Describe Yourself--Final

Certain of God’s Presence: Exodus 33: 12-18; 34:5-8; Heb.4: 14-16

            This week has been devoted to a final push of class work for my master’s in theological studies. One of the first intensive classes this week was called Cultural Perspectives on Death and Dying. I know, that sounds so uplifting, right? On the second day of class, we had a guest speaker who truly brought us all to tears and taught us the importance of God’s presence in our lives. His name was Shadi Haddad. He is a Syrian Christian refugee. His home and life were destroyed in the civil war that has raged there for years. 

            Some of the more powerful and heart-wrenching things he talked about was that even in the midst of all the war and turmoil, they all still tried to have a normal life. He would leave for work every day and his wife would take the kids to kindergarten. The difference, he said, was that he told them goodbye every single day as if it would be the last day he would see them alive. They never knew when a bomb would strike the block they lived on, their faith community, or the kindergarten his kids attended. He talked about being a refugee and the struggle: his kids speak Dutch and have no concept of where they came from. His home, life, and entire community in Syria have been obliterated off the face of the planet. But his story is not an isolated incident—almost 900,000 share the same trauma of death, destruction, and untold suffering in just this one crisis.

            There was a lingering question Shadi in all of this: how certain is your faith in God’s presence when you have nothing else left in your life? His responded that he was the most certain of God’s presence when he had nothing else left. There are two ways we see this presence in the scriptures for today: God as an assurance to Moses, and God as the intercessor in Hebrews. 

            Moses was a very smart leader, but he was not always a very trusting leader. When we think of Moses and his interactions with God, we need to remember that this is the man who needed a literal, talking, burning bush a few feet in front of him in order to do God’s will. And yet, I think we all joke about Moses but find ourselves needing that assurance in our lives as well, so let’s not give Mosses too hard of a time. When we encounter Moses in this scripture, we see that he’s still struggling with this idea of fully believing God. One would think the aforementioned burning bush would be enough, but I suppose we all get a bit forgetful and wonder what God has done for us lately. Moses wants another sign. God, if you’re there, how do we know you will be with us all the way into the promised land. 

            Essentially Moses, though he’s literally talking to God, wants a sign that God’s presence will be with him and the Hebrew people as they go from where they are now into the promised land. God assures him, “Yeah, Moses, I’ll be there.” But Moses doesn’t miss a beat, “WELLLLL…are you sure about that God? Cause it could be really bad if you don’t. You know we’re the chosen people and all, so people are going to talk if you don’t show up for us like you said you would.” God assures Moses again that God will be with them. Moses then demands to see God’s glorious presence as a guarantee. He still needed more assurance from God. We read in chapter 34 where God reveals that very presence to Moses, and even that glimpse of the power of God’s presence made Moses’ face glow and his hair turn white. The fullness of God’s presence was overwhelming and nearly undid him. 

            In times of doubt, dismay, suffering, these are the times we should remember and know the most that God is present with us, for God has assured us always of that presence. Pastor Rick Warren has a tough teaching on God’s presence. He writes, “God doesn’t owe us an explanation for everything, and actually, what I’ve found is that explanations don’t comfort. What comforts is the presence of God, not the explanation of God.” There’s a bit of sharpness in that quote, but it’s true. God could have explained the next steps to Moses in the gravest of details. But Moses didn’t need a holy roadmap. He needed to see and feel the very presence of God, to know that God was there and would not leave him. For us, it is no different. We need that same assurance and awareness of God’s presence. 

            But it is different because we also need God as intercessor as Hebrews tells us. So that we all have the same definition, an intercessor is one who intervenes in prayer on behalf of another. Hebrews refers to Jesus as the Great High Priest. In ancient days, the Jewish people had a temple and deep inside was the Holy of Holies. Only the chief priest could go in at the appointed times, after being properly prepared, and be in the very presence of God to submit prayers and offerings on behalf of the people. There was a separation between the people and how they could experience God’s presence in their lives. They had to rely on the chief priest. Jesus, in his love and gift of grace on the cross, broke that barrier down. There are no extra steps to get to God’s presence. There’s not a layer of middle management between us and God in the form of a specially called chief priest. 

            You can summon up your faith and pray directly to God any time you want and need. You can pray as much as you want, any time you want, in many ways, in Jesus’s name, Amen. The truth of the matter is that there is no long road to get to God. Any barrier remaining between us and God, you and I have most likely built. God does not take that holy presence away from us and leave us to suffer. We may not get the answers we want. We may have to wait for God’s timing. We may not have an easy road completely free of suffering and pain, but in every moment—good, bad, and painful—God is there. 

            Hebrews, then, tells us to come boldly to the throne of God, who is gracious, who is merciful, and who will give us grace when we need it most. I’ve often counseled and talked with people who said they felt like God is no longer there. There are a number of inappropriate responses to this: blaming them for not “feeling” God, questioning their faith, telling them their suffering is trivial at best. Some of these responses I have unfortunately offered in my ignorance. But the truth I have come to know is that we won’t get the burning bush and blazing glory every single day of our lives. We may not even get the still, small voice. But still through those times all is quiet, God is there, and will never, ever leave us. 

            Each time I think of God’s presence, I think of that look on Shadi’s face through the computer as he described bombs going off everywhere, fearing for his kid’s lives day in and day out, having to escape and leave his wife and kids behind to prepare a place for them in Holland. The only thing he had to rely on to keep his family safe across the thousands of miles that separated them was prayer and God’s presence. There was nothing left but him and God. 

            When there is nothing else left in life but faith, will we still find the faith to trust in God’s presence in our lives? I asked myself that question the whole time I wrote this sermon. That question can be tough for us in the struggle of life. I pray, then, that we will all find the strength to say with resolve, “My Jesus, I love Thee. I know Thou art mine.” Most of all, though, I pray that we remember God is always there in every single moment of life, and God is still there even if nothing else is left. That’s the promise we can hold on to forever. 

 Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/292521305948996

Describe Yourself, Pt. 3

I Am Called to God’s Justice: Micah 6: 6-8; Matt. 28: 16-20

            It is always fun to watch a congregation squirm when they start hearing the Micah 6:8 scripture. Usually when church hears this read, they know exactly what’s coming. It’s like when you’re at a tent revival in the summer heat and hear the scripture about there shall be two in the field and one gets called up to heaven by God. You hear this, and you know exactly what kind of sermon is coming. And even as the sigh of relief comes with the end of those three verses in Micah 6, your eyes shoot back open and the whole church gets waves of panic hearing that the Great Commission scripture is next. Both? In one Sunday? Is it even legal for the pastor to do that kind of double whammy? As the resignation to get through sets in, you watch the congregation look around as if to say, “Alright, who sinned so badly that it caused all of us to get BOTH the justice scripture and the Great Commission in one Sunday?” 

