Sermon Notes - May 8th
May 8, 2005
“Luke 24:44-53
“You Are Witnesses”
1. Not too long ago I got a phone call long distance. It was a man who was calling me to follow up on an employment interview. I had been listed as a reference. The applicant was someone who I had hired, trained and supervised about ten years ago. He was applying for a new job.
Now, most of the time, when I get listed as a reference I don’t ever get called. But this time was different. And since the person applying for the job is still a good friend of mine - I was happy to help out. So, I answered as best I could all the standard questions. And, I even went further to describe how I had known this person and what his job had been back then – about ten years ago -- and how I thought he would be a good employee etc. etc. In other words, I really tried to give him the “big sell job” as we say.
And as it turned out, he did get the job. Although, I think he pretty much had it wrapped up already. More than likely the employer was just routinely following up – a standard procedure at many companies. But, I was impressed that he actually called me.
Have you ever had to do this? Have you ever had to vouch for someone else in terms of their integrity … or skills … or reliability? What was that like? Was it difficult … did you feel comfortable in that role? Did you feel like in a way … that you were also being interviewed … that your reputation was at stake … that your credibility was an important part of the discussion ----- For, after all, anyone can think of good things to say … but will they sound sincere --- will they be believable?
2. Well, in the Gospel lesson for today … before he ascended Jesus tells his disciples that they will be his witnesses … or, as we might say, “references” -- for in a way being a witness is also to be a reference.
So, I got to thinking of how this would apply to us … to you and me … in terms of how it might be that sometime we might end up being a reference … a reference for God … or a reference for Jesus … Could that happen?
What would that be like?
What if someone called us up … or stopped us on the street … and asked us … if we know anything about God … if we know anything about Jesus? What would we answer?
Or, suppose we got a form letter in the mail … you know with all the standardized questions. What would they be….?
1. How long have you known God or Jesus?
2. How did you get to know him?
3. What is your relationship to Him now?
4. What is he like?
5. What are His strong points? Any weak points?
6. Why would you recommend him to someone else?
3. Interesting possibilities to think about … aren’t they? Is this so far fetched, or not? Have you ever been asked by someone about your faith?
Maybe by your kids, for instance, or a member of your family, or a relative, a co-worker, a student, a friend, or even … a neighbor … a perfect stranger?
How did you answer? Were you prepared?
Chances are … even if you are not a professional evangelist – at sometime in your life … you have been asked by someone about your faith … or why you go to church … or what you think about this or that religious belief … it’s really not that uncommon …is it? And even if we aren’t the type to go out of our way to tell others about our personal religious beliefs – at some time or another we may have to testify to what we think about God – isn’t that right?
4. And, of course, for many of us … our personal religious beliefs are just that … PERSONAL (especially if we live in Minnesota where we tend to avoid going around prosletyzing others directly … and, of course, in these parts we don’t usually have alter calls for people to come forward during church to “accept Jesus Christ” either, do we? In fact, if we did, I rather think that might seem a “bit much” for many people – don’t you think?
Besides, for most of us, much of the time we go to work and participate in many community activities with a wide variety of people who come from many different religious backgrounds and many who are not religious at all -- or do not regularly attend church. And so we have learned not to talk about our religion with strangers or in public situations. It is just not considered polite.
In fact, there are even laws which prohibit discrimination in hiring people for jobs on the basis of religious background.
This issue came up actually when I first was hired by the Red Cross back in l979. During my interview -- when I said that I was a minister, one man who was a Christian fundamentalist, started asking me all kinds of questions about my religious beliefs. This made me rather uncomfortable … and finally I said “What does this have to do with the job?” Then he backed off …
5. And yet, does this mean that we should never take seriously Jesus’ words to his disciples … about being His witnesses?
Was Jesus’ message just to people back in His day … which is of no concern to us today?
And what about all the “witnessing” that goes on all of the time on television evangelism programs … and revivals … and letters to the editor in the paper … and people you meet on the street or who knock on your door?
