Sidney UMC - Fifth Sunday of Easter - 05/07/23 - Sermon - “Growing Into Salvation!”

Sunday 05/07/23 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title: “Growing Into Salvation”                       

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16                                 

New Testament Scripture: 1 Peter 2:2-10

Gospel Lesson: John 14:1-14

          So, I remember two things that I learned as a young child, among the many things that I learned as a young child. These two things that I learned as a young child just happened to “pop” into my head as I was preparing this sermon for this morning. What are these two things? Number one is learning to ride a bike, and number two is learning to swim.

          For most of us that know how to swim and or ride a bike this is not a big deal to us now, but it might have been a big deal to us when we were little kids. I mean, I am supposed to at about 5-6 years of age just get on the bike and ride it? Woah! What if it falls over and I get hurt? This of course was the farthest thing from my mind when I was 5-6 years old. Yet learning to peddle the bike takes a little skill and a little getting used to. At first the bike might be a bit wobbly or you just aren’t turning the peddles fast enough.

          For some of us our first bike may have been a free gift from our parents or someone else. We already had the bike, but maybe we did not yet know how to ride the bike. Further, once we started learning to ride the bike, it then took some time to get good at riding the bike. I cannot remember how long my first bike had training wheels, but the training wheels definitely helped me to not wipe out on the bike as much at first.

          So, then I got the training wheels off, which was good. I did wipe out a couple of times here or there and skinned a knee or two, but now I could go really fast! I even learned to do jumps and other things I never told my mother about. Some of my friends even put pegs on there bike wheels, did tricks, etc. I guess if I was really into it, I could have worked harder and harder, and gotten better and better.

          I also remember when I learned how to swim. Now when you are little kid, the kiddie pool and the shallow end is great. I mean you can stand up and the water as isn’t above your head. The deep end though, well that is a whole other story. The water is over your head and if you can swim, well we know what can happen. Not only was I taught how to swim with my arms and my legs, but also how to swim differently in the deep end or deeper water. I learned how to “Doggy Paddle” and all those others swim strokes. I remember as a little kid that was a bit nervous going in the deeper water at first, but within no time I was doing cannon balls off the diving board. I never had a competitive interest in swimming as a kid, but for those that did, maybe they swam in the high school or even on a college team. Some have even gone to massive competitions, like the Olympics. Going from the safety of the kiddie pool or the shallow end to deeper and more unknown waters.

          I tell you these examples of mine about learning to ride a bike and learning to swim, because I think that our faith in Christ is similar. Christ is a free gift offered to us all. We are all offered the free gift of repentance, accepting Christ, and being offered salvation and eternity. If our first bike was a gift to us, if it was given to us, and like Jesus, all that we had to do was receive this free gift, what did we do with this bike?

          What if though, we never learned to ride our first bike? I mean it may have been a free gift, depending on the circumstances. Yet, no one made us ride it, well mostly likely. We could have kept that first bike, and still have brand-new first bike. Yet what good is a free gift if we don’t use it, or learn to grow with it? What good would it have been if Olympic Gold Medalist swimmers decided that the kiddie pool or the shallow end of the pool was enough? Maybe we were given a kiddie pool as a little kid, or maybe we were in the shallow end as a little kid. We could have not learned how to swim, but would we be missing out if we did?

          Last Sunday I preached from 1 Peter 2:19-25 about becoming more like Jesus. In fact, like a first bike, I said that Jesus is a free gift to the whole world. If we never use a gift though, then what good is it? If we believe in Jesus, and stop right there, what good is that? Well, we have salvation, and “fire insurance,” as I heard pastor say once, but why not learn how to ride the bike? Why not learn how to swim in the deep waters?

          It is important then for me to define two terms this morning. The first Salvation is the free gift of forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus Christ. The second term is Sanctification. Sanctification is becoming more like Jesus Christ. We got the free gift, we got the bike, we are in the kiddie pool or the shallow end, but do we learning to ride the bike and to swim?

          I really like how our reading from Psalm 31 ends this morning saying of God in 31:16:

Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love                    (Ps. 31:16, NRSV).

          In so many others ways in our lives we also strive to improve. Maybe you started a new job at some point, and at first you were overwhelmed. Maybe you didn’t know what you were doing. Then you learned, you got better, and maybe you even mastered doing the job.

          Maybe you learned a foreign language, a hobby, or something else. It was hard and challenging at first, but you gradually got better and better. There is a strong connection between all these examples and out faith in Christ. While Christ, like a bike, is a free gift, do we go beyond just the gift? Do we go beyond salvation to pursuing sanctification.

