Faith: Can It Be Measured?

Aug 9, 2015

Faith: Can it be measured?

I Thess. 2: 1-13

Psalm 1

Ok congregational participation time…. Ready….Here’s the question….just hold up a hand and we’ll share, OK?

Before we know it, it will be back to school time again for kiddos. Hold your hand up if your idea of children going back to school would be “yeah !!!!” Ok, now hold your hand up if your response would be, “Boo!”….Is it possible your response depends on if you’re maybe a student or a parent?)

OK, that one was simple enough….now here’s the real question. Who has been or was the best teacher you ever had? Really, who has been your best teacher in your school days and maybe why would you say they were the best teacher you ever had? While you think about that, just let me say…

Some of you may know the person I’d say was about my best teacher. He’s James “Mickey” Efird, a professor at Duke Divinity School Course of Study that I had several times through my 20 courses and five summers at Duke.

Why? He was a grace-filled man of God…Oh, sure, he was tough on you….but he was grace-filled as well. Those of you who have experienced his video-based teaching know he’s straightforward in his interpretation of scripture and throws in a bit of whimsy along the way – yea, he can be corny – but in my course work he was also very tough. His reputation preceded him well.

He was known as the “smiling assassin” – he’d smile at you so sweetly while telling you that on tomorrow’s test remember, you’re responsible for everything I’ve said this session and for all the scripture that I’ve told you to read in preparation for this class too. No small task there folks. When it came down to test time….a lot of that stuff was really right there on the test – he was tough, but….but he graded on such a grace-filled curve….Believe me, I was so excited when after several courses with him I really did finally get an “A.”

So that’s my story…I’ve given you a moment now. How about you? Your favorite teacher and why?

(wait)

So when we’ve been thinking about our teachers, like the measuring tools I used with the children….we measure our teachers, don’t we?

Today in our continuing series about faith – I’m wondering, can IT be measured? Can faith be measured? And if it were measured? What would we use – a ruler, a yardstick, a ……

Today let’s look together at how the apostle Paul measured his efforts at walking and talking the life of faith in Jesus Christ.

I Thessalonians 2: 1-13– page 1237

Paul is the teacher. Here’s it seems, in part, that he’s filling out a report card – even grading himself actually. And on first reading it sounds like he’s engaging in self-defense doesn’t it? Sounds like he’s been under attack. Get the charges. Self-promoting behavior, deceit, trickery, flattery, greed. Those characteristics weren’t on any of our favorite teacher lists, were they? But that was some of the way some people measured Paul, the great apostle to the Gentiles…..even to us today.

But we need to understand that this Paul, when he wrote the inspired words of God to his listeners then and to our ears now, this Paul had been shipwrecked, stoned, tortured and gone through circumstances much worse than we may ever face for the cause of Christ and the sake of the Gospel.

He’s sharing these things with the folks in and around the city called Thessalonica to demonstrate that his coming to them, along with others….wasn’t in vain. It wasn’t a lost cause, it wasn’t a waste of time because most especially he and his companions were, as it says in verse four, “…approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel….that’s what we’re speaking…the gospel.” Measure me,” he says, “against the gospel – the good news and how it’s developing in your heart – in a life of faith.”

One paraphrase puts it this way, Paul says, “God tested us thoroughly to make sure we were qualified to be trusted with this message. Be assured that when we speak to you we’re not after crowd approval – only God approval. Since we’ve been put through a battery of tests, you’re guaranteed that both we and the message are free of error, mixed motives, or hidden agendas. We never used words to butter you up. No one knows that better than you. And God knows we never used words as a smoke screen to take advantage of you.”

So as I was watching the republican presidential candidate debate the other night, it got me to thinking.

It’s only August 2015 and the general election isn’t until, when, November of 2016, right? And while I don’t like to get political because frankly we can’t say that God is either a Democrat or a Republican…..we’re already getting dumped on with more political rhetoric than I’m frankly willing to accept at this time. How many candidates are there? At last glance on line I saw 21 listed. It’s crazy, isn’t it? And what I’m really thinking is in my cynical mind, how many of them are not above using things like deceit, trickery, flattery, greed to get elected?

OK, enough on that for sure. But how about this? Paul defends his purpose and he admits right off the top that it hasn’t been easy because being a witness for Christ won’t always bring comfort and ease to any of us. But is it worth it?

Paul’s continuing concern is that his consistent message, delivered with a lifestyle that’s above question because of his integrity will result in faith that is the message of the good news of Jesus…the gospel of salvation. Measure him by the development of your faith.

You see, every step of faith demands faithful obedience, commitment and trust, --- obedience (that’s on your sheet to fill in – obedience) and commitment and trust. Despite all the trials and temptations we might face – be obedient, be committed, trust God in all things. Risking, testing yourself, pushing out the limits, going outside the box, coloring outside the lines, trying new things, standing up for your faith and accepting challenges are essential.