Some of those door knockers can be pretty persistent …
One time, after I was first ordained a Jehovah’s witness came to my door and I thought, now that I am a minister that should take care of things … so I said “I don’t think I am interested because I am a United Methodist Minister.” And the man said, “Oh, we have lots of Methodist ministers who get the Watchtower!!” At that point, I gave up. He had an answer for everything!
Well, I think we all have had the experience of someone coming up on us out of the blue and asking if we have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior?
How did that make you feel? Did it seem as if they had the answer and you had to defend yourself or make excuses? Were you a little uncomfortable?
6. And what about the whole question of religious experience which seems to be the “buzz word” for a lot of people? How important is it … to be a “born again” Christian. Can’t you just be a Christian … if you were baptized and confirmed and you just go to church like everyone else even though you haven’t had some kind of gut-wrenching conversion experience?
Or, what about the fact that maybe you have had a religious experience of some kind that is so very personal and that you just don’t like to talk about with just any stranger?
For, as I have pointed out before, over half the people in this country do report some kind of mystical religious experience … whether they attend church or not. But often they never tell anyone about it because it is so personal and because sometime they don’t really even know what it means entirely?
So, are we really supposed to blab off to everyone who comes along about our own inner personal life of faith … as some people seem to do? Is that what giving testimony to Jesus Christ is all about?
7. Well, as you can see … the whole question of giving testimony or witnessing to our faith … quite often raises as many questions as it answers. And yet, are we just supposed to hide our faith under a bushel basket? Didn’t Jesus say that we are supposed to be a light unto the world?
How can we be witnesses to others about our faith in a way that has integrity and is meaningful … and yet doesn’t people off?
To help us out, I went looking for some answers and, so, here are some ideas I found which may be helpful:
First of all --- Christian testimonies are the stories told by people of faith about what God has done and is doing in their lives. Today, we often think of the word "testimonial," in which people offer their personal experiences with a product. In this case, the encounter being described is with a person-the person of God in Jesus Christ.
2ndly -- Testimonies are similar to words delivered in a court of law, usually by a witness to an event. In the case of the Christian testimony, we have as our first piece of evidence the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Notice that each of these Gospels include details not exactly matched by the others. That's because each of them saw Jesus Christ from a slightly different angle-the angle known as perspective. Because each of us is created by God as a unique individual, each of us will have a distinct perspective on the events of our own lives and the people we encounter in them.
Consider for a moment a traffic accident, witnessed by four people standing on different corners. Each of these eyewitnesses will have seen the same event, but from a slightly different angle. Therefore, each of them will be telling the truth when they testify, but each one's story will be distinct from the others. So, we don’t have to worry if everything we say is absolutely correct or the same as everyone else. What is important is that it is our own personal story.
Thirdly, Christian testimonies are often be viewed with skepticism by doubters. Sadly, that is often with good reason. Christians are people, and people are not perfect. All too often, people say they are Christians when they are not. Testimonies from these people often ring hollow or are proven false over time. But because they are "out there" for all to see, they can make it harder for the genuine testimony to find acceptance.
So, why do Christian stories and testimony matter? This is because our experience with God as a believer is exactly that our experience with God! Surely our life has been enhanced by the advice or true life story of another person. We are unique, but we have the common bond of being created by the same God. Therefore, even if we've stuffed different programs in along the way, we all have basically the same operating system! We are all bodies made by God. Our experience with God happens within our own lifetime. It happens only once, to us. God has put us here, in this place and time, in order to tell others about what He has done and is doing in my life.
As Christians, do we really grasp this? Do we understand that no matter what we are going through, whether it's joyful or painful, everything that happens to us is allowed into our life by a loving God, whose goal for us to become like His Son, Jesus Christ. So, because God wants to transform us, He allows us to follow the path it did before we became a believer in order that we would recognize His work at some point along the way. Now, seeing it, we are responsible to tell others what He has done. That is our Christian testimony! Maybe you've been a Christian for an hour, a day, or for years. What is He doing in your life now? That is our Christian testimony. We are eyewitnesses to the works of Jesus Christ in our life.
