I can only imagine the dread that I would feel should I look up one Sunday morning and see someone enter through those doors at the back of our sanctuary clothed in body armor and wielding several guns. I can’t imagine the horror I would experience seeing this person shooting at you as you sat in the pews; perhaps scrambling for safety; perhaps throwing stuff at the shooter; perhaps screaming in agony. Such terrifying thoughts should never take place because such things should never happen. But such a thing did happen last Sunday, and we are all aware of it.
As happens with such events, folks are quick to jump into the blame game. Generally, the blame is simplistic–guns, mental health, the NRA, lack of proper laws. We want a simple answer so that we can get a quick fix. We just need to properly fund mental health care, and these things will stop. We just need to pass the correct gun law, and these things will stop. We just need to arm every single citizen, and these things will stop. Simple problems can be solved with simple answers, and that’s what we like.
But what if the problem runs deeper? What if the problem is more complex and more difficult to solve? What if the problem cannot be solved by passing laws or spending money?
This is a heck of a sermon to be preaching on the day that we are confirming seven young men and women. It would be nice to have a fluffy, happy sermon. It would be nice to have a sermon that is simply rejoicing and full of rainbows and unicorns. But the world is not full of rainbows and unicorns. The world is not always just or kind or fair. The world is oftentimes full of hatred and violence and evil. We see this on a daily basis when we look at the news.
But there is other news that is oftentimes overlooked. There is other news that is oftentimes ignored or relegated to superstition or called a myth. There is other news that has power to bring change; to bring hope; to bring light into the darkness. It is the news that we as the church have been entrusted with. It is the news that God has begun His restoration project of the world. God has begun the process of unleashing His kingdom, and He builds that kingdom one heart at a time. He is building that kingdom through you; through me; through these seven young men and women; and He is expecting us to go out and help that kingdom grow.
And that is not an easy task. It is not an easy task at all because of the society in which we live. For you see, I believe that our society has changed. I would argue that at one point and time in our society, most folks agreed on what was right and what was wrong. They agreed on a basic standard of morality. They agreed on what was shameful, and they corrected the folks who deviated from what was considered acceptable. Now, this was not always a perfect process, and sometimes what was agreed upon was wrong, I mean, I my family would look very differently if I were living in the 1950's. Sometimes a shaking up of the boundaries is a good thing–as long as you establish other boundaries.
I am not certain that we have any clear cut, universal boundaries in our society anymore. I am not certain that we have any clear cut, moral values in our society anymore. I am not certain that you can go out in public anymore and correct anyone who might be deviating from what might be considered the norm. What do I mean by that? Well, let’s say that you are walking around in Wal-Mart. You are walking by the toy section, and you see a child flop down on the floor throwing a temper tantrum because he or she wants a toy. You see the parent, bend down and say, “There, there, stop crying. I will get you the toy.” If you were to tell that parent, “You know, it’s probably not a good idea to give that kid a toy because he threw a temper tantrum,” what is likely to happen?
Well, that person will probably look you right in the eye and with more than a bit of anger tell you, “You have no right to tell me how I should parent. You just mind your own business!”
Oh, and just in case you might feel morally superior to that person, reverse the roles. Say your child was throwing a temper tantrum and you were refusing to give in. Say that other parent walked up to you and said, “You know, you should really just give the kid a toy. They aren’t going to be with you forever, so you should just spoil them.” What would you say? “You have no right to tell me how to parent!!!” You see, it works both ways. We want to defend “our” rights to do things as we please. We don’t like anyone telling us what to do.
And here begins the problem.
If I don’t like anyone telling me what to do, who becomes the ultimate authority of my life? I do. I become the sole source of authority of what is right and what is wrong. I become the sole source of what I think is good and what I think is bad. I call the shots. I make my own way. I am my own boss.
Now, what if everyone feels the exact same way? What if everyone believes he or she is their own boss? What if everyone thinks no one has the right to tell them what to do or how to act? What do you end up with?
Chaos.