            My friends, let me put you at ease. There’s no social justice-fire and brimstone-missionary overseas-call to get out there coming for you in the sermon…today at least. I think the best path to take with Micah and Matthew is to look at the question, “What now?” I’ve heard it a lot in the past few days and weeks as we find a new sense of normalcy in our world. As precautions and restrictions for COVID are eased, as the protests of last summer give way to a bit of calm, as things get a little quiet and go back to a routine, we may find ourselves asking, “What now?” 

            I’ll give you an example. I’ve spent the better part of a year working from home or the church office. Am I now expected to return to commuting 580 miles per week to and from my office? Our churches are pretty much fully open…so will people come back and how will worship look with this new-found online presence? Do I just go right back to the routine of my usually Friday dinner at the Mexican restaurant? What now? What do we do now? What I’ve found is that the discomfort of 2020 has given way to the dis-ease and dis-temperament of 2021. Every group I’m in whether work, church, my circle of friends, everyone is just a bit on edge and irritable. It’s like the folks back in Micah’s day. 

            The whole of Micah 6 is an indictment of the people of Israel. While this heavily quoted scripture sounds nice, if you go back to verse three, you find God saying this: “Oh my people, what have I done to you? What have I done to make you tired of me? Answer me!” God here is quoting their questions of old days seeking how to truly follow God…what should we do? God has told you: do justice, love mercy, walk humbly. But those days of old are gone, and the people of Israel do not care what they should bring to God or do for God. The whole of the people and God as their leader are uncomfortable, uncertain, and unwilling to work together with God for what is holy and right. 

            And so, beginning in verse 9, God proclaims the evidence and pronounces the verdict. They are guilty. Some translations in verse 13 have God saying he will wound the people, but some say it this way, “Therefore, O people, I will ruin you:” justice without mercy, justice without humility, justice for a people who wanted nothing to do with those three things: justice, mercy, or humility. So, what now? For Israel, after two more minor prophets, God went silent until the birth of Jesus in Matthew. 

            Perhaps the way to reinvigorate our life today is to take to heart a portion of the Great Commission. Matthew 28:20 says, “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.” Sometimes we teach the new disciples, and sometimes we give the old disciples a refresher course. We are to obey all the commands given…and the Lord has told us what is good, and what he requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly. 

            Is it right for us to dwell in anger and irritation? Is it right for us to continue in old ways with old prejudices? Is it merciful for us always be giving a piece of our mind? Is it merciful to use accountability as a weapon instead of as a tool for growth? Do we actually choose justice, mercy, and humility, or do we simply hang a cute plaque of these words on the wall that we got on discount at Hobby Lobby? 

            God’s call here is not a sentiment or feel-good phrase. It is a wake-up call for a world and a church that is tired, confused, struggling to find its way in a world where its authority is waning. What now? What are we to do—burnt offerings, bow down, bring our best rams and calves, bring rivers of olive oil? These people even offered to sacrifice their children at some point Micah tells us. No, God doesn’t need us to act a fool to be fixed! Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly—that’s what God has said. 

            You know these requirements got a lot easier with Jesus. I imagine he drew upon these prophetic words of Micah when he told the people that all of God’s law and requirements boil down to two things: love God and love your neighbor. Eventually we will have to leave our sanctuaries, our homes, our neighborhoods. This is what we take with us. This is how we live our faith in the world. It’s not the sermons we preach. It’s not in the shouting, “I go to church!” It’s not even in the “like and share” things on Facebook that remind everyone of your beliefs. 

            No, faith is known and told by who we are (our character) and how we live Sunday at noon through next Sunday at 10 AM. That’s how you teach people of Jesus and his love. You live it in your character and in your daily actions. There is no better pattern for that life that what God has given us: do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly. But if that is a bit much to remember, Jesus made it even simpler when he taught the people what all of God’s law really comes down to: Love the Lord with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. This is what is good. This is what God has called us to and requires of us, each and every one. 

            I know at the beginning of this sermon I told you it would not be a hard-hitting whammy given both of those tough scriptures. I guess I spoke too soon there. Oops. Maybe I can excuse it by saying I wanted to give you all the mercy part before I got to the justice part? The truth is that we should not see these two scriptures as a double whammy, but instead, as a double portion of opportunity. As the old hymn says, “Tell me the old, old story of Jesus and his love.” It is quite simple to tell this story. Go out and teach that God has told us what is good: do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with the God who loves you.

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/395265278497130

Describe Yourself Part 2

Made for a Purpose: Jeremiah 1: 4-8; II Tim. 1: 3-11

            When I moved to Georgia, I was told there is an old saying to describe three of the largest, oldest cities. If memory serves me correctly, it goes a little something like this: “In Atlanta, they will ask you what your business or trade is; in Macon, they will ask you which church you belong to or grew up in; and in Savannah, they’ll ask what you want to drink.” Now, having spent time in all three of these cities, I have learned that AT LEAST ONE of those questions is asked in every single one of those cities. I’ll give you a hint…it’s not the church question. Each of those questions gets to the heart of something—your purpose for being there, whether it’s work, faith, or the never-ending party atmosphere of the coastal city. 

            Whether we realize it or not, just as we learned God created and wanted us last week, God has also made us for a purpose. You’re not “just here.” You’re here for a reason that you and your Creator can jointly work on. For some, we have one, overarching life purpose. In all of my jobs, I seem to work with the over 50 crowd. I’m fine with that. Some are called with gifts of song, speech, wisdom, leadership, the ability to bless. Some of us have one life mission, others of us have many small purposes to which we are called at any given time. But the truth remains: your presence on Earth is no accident, nor is it without reason. You were made for a purpose.

            One of the scriptures most often quoted to show this idea of God’s purpose is Jeremiah 1:5, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Now, obviously, God is speaking directly to Jeremiah here, and not in general. But with a little logic work, one can reason that if God knows Jeremiah before birth and set him apart for a purpose, that same God knows us and calls us according to our purpose as well. 

            Imagine that connection. God created you, gave you new life in Christ, wanted you to be his very own, and now we learn actually has a reason for your presence here on earth which God designed before you were ever born. II Timothy picks up on this same idea of being called. Paul writes to Timothy in verse 9 that God has saved us and called us to live a holy life. But even as Paul discusses God’s gift, which is grace, Paul also discusses God’s plan. See if this brings to mind the same words Jeremiah heard. Paul writes in verse 11, “And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News.” 

            Paul had a very strong and distinct sense of his calling. He feels this calling from God all the way through his life from the time he was converted on the Damascus Road. He felt all of his life how God has chosen him to preach, teach, and lead. And Paul followed that purpose. He was beaten, yet he followed that purpose. He was imprisoned, still he followed that purpose. He was nearly killed, and he followed that purpose. Eventually, as we read here, he was imprisoned for good and finally executed. And yet, even from the horror of an Ancient Roman prison, Paul writes to Timothy of his purpose chosen by God. 