Does this make sense?
8. Now I am not suggesting that we all rush out and start looking for people to give our testimony to …
This is because first thing we need to do … is to take a look at our own life … for as someone has suggested … the best way to teach others about Christ and to make them desire to have Jesus in their own lives is to live a consistent, loving, God-centered life in front of them. If you are a good friend, a good listener, attentive to the needs of those around you and morally upright, then people will much more likely to listen to us when we tell them about God because they will see that there is something genuinely different about us.
Do you like Chinese fortune cookies? Every once in while I get one I keep …
One of them said I got one time said … IF YOU ARE FILLED WITH JOY, YOU PREACH WITHOUT PREACHING.
I like that one … especially since I am in the business of preaching …. For it is a little reminder that it isn’t just what you say … that matters … but who you are …
Or, as the famous Marshall McLuhan used to say … “the medium is the Message …”
And that, in the end, is why Jesus was such a powerful force in people’s lives … because he did what he said … for when he said God loves all people … he actually ate with the poor, and tax collectors … and healed the sick … as well as the wealthy … and famous … for the medium (Jesus) was the message …
Which is why we need to get our own house in order … before we tell others how to fix things in their own life? Isn’t that right?
9. And this has to do with the idea that as Methodists we are not just interested in “being saved” – but we are more interested in the goal of Christian life which is to grow in the love of God and of others.
Recently, I have been reading this little book called “Being a Methodist in the Bible Belt.” It’s mostly for Methodists in the middle west and south … where there are all these Christian fundamentalists who are hell bent to get you saved … literally!! And who seem to think that’s all that really matters.
The author says …that John Wesley taught that coming to faith is not the goal of the religious journey. It is important. It is critical. It is necessary. But it is not the goal. In the Wesleyan tradition, the end of the road is not an altar where one has knelt in deep repentance and accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Hooray when that happens – but it is not the end of the road.
John Wesley wrote “Our main doctrines, which include all the rest, are three, that of repentance, of faith, and of holiness. The first of these we account, as it were, the porch of religion; the next, the door; the third is religion itself.”
In other words, salvation is like a house. To get into the house, you have to first get on the porch (repentance) and then you have to go through the door (faith). But the house itself – one’s relationship with God – is holiness, holy living
10. Now, in my opinion, Wesley’s idea that we are to be “moving on to perfection” has, unfortunately, been misunderstood quite often. In fact, when I hear someone talking about perfection I want to run the other way … because there is one kind of perfection which is just plain neurotic … because it is driven by low self-esteem and abuse … and it is largely a matter a trying to outdo everyone else just to get attention … and it is also very judgmental …
This is not what Wesley was talking about …
I personally like the more modern word … “wholeness” -- which means that we are moving toward personal emotional and spiritual wholeness which includes loving ourselves (in the right way), loving God (with our heart and mind and strength) and loving others … that should be our goal.
10. Now this takes some work … and it is not going to be achieved two days after you have some kind of gut-busting religious conversion! Now don’t get me wrong I am not saying that some people wouldn’t benefit from getting down on their knees and asking for forgiveness and for God to come into their life … there is definitely plenty of the need for that … for sure!
But, It’s what happens next … that is the hard part … which is how we are to do begin to learn and grow in faith … and in trust in God …
A friend of mine has a son who is in drug treatment. He was into drugs really bad for three years. They had him in all kinds of treatment programs and nothing worked. He flunked out of high school and was kicked off the basketball team. Finally, they got him into Teen Challenge which is a very religiously based program. It seems to be working and he has been writing me letters about how he has found faith in God etc. etc. But, now he is saying that since he has found God he doesn’t need the treatment program any more since he is well. Whoahh! Not so fast …. He needs to finish the program. Just getting saved doesn’t instantly make all your problems go away … as we all know.
