AMAZING!

Sermon Summary (2/19/17), “Amazing”  Matthew 5:43-48; Romans 12:14-18

We’re in a sermon series, “Say and Do,” what Jesus said and did to better know what we are to say and do.  Last week, we looked at the radical teachings of Jesus, really about the absolute will of God.  One thing was clear, the absolute will of God is that we live in harmony.  We need to be thoughtful about “Do no harm” (Wesley’s first rule); and intentional about “Do Good.” (Wesley’s second rule.)

But we fail. We fail by what we do and by what we don’t do.  Fortunately, we have a God of grace, a God who forgives, a God who came in the person of Jesus saying, “Repent, believe the Good News, the kingdom of God has come near.”  And he led John to tell us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleans us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)  We have a God of new starts!  In today’s jargon, we could say, “Repeal and replace.”

In Romans 12, Paul tells us we are to “repay no one evil for evil” (Do no harm), “take thought of what is noble in the sight of all.” (Do good.)  How is it that we become that sort of person?

Jesus sets the conditions for becoming that person at the close of Matthew 5, “But I say to you, love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you so that you may be children of your father in heaven.” (5:44-45)  “Children of your father” may be the centerpiece of the Scripture.  Children take on the attributes of the parent.  Our task is to become “Little Christs” as CS Lewis and Maxie Dunham put it.  “Little Christs” taking on the attributes of God in Jesus Christ.

Jesus closes by telling us “be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”  The Greek word means mature, whole.  Become mature in our faith.  CS Lewis tells us “The command to be perfect is not idealistic gas.  Nor is it a command to do the impossible.  He is going to make us into the creatures that can obey that command.”

Lent is coming, a time of instruction, preparation, devotion, placing ourselves within the grace of God so that he can begin turning us into the creatures that can become mature in Christ.  Wesley’s third rule is to “stay in love with God,” using practices, means of grace, that will bring us to maturity in Christ.  I suggest that each of you commit to attending worship each Sunday of Lent and Easter even if out of town; that you find a devotional time and structure (books are available); and that you fast your time, replacing old habits with time for God.  Place yourselves in grace and let God begin remaking you.

“Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me” was written be John Newton, a slave captain that was remade in Christ Jesus through grace.  So may we.  Amen.