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SUNDAY, JUNE 1, 2008

THE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Matthew 7:21-29 (We resemble what we worship)

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TODAY’S SERMON THEME:

Sooner or later, all of us begin to resemble the things we worship in life. Sooner or later, we begin to take on the characteristics of the things we hold in ultimate importance in life. As Christians, we have one main purpose: To be faithful witnesses of our Lord. In other words, we are called to look and sound more and more like Him.

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1. A few years ago, two young boys in the first grade got in trouble at school. Actually, they had been picking on each other -- and on a few others -- for several days. Finally, the teacher had reached her limit. She took the boys to the headmaster's office. As rector and chair of the school board, I got to sit in on the discussion. As it turned out, one of the boys was the real bully and the clear ring-leader. He did most of the talking, just as he did most of the bullying. But he absolutely refused to take responsibility for his actions. No matter what specific incident was mentioned, the little boy kept saying it was not his fault. "Did you push Ginny in the hall?" "It wasn't my fault!" "Did you spit on Johnny?" "It wasn't my fault!" Finally, after several moments, I asked him who SPECIFICALLY was at fault in each incident. Without batting an eye, the little boy pointed to his silent partner and exclaimed: "IT'S HIS FAULT!" The other little boy began to cry. So I asked the ring-leader how his friend was responsible for all the bullying when his friend -- after all -- was supposed to be his friend. Without even pausing for air, the little boy blurted out: "IT'S HIS FAULT BECAUSE HE'S A BAD INFLUENCE ON ME!" Right. Everyone is a victim these days . . . even the bullies of the world.

2. Actually, if we sit quietly for a few moments and look at our own lives, we will discover that we have far more influence on other people than we might realize. Most parents know this. Most teachers know this. Most coaches know this. Most law enforcement officials know this. Whether we realize it or not, the way we carry ourselves through life speaks volumes about WHO we are and what we are interested in. And, whether we realize it or not, the way we live day-by-day gives testimony to others about the things we treasure most in life.

3. Thirty years ago, I was in the middle of my first career as a newspaper reporter and editor. And that’s when I learned an important lesson about people -- a lesson that has remained with me to this day. And that lesson is this: Sooner or later, people begin to look and sound like the things that are most important in their lives. To put it another way: People will inevitably take on the appearance of the things that are of ultimate importance to them. I learned 30 years ago that if you watch a person long enough, if you listen to a person long enough, you will soon be able to tell what things are the most important in that person’s life. Now, it may sound a bit bizarre, but this lesson was a great help to me in my career as a reporter and editor. It has also been a great help to me in my career in the ordained ministry. To this day, I regularly remind myself that people very often start to resemble the things they worship. And that is my primary point this morning:

4. Let me give you an example: A middle-aged businessman in Houston has spent most of the last 20 years trying to climb the corporate ladder. He wanted more than anything else to be successful in his job. He worked 16-hour days, worked seven days a week, took as many out-of-town assignments as he could, and even went back to night school for a second master’s degree. AS A RESULT, he was extremely successful, earning a high six-figure salary. And at age 40, he was only one step away from the CEO position of his Fortune 500 company. HE LOOKED, TALKED, AND SOUNDED like a highly successful corporate executive. But along the way, he almost lost his life, his wife, and his two teenaged daughters. He almost lost his health -- physical, mental, and spiritual. He was right on the verge of committing suicide when he finally CAME to his senses. He quit his job, started going to church, and went to work as a partner in a much smaller business. And he began spending as much time as possible with his wife and children. FOR A TIME, HE HAD STARTED TO RESEMBLE THE THING HE WORSHIPPED MOST IN LIFE -- his career.

5. Let me give you another example: A young woman in her early 30’s, the mother of one child, decided she wanted the perfect body. She joined a health club, an aerobics dance club, a tennis club, a weight-lifting club, and a diet club. She spent 10 hours a day focusing on her body. For several years, her life -- and her daughter’s life, and her husband’s life -- revolved around her workout schedule. And then, all of a sudden, she met a man who also worshipped her body. And the two of them almost broke up BOTH of their families. THEY HAD BEGUN TO RESEMBLE THE THINGS THEY WORSHIPPED IN LIFE -- their bodies.

6. I could talk the rest of the day about people I know who slowly but surely began to resemble the things they worship most in life . . . Alcoholics who look, sound, act, and smell like booze . . . Meth and crack addicts who look, sound, act, and smell like their substance of choice . . . Food addicts who grow morbidly obese . . . exercise addicts who can’t stop thinking or talking about their workout regimen . . . workaholics who can’t disengage from their work . . . and on, and on, and on.

7. Yes . . . Sooner or later, people really DO begin to look and sound like the things they worship. Athletes look and sound like athletes. Politicians look and sound like politicians. Educators look and sound like educators. Musicians look and sound like musicians. Perfectionists look and sound like perfectionists. Self-absorbed people look and sound like self-absorbed people. And preachers look and sound like preachers.

8. And, yes, Christians are called upon to do only one thing in life: TO BE FAITHFUL WITNESSES OF OUR LORD. We are called upon to look more and more like our Lord, and less and less like the world. Jesus called His first disciples to FOLLOW HIM -- and not just follow Him physically . .. but to follow Him in THOUGHT, IN WORD, and in DEED. Mentally. Emotionally. Spiritually. Our Gospel lesson this morning has one verse that has stuck in my mind for decades -- Matthew 7:21: “Jesus said: Not everyone who calls on me saying ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven. But only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Three quick points:

(1) Lip service is not enough if we are interested in God‘s Kingdom.

(2) The actions in our lives will always speak louder than our words.

(3) We must know the will of the Lord if we hope to do His will.

So . . . How can we hope to break out of our earthly routines to find the strength and the time to become true disciples of the Lord? A few points about Jesus’ calling of His apostles can help:

(1) Jesus came to His apostles while they were DOING THEIR REGULAR DAILY THINGS -- fishing, collecting taxes, debating points of the law. He called them while they were doing the things that were most important to them;

(2) His call to them involved a DRAMATIC REORDERING of priorities -- putting HIM first, above and beyond the other things that were important to them;

(3) He trained them, over a three-year period, to BECOME more like Him, and less like the world -- to sound more and more like Him, to act more and more like Him, to think more and more like Him. And less like the world.

(4) This is a call -- a summons -- that caused great problems for the apostles . . . and it will cause great problems for us. It is a call that changes only ONE THING in our lives: EVERYTHING.

(5) It is also a call -- a summons -- that has a great promise. That He will be with us every minute, every second. The great prophet Isaiah shows us this promise: (Isaiah 43:1):

Al’tira kiy ge’al’ti-kah ka’ra’ti vey’shimkah li’a-ta

“Fear not. For I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine.”

Our psalm this morning also shows us how we can enter into this great calling, this great summons. It is so very simple. We enter into this calling, this promise, by being still and focusing on God. (Psalm 46:11)

Har’apu uwd’te’du kiy anokiy Elohim

Be still, then, and know that I am God.

If you look at yourself in the mirror today . . . can you tell WHO, or WHAT, you are starting to resemble?