Message: No Need to Leave Home to Journey Home!
Ya know? Sometimes, it seems like we feel like we need to do something just to prove to ourselves, to others, to God, that we are serious about this Faithwalk we are on. There are those who talk about going on a pilgrimage. Heading over to Europe, or to the Holy land of Israel, and walking the same ground that the Lord, Apostils, and the Church Fathers must have trekked.
For me this almost sounds like a first world problem or even a third world reality, walking to find your way. And please don’t get me wrong, if you can afford to travel and do Missionary work and pilgrimage, or you are limited to walking because of your financial limitations, God bless you!
It’s just that I see a whole mission field all around me. And I’m not talking about being in downtown Ogden Utah, nor am I talking about living in Utah. I’m talking about being a Christian in western modernity, and trying to live my faith. Sincerely live in and with our Lord, and you my beautiful family in God. In reality all of us are on a pilgrimage (called a faithwalk in life), and right now, many of us are on a special journey to a sacred observance of Easter.
Today I want to talk about both journeys: Our Faithwalk in this life, and the road towards Passover / Easter observance.
In most ways both journeys are a lot alike in their challenges. I think beginning with my number one challenge which is my selfish heart. And I think I’m not alone on this. Reading from Paul’s letter to Rome two thousand years ago, you can almost sense his angst about his self-control issues. Reading from Rom. 7:18-19;
18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing.
Yes sir, if you are identifying with Paul, welcome to the club. Our club is the: society for better results in the Lord’s service. Try and try again. Slip and fall, we get up and start again in our quest to walk in and with our Lord, in this beautiful life God has provided, a proving ground as it were for bigger and better things that leigh ahead.
As I mentioned earlier, this journey that we all are travelling is at the core of the beautiful life I just mentioned. With no one really knowing the side trails and byways, that you are going to witness, visit, relish, and sometimes remorse through. And perhaps that is truly the beauty of it all. As we arose this morning, none of us knew for sure, what absolutely was in store for out day, except our Lord who knows all, and has engineered all that is good and wholesome. We on the other hand invariably seem to at times be going in the opposite direction.
That is when our Lord calls us to come to Him. The journey, can be as quick and it takes to get on your knees, or as long as walking across the Middle east as Abraham did. Not knowing where he was going, how long it would take, if him and his wife Sarah would ever have a child to pass on the love, they had for each other to a new generation. All on trust. That’s what a journey of any kind really is. It’s what this time of reflection (Lent) is all about, and our lives in the Lord in general. Trusting in God, and the grace He provides for our survival when we do. Leading us to accomplish incredible things in our lives. Reminding one of today’s Call to Worship reading from
Romans 4:1-8;
1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.
*Let me interrupt Paul to say; There is a difference between following rules, and living your life in and with the Lord. Rules say, I have to pick up behind myself, life says, that when I am thinking of others that I live with, I want to make life better for them by picking up behind myself. Verse 6;
6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 “Blessed are those
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord will never count against them.
We are loved not because we have earned it, but because our Lord is merciful. And that’s what I am hoping for, mercy, not justice. For more on this grace found on our journey in this life, once again Paul. Reading on, this time Romans 4:13-16;
13 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, 15 because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
Gentile, Jew, Middle East, Seattle, Georgia, Utah, Missouri, or even Iowa, we all the children of Abraham if we believe and trust in our Lord. A Lord who daily proves the reason for belief, and the need for His relief.
As I think about Journeys, and even the pilgrimages that life affords our way, I am led to think about our Jewish ancestors who would make pilgrimages to the Holy City of Jerusalem. What a wonderous sight it must have been to seen the congregation of Israel ascending up to the mountain that held the Lord’s Holy Temple, and then the actual ascent into His House. This next Psalm is known as a Psalm of Ascent. There are 15 that are considered Psalms of ascents. Psalms 120-134. They would have been sung or chanted as the Family of God ascended to Praise, Glorify, and Magnify, His Holy precious Name in God’s House. Reading Psalm 121;
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
Our lives can be like our ancestors in the days of the Lord’s Temple. In fact, our lives can be even more intimate with our Lord as you venture on your faithwalk in this life. God wants to share your day with you. And when you share your day with God, there is a really good chance that some of the stuff you don’t want to do, won’t be done. And the stuff you do want to do, will get done, because you are sharing your life with the greatest force in the universe. And that itself is a pilgrimage, a journey!
