Building Blocks

Hope Is Here!  We can rejoice because we have hope.  You may be wondering why this really is so exciting.  As I think about all of the events that are going on constantly in our world, it is often difficult to see the hand of God.  It is sometimes tough to see the love of God.  It can certainly be beyond challenging to have hope.  When your faith is tested beyond what you could imagine, all your earthly possessions could vanish in a moment, and those that we depend so heavily on are gone, where do you go?  What do you do? Where is your hope?  When everything is on the line…where is your foundation?

Romans 5:1-5

You may remember as a kid using building blocks.  They come in different shapes and sizes.  It was important to choose the right building blocks in order to provide a steady masterpiece.  You wanted the most solid and sturdy at the bottom as your foundation because it had to be able to hold all the rest of the blocks as you built.  You didn't want to build real high and then realize that you had big pieces left and to put them on would destroy the whole thing.  As I was studying this scripture, I thought about each of the things we will look at today as building blocks to you and me as followers of Jesus Christ.

As we look at this, Paul is wrapping up where he has been arguing for being justified by faith.  This is a transition point where we take into consideration that since we have been justified by faith…then we have peace with God…

Building Block 1: Peace with God…

Paul is showing us that if we have been justified by faith, then we have peace with God.  In order to even begin to grasp this, we have to understand that we are sinners…and God doesn't look upon sin…and sin provides a 'gap' between us and God…one that we can't break because we are sinners.  That puts us in a situation we can't do anything about.  The Bible reminds us that there is no one righteous…no not one…

Except that we keep reading.  It says that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…wonder how that works?  As we continue to read, we see that it is grace that enables us to stand before a Holy God.  Grace…that free, undeserved, unearned gift that God gives through Jesus Christ.  So the key to the gap is that Jesus Christ gave up His life for you and me so that we could be cleansed…and come before God…and rejoice…and have hope…and have peace with God.

That is a HUGE, super important building block…and if we are without it…we will surely fall… And then Paul continues…

Building Block 2:  Tribulations/Suffering

We really have one of two ways to approach this building block.  Suffering/trials/tribulations can either tear us down, steal our joy, rip us apart OR they can produce something good.  We are going to undergo suffering…no doubt.  We are going to come up against things in this world.  We are going to struggle.  We are going to be beat down sometimes.  We live in this world and we are going to have troubles…Jesus told us that.  We don't even have to know why we suffer…we just know that we do.  And, we can go around feeling sorry for ourselves for our suffering OR we can glory in that suffering and allow it to do a work in us.  In order to understand that, we need to look at what it does…

Building Block 3:  Perseverance

You can glory in tribulations/suffering because suffering helps you develop perseverance.  I like to think of perseverance as "Stick to it-ness"  That thing that people have that gives them the ability to just keep on keeping on even in the face of adversity.  That "never give up" attitude.  That part of us that will not allow this world to get us down because we are serving the Lord.  We get that perseverance by suffering.  We don't learn to stick to it until we have things that come against us that try to get us to quit and give up.  And when we develop this 'stick-to-it-ness', we find that something else happens…

Building Block 4:  Character

When we have been through trials and suffering…and we have learned to keep on keeping on…our character is developed.  We learn that when God is all we have…God is really all we need.  We learn that this world and its goods are fleeting.  We learn that the things we hold so tightly here can be taken from us.  Through these lessons…when we persevere through it all…we are building character.  Character is one of those things that people don't give to you.  Character is developed.  Character is developed through tough times and through suffering.  Character is who you are even when no one is looking.  When we suffer and learn to persevere…knowing that God is with us through it all…we gain a new perspective on what is important.  We develop who we are in Christ.  We develop character and that is something that we earn – yet people see in us.

Building Block 5:  Hope

Through all of this, we gain hope.  We being to lose our earthly perspective…we learn to stick to it through it all because of this amazing peace with God…we develop a character that can't be bought…and we live in an amazing hope because no matter what – God is there.

To pull all of this together…Paul writes in verse 5…"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us".  WOW!  Hope doesn't disappoint because God has poured out His love in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.  That is amazing!  I can just imagine God pouring out His love on His people who have suffered…and stuck to it…and have built character…and have hope…ALL BECAUSE OF JESUS!  Now that is something to rejoice about!

