|
|
|
|
Christian World View vs. Living for Christ
I want to read to you the journal post my email directed you to earlier this week… in the process I want to confront each of you with the idea that being a Christian is about BEING, about LIVING, about ACTION. Throughout my life I have been in some way either indoctrinated into or escaping from what is considered the "Christian World View". Most of the time there wasn't a great deal of thought in the process, it was a matter of faith, of belief, of trust... all things that seem intangible and don't carry a great deal of weight with people who are not "connected". Either that or it was about running from those things into "experiences" that kept me from thinking. Over the past few years I've come to realize that the problem with the "Christian World View" isn't so much the belief system but whether or not you actually live according to it. I can argue theologically or philosophically about the existence of God or the truth of grace through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but if all I do is sit back and admire the view not much actually happens. It is sort of like my visiting a museum and admiring a painting; I can even study the specific brush strokes, analyze the paint, look at the alignment of objects, study the artist, and yet walk away with only admiration. That seems to occur far too often when a person adopts a Christian World View. Sure they see things differently, they might even vote differently, their heart might even well up with feelings of wonder... but when they stop viewing the world and enter back into it and way too often they aren't much different than the people around them. And that sucks the life out of the Christian Life. And it sucks the life out of the Christian message, a message that is truly good news to the world: forgiveness of sin, new life, eternal relationship with God and people. I am tired of the "Christian World View". Living for Christ sound much more exciting. Instead of simply admiring the wonder of the Good News I get to live it. Instead of simply telling people how good it looks they get to see it lived out in me. Instead of writing about it I live in the spaces all around me, at work, at home, at school, where ever I find myself. And since Christ's promise included God's presence actively in my life when I enter His Kingdom through His Action, accepting from Him what I could not do for myself, Living for Christ is more than a view... it is the most overflowing, exciting, and real life I can live. So I'm tired of sitting back and admiring the view... instead I choose to live, and live for Christ... and abundant and eternal action.
1) Living for Christ has one real difficulty, the “reality” of this world. Reality… Turn to (John 20:24-26a) Sure, when we take a Christian World View and look at the world we see why Jesus came: this world is messed up and needs a Savior, but when we step back into the life here in this world all it seems is messed up. For the purposes of this sermon I want you to write this statement down: The world just SEEMS messed up. Our view of the world isn’t about your view of Christ it’s about whether or not He is REAL in your life. Since we’ve been jumping around in John the past couple of weeks let’s look at the story of a person who was very close to Jesus but when he missed a view he doubted… John 20:24 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. a) I wish that I didn’t relate to Thomas as well as I did… I mean he’s DOUBTING Thomas! I don’t want to be the person who doubts. I must stand STRONG, I am the pastor! And yet like Thomas I missed the Appearance of Jesus on Easter evening! b) So all of us sitting in this room look on the risen Christ from a distance! We find ourselves in Thomas’ place… i) Questioning God… ii) Questioning ourselves… iii) IS THIS REALLY TRUE? HOW COULD GOD WANT TO BE CLOSE TO ME? iv) For many of us, Jesus is a remote figure! (1) A man of history buried in the distant past! (2) A quaint story, a myth... (3) Or a crutch to turn to when you need Him. v) Or maybe your distance from Jesus comes from to much familiarity... (1) You’ve sung the songs, you've heard the stories... over and over... and the stories have become tiresome... the good news of Jesus Christ seems no longer new or good... (2) The situations of life have become more powerful for you than the God of life... 25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." c) Thomas rejects his friends’ testimony... separating himself from them... and from the truth of God! i) Doubt separates us from relationship... (1) It makes us lonely, even in a crowd, even in a crowd of doubters... (2) How solid is a relationship that is built on doubt? (3) Doubt and loneliness walk hand in hand! ii) Faith, which can be born out of doubt, is the thing that brings us into harmony with ourselves, others and with God… Faith is really more a matter of action than belief in doctrine! 26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. d) Thomas stuck around... his faith kept him around, kept him in relationship... in a place where he could find an answer! i) If you are in a place of doubt, be willing to seek real answers... so often we settle for bad doubt, doubt that separates us from truth and from each other! (1) We let the situations of life dictate our reality. (2) We make plans or fight when we simply need to stick around, working in the midst of life, looking for more. ii) And we need to be humble enough so that you are willing to listen when the answer comes! Jesus Christ is the answer to Reality. He is REALITY! 2) Reaching Beyond… (20:26b-27) Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" CHRIST IS IN THE BUILDING! THE PRINCE OF PEACE! a) When you are living with that sense of being overwhelmed by life, aren't these the words you long to hear? "Peace be with you!" b) Doubt never offers you peace! It makes life feel like... "a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. " (James 1:6) c) Though you may find yourself overwhelmed, Jesus Christ is not far away! And the truth that he offers isn't flimsy... 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. “ i) Becoming a Christian, placing your faith in Jesus Christ does not have to be a gigantic leap of faith... Christ offers you reality. He says, take the truth I offer, put your finger here, check it out, and live with it! ii) And He doesn't rebuke Thomas, He doesn't enter the room and disgrace Thomas... he offers Thomas even more than he needs! Thomas believed the moment Christ entered the room... but Christ gave him more! iii) And there is more... once you have a LIVING relationship with Christ, you have the ability to reach beyond the day to day and see and live life in a BIG way! d) Christ wants us to choose to live, and live for Christ... an abundant, continuous and eternal series of actions! i) Are you willing to accept a real answer… even one you don’t like? Jesus Christ is the answer to Reality. He is REALITY! Will you Respond? 3) Response… (20:28-31) Stop doubting and believe. a) In the Greek it is, “Do not be apistos but pistos!” Don't be unbelieving but be believing! i) This is more than just intellectual assent. Christ tells him to move beyond the intellectual questions and to enter into a believing relationship! ii) It's a relationship because this belief is in a person not just an idea! It's alive! A living belief, one you can walk around in! That works in the ups and the downs. One that becomes a part of who you are! We see this in Thomas' answer! 28 Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" b) That's a pretty personal answer! c) And that's a pretty definite answer! Christ wants a response from you! 29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." d) Have you received this blessing? e) That blessing is for you! i) To be believing carries a blessing! ii) Doubt is not supposed to be your destination! 30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. God desires a response! He wants a personal response, he wants a growing response! You may think that Christianity is about making an initial commitment to Jesus Christ... but it is so much more! Christ wants us to experience real peace right now... in the midst of turmoil, in the midst of difficulty, in the midst of each of our relationships! Christ wants us to experience Real Life! Jesus Christ is the answer to Reality. He is REALITY! Will you Respond? Will you step into that relationship? Will you step deeper… Will you let Christ confront all your doubts? To answer them… and bless you through your faith and your belief?
Will you truly live? That means it is time to quit being a lone ranger. You need to be connected, to God and to other people. Commitment to living life in God’s REALITY and not your own.
Contact Information
|
|
|
