	The Lord be with you.	45:07
Congregation	And also with you.	45:08
-	Let us pray.	45:10
	Most gracious God,	45:22
	in Jesus Christ you taught us to pray,	45:25
	that our roots may grow deep and	45:29
	we may be firmly grounded in your Word.	45:31
	You promised that what we ask	45:34
	in his name will be given us.	45:36
	For he is the ruler of the earth.	45:38
	Guide us by your Holy Spirit,	45:41
	that our prayers for others may serve your will,	45:43
	and reveal your steadfast love.	45:46
	Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.	45:50
	Almighty God, you call us into the church	45:55
	that with women and men of different races,	45:59
	color, language, diverse experiences,	46:02
	and varying traditions, we may be one body,	46:05
	to the glory of Christ on earth.	46:09
	Help us to be all that you have called us to be.	46:12
	Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.	46:16
	O creating God, you give us wealth in the earth,	46:21
	and in the oceans, forest and fertile plains,	46:25
	air to breathe, water to drink,	46:29
	and all that is necessary for human life.	46:32
	We pray for the wisdom to care for your creation,	46:36
	and for all its inhabitants, especially	46:39
	we pray for those who know little of your bounty,	46:43
	for whom existence is a constant struggle	46:47
	against overwhelming odds.	46:49
	We acknowledge that we share a common humanity.	46:52
	Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.	46:56
	O redeeming God, you have called us to love one another,	47:02
	but because we do not know how to love everyone,	47:06
	you tell us to start with the brother or sister at our side.	47:09
	We pray for any from whom we are estranged.	47:14
	Bless them and bless us in our	47:17
	future relationships with them.	47:20
	We pray for our families, our friends,	47:23
	and all whom we meet and with whom we work day by day.	47:26
	Their particular needs we ask you to bless them.	47:31
	Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.	47:35
	O sustaining God, you are present	47:39
	in every part of human existence.	47:43
	We lift before you the infant lying in a parent's arms,	47:46
	all newlyweds planning their future together,	47:50
	young graduates searching for a life's vocation,	47:54
	the sick and the infirm battling with weakness and disease,	47:57
	and the dying, soon to experience your new creation.	48:02
	Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.	48:06
	O reconciling God, we pray for those lands	48:11
	where brother and sister fight sister and brother,	48:14
	divided by arbitrary borders, ideology, or religion.	48:18
	We pray for those lands where extremes	48:22
	of wealth and poverty are bitterly divisive.	48:24
	We pray for those lands where power is abused,	48:28
	and the dispossessed bear the heaviest burdens.	48:31
	Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.	48:35
	O eternal God, we remember before you all who have died.	48:40
	As we all received from you the gift of life,	48:45
	so we pray that you will bring us to life eternal.	48:49
	Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.	48:53
	O Lord our God, accept the fervent	48:57
	prayers of all your people.	48:59
	In your boundless love, look with compassion on us	49:02
	and all who turn to you for help.	49:04
	For you are gracious, O lover of souls.	49:08
	And to you we give glory, O Blessed Trinity,	49:11
	now and forever, Amen.	49:14
	And now in the spirit of thanksgiving	49:19
	for the mighty acts of God, let us offer	49:21
	our gifts and ourselves unto God.	49:23
	(gentle organ music)	49:30
	(organ music)	50:46
	♪ My eyes for beauty pine ♪	50:54
	♪ My soul for God's grace ♪	51:00
	♪ No other prayer nor hope is mine ♪	51:08
	♪ To heaven I turn my face ♪	51:16
	♪ One splendor thence is shed ♪	51:43
	♪ From all the stars above ♪	51:50
	♪ 'Tis named when God's name is said ♪	51:59
	♪ 'Tis love, 'tis heavenly love ♪	52:09
	♪ And every gentle heart ♪	52:38
	♪ That burns with true desire ♪	52:46
	♪ Is lit from eyes that mirror part ♪	52:55
	♪ Of that celestial fire. ♪	53:04
	(powerful organ music)	53:20
	♪ Praise God from whom all blessings flow ♪	53:56
	♪ Praise him all creatures here below ♪	54:02
	♪ Alleluia, Alleluia ♪	54:08
	♪ Praise him above, ye heavenly host ♪	54:17
	♪ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪	54:23
	♪ Alleluia, Alleluia ♪	54:30
	♪ Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia ♪	54:37
-	Holy God, we praise your name.	55:04
	Let the heavens be joyful and the earth be glad.	55:06
	We bless you for creating the whole world	55:10
	and for your promises to your people Israel	55:12
	and for the life we knew in Jesus Christ your son.	55:15
	Born of Mary, he shares our life.	55:19
	Eating with sinners, he welcomes us.	55:21
	Leading his followers, he guides us.	55:24
	Dying on the cross, he rescues us.	55:27
	Risen from the dead, he gives us new life.	55:29
	Send us your Holy Spirit, that your people may become one.	55:32
	Unite us in faith, inspire us to love,	55:36
	encourage us with hope, that being made one	55:40
	with Christ, we may be one with each other,	55:43
	and one in ministry to all the world,	55:46
	until Christ comes in final victory.	55:48
	We praise you, Almighty Father,	55:51
	through Christ your Son, in the Holy Spirit, Amen.	55:53
	And now let us pray as children of God.	55:58
	Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.	56:01
	Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done,	56:05
	on earth as it is in heaven.	56:08
	Give us this day our daily bread,	56:11
	and forgive us our trespasses,	56:13
	as we forgive those who trespass against us.	56:15
	And lead us not into temptation,	56:18
	but deliver us from evil.	56:21
	For thine is the Kingdom, the power,	56:23
	and the glory, forever, Amen.	56:25
	The peace of God, which passes all understanding.	56:30
	Keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God,	56:34
	and of God's Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,	56:37
	and the blessing of God Almighty,	56:41
	Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, remain with you always.	56:43
	♪ Amen, Amen, Amen. ♪	56:53
	(organ music)	57:13
	♪ Praise to the Lord, the Almighty ♪	57:52
	♪ The King of creation ♪	57:57
	♪ O my soul praise him for he is thy health and salvation ♪	58:03
	♪ All ye who hear now to his temple draw near ♪	58:15
	♪ Join me in glad adoration ♪	58:25
	♪ Praise to the Lord ♪	58:34
	♪ Who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth ♪	58:37
	♪ Bears thee on eagle's wings ♪	58:45
	♪ E'er in his keeping maintaining ♪	58:49
	♪ God's care enfolds all whose true good he upholds ♪	58:57
	♪ Hast thou not known his sustaining? ♪	59:07
	♪ Praise to the Lord ♪	59:16
	♪ Who doth prosper thy work and defend thee ♪	59:18
	♪ Surely his goodness and mercy here daily attend thee ♪	59:27
	♪ Ponder anew what the Almighty can do ♪	59:38
	♪ Who with his love doth befriend thee ♪	59:48
	♪ Praise to the Lord ♪	59:58
	♪ Who doth nourish thy life and restore thee ♪	1:00:01
	♪ Fitting thee well for the tasks ♪	1:00:09
	♪ That are ever before thee ♪	1:00:14
	♪ Then to thy need ♪	1:00:21
	♪ God as a mother doth speed ♪	1:00:25
	♪ Spreading the wings of grace o'er thee ♪	1:00:31
	♪ Praise to the Lord ♪	1:00:41
	♪ O let all that is in me adore him ♪	1:00:44
	♪ All that hath life and breath ♪	1:00:52
	♪ Come now with praises before him ♪	1:00:56
	♪ Let the amen sound from his people again ♪	1:01:04
	♪ Gladly forever adore him. ♪	1:01:14
-	Let us go forth in the name of the Lord.	1:01:33
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	1:01:37
	(upbeat organ music)	1:01:41