The Power to Speak and Hear

Last week, we looked at how the Holy Spirit would come and give power for the disciples to be witnesses.  They were to wait for the promise to be fulfilled and then act upon that.

Today, let's look at what happens when they wait…

Acts 2:1-12

The Holy Spirit made quite an entrance for the disciples.  The entrance made enough of a sound that people gathered around to see what was going on.  Notice that people stopped what they were doing to listen.  That is important.

The disciples were speaking in other languages…languages that those who were gathered could hear and understand.  In my mind, I would equate that to going to a world meeting in a different non-English country and someone being able to translate what was being said into English.  While that may not seem like such a far stretch today, that was a huge deal then.

We know it was a huge deal because of how amazed they were.  They don't understand how this can happen and wonder what is going on. 

There are some important things that are going on for this day that the Holy Spirit fell among the disciples.  I want to point out 2 things that were important for them and are important for us today.

First, when the Holy Spirit came, He gave them to power to speak the message.  Remember who we are studying here.  We aren't looking at the big bad guys who stood up to everyone while Jesus was alive.  We aren't looking at the rebel leaders who were glad to go in the face of authority.  We are looking at fisherman, tax collectors, and ordinary everyday men who were just like you and me.  They were chosen by God…but were not dictators or speakers.  They were working people.

They have stood up and spoke the message of God to a group of people who might not would have ordinarily heard.  This is not a time where they are having an exclusive moment that is for the church.  This is a time of empowerment to spread the message.

Second, when the Holy Spirit came, people heard the message.  So, it wasn't like Peter and the disciples just stood up and spoke as they could.  They spoke so that the people could understand it.  We now that what they were speaking was about God because in verse 11…we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.

People are getting to hear the Word…thus the Word can begin to spread.  Jesus told them that the Holy Spirit was coming and that He would give them power to be witnesses all over the world.  And, here, we see that the Holy Spirit has come and He is giving them the power to be witnesses right at that very moment.  It definitely was a 'God moment'. 

We also know that although the disciples may not have continued to speak in other languages, the message continued to get out.  They were given the power to speak boldly to leaders which they hid from earlier.  They were given the power to speak about the Lord in the streets and in the temple…even in the face of being beaten, killed or imprisoned.  They were given the power to spread the gospel and people were hearing it.  It started here but this is just the beginning.  The power enabled them to be witnesses for sure!  Just as Jesus promised, they would be able to be witnesses all over the world.

That same Holy Spirit gives you and me the power to speak boldly and live boldly in our world.  He gives us the power to speak the Word and opens eyes for others to hear and see.  He gives us the amazing opportunity to spread the message through our speech and through our lives.  When we speak and live boldly, people will hear the message. 

You may say that we have a problem…what I just said may not describe our lives.  If it doesn't, we may want to reevaluate if we are living and acting in the leading and power of the Holy Spirit.  God's message should be spreading throughout our community and our world…by believers…you and me.  If it is not, what are we doing? 

More than a survivor

I have spent much time thinking about "Survivor" over the last few days.  I spent time at Relay for Life with my Dad who is the 2013 Adult Honorary Chair of the Wayne County Relay.  We weren't even sure he would be here this year at relay…much less leading the survivor walk.  With my parents on one side and my grandfather who also has cancer on the other…we walked the survivors lap.  It definitely reminds me of how each day is precious and indeed…a gift from God.

The word 'Survivor' is used quite often now.  With the reality show "Survivor" on TV, we are told that a survivor is one who can outwit, outlast, outplay.  That is a completely different thought of being a survivor to me than what I experienced with my family on the survivor lap at Relay. 

Sometimes, we feel like survival is what we are doing day to day…just making it.  I often catch myself thinking about just making it through the day or the week…just surviving.  What a life…surviving…

Today, I want us to consider thinking beyond survival.  Let's think about what it means to be more than a survivor…

We know that Jesus came…He offered up His life as a sacrifice for us – for all mankind…He died on the cross…and He arose from the grave!  He is a survivor for sure!  But, that isn't it!!  Jesus is more than a survivor…

Acts 1:1-11

Jesus not only died and rose…but He also ascended into heaven!  That is more than survival.  He also tells us a key…something that is the combination for us as we seek to serve Him…a way to do more than survive while we are here on earth…

He told the disciples to WAIT and TO DO…

WAIT – He told them to wait for the promise to be fulfilled.  What promise would they have been waiting for?

