14th sunday after pentecost
Sunday 5, september 2004.
Pastor Eberhart
Isaiah 66:18-23
They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings to the temple of the Lord in ceremonially clean vessels.
Hebrews 12:18-24
Begged that no further word would be spoken to them.
Luke 13:22-30
Someone asked him "how many are to be saved?"
"We ate and drank with you and taught in our streets."
Sermon:
Often you ask a question and don't get an answer. Someone buys a car, the car of the year. "How much does it cost?" You ask. The response is "a lot." Gift money, same thing. "How much did you get?" Silence. Surgery. A person takes time off to recuperate. "What kind of surgery did you have?" The reply is "the kind that hurts." What difference does it make? What will you do with the information? The bible doesn't contain useless information. Some people will share news of their irritable bowel syndrome to the world. When the disciples asked `how many would be saved?' that was the wrong question. What do we do with our salvation? That is the correct question. Look at your own life. Get your own act together before judging people. Do you believe what you tell others about Jesus? Ken Davis was given an assignment to teach a class creatively. He used charts, graphs, diagrams and a pendulum. A giant pendulum. He tested a professor's faith in the laws of physics, making him sit in a chair as he held the ball. The professor bolted from the chair. `Do you believe in the law of the pendulum?' Obviously not. A student believed, didn't get hit by it, and never moved. You have to get your own affairs in order before you argue with people. "I don't know you." They will reply. A man was running for office. A pastor cooked for him. He gave a generous tip. Couldn't say he was a personal acquaintance. One man bragged about shaking Eisenhauer's hand. It cost 50 cents. He signed Eisenhauer's guestbook. But no one cared that he shook Ike's hand. Eberhart sat in the third row behind Bill Clinton. Clinton promised stuff, nodded to the pastor, but no line was dedicated to him in his memoirs. We often think that's how it will be with Christ. Some people go to church, have an association with Christ, but no relationship. People from all cardinal directions, from every walk of life, the scripture for this sunday says. They all have one thing in common. They know Jesus. A crowd of people, not perfect, but saints. We want to share the love of God instead of saying `look, I'm superchristian.' Ask the right questions. What is your relationship to Jesus? That is the right question. The difference between life and death.