Message 22th July
Bible text: Hebrews 10: 35-39
Theme: Living by faith
Believing in God is not so easy in this present age. So many people you meet, the whole society tells you, it's okay not to believe in God. After all, where is he ? So many bad things are happening in the world, so much injustice, so much suffering- so where is God in all of this ?
It seems that God is not there. If he was, would the world be in such a bad shape ? Many people pose the question: How can we believe in a God who is not present, a God who doesn't show himself, a God who remains unseen ? Indeed, even Christians have asked this question in times of disappointment and depression. Of Teresa of Avila, a Catholic nun living in the 16th century was reported to have told God on one occasion: “Lord, it's no wonder that you have so few friends if you treat them all this way.”
All of us have probably been in a situation where we did not understand what was happening in our lives, when we doubted God's love and his care for us because just everything happened to go wrong.
Is God not interested in us ? Is he not interested in our well-being ? Has he forgotten us ?
The Bible text today encourages us not to throw away our confidence. We will find out why we should keep on trusting God even in bad times and in times of trials and if it is really worthwhile trusting God despite the circumstances we are in.
1.The world is not what it seems to be
Ads ! We know that most ads promise many things but they cannot deliver once you try out the product.
In India many things are advertised and when you go shopping, the vendors will praise their products immensely.We used to buy toys for our children in the Indian bazaars and the toys all looked so good. But after we bought them, most of the toys only lasted a day. The next day they were broken. But some days ago we found one toy from India which had survived all these years. It was a motorcycle toy we bought about 10 years ago in Delhi and it still was okay. So miracles do happen.
But as it is with these vendors and these ads who promise you everything, so it is often in the world we live in. Many things are promised to us, even by people close to us but seldom the promises are kept.The world is not always what it seems to be. The world around promises us, if only we had enough money,
if only we had the latest fancy car, if only we had the perfect partner. then we would be happy.,
Indeed having these, can make us happy for a while, but usually the happiness doesn't last very long. Money will be spent, if you are not a millionaire. Even new cars get old. And relationships we thought will make us happy forever bring with them also problems and conflicts.
So happiness is something which is not as stable and lasting as we would like it to be. In fact, the Bible teaches that material things cannot make us really happy.
Man is in search for spiritual fulfilment. But spiritual fulfilment is only possible with spiritual means. Only the creator who is a spirit and has created us as spiritual beings understands our deeepest needs for a personal touch, our need for experiencing love and acceptance. And he gives us worth and significance.Only he can fulfil the deepest spiritual needs that we have because he as our creator knows his creations.
Jesus once said: “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” So it is possible to experience a life on a deeper level different to the life that we find in the world around us. It is a fulfilled, hopeful and rich life because our spiritual needs are met by God.
We come back to the question we asked in the beginning. If it is so that we do need God because we are spiritual beings, then why is he unseen, why is it so hard to reach him, why doesn't he just step into our lives so that we might recognise him ?
Well the truth of the matter is, that he did step into human history when Jesus entered the world scene. Jesus showed the world how God is like. And we might think now: well, if we had lived in those times, it would have been so much easier to find God and understand him. But the New Testament tells us a different story. Although Jesus was perfect in every way, although he did not commit a sin, although he did amazing miracles, only a handful of people believed in him. Most people turned against him, and he was even crucified by them. Maybe we also, if we had lived in those times, would have listened to the religious leaders then and would have pronounced the death sentence over Jesus.
I made the experience in many council meetings and board meetings that most people listen to those who can speak out, they listen to those who can make the point and who can deliver most eloquently and persuasively. Then even the project they are standing for, doesn't matter anymore. I have seen the most expensive projects being brought through councils which in my opinion actually did not make much sense. The money could have been used for better purposes. But people listened to such hardliners because they were so persuavive.
Well, Jesus had no intention to put up a show. He never did a miracle because people thought he should do one. He never wanted to be in the spotlight or to be praised for his great speeches. He was humble and people were important to him. Most of all, he did not swim with the crowd, he opposed the religious leaders for their wrong teachings and he showed no favouritism. Maybe that is why people turned against him in the end.
He stood for truth not for deceit and manipulation of the masses.
God stepped into human history but many people even today did not recognise him.
We read in John 1: 11: “ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.”
2.A faithful God who does no wrong
Moses, the leader of the people of Israel out of Egypt, at the end of his life shortly before the Israelites were to enter the promised land, said these words about God (in Deuteronomy 32: 4): “ He is the Rock, his works are perfect,and all his ways are just.A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.”
How could he say these words after the many disappointments he had experienced in his life ? First he was not accepted by his own people, then after he started leading them, the people rebelled against him time after time. Miriam, his sister and Aaron, his brother tried to re-place him in order to become leaders themeselves.The people made their own gods and endangered his whole mission. They did not follow him into the promised land when it was time to go and turned against him. In the end he lost the right to enter the promised land because after the Isrealites had complained one more time to him, he was tempted by pride and gave in.
But Moses in his last days is not a bitter person. He still praises God and gives him the glory as a God who is faithful and as a God who does no wrong.
How come ? I think that Moses learned one lesson through all these years in service for God. It is man who is unfaithful not God. It is man who does wrong not God. It is man who is unjust not God.
God was just in all his dealings with the Israelites, he did what was right and he remained faithful even when the Israelites were faithless.