          This is why I took my sermon title literally out of our 1 Peter 2:2 for reading this morning, where it says:

“grow into salvation” (1 Pet. 2:2b, NRSV).

          Now again, many Christians refer to growing into salvation, sanctification. Let’s look more closely at our reading for this morning from 1 Peter 2:2-10 for this morning. Once again it says:

² Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good                               (1 Pet. 2:2-3, NRSV).

          In the same way that babies start out drinking milk and then move to solid food, as Christians we should not stay consuming spiritual milk. This is going from the free gift of the bike, from the kiddie pool or shallow end to the deep end, and from accepting Jesus to becoming more like is go from spiritual milk to solid spiritual food. Through prayer, bible study, serving others, loving others, and continue to follow Christ’s teaching we become more like him.

          Our reading from 1 Peter 2:2-10 goes on talk about how Jesus is a living stone, rejected by humanity, but precious in God’s sight. Peter then tells us to allow ourselves to be built into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, and offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Use the bike, learn to swim. Even though Jesus is a living stone that has been rejected, he has become the cornerstone, which is vital support for the strength of a house and our spiritual houses (1 Pet. 2:2-7, NRSV).

          When then hear that are called to be a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God’s own people. We are to do this so that we can proclaim and live the excellence of Jesus Christ, who called us out of darkness into the marvelous light of Jesus. Lastly. Peter says we are God people, and we have received mercy (1 Pet. 2:8-10, NRSV).

          So whatever spiritual bikes, or whatever spiritual kiddie pools or shallow ends that you are currently in, strive to go deeper and to grow. We have opportunities in this church to lead Bible studies, prayer groups, visitation, and so on and so forth. Let’s capitalize on the free gift of God through Jesus Christ. Commit to pray more, visit more, give more, serve more, etc.

          In briefly touching on our gospel of John 14:1-14 reading for this morning, we have a gospel lesson that I read a part of in virtually every funeral, memorial service, and celebration of the life that I officiate. This is the gospel lesson where Jesus promises us a place in glory with him, if we believe in. In looking at our gospel of John 14:1-14 reading for this morning, it begins in John 14:1 again saying:

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And you know the way to the place where I am going” (Jn. 14:1-4, NRSV).

          Now as I said, I read what I just read from John 14:1-14 at virtually every funeral, memorial service, or celebration of life that I officiate. Jesus reminds us in this gospel reading that if we have faith in him, we will be with him for eternity. This is great comfort for family and friends when we are mourning the loss of someone who has just died and gone to be with Jesus.

          Given this, I don’t generally read this scripture at a baptism, a confirmation, or a wedding. Why? Well because as an older pastor said once, “We should not become so heavenly minded that we are useless here on earth”. Once again, this pastor said, “We should not become so heavenly minded that we are useless here on earth”.

          You see, I know the promises of Jesus, I know that he died for us, I have long ago received him and my Lord and Savior. I believe that I will be in eternity with him, but between now and then I want to become more like him. I want to learn to ride the free gift of the bike. I want to learn to swim, so I can go in deeper waters. I don’t want to sit on the greatest treasure and gift that I have ever been given and do nothing with it. I want to be more like, and I want to love more like Jesus. All of ministries of this church, and our mission statement is about bringing people to Jesus and equipping them to grow in faith and service to others. This is so that we can grow in perfect love, service, and mercy.

          Anyone else here want to go deeper in your faith? I know I do. I want to know him more, and I want to grow and ride my spiritual bike better. I want to learn to swim in deeper waters. If do, I will be a better pastor, a better husband, and a better person.

          After Jesus offers us the promise this morning of having a place in his Father’s house if we believe in him, the Apostle Thomas responds once again, saying:

⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him”    (Jn. 14:5-7, NRSV).

 

          Jesus is telling Thomas and us, that he is the way and the truth and the life. Our eternity, our salvation in him is secure if we believe in him, so go forth and strive to be more Christlike. Your eternity is all set, let’s do some great things between now and then!

          Well after Thomas chimes in, then the Apostle Philip does to. Picking up in John 14:8, it says, once again:

⁸ Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” ⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. ¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, but if you do not, then believe because of the works themselves. ¹² Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it (Jn. 14:8-14, NRSV).

 

          Jesus is telling the Apostle Philip and us, believe in him, and go forth and live like him. Our eternity and our salvation are secure through him, and since we know this, let be about the mission of the church. Let us love, heal, forgive, and may people come to know and chase after Jesus Christ.

          This morning we are not only challenged to have faith in and receive salvation though Jesus Christ, we are challenging in “Growing Into Salvation”. Amen.