James 2:14-26 "Faith & Works"

                The final text for our series on stewardship of self comes to us from one of the most debated texts in all of Scripture.  James 2 has been the battleground for the age-old argument of faith vs. works.  Now, we’ve said in various studies and discussions that good works are the proper response to our right faith in Christ, but I don’t want you to fall into the temptation of just saying that you already know where we’re going and thus there’s no reason to wrestle with the text that is before us.  I want each of us to spend some time taking in God’s Word written here by James and examining our own faiths as we try and determine if we are actually living a salvation by faith life or a salvation by works life.  Notice that I didn’t say whether we believe in one or the other, but how we are actually living.  It’s one thing to say something, and an entirely different thing to put it into practice.

                Our text begins with James asking, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?  Can that faith save him?”  After giving some examples of faith without works, he concludes his opening remarks by saying, “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works is dead.”  Now, for some reason, this text has been used to promote the concept of good works and to say that they are in some way equal to or greater than faith in Christ; it’s used to promote the notion that we somehow have something to do with our salvation.  While good works ought to be promoted, encouraged, and not overlooked; unfortunately, too many have stretched these verses beyond their meaning and caused them to say something that they do not.  Remember, James, Jesus’ earthly brother, the writer of this epistle, was a very faithful man.  He was a man who trusted in God and fully claimed Jesus as the Lord.  So, when we read the words of James, we have to remember the larger context that is at work here.  This isn’t a man who is simply a moral person who doesn’t hold a high view of faith in Christ.  This is a man who is a very faithful believer in Jesus Christ who is calling for something more than just faith, or at the very least a mere profession of faith.  If we try and separate James’ faith from his ideas about good works, then we have missed the actual meaning of the text.

                What James is trying to get across to his audience here is the notion that faith and works are intertwined.  That notion is something that honestly, is sometimes overlooked in our world today.  In our Reformed traditional, we boldly proclaim that salvation comes by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.  Now, I’m not differing or straying from that statement in the least, but it has caused a bit of a problem.  You see, this statement was taken from Ephesians 2:8-9 as a battle cry of sorts around the time of the Reformation, which finds its beginnings in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the doors of All Saints Church in Wittenberg.  Well, have you ever told a story and then after some time has passed the story makes its way back to you but it’s changed some or the understanding about the story isn’t quite the same?  Well, that is kind of the case here with the concept of saved by grace through faith in Christ.  You see, this statement hasn’t changed in terms of its truth, but it has changed in terms of what it looks like in today’s world.  Unfortunately the sentiments behind this statement and the understanding of how it actually applies have been used more as an excuse to do whatever we want instead of a promoting of how great and powerful our faith in Christ truly is.

                Now, I’m not the type of Christian who gets caught up in outward appearances.  There are some that do and that’s fine, I have no issue with the person who acts in such a manner.  I have no problem with the Christian who removes all habits and behavior that could even slightly be perceived as sinful.  I may view them as going overboard and they may view me as being too lax about my faith, but I would hope that we could both see each other as two people who are living for God.  However, I am very careful to constantly ask myself whether my actions are a.)sinful, b.)causing someone else to sin, c.)destructive to God’s kingdom, or d.)having a negative impact on my Christian witness.  If any of these answers are yes, then I am in need of a change so that my actions or works are not hindering the spread of the gospel.  However, not all Christians ask themselves such questions.  We live in a world where many profess with their mouths and not with their hearts, hands, feet, or any other part of their bodies.  They live immoral lives with no evidence of true saving faith and yet any time they are questioned or opposed about their faith in Christ, they’re very quick to defend themselves with statements that reflect the notion that we are indeed saved by faith alone and not works.  Some of the more common statements we hear are:  “Well, it’s a personal matter and only God knows what’s in my heart.”  “It’s between me and God.”  “It’s not what we do but what we believe.”  I hear these statements, and while there is a great deal of truth to each of them, there’s great shame in them as well.  You see, if the only evidence that someone has that we’re a Christian is what we say we believe, then is it really a true saving faith?  In our text, James answered this question by saying, “You believe that God is one; you do well.  Even the demons believe—and shudder!” 

                Even demons, those who explicitly serve the enemy, they believe in God and in Jesus as the Messiah as well.  However, theirs is only an intellectual admission.  They acknowledge God, but there are no good works that flow forth from them and from their belief in God.  We would never say that such a belief in God is adequate for salvation, but that’s kind of what we do.  When we say that we have faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and that his death and resurrection have saved us but our lives don’t reflect such beliefs, how are we any different from the demons.  What’s the difference between saying that we have faith and simply believing or acknowledging God’s existence if neither produces any good works or holy fruit as Matthew Henry puts it?  I don’t really think there’s as much of a difference there as we sometimes think.  The only real difference is that one wording seems a little more forgiving than the other.  To further convey Henry’s thoughts on a faith professed only with the mouth, he says, “A bare profession may gain the good opinion of pious people; and it may procure, in some cases, worldly good things; but what profit will it be, for any to gain the whole world, and to lose their souls?  Can this faith save him?” 

                Now, we have to be very careful of the other side of the coin too.  We have to be careful to not look upon someone who displays great works and who has high moral character and think without a doubt that their faith and life is to be emulated.  I have known many good, honest people who live their lives seeking nothing but the good of others, yet the gospel has not impacted them in any way.  Some folks are just good people, but have not come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  Now, there are some out there who will say about these folks something along the lines of, “Well, as long as you’re a good person, I think that’s all that counts.”  While I do agree that being a good person (whatever that looks like) is desirable, I want to shedding tears almost every time I hear this statement.  Back when we were walking through John’s gospel, we came across John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.”  Now, how are we to take this statement made by Jesus in John’s gospel and apply it to the person who thinks that doing what’s right is really all that matters.  Well the answer is simple, faith is what matters.  Faith is the means by which we are saved and faith alone. 

                James’ words here are not an argument for good works being an alternate route to salvation, but showing that a right faith and an understanding of that faith produces good works.  He’s not saying that faith is nothing apart from works, but that if our faith doesn’t stir us to action, then is it really a saving faith or is it a dead faith.  If the good news of our salvation is something that we can hear about or think about and it not affect us in any way or cause us to want to respond with doing good things for God’s kingdom, then I’m afraid that the message hasn’t been received. 

