Mission Possible (3)

Mission Possible  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  1:09:17
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Some things matter to us, Some things don’t.

Here’s a little “memory” quiz:
Name the last 5 Academy Award winners for Best Actor.
Name the last 5 winners of the Miss America contest.
Name the last 10 winners of the World Series.
“NO!” Can’t answer those? Not many people can. Try these:
Name a few teachers who made a serious impact on you in school.
Name 3 friends who helped you through a difficult time in your life.
Name a few people who have made you feel welcome, loved, and appreciated.
The people who mean the most to us — are not the ones with the most money… or with all the awards… or the ones who “benefit” us the most…
The people who matter most… are the people who cared for us… they are the ones who took the time to involve themselves in our lives!
Somethings matter to us, but somethings don’t.
What matters to God?
Righteousness — Holiness!
1 Peter 1:16 NRSV
16 for it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 NRSV
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
What matters most to God is not money… is not Fame… is not Power… What matters to God is righteousness!
Matthew 5:20 NRSV
20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Wow! That’s harsh! You mean I don’t get a free ride?! You mean God isn’t going to let everyone into Heaven, just because He loves them? I have to DO something?!
Only the Righteous — the Holy — will get into Heaven… That is why it is so important to God!
What is righteousness?
Righteousness — “a life that is right with God, right with self, and right with others.”
Look at what Jesus said in Matt. 22:
Matthew 22:37–40 NRSV
37 He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Who agrees that this is our purpose? The definition of “how” we are to live as Christians?
Now… How often do we FAIL at that?!
Even as faithful Christians… we seem to struggle with “fulfilling” this command, don’t we?
Why?
If we truly understood what it means to be Christian, then it seems like this would be easy… After all, that is the Love that Christ revealed to us… that’s the way He treated us… Amen?
You see, I think the problem is that we do not really understand who we are…
Life has a way of beating us down… of draining us… of causing us to lose sight of who we are…
In his book “Leaving Home,” Garrison Keiller tells the story of Grace and Alex Campbell from Lake Wobegon, Minn.
They were married in the 1930’s, and had 3 children: Earl, Maryls, and Waltar.
Now, Alex turned out to be a “dead beat”… a “ne’er-do-well”…, and eventually, he left Grace and the children.
Pennyless… Broken… Ashamed… Poverty Stricken… Grace was forced to move back home… to live off of the generosity and kindness of the people there…, and to endure the endless “I told you so’s” of her mother…
Can you imagine how she must have felt? She had no identity… no husband… no wealth… just the shame of divorce…
One day they received a letter from a man in Phillidelphia, who was doing research on Scottish nobility.
He asked about their heritage… their ancestors… for his research.
Well, even though she wondered why this man would be interested in her unimportant (even worthless) family, Grace responded to his questions?
Some time later, Grace received a letter from him… BUT… this time the letter was not addressed to “Mrs. Grace Campbell”… it was addressed to “Your Royal Highness”!
In the letter, the man said: “Today is the happiest day of my life as I greet my one true sovereign Queen!”
He went on to explain that he had discovered that the Campbell family was first in the line of succession to the House of Steward, the Royal Family of Scotland!
Can you imagine their reaction?! In that moment… as they read those words… Everything changed!!!
Even though they were in a dismal place… their life changed! They were different…
Their surroundings were the same…
Their circumstances were the same…
But… They were royalty!
When Jesus called the disciples… when He told them they were “salt and light”… They were changed!
Christ changes Lives!
The disciples knew their New Identity… they were not simple, worthless fishermen… they had a purpose… and they had to “live up to it”!
It was important… and they understood that… they had to live up to their identity… to live into it… and to live “OUT” of it!
Let me tell you — You have a New Identity!
You have a New Purpose… if you have accepted Christ!
You are Royalty!
1 Peter 2:9 NRSV
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
We are not “scumbags”… We are not the “ne’er-do-wells”… the “deadbeats”… We are not the broken and worthless people we once thought we were…
We do not reflect the under-belly of the world… of our culture… we are not “deplorables”… or “freeloaders”… or scum… or anything else people in this world call us…
We are Children of The King!
We are Children of God!!!
We are the very PRESENCE of the True Loving God PERMEATING every place we are with the TASTY SAVOR of salt and the warmth of TRUE LIGHT!
Jesus has given us a NEW IDENTITY and a PURPOSE… BUT… that identity came with a “sphere of influence.”
Matthew 5:13–14 NRSV
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.
So, How do we get it right? How do we live up to this “New Identity” Christ has given us?
Christ said that “our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law...”
