Sunday
06/18/17 Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC’s
Sermon Title: “Salvation vs. Sanctification”
Old Testament
Scripture: Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19
New Testament
Scripture: Romans 5:1-8
Gospel Lesson:
Matthew 9:35-10:1-23
Welcome again my friends, my sisters and brothers in
Christ, on this (Graduate Recognition Sunday - Freeville UMC only), and this
Father’s Day Sunday.
(On this day we recognize and celebrate all those who are
graduating from high school, college, or from some other level of education and
or training. We also have people who have retired this year, or perhaps have
retired in recent years that have not been recognized. Today we also honor you.
Freeville UMC only).
In addition to this, today we also honor our fathers, our
grandfathers, and all of the men who have made a positive impact upon our
lives. Whether these men were or are our fathers, our grandfathers, a neighbor,
an uncle, a teacher, a mentor, and etc., today we honor all of those men who
have and continue to shape us. So with this said, happy Father’s Day to all the
men here. Whether you have your own children, or whether you have loved
someone, or whether you have cared for animals, all of the men here have been a
father to someone or something. So today we honor you, and your roles as
fathers and father figures. I also have a little gift for you, to honor you on
this day.
You know, it seems hard for me to believe that it is nearly
the end of June. I can imagine that for high school and college graduates
though, who have or will be graduating, that many of them probably thought that
their graduations would never come. All of the work, all of the stress, and all
of the fun, while looking to that light at the end of tunnel. This light at the
end of tunnel is graduation, and for some, that light seemed miles and miles
away. Yet in this season, graduates have reached the end of that tunnel, or are
very soon to do so.
In light of this continued season of graduation and also
change and transition, my sermon title this morning is called “Salvation vs.
Sanctification”. Now when you read that title or hear that title, you might
think, “Here Pastor Paul goes again with his big seminary vocabulary words”. I
promise you that this was not my intent with this sermon title!
So “Salvation vs. Sanctification”. Well what does this have
to do with this season of graduations, change, and transitions?
Perhaps some of you have heard, or have read, that we are now
exactly 500-years, in this year of 2017, after Martin Luther started the
Protestant Reformation in 1517. For those of you that don’t remember, Martin
Luther, who was a Roman Catholic Priest at the time, found elements of greed,
corruption, and vice in the Roman Catholic Church. Being a good Roman Catholic
priest, Martin Luther, sought to address these problems, as to help the church to
become more holy and more Godly. This year, 2017, marks 500-years after Martin
Luther nailed those famous 95-Theses on the church door at Wittenberg Castle
Church. In hoping to create reforms for the church, Martin Luther was instead
excommunicated or kicked out of the Roman Catholic Church.
It was during this time period that the Lutheran Church
formed, and with this, the doctrine of Justification by faith. This doctrinal
idea of “Salvation,” is that God’s love, the salvation of Jesus Christ is a
free gift to all of God’s children.
This then, in part, is why my sermon today is called
“Salvation vs. Sanctification”. For this sermon specifically, I am looking at
our reading from Romans 5:1-8 from this morning. The first and second verse of
this reading were heavily influential in Martin Luther’s belief in salvation,
and even to this day, most Protestant Churches believe in the doctrine of
Justification by faith. This is to say, by faith alone, or in Latin “Sola
Fide”. The first and second verse of Romans 5 shows us very specifically what
this doctrine is. Romans 5:1-2 says:
“Therefore,
since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand;
and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God” (Rom. 5:1-2, NRSV).
So what does this idea of faith in Christ, repenting our
sins, and trusting Jesus as our Lord and Savior have to do with this season of
graduation, change, and transition?
The connection is this, that graduation, retirement, a
move, or some other major change in our lives is a doorway. Salvation in
Christ, is a beginning point, but not the end of our faith journeys.
Graduation, retirement, a move, or some other change in our lives is not the
end of our story, but is instead, is a doorway. A doorway that leads into a
massive house. This house has many rooms, and there is much in there that we
have no idea about, until we cross into that front doorway.