11. The other thing … is that not everyone comes to faith in God by the same path.
As was noted previously … we are all unique and different people … we are not all going to think and feel and experience God in the same way … after all, God didn’t make us all alike …
So when someone comes along with this one-size fits all formula and if you don’t have exactly the same kind of experience as he or she did … you are not a real Christian … I want to say … hold it … wait a minute … who says … I have to believe exactly the same as you do …
And we don’t want to be doing this to others, either …especially when we are called upon to give our testimony … or to tell about our religious faith … especially to people like our own children …
So, being a witness means being open and honest and yet being patient … and giving the other person time to ask questions … to think about it … for it’s a big subject … God is a BIG SUBJECT … AFTER ALL!
12. For example … I think about some of our newer members … who have joined the church …recently … and also some who have been attending … and maybe are thinking about joining …
Quite often it takes time to decide to join a church. In fact, I see people come here for a long time … maybe a year or more … before they are ready to join … especially if they have not been Methodists before … or if they have come from a different sized church … or a different kind of church.
It’s not something to rush into … nor do people like to be pressured into what they should do or believe … it doesn’t work that way.
Which doesn’t mean we should just ignore visitors … anymore than we should ignore people in our own family or our friends when it comes to sharing our religious beliefs …
After all … we can go too far the other way … and not say anything and people will never know what we think or believe about God … that’s not what it is about either – is it?
Rather, we need to careful how we do it … and to be understanding and patient … and to trust in the Holy Spirit.
13. And this leads me to my last point … and that is that when it comes to witnessing to our faith … it is not all up to us … for after all … God is at work in the world, too, and in our lives and in the lives of others …
It’s not all up to us … it is not all even dependent on just what we say … for God has his own purposes … and when people are ready … they are ready … and if not … sometimes we have to wait …
All we can to do really, as believers, is be open … and not rush things …
And we should not, as I said, think it is all up to us … or that we have failed if some member of our family … or one of our children … isn’t all that religious at this point in their life …
Don’t panic … be faithful … think about your own path to faith … perhaps it wasn’t all that straight either … and perhaps you maybe aren’t the one they will listen to … maybe there is someone else … who will become their pathway to faith and mentor them … as God sees fit …
14. Lastly, I want to hold up everyone here this morning the importance of the fact of just being here today … for you are, just by being here -- witnesses.
Did you ever think about it?
Just by coming to church you are witnessing to the importance of God in your life … that’s pretty big! After all … lots of people do notice that you are here today … and your presence here is a reminder to others … that they are not alone … and that none of us are alone in this business of faith … even if we don’t all have the exact same experience of God … or believe exactly the same things about who Jesus was and is …
So, when it comes to going to church … it’s just like that familiar saying …about life … THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO SHOW UP …
In the church in St. Paul where I belonged for fifteen years there was a man everyone knew. He came to faithfully every Sunday. He was a little eccentric, however, because he liked to take pictures. Every Sunday there he was click, click, click, up in the balcony taking flash photos with this big fancy camera. At first I thought, “What is this?” But, after a while, you just got used to it and nobody paid much attention because everyone liked Lou.
Lou also came to our Wednesday night dinners. He liked to talk to people and after his wife died I suspect he was a little lonely. He talked to everyone. He especially would talk to you after dinner when he would help wash dishes. If you were back in the kitchen with Lou you could be sure to end up talking with him. It was kind of like being a captive audience.
Well, when he died all kinds of people came to the funeral and many got up and talked about Lou. They weren’t even members of the church or had move away. But they all said how important it was to have talked with Lou – especially when they were having trouble in their life … Lou was always a good listener and cared about them and they never forgot how he touched their lives.
You see, that was Lou’s witness, it was his ministry. And it was all a matter of just showing up!
