Many Peoples, Many Gods

 Read Genesis 10

There are a lot of people named in this chapter.  We don’t know how many daughters were born during this time, but surely about the same as there were sons.

But in this culture, at this time, people focused on the sons.  Even when Jesus came, a man’s name often included the name of his father.  Do you remember Simon Bar-Jonah?  That’s how Jesus addressed Simon who would be called Peter after he professed Jesus as the Christ.

The link from father to son was an integral part of Hebrew society.

What is not included in this chapter is that most of these named people fathered lines of people who made up their own god or gods as they filled the world. They did not carry the name of the one true God with them.  They made up their own.

God’s own people would live in the lands where false gods were worshiped. The world did not know the one true God.

Let’s turn the clock ahead a few centuries to that pagan world and remember the story of God’s people.

Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.

Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods. But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac, and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt.

‘Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out. When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea. But they cried to the Lord for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.

“‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land. When Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you.  But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand.

 “‘Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave them into your hands. I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow. So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’

 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

We say those last words almost every Sunday, but do we realize that we have false gods all around us?

Hold on.  I haven’t seen a temple for a false god anywhere.  I don’t see signs on the highway calling me to worship Baal.  What false gods?

Here’s a big one:  Money and its first cousin—stuff.  We want the abundance of things in this world.  The good news for us is that God tells us if we truly seek him, he will also give us many of the things that the godless people have made into their gods.

Here’s another one:  Fame.  I don’t know too many famous people, but I do like attention.  I like it when my post gets 1000 likes or my tik tok video goes viral.  We like people to like us and make us feel good.  Sometimes it’s ok.  Sometimes, we like it more than we want God.  That’s when it’s become a false god.

How about idols and icons?  Only in America could we have a television show called American Idol and not think twice about it.  How about idolizing a football player or an actress or a rock star?

We can enjoy sports, have a favorite team, and even like a particular artist more than others, but once they take center stage in our lives, they are coming dangerously close to being a false god.

America is so materially blessed that even when we complain about inflation and the economy, we have more than most people will ever know.  We are spoiled when it comes to blessings.  Sadly, we often forget the One who has blessed us and make the things with which we have been blessed into our gods.

How do we not do this?

Again, we look to Joshua.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

If we will seek God and his kingdom and his righteousness, God will be with us wherever we go.  We don’t have to look for divine guidance in the world that we go into—we bring God with us.  His Spirit lives within us.  We are never alone.

That’s not the way the story unfolds as we go through Genesis.  For most of the people of the earth—you just read about the first few generations—they would seek or make or worship other gods.

Remember, that we gather here each Sunday and do our best to live each day to the glory of God because of one line of people who brought the one true God with them wherever they went.

Sure, they messed up a bunch, but God was always present.

Be familiar with the generations, but know the one true God who is faithful through all generations.

Amen.

The Story Continues

 Read Genesis 10

Shem gets us to Abram, Abraham, who gets us to Christ, but much of the early story centers elsewhere.  Among those children and grandchildren of Noah, was Nimrod.

Ham brings us to Nimrod. Nimrod takes a leading role in much of the ancient world.  He was regarded as a great hunter but his line included the builders of cities. Among all of Noah’s offspring, Nimrod was probably the most powerful and revered by worldly measures.

Those descending from Japheth started their own dialects, perhaps before the Tower of Babel was conceived. We also see what are described as maritime people.  Surely, people spread across the land and the sea as they filled the globe.

And there is mention of Canaan.  We don’t see the curse placed upon him manifested at this point, and wonder if it was something other than material things.  That one stays in the box of unanswered questions.

And so, what do we do with these names and generations?  We don’t see Moses or Abraham on the list.  So, what do we need to take home from our reading?

How about the story continues?  How about everyone contributes ins some way? How about it’s more than grist for the mill?

The Boggy Cumberland Presbyterian Church was organized on August 13th, 1899.  Beginning with only 13 members and a supply pastor, Reverend T. S. Cosey, the church met in the Boggy Schoolhouse, which at that time was a half-dugout.  Cosey left the church two months after it was started and Reverend J. L. Joyner, a local farmer, became the church's second pastor.  His starting salary was $82.50 per year.  After a few years, the church met in a school building two and one-half miles east of Burns Flat.

Reverend Joyner served through 1911 and the following year the church was without a pastor but added 23 new members following a revival.  Reverend M.C. McCullough and Reverend B. P. Butler served as pastors in 1915.  There is no record that the church had a pastor from 1916 through 1922.  Reverend M. C. Scrudder served the church from 1923-1924.  Reverend Elmer Kelly then served as pastor from 1925 through 1949.

In March 1929, the Boggy, Novice, and North Burns School Districts consolidated and began building a school in Burns Flat.  The Boggy Cumberland Church found themselves without a meeting place and purchased one acre of land near the present-day high school.  In six weeks, the church had completed a 34' X 40' basement, furnished it with pews, and began services in the new location.  This project began with only $20 in the treasury.

Following a revival in late September 1930, the church decided to erect a church building over the basement.  Lumber was ordered on October 1st, 1930 and six weeks later the building was completed all through donated labor from the Methodist, Baptist, Church of Christ, Catholic, and Presbyterian churches.  Reverend Kelly reported as many as 38 men and boys from these churches gave their labor and the sanctuary was completed with only $400 of debt.

Let’s skip a few decades.

In the 1980s, the front entrance and steps were constructed.  Beneath these concrete steps lie the original steps to the Boggy School where the church first met.  In the 1990s, the church considered a new building program but opted for remodeling of the church to include a ramp and rails on the north entrance to the building and remodeling of the basement and educational unit.  The church borrowed $20,000 for the project and quickly repaid the loan.  A dedication of the work and open house was held on 22 March 1992.

