Second Presbyterian Church
"Three Attitudes for Christian Living
Preaching From the Gospel of Luke"
May 22, 2005
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Second Presbyterian Church"Three Attitudes for Christian Living |
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Sermons Homepage » Sermons for 2005 » Sermons for May 2005 » Sermons from the Series on Luke #51 in the Series on Luke
Our lesson this morning indicates three attitudes for living as a Christian. This does not imply that they are the only three! Other attitudes, such as loving God and loving your neighbor, are very important, just as important. The three attitudes I do want to look at are: 1) A Forgiving Heart, 2) A Need for Faith, and 3) A Humble focus Upon Duty. I
So let's take a little closer look at these three attitudes. The first four verses have some disturbing words in them, "Take care that you do not cause someone to be tempted to sin, or stumble." Even though sinning is inevitable we are held responsible if we cause someone to sin! How many times have I caused someone to sin? How many times have you caused someone to sin? How many times have I caused someone to sin - and have not even known that I have done so?
Yet, I believe that the verses that contain the command to rebuke and forgive are important in understanding what Jesus is trying to say. Perhaps one of the ways that we cause young Christians to stumble the most is when we refuse to live like Christians. Let me explain. Jesus tells us to be very careful: to rebuke a fellow Christian when he sins against us and to forgive a fellow Christian when he repents. No one does this perfectly, but how often have you let something go when someone has sinned against you. And, have you noticed that in doing so it is very difficult to forgive? We are not used to "rebuking" fellow Christians, at least we don't think in that way. The word "rebuke" sounds so harsh, as if you are putting someone down. In reality it means confronting someone who has done you wrong and attempting to straighten the situation out. Obviously, there are tactful ways to do this; there are tactless ways to do this. Sometimes there is only a fine line between confronting someone and being critical of him or her. So, rebuking fellow Christians who have sinned against us is tough to do. Just as importantly, though, is to forgive when a brother or sister in Christ "repents." And, Jesus is very clear; we are to forgive, genuinely, as often as the person seeks our forgiveness. I believe that one of the reasons there is less repentance among members of a congregation is the fear that the other will not forgive. And that is a dangerous and damaging witness for us to have. How can the church continue to function as the people of God, unless each member takes seriously how God first convicted (rebuked?) them of their sin and then forgave them? There is no one here who hasn't needed the forgiveness of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Everyone here must depend upon the grace and forgiveness of our Lord. The deduction is clear: if we have been confronted and forgiven by Jesus, then we are in no position to withhold the same love and forgiveness for anyone else! II
That brings us to the second attitude for Christian living: our need for faith. The reality of the matter is that we do not directly observe the love and grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We accept that it is true, based upon faith. When we see the task before us, to live lives that reflect the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, then we can identify with the disciples who asked Jesus to increase their faith.
The fact of the matter is that few of us believe that we have enough faith. Faith is similar how we treat money; we could always use a little more. The amount of faith that we have can almost always feel like it's not enough. Jesus' answer seems strange to us. He is basically saying that we are to exercise what faith that we have. We may not literally pull up a sycamore tree and plant it into the Appomattox River, but even faith as small as a tiny seed can go a long, long way WHEN WE USE IT! The point is this: we receive our faith from God; it is a gift. Then we are to use the faith that we have. When we use it, our confidence in the Lord increases; our faith grows. III
The last section of our lesson needs some interpretation since we do not live in a culture in which slavery is a given. The point of these verses is simply that a slave does not expect to receive accolades for doing what he or she is ordered to do; it is just his or her duty, period. A master of a slave expected certain things to be done, and that was it. We, on the other hand, do not live in a culture in which social amenities are avoided, at least not officially. We expect for those who employ others to express some words of politeness, such as "please" and "thank you" to his/her employees.
For us the point is this. We are to humbly live our lives as Christians; to do what Christ would have us to do, and to expect no fanfare for it. After all we are simply obeying the command of our Lord to use our faith, and to forgive one another. All of us need to be aware of our secret needs for recognition and accolades, so that we don't let them get in the way of our Christian witness to those around us. One the one had, I believe it is important to love one another, to give one another encouragement. On the other hand we should see all that we do for Christ as an expression of our gratitude for what Christ has already done for us - given us eternal life. Three attitudes for a Christian life: they are not the only three, but they are very important: A forgiving heart, a faith that we use, and focus upon our tasks as Christians, not on receiving any honor. Amen. The Rev. Daniel E. Hale, D. Min. |
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Last Updated: May 22, 2005