            My friends, if God has called Jeremiah, and God has called Paul, God has called you and me as well to a holy purpose. For some of us that could be one over-arching purpose. We are called to teach in life. We are called to support those who struggle in mind and spirit. We are called to bring the therapeutic gift of music. We are called to show others how to find balance and peace in a weary life. We are called to use our blessings to make our community better. We are called to be prophets who speak a tough word to folks who need challenge in life. Each of us will have at least one purpose in life. Don’t squander it. Jeremiah tried so hard to avoid his call, saying he’s too young. God had none of that. You are never “too” anything for God to work in and through you, if you are willing to let him. 

            Paul even writes to Timothy about his own purpose, which I think can give us a nice starting point or direction. In verse 8, Paul writes that Timothy should be prepared to tell others about the Lord, to have no shame doing so, and to even be ready for when that voice of witness brings suffering. Paul spent his whole life testifying about Christ’s grace, and the lawyer in him never seemed to back down from a fight, even when it landed him in trouble. He’s telling us all to be unashamedly, unapologetically Christian in the world we live in. 

            Paul is also telling Timothy to turn to God’s strength to stand for God’s truth in the world, to let God’s strength help him be unashamedly and unapologetically for Christ, even if the world opposes, even if others who supposedly share the faith oppose. Sometimes we get so caught up in believing the world outside the church is attacking that we forget Christ was executed by the religious. Paul was most strongly opposed by the faith leaders with whom he was once partnered. Throughout the centuries, it is not those outside who fought the church, but those supposedly within the fold who did the most damage. That is why Paul so strongly warns Timothy never to be ashamed and to always be ready for suffering to come his way. 

            But Paul also says something powerful in verse 7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” In calling us to be unashamedly and unapologetically for Christ, God also calls us to be bold, to speak with the fire and thunder of heaven, and project a faith which increases Christ over self and love over law. Paul stood for what he believed was right in his calling from God. He was cast out of towns and cities. He was banned from his own church at Corinth (which he founded). He was challenged by the Galatians, Ephesus, and other places, and exiled off to a prison far away in the belief he would be forgotten. But never once did Paul abandon his call, nor did he abandon God’s church or people. He unapologetically and unashamedly spoke and stood for Christ in his unwavering love and commitment to those whom he shepherded and ministered with, and that, my friends, was no easy calling. 

            You were created by God, and you were created anew in Christ. But you are also made to live a purpose which God planned for you from before you were even born. Over the years, perhaps, you’ve lost your way; perhaps you’ve turned to other things that clouded that purpose and dulled God’s voice speaking to you. Perhaps there’s been so much struggle and trauma that you don’t even know if you can still hear that still, small voice speaking to your heart. God has never stopped speaking. God has never stopped calling you. Can you hear it or feel it? Will you listen? Before you were born, God made you for a purpose—to start at the point of being unashamedly for Christ, sharing love, and teaching the Good News in word and action. What is the purpose God has made for you? It’s never too late to find out. 

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/875343336388497

Bonus video! HEM & FCC HymnFest: https://www.facebook.com/TheHemsters/videos/276890464131756

Describe Yourself (Pt. 1)

“I Am Created By God” Gen. 1: 26-31; Eph. 2: 1-10

            On my Dad’s side of the family, there are folks with great carpentry, masonry, and home building skills. They can take the wood, the cement, and other materials and make houses, barns, and fantastic things. When I was little, I decided I would try my hand at this as well. So, I took some old wood scraps, some plaster, a hammer, and nails. Before I go further, this was the point in life that I learned the old phrase, “You can do and be anything you want,” is quite true in theory, but might not necessarily work out in practice. 

            I hammered, plastered, and molded this small monstrosity of a something while dad was off working somewhere else. I started to pick it up and the whole thing fell apart…except for what I had accidentally nailed to the floor which thankfully had not been carpeted yet. I learned two things. First, I could follow Jesus in every way but that carpentry part. Second, though God gives us all creative skills, we are not all meant to be the master creator that God is. When we talk about creation, there are two things we must remember: we are created in the image of God, and we are God’s masterpiece—wanted by God—and created anew. 

            There are times we forget the true majesty and amazing power of God’s creation. The story becomes part of a Sunday School lesson, or a childhood Bible reading. But the Genesis story of creation gives us a very clear picture of just how fantastic creation is. Verse 27 says, “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God, he created them.” When God first created us, we were made fully and completely in God’s image. That’s no small thing. Now, you may be wondering about the whole woman taken from a man’s rib part of the story. That’s in chapter 2 of Genesis. The Book of Genesis tells the creation story in different detail in both chapters one and two. Here, we see the boldest statement: humankind is made in God’s image. All of us…every single one of humankind. 

As part of that creation, we were made to have a special relationship with God. Verse 26 says we were made to be like God. We are also told that we are to be in charge of God’s creation—stewards of what God has created. Not only are we made exactly as God desired and imagined us to be, like God himself, we are vested with the call to care for God’s creation here on earth to the best of our abilities. 

So, what went wrong? Where did this story of creation and perfection go off the rails? Ephesians tells us that this tipping point was when we became burdened with disobedience and sin. Many of us here in church have followed God for years, attended church weekly, read our Bibles. And yet, I’m willing to bet we can still remember a time when the desires of our hearts were drawn to something a little less holy…perhaps a bottle, perhaps a drug, a disillusionment, a bitterness or pity and anger. There are so many things in the human experience that can cloud the miraculous relationship we have with God. I bet, though, in the back of our minds, and even as I say it, we all have the one or two things we can think of which make us swallow a bit hard because they weren’t our finest moments. 

In all of those moments, and all of the subsequent relapses, God’s love always continues to pursue us, for God created us in his image. There’s more to that idea. If God created us in his image, it means that God wanted us, perfectly imagined and created us exactly as he, the master of creation, wanted us to be, and not a single mistake was made in how God envisioned us. Now bear in mind, I’m not necessarily talking about your physical appearance. God has many appearances, including wind, fire, a blinding presence, a human or angel, and even a burning bush. What’s important is that God fashioned who you are, your mind, your heart, and your soul in God’s image. 

There’s a hope in knowing that God wanted us, calls us, and even in our ugliest moments of life, never stopped pursuing us. We can turn our backs all day long, stop believing, nose-dive off the high board into the pool of sin to wallow around all day long, but God never stops calling to us, pulling at us to come home, encouraging us to be yielded to God’s holy will, or convicting us if we truly need it. The point is, no matter how far we run or tune out, God never gives up on us and will wait until we are willing to come back to our Creator. 

Because of that love of God, we are told that God “has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago,” in verse 10 of Ephesians. When I made my spackled, wood-glued, nailed to the floor monstrosity, I was so frustrated by its failure that I threw it out in the garbage and swore never to do anything like that again. God, however, got the last laugh after I bought an 80-year-old house in need of constant repair. But then God knows best, as we see even as creation failed, God offered a way to be created a new and have that broken relationship restored—to be made whole again with God, the Creator who loves us. 