                As we’ve taken time over the past month to look at our responsibilities as faithful stewards of all that God has given us, we’ve seen many different things.  And I want to try and sum up all of these past four Sundays into this one concept or idea.  A right faith and love for God is a truly great gift.  However, it is a gift that comes with a fairly weighty burden, but who said that a burden always has to be a bad thing.  I have a burden to provide for my family because I love them.  I have a burden to care for the needs of my congregation because I love you.  And each of you have similar burdens in your lives for your friends and family.  We all have a burden to see the kingdom of God spread across this earth because we love not only God, but we love all of his children as well.  Friends, our being faith stewards of God’s graces is not about a vast biblical knowledge, it’s not about adhering to strict laws in order to gain favor, it’s about our responding to the wonderful news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ by going out into the world and seek the lost and serving in any way we can.  I know that there are great things on the horizon for God’s kingdom in the coming year and I know that there are great things ahead for this particular church as well.  Let me challenge each of you begin today seeking ways in which you can serve God more.  Let this be a red letter day in the life of First Presbyterian Church, and a red letter day in your life as well.  Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

Matthew 23:23-24 "Proper Focus"

                Since we’re jumping right into the middle of Matthew’s gospel today as we continue our look at being faithful stewards with what we have to offer, I want to take a second and give some clarity to where we are in the sequence of events.  Jesus is in Jerusalem.  He has already entered the city on the back of a donkey and been greeted by the multitudes that lined the street.  He has already cleansed the temple and driven out those who are conducting themselves corruptly within its walls.  He has taught for quite some time about the kingdom of heaven and how we are to conduct ourselves as God’s children.  He has already had some disagreements with the temple personnel and the religious leaders of Jerusalem.  That being the case, the Pharisees have already been working to try and find some reason that Jesus should be discredited, or even found to be a heretic, so that he may be arrested.  Now, in the midst of somewhat of a strife between Jesus and the religious leaders of Jerusalem, Jesus goes into a long discourse about what he sees currently in Jerusalem and what is to come.  In the midst of that is where we find our text for today, Jesus’ warning against and condemnation of the religious leaders, the scribes and the Pharisees.

                Now, we’re not going to spend time talking about each of the issues that Jesus raises against the Pharisees here, commonly known as the “Seven Woes.”  Beginning in verse 13, Jesus condemns the Pharisees for seven things that they had been doing corruptly or incorrectly.  He condemns them for focusing upon their laws and not the will of God, for caring more about earthly things than those of the divine, for worrying more about tradition than worship or obeying God, for neglecting the things that really matter, for only focusing on outward appearances, and covering sins with the appearance of being spiritual.  In essence, Jesus condemns these leaders for being more concerned with themselves and the world that they are in than with God’s kingdom.  Now, like I said, I’m not going to deal with each of these offenses this morning, but each one of them would take quite some time to adequately flush out.  No, what I am going to do today, as we continue our stewardship series, is to focus upon the “woe” that we find in verses 23 and 24.  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocites!  For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law:  justice and mercy and faithfulness.  These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.  You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel.”

                I think that these verses so precisely sum up the thought that underlines our stewardship series this year.  You see, Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees about the fact that it’s not exactly about perfect adherence to the law; that is the Pharisaic law.  He was telling them that it’s great that they gave their tithe and that they expected that from everyone else, but that’s not the full extent of it.  The goal of Christian leader ought not to stop at proper giving.  Don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t be more proud of this church as her pastor for the way in which we responded to our look at biblical stewardship since last year.  I mean, erasing a nearly $20,000 budgetary deficit in only twelve month is remarkable, but like I said last Sunday, that’s not the extent of it.  It’s not about whether or not we reach certain financial goals or whether or not we’re adhering to a strict principle of dedicating 10% to the Lord, but it’s about our being faith biblical stewards with what we have been given.  What good is it for us to strictly keep the principle of a tithe, yet ignore other commands that we are given in Scripture?  What good is adherence to some and disobeying others?  How could we say that it’s important for us to meet these financial commands while failing to even give the slightest bit of attention to others; things such as compassion, mercy, and faithfulness?  Have we really done the work of God by meeting our financial responsibilities and ignoring the hungry, the hurting, the homeless, the lost, and all the other groups that are in need.  The commands to care for those in need are just as important as the commands to tithe and to gather regularly for corporate worship.  The commands for ministries of compassion and caring are just as real and important as the commands to seek the destruction of sinful behavior.  They’re just as important as the commands of Scripture that call us to baptize our children and others in the name of the Lord.  We would never think of ignoring these commands, so why would we even think of ignoring those commands that find us in the service of those in need?  Well, my theory is that because it makes us feel uncomfortable.  It causes us to be confronted with our own sinful desires of self-preservation when we find those that are less fortunate.  Are we really doing the work of Christ when we go and serve at a soup kitchen and the whole time we have one hand on our back pockets making sure our wallets haven’t been lifted in the last 20 seconds?  Notice that I’m not saying that tithing is as important as ministries of mercy, compassion, and justice, but simply that the commands for each are just as plain and present as one another.

                One of the sad facts of the matter is that many Christians in our world today, and I mean honest, hardworking, and good people, are what I like to call Sunday Morning Christians.  These folks are regular church attendees.  Why, if attendance was taken, they might even be the most regular attendants in their church.  They always give and they give generously, never giving less than their tithe.  They always volunteer for events that are held around the time of worship.  Some of them are even seen as pillars of their local churches.  However, don’t expect to find the same Monday through Saturday.  These people have become so concerned with the function of the church as an institution that they have missed the bigger picture.  Their behavior outside of the church setting is completely different from their attitudes Sunday morning.  It’s almost as if their faith has become reduced to one day a week where they show up and pay their money and go about their day.  Now, this may come across a little harsh, and I’m not wanting to offend anyone, but sometimes that’s my job.  And obviously I’m using a large brush here and painting in general strokes, but I think I’m probably more truthful here than any of us would like to admit.  How many times have we seen leaders in local churches, both clergy and laypeople, caught in some type of secret sinful life?  You see, we can’t become so concerned with keeping up what we want to and ignoring what we don’t want to think about.  The Pharisees had become such hypocrites in their actions.  They were calling everyone else to live their lives in devotion to God, but they were really concerned with their own interests.  Their lives, which seemed very pious on the outside, were done primarily so that people would perceive them to be this holier than holy group of leaders.