So, How do we live that “righteous life”? How do we live lives that reveal God’s Glory to the world?
Who remembers the “Outback Steakhouse” slogan: “No Rules, Just Right.”?
No Rules, Just Right!
That’s how many people today think the world is supposed to operate…
That’s how many people seem to want to live… It’s how many like their religion… their church… the gospel — “Just do whatever seems right… or whatever society says is right… or whatever your friends think is right.”
It’s ok!
You see… “God loves you just the way you are…”
“The Christian Life is ‘Free from Restraint,’ so just ‘follow your heart.”
“If it ‘feels’ right it has to be true!”
But… When they are confronted with the tough words and actions of Jesus in the Bible, they respond “That’s not MY Jesus! He is only Love… permissiveness…”
Let me ask you: “Would Jesus Agree?”
After all — He wasn’t big on rules...
— He let people break the “Sabbath Rules” … He even broke them Himself!
— He didn’t wash before eating…
— He didn’t condemn the “Bleeding Woman” for touching Him, or the “Prostitute” brought before Him…
— He didn’t seem to be in a hurry to condemn people over “the Rules”…
— He even ate with sinners… and God Forbid… He forgave them!
Jesus definitely didn’t think that “rules” made people right…
Matthew 5:20 NRSV
20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
— The “teachers of the Law” were experts in rules. They had 613 main rules… and a multitude of examples for each!
— The Pharisees were the most pious and committed people of the day!
— They were like some believers today… who are always in church… are faithful in their tithe… and memorize tons of scripture.
— They were the kind of people who only listen to Christian — or Gospel — radio… who never watch “questionable” movies or TV…
— They live by the Rules!
Yet Christ says that living by the rules, even God’s rules, will not make you righteous!
So, Would Jesus Agree?
If rules aren’t the answer… Then, No Rules is Better… Right?!
WRONG!!!!!
Think about it…
Would Jesus say that “rules” don’t matter? That only what “feels good” is right?
NO!!!
To be right, there has to be a Who, What, and How…
— Who makes the rules?
— What is the standard?
— How can we get life right?
Where do people find the Who, What, and How of righteousness?
Many people believe they don’t find it in the Bible… Many Christians even believe that — at the very least — it is not found in the Old Testament… They say that it is “obsolete” — it doesn’t apply to us anymore… But…
Look at Christ’s answer:
Matthew 5:17–19 NRSV
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
WOW! I think Jesus took the Old Testament seriously!
The OT points to the “How” of righteousness — to the “how” of a life that is right with God… with ourselves… and with others…
Because… It points to Christ!
Let me tell you this: Our view of God is the foundation of our view of what is right.
So...
Who is God?
“A gay man was researching churches, he was trying to find one that ‘affirmed his beliefs and behaviors’… He said, ‘My God isn’t simply the God I believe in, but the God I WANT to believe in, and NEED to believe in!”
We all know the church who traveled the country… protesting funerals… blaming “gay people” and the military for all the issues in the church… all the while saying: “My God agrees with me!”
And… Lets not forget the many churches today… who are currently “blaming” other races… politicians… even other Christians… for the failures of the Church and the world… all the while proclaiming “This is who MY God is!”
Church — Our view of God impacts our behavior.
We do not read the Bible to “condemn” other people…
We do not read the Bible to “affirm” our “feelings” and our “preconceptions” of God…
We do not read the Bible as a “rule book” for life…
We read the Bible to KNOW God!
— to know His Character… His values… His purposes… His expectations for us!
Let me tell you: If God is the creator of good things… the source of Life… and the Lord who will reign forever over His people… Then you will agree that the Glory of God is seen most clearly in a “love-relationship” with people He created…
— If God’s character is Holy and Pure… Then, He is righteous and just, and He upholds righteousness and justice, especially for the oppressed.
— If God is known through His actions… Then we discover that He is a God who frees slaves… give commandments for guidance… provides for His people… disciplines them… and delivers them into the Promised Land!
How we see God informs how we SEE and ACT within the world around us!
Can I tell you: God is all three of those things … and more!
He is so much bigger then we make Him…
In the NT, we understand that God is our Father, who loves us deeper then anyone in this world is capable of… that Jesus is Lord of ALL… and that the Holy Spirit guides us into ALL truth…
We understand more fully God’s Love on the Cross… His power to save us… and His plan to draw ALL people to Him… through us!
The FOUNDATION of that plan is WHO He is!
He is King! He is sovereign! Only Him!
The world tries to tell us otherwise…
Jesus makes that connection when He says:
Matthew 5:19 NRSV
19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus does not throw out any rules of the OT.
