The Problem of Practicality

I am a very results oriented person…As a result of that sometimes I can be very hard on myself and on other people when I or they do not see as much forward movement as “I” think should be happening.

When I get into this overly practical mindset…it becomes nearly impossible for me to see how God is working becuase my mental focus is on everything but God.

When this is the focus my mind moves from how great is our God to how can I make happen what I believe needs to happen.

Have you ever been there?

I can’t speak for everyone but it is my suspicion that all of us can related to this in one way or another.

We all have expectations that we believe need to be met in order to proclaim life a success…and as such an inability to meet those expectations is often seen as a failure.

Now....There is nothing wrong with pursuing movement or success in all of our endeavors…However when practicality or “Success” become proof of living an authentic Christian life that mindset can become a problem…keeping us from truly Trusting in God’s goodness to us.

....We can forget that our relationship is what determines outcome not the other way around.

Paul seems to be outlining a deeper more practical way to live the Christians life in this passage and it has nothing to do with practical outcomes or formulas for success.

Romans 3:21–26 NLT

21 But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, 26 for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.

God is the one and only when it comes to being made righteous. There is nothing that we can do to erase sin…there is nothing that and other can do to erase sin. Your righteousness is not even dependent on whether an other person forgives you.

You and I are Justified by the Work of Jesus on the Cross and the resurrection of Jesus from the Grave.

When God justifies us we are blameless…Satan my hold our sin over us but God does not.

This is a hard concept for most people becuase we live with the idea that we have to earn it. You have to work hard...you have continue to make yourself worthy.

Nothing is farther from the truth.

Our salvation has nothing to do with positive practical outcomes or specific formulas for right living.

Jesus is the way to righteous living not following the Law. Once Jesus forgives us we are forgiven…nothing can change that…

In our legal system we have the concept of double jeopardy where people cannot be re-tried for a crime in which a not guilty verdict has been rendered. Once justified by a court one cannot be tried for the same crime.

Now once one is acquitted that does not give them a get out of jail free card for all future crimes…but one who has recieved such a sentence should be inspired to make sure their freedom is never at risk again by not committing another crime.

You and I are no longer responsible for the sin of our past. What God has done through Jesus is final and the quicker we trust God for it the more successful and practical we will live.

This is where Faith comes in for the believer. Faith is trust that God has in fact forgiven us and made us righteous…and the God has the power to keep us from sin in the future.

We cannot overcome the snares of the enemy on our own…God who justifies is that same God that empowers through the Holy Spirit.

This is why Paul continues at verse 27 emphasizing the importance of faith over practicality.

Romans 3:27–31 NLT

27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. 29 After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. 30 There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. 31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.

A strong faith is the key to positive practical Christian living…not vice versa. God knows you in your inmost being…God knows you cannot achieve the goodness you want to on your own.

Nor should we even try. The best we can do is to humbly accept this gift of grace and trust in this same grace to help us with the rest of our life.

God strengthens our faith when our number one priority is not proving our worth by trusting God with our growth.

One of the worst parenting moments in my life was when I forgot this truth.

As many of you know I have a love for football. I loved playing it in Jr. High, High School and College. I loved it so much that I could not wait to watch my son play.

I just figured that Caleb would love it as much I did. So when the time came for him to be able to play I was ecstatic. He was finally going to be able to experience the same lessons and joy that I had experienced…It never occured to me that Caleb would not love the game as much as I did.

So needless to say when informed me he wanted to quit in high school to focus on debate and baseball I was not only shocked but I was a bit angry.

I couldn’t understand it and unfortunately I did not handle it as well as I thought was. I found myself becoming very critical of his work ethic and of his decision making ability.

I even found myself being a little passive aggressive with him at times…He would try to watch football with me after church and talk to me about it but I always had some remark along the lines of quitters don’t get to have an opinion about the game.

Then it hit me one day just how out of line I was…I think it was when I watched a particular father just destroy his son’s confidence in one of Calebs baseball games that I realized how unfair I was being to him.

Later that week I apologized to Caleb and asked for his forgivness. God reminded me through all of that that my relationship with my son is and will always be more important than a game or even making decisions that I agree with.

My desire for my son to be a football star could have cost me my relationship with him forever.

I wonder how many of us are struggling needlessly becuase we are trying to live up to our own self defined standards in order to prove to God and others how “Christian” we are?

When all God really wants it for you and I to trust in His love for us....God wants this so much that he sent Jesus to bring us that assurance.

John 3:16–17 NLT

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

Replace practical outcomes with God’s loving presence.

Evaluate your relationship with God by your thankfulness not you effectiveness.

Spend More time in Prayer and less time in striving.

Enjoy those on the journey with you....Comparison is not healthy.

Be honest about your level of trust in God. It takes a lifetime to get to know God as well as God knows you....And that is OK

These Action Steps will allow you to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in a way that frees you from the pressure of being perfect and allows you to be in perfect relationship with God and other people.

James.....

Open Altar:

God knows you…He knew you the instant you were conceived and God Loves you.

How about trusting this truth enough to spend the rest of your life in peace getting to know God?

Let’s Celebrated the length to which God has gone to solidify the bond of Father and Child of God by receiving communion together.

We are an open communion Church this means that all are welcome to the table…if your a first time guest you are welcome…if you are not a member you are still welcome.

When you come to the table please give proper spacing and receive the bread and the cup from the sanitized hands of our servers…then return to your seat and we will partake of the elements together.

Servers please come forward

Communion:

Benediction:

Holy God, You gather the whole universe into your radiant presence and continually reveal your Son as our Savior. Bring healing to all wounds, make whole all that is broken, speak truth to all illusion, and shed light in every darkness, that all creation will see your glory and know you are the Lord.

Amen.