Our best teachers knew that. Your best teachers, my best teachers, taught us that.

What is the essence of a faithful, obedient, committed, trusting walk with Christ?

One anonymous author put it this way. They said it looks like risk…that’s what obedience, commitment and trust looks like – risk.

To risk is to be called a fool; to weep is to risk appearing sentimental; to reach out to others is to risk being involved; to expose your feelings is to risk revealing your true self; to dream is to risk loss; to love is to risk not being loved in return; to live is to risk dying; to hope is to risk despair; to go forward in the face of overwhelming odds is to risk failure. But risk we must because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does nothing, is nothing. One may, for the moment, avoid suffering and sorrow but he or she will not learn or love or change or grow. Only the person who risks is totally faithful.

Some might consider us “fools.” But if I’m going to be a fool, I’d rather be a fool for Christ. There is great reward when we are willing to risk for the Gospel.

Wow.

Paul wasn’t seeking personal praise, prestige, or wealth. And at closer look he really wasn’t looking for revenge against his critics or any who had made them suffer or had insulted them….or as the NRSV says, “shamelessly mistreated” them.

Paul was willing to be vulnerable. Are we willing to be vulnerable? Paul was willing to lay his life on the line because of his deep love for God first and then for God’s people there. Paul’s sole desire though is “to please God”.

Anybody ever listen to some of the music of Back? ((Kerry – Ode To Joy)). On every piece of music the great Johann Sebastian Bach wrote these initials – S. D. G. and if your favorite teacher was a Latin teacher, which frankly mine was definitely not….but if your Latin teacher was your favorite maybe you remember what S.D.G. would stand for.

It was Soli Deo Gloria – to God alone be the glory.

Paul’s desire and our desire I pray as well will be that all the glory for anything we offer the world is S.D.G. – to God alone be the glory.

Remember our reading for today? Psalm 1 – blessed is the one who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers….but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

That takes me to this thought in conclusion today.

It’s about one of the men of faith we mentioned last week….one I’ll bet you may have mentioned along the way in your life. The guy is Moses.

Recorded in the ever-popular book of Leviticus (ok, I’m kidding there about it being such an ever-popular book to read front to back)….but in Leviticus 19 we read, The Lord spoke to Moses saying. “Speak to all the congregation of the people and say to them: Be holy because I, the Lord your God am holy……do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”

That’s what Paul was about. That’s what we need to be about. Being holy. Measure our faithfulness, our holiness, by our desire to lead a different life than the world sees as successful – measure us instead by our obedience, our commitment, our trust in a Holy God.

If a congregation would like to take a look at a new vision statement, it might look no further than Leviticus 19:18. Who can argue when a church brands itself as the community where we love God….and love others? Love God first and then out of that love for God, love our neighbors as ourselves? That comes from no higher authority than the Lord.

“You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”

Friends the church, this church I pray, has been founded on the Word of God….and the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s the gospel Paul preached. It’s the same word that brings us salvation that also enables us to live for Christ, even if there’s suffering involved as we do it.

Here’s a question? Would you rather have God’s Word written on your heart than say – more food than you could consume at any one sitting? Would you rather have God’s Word written in your heart than say more money in your pocket than you ever really need to survive? Would you rather have God’s Word written on your heart than say sleeping in on the upcoming first day of school?

How can we measure our love and commitment to God? Well…..it can be measured pretty easily. Measure it by what we give ourselves to. Is it fame, fortune, pleasures in this world? Or is it as the Bible says, in Matthew 6: 19-21: Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ((Now there’s a measuring rod.)))

A pastor once said he recalls speaking with a young couple, who had a lovely little son, but they were careless about attending church and Sunday School.

The little boy wasn’t getting the Christian training he needed. During a visit to the home the pastor discovered what was going on. The father of the boy was only out to get more and more and more – me, me, me. In particular it was about more money – so he worked on Sundays to make double time in his job. Now mind you he didn’t HAVE to work on the Lord’s Day, but he wanted the money more than he wanted God’s Word. Yea, he earned more money all right, but he wasn’t ever able to keep it. The little son became severely ill…..and all that extra money ended up going to doctors and hospitals for his care.

What a hard lesson to learn, right?

Who has been your best teacher? What has been your best lesson? What teaching, what lesson do you most desire to pass along to the generations that will follow? What are the risks in concentrating on God’s Word first and foremost? On making Loving God and Loving Others the priority is life? How do we measure faith? By obedience, by commitment, by trust. Risking whatever it takes to share the love of God with others.

Remember:

How do we measure faith? By our risky obedience…by our risky commitment…by our risky trust in God.

May God measure us….and not find us coming up short.