WHAT REALLY COUNTS
(All My sermons use illustrations found at www.sermoncentral.com and all scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted)
A few weeks ago I presented a sermon entitled, “IT.” We talked about how simple IT really is, the scripture tells us the “only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” WOW, that really is simple, and yet I feel as if 20 minutes does not do the simplicity of that message the justice it deserves. The truth is that it is really not a difficult concept and it can even be made simpler. I think if we really take time to think about it, we might see that God made us to LOVE.
I noticed lately that one of our area churches had a rather simple concept in their brand new sign. A concept that has been around for a while and was most likely borrowed from one of the many books there are on making church simple. It says, LOVE GOD, LOVE PEOPLE, SERVE THE WORLD. When we think about it, that is the simple message to Christians, not to the lost, but to Christians that God gives to us. Jesus was asked which commands were important, He told us that we should LOVE GOD, and the second is like it, LOVE OTHERS. He also reminded us that whatever we do for one of the least brothers of His, we have done for him.
In my desire to seek out more wisdom on this subject of simplifying church, I came across a Psalm that I think tells the same story, and this morning I would like to share this with you. So if you have your Bible with you this morning, turn with me to Psalm 62 and we will read verses 9-12.
Ps 62:9-12 Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath. 10 Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them. 11 One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, 12 and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.
PRAYER
I. A VAPOR IN THE WIND
In a very popular song by Casting Crowns entitled “Who Am I?” the group sings; “ I am a flower quickly fading, here today and gone tomorrow, a wave tossed in the ocean, a vapor in the wind.” The Psalmist shows us the same thing, he is saying that it does not matter to what circumstances we are born into, whether that be a high society family with lots of money and power, or a low income family that is struggling to get by, we are nothing in comparison to our God. Here today and gone tomorrow.
When you look at the fact that we will live forever, and all of us will, just not here on earth. What in comparison to forever is 60, 70, 80 a hundred years?
Our daughter Charity came into the world six weeks early. We were very excited until the doctor told us that things were not right and they would have to send us over the mountains to Denver, Colorado. We were flown on a leer jet across the mountains and then flown on a helicopter to the roof of a big hospital in Denver. There were many doctors and nurses working for us and Charity came into the world, and we were so happy, she had to stay in NICU for a few days, and I had to go home without my wife and daughter to be with our other three children, but Becca and Charity came home in time for Thanksgiving.
Now I tell that quick story to tell two other stories, first, when Charity was born, Becca and I were really just starting our journey in service to the Lord. Actually, I was going to college and working graveyard shifts at the local convenient store. We really had no money and things were really tight. People from our church stepped up and helped out, but it was a couple that did not attend church that really stepped out. Good friends of ours, we watched their son while they were at work. They had a child that died shortly after being born, and they heard what was going on with our little Charity, they drove to Denver a good four hour trip, they took us to Supper at Red Lobster, they bought Becca some clothes and a outfit for Charity, they offered us comfort and peace, and they drove me home.
A few months later, Becca was giving Charity her first bottle of juice at home. Charity tried to cough and breath in at the same time and the flap on her throat got stuck and she all but stopped breathing. We tried everything, patted her back, pinched her to get her to cry, and finally we called 911. An off duty first responder heard our call for help and was in our apartment complex and rushed down, he tried the same things I did, but to no avail. Her respirations had fallen from 40 a minute to 4! We waited for the ambulance to come, and we prayed that if God was ready to take her home, that He do it without having her suffer. The ambulance arrived, they put a bulb over her face and squeezed air into her lungs, and she was fine.
I tell those stories, to let you see just how brief and unpredictable life is, we are NOT special, ALL the money in the world will not give us life longer then God wants us to live. God proved that when He sent His Son, the way He sent His Son. You don’t have to be born into money to have life, you don’t have to be poor to have life, LIFE IS IN GOD.
We are but a vapor in the wind, here today and gone tomorrow, BUT our God is everything.
A minister named Russ Blowers was once asked to speak at Rotary Club about his profession. He wanted to say more than “I’m a preacher.” So this was his talk, “Hi, I’m Russ Blowers. I’m with a global enterprise. We have branches in every country in the world. We have representatives in nearly every parliament and boardroom on earth. We’re into motivation and behavior alteration. We run hospitals, feeding stations, crisis pregnancy centers, universities, publishing houses and nursing homes. We care for clients from birth to death. We are into life insurance and fire insurance. We perform spiritual heart transplants. Our Original Organizer owns all the real estate on earth plus an assortment of galaxies and constellations. He knows everything and lives everywhere. Our product is free for the asking, There is not enough money to buy it. Our CEO was born in a hick town, worked as a carpenter, didn’t own a home, was misunderstood by his family and hated by his enemies, walked on water, was condemned to death without a trial and arose from the dead. I talk with Him everyday.”