God sees us as a masterpiece. Ephesians 2:10 tells us such, “For we are God’s masterpiece,” and the only part of creation made in God’s image. What does this mean for us? Just as God created us anew, we should be willing to create anew in our lives. I think for many people church is seen as a requirement or burden. We’ve always done it. We are expected to “do church.” Perhaps for some of us our parents drug us to Sunday School, church, fellowship time, evening service, youth group, Wednesday Bible Study and the gossip session (I mean prayer circle Thursdays). 

Maybe church and faith can be created anew for us. A friend’s church decided that once a month, they would “create anew” in ways that made a difference. So, they started on that one Sunday meeting in their fellowship hall to sing and pray over a service project even as they worshiped. The first month they put together backpacks for the schoolkids. Another month they did gift bags for a nursing home up the street. All the while they were serving, they sang hymns, prayed, read scripture, and at the end shared communion before going home. Soon, those services were the best attended that they had—filled with ministry to the church and mission to the community around them. 

Sometimes faith takes a bit of imagination. I’ve heard the hymn “Amazing Grace” hundreds of times now in my life and ministry. You would think, by now, it would be old and tired. Yet every time that fourth verse rolls around, “When we’ve been there then thousand years…” I feel a knot in my throat and need a deep sigh to get through. It’s a reminder that we can still feel God’s soft, gentle voice calling to each and every one of us, who are made in God’s image and created anew by his love and sacrifice. 

I may have made a mess of my own creation and tossed it out in the trash, but God is the master creator and Christ is the merciful redeemer. There is no trash with God—only something to be salvaged and refurbished. As we give up on our own way (which usually leads down the sinful path anyway) and let God have control, God promises we will be created anew and reimagined into the masterpiece God designed us to be. Praise be to God—the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. 

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/508945933578252

Something More...(Final)

Something to Testify About: Isaiah 6: 8-13; I John 5:9-13

            In the legal world we have a phrase called voir dire. If you’re using the Old French, it would be “vwar DEAR.” If you live in the South, it’s “VOR-dyer.” But regardless of the accent the wording gets the meaning of the phrase is what’s important. Voir Dire is the time when attorneys question jurors about whether or not they are a good fit to sit on a particular case. It means, literally, “to speak the truth.” And so, to this phrase, there are two parts: the truth, and speaking. Both of those are present in our scriptures today which call us to our own form of Voir Dire—a call to speak the truth. 

            The scripture in Isaiah for today is a very harsh word. Most of the time we read up to the very powerful and climactic part where the Lord’s voice asks, “Whom shall I send?” And Isaiah, in response to God’s call to be a messenger to the people, responds with power and strength, “Here am I, Lord, send me!” It’s grand and powerful to finish with this call. Pastors love to emphasize it especially when we want to guilt trip the congregation into an evangelism project. But then God yanks the rug out from under us and Isaiah.  

            God tells Isaiah to say to the people, “Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely but learn nothing. Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes.” Isaiah’s call is to preach so that they will not understand, preach so that they will never listen, preach so that they will not turn back to God. Isaiah is not being sent as the prophet to save the people. He’s being sent to pronounce and execute God’s judgment. I often wonder how long it took them to realize something was badly wrong, but it’s not Isaiah’s prophetic capabilities that are the problem for them. Isaiah was called to speak the truth, but in this case, the truth was a harsh reality. 

            In the New Testament we hear the message of hope given to us to speak. When we say our own, “Here I am, Lord, send me,” it’s a very different message from Isaiah. Our prophetic word is the vast, unmatchable, and transforming love of God. It’s a message to the people of a love and grace so powerful that it turns even the hardest heart. Isaiah was called to harden the people’s hearts so that judgement would fall upon them for their wickedness. We are called to the exact opposite—to speak the truth of a love that saves and reconciles those who are broken and empty to a God who offers wholeness and redemption. That is a truth we can all rejoice in. 

            So, what does I John say that our truth really is? It’s spelled out in verses 12 and 13: “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s son does not have life. I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.” The truth we have is that we have God’s spirit to give us life now and God’s promise of eternal life later. This is a powerful truth and message for us, and it’s a truth we must listen to. 

In Isaiah’s day, the King was named Ahaz. God sent a word of truth and power to Ahaz that when Assyria rose against him and the neighbors of the kingdom started trouble, that God would give the victory over all of them and keep Ahaz and the people safe. Ahaz refused to listen to this truth that God would be with them, would give them victory, and would be their hope and stay. He chose truces with Assyria and other empires and kingdoms instead in a frantic attempt to ward off an attack. The truce with Assyria brought peace, but at the cost of full control by Assyria including religious control. Ahaz built altars to false gods and turned his heart to political answers instead of God’s truth. 

Truth is found in believing God’s promises and how this is done is through our trust. Isaiah was given a message of doom and tragedy. He had to trust God enough to go and preach it to the Israelites, confounding them and turning them away to their own destruction. We are entrusted with a message of life and hope, and we must believe God that the promises of I John 5 are true. 

One of the things I was talking with another pastor about the other day is that we’ve lost this idea of speaking or testifying about our faith. Churches have, too often, become very insulated places. All of our friends go to church. Everyone we know is Christian, has a church home, goes regularly. Part of speaking the truth, of testifying, of “evangelism” as it was called in the olden days is coming out of the bubble we live in to talk about love and grace, hope and welcome with those who are not like us. 

Centuries ago, this idea looked like conquering non-Christian peoples and converting them at the edge of the sword. If the choice is between being stabbed to death and conversion, I’m sure you’ll have good new member numbers. Even a few years ago, this idea held sway in watered down versions. People who disagreed or thought critically were shunned because it wasn’t expected you would read and analyze. You were meant to parrot back the church line, not read and engage and think about God’s word. I remember once in youth group that we were organizing for an “evangelism mission.” The question came up what we should do if people didn’t want to listen. Our youth leader, who could be abrupt at times, said we should tell them that they’d end up in hell frying like sausages. I didn’t go to the event after that. And I stopped going to youth group. I heard the project was a bust.

The message we are given is a message of hope and life. Like Paul we are to tell others (and let them see it in our lives) of this love that transforms hearts and minds. Christ brought us a message of compassion not compulsion, a message of hope over hell, a message of welcome over punishment and exclusion, and a message of love. The prophets of old were sent to warn the people of God’s coming wrath. We are sent to tell of the Good News that death, wrath, and all manner of bad things are swallowed up in Christ’s victory. 

When Isaiah heard the word of God asking whom God would send to the people, Isaiah was quick to say, “Here I am, Lord, send me.” But it was to be a bitter prophesy to the people. As we respond the same asking God to send us to the people, we are reminded that it is a word of hope we take with us—that Christ died and rose again so that we might have life. Each time a lawyer enters the courtroom, he or she has an opportunity to voir dire (vwar-DEAR) or voir dire (VOR-dyer)—depending on where you are—a jury. Those words call to us as well—to speak the truth. God’s truth is plain: Christ came to give life here and eternal life beyond here. God stands ready, asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to the people? Who will go for us?” What will your answer be?

