 Rev. Matthew J. Hook |
Going
Deep, Part III:
Asking the Right Question Sermon:
Scripture: |
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This is the third part of our series, "Going Deep" in your discipleship, living deeply the life to which God has called you. Just as the ocean beckons us, just as the Grand Canyon calls most people to see what lies below, you and I are being called to a deeper life in God. Whether or not we are satisfied with where we are in life, we are usually comfortable with where we are spiritually. But our God is calling us to move from that comfort zone to a deeper love, a deeper connection to people, a deeper response to the world around us. The Christian faith is deep: beautiful and immense, beckoning, powerful, mysterious, and not usually too comfortable. A beautiful old hymn describes:
Many of us now, just like Christians throughout history, need help in diving in with our whole being. Many of us are not experiencing that incredible love. John Wesley, mocked for being so methodical in his ways of living out his faith, gives us a beautiful way to respond: Worship, Devotion, Acts of Mercy, and Acts of Justice. The last two weeks we talked about the "vertical response" to God: corporate worship and private devotion. God wants that, but God also wants us to live out our faith in our "horizontal" relationships, loving our neighbors as ourselves and showing that love in practical ways. A sick man went to the doctor’s office with his wife. The doctor examined the sick man and ran some tests while his wife waited in the reception area. When the doctor emerged with a concerned look on his face, the wife became anxious. "Doctor, will my husband be okay?" she inquired. "I’m afraid your husband is very ill," the doctor replied. "He has a rare form of anemia, and if it is left untreated, he will most certainly die from it. However, there is a cure." "A cure?" "Yes. With rest and proper nutrition, the disease will go into remission and your husband should live for many more years. Here’s what I want you to do. Take your husband home and treat him like a king. Fix him three home-cooked meals a day, and wait on him hand and foot. Bring him breakfast in bed. Don’t let him do anything that you can do for him. If he needs something, you take care of it. Give him a back rub in the morning and a full-body massage every evening. Oh, and one more thing. Because his immune system is weak, you’ll need to keep your home spotless at all times. Do you have any questions?" The wife had none. "Do you want to break the news to your husband, or shall I?" asked the doctor. "I will," the wife replied. She walked into the examination room. The husband, sensing that something was wrong, said: "It’s bad, isn’t it? What have I got?" His wife answered, with a tear in her eye: "The doctor said you’re going to die…and there’s nothing we can do." Some of us say we love others, but we bow out when it comes to putting that love into action. Jesus loved us by giving us the truth, serving us, and laying down his life for us. His love in action opens up the way for us to have an abundant life. Paul wrote: "Have this attitude in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a bondservant, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:5-8). Jesus showed us by his works who he was, and who God was. His entire life was an act of mercy for us, before we even knew him. According to a recent poll, at least 7 out of 10 people among your friends, coworkers, and motorists passing you in their vehicles on the freeway say they believe in God. That is a significant increase in just the past decade, up 11%. Half of those people also say prayer is important, and more than half believe in miracles as manifestations of the power of God. At the same time, police struggle to gain control of illegal drug use, deadbeat dads and road rage. We are torn by hatred, terrorism, gangs and poverty. Welcome to our world. In this mix of faith and unfaith, we Christians are called to live out the meaning of Christ’s teachings. We’re not always clear on how to live Christ’s way in such a conflicted world. Many politicians profess Christianity, but there is a feeling that the Christian teaching to "turn the other cheek" will not work in the tough world of politics and international relations. Some people think that our faith is a good personal thing, but not good for our nation and the world. John Wesley believed that if the love of God is turned loose on the world, it can impact everything. We need not check our Bibles at the door of our businesses, political arenas, negotiations, or where we find ourselves. The gospel can be strong medicine for nations founded on greed and power. Just ask Rome. Christianity was a major factor in its demise. What were the Christian’s greatest weapons? Acts of mercy and good works shared with others. James writes about faith and works, and that faith without works is dead. It appears to be starkly different from what Paul writes to the believers in Rome and Galatia. A little theology: Paul wrote down the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Justification means "to pronounce righteous," or to line up with. By Christ dying for our sins, we have been justified, or found innocent, or pronounced righteous before God, or we now line up with God. Ephesians 2:8-10 states: "For by God’s grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what God has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." The innocence we experience before God is due to nothing we have done ourselves. It is 100% from God. James, by saying in verses 18 and 19, "You have faith; I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do," is not saying you’re okay, I’m okay. He is not saying there are two ways to salvation, faith and works. He is speaking of an individual who claims to have faith, but whose faith has not produced any change of life. The "faith" James is challenging us to avoid is the kind that exists as intellectual acknowledgment of God without trust in God that generates response. James states strongly against people who claim this kind of faith: "Even demons believe—and shudder." It is not enough to know. The demons knew who Jesus was. Satan believes in Jesus, but that doesn’t save him from anything. That kind of faith is seen in people who, despite their claims to "believe" in God, are unresponsive to the needs of their brothers and sisters. It is faith in a vacuum. If we think "faith" is a mere profession rather than a way of life and love that could only make sense by summing it up as "faith," we don’t really have true faith. True faith that saves us also transforms us. The theological term for this transformation is "regeneration." A regenerate person puts their belief in action. A regenerate person asks the right question: "What is God’s will?" Not "What is God’s will for my life?" Do you see, the subtle shift of focus makes all the difference to going deep in our faith and God’s love. In the face of our world today, we don’t ask: "What is God’s will for my life?" We ask: "What is God’s will?" There is a letting go of self, and in the process, we discover the abundant life God calls us to. We discover purpose in our lives. We become part of a bigger, deeper plan. Ask this question throughout your day: What is God’s will? After the worship service, what is God’s will, and what can I do to work it out? Who needs to be shown mercy? Who needs someone to speak to them tonight? Who needs to hear an encouraging word or receive a hug? Who needs the warmth of Christian fellowship tonight? In the car on the way home, or better yet, in the parking lot, who needs to be shown mercy? What is God’s will when I get home tonight, or go to work tomorrow, or when I’m at school tomorrow? How is God’s will unfolding around you (because it is, sometimes despite appearances)? Where is God at work? Look for that, and how can you hop on the bandwagon? It’s more than just random acts of kindness. It’s mercy. It has little to do with our feelings in giving. It has nothing to do with reciprocity. It has everything to do with true, saving faith that brings about transformation, and a depth of living that produces good works, strength for living, and ever-increasing dependence on God. Have you attempted anything lately that has forced you to rely on God? Have you bit off anything that was too big for you to chew, and had to simply trust in God? As you and I practice acts of mercy, selfless giving, drawn out of our response to God, as you and I go deep in living out our faith in the world, we will need God’s strength. It takes two strong arms to hold on tight. As we go deeper in living out our faith, we need his strength, almost as if it were scuba gear. Think of it this way: if you are still splashing around on the surface, you don’t need his gear. Belief in action. True faith fulfilled by good works. Asking the right question: What is God’s will? Living out acts of mercy in every situation, simply because of the amazing, vast ocean of God’s love for you and me. Amen.
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