Salvation, or faith in Christ, like graduation, retirement,
a move, or some other major change in our lives, is a doorway.
For Christians that accept the free gift of faith in Christ,
they sometimes have great joy, and they feel the great mercy and grace of God,
in that moment of conversion. In a similar way, a graduate or a retiree might
feel a sense of joy, accomplishment, and excitement upon that life milestone.
For
these reasons, my sermon is called “Salvation vs. Sanctification”. Salvation in
the Christian faith, is what is beyond the doorway that we walk through into
our houses of faith. In walking through this doorway, we pursue Jesus Christ, the
Christian faith, and the transformation of the world.
For those who are or will be graduating, for those who are
or will be retiring, or making some other life transition this could be your
version of a salvation or a change moment.
Sanctification then is the process of becoming. The moment
of Christian salvation, the moment of graduation, retirement, a move, or a
major life transition, is that of walking through the door. Sanctification is
going through the house of faith and life.
I am trying to overwhelm you this morning with thinking
about everything that you will encounter as you walk through the door of faith and
life, but Sanctification is the process of going through that big house of
faith and life.
So as you have walked through your door, or will soon, it
is my hope and prayer, as well as the hope and prayer of this church, that you
find great joy in the massive house of your life and faith.
In the reading from the Book of Romans for this morning,
the Apostle Paul tells us a little about this sanctification from a Christian
point of view. The scripture reading says:
“And
not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering
produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces
hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into
our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Rom. 5:3-5,
NRSV).
So while the houses that we will walk through a doorway to
get into will be great, there will also be struggles and times of trial. You
see, we live in one of the most divided times that I have ever seen in the
United States. Within this though, we have a great opportunity to create and to
enact real change in this country, and in this world. These are divided times,
but we have a great opportunity to make a big difference.
One of my bible commentaries, the “Africa Bible Commentary,”
written by African scholars says it like this:
“Therefore,
believers must never give up in the face of suffering; God will fulfill his
promises. This brings consolation to those of us who are suffering the pains of
injustice, war, hunger, HIV/AID and many other evils. We can have hope if we
believe that we will share in God’s glory” (Africa Bible Commentary).
So now that you have faith or salvation, and now that you
have graduated, retired, and etc., you are called to continue to be sanctified.
There is a big world out there, full of all sorts of problems, pains, and
sufferings. How will you walk into those rooms in the house you are or will
soon be walking into? The reality is, is that the world needs you now more than
ever.
In our gospel reading that I read from this morning, Jesus
tells us, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few, therefore ask
the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Mt. 9:37-38,
NRSV).
Jesus then sends out his twelve disciples to preach and to serve
(Mt, 10:1-7, NRSV). Jesus tells his twelve disciples to “Cure the sick, raise
the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast our demons” (Mt., 10:8, NRSV).
Friends, sisters and brothers, Jesus sent his friends
through the doorway of the house, to serve, love, and minister to all people.
So for those of you who are in a season of graduation, or
retirement, or change, I pray that you walk into your house of faith and life,
seeking to love, help, and serve others. We all have different gifts and
graces, but it is my hope and prayer that we walk through the doorway of our
houses of faith and life, ready to serve and care for a hurting and a broken
world.
I hope that this summer will be a restorative time for you,
and that you will continue to grow closer to God. I also hope that you will continue
entering into your houses of life, discovering, dreaming, and reaching upward.
May we also honor and remember this day, all of the men
that have been so influential in our lives. Let us remember them, and the great
impact that they have had and continue to make in our lives. Perhaps some of
these men walked through the doorways of life with us, and have been with us as
moved through the house?
Either way, today we honor graduates, retirees, and also
fathers. I pray that enjoy this day, and that after this day is over that you
continue walking into your houses of faith and life. God bless, and Amen.
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