The second thing I see the Psalmist saying to us this morning is about:
II. TREASURE ON EARTH
10 Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
Or in other words, don’t step on everyone you can to reach the top in a financial manner, and if you do get wealthy don’t take pride in it, because once again, we are NOTHING without God. So many people set their heart on their wealth or material possesions, unwilling to give them up for what God wants to do with their lives. We started this morning speaking of how simple it really is, and folks the fact is that we are NOTHING without our God. All we have come from Him and He wants to give us so much more if we are willing to give up what we think we have for what He wants to do with us.
The cheerful girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five. With her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them: a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box. "Oh please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please!"
Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl’s upturned face. "A dollar ninety-five. That’s almost $2.00 If you really want them, I’ll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself. Your birthday’s only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."
As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.
Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere -- Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.
Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night when he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?" "Oh yes, Daddy. You know that I love you." "Then give me your pearls."
"Oh, Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess -- the white horse from my collection. The one with the pink tail. Remember, Daddy? The one you gave me. She’s my favorite." "That’s okay, Honey. Daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.
About a week later, after the story time, Jenny’s daddy asked again, "Do you love me?" "Daddy, you know I love you." "Then give me your pearls." "Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is so beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper." "That’s okay. Sleep well. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you." And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss. A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed Indian-style. As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek. "What is it, Jenny? What’s the matter?" Jenny didn’t say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it, there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, Daddy. It’s for you."
With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny’s kind daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime-store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny. He had, had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could give her genuine treasure.
So like our heavenly Father. What are you hanging on to? Are you storing treasure here on earth? Treasure that not only can be ruined by the things of this world, but a treasure that you cannot take with you when you leave this world.
Matt 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Is it really that simple? YES. Love God, Love People, Serve the World. It is really a matter of priority, if we see that everything we do in this world will determine what we will have in eternity, then we might live life here on earth, (which really is just a vapor in the wind compared to eternity) we might just live it a little differently. If we believe the WORD, if we understand the concept God has given us, that we are here to Love Him, Love others, and serve then we will have all the treasures we could ever imagine. BUT, I think most don’t believe that what they do in this blink of an eye will determine forever, it is a concept that is difficult to wrap our minds around. But it is what God says to us:
III. GOD IS EVERYTHING & WATCHING US ALL
Ps 62:11-12 One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, 12 and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.
God is LOVING and God is STRONG, He moves in ways we may never understand.
Tony Campolo tells about the time he was asked to speak at a Pentecostal college. Before the service, eight men had him kneel so they could place their hands on his head and pray. Tony was glad to have the prayer, but each of them prayed a long time, and the longer they prayed the more they pushed on Tony’s head. And then they even seemed to wander in their prayers. One of the men didn’t even pray for Tony, he prayed for some guy he was concerned about. He began to pray and said, “Dear Lord, you know Charlie Stoltzfus. He lives in that silver trailer down the road a mile. You know the trailer, Lord, just down the road on the right-hand side.” Tony wanted to interrupt and tell him that God already knew where they guy lived and didn’t need directions, but he just knelt there trying to keep his head upright. The prayer went on: “Lord, Charlie told me this morning he’s going to leave his wife and three kids. Step in and do something, God. Bring that family back together.” With that, the prayer time ended and Tony went on to preach at the college chapel. Things went well and he got in his car and began to drive home. As he drove onto the Pennsylvania Turnpike, he saw a hitchhiker and felt compelled to pick him up. No one can tell a story better than Tony Campolo, so I’ll let him take it from here: “We drove a few minutes and I said: ‘Hi, my name’s Tony Campolo. What’s yours?’ He said, ‘My name is Charlie Stoltzfus.’ I couldn’t believe it I got off the turnpike at the next exit and headed back. He got a bit uneasy with that and after a few minutes he said, ‘Hey mister, where are you taking me?’ I said, ‘I’m taking you home.’ He narrowed his eyes and asked, ‘Why?’ I said, ‘Because you just left your wife and three kids, right?’ That blew him away. ‘Yeah Yeah, that’s right.’ With shock written all over his face, he plastered himself against the car door and never took his eyes off me. Then I really did him in as I drove right to his silver trailer. When I pulled up, his eyes seemed to bulge as he asked, ‘How did you know that I lived here?’ I said ‘God told me.’ (I believe God did tell me.) When he opened the trailer door his wife exclaimed, ‘You’re back You’re back ’ He whispered in her ear and the more he talked, the bigger her eyes got. I said with real authority, ‘The two of you sit down. I’m going to talk and you two are going to listen ’ Man, did they listen . . . That afternoon I led those two young people to Jesus Christ.”