Let us pray …
“Luke 24:44-53
“You Are Witnesses”
1. Not too long ago I got a phone call long distance. It was a man who was calling me to follow up on an employment interview. I had been listed as a reference. The applicant was someone who I had hired, trained and supervised about ten years ago. He was applying for a new job.
Now, most of the time, when I get listed as a reference I don’t ever get called. But this time was different. And since the person applying for the job is still a good friend of mine - I was happy to help out. So, I answered as best I could all the standard questions. And, I even went further to describe how I had known this person and what his job had been back then – about ten years ago -- and how I thought he would be a good employee etc. etc. In other words, I really tried to give him the “big sell job” as we say.
And as it turned out, he did get the job. Although, I think he pretty much had it wrapped up already. More than likely the employer was just routinely following up – a standard procedure at many companies. But, I was impressed that he actually called me.
Have you ever had to do this? Have you ever had to vouch for someone else in terms of their integrity … or skills … or reliability? What was that like? Was it difficult … did you feel comfortable in that role? Did you feel like in a way … that you were also being interviewed … that your reputation was at stake … that your credibility was an important part of the discussion ----- For, after all, anyone can think of good things to say … but will they sound sincere --- will they be believable?
2. Well, in the Gospel lesson for today … before he ascended Jesus tells his disciples that they will be his witnesses … or, as we might say, “references” -- for in a way being a witness is also to be a reference.
So, I got to thinking of how this would apply to us … to you and me … in terms of how it might be that sometime we might end up being a reference … a reference for God … or a reference for Jesus … Could that happen?
What would that be like?
What if someone called us up … or stopped us on the street … and asked us … if we know anything about God … if we know anything about Jesus? What would we answer?
Or, suppose we got a form letter in the mail … you know with all the standardized questions. What would they be….?
1. How long have you known God or Jesus?
2. How did you get to know him?
3. What is your relationship to Him now?
4. What is he like?
5. What are His strong points? Any weak points?
6. Why would you recommend him to someone else?
3. Interesting possibilities to think about … aren’t they? Is this so far fetched, or not? Have you ever been asked by someone about your faith?
Maybe by your kids, for instance, or a member of your family, or a relative, a co-worker, a student, a friend, or even … a neighbor … a perfect stranger?
How did you answer? Were you prepared?
Chances are … even if you are not a professional evangelist – at sometime in your life … you have been asked by someone about your faith … or why you go to church … or what you think about this or that religious belief … it’s really not that uncommon …is it? And even if we aren’t the type to go out of our way to tell others about our personal religious beliefs – at some time or another we may have to testify to what we think about God – isn’t that right?
4. And, of course, for many of us … our personal religious beliefs are just that … PERSONAL (especially if we live in Minnesota where we tend to avoid going around prosletyzing others directly … and, of course, in these parts we don’t usually have alter calls for people to come forward during church to “accept Jesus Christ” either, do we? In fact, if we did, I rather think that might seem a “bit much” for many people – don’t you think?
Besides, for most of us, much of the time we go to work and participate in many community activities with a wide variety of people who come from many different religious backgrounds and many who are not religious at all -- or do not regularly attend church. And so we have learned not to talk about our religion with strangers or in public situations. It is just not considered polite.
In fact, there are even laws which prohibit discrimination in hiring people for jobs on the basis of religious background.
This issue came up actually when I first was hired by the Red Cross back in l979. During my interview -- when I said that I was a minister, one man who was a Christian fundamentalist, started asking me all kinds of questions about my religious beliefs. This made me rather uncomfortable … and finally I said “What does this have to do with the job?” Then he backed off …
5. And yet, does this mean that we should never take seriously Jesus’ words to his disciples … about being His witnesses?
Was Jesus’ message just to people back in His day … which is of no concern to us today?
And what about all the “witnessing” that goes on all of the time on television evangelism programs … and revivals … and letters to the editor in the paper … and people you meet on the street or who knock on your door?
