What do we really have to do to be right with God?
That's a question I hear fairly often, and it's surprisingly a question that people argue about. There isn't a lot of agreement on exactly what God expects.
The Sermon Message this week looks at that subject, and my answer to that question.
In the churches in Galatia, Paul had visited in an early missionary trip and help organize and strengthen the believers that were there. But then, after he left, others came in and told them that they needed to follow the Jewish Law, essentially becoming Jews before they could become Christians. Do we have to follow the Jewish commands? How do we become Christians? How are we made right with God (Justified)? These are the questions we try to answer this week. If you would like to read the message, click the title below. There should be an audio link by Monday afternoon.
When I have opportunities to share my faith, one objection I often hear is that a loving God would never sentence a good person to an eternity in Hell. And it might sound a little harsh on the surface. But I think that reasoning is flawed. Here’s why:
First, thinking that we are basically good people and that we should get into heaven suggests that we can save ourselves by our good deeds. But the Apostle Paul is very clear that we are “saved by faith, not by works.” We are saved by our faith in Jesus Christ - nothing else.
Second, it isn’t really God that is sentencing us to Hell. He has done everything he could to keep us out. Again and again, He has responded in grace when we have wandered away, doing our thing. If we wind up in Hell, it’s because we didn’t accept the grace poured out on us.
And finally, how good do you suppose you would have to be to be “good”? Would “basically good” be enough to offset a lifetime of disobedience to God? Probably not. I suppose the standard would have to be set pretty high, if in fact you could be good enough on your own.
In fact, to get an idea how high, in Mark 10:17-18, a rich young man runs up to Jesus and asks, “‘Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good – except God alone.’” Is Jesus saying that he is not good? That perhaps not even Jesus is good enough on His own to inherit eternal life? Is the standard so high that even the One that never sinned still wasn’t good enough? Would any of us measure up?
That’s why the Apostle Paul wrote, in Romans 3:23, “for we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” But Paul doesn’t stop there, he continues, “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Many think that we are born good, and it is life’s experiences that harden us. But then why would we call that early stage in the development of our children the “terrible twos”? Shouldn’t that be the best time in their development? They are starting to freely interact with others, and they haven’t had any of the life experiences that would harden them yet. They haven’t learned evil yet, having been sheltered by their parents up to this point. The fact that almost every child goes through this stage might suggest that perhaps we aren’t born good. Rather, we learn good from the rules established at home, beginning in this stage, but lasting throughout our lives. Not that any of our kids are terrors, but perhaps they suffer the effects of sin from a very young age.
In our Bible Study yesterday, we looked at Deuteronomy, and in chapter 11, we studied the freedom to choose either a blessing or a curse. In verse 11:26 we read, “I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse – the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey”. The choice is ours. We can follow God, obey His commands, trust Him in all things, or we can walk away and do our own thing.
What we can’t do is blame Him for the consequences if we disobey. He warned us long ago. He even sent His Son to open the door for us. We have to believe.
God is not evil or hard toward us. Just the opposite. God loves us so much he sent his own Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. God didn’t just meet us half way, He came the entire way, He did it all. All we have to do is believe!
In our message last Sunday, we looked at a passage in Galatians, looking at chapter 1, verses 11-25.
In this passage, the Apostle Paul is telling us briefly about his conversion on the road to Damascus. He was a very devout Jew, higher in the ranks than many of his peers. He thought he knew what God wanted, and was very zealous in his faith. But it turns out, he didn't know what God really wanted. He had it wrong. And it took a miraculous vision to straighten him out.
Sometimes, we think we understand our faith. We think we know what it takes to please God. We think we've got it right. But sometimes, we can be wrong...
If you would like to read the message, click on the title below. There is also a link to listen to the audio recording of the message.
This week's message examines the question, "Are you really the Messiah?"
These people saw the miracles, they saw people healed, they saw so many incredible things, they even heard teachings that no man could know - teaching with authority! How can they doubt.
One reason they questioned Jesus as Messiah is because Jesus was so different from their perspective of what the Messiah would be like, and what he would do.
We examine these expectation, what they saw in Jesus, and perhaps more importantly, what they didn't see that they expected to see. These expectations affect us, too. We dismiss miracles everyday, we miss God's work, we miss exciting things happening, we don't expect to see them there.
The message for this week follows the lectionary reading from John 21:1-19. It's the story of Jesus' third visit, at least His third visit, to the disciples. He had instructed them to wait in Jerusalem for gift the Father had promised them (Acts 1:4). This promise was probably made in one of His two previous visits, in the locked room, either the one Thomas missed, or when Jesus came back to see Thomas.
Although Jesus had told them previously about the Holy Spirit that would come and be their guide and their counselor, I'm not sure they really knew what to expect. They were waiting, but I'm not sure they knew what they were waiting for. And after three weeks, they were getting pretty bored of that locked room.
Suddenly, without warning, Peter jumps up and says, "I'm going fishing!" The rest, without missing a beat, all jumped as well, and said, "We'll go with you!" And so they went.
When they got back, Jesus was waiting on the shore, with fire going. He asked for a couple of the fish they caught, and prepared a meal for them. After the meal, he pulled Peter aside. He pulls all of us aside at one point in our lives. And He asks us the same question: "Do you love me?"
This was a very short summery of the message. If you would like to read the entire message, click here. There is also an audio link to listen to the recording of the message, though this week the quality isn't the greatest.
This week is Easter Week - the day the church remembers the resurrection of our Lord Jesus.
Easter is a great time to look at not just the resurrection of Jesus - but the life of Jesus as well. So this year on Easter Sunday we looked at the message that Jesus proclaimed. The gospel message - the good news. What is the good news? What is the main message? What is the most important part of the message that Jesus spread?
That's the question we try to answer this week. As you read the message, or listen to the audio link, I invite your comments. What do you think is the most essential part of the Jesus' message...
Easter is the biggest day of the Christian year. How do you prepare for it?
We have made Lenten Devotionals available here the Almond Union Church. Do you have a devotion that read during Lent? Any special disciplines that you might follow during Lent (fasting, mediation, prayer...)
How have they been going for you? Have you found quiet time with God to be easy? If you don't practice year round, it may be difficult to start for a fairly short period.
If you have started a new discipline and it has one well, I encourage you to continue it. If it has brought you closer to God during Lent, continue it. We need to be closer to God all year around.
Let me know how things are going. I love to hear from you...