Coming back to our question: if God is still there, why are all the bad things in the world still happening ? Well, ask yourself maybe another question: if man was different, would all the bad things in the world still happen ? It's true, many times God does not intervene directly and immediately. But if he did, would he not have to destroy mankind because of their continuing love for sin and evil. God is still patient with us in order to win us with his love.
But in the book of Revelation the Bible tells us of a time when it will be different. Jesus will come back as the judge and as Lord of all. And people will be judged according to what they have done.Then there will be no more excuses. We will have to answer to God why we lived the way we have lived, why we did not show love to those who needed it and why we did not respond to the love God showed us by sending Jesus to die for our wrongdoings. The text today speaks of Jesus' return. Maybe this thought frightens us but if we trust in God and Jesus as our Saviour, we do not have to be afraid of this event. Because if we believe in Him, we are his children and children await gladly their father if they haven't seen him for a long time.
I want to tell a story of the father of a small boy aged 4 years who went to work in the US. He kept sending letters home. The little boy was waiting for his father to come back but he didn't seem to come back. He was asking his mum when daddy would come back. She told him a certain date but he could not imagine when this would be. He waited a long time until then, one day, his father walked through the door out of nowhere as it seemed. He had wanted to surprise his family and had come before the time he had said. The little boy way so happy to see his father again after such a long time.
Jesus' return will be a surprise to us. But as the Bible prophesied his first coming, nearly 700 years ago in the Old Testament before Jesus arrived on the world scene, so it also promises his second coming with certainty.
Jesus 2nd coming is ordained so that this world can finally be put into order again and so that evil can be blotted out and the good can finally win the victory and be established.
Jesus' return is based on the faithfulness of God. He will not abandon those who believe in him but he will save them. That's why it makes sense believing in God even if others around us don't believe in him. God never leaves us alone and he remains faithful and he will come back for those faithful to him. The Bible doesn't say when this will happen but many signs today are already pointing to this event. No doubt, the world will be taken by surprise when Jesus comes back and when the believers are taken away to heaven. But the fact is that it has been foretold in the Bible that this event will take place and we are wise to heed the warning.
3.Living by faith not by sight
So how can we live in this world today when so many things are not the way God intended them to be and when so many people are not living the way God designed them to live ?
There is but one way we can live that is pleasing to God. Living like this will not mean that we will become sinless or perfect, it will not mean that everything will suddenly become easy and that we will receive only blessing after blessing but it does mean that God will be with us if we live by faith in him.
In many parts of the New Testament we are called upon to live by faith.
Living by faith does not mean to live like most of the people in the world who rely only on themselves. But living by faith means to rely on God fully. It means to accept his ways as good and surrender to him. It means also to submit to his guidance in my life even though it may go against my wishes.
I guess this is the hardest thing to do for most of us. Why should I listen to God if he suggests to me to do things which I don't like to do. I want to rule my own life and I have the right to do so.
The reason why we should listen to God is that he designed man and he knows exactly what is good for him.
An example how we can live by faith are the financial needs that we have. Yes, we can give up in times of need and just rely on our own strength but we can also choose to trust God and his resources.
A few years ago, we had a big financial problem. The city council had decided that all old canalizations in the city were to be renewed and it was a must that the people who lived in certain areas had to pay the renewing of the canalization on their plot of ground out of their own pockets. Well,we did not have much money at the time and we thought that probably by the end of the year we will have to leave our house and move out. But God did not forget us. The godmother of our children whom we had told about the problem just said: “well, what do you have me for ? Of course, I will help you !” It was a large amount of money but God did a miracle and he answered our prayers through this woonderful lady and we were able to pay for the renewal of the canalization.
Living by faith also means to trust in God for my needs on a daily basis. It means not to rely on what we see happening in the world but to rely on God to overcome obstacles in our way. He is the almighty God and he has means to overcome our problems. But in order that he can do that, we need to give him the permission to enter our lives and to guide us.
For example: If you had a financial problem and someone would offer you 1000 E freely, would you not take it ? Maybe you would be suspicious but if you have found out that's it's true, you would take the money, wouldn' t you?
I am getting many spam mails coming in daily to my mail account who speak of people wanting to donate millions of dollars to us . Some people even want to give us their whole fortune in order to help our work. But if you compare the mails with each other, they all seem cheap copies with the same content. Usually it starts with the event that someone has died and shortly before he died, he became a Christian. And in order to do some good in his last hour, he wanted to donate the money to a charity organisation. These mails are all the same, except that the names are being exchanged.
But Jesus is unique. He doesn't offer you something that he then doesn't give. He doesn't promise something which he can't deliver. He is faithful and whatever you hear him saying to you, he will keep his promises. In that aspect he is so different from us.
In Numbers 23: 19 we read: “God is not a man that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act ? Does he promise and not fulfill ?” God does keep his promises.
Maybe you have heard different things about God, maybe you have not experienced God this way, but be assured that it is true. If it is not true, then the whole Bible is pointless because it testifies to a faithful God.
So the option then is to believe or not to believe. There can be no middle way of believing a little and only in certain situations.Otherwise I just do my own thing.
If God is the God of the Bible , then he wants your whole life, not just a part of it. Jesus gave his whole life and he became wholly involved with mankind and he offered a complete sacrifice by dying on the cross for our sins. In all what we don't understand in this world, with all the quieries we still have about God, the question is still: how do we respond to such an act of complete love towards us ? Will you accept him or will you deny him?
This is an answer that everyone of us has to give personally in his own heart. God is still waiting for you and me like a loving father. How will we respond to him ? Amen