                Being a pastor is one of the greatest honors of my life, but it does come with some things that aren’t such a blessing.  First, there’s the pain and suffering that you have to help others through.  No one likes to see people hurting, either physically or emotionally, but that’s part of the calling.  There’s also the fact that the pastor’s family never gets a full weekend.  It’s just not really feasible for all of my family to go somewhere for a weekend, because we can’t leave until Friday afternoon and we have to be back Saturday evening.  There have been many times where my family goes on a trip and I stay home because of my responsibilities on Sunday morning.  Finally, there’s the issue of people hiding things from you.  This is one that I’ve never understood, but for some reason people feel like they have to act differently around us pastors and that they ought to be on their best behavior.  It’s ironic because I don’t feel that way at all when I’m around other pastors.  However, I do notice a difference in the people who knew me pre-ministry and those who didn’t.  Also, I see a world of difference in the way that some act in a worship setting versus how they act outside of a church.  If our faith is genuine, shouldn’t it be something that permeated throughout our entire lives, and not just when we’re at church or around “church folks?”

                Friends, the bottom line of it all is this, our faith is not a checklist.  It’s not a series of items that we must complete in order to cross off our list.  Our faith cannot be a matter of completing tasks:  tithing, attendance, committees, a certain amount of outreach and mission trips, etc.  Our faith has to be something that is spontaneous and stirs us to action.  Our faith has to be something that causes us to have this burden of love upon our hearts that seeks for the love of Christ to be spread.  Our faith must cause us to go forth into the world and take the good news of the gospel with us.  And the greatest testimony or witness that we can give is by living as a Christian.  We glorify God’s kingdom when we conduct ourselves as Christians in the world at all times, and not just on Sunday mornings.  Don’t be a Christian who worries about showing up every Sunday, never running late, with a perfectly dressed family, and bringing your own Bible as if having your own raises your commitment a notch.  Be a Christian who seeks to serve.  Be a disciple of Christ who truly is a disciple and wants nothing more than to work for Christ’s kingdom in any way he/she can.  Be a person who hears all of God’s commands and not just the ones that are easy or that you like.  It’s very possible, and common, for us to miss the forest because we’re only focused on a small group of trees.  Don’t get caught upon in every little detail, but let you faith flow from every part of you.  And I promise you this, God will do some mighty things through you and you won’t even realize what’s happening.  Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.  

2 Timothy 4:9-15 "Christian Retirement?"

If we ever want to look to Scripture to find an example of someone who has lived a tough life there are numerous choices. We could look at the book of Job and find a man who had everything taken away from him so that God could prove to Satan that suffering doesn’t necessarily separate us from God. We could look to any number of martyrs that we find throughout Scripture. Some of the beatings and tribulations of Godly men and women in the Bible are so severe that it leaves us thanking God every day that we are not faced with the same circumstances. Perhaps no person fits the term “rough life” better than the Apostle Paul. After Paul’s conversion to Christianity, his life seemed to be filled with one hardship after another; all while working to establish and foster churches here on earth.

Having a very brief history of the Apostle beginning with his conversion will help us to see just how much Paul suffered for the sake of the gospel. Shortly after his conversion, which took place somewhere between 33 and 36 AD, he was nearly killed in Damascus. Only three years after becoming a Christian Paul traveled to Jerusalem in order to spread the gospel. From 46-48 Paul embarked on his 1st missionary journey. He went from Antioch to Cyprus to Southern Asia Minor and back to Antioch. From 49-52 he undertook his 2nd missionary journey. During this 2nd journey, Paul was imprisoned at Philippi with Silas. He escaped this situation when an earthquake hit and allowed one of the prison walls to collapse. This is the story of the Philippian jailer, who upon witnessing these events, immediately devoted his life to following the teachings of Jesus. Paul’s 3rd and final missionary journey began only one year after returning from his 2nd journey. In 60 AD he made a trip to Rome. On this trip to Rome is where Paul was imprisoned once again, and it was there that Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy that we are looking at today. In all, Paul’s travels after his conversion total up to be an estimated 14,000 miles. Remind you that this is on foot. This would be the equivalent of me walking out the door in the back of the sanctuary, and walking to my childhood home in Meridian, MS and back around 27 times.

Now add in the fact that Paul’s travels often took him to some less than desirable locations. Very few times when Paul arrived at places where a church was already established did he find it peaceful and a time of relaxation. Usually there was some conflict within the church that Paul himself had to address. There is also the “thorn in the flesh” mentioned in 2 Cor. 12, which is most likely a physical disability Paul gained during his ministry. Add to that the continuous persecutions, beatings, and aforementioned imprisonments along the way and you start to get the picture. Paul managed to squeeze all of this into about a 30 year period. This letter to Timothy was written only a few years prior to his death in Rome.

We can tell from the previous words in this letter that Paul had a feeling that his life was soon to come to an end. Earlier, in 4:6-7 we find, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Paul’s acknowledgement of the nearing end makes what we find in our text today an even more impressive message than what we might find simply by a surface reading. After requesting that Timothy come and visit Paul (no doubt so that he may continue to teach and train him for the continuation of his ministry) Paul moved on to reminisce of some of his fellow workers of the past who had worked honorably and dishonorably.

The first name that Paul gives to Timothy is the name Demas. Now this isn’t a name that I expect everyone to be able to recall off the top of their head, but it is someone that Paul has referred to at other points during his letters. In Philemon, Demas is listed in a group of men that Paul calls his “fellow laborers.” In Colossians 4 his name is simply listed without any other qualifying information. Here, we find that the name Demas carries with it a negative connotation. “Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.” We can take this as Paul warning against loving worldly values more than the spread of the gospel.
The next two names, Crescens and Titus, are of two others who Paul had sent out. When it comes to Crescens there is nothing else known about him other than this passage of him being sent to Galatia. Now Titus, we know from Paul’s letter to him and brief mentions in other letters, was a close friend and associate of Paul’s. Regardless, both of these men have left Paul’s side at this present time.