BUT… He does make it clear — If we read it as a “rule book,” we won’t get it right!
Matthew 23:23 NRSV
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others.
Jesus focused on the principles behind the commands…
Those commands still apply to us today!
For example...
Leviticus 19:19–29 NRSV
19 You shall keep my statutes. You shall not let your animals breed with a different kind; you shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed; nor shall you put on a garment made of two different materials. 20 If a man has sexual relations with a woman who is a slave, designated for another man but not ransomed or given her freedom, an inquiry shall be held. They shall not be put to death, since she has not been freed; 21 but he shall bring a guilt offering for himself to the Lord, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, a ram as guilt offering. 22 And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of guilt offering before the Lord for his sin that he committed; and the sin he committed shall be forgiven him. 23 When you come into the land and plant all kinds of trees for food, then you shall regard their fruit as forbidden; three years it shall be forbidden to you, it must not be eaten. 24 In the fourth year all their fruit shall be set apart for rejoicing in the Lord. 25 But in the fifth year you may eat of their fruit, that their yield may be increased for you: I am the Lord your God. 26 You shall not eat anything with its blood. You shall not practice augury or witchcraft. 27 You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard. 28 You shall not make any gashes in your flesh for the dead or tattoo any marks upon you: I am the Lord. 29 Do not profane your daughter by making her a prostitute, that the land not become prostituted and full of depravity.
According to this verse — If you got your haircut recently, you broke a rule!
We like to “pick and choose” which rules to enforce — No tattoos… No smoking… No drinking… No dancing… etc…
BUT… That is not our place!
It is God’s!
We are not the judge!
All we are responsible is understanding the principles that allow us to fulfill the Law!
Would you agree — Interpretation depends on context?
At the beginning of the chapter, God said to Moses:
“Speak to the entire assembly of Israel, and say to them: ‘Be Holy because I, the Lord your God, am Holy.’”
The word “Holy” means “set apart as special.”
(read that again)
God has “set us apart as special” in His Life… AND… We are supposed to “set [Him] apart as special” in ours!
We can spend a lot of time dissecting scripture… asking the question, “Why does God say this?”
But that is not important!
What is … is that…
Holiness is still necessary!
Christians are supposed to be Holy… to be separated from the world… BUT… that is not a physical separation…
It is not avoiding contact with people… it is about not being “unequally yoked”…
You see — We have a light yoke…
Matthew 11:30 NRSV
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
An unbeliever’s yoke is heavy… If we yoke ourselves to them, we will just go in circles!
And that wouldn’t benefit anyone!
The same is true with rules.
Rules are not the point!
The point is to BE HOLY… to be different from the world… from those who don’t know God… to reflect God into every aspect of our lives… in the hopes that some will be saved!
Matthew 5:17 NRSV
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
What does Jesus mean?
— All of the Law points to Christ.
The only way we can be righteous is to fulfill the intent of the Law through Christ!
Jesus fulfilled the “Spirit of the OT Laws”…
Luke 4:18–19 NRSV
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Jesus initiated the Kingdom of God… and He sent His disciples — us — to proclaim the Kingdom.
We cannot fulfill that purpose if we do not get off the shelf!
“A man walked into a grocery store and asked, “Do you sell salt?”
“Ha!” said Pop, the owner. “Do we sell salt? Just Look!”
Pop showed the customer an entire wall of shelves stocked with nothing but salt: Morton salt, iodized salt, kosher salt, sea salt, rock salt, garlic salt, Himalayan salt — every kind of salt imaginable.
“Wow!” said the customer.
“You think that’s something?!” asked Pop. “I’ll show you salt!”
And Pop led the customer down steps into a huge basement, five times as large as the back room. It was filled, floor to ceiling, with every imaginable form of salt — even ten-pound salt licks for cattle.
“Incredible!” exclaimed the customer. “You really do sell salt.”
“That’s just the problem!” said Pop. “We never sell salt. But that salt salesmen — hoo-boy, does he sell salt!”
Salt that stays on the shelf doesn’t do any good at all!
The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly what methods to use…
— It doesn’t tell us how to deal with people in need…
— It doesn’t tell us that the government should provide a “safety net”…
Yet, in the Kingdom of God… with Jesus as Lord and Savior… We are motivated to seek what Jesus did: “good news to the poor, freedom for people captured by sin and oppression, and a fresh start for those in need.”
We must go beyond the “rules” to get life right — to live out our purpose.
So, let’s trust God… Let’s cling to Christ… and let’s learn to fulfill the Law in the way we live our lives…
So that — like Paul said — “some might be saved.”
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