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/793242774659487

Something More... (Part 5)

Something More Than Defeat: Psalm 98; I John 5: 1-6

            A few years ago, a friend of mine was going through a mopey, whiney time of life. He wasn’t clinically depressed, or at least the doctor said not, but he was still down in dumps, or as my grandmother used to say, he was “down in the doldrums of life.” Now his mother was a wise, wise woman. She knew when to offer comfort, when to offer strength, and when to give a good, hard push. So, one night he called her moping and whining about, complaining about everything despite having a rather good life. Finally, his mother gave a truly startling response. She said, “Well, son, I don’t know what to tell you, you’re just gonna have to suck it up, deal with it, and get on.” He was, at first, shocked that she didn’t speak sweetly and comfortingly. But this good, hard push is exactly what he needed to overcome this defeat he was bringing on himself. 

            Friends, as we continue our series on something more, we are reminded that faith teaches us to live in the knowledge that Christ has given us victory over trouble, sin, and even death itself. We do not have to live in a place of defeat and doldrums because there is power in blood and victory in Jesus, to quote the old hymns of the church. This morning we look at two things that remind us of our victory. The first is overcoming the defeatist attitude in our life and our being, the second is testifying to this hope that we have. 

Overcoming defeatism in our lives is not easy. Sometimes it’s just a belief we are convinced of, and sometimes it’s tied to deeper psychological issues. Medicine and therapy can deal with those issues and struggles (and I stress the need for this if those issues are diagnosed), but for the spiritual side, we must change our hearts and minds from a belief of ultimate defeat to a mindset of victory in Jesus. In 1952, a minister from New York, named Norman Vincent Peale, published a book titled, The Power of Positive Thinking.” It became widely panned by psychology for being pseudo-science. It was panned by theologians as being just a bit theologically wonky (that’s a technical term). But the general public loved it…including several presidents and well-known ministers. 

Much of the book is probably not going to solve every problem you face in life; however, there is a bit of validity to the idea that if you fill your life with defeat and negativity every single day, you will end up with a self-fulfilling prophecy. Psalm 98:2 rejects this negativity and proclaims, “The Lord has announced his victory and has revealed his righteousness to every nation!” Consider this, if you fill your body with huge amounts of sugar every day, you’re going to become sick and diabetic. If you eat significant quantities of raw chicken, you will likely end up with salmonella poisoning. If you eat healthy and exercise the most likely outcome is (usually) good health. Likewise, if your spiritual intake is constantly filled with evil, suffering, defeatism, and negativity, you will have no room for the goodness, and the wonder of God’s love and presence. The past year and pandemic have taught us so clearly, that whatever Godly wisdom or worldly foolishness you fill your mind with, there is where your faith and growth in God will go. 

            Our faith is very simple in so many ways— “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God,” we hear in verse 1 of I John 5. The second verse adds to this: “We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey [God’s] commandments.” Sometimes obedience comes in hearing God’s call to some kind of ministry or mission. But sometimes, obedience is having the faith to respond when God calls (much like my friend’s mother), “You’re gonna have to suck it up, trust me, and get on.” 

            This tougher side of God is a bit harder of a pill to swallow sometimes. It’s easy when we talk about God being loving and supportive and warm, but sometimes God can sound less warm and gentle and more like a drill instructor. Look at how many times Moses was given tough directions. Look at God calling out to Jonah in his defeatist, angry time. Look at God wrestling with Jacob. God is going to get our attention, and God is always going to win the battle with us. The good news is, God gives us victory too, through our faith, and through our work to follow God and Christ’s example in this world. 

Therefore, we can sing God’s praises and feel our spirits lifted at the reminder that God has conquered all the evil of this world, and we testify to that great hope we have. The Psalm calls us to “sing a new song to the Lord, for [God] has done wonderful deeds.” Over and over the Psalm talks about life, earth, and creation singing God’s praises for God has “won a mighty victory” and “shown his saving power.” I John 5:4 says it most clearly, “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we can achieve this victory through our faith.” That is a powerful point we can share with others. No matter how troublesome things are here and now, the end of our story is victory, joy, and hope.  

            For many of us, that’s where we need to live—in the reminder of hope, in the reminder that life is not about ticking away the minutes until we die. Our time here is about making the most of every situation, proclaiming the love of God at every single turn, and embracing this hope that there’s something more than being plunked in the grave and that’s it. God has made a promise that there is something more than death and defeat, and we are to have faith in that promise. In living that faith, we love, embrace, help, heal, and strengthen those on this earth who are in need, just as God gives us strength and help and healing when we are in need.  

            One of the many empowering things I found in this church is a number of strong mother-figures who have led, supported, and guided me and this church with great wisdom from God. One of those was a lady named Barbara Wright. She died in 2012, so many of you would not have even met her. She was a hoot to be around. I’ll never forget visiting her one Sunday after church. She was so overwhelmingly excited, and as I learned, not necessarily by my visit, though she was happy to see me. By this time of her life, she was taking regular chemo, was on oxygen, and rarely got out of the house except for a few short trips. But this day she was bubbling with joy. She wanted me to come and look at her new washing machine. She had bought a new, front-load washer with more buttons on it than an airplane. And she had read the instruction book cover-to-cover to know exactly what each and every one of them did. 

            I’m sure I must have looked a bit funny. She said to me that she knew it might seem silly for a woman of her age and condition to buy such a thing. But with a smile she added that she’s only going to die once, and every other day she gets to live, and by golly, her clothes will be good and clean when she gets to heaven. Sometimes in life, we have to remember that God has overcome defeat, overcome death with life, and so we can tap into that holy and heavenly power to still ourselves for resolve, deal with it, and get on. Each time we do, the God who created all of earth, offered grace to humankind, and loved each and every one of us will be there to give us the strength and hope over and over again. May God bless you this Mother’s Day. Amen. 

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/2231270913677063

Something More... (Part 4)

“Something More than a Feeling” Proverbs 3:3-4; I John 4:7-21

            During college I filled in as the musician at a small country church for one and only one Sunday. I’ve never told this story before. As the choir warmed up the hymns, two of the 9 choir members began to have a disagreement over how a hymn should be sung. I stopped playing to give them room to fight over the speed and a couple of perceived wrong notes (though they were all a bit out of tune). After yelling insults back and forth, expounding on their varied knowledge of music, the two came to final crescendo of the fight. One threw her hymnal down and declared that she was leaving for good. As she was storming out the back, the other one wadded up her bulletin and hurled at the back of the one walking out and yelled, “And stay out you old cow!” And because I was not to be outdone, I started playing the hymn, “Keep on the Firing Line.” I never went back, but I’ve always been curious how things turned out. 