Whether this desertion was meant as a negative or simply just Paul’s telling Timothy where the others had gone, there is now a shift from those who have left Paul to the one who was still with him. Luke alone was with Paul. It’s funny, despite the fact that Luke wrote his gospel and the book of Acts, little is known about Luke the person. We know from inference that he was with Paul on his last journey to Rome. It is also mostly likely that Luke even willingly accompanied Paul to prison in Rome (this no doubt shows why Paul speaks so lovingly of him). As far as definitive references to Luke go in Scripture we have similar evidence as we do for Demas. In Colossians 4 Luke is described as the beloved physician is also listed as a fellow laborer in Philemon 24. It has been suggested that Luke’s skills as a physician allowed Paul to carry out his journeys despite his physical ailments. The best quote that I have found for summing up Luke is as follows, “The Church is full of talkers and of people who are there more for what they can get than for what they can give; Luke was one of these priceless people—the workers of the Church.”

The next person we come to is a person who has redeemed himself in the eyes of Paul. Paul says that Mark will be useful for him in ministry. Now the Greek word used here for ministry carries with it a wider sense of service. In other words, Paul is saying that having Mark with him was beneficial at this time. This is unexpected in light of what happened during Paul’s first missionary journey. Mark had been picked by Paul and Barnabas to join them on the mission and to become a contemporary of theirs. We are told, however, in Acts 13 that Mark left them and went home. Paul took this defection so hard that when Mark wanted to go with Paul and Barnabas on Paul’s second missionary journey, Paul refused to have such a quitter accompany them. Paul and Barnabas argued over this issue so much that they actually parted ways because Paul would have nothing to do with Mark. We don’t know exactly what happened to mend the relationship between the two, but Paul is now asking for Mark’s presence.

The next name, Tychicus, is someone who Paul had sent out to visit the church that he had established in Ephesus. He was the one who delivered the letters to the churches in Colossae and Ephesus. Then, the final name mentioned is Alexander the coppersmith. It is unknown what exactly Alexander had done, but we can determine from the text that he had worked to disrupt the spread of the gospel and caused Paul personal harm.

Now sandwiched between these last two names is what I want all of us to focus on this morning. Listen to the personal requests made by Paul to Timothy, “When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.” Despite Paul’s seemingly dire situation, this language seems to indicate that he still had work to do. Paul wanted his books, or in the Greek, his biblia, which literally means papyrus rolls, and it is most likely that these rolls contained the earliest forms of the gospels. He wanted the parchments. Perhaps these were legal documents such as his proof of Roman citizenship. However, it is most likely his copy of the Hebrew Scriptures, or as we would say, the Old Testament. Paul was acting like a man who still had work that needed to be done. Even though Paul had been through so much and was certain that the end was near, he continued to work for the sake of the gospel.

One of the ways in which you know that you have fully entered into adulthood is when you start thinking about retirement. Now, obviously Amy and I aren’t thinking about retirement any time soon, but it’s something that we began planning for several years ago. We don’t know what it will look like. I imagine a cantankerous old Presbyterian preacher sitting on the porch with his eternally beautiful bride somewhere, but you never know. After all, what does a preacher retiring even look like. Most preachers I know who have retired have gone right back to work doing something else in ministry. After all, my calling is that of making disciples, and you can’t really retire from that can you? You know we say that we have two jobs in life; we are a doctor, teacher, lawyer, etc., but we are also Christians. It is my opinion, as it is most likely yours, that the later job is a calling that is much more than a profession. As such, it is something that last for a lifetime and never really has a retirement. You can’t retire from Christian service.

If there was ever a person who had a right to say that they were retiring from Christian service it was the Apostle Paul. After penning 13 New Testament epistles (along with numerous other letters that are not in our Bibles) and some 25 years of missionary travels, he could have said he was done and no one could have second guessed him. The truth of the matter is that he didn’t. Despite all of the physical pain, prison stints, the loss of co-workers, the regrets of his lifestyle prior to his conversion, he continued onward. I mean, the man was sitting in prison talking about the fact that he had work to be done. He didn’t know for certain whether or not he would even make it out of prison. Paul knew that one never retires from Christ. You don’t stop being a Christian. When a teacher retires, they no longer go to the school every day. When a lawyer retires, he doesn’t go in every morning to the practice. Retired doctors don’t keep the same schedule as they did before retiring. Christians never retire. They never quit being Christians if they are faithful to the Word of God.

Friends, as we continue during this season of stewardship of self, we are at a crossroads. We have made great progress in suring up the operations of our own church family, but is that the goal? We have worked hard to get ourselves to a stable position in how we operate, but is that the ultimate goal? Well, I don’t think I even need to answer that for you. The goal isn’t about us, but about proclaiming God’s Word and reaching all those around us who are in need of it. We have to continue to be active in our efforts to establish God’s kingdom here on earth. We have to continue to work in the area missions and outreach and evangelism. We have to continue to support and take part in the Christian education of this church. We have to continue to fan the flame of Christ that burns within each of us. Friends, I know that it doesn’t take long of completely devoting ourselves to something before the feeling of being burned out sets in. I know that people in churches many times feel like they need a break and that it’s time for someone else to worry about it. I want to encourage you, just as I have to encourage myself constantly, to keep the mindset of the Apostle Paul. There is still work to be done. Christ has commanded us to continue in our efforts, for He is with us “to the end of this age.” There is never a time, as long as we have air in our lungs, in which our service to Christ is done. We should work each and every day, in some manner or way, at growing Christ’s kingdom upon this earth. There is no such thing as retirement from being a Christian. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

1 Peter 4:1-11 "Using Your Gifts"

You may be sitting there asking yourself why I would choose to read these verses to begin a series on stewardship. Well, it is my hope that over the course of the next few minutes that that will be abundantly clear, but I will at least give you that this text isn’t often thought of in terms of stewardship. However, we have to remember that stewardship is much more than a financial responsibility. I think that it is very apt stewardship text when we look at it in terms of how we use the gifts that God has given us. Remember, our stewardship series won’t be focused on how we are to be faithful stewards with our finances, but how we are faithful stewards with our gifts, time, and talents. The proper use of these things is just as important for the sake of the growth of God’s kingdom as our financial responsibilities are, many even more so.

