Seeking the Light

I usually post my sermon manuscripts however, this is a slightly edited transcript of the sermon I delivered on Sunday, March 18, 2012.

John 3:14-21

21 years ago I was taking a math class at Ferris State University. My professors name was Dr. *****. I assumed that he was like most other teachers I have had in my life and that this math class was like most other math class I have had, that is, the material is presented, tests were given and grades were assigned. Well I found that this professor was a bit different. I found this out when I was taking a quiz in his class. You see I am no math wiz. Math doesn't come easily to me. This was at least the second time I had taken this introductory level math course and I was really struggling with this quiz. I had got a couple of the answers right but I got most of them wrong. I got up, put the quiz on his desk and started to leave. I got nearly to the door when he stopped me. I went back and he showed me where I got stuck on the first problem I got wrong. So I reworked the problem. Then he showed me my mistake on the second and all through the quiz until the whole thing was corrected. I got 10 out of 10 on that quiz because he let me re-work all my answers. I thought, “wow, I can really work with this guy.” Now at exam time at the end of the year, for what ever reason the final test is not the same day and hour as the time you normally have your class time. It's all different. So somehow someway, I got confused, and I missed my final exam. I just forgot about it. I didn't even remember that I forgot it, I just moved on. So I left that summer, for Georgia, to serve in the Army. Mid way through the summer down there I got a call from my professor. He said, “Jon, you forgot to take your test.” Do you want to retake it.” I said I can't I'll be in Georgia all summer. He said, “Well, when you get back next fall just come to my office and take it. So that fall I took the test, did alright on it and passed the class. I was amazed at his compassion. He didn't want me to fail. He gave me every opportunity to succeed. I could have ignored his call. I could have blown off the opportunity to take the test again. But why would I?

God so loved the world that he gave his only son...not to condemn the world. Jesus came to love the world.

God cannot be put into a box. God cannot be reduced to a set of rules. God cannot be summarized by set of concepts. God cannot be contained by our own ideas. God is a living God. God may not act in a way that we expect God to act. Because God isn't just a concept.

In the scriptures of the old testament there are many things that God does and commands others to do that we wouldn't guess that God would do. Some have taken to believe that in these cases the prophets of the Old Testament got it wrong? But I have to ask them, What if they really got it right? What if those difficult passages in the Old Testament and our understanding of an all loving God can and should co-exist?

At the very least we would have to admit that God, sometimes, acts in unexpected ways? So what if God doesn't conform to the way that you think that God should act?

God is bigger than our idea of Him.

We may want God to be this or to be that. But God will be who God is.

If we have understanding, the truth is the truth. If we don't understand the truth is still the truth. It doesn't depend on us.

My brother with his little girl at his surprise birthday party.  This pic was
taken by his wife Holly.  

On Saturday I was at my brothers house, it was his birthday. He was a St. Patrick Day baby. My brother and I are very close. We could go months between visits and we could just pick up just as if we had seen each other the day before. The thing is that he and I are so much alike. There is nothing that he could say that would surprise me. Any opinion or idea that he has, just as easily could have come out of my mouth. We're very close. To say that we are close is not even a shadow of a glimpse of the closeness of the relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit because they are one. Yes, they are separate but they are of the same essence. When one person of the trinity says something, the other two are in complete agreement at all times. And so, when God the Father saw that humanity was lost, he sent Jesus (God the son) so that he could be right there with us.

The rules, according to human understanding were that, if you follow God's law, things would be okay. And if you didn't follow God's law, you would be punished.

God saw that things were going astray, things for humanity were going bad. God saw that humanity needed him and perhaps now they could also see it as well. And so God the Son took on the flesh of humanity. He took on our weakness, he took on our vulnerability all while having the same essence of God the Father. That was unexpected.

He did that as an act of love. He didn't want to see us fail anymore. He didn't want to see us suffer. He didn't want to see us stumble around in the dark anymore. He wanted to bring us light. He wanted to bring us into his light.

God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that who ever would believe in him would have eternal life.

God did not come to condemn the world. God has not pronounced condemnation. God has not pushed anyone out. God has not chosen some while leaving others out. Humanity was already in trouble. Humanity was already stumbling around in the dark. We were already lost. That's why the Father sent Jesus. Jesus arrival in history for humanity was the most loving act that God could do. We have the choice to accept that love, to step into that light or to stay in the dark.

We all need the light of Christ. We all need regeneration. Not one of us is good enough on our own. We all need what Jesus has to offer. When we accept the light of Christ and live in that light, the fruit will be a transformed world and a transformed life for ourselves.

So how is it with you today?

Are you letting the light of Jesus grow inside you?