"Calling All Losers"
Mark 8:34-38, John 12:23-28
By Rev. A. LaMar Torrence, Pastor of Cross of Life Lutheran Church
The great statesman, Winston Churchill, once said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” That proverbial statement best captures the meaning of this season we call, LENT. Lent is that liturgical season of the church’s calendar year, whereby we focus on the cost of following Christ. Lent is a time of penance, prayer, preparation for or recollection of our baptism in Christ as we prepare for the celebration of Easter. Observance of Lent is as old as the 4th century. It begins on Ash Wednesday, the 40th weekday before Easter and it ends at midnight Holy Saturday. Lent is that time of year, whereby we turn our attention to the cross. We focus on that which God, the father has given us and we are challenged to go forth and do likewise. LENT is about losing our lives by giving them to Christ and getting eternal life by finding Christ within us. Lent is about loss. (Tell someone, “this season is about loss.”) It’s about losing ourselves in order to find our lives. Jesus declares that he who loves his life loses it and he who hates his life will keep it for eternal life. Where you and I are now, in our lives, in our struggles, in our cares, and in our issues, it is all about losing. One can say in fact that this is a season for losers. Now, a loser by our social standards is one who has failed to accomplish any relevant success or significance in his life. But by God’s standards a loser is one who has totally immerse his life in the will and way of Jesus. This is a season for losers. Jesus is looking for losers.
Now many of us are saying to ourselves, I’ve already lost so much. What else is there for me to lose? How much more do I have to endure in order to come out of this experience with some sense of dignity? How much more can I lose? You lost a husband or wife, a son or daughter. You’ve a lost a job, your health, and even your peace of mind. You’ve lost some friends, your sense of purpose, your direction, and your strength to endure. Some of us have lost so much. We have lost and buried love ones. We have divorced and lost lovers and spouses. We have lost jobs and forgone opportunities. And now, we are concern about losing more- losing our love ones and friends in Iraq, losing our children to the streets, losing our husbands to the other woman. Losing members to other churches and complacency. Losing our control and voice in the activities of the church. We are concern about losing.
And yet, with all that you have lost, God wants you to know still that there is more of you to lose. The essence of the gospel-the good news of Jesus Christ- is about loss. An authentic gospel begins with loss. It begins with dying. It begins with the cross. And if the gospel that you hear preached on the radio, the television, or wherever, does not begin with a cross, if it does not begin by telling you that something in you has to die, it is not the true gospel. The true gospel is not just about you coming to Jesus as you are, it’s about you being baptized in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It’s about you losing your former life and gaining a new life in Christ. This season is about losing. It’s about loss.
Now right there many of us have a problem. We have trouble coming to church and losing something. We came to get something. We came to get a blessing-be it financial, relational, and spiritual. We came to get an encouraging word, some hope for tomorrow, and some assurance that everything is going to be all right. Many of us came to get something or someone. We did not come to lose. We have been taught to come to church seeking a blessing, praying to get -never to lose. We pray, “Lord, give me a financial breakthrough. Lord, give me some peace of mind. Lord, give me a better husband. Lord, give me a well-behaved child.” We come out to get and not to lose. After all, who sets out on a journey to lose? That doesn’t make sense. We have been told that in this world, it is best to be a winner. It’s best to get all that you can get and to do all that you can to hold on to what you have gotten. No one wants to lose.