            In that comical but sad context we hear the words of I John 4: “Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” Or as Proverbs 3 so carefully reminds us, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you.” Love is one of the most versatile words in the English language. We can at the same time say that we love a burrito as well as say that we love the Lord with all our heart, and in both contexts, “love” means something different. Obviously, we don’t love objects or things in the same way we love God. As far as the idea of “love” as used in the Bible, C. S. Lewis wrote about the four different words or types of love that could be meant. 

            The first is the Greek word storge (storg-ay) which is an empathetic or familial bond much like a parent and child. When we think on this kind of love, we are drawn to verse 9, “God showed u show much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world.” Over and over I John talks about God sending Christ, the Son, so that we might be children of God as well. This image reminds us of God as the provider and caregiver, for as the old hymn says, “Be not dismayed, whate’er betide, God will take care of you.” Familial love is one that is supposed to be warm and nurturing but also tough where it needs to be to encourage growth. 

            In a way it’s almost pastoral as a minister relates to his or her congregation. One of our beloved, retired ministers said some very wise words to me once. In the context of families and churches, you have to remember that feelings are facts no matter how silly it may seem to you. To that person who is feeling the emotions, those feelings are stone cold facts, and you must address it as such. It’s called empathy, and that allows us to love and care by understanding from another’s point of view, not just feeling the emotion, but understanding it. 

            Similar to familial love, the next type, philia, is often described as a friendship as close as brother or sisterhood. Verse 12 says, “No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full completion in us.” This type of love is risky because it calls us to make bonds and connections of deep trust with people who aren’t family or a spouse. That kind of love is difficult because it has to grow its own foundation. It’s a testimony, though, to God living in us when we learn to love through a bond with others as opposed to obligation or mission. There’s a newer hymn that says, “Let us join our hands that the world will know we are one in the bond of love.” God calls us to trust and love one another 

             We are going to skip the third one, eros, or romantic love, and move along to the final one. You’re very single pastor is not going to offer marital advice as we’d all find that just a bit rich, I think. Lastly, then, is agape (uh-gawp-ay) love which is the highest form and the charitable, sacrificial, and unmatchable love of God. Verse 10 speaks to this, “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” Real love understands both the power of that warmth and goodness flowing from a softened, trusting heart, but also knows the risks found in sacrifice. John 15:13 says, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Now, likely, you are not going to be called to love even until you are sacrificed to death, but love can still call us to give some of ourselves. 

            I’ve often heard people say that true, Christ-like love is more than a feeling. It’s a verb, an action, something we live and do. Love is found in those who sacrifice the time to volunteer to serve meals to the poor and needy. Love is found in those who give up a little something to buy a few Kroger cards or donate to the food/mission drives. Love is found in being present when people need someone in their lives. Love is found in welcoming all into God’s house so that not one soul ever misses an encounter with Christ who loves them, redeems them, and calls them his very own. 

            Love is something we do, more than a feeling. I John gives a warning about this agape love, saying that “anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” God IS love. It’s not a feeling, not a wish, want, or lukewarm attachment. God is love. And such love casts out fear. I find so many Christians who live in fear, dread, and worry. God’s love casts out that fear. The only truly scary thing in life is that humanity doesn’t love nearly enough like God does. 

            I’ll tell you another little story about love. There was a small church of faithful people from several different religious backgrounds. They had all come to a tiny Christian church seeking love, somewhere they felt welcome, somewhere that challenged complacency but comforted the bruised soul. And as they came, they found more people wanted to come, but it was very different. There were people who looked differently, spoke other languages, had personal issues that made trust tougher to establish, who loved and lived life differently, who were well-versed in the world, but were still searching for something to touch the soul. 

            Every one of them came into this church from so many different places in life, so many varied backgrounds and understandings, but there was one thing they all soon noticed. Every last one of them wanted to find what I John talks about: God’s unconditional, sacrificial, and everlasting love that changes hearts, comforts souls, and reminds the broken that blessed are the poor in spirt. And even as they searched out for this love of God, they found, too, the importance of loving one another. It wasn’t easy because love is messy, vulnerable, and often in need of forgiveness. But soon that love from God spread all around, and everyone knew this incredible power—to show God’s love in how they lived, shared, and acted in their faith. 

            My friends, love is one of the most powerful things we have. It called Christ to the cross, it freed us from all that sought to destroy us. And it promises us an everlasting hope. And, I believe, John is telling us that God’s love truly can change the world. So listen to the advice of the Psalm: “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, and write them on…your heart.” 

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/1138031300014847

Something More... (Part 3)

Something More than Loneliness: Ps. 23; I John 3:16-24

            When I left for college, my grandmother (not Nanna) had mixed emotions. She was happy for me, worried about me, and fearful of anything and everything. I will never forget the little pep talk which included a dire warning. Because I would be alone so much, I needed to prop a chair under the doorknob so no one would break in and kidnap me. I gently and jokingly replied that it would take 6 of them to carry me off, but she was undaunted. There was this grave fear of me, her, or anyone being alone, and the dangers and anguish found in loneliness. 

            As we continue our series on “Something More…” we confront this fear head on. Many of us have struggled through the past year. We were isolated at home. For some of us that’s not a problem because we have being alone down to a perfect art form. Yet the vast majority of us are social creatures, and this whole thing was hard—the death, the loneliness, the normality turned to daily struggle. But today we look at this idea of something more. God has something more for us than suffering in loneliness. We are reminded, over and over, that God is with us as shepherd, in the interconnectedness of love, and in Christian fellowship. 

            The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 23 gives us so many beautiful references of God as our shepherd, who is close to us when we struggle. We read that there is nothing we need, we rest in the meadows, and are led by peaceful streams. We hear how God renews our strength, guides us in right paths, and keeps us from fear in the dark valley. Psalm 23 is often used at funerals because it serves primarily as a psalm of comfort and hope. 

            The imagery of God as the Good Shepherd is something more than just comforting. It is something more than a reminder of God’s provision. It is something more than a statement of God leading us. It tells us of the presence of the shepherd in all situations, in all troubles, and in all times of life. Much of the work of a shepherd is geared towards keeping the sheep safe. Lost and lonely sheep get in to trouble. Sheep without leading and guidance will always, always find danger just as often in a herd as if they are alone. The shepherd provides a presence to protect, provide, and maintain the flock of sheep. For us it is the same. There is something more than loneliness for the Good Shepherd is with us, and we are reminded that even as goodness and mercy shall follow us, that we will live in God’s house forever. That promise is something more that the nothingness of being left alone. 

            But just as we are connected to the shepherd, we have an interconnectedness with one another through love. I John speaks to this telling us that real love is sacrificial, for Jesus gave up his life for us…so, too, we ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. There is even an example: from those who are well off, there is a responsibility to care for and show compassion to a brother or sister in need. I John goes so far to ask of those who refuse to show compassion, “How can God’s love be in that person?” We see this cold-heartedness creep up in small ways: opposition to a sheltering place for those without heat or homes, an expectation that those who are less wealthy should not mix with those who are wealthy, race and income blaming, and the list goes on.  