Some of those door knockers can be pretty persistent …
One time, after I was first ordained a Jehovah’s witness came to my door and I thought, now that I am a minister that should take care of things … so I said “I don’t think I am interested because I am a United Methodist Minister.” And the man said, “Oh, we have lots of Methodist ministers who get the Watchtower!!” At that point, I gave up. He had an answer for everything!
Well, I think we all have had the experience of someone coming up on us out of the blue and asking if we have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior?
How did that make you feel? Did it seem as if they had the answer and you had to defend yourself or make excuses? Were you a little uncomfortable?
6. And what about the whole question of religious experience which seems to be the “buzz word” for a lot of people? How important is it … to be a “born again” Christian. Can’t you just be a Christian … if you were baptized and confirmed and you just go to church like everyone else even though you haven’t had some kind of gut-wrenching conversion experience?
Or, what about the fact that maybe you have had a religious experience of some kind that is so very personal and that you just don’t like to talk about with just any stranger?
For, as I have pointed out before, over half the people in this country do report some kind of mystical religious experience … whether they attend church or not. But often they never tell anyone about it because it is so personal and because sometime they don’t really even know what it means entirely?
So, are we really supposed to blab off to everyone who comes along about our own inner personal life of faith … as some people seem to do? Is that what giving testimony to Jesus Christ is all about?
7. Well, as you can see … the whole question of giving testimony or witnessing to our faith … quite often raises as many questions as it answers. And yet, are we just supposed to hide our faith under a bushel basket? Didn’t Jesus say that we are supposed to be a light unto the world?
How can we be witnesses to others about our faith in a way that has integrity and is meaningful … and yet doesn’t people off?
To help us out, I went looking for some answers and, so, here are some ideas I found which may be helpful:
First of all --- Christian testimonies are the stories told by people of faith about what God has done and is doing in their lives. Today, we often think of the word "testimonial," in which people offer their personal experiences with a product. In this case, the encounter being described is with a person-the person of God in Jesus Christ.
2ndly -- Testimonies are similar to words delivered in a court of law, usually by a witness to an event. In the case of the Christian testimony, we have as our first piece of evidence the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Notice that each of these Gospels include details not exactly matched by the others. That's because each of them saw Jesus Christ from a slightly different angle-the angle known as perspective. Because each of us is created by God as a unique individual, each of us will have a distinct perspective on the events of our own lives and the people we encounter in them.
Consider for a moment a traffic accident, witnessed by four people standing on different corners. Each of these eyewitnesses will have seen the same event, but from a slightly different angle. Therefore, each of them will be telling the truth when they testify, but each one's story will be distinct from the others. So, we don’t have to worry if everything we say is absolutely correct or the same as everyone else. What is important is that it is our own personal story.
Thirdly, Christian testimonies are often be viewed with skepticism by doubters. Sadly, that is often with good reason. Christians are people, and people are not perfect. All too often, people say they are Christians when they are not. Testimonies from these people often ring hollow or are proven false over time. But because they are "out there" for all to see, they can make it harder for the genuine testimony to find acceptance.
So, why do Christian stories and testimony matter? This is because our experience with God as a believer is exactly that our experience with God! Surely our life has been enhanced by the advice or true life story of another person. We are unique, but we have the common bond of being created by the same God. Therefore, even if we've stuffed different programs in along the way, we all have basically the same operating system! We are all bodies made by God. Our experience with God happens within our own lifetime. It happens only once, to us. God has put us here, in this place and time, in order to tell others about what He has done and is doing in my life.
As Christians, do we really grasp this? Do we understand that no matter what we are going through, whether it's joyful or painful, everything that happens to us is allowed into our life by a loving God, whose goal for us to become like His Son, Jesus Christ. So, because God wants to transform us, He allows us to follow the path it did before we became a believer in order that we would recognize His work at some point along the way. Now, seeing it, we are responsible to tell others what He has done. That is our Christian testimony! Maybe you've been a Christian for an hour, a day, or for years. What is He doing in your life now? That is our Christian testimony. We are eyewitnesses to the works of Jesus Christ in our life.
