Broadway Christian Church · Columbia, Missouri

Morning Worship · May 25, 2008

Second Sunday After Pentecost

Prayer of the Day

Gracious God, your Christ and our Lord has opened for us a new and living way into your presence. Give us pure hearts and steadfast wills to worship you in spirit and in truth. Amen.

Scripture

Romans 8:37

Knowing all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

 Message

Live Positively

Rick Frost

We have been working on a series that some of you may remember. I called it “The Easter Lifestyle,” which I submit to you is not just like any other lifestyle, and it is not just one lifestyle among many. I suggest and would like to argue the notion that it is the ultimate lifestyle. It is a lifestyle that essentially focuses on four characteristics we are going to talk about today. We have said in the past that because of what God has done for us through the resurrection of Christ of Easter, we have been called, and we continue to be made into what we would call “Easter People.” Those Easter People are people who live lovingly. They live generously. They live expectantly. Today, we are going to be dealing with living optimistically, or positively.

As all of you know, many people you and I know simply do not know how to live. They exist. Yes. They vegetate some. Some people endure. Some people simply survive. I think that is one of the main reasons – not the only reason but one of the main reasons – that Jesus said, “I have come so that they, so that you, may life and have it in all of its abundance – all of its fullness” (John 10).

Martin Seligman teaches at the University of Pennsylvania. He has done a huge amount of studies and research on the power of optimism. He learned what we have all thought and felt but didn’t really know for certain. His research backed it up. He found that optimistic people tend to live longer. They tend to have better health. They tend to accomplish more. They tend to enjoy life more than people who are not optimistic.

Indeed, I don’t know about you, but I like to be around positive people. Don’t you? Most people do. I’ve noticed that. I think that is one of the reasons – not the only reason, but one of the reasons – why Broadway Christian Church continues to grow as a community of faith. This is a positive community of faith. We emphasize the good news here in a world that is engulfed in bad news. 

Now, if you want to come to Sunday School or become a part of a small group and talk about the economic, political, and social injustices in the world, that is a good thing. What we might do about those problems is another good thing. We’re all in favor of that. But my experience has been that the last thing you need when you come to worship is to hear more bad news. Is that right? I think that is true. It’s more than just what you want to come to worship for. I think the most important reason is that God reveals to us, in Christ, a lot of very good news that God wants us to hear. That’s what we are here primarily to do.

So, if you are a Christian, I think you ought to be the most positive, optimistic person there is. Why?  Because we have so much to hope for. Someone has called Christians “hope addicts.” I like that. “Hope addicts.” We have a lot to hope for. I believe a pessimistic Christian is an insult to God. You know there are a few around. That’s just sad. 

I want us to look at Romans 8 today. I want us to try to glean from one of the central things that is going on in the New Testament in the writings of Paul. I want us to glean seven reasons why every Christian, who is in Christ, ought to be the most positive, the most optimistic person in the world. The key words here are “in Christ.”

Let’s jump in.

1: As a Christian, it is possible to live a life without condemnation.

Romans 8:1 says, “Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Sometimes that is a very hard truth for people to grasp. If you are “in Christ,” that means you have accepted what God has done for you in Christ. You have accepted your forgiveness. You are not going around beating yourself up or others up any longer. You’ve “accepted your acceptance.” That’s what Paul Tillich loved to call it. You know yourself. You know yourself to be a beloved child of God. That knowledge motivates you. It moves you to grow. That’s why we have that banner on the wall in our sanctuary, “To Grow in Christ.” When we do that, we grow in our ability to do the good thing, the right thing, and the loving thing.

Now sure, we mess up. We do sometimes. Yes, we are inconsistent. Sure, we make some bad choices along the way. We fail at this or that. We even do some stupid things on occasion. But that doesn’t kick you out of the family. That is what I want you to hear. “To be condemned,” means, literally, there is no way out. That’s what condemnation means. There is no way out.

God doesn’t hold a grudge, according to the Scripture. God never stops loving you. There is nothing, in fact, that you can ever do to cause God to stop loving you. God won’t condone, certainly, any unacceptable behavior from you or anyone else, but God will never stop loving you. That’s because God wants to be, according to Scripture, your friend, not your enemy. “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Jesus said it another way: “I didn’t come into this world to condemn the world. I came into this world to heal, to save.” Those words mean the exact same thing in Scripture. To heal this world… To save this world…

Folks, if we just stopped right here, if we closed the Book, if we said the benediction, if we went home right now, it would be reason enough, I believe, to live a positive, optimistic life. The good news is God has made it possible to live a life without condemnation.

2: As Christians, it is possible to live a life without domination.

Romans 8:2 says, “…Through Jesus Christ, the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

Circle “set me free.”

I talk to a lot of people about a lot of things. I keep hearing a common, shared complaint. People we know, people we love, sometimes even ourselves: “I’m out of control.” “I just can’t seem to get a handle.” “I want to change some things, but try as I may, I can’t.”