Again, we leap forward.

By 1999, the church again experienced growth and arrived in a new century considering its options for expansion.  Our pastor was Jim Fisk.  The first area of growth addressed was in the area of supporting our ministries with the purchase of a church van.  A $10,000 loan was taken from the bank and repaid 8 months later.  The van has been instrumental in supporting our youth and in other church activities.  In the summer of 2000, the van hauled members of our church and the Living Waters, Assembly of God church on a home-building mission to Mexico.  The fundraising for this trip was supported by the entire community.

While church growth is often charted in terms of attendance, buildings, and vehicles; another sort of growth was concurrently taking root--small group ministries.  On a Saturday afternoon in the spring of 2000, Jim Fisk led a brainstorming session of about 50 members--adult and youth alike--searching for areas where we could better do the work of the church.  Evening Bible Study and Women's Bible Study joined an already strong youth program that has sustained them.  Participation in gathering food and gifts during the holiday season increased and other small group ministries were tried for shorter periods.   In 2001, a series of training sessions were conducted for the church elders.  Concurrently with these small group ministries, committees were revitalized and among them, the building committee began exploring options for expansion or new site development.  During this time, the church adopted its motto, "God's Love in Action."

As we considered our own future, we received assistance and support from the Cumberland Presbyterian Board of Missions.  This consisted of periodic visits and consults by Reverend George Estes and some monetary grants to accelerate our revitalization.

In late 2000, the church session met to consider purchasing Don's Grocery Store but felt that the asking price for the property was more than the church could afford.  The property became available at auction in 2001 and the church purchased it with what had been set aside in the building fund and a $37,000 loan.  The church also sold the manse a few months later and used the funds to pay off the loan.  Workdays to clean up debris and remove some interior walls were conducted once the purchase was finalized.  The church held a lawn chair service a few weeks after the purchase and a September 11th prayer service in the somewhat austere conditions of the building.

Having done yeoman's service in producing building plans by the year's end, the building committee encountered the first of several external obstacles--a revised building code.  Revising and obtaining final approval of the plans compliant with the new code would take almost another year, but the time was not lost as subcommittees began exploring options for furniture, appliances, carpeting, and numerous other details required to make the transition complete.  Also during this time, the church purchased several used pews from a church in Tuttle and transported them to Burns Flat.

In the middle of the building project, the session reluctantly accepted the resignation of Jim Fisk so that he could return to Arkansas and be closer to his family.  Services and ministries continued with church members of all ages stepping forward to lead services or help wherever help was needed.  A pastoral search committee was formed and the church was blessed to find Duawn Mearns after only a few months.  Duawn and his wife Honey accepted the call to minister in Burns Flat in the summer of 2003.

By 2003, workdays had resumed and contracts were finalized.   Construction and remodeling continued through the spring of 2004.  Pews were recovered and seating arrangements were revised for the new sanctuary.

A drive-through awning was added in front of the church, a steeple was placed atop the roof, and a cross donated from the Methodist Church building was lighted and placed next to our church name. What had been a store building only months before was unmistakably a church.  On June 20th, 2004 the church held its first service in the newly remodeled building.  A few weeks later, a dedication service was conducted on the evening of July 11th, 2004.

Many of you know the first two decades of this century personally.  Our ministries expanded, at one time enumerating over 50 ministries of various shapes and sizes.

Some served for only a season or two.  Others continue today.

We are a people set on pleasing God, knowing his word—the full biblical witness, serving others, growing in grace, and being known by our love.

Those are goals and objectives and things and places to which we look forward.  Sometimes it is good to see how we got there—to look back momentarily.

Not every person listed in Genesis 10 has a landmark story, but they get us to those who do.

Not every part of our local history comes with a marque headline, but they get us to those that do.

Sometimes the story is just that the story continued.  It could have all come to an end with the flood, but God preserved a remnant, from which he would choose a special people, from whom he would send forth the Savior of the world.

Today may not be your birthday, wedding anniversary, graduation day, the day you pay off your house or car or student loan, but it is the day that the Lord has made.

We are called to rejoice and be glad in it.  We continue the story of God’s relationship with humankind and our part, however big or small we think it is, is part of the story of taking God’s love to the world.

Our story is part of God’s reconciliation of all things to himself.

Our story is about trusting the Lord over our own understanding.

Our story is about being known as Christ’s disciples by our love.

Our story is part of the story of God’s relationship with humankind.  Sin didn’t enter the world through us.  We didn’t build an ark.  The law did not come through us.  Our blood did not atone for the sins of humankind, but all of these are a part of our story.

Bringing up your children in the way they should go is a part of the story. Faithfull tithing and giving generously beyond the tithe are a part of the story. Taking love to some who seem beyond God’s love is part of the story that is now our story.

Being known by our love in a generation where the love of many has grown cold is part of that story that goes back to God saying, “Let us make man in our own image.”

It may seem like just another day or week or year, but this day and this week and this decade is one lived as part of the story of God’s relationship with us.

We don’t remember the names of everyone listed in the Bible.  We don’t remember every day that we have lived.  But they lived and we lived and we are all part of the same story, and it is a good story.

Hang in there.  Press on towards the goal.  Today may not be the best day ever or worst day ever, but it gets us one day closer to the coming of our Lord.  It is an essential link in the chain, step in our journey, or prelude to the glory that awaits us. Hang in there.

Next week we are building a tower to heaven.

Amen.