They are told to wait for the promise He has been telling them about…the Promise of the Father…the promise of the Holy Spirit.  They are to wait for the promise of the helper and the guide.

This promise brings with Him POWER…but not power to do what we want…not power to obtain the worlds riches…not power to survive day to day…not power to rule over people.  This power is the reason we can DO…

DO – What are we to do?  We are to be witnesses to Him…We are given the power to do the work of the Lord.  Without the power – we are unable to effectively do the work of the Lord.  Without the power, we go in our own direction…seeking our own things.  With the power – we are called to be witnesses here and in all the world. 

By fulfilling this command – we are becoming more than survivors.  Why?  Because what we do for the Lord lasts way beyond us.  If we are witnesses, people hear the Word…they see God at work…people open their hearts and minds to the Lord.  Not because of us…but because of the power working in and through us.

What happens because of the power allows what we do to make a difference for generations to come.  We aren't here to just make it day to day.  We are here to make a difference!  It may be in the life of one person today…but that one person sees Jesus and that one person shines bright.  You have made a difference that goes way beyond survival.  You have made a difference that will continue to go on and on and on. 

It isn't like you seek out to make a name for yourself.  You seek out to make God known.  You point to the Father.  You direct people in the Way.  You show people God's love.  You do so much more than survive…You show people what it means to know and follow Jesus.  That is more than just surviving!

Want to be made well?

Questions that seem obvious:

-Would you like dessert with that?

-Do you want fries with that?

-At buffet, did you get enough to eat?

-Ask Grandchildren: Do you want me to buy that for you?

 All the questions SEEM to have obvious answers.  The question that Jesus asks the man in our scripture today is very similar.  When I read it, it seems like one of those questions that would have an obvious answer.  But, as we read, we find out it isn't as obvious as we might think…

John 5:1-8

Did you hear the question…"Do you want to be made well?"

This man has been sick for 38 years!  That is a really long time to be sick.  It would seem obvious that he would want to get well.  He has come to the pool, but hasn't gotten in yet.

But, it isn't quite that easy.  When Jesus asks him the question…he doesn't come up with a resounding YES as we might expect.  Instead, he begins giving excuses why he hasn't gotten better yet.

Jesus didn't need the moving of the water or anything else…He had the power and did heal the man instantly. 

But, it certainly makes me think a lot about this man.  Did he really want to be made well?  Or was something else going on?  If someone has had something going on for 38 years, it becomes a part of them.  It becomes a part of their identity.  If he is made well, he isn't the man with the infirmity.  He isn't the sick man any more.

That is really hard for many of us.  It is scary to think about not being who we thought we were or who we have been known as…even if it isn't positive.  It is so scary that often people will choose to stay in their present condition just to avoid being changed…even if it is for the better.

It could be one of the reasons that many people who confess Christ don't give of themselves completely and wholly to Jesus.  If I give of myself completely to the Lord, He is going to change things.  If I let Him into my home, things are going to change.  If He truly becomes the Lord of my life, He isn't going to like some of the things in my life.  If I trust Him completely, then things may not go as they always have.

The changes could be amazing…they could take us into places that we would have never even thought about.  But, the prospects of such are frightening.  So, instead, we choose not to be made well.  We choose to stay in the 'rut' we find ourselves in because at least that is comfortable.

If I truly allow God to change me to be more like Him, what will happen?  What will I have to give up?  What will I have to do differently?  Will I lose friends?  What will happen?  The unexpected is so scary that we too don't really want to be made well.

We don't want to get that close to Jesus until the life we are living becomes unbearable.  We don't really want all of Jesus until we can't stand to go on.  We don't want Him until we are in such a crisis that we can't do it alone any more.  THEN, we want to be made well because we are willing to do whatever it takes…we are desperate for Him.

What if Christians instead decided to follow Jesus with our whole hearts because we know that He loves us and wants the best for us?  What if we jump in with both feet and give God a complete and total devotion because as scary as it is, it doesn’t get any better than following the Master…the creator of the universe…the King of Kings and Lord of Lords?  What if we just said yes to Him rather than being frightened…and let His peace rule our hearts and His Spirit so fill us that our lives are forever changed?

What if we just allowed Him to heal us of our sins…our shortcomings…our fears…our anxieties…our selves…and really, truly trusted Him as our Lord and Savior?  DO YOU WANT TO BE MADE WELL?