Most of the time, when we look at the first half of 1 Peter 4, much of the attention is given to the third verse: “For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, and drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.” I happen to like the way that the NIV translates the beginning of this verse, “For you have spent enough time in the past doing what the pagans choose to do.” Now, most of the time when we see this verse, it’s in the context of someone telling us that we shouldn’t do something. Someone doesn’t want another person, for instance, to consume alcohol and so they point to this verse as proof of that. Well, hold on just a minute, we have to be real careful how far we go, we can’t make the text say something that it doesn’t. When we look at the list that’s given to us here in verse 3, we see that they are all abuses of good things that have been given to us by God. Debauchery, lust, and orgies are all abuses of love, something that God gave as a gift to man and woman, to Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden before the Fall ever happened. Drunkenness and carousing are abuses of fellowship and merriment that God has given to mankind. The Rabbis of the Jesus’ day devoted songs to the wine that was shared at times of fellowship. They would say that without wine, there is no joy. Remember when we looked at Jesus’ saying that he was the good wine, the true wine. We said that Jesus was true joy. The first part of this text isn’t a condemnation on a bunch of different behavior exactly, but a condemnation on abusing and misusing wonderful things that have been given to us by God. It is a condemnation and rebuking of us not being faithful stewards of what God has given us.

You see, the central message of this passage is not a condemnation of certain behaviors, but a call to use what we have in a proper manner. Beginning in verse 8, we find, “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” And here it is, I really want you to pay attention to verse 10, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” In other words, God has given each and every person a gift. He’s given each and every one of His children some type of ability or talent or characteristic or trait that not everyone has. The question then becomes how are we going to us it? How are we going to use those special talents and gifts that we have? Are we going to use them for good or bad? Are we going to use them to construct or to destruct? Are we going to use them to promote kingdom growth or to inhibit kingdom growth? You see, it’s not about the abilities, but about how you use them. What good is having a gift if you never use it?

Now, I could point to numerous examples of folks who were living lives that didn’t reflect Christ in any way and changed. I could point to stories of how people with immense talent that lived immoral lives turned from their ways to a new way of life. I could talk about how many of these folks came to be my colleagues in ministry, but I think that that sometimes gives the wrong idea. Many times, we think that only pastors are those who have been given gifts that can be used in service of God’s kingdom. I don’t know if that’s because we pastors are so often talking about it, or because it makes it easier to deny the fact that many of us don’t use our gifts as we ought to. After all, everyone has been given some type of gift from God. Your gift may not be that of preaching, or teaching, or public praying or anything that usually goes noticed within the church, but don’t think that your gifts are not useful in the service of God’s kingdom. I can promise you thing, that an individual church’s strength is not found in her pulpit, but in her pews.

My job, my calling, is often misunderstood by many people. Many think that the responsibility of the pastor is to tend to the business of the church. He’s to tend to the teaching and preaching of the church. He’s to tend to the various programs and ministry of the church, and he’s to function in many regards as the CEO of his particular church. And while all of those things do describe to a certain extent the responsibilities of a pastor, I prefer to think of my calling as being similar to a pair of glasses. Now, I don’t wear glasses, but most of my family does and in particular my wife. I learned many years ago that without the use of contacts or glasses, she can hardly see a thing. She’s also a very intelligent woman. She has a tremendous ability when it comes to solving problems, in particular problems dealing with numbers. I used to look at her notes from when she would figure out mortgages for people when she was a mortgage lender and the face that I made was similar to that of a monkey looking at a road map. Now, I say all of this to point out the fact that without her glasses to help her focus, her ability with numbers would be completely wasted. The role of the pastor, along with the church and her members, is to help each and every one of us focus our abilities upon serving God. It’s to point us all in the right direction so that we may use our gifts to the glory of God, “so that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power for ever and ever.”

So let me ask you a few simple questions? First, what is your gift? Some of you may know it off the top of your head, while others struggle in determining what ability they have. Some people really struggle with figuring out what they bring to the table or what they have to offer. I often find it helpful to seek the advice of those around me when wanting to know about me because many times they notice things that I don’t. Secondly, after determining what your gift is, how are you using that gift? Are you using it in the positive manner that we’re called to, building up God’s kingdom and serving Christ and his church? Or are you abusing it? Are you using it in that the way that Peter condemned earlier in this text? Are you using the gifts that God has given you in a selfish manner? Are you withholding from God what is rightfully his? Are you being a faithful steward of God’s grace? As we spend some time over the next few weeks looking at stewardship as it pertains to our properly using what God has given us, I want you to think of some ways that your gifts, your abilities, can be used in the service of God’s kingdom. And I want each of you to know that there is no such thing as a useless gift or talent, just one that has not found its proper direction. God uses all talents and all abilities in the service of His kingdom. How is God calling you to use the gifts that He has given to you this day? Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

John 21:15-25 "Feeding Jesus' Sheep"

Well, we’ve finally done it. After 16 months, with a few breaks here and there, we’ve reached the final verses of John’s gospel. I mentioned last Sunday that this final chapter almost seems like an addition to John’s text, since John closed it at the end of chapter 20. However, you know how we pastor/preacher types are, we close things several times before they’re actually really closed and we’re completely done. Anyways, last Sunday we saw Peter, after realizing that it was Jesus on the shore, jump into the water, leaving a handful of disciples in the boat in an effort to get to him more quickly. We saw Jesus prepare a meal for the disciples and serve them right there on the seashore. This was the last time that we know of prior to their gathering for Jesus’ ascension that Jesus and his disciples would fellowship together. It seems that after they had all eaten, that Jesus and Peter somewhat break off in a conversation by themselves. We said that this final chapter of John’s gospel was in some ways the story of Peter’s redemption. Well, we saw the change in his reaction to Jesus’ presence between last Sunday’s text and Peter’s first encounter with Jesus in Luke 5. Today, we see a change in Peter’s faith from the account of his denying knowing Christ three times prior to his death to this point where we are today.