As we start to walk down that path called a journey, a pilgrimage, or a Faithwalk… life. In and with our Lord, and His family, the Body of Christ, the thing, God tells us repeatedly in scripture begins to actually resonate in our brains. I am reminded of Isaiah’s words to that same congregation called Israel, that boasted such moving drama as the Psalms of Ascents. Reading Isaiah 1:17-18;
17 Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow.
18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
For a deeper understanding, you can get a sense of the Lord’s frustration with our life’s journeys by reading all of Isaiah. Or His scripture about Israel beginning to end! Well, drama, and pageantry are nice in the proper place, but there is no substitute for living our faith with and in our God. In other words, we may have the perfect Sunday Service one day. It could happen. And yet, if we are not living our faith, it’s all just show and faux, and glitter.
At some point, we all get the come to the mountain call from God’s Holy Spirit. And it is different and special, and unique for every person under the Sun. To get an idea of what I am talking about, Let me revisit today’s Message Reading from John 3:1-12,
1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
*And your path; in and with God, our Faithwalks are all like this. Unpredictable, special, and go with the Spirit!!!
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?
You see, Nicodemus was a sincere follower of the Law of Moses. And the Law is indeed perfect. What is not perfect is you and me. Our Lord came into this world in order for us to excel above the rules and laws of this life. It’s not enough for me to not Murder another person, I also must get rid of my anger and deal with my hate issues. It’s not enough not to commit Adultery, I need to stop practicing Idolatry, through the lust that exists when we treat others like property and stuff to use.
In other words, our lives, our journey home to our God is kind of like a series of things that; we learn and believe, then live.
- In the early stages, we learn right and wrong (Law)
- Then we learn mercy, grace, and compassion (Christ)
- Then we learn to live what have learned by living our faith.
- At some point we get to share the Good News, thru living our Faith.
But why? How is any of this possible, and why has God done this for us. Our Lord will continue to instruct us as he instructed Nicodemus all those years ago. Continuing now at John 3:13-17;
13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
*Interrupting our Lord’s instruction to say; There is a lot going on here:
- First; Jesus is the only one who has been in Heaven. Because He is all God and all man, He can instruct Nicodemus and you and I about His unique ability to save us from ourselves.
- Second; The children of Israel were on a journey through wilderness for 40 years. Like you and I, we murmur at times against God. In fact, the children of Israel made it a career to complain in the wilderness!
Finally, God had had enough and sent seraphs snakes… to bite the backbiting children of God. (Remember in Egypt snakes were worshiped and were thought could heal or kill) Moses in Numb. 20:9 is instructed to make a bronze seraph (a snake). Moses was told to hold the snake up high and children who looked at the seraph were cured from death.
It seems that God in so many words; is telling Israel, you may think you had it better in Egypt the land that worshiped snakes, and other things in this world, but I created all life, and take and restore it,… at my pleasure. Because only God can make even the Serpent (the Devil himself) serve His Holy purposes!
Our Lord continues God’s outreach, sustenance, and healing… all at our God’s pleasure. But why? Verses 16-17 say it all;
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
This journey that you and I are travelling, either the one of life in general, the one aimed towards Passover / Easter (Lent), or the Faithwalk we share in this Body, are all made possible by a God who loves us enough to sacrifice all for you and I. And the gift is available for anyone willing.
And like the children of God, and the snake in the wilderness of Israel’s existence, we are called to turn our eyes upon Him, that understands what it means to be you! Who can heal you, and walk with you, and never dessert His love for you!
My hope and prayer for all of you this week, is that you will get some time to look deep at yourself, your relationship in and with your God, and perhaps come to the conclusion that there is; No Need to Leave Home to Journey Home! When home is being in and with your Lord, His family, the Body of Christ.
Amen!