            I John reminds us that we should not merely say we love one another, we should show the truth of our love by our actions. I will never forget being at a statewide event in high school. We had to introduce ourselves and talk about a project we were working on. The girl in front of me, who was from the big city and was clearly wealthy, talked about her school’s outreach into this nasty little town of rednecks where all the kids didn’t have shoes, full of inbreeding, uneducated hillbillies, and poverty. The town was Harlan, Kentucky. My hometown. And suddenly, it was my turn to pick my jaw up off the floor from being so stunned and introduce myself. I politely and warmly told them I had shoes, a good education, and planned to work on the evils of prejudice just like this, and even pointed to her in the process. The room was silent. 

            We are all interconnected with one another through God’s love for us, and our call to be ambassadors and representatives of that love, no matter who we are or what our station is in life. Sometimes we may feel alone and need a reminder of God’s presence. But sometimes we fight that connection with one another and with God, choosing to stubbornly go along our own pathways of life. I John warns us against this saying in verse 24 that “those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them.” Following and obeying God preserves the fellowship we have both with God and with one another. 

            Being connected with one another and having fellowship are both very important to us as God’s family. Fellowship is defined as “an association of people with a common interest.” (Google Dictionary). For us, that common theme or interest is our faith in Christ. For that reason, we cannot forsake the assembling of ourselves, as Hebrews 10:25 says, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another.” Just as we cannot forget the love and presence of the Good Shepherd in our lives, neither can we isolate ourselves and neglect our common connectedness to one another in God as well as our fellowship with God and with one another. 

            There is an old story that often finds its way into sermons, and it’s going to do so again starting in the next sentence. A preacher went to visit a man from his flock. The man had been very faithful in coming to church, serving, and participating in activities. Yet for a couple of months, he had not been coming. The preacher went to the man’s house for a visit. As it was a cold night, the man and the preacher went over and sat down by the fire. As the fire crackled and popped, the preacher suddenly took the fireplace poker and dug around in the fire for a particular piece of coal. 

            He then pulled that coal out of the fire to the edge of the hearth and left it there. At first the coal burned bright orange, but after a minute or so, it became dark and cool to the touch. The preacher took the poker and moved the dark, isolated, and lonely piece of coal back into the fire, and immediately it began glowing brightly with the flames. At this point, the preacher stood up, and put on his hat and coat to leave. The man looked up and spoke the first words of the evening, “Nice sermon, Preacher, I’ll see you on Sunday.” 

            Friends, our faith gives us a powerful connection to God where we can say, “What a friend we have in Jesus!” But our faith also makes us connected to and accountable to and for one another. Our faith is meant to comfort us when we feel alone, but also to challenge our rugged individualism and remind us that the power of God’s early church was their togetherness as told in Acts 2. So, in the presence of the God, Our Shepherd, and in fellowship together, we can say, “What a friend we have in Jesus, and what a family of faith we have with one another. Thanks be to God.”

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/2783519238566593

Something More... Part 2

Something More than Who We Are: Ps. 4; I John 3: 1-7

            I have found that there is a bonus to wearing masks besides avoiding COVID and the flu, and that bonus is not being recognized at the grocery store. Let’s all admit it…we never look our best going to buy groceries. My friend even calls it “grocery store makeup.” It makes life easier when we can run in and run out and be incognito the whole time. The trouble is that being undercover is great for groceries but cannot apply to other parts of our lives; for instance, our faith lives. We should be recognized as children of God. I find, though, that this can be difficult. First John presents it as either/or—light or dark, good and evil. But I struggle with this because humanity just kind of “is” in many ways and not radically one or the other. 

            I have seen non-Christians choose what is good and moral. I’ve seen professed Christians choose what is very bad and evil at times. What makes a life of faith—the children of God—different? From I John we learn that it’s this redemptive work, this grace in us that compels us to act in accordance with the fact that we are God’s children. We are to be something more than who we are. We are to be like Jesus. Let’s look at a few of the very, very many ways we can recognize children of God in the world. 

            First, children of God have what we can describe as eager expectation, or hope, as a basis for their actions. I John 3:3 says, “And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure just as he is pure.” Over the years I have heard various interpretations of “pure” in Biblical terms. Some have attributed it to perfection like a spotless lamb. Some have said it directly references personal, physical, and sexual purity. Some have even said it means celibacy completely. However, I think the verses before give us a better context. These verses about what we will be like when Christ appears, “but we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is,” we are told in I John 3:2. 

            Purity here, talks about the purity of our relationship to God through the redemptive work of Christ. It’s less about our personal holiness and more about the clearness of our connection to God. Christ died for us, to redeem, and to give us that closeness of relationship—not servant, sinner, wicked, or acquaintance, but child of God living in this world. The purer and clearer the path or relationship between us and Christ, the less hidden and undercover we are in the world. An old hymn speaks to this closeness saying, “Nothing between my soul and the Savior. Keep the way clear, let nothing between.” 

            For the writer of John, sin is more about those things which come between you and your relationship with Christ: failing to pray regularly, holding a grudge that keeps you from forgiveness, hating enemies. The strength of your relationship to Christ is seen through how close you are willing to be drawn to Christ—“draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord.” James 4:8 reminds us: “Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” That is how we remain pure and live into eager expectation and hope in God, through that close relationship. 

            Because of that clear connection between us and Christ, we ought to have a right spirit and, from that spirit, do what is right. Psalm 4 tells us to “offer sacrifices in the right spirit and trust the Lord.” We are given glimpses of this right spirit as it’s found in mercy, clean reputation, joyfulness, and peace. We are particularly told to check our anger. This is, perhaps, where we find out the truth of who is living as a child of God—no hiddenness, no undercover secretiveness. Is the spirit of God living in and acting through each part of us?  

            This is what truly separates the faithful from general humanity. In life, anyone can choose to do what is good and right. We can all understand ethics and finding the moral choice in a given situation. However, without God leading and guiding, life is moral anarchy. Each individual person is left to make good or bad choices on whatever belief system they have. (And everyone may end up with a totally different belief system.) For those who follow Christ, we have a right, or righteous, spirit, and we are called by God to do what is right. There is a clear and defined basis for what is right and moral. There is a book which tells us how to live Christlike in this world, and there is a call to follow God’s leading. It’s something more than who or what we are now left to our own devices. 

            I John 3:7 reminds us, “Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: when people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.” Faith does not stop at the foot of the cross. Faith goes out into the world living, serving, and showing the transforming power of God’s love. Faith, then, begins at the foot of the cross. This verse in 1 John hints as to the motivation for what we do, and why our faith is different than everyday life. We are reminded that what we do is through the righteousness of Christ. An ethical person does what is right because of their own personal ethical standards, which may change. A Christ-follower does what is right because God has called them to what is right and has called them never to stray from it. This is more than just being generally a good person—it’s a call to do what is right, just, and holy because of our Christlike love for one another. 