Does this make sense?
8. Now I am not suggesting that we all rush out and start looking for people to give our testimony to …
This is because first thing we need to do … is to take a look at our own life … for as someone has suggested … the best way to teach others about Christ and to make them desire to have Jesus in their own lives is to live a consistent, loving, God-centered life in front of them. If you are a good friend, a good listener, attentive to the needs of those around you and morally upright, then people will much more likely to listen to us when we tell them about God because they will see that there is something genuinely different about us.
Do you like Chinese fortune cookies? Every once in while I get one I keep …
One of them said I got one time said … IF YOU ARE FILLED WITH JOY, YOU PREACH WITHOUT PREACHING.
I like that one … especially since I am in the business of preaching …. For it is a little reminder that it isn’t just what you say … that matters … but who you are …
Or, as the famous Marshall McLuhan used to say … “the medium is the Message …”
And that, in the end, is why Jesus was such a powerful force in people’s lives … because he did what he said … for when he said God loves all people … he actually ate with the poor, and tax collectors … and healed the sick … as well as the wealthy … and famous … for the medium (Jesus) was the message …
Which is why we need to get our own house in order … before we tell others how to fix things in their own life? Isn’t that right?
9. And this has to do with the idea that as Methodists we are not just interested in “being saved” – but we are more interested in the goal of Christian life which is to grow in the love of God and of others.
Recently, I have been reading this little book called “Being a Methodist in the Bible Belt.” It’s mostly for Methodists in the middle west and south … where there are all these Christian fundamentalists who are hell bent to get you saved … literally!! And who seem to think that’s all that really matters.
The author says …that John Wesley taught that coming to faith is not the goal of the religious journey. It is important. It is critical. It is necessary. But it is not the goal. In the Wesleyan tradition, the end of the road is not an altar where one has knelt in deep repentance and accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Hooray when that happens – but it is not the end of the road.
John Wesley wrote “Our main doctrines, which include all the rest, are three, that of repentance, of faith, and of holiness. The first of these we account, as it were, the porch of religion; the next, the door; the third is religion itself.”
In other words, salvation is like a house. To get into the house, you have to first get on the porch (repentance) and then you have to go through the door (faith). But the house itself – one’s relationship with God – is holiness, holy living
10. Now, in my opinion, Wesley’s idea that we are to be “moving on to perfection” has, unfortunately, been misunderstood quite often. In fact, when I hear someone talking about perfection I want to run the other way … because there is one kind of perfection which is just plain neurotic … because it is driven by low self-esteem and abuse … and it is largely a matter a trying to outdo everyone else just to get attention … and it is also very judgmental …
This is not what Wesley was talking about …
I personally like the more modern word … “wholeness” -- which means that we are moving toward personal emotional and spiritual wholeness which includes loving ourselves (in the right way), loving God (with our heart and mind and strength) and loving others … that should be our goal.
10. Now this takes some work … and it is not going to be achieved two days after you have some kind of gut-busting religious conversion! Now don’t get me wrong I am not saying that some people wouldn’t benefit from getting down on their knees and asking for forgiveness and for God to come into their life … there is definitely plenty of the need for that … for sure!
But, It’s what happens next … that is the hard part … which is how we are to do begin to learn and grow in faith … and in trust in God …
A friend of mine has a son who is in drug treatment. He was into drugs really bad for three years. They had him in all kinds of treatment programs and nothing worked. He flunked out of high school and was kicked off the basketball team. Finally, they got him into Teen Challenge which is a very religiously based program. It seems to be working and he has been writing me letters about how he has found faith in God etc. etc. But, now he is saying that since he has found God he doesn’t need the treatment program any more since he is well. Whoahh! Not so fast …. He needs to finish the program. Just getting saved doesn’t instantly make all your problems go away … as we all know.