Jesus asked Peter “do you love me more than these?” Now, there are several things that “these” could mean, but one option seems to be the most obvious and more common interpretation. It appears that Jesus is asking Peter if he, Peter, loves Jesus more than the other disciples do. Remember, we said that no disciple took Jesus’ crucifixion harder than Peter. This was due to the shame that he felt from his denial of Christ. Because of this, there is a chance that Peter was even more joyous and excited at Christ’s resurrection than the rest of the disciples. That’s not to say that the others weren’t filled with joy and excited, but Peter had a little something extra. Think about it in terms of today, many times, it’s the person(s) who has or have been to the bottom who is more overjoyed at what Christ has done for them than someone who has never really faced hardships or trials. It’s the one who understands just how much they have messed things up and yet sees that God has still forgiven them that seems to appreciate and enjoy God just a little bit more.

Peter answered Jesus in the affirmative, followed by Jesus telling him that because of his love for Jesus, Peter is to “feed [Jesus’] lambs.” Jesus asked him of his love a second time, and Peter answered in the affirmative again. This time, Jesus responds by telling Peter that he is to “tend my sheep.” Jesus goes on to ask yet a third time of Peter’s love for him. Peter answers that he does love Jesus, but this time is starting to become troubled that Jesus is asking this question. However, we have to remember that Peter’s denial of Jesus happened three times; hence the need for Peter’s profession of faith to be in triplicate here. And after Peter’s third profession of faith for Christ, Jesus tells Peter that he is to “feed my sheep.” Now, we could get caught up in these three commands made by Jesus and try and figure out why he used feed sometimes and tend another, or we could try and determine the difference between lambs and sheep. However, I don’t want to do that this morning, I want us to focus on the one word that remains unchanged in each of these statements: MY sheep and MY lambs. Peter is given the command to care for Christ’s sheep, his people, his children. When Christ’s people are fed, nurtured, and filled with the strength of Christ and His Word, they become a mighty army in this world. If his children are not fed and equipped as they ought to be, then they cannot influence the world around them. Jesus is telling Peter here that if he is going to be a disciple, if he loves Christ, if he is committed to the continuation of Jesus’ ministry, then he must care for the needs of his people. And it’s that very same thing that each of us, as modern-day disciples, are called to do as well. As a pastor, I’m called to feed God’s children what they need to reach spiritual maturity. I’m called to care for the faith relationships that all of you have with God. However, I’m not the only one with responsibilities here. As friends, parents, children, brothers, sisters, colleagues, or any other relationship, as disciples and followers of Christ, we are all called to train up those around us in the Lord. We all have the responsibility of helping each other grow in our faith and reach a level of spiritual maturity.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Jesus somewhat abruptly changed the direction of his conversation with Peter. Jesus said to Peter, “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” John then writes Jesus’ reason for saying these words to Peter: This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God. Now, Peter’s death won’t come for another thirty years; under Nero in Rome when he is, as is thought to be the case, crucified upside down. Basically, Jesus is telling Peter that he’s going to die. He doesn’t tell him when or where, but he does tell him that he is going to die. Despite this foretelling, Peter heeds the words of Jesus “Follow Me.” Jesus is telling Peter that he is to follow Christ even though he is going to die because of it, and that’s exactly what Peter did.

Peter, obviously not exactly thrilled with this news, saw John nearby their conversation and asked Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” In essence, Peter was asking Jesus, “Ok, you’ve told me about myself, now tell me how John is going to die?” Jesus basically asked Peter what business it was of his how John was going to die. Jesus said to Peter, “If I will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” In other words, Peter you worry about Peter and don’t concern yourself with anyone else. You see, we can relate to Peter many times when it comes to our faith. Think about it, when we are going through something or find out that we are about to endure something, one of the first things we want to know is “what about everyone else?” It’s sort of a misery loves company type of deal. I can remember that when I would come home from school my mom would always ask me about me day. More specifically, she would ask me about my grades and I would have to tell her about any grades that I had received that day. My parents placed a great deal of importance on my grades, and they knew that I was the master of not applying myself, so they stayed on top of me. When I would receive a poor grade, I knew that they would be disappointed in my effort. My defense was always the same, I would always say to them, “Well, it wasn’t just me…a lot of other people didn’t do well on the test.” Looking back on it, I can almost write the script here and know that my mom would respond with, “I don’t care what everyone else did, everyone else isn’t my son.” That’s one of those things that you think your parents just don’t get, but being a parent myself I now understand exactly what she meant.

Jesus is telling Peter that it doesn’t matter what his fate or anyone else’s fate may be, but what matters is following Christ. Peter, John, or any Christians today are not to be concerned with the fate of everyone else, but are to focus upon the task at hand of following Jesus. It’s simple, really. Jesus makes it very clear here to Peter, and to us as well, just how we are to carry on in the faith. We are to keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus, fixed upon the cross. We are to walk the path that has been set before us, teaching and training and guiding all those that we encounter along the way. However, we aren’t to be concerned with the things that are taking place around us. We aren’t to be concerned with the perception of another person’s reward being greater than ours. Our reward is not something that will ever be realized on this earth. No, Christ has given us a mission. He has called us to train and teach those around us, while constantly seeking and following him. We’re not to follow other people or trends, but we are to follow Christ. We are to walk to path that he has laid out before us, proclaiming his name all the way to the end. We are to walk the path all the way proclaiming his name until our Father in heaven stands before us and opens his arms saying, “Well done, My good and faithful servant.” Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

John 21:1-14 "Peter's Redemption"

As we begin our look today at the 21st and final chapter of John’s gospel, we are preparing to bring to a close our lengthy and in-depth study of this eye witness account that has lasted us almost 16 months. We’ve seen the highs and lows of Jesus’ earthly ministry. We’ve seen his teachings and his miracles and signs. We have ridden the wave of emotion alongside the disciples as they wrestled with all that Jesus said and did. And over the course of the past month or so, we’ve seen John’s account of Jesus’ death and resurrection. The past few Sundays, we’ve paid particular attention to Christ’s resurrection and how we are to take that great and wonderful news out into the world. At the end of our text last Sunday, John even gave his closing remarks about this book and why it was written and why he included what he did. In honesty, you would have thought that the book was ending with those remarks. After all, many other books of Scripture end with the author of the book stating their reason(s) for writing the book and including the events that they did. However, John’s gospel is not yet finished. There is still one thing that needs to be resolved before John can completely end his gospel account.