Item Info

Title:

Elizabeth Achtemeier - "The Word of the Kingdom" (July 15, 1990)

Description:

Sermon start time: (Part 1) 22:27. Sermon end time: (Part 1) 40:59.
Because we can only find meaning through God, we must dedicate ourselves to him and learn about the word so that we can give our lives any meaning. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: “We understand the word of the kingdom in this day and age or we fall victim to the fad and follies of our time.”

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4th8c313

Date:

July 15, 1990

Speaker:

Achtemeier, Elizabeth, 1926-2002

Liturgical Calendar:

Pentecost

Biblical Book:

Chapter and Verse:

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 VHS-0190
ref8811_n7i
uachapelsermaud
duke:321648
dcrmv001182
ark:/87924/r4th8c313
38b29fca-358c-4ec5-8aa8-8769416f0b0a

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings, 1954-2005

Language:

English

Location:

United States
North Carolina
Durham (N.C.)

Format:

Provenance:

The Duke University Chapel Recordings were transferred to the Duke University Archives beginning in 1970.

Rights:

Limited Re-Use

CC BY-NC 4.0

Rights Note:

This recording may contain 3rd party materials, such as music or readings that are therefore not covered by the Creative Commons license indicated here. For more information see https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/research/citations-and-permissions.

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Elizabeth Achtemeier - "The Word of the Kingdom" (July 15, 1990)

Transcript

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Duke University Archives

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