UNWAVERING FAITH
©Thomas B. Cundiff
1 Peter
4:12-14
Glory Just
Around the Corner
12-13Friends,
when life gets really difficult, don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on
the job. Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ
experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just
around the corner.
14
If you're abused because of Christ, count yourself fortunate. It's the
Spirit of God and his glory in you that brought you to the notice of others
1 Peter
5:6-11 (The Message)
6-7So
be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on
you; he'll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most
careful with you.
He Gets
the Last Word
8-11Keep
a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing
better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones
plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the
world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won't last forever. It
won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in
Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on
your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.
I.
From time
to time I will preach on texts that are less than comfortable. In reality, life is not always going to be comfortable. Just look at what happened on Boston Marathon bombing and the explosions in West,
Texas
I loved the
words of the Reverend Liz Walker of the Roxbury Presbyterian Church who gave
the opening remarks at the Memorial service for those who were injured and died
in Boston
Rev. Walker
started this service by asking: “How can
a good God allow bad things to happen? Where was God when evil slithered in and
planted the horror that exploded our innocence?”
“This is what I know”, she said, “God is here,
in the midst of this sacred gathering.”
“Strangers
bound first by loss and pain but now clinging together in growing strength in a
city that has always faced the darkness head on…..we are a community of
resilience, hard-pressed but not defeated, confounded but not consumed, we are
gathered in community, and through the blur of each other’s tears and the beats
of so many broken hearts, we will rise in community and face whatever the
future holds, resolutely as one.”
Beautifuly said. And yes, this has truly been a messy, horrific week
for people in Watertown, Boston and West, Texas and in the city and counties of
Saginaw, Bay City and Midland. Life gets
messy! For many in this room today –
life is messy!
For Jesus
life was also messy. He was always
engaging with others and their struggles.
Jesus was drawn “toward the evil
that slithers and plants itself in our lives”. Contemplating his death on a cross—what a
mess! Jesus suffered and died carrying with
him on the cross all our struggles—our messes!.
Yet here we
are. Sunday morning April 21st! We are
still in the season of Easter. We have
welcomed a new child into our midst through baptism. Jesus Christ is risen today! God continues to live with and in us.
II.
Living Jesus
I was reading
an article this past week by an Anglican Theologian NT Wright[1] who
talks about –
“living
Jesus – not just living with Jesus – living Jesus”
Think about
this! LIVING JESUS! Jesus died and rose from death so that we
can, through UNWAVERING FAITH, integrate everything about him into our being,
our lives, the core of who we are as people of God! It is with UNWAVERING FAITH we get through
the messes and struggles in life.
This is not
unlike the illustration I gave some months ago – the image of putting on our
shoes each day to walk with Jesus as though he (Jesus) was also in our shoes
sharing every step with us.
In looking
at this image: It is not Jesus walking
in front of me or behind me or beside me.
This is an image of Jesus walking with me and in my shoes. This what “Living Jesus” means. Jesus is walking with us through all the good
and the bad, through the messes and struggles….and in good times filled with
joy and love.
The point that
NT Wright makes, amidst messiness in life: “Christ-like living becomes easier the more
it is practiced each day.” [2] We can put on our shoes every day. But putting on Jesus? Living Jesus? Through unwavering faith, this is what God
calls us to be doing.
I found it
curious, the title of the article by NT Wright that caught my attention in the
first place:
“Christians
are Free Samples of Jesus”.
Christians
are “FREE SAMPLES”? What does it mean for the world around us to
not just hear about Christ but to actually see and feel and experience
Christ as we put on and wear and live Christ in us -- and not just on Sundays
but every single day?
Moving on,
the first letter of Peter continues to preach in saying: “We are
called as Christians to be patient in all suffering; with unwavering
faith in Jesus Christ.”
Peter is
calling us to be patient in suffering, unwavering in faith in living and
wearing our faith regardless what befalls us.
Peter says
(vs. 8-9), “….You're not the only ones plunged into hard times. It's the same with
Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith (Unwavering
Faith). The suffering won't last forever. It won't be
long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and
glorious plans they are!”
Though
patience this “UNWAVERING FAITH” brings us in the end all the glorious plans
God has for us and all who trust him. The
anguish and pain and struggles and messes eventually dissipate. What God gives us in loving us trumps all the struggles:
The promise
from scripture: Through faith,
unwavering faith, God will never abandon us. God will always hold us and care for us. God promises, beyond life eternally, to never
let us go. God is always going to
surround us in love. Livng Christ is
always going to keep us connected with God surrounded IN God’s love.
Think again
about the Unwavering Faith that has helped Bostonians get through the
chaos of this past week. Contemplate the “Unwavering Faith” that
will help people in West Texas , outside Waco
And still: people are
hurting. Around the world people are suffering.
I know there are some of you – members of
this church, struggling with health issues, distraught with personal issues – throbbing
hearts.
But together, we have the Unwavering Faith that will
help us get through the challenges we face.
And when we struggle, together,
with various issues in our lives, God emerges to help us keep things together
in remembering we are never alone, God is always with us, Christ is in us – and
love and peace and hope are always going to be right around the corner!
IV.
Where is the Hope?
So where is our hope? With all the messes in life, where do we find
solace in God? If I have learned
anything in my ministry it is this I give you today: We can get through anything! We can and do get through anything.
As a church we’ve gone through this church burning down over
140 years ago. We’ve had our tragedies. We’ve had more leaks and flooding than I care
to remember. We’ve had hundreds of
baptisms and weddings and confirmations.
Sadly, we’ve also commended thousands
of souls to live eternally with God.
Tens of thousands of prayers have been lifted to God, each and every
week, giving hope that exists to help us live beyond the messes and struggles
in life.
So where is our hope?
Hope is in the laugher. Hope is
in knowing we are opening our doors in providing programming to help keep children
in this community safe and secure.
Hope is our worship, in fellowship we enjoy in being
together. No doubt in my mind, you have
put on the shoes of Christ. You are
wearing Christ. My hope comes in knowing
you are wearing Christ.
Does all of
this make sense? It is so much easier
dealing with life’s problems….messes in our lives knowing God in Christ is in
us! Helping us! Supporting us! Loving us!
Encouraging us! Embracing us as
we walk through our days.
May our
faith be unwavering. May God continue to
walk with and in you.
May God
walk in and with Finnegan Jacob Gilbert and his family.
May God
bless us ALL as we walk in faith in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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