Title: Why I Am a Christian
Text: Ephesians 3:1-12
Thesis: Christians have been chosen by God and called to be part of God’s plan (to make him known in and for) the world.
Epiphany, the 12th day after Christmas, celebrates the visit of the three kings or wise men to the Christ Child, signifying the extension of salvation to the Gentiles. We are followers of Christ today because God graciously included us in his plan.
Introduction
On Thursday (December 3, 2013) the Life and Leisure section of The Denver Post ran a Lifestyle special piece stating, “You are where you hang out.” I thought that was kind of cleverly put… not unlike “you are who you hang out with” or “you are what you eat” or “read” or “whatever.”
The author, Sam DeLeo set out to see if Denver night spots, each with a distinctive style or motif or reputation or music, defined its patrons. Do cowboys patronize cowboy bars? Do hippies patronize hippie bars? Do hipsters patronize hipster bars? Do athletes patronize sports bars?
Do people who wear western clothing gravitate to cowboy bars? Do people who wear hoodies gravitate to hipster bars? Do bearded, ponytailed men gravitate to hippie bars? Do men and women who wear jersey #18 hang out at sports bars? (I have little to zip knowledge of what I am talking about but I understand there are hip-hop bars and party bars and probably nerd bars and so forth…)
The author printed some of the interviews he conducted with patrons of area nightspots asking them very pointedly:
• Are you a hipster?
• Are you a hippie?
• Are you a hip-hop head?
• Are you a cowboy or cowgirl?
• Are you a bro or bro-ette?
Most refused to be stereotyped so the author was forced to conclude that all kinds of people frequent all kinds of nightspots for all kinds of reasons. However, I suspect that the author began with a premise that nightspot patrons can be stereotyped. Certain kinds of people frequent certain kinds of places therefore; you are where you hang out.
And when they happened to be in a hipster nightspot, dressed like a hipster and listening to hipster music but denied they were hipsters the logical question was, “Then why are you here?”
We sometimes use the term “homogeneous” to describe groups of people. When we say a group of people is typified by homogeneity we mean they are all very similar… it’s the idea that birds of a feather tend to flock together. You see flocks of geese. Grackles fly with grackles, crows with crows, swallows with swallows and gulls with gulls.
It probably is not too much a stretch to believe that homogeneity typifies most nightspots and unfortunately, most churches. But that is a rabbit trail I am resisting the urge to chase down today.
The fact is, whether you are a cowboy or cowgirl, hipster, hop-hop head, jock, bro or bro-ette, hippie or whatever, you are here. And so if Sam DeLeo were here he might ask, “Why are you here?” “Are you a Christian?” He might even ask, “Why are you a Christian?” He might even ask, “Do you find meaning and purpose in being a Christian?”
Transition: deal with those questions. First of all, I can say, “I am a Christian because I have been chosen and called by God to be a Christian.”
I. I am chosen and called by God, Ephesians 1:1 and 4
“This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 1:1
“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.” Ephesians 1:4
Chosen-ness is a result of God’s grace.
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:8-10
A few years ago I had a cyst growing into my spinal column. It was a miserable and painful experience that finally reached the point where it had to be surgically removed. My personal physician gave me a recommendation. But I went online and did a bunch of research and looked into the credentials of a number of surgeons and eventually settled on Dr. Argarwala. We arranged to consult with him.
He proved to be a brilliant but difficult young man. Our initial meeting was off to a rocky start. It was a difficult and challenging procedure. I suggested that I had more confidence in him than he had in himself. Eventually he asked, “Who recommended me to you?” And I said, “My doctor recommended Dr. Hershey but I did my research and I chose you.” Apparently being stuck with a difficult patient is different than being chosen by a difficult patient because from then on we had a very warm relationship.
Being chosen is no small thing.
When you and I hear God saying, “Before I made the world, I loved you and chose you in Christ to be holy and without blame in my eyes,” how can we be anything but grateful and embrace that chosen-ness.
As a Christian I believe there is meaning and purpose behind my circumstances. In other words, being a Christian gives meaning and purpose to every facet of my life. Life for the Christian is not random.
II. I believe there is meaning behind my circumstances, Ephesians 3:1
“When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles…” Ephesians 3:1
When wrestling with finding meaning in our circumstances we may find it helpful to ask, “Why am I here? Why am I in this particular place at this particular time in my life?”
