Sermons for the Month
Believe, Listen, Act and Stand Firm
DATE: June 2, 2002
TEXT: Romans 1:16-17, 3:22-28 and Matthew 7:21-29
Last Sunday we spent some time establishing that we are disciples. God makes us disciples in our baptism as a gift of grace. The only question is - does anyone recall - how good are we at being disciples? How committed are we? How devoted are we? How serious are we about our God-given role as disciples? All of that is consistent with the words of the Apostle Paul in today's second lesson. He clearly states, "We hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law." That's the hallmark of Lutheranism. God loves and forgives us because of our faith in Jesus Christ, not because of what we do, or fail to do. The thing that is vital is that we believe. (And even that is a gift of God; the Holy Spirit, given to us in our baptisms, makes it possible for us to have faith). OK, that sounds good. But then, we come face to face with Jesus' words in Matthew 7 where "doing" is mentioned repeatedly. In the verses just before the ones we read today Jesus uses an allegory to stress the importance of - to use the language of the text - bearing good fruit. Then we read that only the one who does God's will will enter the kingdom of heaven. And, in the parable at the end of the passage he makes it clear that hearing his words and acting on them is the foundation of building a stable relationship with God. So it seems as if we are being told two different things today. Maybe you are like me, a person who dislikes apparent inconsistency. If Paul says we are saved by faith, not works, and Jesus is quoted as saying that doing God's will is the way to enter the kingdom of heaven, what are we to believe? This is the type of thing that can cause division among Christians. However, if we take a closer look at the texts we will realize that three distinct steps are being described here rather than two that exclude one another. The first step is realizing, as the words from Romans make clear, that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Another way to translate that sentence from the Greek is to say that we all have come too late. It's as if we all were invited to a party where we could participate in God's glory and every one of us is sidetracked and we show up late. My friend Anne was telling me how, last Sunday, she and her husband Ed - a seminary classmate of mine - left church headed for a Confirmation luncheon at a parishioner's home. Due to a massive traffic jam it took them three hours to travel a distance that usually takes 15 minutes traverse. Suffice it to say that opportunities to sin in thought and word abounded in that situation. But and this is the part that is amazing to me the family realized the situation and waited for them to arrive to begin the celebration. How gracious is that? In a spiritual sense, a similar thing happens to us. We find ourselves jammed in and delayed by sin. Paul defines sin in two ways. It is an inner condition that separates us from God. But he also sees sin as a power that is outside of us, one that corrupts and traps people. Imagine yourself in a huge traffic jam, and every vehicle has SIN painted across it. There is no way out. You are stuck. Or, to use Paul's pre-automobile language - we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. No matter what we do we cannot, on our own, move any direction. Can you imagine it? The only way out is up - and it is Jesus who lifts us out of sin. Indeed, we may be late for the party, but he has waited and the banquet is spread before us. In him our sin is forgiven and our relationship with God is renewed. The saving act of Jesus Christ, and our faith in him, is the first step. Now, it might be tempting to stop right there, but if we did we would be missing two important steps. What are they? The Gospel lesson answers the question. We are to listen to what Jesus teaches, which of course requires that we read or hear what's in the Bible. That's the second step. It's interesting that when Jesus told the parable about a house built on a rock or sand he had just finished explaining how God would have people live. We call that section of the Bible the beatitudes. In it Jesus tells his followers to do many things, from praying for those who persecute them to not worrying about gaining material things in life but instead to seek God first. The point of the parable is that since they have listened to his words, they should do them. That's step three. First, Jesus acts, making us disciples, and giving us the gift of faith. This alone determines our salvation. But, then we become better disciples as we listen to what Jesus says and, empowered by the Holy Spirit, do it . that is what it means to do God's will. The supposition is, then, that the way we live says something about whether or not we are people of faith. While that's true, let me caution us, though, about making judgments about who does or does not have faith based on what we mere human beings see is a dangerous thing. That's in God's hands. In today's Gospel lesson it is only Jesus who knows whether or not those who call him "Lord" are doing it because of their faith, or for their own self-aggrandizement. What is clear, though, is that those who hear Jesus' words and act on them will stand firm in the face of life's storms. Please note that in the parable the storm does not bypass the one who built a house on the rock - which is the way Jesus refers to the person who hears his words and puts them into practice. Indeed, the storm comes, but the house does not crumble because its foundation is on the rock, Jesus Christ. However, the one who hears Jesus' words and does not put them into practice does not fare as well. The house falls, and it falls in a big way, because there is not a firm foundation under it. It's interesting to note that a person of faith could be in both roles. A disciple who is striving to do what Jesus teaches is building on rock and can better face whatever comes. But the disciple who is not acting on God's word - letting it go in one ear and out the other - is building on sand, and will experience the fall even though he or she is a person of faith. That should make us even more determined to work on being better disciples. I like a story told in Healthy Habits For Spiritual Growth by Luis Palau. He writes about Dominic DeCarlo, an eight-year-old boy who was lost on a snowy mountain. Dominic, who had been on a skiing trip with his father, apparently had skied off the run without realizing it. As each hour passed, the search party of 90 people and the boy's family became more and more concerned. By dawn they had found no trace of the boy. Two helicopter crews joined the search, and within 15 minutes they spotted the ski tracks. A ground team followed the tracks, which changed to small footprints. The footprints led to a tree, where they found the boy. "He's in super shape!", the search and rescue coordinator announced. In fact, he was in better shape that the searchers. A hospital spokesperson said the boy was in fine condition, so he was not even admitted. It was explained that the boy did so well despite spending a night in the freezing elements - the storm, so to speak - because he had done what his parent told him to do. The parents had enough forethought to warn the boy about what to do if he became lost, and the son had enough trust to do exactly what his parents said. As a young child, he never would have thought of snuggling up to a tree and covering himself with branches. But, he had listened, and acted. Now that Jesus has freed us from the power of sin, we are able to listen and act, doing the will of God. In doing so we are not saved, but we are better able to emerge from life's storms still firmly planted on rock. It's a solid message for those whose lives are sometimes shaky. AMEN