Don't Stop Me If You've Heard This
Don’t Stop Me If You’ve Heard This!
I have a friend who is a great story teller. Each and every time he tells me a story says, “Do me a favor John. If I’ve already told you this one, don’t stop me. I kinda want to hear it again myself!”
When Jim says this, he is cleverly covering up for a poor memory. I can appreciate that, for I find that I repeat myself, forgetting that I’ve already told someone something!
This morning, I want to share with you several truths from God’s Word which are not new. More than likely, you have heard what I will share with you many times. But do me a favor; don’t stop me. I kinda want to hear them again. Actually it would be more accurate to say that I need to hear them again.
The complexities of daily life tend to clutter our ability to focus on God’s plans and promises for our lives. It is imperative that we regularly turn to the scriptures to be reminded of the simple, yet powerful truths that God has promised to each of us.
The first of those simple truths is that God created the world and all that is in it. In Genesis 1 and 2, we are told about the creation. In the day-by-day account of God’s creative activities we are told that at the end of each day, God took a look at what he had created. At the end of each day he said the same thing: “It is good, it is perfect, and it is excellent in every way.” No disease, no impairments, no fear, no hatred, no greed, no crime. Everything was perfect — just perfect. That’s the way God created it and that’s the way God wanted it.
The second of the simple truths is that imperfection entered into the world through the actions of the man and the woman. That imperfection is called sin in the Bible. God’s perfect world was distorted by sin; the perfect was made imperfect. It was sin the brought
about all the negative aspects of life this side of heaven: disease, impairments, hatred, greed and crime.
As most of you know, I was a police officer for many years. Several years ago, my friend and academy class counselor, Highway Patrol Officer Bob Martin, was shot and killed in the line of duty. I can vividly remember more than one person saying, “Well, it must be God’s will that this happened.” I take issue — serious issue with that statement. In fact, I cringe when I hear horrible things attributed to the will of God. It was not God’s will that Bob be gunned down. Bob’s death was not God’s will; rather, it was sin exacting its ugly influence on our world.
Lutherans have been criticized for talking too much about sin. It is true that some preachers use sin as a whip to motivate listeners into a certain course of action, but I seriously doubt that you have ever experienced that from this pulpit.
However, we must talk about sin if we’re going to talk about grace! To understand sin and it’s impact on our existence sets the stage for this third simple truth.
The third simple truth that God establishes in Scripture is this: Jesus Christ humbled himself and assumed flesh and blood to come into this world to be a Savior.
What sin destroyed, Jesus came to earth fix. Scripture clearly teaches that sin created a great gulf between God and his creation. God detested that separation, for though we had sinned against God, his love for his creation never wavered. So, as St. Paul says, In the fullness of time, God sent forth his Son to redeem the world.
Now, if I’ve told you this before, don’t stop me; I kinda want to hear it again! It’s the greatest story that has ever been told!
When you stop to contemplate the magnitude of God’s love for us, how can we ever tired of hearing about it over and over again.
A word of caution: if you ever do tire of hearing the glorious truths of Christmas and Easter and Pentecost, it can mean only one thing: you don’t have a grasp on those truths! God so loved you that he sent his son Jesus into the world to die for you, so that you would not experience death, but life everlasting!
And if that were not enough good news for one day, here’s the fourth simple, yet powerful truth. God has a great plan for all those who accept that gift of his son, Jesus Christ. And the really good news is that the love of God we receive through Christ cannot be taken away from us.
Paul graphically says in Romans, there is absolutely nothing that can separate us from God love in Christ Jesus. There’s nothing big enough, tall enough, wide enough, strong enough, tough enough to separate the bond of God’s love for us in Christ Jesus. Nothing can snatch us from his loving and protecting arms.
God’s gift of the Holy Spirit ensures that we are properly fed and exercised to build our faith, helping us to grow to become more and more the person that God would have us to be. Through Word and Sacrament, God builds us up day by day.
Now, if I’ve told you about that before, don’t stop me; I kind want to hear that again and again. It’s the kind of reassurance I need to cope with some of the unpleasantness and challenges of an old imperfect world.
No, there’s nothing really new that I share with you this morning. And while not news, these four simple truths re-new us and refuel us to begin a new week.
But as we begin that new week, let’s face it with the full and firm confidence that we do not face it alone. You and I can boldly walk into that new week with the confidence and the assurance that we are not walking alone. We walk with God!
O, incidentally, my friend the storyteller has another phrase that he uses at the end of his stories: He says, “Be sure to pass this story along — it’s a good one!”
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