Not a One-Day-A-Week Kind of Faith
Abridge Worship Provided By: Rev. Jacob Shaw (Please note that this is not a verbatim account of our Sunday morning worship, but rather a condensed version for those at home to study and enjoy, Blessing)
Opening Prayer:
Your Spirit calls us here, O God, to behold the glory of your majesty and power. For adopting us into your family and making us heirs with Christ, we thank you. For freeing us from the failings of the flesh, that we may be born anew with water and the Spirit, we praise you. Amen.
Scripture Readings: Romans 18:12-17; John 3:1-17
Romans 18:12-17
Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
John 3:1-17
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Reflection:
I’m going to start my sermon today by making a bold and rather unforgiving statement, but hopefully, by the end of my sermon, you will understand why I said this.
Here goes… a Christian life is a seven-day-a-week thing, not a Sunday thing only…
For some of you, this might sound like a no-brainer statement, for others this might sound a bit combative.
The reason I say this is because the language of the Bible, the language Jesus used, depicts our life as Christians, as being definitively different than a life outside of faith.
I feel comfortable saying this because of a recurring theme of a “new definitions of life” language or “Christian titles” being placed upon the faithful. Our readings today show a few of these ‘newness’ titles.
“You must be born again,” coming from Jesus in the Gospel of John, is likely the most infamous. This concept of being born again is odd, and it even caused Nicodemus, a well-respected Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin, to pause.
This concept sounds normal-ish to us because we have heard it so many times, but to the people who first encountered Jesus, it was a new way of thinking. And this way meant that when we become followers, when we actually trust, repent, and reconcile with God in baptism by water and spirit, this marks the beginning of a new life, and a new start, as if you were born again, fresh as a newborn baby. No matter what you have done before, no matter what your life was before, no matter where you were born, what you look like, how old you are, how young you are, you have a new life, you are part of a new existence. Standing before God, you are new in Christ!
We have more of this language in our scripture readings, it is also told to us, if we are led by the Spirit we become adopted by God. We become children of God.
I should add that this is different than the idea that every person is a child of God because God creates all things. Let me shed light on this.
A man can be the biological father for theoretically an endless number of people, but the father-child relationship is something that is chosen to be enacted. We learn from the beginning of the Bible and all the way through, God created us physically like a Father, but he is also choosing, and seeking a relationship with us. And when we come to welcome this relationship, and we reconcile to the one who creates and seeks us, God grants us His Spirit, we become the Children that Choose our Father back. It’s now a two-way relationship.
They use the word adopted because an adopted child is a clearer metaphor for a chosen child, it is not a relationship by biological default but by intent.
So in this we now have a new relationship in God, you get a new start, you get a new relational status with God. Again this mean, it doesn’t matter who you use to be, whether you were clearly on the track towards faith, or if you were of if left field, aimlessly wandering, once you choose God, and welcome his Spirit, you are part of the family, you have a new family. You have a whole body of Christ as brothers and sisters. And you have your Father in heaven behind you now and forever.
I have one more of these titles for you, it’s not in our passages for today, but noted in Ephesians and 1st Peter. As a Christian, you are a citizen of the Kingdom of God, and since that Kingdom is not yet set up on earth in a physical sense, we operate in it in a Spiritual one, as our citizenship is currently reserved in heaven. This means that no matter your nationality, your race, your creed, your cast, your tongue, all who walk in a new life in Christ, who have welcome God’s adoption by the Spirit, become a citizen to a Kingdom that transcends time and space. There is not a spot on this globe that you cannot access the Kingdom.
In God, we gain a new life, a new family, a new Kingdom.
Does that sound like a life that is supposed to be contained to a Sunday morning? Heck no. The existence of a Christian faith should be how you live, breathe, eat, work, rest, converse, mourn and celebrate.
When things find you throughout your day, you should be asking, how should I, someone with the Christ life, Child of God, Citizen of the Kingdom react to this.
When the homeless man asks for a coin, how does the Christ living, child of God, citizen of the Kingdom respond?
When someone wrongs you, how does the Christ living – child of God, citizen of the Kingdom forgive?
When your heart is tempted by sin or iniquitous opportunity, how does the Christ-living, child of God, citizen of the Kingdom overcome?
I say this, God is calling you to know him, through and through, God is so big, so magnificent, and so loving towards you, if you contain that relationship to one day a week, for an hour, your going to miss out on so much of the grace that God is pouring out for you.
Let us pray…
Lord, come help us to be a 7 day a week, living and loving Christian. Help us to see how our faith is a lifestyle not just a belief. Love us and lead us in this most righteous pursuits. Amen.
Homework: For the next week, when you wake up, and before you go to sleep, I would like you to say this aloud: “I have a new life in Christ, I am a Child of God, I am a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven”. If you need help on this reflective journey email: minister@mountainviewunited.ca
Closing Prayer:
Lord, You served us first, let us serve you now! Even when we feel fearful, help us to serve You! Even when we feel unworthy, help us to serve You! Even when we feel unprepared, help us to serve You! We are your servants! Amen.
Meme of the Week:
Thank you for joining us this week. If you have any thoughts, feelings, or prayers, feel free to leave them in the comment section below. Please be respectful of others’ posts and make room for all those joining us.
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