There’s probably no disciple that took Jesus’ crucifixion harder than Peter did. After all, the last time that Peter had seen Jesus alive prior to his resurrection, they made eye contact while Jesus was being savagely beaten just as Peter denied knowing him for a third time. That shame, that disgust is something that you never quite get over I would imagine. I can remember growing up, my grandmother would always fuss at me if I was arguing with my parents or a friend. She would always tell me that you never go to bed angry with someone because you never know what could happen. I don’t know if this had ever happened to her, but I know that it was one of her must fundamental rules about life. Well, Peter hadn’t said goodbye to Jesus in anger, but his final moment of looking upon Jesus was after he had denied him. For Peter, the three days that Jesus remained buried in the tomb had to feel like an eternity. I mean, it’s not like he knew that Jesus was going to be resurrected. The final chapter of John’s gospel is in some ways the story of the redemption of Peter.

We’re told that seven of the disciples had gone out fishing at the Sea of Tiberias. Remind you, that the disciples mentioned were all fishermen prior to their being called by Jesus. They were in essence getting back to normal life as it existed prior to the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry. They worked all night and caught nothing. Now, mind you, these aren’t your average fishermen; again, these are professionals. When me and my friends from college meet up in north Louisiana and go fishing, we usually fish all day if the weather permits. At night, we set out about 9:00 or 10:00 and go run trotlines all along Lake Yucatan, which feeds into the Mississippi River, in hopes of catching some good ole’ Mississippi River catfish. This takes a couple of hours, and we have been known to stay out managing these lines until the sun comes up and the “real” fisherman come out. Even if we don’t catch too much, we have a good time and aren’t too upset at our wasted efforts. Well, these disciples aren’t me and my buddies. When they go out, they expect to come back with a load of fish. After all, this was how they made their living.

As the sun is rising on the sea, Jesus is standing on the shore and calls out to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” The disciples, much like Mary when she first saw Jesus or the two men on the road to Emmaus, didn’t recognize that it was Jesus. They saw that it was a man, but just figured it to be some stranger. This man told them to cast their net on the right side of the boat. He said that if they did that then they would catch fish. Now, I have to be honest here, when someone tells me what to do from a distance, there’s a good chance that I’m not going to do it out of spite; especially when it’s something that I know how to do. Anyways, the disciples cast their net on the right side of the boat and low and behold they catch so many fish that they can’t bring in the net. This story is very reminiscent of Peter’s very first encounter with Jesus that we read about in Luke’s gospel. In Luke 5, we’re told that Peter wasn’t catching any fish then either. Jesus told Peter to put his boat out a little farther from the land and cast his net and the result was the same as it was in our text today, so many fish that the nets were breaking. Well, something in this event in our text today reminds John, the writer of this gospel, of the events recorded in Luke 5. John leans to Peter and tells him that the man speaking to them from the shore is Jesus. Well, Peter doesn’t care about the fish anymore; he jumps immediately into the water and begins swimming for the shore, leaving the remaining six disciples to tend to the fish that are still in the nets.

I want you to notice Peter’s reaction here, but first I want us to remember what happened back in Luke 5 when this other account took place. After Peter saw the power of Jesus, he fell to his knees and said to Jesus, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” This is a quite common response by people throughout the gospel accounts when they encounter Jesus for the first time. It’s also the same reaction that all of the creatures in the book of Revelation have when they too see the glory of the Lord. Why, even us folks today have this reaction when God blesses us; our first reaction is that we aren’t worthy and are undeserving of whatever it is that God is giving to us or calling us to do. We almost seek to retreat from God because we don’t feel like we deserve to be before Him. Now look at how Peter responds to Jesus in our text for today. There are no words of departing from him. In fact, Peter can’t get to Jesus fast enough. He hops right in the water and rushes to him without a second thought for the boat. It reminds me of that scene in the movie Forrest Gump when Forrest sees Lieutenant Dan at the pier and he gets so excited that he dives into the water to hurry to his friend’s side. Forrest arrives at Lieutenant Dan only to climb out of the water and see his boat ram into the nearby pier; then citing the now infamous line of “That’s my boat.” Lucky for Peter there are still six other people on his boat. Peter just couldn’t get to the shore and to Jesus fast enough.

We’re then told that there were some hot coals nearby and that Jesus wanted the disciples to bring some of the 153 fish they caught so that they could have a meal together. We’re told that Jesus took the bread and fish and gave it to them. This is very similar to the giving of the elements of the Lord’s Supper that had taken place just prior to Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, and burial. This is very similar to the events of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples in order to teach them about what service looks like in the Upper Room. We see that both prior to and after his resurrection, that Jesus served the disciples, providing for their daily needs. He provided them with bread and fish right there on the seashore after a long night of labor trying to bring in fish. He provided for them during the three plus year period known as his earthly ministry. He provided for them even after this ministry was completed and after all of the disciples had returned home and gotten back to their normal lives, and so too does He provide for you and me. He provided for his disciples then, and he provides for his disciples now. There is not one thing in this world that we truly need that Jesus does not provide for us. Sure, there are things that we would like to have, but there is nothing that we must have that he has not already given to us. It doesn’t matter whether we are in the midst of a great spiritual awakening or just going through an average, ordinary period of our lives, God provides for our every need. We must trust in him. We must know that no matter what our situation or circumstance, the Lord will and does provide. When we find ourselves in need, we need not look inward, but upward. Won’t you trust in Him to care for your every need? Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

John 20:19-31 "Believe and Go"

Last Sunday, we looked at the glorious news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We looked at how Mary (and some other women) found Jesus’ tomb empty that Sunday morning. We saw that she went and got Peter and John and brought them to see for themselves. We saw that Peter and John witnessed with their own eyes the emptiness of the tomb and the absence of Jesus’ body. We saw two angels appear to Mary, and then Jesus himself came to Mary to inform her of his resurrection. At the end of our text, we saw Jesus tell Mary that she shouldn’t cling to him, but that she should go and take the good news of his resurrection into the world. Specifically, he commanded her to take this wonderful news to the disciples. It’s there that we find ourselves today. Mary had delivered this message to the disciples early that morning. It’s now evening, and the disciples have had nearly the entire day to let this news sink in. We would expect to find them out in the streets proclaiming that what the Messiah had said was indeed true. However, that’s not at all what we see. Instead of being out in the world, we find the disciples locked inside of a house out of fear. They are afraid of the Jews. They’re possibly thinking that after crucifying Jesus that they will be next. Or maybe they’re afraid that the Jews will claim that the disciples had taken Jesus’ body in order to give the illusion that he has risen from the dead; the later option being a very popular and well-known explanation by those who do not believe in him for how Jesus’ body left the tomb.