11. The other thing … is that not everyone comes to faith in God by the same path.
As was noted previously … we are all unique and different people … we are not all going to think and feel and experience God in the same way … after all, God didn’t make us all alike …
So when someone comes along with this one-size fits all formula and if you don’t have exactly the same kind of experience as he or she did … you are not a real Christian … I want to say … hold it … wait a minute … who says … I have to believe exactly the same as you do …
And we don’t want to be doing this to others, either …especially when we are called upon to give our testimony … or to tell about our religious faith … especially to people like our own children …
So, being a witness means being open and honest and yet being patient … and giving the other person time to ask questions … to think about it … for it’s a big subject … God is a BIG SUBJECT … AFTER ALL!
12. For example … I think about some of our newer members … who have joined the church …recently … and also some who have been attending … and maybe are thinking about joining …
Quite often it takes time to decide to join a church. In fact, I see people come here for a long time … maybe a year or more … before they are ready to join … especially if they have not been Methodists before … or if they have come from a different sized church … or a different kind of church.
It’s not something to rush into … nor do people like to be pressured into what they should do or believe … it doesn’t work that way.
Which doesn’t mean we should just ignore visitors … anymore than we should ignore people in our own family or our friends when it comes to sharing our religious beliefs …
After all … we can go too far the other way … and not say anything and people will never know what we think or believe about God … that’s not what it is about either – is it?
Rather, we need to careful how we do it … and to be understanding and patient … and to trust in the Holy Spirit.
13. And this leads me to my last point … and that is that when it comes to witnessing to our faith … it is not all up to us … for after all … God is at work in the world, too, and in our lives and in the lives of others …
It’s not all up to us … it is not all even dependent on just what we say … for God has his own purposes … and when people are ready … they are ready … and if not … sometimes we have to wait …
All we can to do really, as believers, is be open … and not rush things …
And we should not, as I said, think it is all up to us … or that we have failed if some member of our family … or one of our children … isn’t all that religious at this point in their life …
Don’t panic … be faithful … think about your own path to faith … perhaps it wasn’t all that straight either … and perhaps you maybe aren’t the one they will listen to … maybe there is someone else … who will become their pathway to faith and mentor them … as God sees fit …
14. Lastly, I want to hold up everyone here this morning the importance of the fact of just being here today … for you are, just by being here -- witnesses.
Did you ever think about it?
Just by coming to church you are witnessing to the importance of God in your life … that’s pretty big! After all … lots of people do notice that you are here today … and your presence here is a reminder to others … that they are not alone … and that none of us are alone in this business of faith … even if we don’t all have the exact same experience of God … or believe exactly the same things about who Jesus was and is …
So, when it comes to going to church … it’s just like that familiar saying …about life … THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO SHOW UP …
In the church in St. Paul where I belonged for fifteen years there was a man everyone knew. He came to faithfully every Sunday. He was a little eccentric, however, because he liked to take pictures. Every Sunday there he was click, click, click, up in the balcony taking flash photos with this big fancy camera. At first I thought, “What is this?” But, after a while, you just got used to it and nobody paid much attention because everyone liked Lou.
Lou also came to our Wednesday night dinners. He liked to talk to people and after his wife died I suspect he was a little lonely. He talked to everyone. He especially would talk to you after dinner when he would help wash dishes. If you were back in the kitchen with Lou you could be sure to end up talking with him. It was kind of like being a captive audience.
Well, when he died all kinds of people came to the funeral and many got up and talked about Lou. They weren’t even members of the church or had move away. But they all said how important it was to have talked with Lou – especially when they were having trouble in their life … Lou was always a good listener and cared about them and they never forgot how he touched their lives.
You see, that was Lou’s witness, it was his ministry. And it was all a matter of just showing up!
Let us pray …
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