Rev. Roland J. Wells, Jr. - PastorRev. Roland J. Wells, Jr. - Pastor
The sixth Sunday After Pentecost - June 30, 2002
Lessons: Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10:40-42
"Commitment"
Troy
M. Troftgruben, Intern Pastor
Some years ago, the busy urban jungle of Los Angeles
witnessed a notable presence. There
was a man, bearing a sandwich-board sign on his body, reported walking up and
down the main avenues. Not an
uncommon scene in LA ~ yet this man’s message stuck out.
In the midst of Urban City opportunity, American freedom, and North
American individualism, this man’s word was quite bold, …even prophetic.
The front read, ‘I’m
a slave for Christ.’ The back read, ‘Whose slave are you?’[1]
Those words
pretty well summarize what Paul is speaking to us today in our Scripture
reading: ‘I’m a slave/servant of
Christ; whose slave/servant are
you?’
II. ‘Whose Slave are you?’ ~ Romans 6:12-14
“Do
not let sin reign…”. Someone
might respond: “That’s easy!
Ain’t nobody gonna’ be my
lord!”
In the story I
shared at the start of this message, perhaps the most cutting part of that
man’s sign-board message is the assumption that everyone has a lord;
everyone, in
reality, is serving something else. Generally,
people don’t like that idea. “What do you mean? I’m
no servant to anyone! I’m my own
person! I don’t have a lord!”
But take a good, hard look, and you’ll see more clearly. …There are nearly always consistent, guiding principles
around which we govern the entirety of our lives.
Some live for personal success & achievement ~ their lifestyle,
goals, and morality will show it. Some
live for personal pleasure, to feel good ~ their lifestyle, goals, and morality
will show it. Some live for
personal power and influence among their relationship peers ~ and their
lifestyle, goals, and morality will show it.
…you see what I’m saying: whatever
your life-orienting principles, whatever your foundational beliefs, …your
daily living will reveal what or who your ‘lord’ is, …perhaps without your
ever even realizing it.
A story is told of a Martian who showed up in a space capsule.
He came over to the nearest house, where an old hermit lived, and spent a
few nights with him. After a few days had passed, with much silence together, the
hermit rather curiously asked, ‘Well, aren’t you supposed to ask me to take you
to my leader? Isn’t that what
Martians do?’ The old
man was waiting rather excitedly to reply to the Martian that he had no leader;
that he was his own man; that
he was under the authority and influence of no one.
To his surprise, the Martian replied, ‘Why would I do that, when your day-to-day life
makes it more than obvious? …and,
frankly, I’m not too impressed with these green paper bills that you so
worship and follow.
Our
daily lives reveal – more than anything else – what/who our leader/lord is
Back to the earlier illustration: the fellow who says, “I’m no one’s servant!
I’m my own person! I need no lord!” …you must realize that that is precisely when sin reigns in
full. When human beings live for
nothing except personal, self-stuff – to the exception of loving God and
neighbor – then Sin is seated quite authoritatively on the throne of lordship.
Sin doesn’t need to be acknowledged as lord; it only needs
to function, albeit unrealized, as
lord.
All life orientations can be grouped into one of two categories ~ that of
service to God, and that of service to Sin.
There
is no such thing as a perfectly unbound, individualistic, autonomous person,
free from all external powers and influences – only God is that.
We human beings either live under the power of sin, or under the power of
God. In short, Paul is saying,
‘You are not your own. The
question is not whether you have a master;
the question is which master you serve:
yourself (i.e. – Sin) or God.’
Who functions as
your lord (not just who you say your lord to be)?
…what drives & motivates
your daily living? …what is of
utmost importance to you? What –
or Who – is the most foundational reality of your living?
…is it God or Sin? …a question like this is most easily answered by taking a hard
look at our investments, …where we spend our time, how we spend our money,
what our leisure time looks like, what our primary interests are.
There’s where you’ll find your answer.
…who’s your leader? Who’s
your lord?
III. Romans
6:16 ~ A Comparison of Lifestyles
In our text today Paul is making a basic comparison of lifestyles –
take a look:
That
about sums it all up ~ and seeing these characteristics laid out can be very
helpful. But, there’s something
further to this concept. If I were
to end the sermon now, it would be a very basic morality lesson. “Here are your two
choices ~ Christ or Sin; choose
your lord & live that way,” …end of sermon.
Well & good. But
there’s more to this than a mere menu of two equal options. One of these two is
slavery; the other is life &
peace.
Have you ever heard someone say the following statements:
-“Boy, living for Jesus really stinks!
It’s horrible! I have no hope, no peace, and no purpose in life.
I really wish I never would have decided to follow Jesus in the first
place! Ugh!”
-“What
love and happiness I have felt ever since I began living completely for myself!
My future is bright; I have
no guilt; and my life is filled with nothing but deep inner joy and
peace. Oh, happy day!”
There’s reason
why you haven’t. Why do you think
we always hear testimonies of the joys of Christian conversion, and never hear testimonies of the joy of Christian desertion. Have you ever
known anyone to genuinely experience Jesus Christ in their life, and who has
regretted it? Why are there so many
Christian conversion books out there? Why
are there so many joyful songs written about Jesus and following Him?
…and why do Christians look so irritatingly happy all the time?
…is there something more to following Jesus than merely an
‘option’?
You bet there
is. Life committed to Sin is Bondage,
Self-centeredness, and nothing but a downward toilet bowl flush ~ it may be a
fun ride for a bit, but it offers no hope, future, or true Life.
But God has invited you to the joy, freedom, and true Life of living
wholly committed to Him.
“The wages of Sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” ~ Rom. 6:23
You can talk of
them both as two ‘commitment options’;
you can talk of them both as equal choices; you can even talk about them as two different ‘slaverys,’
as Paul does. But I guarantee that
one of them holds no regrets, peace of mind, and freedom of heart – that’s a
life in Christ.; …and if that’s
‘bondage,’ then I’ll take it anyday.
We find freedom,
peace, joy, and Life in commitment to Christ;
we find slavery everywhere else.
I want to close with a poem:
Follow
Me
Take up your cross and follow Me, wherever I may lead
Your back will ache, your feet grow tired, and yes, your
heart will bleed
But we shall walk together, and I will share your lot
For I am always with you, and will forget you not
Take up your cross and follow Me, and I will fill your days
With joy that only I can give, in many precious ways
So learn to know Me better, for there are miles to go
And rest your head upon My heart, …For I have loved you so