Maybe it’s a way of thinking. Do you think like an optimist, or do you think like a pessimist? Do you think like a liberal, or do you think like a conservative? Do you think like a young person, or do you think like an old person? Maybe it’s a way of acting. Do you act like a human being, or do you act like a jerk? I know people who do both. No! They can’t be both. Do you act prudently and responsibly, or do you act impulsively? 

Sometimes it may be a habit: overeating, drinking, smoking, doing drugs, consuming, working, shopping, TV, video games. Whatever. Whatever it is that is out of control. The question today is, “What is controlling you?” Can you name it? I can. Whatever you think about the most controls you. Did you know that? It dominates you.

Romans 8:5 says, “To have your mind controlled, ruled by, the dark side of human nature results in death. To have your mind controlled, ruled by, the Living Spirit of Life results in life and peace.”

Folks, everybody is controlled by something in this life. Is it going to be your own nature? It may be your culture. It may be your peers. It may be the demons that all of us have lurking in the shadow sides of our personalities. But the amazing thing is – this is the irony of it – the more I put the Lord into the driver’s seat of my life, the more freedom I experience. Isn’t that interesting?

The Creator has made it possible to live a life without domination.

3: As a Christian, it is possible to a life without desperation.

A long time ago, Scott Peck wrote a book called The Road Less Traveled. Some of you may remember it. His opening line in that book is a classic today. He said, simply, to start his book, “Life is difficult.”

Lo and behold, it is.

Henry David Thoreau observed, “Most people live lives of quiet desperation.”

People are overwhelmed, discouraged, bowled-over. Folks, Jesus didn’t promise anyone, even his followers, a problem-free life. We know that. In fact, our very way of life tends to create problems. Have you noticed that? Many people in this world don’t like, don’t approve of and reject our values and our way of life. That causes problems, real problems. However, in the midst of those problems and difficulties, Christians continue to have hope – a hope that helps us keep moving forward and going on. What’s that hope? 

Romans 8:18 says it: “Our present sufferings and difficulties, whatever they may be, are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

Paul is saying essentially this: “I know how the story is going to end. I read the last chapter of the book. I know how this thing is going to come out. I know who wins in the end. There is some really good stuff, some glory, that is going to come up that you haven’t even imagined yet.”

Point: as a Christian, you have a hope even when and especially when things get tough, when things go wrong, when things do, in fact, fall apart. You have a hope that billions of people do not.

For openers, did you know the Scriptures say you are going to receive a new body someday? I don’t know about some of you, but I think there are parts of me that would just like to see some new parts along the way. 

But you know what? I buried Hoot Gibson this week – 92-years-old – but obviously he is going to have a new body. It’s not just old people, by the way. We buried Tylee Barnes of Centralia – four-years-old – this week. The Bible says Tylee is going to have a new body. Wow!

Christians can have lives without condemnation, without domination, and without desperation.

4: As a Christian, it is possible to live a life without distrust.

That is a huge one.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love God.”

No wonder Christians are positive folks. That verse alone should make an optimist out of anybody. Now notice: it does not say, “All things are good,” because we all know they aren’t. It doesn’t say, “All things are going to work out the way I want them to,” because they don’t. It doesn’t say, “Everything will be happy and will have a happy ending on this side of eternity,” because we know that it doesn’t. It says, “We know…” A better translation of that is, “We have absolute confidence, we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love God.”

All things? All things: losing a job, dealing with an illness, facing a financial disaster. All things. Going through a divorce, suffering a miscarriage, being a victim of a violent crime. In all things. God doesn’t cause it, but God takes it and works it, somehow, for good. God brings good out of bad. God brings good out of evil. That is incredible. That is absolutely incredible.

Now, is it for everybody? Not according to this passage. God has to have something to work with. You have to play your part. God works for the good of those who love God. It is all about the relationship. It has always been about the relationship. It still is. What a beautiful, powerful, incredible promise to those who are in Christ.

5: As Christians, it is possible to live a life without intimidation.

Romans 8:31 says, “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, then who can be against us?”

Folks, when you stand up for, when you ground yourself in what is good and what is right and what is loving, as defined by Jesus, you need to know it doesn’t matter who disagrees with you. It doesn’t matter who is against you, because you are a majority. You have God on your side, according to this text. Now, this is very, very important for us to hear. This is the most misused text in all the world and in all of history, because everybody goes around claiming that God is on their side. OK? It’s dependent upon what is defined as good, and right, and loving by Jesus. I’ll put that up against anything, anywhere.

Have you discovered the wonderful truth that God, not only knows you, but is actually for you? There is not a cosmic force trying to trip you up, trying to make your life miserable, trying to cause anybody to stumble and fall. If you are seeking to grow in Christ and live the Christian lifestyle, according to this text, God is for you. God wants you to make it. God wants you to be successful. God wants things to work. Folks, I think given that, a Christian should be the most confident person in the entire world.

