070819 Hebrews 11:29 - 12:2 Time Will Not Tell All

Today’s scripture flies in the face of our smug saying, “Time will tell.” Hebrews 11 gives historical witness about how faith heroes in the Old Testament did not know how their life figured into God’s plan to bring salvation to all mankind through Jesus Christ. No matter how deep they listened to God’s purpose in their lives – they only received the messages that they needed to receive to complete God’s plan at their time and place. And the gift of discernment is a gift of the Holy Spirit. And, “whoever does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God's Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:14). If our spiritual understanding is locked up into the times we live in, then we will be very limited in understanding God’s eternal spiritual plan. We are in a rush to know and experience. But God wants a relationship with you and me – not a fast food experience. We’re going to be thinking a lot about our understanding about God’s Grace in the next several weeks while studying United Methodist doctrine and polity. So let’s review the three kinds of grace according to John Wesley:
PREVENIENT GRACE SAYS SAFETY FIRST IN A HARMFUL WORLD.
This very hot and dry weather has driven the birds to some quiet or distant place. Even if we see them, they are not singing in the intense heat. But we can remember their songs in our gardens and woods, and we can marvele at how beautiful and complex their songs are. But Brian Gaunt of East Yorshire, England recently told me that “we only hear a part of what birds are singing, because they sing at such a fast rate that it can be difficult for the human ear to keep up.” If you slow down a recording of a bird's song and hear it more fully, then every note becomes clear. The difference of our ability to interpret a birds song is much more astounding and beautiful.
God is speaking to us in those bird songs, but more clearly in scripture, in our God given gift of reason, in history, and in our traditional understanding in church doctrine. God's voice and understanding sometimes seem so far beyond us that we need another interpreter. Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will help us understand all that God says to us.
So, even though our hearing may never be good enough to hear all the notes that the birds are singing, the Holy Spirit can and will help each one of us to hear all of what God is saying in our individual lives. Father help us to be more receptive to Your love and guidance, in Jesus name, Amen.
In our Gospel reading today Jesus says in Luke 12:54-56, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, `A shower is coming'; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, `There will be scorching heat'; and it happens. How is it that you know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky; but you don’t know how to interpret the present time?” So, even though we are dufus and unaware of God’s Grace in the present time, we still receive His love and forgiveness preveniently.
JUSTIFYING GRACE MAKES PEACE WITH OUR RIGHTEOUS GOD.
Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets all witnessed how we become more worldly and lose a sense of shame resulting in evil even against those we love, They saw how we polarize and divide God’s united children and practice evil aggression toward those we choose to hate. They saw how private and greedy we can become so as to lose all sense of meaning, which generates evil against ourselves.
It took the saving grace of Jesus on the Cross to redeem each believing soul from the eternal punishment for our evil and sinful nature. His sacrifice justifies our souls before God’s holy wrath, which should be all worldly logic cause each of us to perish. For God so loved this world, he gave his only Son, so that if anyone believes on Him – then He or She will be saved from the day of final judgment for our sins. We are forgive because of Christ’s redeem sacrifice. That’s what we celebrate at Holy Communion today. That’s salvation by faith and not by works. That’s justifying grace.
SANCTIFYING GRACE ENFORCES HOLINESS TO PERFECTION.
The Holy Spirit speaks through John in Revelation 3:22 to the Churches and says, “If you have ears, then, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches!”
Mr. Mac had a completely deaf wife, who relied on his interpretation the times and even the text in their weekly church choir practice. He was a loving man who helped 13 year old Thomas Maddox to feel right at home in the adult choir. He welcomed everyone. His love for his wife, Fannie, was obvious to everyone. He included her by relaying to her the hymn numbers through sign language. Mr. Mac interpreted the preacher's message in sign language on Sunday mornings. That husband wife would laugh and cry over different parts of the worship service with more passion than most of the others in church. Their example showed that the Holy Spirit can overcome all kinds of barriers as we love one another.
Verse 40 of today’s scripture from Hebrews says that God has something better for us than the Old Testament heroes of faith could rely on. Jesus promises us in Matthew 18:20 that when two or more are gathered together in His name, then He is with us also. That means that when we have meals together or do something like a simple phone call – the way we talk about our children, grandchildren, local politics, aches and pains, sorrows, or triumphs – can and often do include what we heard in a sermon, read in the Bible or somewhere else that touches or troubles us. When we laugh a lot or cry, then we can chose to listen intently for God’s words of comfort, “Peace I leave with you. Peace I give unto you.” Our times together don’t have to be without interpretation. These times can be holy as we share a meal, our thoughts, hopes, and fears to each other and to God. GRIEF AND JOY BOTH REQUIRE FELLOWSHIP TO MOVE IN GOD.
Glenda Wadsworth says, “Our meetings are a manifestation of Christ in the world. Being part of the Body of Christ is not a private walk with Jesus; it is two or three people gathered together with Christ in their midst. When we show compassion or listen with love, we are expressing Christ. We are being the church in the world. Even though we aren't perfect and we don't have all the right answers, we experience Christ's presence in these times together.” This points us to God’s sanctifying that we share as a “means of grace” during Holy Communion and all other ways to become more holy.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2). Jesus perfects us with His Sanctifying Grace for eternal purposes – not just for these limited times. Time will not tell what God has in store for you and me, because our souls are being remade in the Spirit for timelessness – for eternity divine in our Heavenly Father’s Kingdom.
Thank You dear Father for Your forgiving grace even when we don’t know or sense our sin. Thank You for saving us when we are yet sinners. Thank You for perfecting us in Jesus Christ name, Amen.