March 26, 2006

Seven Questions

What More Are You Than Others?

Matthew 5:43-48

Opening Words: Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at dawn on Easter. Not counting Sundays, which are mini Easters, Lent lasts forty days. The number forty is reserved in the Bible for sacred time periods. In the story of Noah it rained for forty days and nights. The Jews wandered for forty years in the wilderness. Jesus fasted for forty days before being tempted by Satan. Jesus walked the face of this world for forty days in his resurrected state after Easter. For forty days we will join the Christian world and strive to live lives that are more pleasing to God.

This year’s Lenten sermon series is called Seven Questions. They are seven questions that Jesus asked the disciples. They are seven questions that Jesus is asking us. The master did not ask these questions to expose our ignorance. The master asked these questions to help us grow in the faith. This morning’s question is what more are you than others? It is a question of goodness. This is sermon number four in this seven part sermon series. Let us hear this Gospel reading together.

Introduction

Mother Teresa was once asked by an interviewer: "What's the biggest problem in the world today?" Without hesitating she replied, "The biggest problem in the world today is that we draw the circle of our family too small. We need to draw it larger every day."

How big is your family circle? Does your family circle just include your immediate family, your spouse, children and parents? Does your family circle include your in-laws or your son-in-law or daughter-in-law? Does your family circle include extended family, people you will not see until Easter? Does your family circle include your neighbors or coworkers? Does your family circle include your entire community? Is your family circle big enough to include the Mahoning Valley or the entire state of Ohio? Is your family circle big enough to include all American who can trace their roots back to Europe? Is your family circle big enough to include all Americans? Is there anyone here who has a family circle big enough to include the entire world? Mother Teresa once said, “The biggest problem in the world today is that we draw the circle of our family too small. We need to draw it larger every day." Let me state the obvious. Jesus drew a really big family circle! That is what the scripture lesson tells us today.

Body

We are in the fifth chapter of Matthew, verses 43 through 48. This is a portion of The Sermon on the Mount. These words may seem familiar to us but to that original crowd these words were shocking. Jesus introduced a new element of ethical behavior. Disciples are not to live at the same ethical level as the rest of the world. Jesus expects us to be different. Jesus wants to see that he has made a difference in our lives. Hence, he asks the question. What more are you than others? Former President of Eastern Mennonite University Myron S. Augsburger says, “Only the true disciple of Jesus, who has felt the power of God’s grace wash through his heart can hope to live up to this high standard.” In your day to day living has Jesus really made a difference? Or are you still living by up to the world’s standards? What more are you than others?

This morning I want to make three observations. These three observations have come from my forty-eight years of life and my twenty-four years as a pastor in the local church. They are the bridge between this morning’s scripture lesson and your world. My goal is to help you discover the level of your spiritual maturity. That is something you may not want to know. Are you still a babe in the faith or have you made some progress through the years? These three observations are simple. First, there is the magnificence of God’s Love. Second, there is the mediocrity of man’s love. Third, there is the maturity of Christian love. So if you are ready for my three observations say, “Amen!” What more are you than others?

The MAGNIFICANCE OF GOD’S LOVE

My first observation is the magnificence of God’s love. I John 3:1 says, “How great is the loveS Jn 3:16 the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!ver 2,10; S Jn 1:12 And that is what we are! In other words, God’s family circle is big enough to include the entire world. I do not just mean today’s world. I mean the world throughout time. God’s love is big enough to include the generations that came before us and the generations that are still to come. There is no one who has ever been born or whoever will be born that God does not love!

After Christmas several years ago Kathy and I went to Washington DC. I have been to some amazing places in this world but I had never been to Washington. It was my first trip so I wanted to see everything. In particular I wanted to see Ford’s Theater, where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. Ford’s Theater is still in operation and the booth that President and Mrs. Lincoln sat in that evening is sectioned off.

Across the street from Ford Theater there is the house where Lincoln was carried after the shooting. It is called Petersen’s Boarding House. We walked through that house. Everything was just like it was on April 15, 1865. Lincoln was so tall they had to place him at an angle on his death bed. It was really quite remarkable. If I closed my eyes I could imagine everything! Lincoln was in the bed. Mary Lincoln is in the front room. Bearded doctors and solders hurried from here to there. White dressed nurses carrying for his every need. The street filled with reporters hoping to meet their next deadline. I could imagine the people but the only ones I could name were Abraham and Mary Lincoln. I don’t know Lincoln’s doctor’s name or the head nurse. I can’t give you the name of a single reporter but God can. God loved the people that shared that room with the president as much as he loved the president.

It is impossible for you to imagine a scene in history where God did not love those people! It is impossible for you to imagine some future event and not find God’s love. God’s family circle is big! My first observation is the magnificence of God’s love. If you are thankful that God’s family circle includes you say, “Amen!” What more are you than others?

THE MEDIOCRITY OF MAN’S LOVE

My second observation is the mediocrity of man’s love. God’s love is unconditional. God loves everyone! The world’s love is conditional. We love selectively. Other haves to live up to our standards before we love them. It is just our generation. It has always been true. Verse 46 of this morning’s text says, “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?” The world’s love is very conditional. I hear it all the time.

It was one of those family gatherings several years ago. Someone was foolish enough to being up the wrong topic, politics! The war in Iraq was mentioned and the opinions started to flow. (I went to another room in the house where it was safe.) However, from that other room I could hear the voices getting louder. I heard clearly someone in my own family say something that narrow minded and cruel. He said, “In my opinion, one million Iraqi lives equal just one drop of American blood!” That sounds very patriot but it doesn’t sound very Christian. In other words, his family circle is very small. He has decided to love conditionally. His love was very mediocre. Do you need another example of the mediocrity of man’s love?

Several weeks ago, I was in the middle of a discussion that was addressing the nursing shortage. It is estimate in a few years that the nursing shortage in America will reach one million. Young Americans are not going into nursing! That shortage of one million nurses will be filled by foreigners who want to be nurses. That news was disturbing to most of the people around that table. Everyone felt comfortable to unleash their ugliest words and thoughts. Someone said our hospitals have turned into the United Nations, where all the races are represented. That statement was followed by more ugly words about people of color. The family circle was real small around that table. If you could add another story illustrate the mediocrity of man’s love say, “Amen!” There are many out there! Judgment Day is coming. What more are you than others?

THE MATURITY OF CHRISTIAN LOVE

My third observation is the maturity of Christian love. Verse 48 is the goal. It says, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly father is perfect.” The word perfect in that verse does not mean flawless. It means to intend to be flawless. Do the best you can be perfect and love everyone. Make that family circle a little bigger everyday.

Last Sunday night, we host the cluster churches for our weekly Lenten service. Don Christensen from Canfield United Methodist was the preacher. He told a story that caught my imagination. You may remember it. A parishioner asked him to visit her mother in the hospital. She had terminal cancer. When he got to her room he introduced himself. The woman in the bed said, “What are you doing here?” He told her about her daughter’s request and she responded with the same question, “What are you doing here?” What the woman really wanted to know was what are you doing here in this world? Her answer was simple. She said we are practicing in this world for a short time what we will be doing in heaven for eternity.

Conclusion

Are you practicing in this world for a short time what you will be doing in heaven for eternity? Are you making that family circle bigger everyday or are you happy with its compact size? Spiritually immature Christians have a very small family circle. It is just about us! Mature Christians strive to be like God, Himself. How big is your family circle? What more are you than others?