As you know, fear is a devastating emotion. It is a powerful emotion. It is the most easily-manipulated emotion there is. They tell me there are over 600 kinds of fears that have been identified: the fear of the future, the fear of failure, the fear of rejection, the fear of criticism, the fear of pain, the fear of death. That’s just to name a few.

Romans 8:37 says, “Knowing all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Folks, in life, you either are going to be a victor or a victim. You are either going to be swallowed up by the circumstances that affect your life, or you are going to overcome those circumstances. According to our Scripture today, the fact is, you don’t have to fear anything. Getting yourself centered in Christ, you can kiss intimidation good-bye.

6: As Christians, it is possible to live a life without limitation.

Romans 8:32 says, “For God, who did not spare God’s own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will God not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

Paul had a real problem with English. Did you notice that? It just doesn’t come out easily. Just try to translate Paul sometime. People just give up. It’s amazing. But you get the idea.

When the Creator of all that is came to this earth in Christ Jesus, to announce the coming of the kingdom which is at hand, your biggest problem got solved. You do remember that was Jesus’ thing: “I’m here to announce the coming of the kingdom, to reveal the way, the truth, the life.” When that happened, your biggest problem got solved. Everything else, in relationship that, is minor stuff. God came to give God’s Son to save, to heal, this world. My goodness. “Then surely,” Paul argues, “God will certainly give God’s people, who are God’s hands in this world, whatever is necessary to bring to fulfillment what God started a long time ago.”

Folks, you know this. We have a whole lot more to do here than to come to sing some fun songs and see some good friends. We have a lot more to do than that. We have a world that needs to be healed. We have a world that needs to be saved. We have a world that needs to be transformed. We are given a way to do that: one child, one teen, one woman, one man at a time. Every time you play a part in that, good things happen. We have a part to play. We have a part to play in establishing and developing the reign and the kingdom of God in this world. It goes way beyond just getting together and seeing our friends. OK?

Indeed, we have a vision. Our vision, I believe, is without limits. Our vision of this church is, “To do great things, not just things, not just little things, not just some things, to do great things enabling the transformation of many lives through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the glory of the Living God.”

You know this: God is a giving God. Everything you are, and everything you have is a gift. If God wasn’t a giver, you wouldn’t even be here today. It’s been in response to that fact that we have been talking about making commitments together as Christians about what we are going to give to the Lord’s work at this church in 2008-2009. What we know is that every single gift, when we give generously together, whatever that can be, there is no limit about what we yet can do for the work that was begun a long time before us by others.

7: As a Christian, it is possible to live a life without separation.

Romans 8:35 says, “Who shall separate us… from the love of God in Christ Jesus?”

Paul’s answer is, “No one. Nothing. Absolutely nothing!”

If you can ever get your mind, your spirit, and your emotions around that truth, it will revolutionize your life. “For those who are in Christ, nothing, absolutely nothing, can destroy that relationship: no person, no problem, no crisis, no power in all creation, not even death, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.”

I read that to say that means you have eternal security in him. Wherever God is, that’s where you are going to be. I think that security is your guarantee, your promise. It’s a pledge. You cannot only bet the farm on it, you can bet your life on it. In fact, God wants you to bet your life on it. That’s part of the relationship. God does not want a religion. I hope all of us understand that. God wants a relationship. That’s it. That’s the name of the game. All of you: your mind, your emotion, your spirit, your body.

So, what I want to do is invite you. I want you to do something right now with me. If you have never done this before, today may be your day. Don’t let it go any longer. I want you listen with your ears. I want you to hear possibly a voice from heaven to you personally that might say something like this.

I’m knocking at your heart’s door. I want to come into your life. Will you let me? I want to give you the ultimate lifestyle. Not because you may die tonight, but because you are going to live tomorrow. Will you let me? It’s your call, your decision. I’ll never force you. I love you. I’m for you, and I have so much I want to share with you.

If that is what you hear with the ears of your heart, then I ask you to pray this very simple prayer right now with me as I say these words.

Lord, I’ve heard a lot about you today. I’ll be the first to admit I don’t understand it all, but I really want to turn some things around in my life. I don’t want things to go on the way they have been going on. I guess what I want to say is I need your help. Help me accept what you have done for me in Christ. Please hear me when I say that I want you. I want you to please come into my life. I want to put my life in your hands, so that everything will start working together for the good. Indeed, Lord, help me. Help me to live lovingly, generously, expectantly, and positively. This I ask in Jesus’ name.

And we all say together… “Amen.”

Benediction

God, thank you for this land that is plentiful. Thank you for the privilege of being born in this place and in this time. Thank you for hearts that serve you and your purposes. Let us use our time and influence to bring the fullness of your love, restoration, and peace. Amen.