So as the disciples are gathered in this house with the doors securely locked behind them, Jesus appears to them and says, “Peace be with you.” As he said these words, the words of the typical greeting from one Jew to another, he showed them the marks left on his hand and side from the nails and spear respectively. He said again to them, “Peace be with you.” Now, we know from our lengthy look at John’s gospel that anytime the same phrase is said consecutively that it means that everyone better pay attention. Jesus was letting the disciples know what they are to do next; he was telling them just how they should respond to the news of his resurrection. He said to them, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” In other words, he was telling them the same thing that he told Mary earlier that day. He was telling them to GO! Just as the Father sent him into the world, he was sending them out into the world. Just as he sent them out into the world, God’s word sends us out into the world. Like we said with Mary Magdalene last Sunday, our response to the good news of Jesus’ resurrection should not be to hide ourselves away from the world around us, but to take this life-saving (literally life-saving) news out into the world. The only way that the gospel can be spread and that the world can be transformed into the image of Christ’s kingdom is for Christians to be out in the world. This is John’s version of the Great Commission that we find in the other gospel accounts. Jesus then goes on to breathe on the disciple and tell them that they have the power of forgiveness. This is seemingly a foretaste of what is to come at the time of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit will descend upon the disciples. He’s telling them how they will continue on this ministry after he is gone for good.

Then we come to the story of Thomas, the disciple who everyone describes with his double name of “Doubting Thomas.” I hated growing up with the name Thomas. Every time I didn’t understand something or didn’t accept something as true, some folks would say something like, “There goes doubting Thomas again, just like the disciple.” It was almost as if people presupposed that because my birth name was Thomas that I was predisposed to doubt and asking questions. Somehow I didn’t think that my disbelief in things as a child quite compared to this disciples disbelief that his Savior had risen, but what are you going to do? We’re told that Thomas didn’t believe his fellow disciples when they told him of Jesus’ appearing to them. Now, for some reason Thomas was not with the rest of the disciples when Jesus came to them in the locked house. Thomas told the other disciples that he would not believe anything unless he saw it for himself. My grandmother used to say that Thomas must have been from Missouri (you know, the “show-me” state). Thomas would only believe that Christ was risen if he saw him and could put his hands through the wounds. So, some time passes and eight days after Jesus first appearances before Mary and the other ten disciples, Jesus met once again with the disciples within the house where they gathered before, but this time Thomas was with them. Jesus greeted them the same way he did the first time, but them he offered for Thomas to physically touch Jesus’ wounds. Now, we’re never told whether or not Thomas actually takes Jesus up on his offer, but we know that ultimately this encounter ends with Thomas’ disbelief fading away. Thomas called to Jesus, “My Lord and my God.” Notice that Thomas doesn’t call him Rabbi, Teacher, Master, Messiah, or any of the other names that we commonly see used in the gospels of Jesus. Instead, the word that is used here is a word that correlates with the Old Testament word for Yahweh, the name of God. Thomas here acknowledged completely that the man before him, the risen Lord Jesus Christ, was God Himself.

Our text concludes with Jesus’ words to Thomas, followed by some authorial comments made by John. Verses 29-31 read, “Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” Make no mistake about it, Jesus isn’t rebuking Thomas. He not saying to Thomas, “It’s great that you believe, but it would have been better if you did so without having to see it. You know you should have just believed without having to see.” That’s not the case at all. Jesus is pleased with Thomas’ belief, but it’s not as if Jesus is going to physically appear to everyone so that they will believe in him. I know that many of you have heard people say that if only God would appear to them in some way that all hesitations about faith would be gone. Maybe you’ve even said that too. However, it shouldn’t take the miraculous for us to believe in our Savior. As a matter of fact, the miraculous has already happened; it’s just that it happened over 2000 years ago. What we are left with now is God’s Word. And it’s that Word that John makes the authorial comments about. The sad truth of the matter is that there is no amount of signs that Jesus could have done to prove to everyone that his claims to be the Messiah were true. There’s always going to be someone who wants just one more. If you can’t believe that his conquering of life and death and achieving salvation for all God’s children is enough, then there’s never going to be enough. The fact of the matter is that we can try and figure it out and convince ourselves or deduce things all we want to but it really comes down to one simple fact or question: has God called out to you and revealed Himself to you? A good friend of mine who does a weekly internet radio show said this a few weeks ago, “Friends, I spent a lot of time, years, and miles looking for God, but it wasn’t until He revealed Himself to me that I really saw Him for the first time.”

It doesn’t matter how you became a Christian. Some grow up in the church. Some go through experiences that bring them to saving faith later on in life. Some even say that God spoke directly to them during a point in their life and that caused them to believe. Whatever it may be, it really doesn’t matter. Yes, your story matters to you and it should because it’s part of your testimony, your witness. However, in the overall scheme of things, it doesn’t matter how each individual person came to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. What really matters is two things: 1. That it happened, that God has called out to you and you have heard His voice amongst the noise and have taken up the burden of bearing the name Christian throughout all the earth. And 2. What you do in responding to that saving faith. Friends, our response to the wonderful and saving news of the resurrection should not be to stay still or to hold firm with what we know, it should be taken out into the world. It should be shared with the entire world around you. I’ll end by quoting a song by a guy named Charlie Dodrill. First, let me set up for you what is going on in this song. Charlie is at a train station and overhears a conversation that three folks are having about life. They’re talking about exercise, religion, and general life matters. Charlie notices that as they talk about religion, it is apparent that the gospel has made no impression upon their lives. Charlie, not wanting to seem like the overbearing Christian, is debating whether or not to go and talk to these folks. Finally, after much inner debate, Charlie realizes that as he is hearing their debating, that he “possess the answer to their every question.” He gets up and shares the gospel with these folk. It’s that simple. We, Christians, have the answer to all of life’s questions. The question is, will we share it, or keep it to ourselves. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.