Somebody prayed a believing prayer Faith is what moves the hand of God. The Bible says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Later on the writer says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
If you remember, I told you that the ONLY THING THAT COUNTS IS:
Faith, expressing itself through love. The Bible tells us that. The Psalmist tells us that God in loving and strong and that HE will reward us according to what we have done. So I ask you how much simpler can it get? LOVE GOD, LOVE PEOPLE, SERVE THE WORLD, faith showing itself through love.
And folks the tests will come, we are asked to serve in ways that may not be comfortable to us, in ways that we would like to pass. Not all of the people we encounter will be the kind of people we want to associate with, let alone serve. There are some that are so attractive to us, and yet, these are the ones that God asks us to serve. The sick, the lonely, the unattractive. AND HE will reward each one according to what they have done.
John Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform, and studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station. He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn’t, the girl with the rose. His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in a Florida library. Taking a book off the shelf he found himself intrigued, not with the words of the book, but with the notes penciled in the margin. The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind. In the front of the book, he discovered the previous owner’s name, Miss Hollis Maynell.
With time and effort he located her address. She lived in New York City. He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to correspond. The next day he was shipped overseas for service in World War II. During the next year and one month the two grew to know each other through the mail. Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart. A romance was budding.
Blanchard requested a photograph, but she refused. She felt that if he really cared, it wouldn’t matter what she looked like. When the day finally came for him to return from Europe, they scheduled their first meeting-7:00 p.m. at the Grand Central Station in New York. “You’ll recognize me,” she wrote, “by the red rose I’ll be wearing on my lapel.” I’ll let Mr. Blanchard tell you what happened:
A young woman was coming toward me, her figure long and slim. Her blonde hair lay back in curls from her delicate ears; her eyes were blue as flowers. Her lips and chin had a gentle firmness, and in her pale green suit she was like springtime come alive. I started toward her, entirely forgetting to notice that she was not wearing a rose. As I moved, a small, provocative smile curved her lips. “Going my way, sailor?” she murmured. Almost uncontrollably I made one step closer to her, and then I saw Hollis Maynell. She was standing almost directly behind the girl. A woman well past 40, she had graying hair tucked under a worn hat. She was more than plump, her thick-ankled feet thrust into low-heeled shoes. The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away. I felt as though I was split in two, so keen was my desire to follow her, and yet so deep was my longing for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned me and upheld my own. And there she stood. Her pale, plump face was gentle and sensible, her gray eyes had a warm and kindly twinkle. I did not hesitate. My finger gripped the small worn blue leather copy of the book that was to identify me to her. This would not be love, but it would be something precious, something perhaps even better than love, a friendship for which I had been and must ever be grateful.
I squared my shoulders and saluted and held out the book to the woman, even though while I spoke I felt choked by the bitterness of my disappointment. “I’m Lieutenant John Blanchard, and you must be Miss Maynell. I am so glad you could meet me; may I take you to dinner?” The woman’s face boardened into a tolerant smile. “I don’t know what this is all about, son, “ she answered, “but the young lady in the green suit who just went by, she begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said if you were to ask me out to dinner, I should go and tell you that she is waiting for you in a big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of a test!”
It's not difficult to understand and admire Miss Maynell's wisdom. The true nature of a heart is seen in its response to the unattractive. "Tell me whom you love," Houssaye wrote, "And I will tell you who you are."
The Only thing that counts, IS FAITH SHOWING ITSELF THROUGH LOVE. LOVE GOD, LOVE PEOPLE, SERVE THE WORLD
It really is that simple. . . are you here this morning and you have not shown your love for God by accepting His Son Jesus Christ in the waters of baptism? Perhaps you have accepted Christ, but you are not a member of a local church body and have not made a commitment to this local church body and the work that is being done here.
INVITATION