In that Epiphany is a time when we make note of the ways God has made Christ known in the world it is appropriate that we understand that one of the ways God makes Christ know in the world is through us. Where we are is one way God in Christ is everywhere! Where we are, Jesus is!
The Apostle Paul was literally a prisoner of the Roman Empire but he does not speak of the Roman Empire as being his incarcerator… he saw himself as a prisoner of Jesus Christ. He saw himself as being in the place God wanted him to be in order to accomplish his purposes through him. He saw his circumstances as part of the creating of a masterpiece-person whom God could use to do the good God had planned.
When St. Patrick was 16 years old a band of Irish marauders attacked his village along the English coastline. He was abducted, taken to Ireland where he was sold to a Druid tribal chieftain who made him care for a herd of pigs. And it was there in the squalor of pig filth that God worked in his life and he came to see that his kidnapping and homesickness were actually opportunities to know Christ better and he concluded that whether pleasant or distasteful he ought to accept what God was doing in his life.
After six years he escaped his earthly captors but eventually gathered sufficient resources to return to Ireland as a servant of Christ and spent his life to reaching the Irish for Christ.
Home alone all day with your children? Spending your working hours at a challenging job? Meeting with a client? Grinding out the semesters in a classroom? Sidelined for rehab? Shopping in the marketplace? The apostle Paul was in prison but he saw his present circumstances as critical to what God was doing through his life in the lives of others.
It is a solid affirmation of the proposition posed in Romans 8:28, “All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purposes.”
Being a Christian means being a part of God’s plan for the world.
III. I believe in God’s plan for the world, Ephesians 3:2-6
“And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 3:6
“And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ – everything in heaven and on earth… for the Lord chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.” Ephesians 1:10-11
I wear trifocals. In order for them to work really the way I would like for them to work I need much larger lenses… like Cello Green glasses. Trifocals are ground to help you see clearly at three different distances. The top of the lens is ground to see clearly at great distances… far, far away. The middle part of the lens is ground to see clearly at intermediate distances and the lower part of the lens is ground for reading or seeing up close.
The tricky part is grinding them so you can have all three lenses in one lens so each grinding blends into the others. So when you lift your gaze of lower your gaze you see clearly all the time… unfortunately it does not work quite that smoothly.
But in verses 2-6 we get a sense of how we can see God’s plan as it begins up close which includes the Jews and then we lift our gaze to see that God’s plan also includes the Gentiles and then we look off into the distance and see that God’s plan includes bringing everyone and everything under the authority of Christ in heaven and on earth.
“And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 3:6
“And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ – everything in heaven and on earth… for the Lord chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.” Ephesians 1:10-11
And finally, I am a Christian because I am compelled to be a servant.
IV. I have been called to be a servant, Ephesians 3:7
By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading the Good News. Ephesians 3:7
I believe God’s plan involves me and I believe God’s plan involves you!
Adam, one of our grandsons loves action figure superheroes. So when Bonnie and I had breakfast on New Year’s morning and a Today Show segment, featuring new Superhero films coming out in 2013, I paid attention:
Among them:
• The new Man of Steel is a new take on the old Superman stories with a new star, Henry Cavill.
• X-Men Origins: Magneto starring Hugh Jackman.
• A new Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr.
• A new Thor: The Dark World with Christ Hemsworth continuing the Thor; The Mighty Avenger storyline.
These superhero action figures are based on superhero characters and storylines from action figure comic books and they exist because people and the world needs to be saved from evil forces.
Suggesting that God has called us to be superheroes in a dark and dangerous world may be a bit of a stretch. I don’t quite see God’s intent being that we become some kind of mutant-beings with special powers to fight against evil, however Paul does say that it is by God’s grace and mighty power that he has been given the privilege of serving Christ in the world. And we would be correct in believing that it is by God’s grace and mighty power that we are given the privilege of serving Christ in the world.
Conclusion:
God has chosen us and called us and given us a purpose in life…
“God’s purpose in all this was to use the Church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord… so don’t lose heart.” Ephesians 3:10-13
This morning we are challenged to renew our commitment to Christ and our resolve to be part of God’s eternal plan… we are Christians for good reason. This morning we have found in this text, four good reasons for being a Christian.
1. You are chosen and called to be a Christian!
2. Who and where you are as a Christian is both meaningful and purposeful!
3. Being a part of God’s eternal plan is a big, big deal!
4. It is a privilege to serve Christ!