            I guess what I John 3 gets right to the heart of is motive. In many of the old police shows and crime mysteries, there was always talk about motive—the “why explanation” of the crime. We’ve always been curious about this: why does someone do it? I John 3 tells us we have a choice in life—to do what is right or to do what is wrong. The question we are asked is this: what is your motive for choosing what is right in this world? There can be many reasons: I’m a good person, my parents taught me, I learned it in the military or school. But here we learn that through that pure connection to Christ we are called to live as children of God in this world. That is the something more than who we are. We’re not just good people—we have a mission in faith given by a God who loves us and calls us to love and service.

            We are told to search our hearts and souls for the motivation for how we live and act. An old hymn says, “Let others see Jesus in you.” Psalm 139: 23-24 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart.” And the great Communion text in I Corinthians 11 reminds us that we should examine ourselves before God. The Bible is filled with points telling us to understand this right spirit and to be true to the motives we are given by our saving grace from God. 

            There are many times I’m happy to be undercover and incognito. Some of you have told me stories of running the other way in the grocery store when you’re on a mission to get out quickly. But our lives as children of God should never be hidden. We are called to be something more than who we are, and despite the black eye faith sometimes gets from misguided folks, it’s still something we should be proud of. Faith begins at the foot of the cross with Christ’s redeeming work. But, there is something more. Faith must go out into the world sharing that redeeming power, that right spirit, and our call to love unconditionally and sacrificially (just like Jesus) with the whole world. We are always near the cross, but always ready to take that cross with us in and for a world filled with people whom God loves.  

Service Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/768024883854774

Something More (Part 1)

Something Beyond Our Understanding: Ps. 133; I John 1:1-2:2

            One of my favorite types of books to read is suspense/mystery novels. I have always loved a good mystery. When I was young it was the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, as I got older it was Agatha Christie, then all sorts of others. And I can assure you it’s an inherited family trait. I’m willing to bet some of you like a good mystery too. You might have grown up with Scooby Doo or read mystery books as well. Or you may like a good old suspense movie trying to figure out “who done it?” Part of the attraction of a mystery is that “what’s next” feeling…the something more is going to happen with every turn of the page. 

            The Bible and our faith are often like that. We see in part, through a glass darkly, things are slowly and carefully revealed. As Easter Sunday concluded, we celebrated the risen Christ, but there’s a mystery…so now what? What do we do, how do we handle this good news, this faith we have? Surely, there is something more to be done, right? Our Easter series is designed to help you with just that question, surely there’s something more. Today we look at some things perhaps beyond our understanding, and we cover three mysteries: the mystery of how we live with God, the mystery of how we handle the weight on our soul, and the mystery of how we live together. This sermon is a little back to the basics, but sometimes it’s good to re-read the book even if we know the end of the mystery already. 

            First, we have the mystery this relationship to God. First John reminds us that “God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.” We are told in the next verses that we must live in the light to practice the truth and to have fellowship. Many of us have woken up in the dark of night before or have found ourselves in a darkened room. The routine is pretty standard. We grope around, move slowly, usually stub a toe or bump a knee. We do this for a few seconds until we can get to the nearest light. Our rush is to get to the light and turn it on because we feel safer in the light. We’re less vulnerable in the light. Instinctively we look for the light to help us find the way around the darkened room. 

            Choosing to do something in a hidden way or under the cover of night implies that what is being done is wrong, and the person knows it. There are many things we do in secret or hide away. I’ll never forget a dinner with a Baptist minister and friend who ordered a glass of wine. Suddenly he grabbed it and hid it under the table. One of his members was in the restaurant, and he didn’t want to be seen having a glass of wine as a good Baptist preacher. Live in the light. Just because bad things get hidden doesn’t make them any less wrong for us or trouble-making for others. The mystery of relating to light of God is that God already knows—you can’t hide—so you may as well be open and honest so that truth, understanding, and healing can take place. 

            That brings us to another mystery—so we have a few things hidden—how do we handle this coming into the light stuff? There really is no wiggle room, unfortunately. First John tells us in verse 9, “If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all wickedness.” The best way to be honest with God (and ourselves for that matter) is simply to confess what we are feeling or may have done. 

            Sometimes we struggle with this level of honesty. We can be angry with God, feel like God has abandoned us, feel so very confused by what God is doing. Sometimes the very thoughts and feelings within us are truly a mystery. “Why God? Why me? Why this? Why now?” We ask over and over these questions that give us pain, but still create this confusion or even guilt for questioning, struggling, doubting. God knows. Confess those struggles and feelings to God and find either peace for the suffering or forgiveness to repair the strained relationship. God is faithful and just in all things and in all ways. 

            Confess to God whether it be things hidden away, the pain, the struggles, all those repressed angry thoughts. God knows, and God can handle your openness and honesty. I remember a scene in the move The Apostle where the main character is hollering and carrying on late at night. When a neighbor calls over, his elderly mother says, “Ever since he was a young child, sometimes he talks to the Lord, and sometimes he yells at the Lord, tonight he’s yelling at the Lord.” The worst thing we can do is wander in the darkness of believing that we can hide something from God. We can hide from others, but God knows it all already. The mystery is simple, confess honestly and with a heart ready to receive whatever is needed from God. 

            Lastly is this mystery of harmony with one another. Psalm 133 tells us, “How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony.” Harmony is further described as “precious” and “refreshing.” I think we could all say that in our polarized and divisive society, a little harmony would be refreshing. I’ve heard harmony described as grace’s bank account (not the grace we get from God, but the grace we give to one another). Some days we will receive deposits because we need a little more grace in our lives when life is rough and so is our attitude. Sometimes we will have debits because those around us need a little grace in their lives when they go through the rough patches. 

            The truth is, no matter how difficult we can be, God is always willing to give us grace no matter how much we need in a given time, and there are days we need a lot of forgiving grace that comes with our saving grace. Since God is so generous, we cannot be stingy with others, for we are told that living in harmony is precious, wonderful, and pleasant. There is no real mystery to living in harmony. It is simply offering love and grace like Jesus—to be compassionate rather than reactive, loving rather than harsh, and gentle rather than pointed. 

            I think, from time to time we all love a good mystery. There are many things about faith that are a mystery to me and probably to you as well. I know that the Holy Spirit exists, but I don’t know how to humanly explain exactly what that is. I know that Jesus loved and sacrificed for you and me, but I don’t understand all the innerworkings of redemption. Sometimes the mysteries leave us hanging until we get to part two, and that’s okay. Just because some of faith is still a mystery doesn’t undo the whole of faith. God has shown us some truth in the Bible, and one day, we are promised to finally know it all. 

            What is not a mystery is that we must live in the light of God, for nothing can be hidden or secreted away from the Lord. May we be open, honest, confess our struggles to the one who hears us, gives us grace, and gives us strength. Just as there’s a plot twist in every chapter of the book, so, too, does each new day give us something more from God.  

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/307694054033215/?notif_id=1618153316876353&notif_t=page_post_reaction&ref=notif