You have people thinking they can do anything without any sort of correction at all. You have people thinking that it is perfectly okay to shoot folks at a concert; shoot folks in a church; say that there is no such thing as male or female; give two correct answers to a problem on a test and say that one of them is more correct than another; and so on and so forth. Truth becomes relative to what any one person or group of people in power say that it is. And ultimately, the only way to resolve a conflict between differing, deeply entrenched beliefs is violence.
This is the path our society and culture is on if we continue to believe there is no greater
authority than the individual. We can expect more shootings. More violence. More hatred. More division. Until we can agree upon a set of standards, morals, and values, these things will increase.
It’s not a pretty picture. But it is a picture tailor made for the Gospel.
For it is the Gospel that points the way to God’s kingdom breaking into the world. It is the Gospel that points the way to the Way, the Truth, and the Life. It is the Gospel that says that we do not discover the Truth, but that the Truth is revealed to us in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. The Truth comes to us not as an idea, a thought, a methodology or a way of life, but it comes to us as a person–fully God and fully man. The Gospel says that the Truth enters into our world and seeks to dwell within the very depths of our hearts.
And it is on the cross that the Truth is most fully revealed. “For ‘twas on that old cross where the dearest and best came to pardon and sanctify me. So I’ll cherish the Old Rugged Cross. Where my trophies as last I lay down. I will cling to that Old Rugged Cross, and exchange it some day for a crown.” As the hymn proclaims–it was on the cross that Jesus took our sin unto himself and gave his righteousness to us as He suffered the death and punishment that we deserved. He bestowed salvation upon us by sheer grace–through no work of our own. He did not seek to claim us with power or authority or violence, but He sought to claim us with self-sacrificial love–a love that we did not deserve.
Oh what heart changing love!!! Oh what amazing grace!!! Oh that our hearts may be moved with gratitude and love in return!!! Oh that our hearts may melt so that we give ourselves to Him in submission–casting aside our desires to have authority over our lives and instead living for Him and seeking His will!!
And then to behold the marvel of his resurrection!! The marvel that all evil will be overcome with good!! The marvel that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God. Not even death can overcome the Truth!!!
Oh, and what can happen when a community of people is seized by this Gospel? What can take place when human hearts are changed and come together living in the grace and mercy of God? What kind of kingdom is established on earth when people who are grasped by the Gospel of God and live for God?
Acts 2:43, “43 Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. 44All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.”
Who does not long for such a community? Who does not long for such a place where people gather and share? Where people gather and care? Where people gather in mutual harmony? Where people have glad and generous hearts? This is what the Gospel produces.
But how can this Gospel produce this if it is not shared? It must be shared–not through power and violence, but through a burning desire to love the world as Jesus loved the world. It is this burning desire that shines through Paul’s words from the book of Romans this morning. “17In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to boast of my work for God. 18For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed, 19by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and as far around as Illyricum I have fully proclaimed the good news of Christ. 20Thus I make it my ambition to proclaim the good news, not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on someone else’s foundation, 21but as it is written, ‘Those who have never been told of him shall see, and those who have never heard of him shall understand.’”
Is it possible for such news to change the world? Is it possible for such news to bring about transformation? Is it possible for us to make such an impact if our hearts were seized by the love of God in Christ Jesus? Is it possible for our nation to once again find a common purpose; a common sense of morality; a common sense of right and wrong? Is it possible for our nation to be transformed by the power of the Gospel–to participate in God’s kingdom being revealed?
In a few moments, seven young men and women will stand here this morning to affirm their baptism. They will stand here to say before God and this congregation, “Yes, I believe.” Yes, I believe I have responsibility to live out a life of faith. Yes, I believe I have responsibility to share the Good news of Jesus Christ. Yes, I believe that Jesus died for me and for the world. Yes, I believe that God’s kingdom is breaking into our world. Yes. I believe. May their statement be our statement, and may we dedicate our lives to the spread of the Gospel–the spread of the kingdom of God. Amen.
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