YA GOTTA BE DEAD!

YA GOTTA BE DEAD!

Friday, June 07, 2019

  An eon ago when I did pulpit supply, I preached as prescribed in classes taken at Maryland Bible Institute. Three point outline, two illustrations or life-examples. It wasn’t until our migrating to the heartland that we heard sermons any other way. Nothing really against the otherwise method, but do sometimes miss the easy to follow 3 &2.

   Illustrations there were aplenty available. Some were frequently rerun verbatim or retreaded.

  Were they effective? Very much so.

  Did they save anyone? Though they got people’s attention and made them think, no.

  Faith comes by truly listening to what God says to man: Isaiah asked, "Lord, who has believed our message?" So faith comes from hearing the message, and the message that is heard is what Christ spoke. (Isa.53:1; Rom.10:16-17)

  To illustrate I use an old well-worn illustration:

  A Sunday School teacher of 6-7 year old boys wanted to impress upon the boys what it takes to go to heaven. He decided to do so by asking a few questions, beginning by asking “If I sell my car and house and give all the money to the poor, will that get me into heaven?”

  “No.” replied the boys.

  “If I for free cleaned the church and mowed the yard for the rest of my life, will that get me into heaven?”

  “NO.” responded the boys.

  “If I until the day I die be kind to my wife and everyone else, will that get me into heaven?”

  “NO!” said the boys.

  “Well then . . . how can I get into heaven?”

  This time one of the older boys, a Jerry Green type, in exasperation shouted “Ya gotta be dead!!”

  How true, definitely a prerequisite, but just as definitely insufficient.

  We must be dead alright; to our flawed ideas of righteousness and transformation. (Jn.3:3-7;12:24; Rom.6)

  Hear God’s Word: “[Abraham] didn't doubt God's promise out of a lack of faith. Instead, giving honor to God for the promise, he became strong because of faith and was absolutely confident that God would do what he promised. That is why his faith was regarded as God's approval of him. But the words "his faith was regarded as God's approval of him" were written not only for him but also for us. Our faith will be regarded as God's approval of us who believe in the one who brought Jesus, our Lord, back to life. Jesus, our Lord, was handed over to death because of our failures and was brought back to life so that we could receive God's approval.” (GW Rom.4:20-25)

EBB4