But following Jesus is a mattering of losing. It is a matter of letting go. Our modern philosophy of life is a matter of holding on and hanging in. We’ve been trained to say, “oh I’m just holding on. I’m hanging on in there.” Day in and day out- we struggle to hold on to our job, to hold on to our house, to hold on to our family, and to hold on to our money. Jesus’ words that “we must lose our lives” create for many of us a conflict of interest. And so, this morning, like Jesus, our souls are troubled. We can’t sleep. We are overworked and underpaid. Our minds are constantly going. We are walking on eggshells, looking over shoulders, and waiting for some disastrous event to occur. We are mentally and physically on heighten alert. Our souls are troubled. And yet, for the sake of the gospel, we, the call, the chosen, the church, the Disciples of Christ, must maintain our faith and assurance. Although we are living in a world of loss, we must still act as if everything is fine because as we go through, many are watching us and seeking the presence of Jesus in our lives. The world is looking at us. Society is watching us seeking to see Jesus through us and in us. They want to see Jesus. Everyday of our lives, in our sittings and risings, there are those around us who just want to see Jesus. They do not want to get caught up in our church politics. They do not want to see our beautiful building, hear our wonderful music, or taste our good food during fellowship hour. They want to see Jesus. (Tell someone, ‘They want to see Jesus.’) They don’t want to see you talking gossip about the other church members. They want to see Jesus. They don’t want to hear your personal opinions, and thoughts about the pastor. They want to see Jesus. Tell someone “show me Jesus.” Show me Jesus. Right now, I need to see Jesus. All week, I’ve seen bombs dropping, people dying, and politicians lying. But right now show me Jesus. All week, I’ve seen my children misbehave, my spouse act funny, and my friends act shady, but right now, show me Jesus. All week, I’ve heard your lip service about you making change in your life and about what you’re going to do-but now show me Jesus. I’ve seen your position. I know your title. I’ve heard your accolades but show me Jesus. I just want to see Jesus.
I need to see Jesus right now. No wonder, Jesus’ soul was so troubled. He spent the majority of his life, showing his disciples and the people signs and wonders, yet they still did not believe. He spent his life preaching and teaching about the kingdom of God, about blessedness, righteousness and truth; yet they still did not believe. He spent his life healing the sick, casting out devils, and raising the dead; yet, they still did not believe. And at this eleventh hour of his life, people are coming to see him perform, and prove that he is the Christ, so that they may believe. And likewise people are coming to you to see Jesus, so that they may believe. That’s is why it is important for you to watch what you say. Tell someone, “Watch what you say?” What you are saying now during these troubling times will determine your destiny with Christ. Your response while you are going through this season of trouble will determine your next level of glory. Jesus says, “What shall I say. They want to see me at my best but I’m about to go through the worst period of my life, the cross. What shall I say? Tell someone, “Watch what you say?”
Watch what you say when confront with questions about the rising gas prices and decrease in jobs. Watch what you say, when people questioned you about supporting the war. As Christians, we don’t support war. We support peace. We pray for those in war. We pray for our solders, generals, and leaders. We pray for the opposition and their families but we support peace. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall inherit the kingdom of God. So, watch what you say? Yes, my soul is troubled, so what will I say? Shall I complain, groan, and moan. Shall I cuss, fuss, and fight? Shall I criticize, scrutinize, and scandalize? What will I say? Tell someone “watch what you say?”
And many of us who are going through a dark time in our lives, may be saying the wrong type of prayer. We are praying for deliverance and relief. But, I want you to know right now that if you turn your prayer from want of deliverance to one of acceptance, you will come out with total victory. If you turn your petition of “Lord, please get me out of this” to one of “ Here is my life Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit,” you shall have victory. Jesus, declared, “What shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour. He accepted what God was about to take him through. Likewise, accept the fact that you will just have to go through. For this is the hour- this is the season for which you have come. This is the season that God has prepared just for you. This is the final test that when it is over, God will be glorified. Everything you have been through. Every disappointment. Every discouragement. Every lie. Every tear you cried. Every pain you felt. Everything you’ve been through was for this hour: every friend that left you, every family member that doubted you, every enemy that laughed at you, everything you’ve been through was for this hour. You are here for such a time as this. Solomon said that for every matter under heaven there is a time and a season; a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted.’ This is your season. God has prepared you for this season so that he may be glorified. You are wondering why? He is telling you, So that he can be glorified. So that when you come through this, people without question, without a word of doubt, will know that it was nothing but the grace of God that brought you through. Tell someone “God will be glorified in this.”
God has prepared you just for this season. You can do this. He would not have brought you to such as time as this, if he did not know that you were prepared for it. This is your season of glorification. This is your time for a glorified life. Yes, you are scared and feel lonely, but God will be glorified. Yes, you don’t know where your next dollar is coming from- but God will be glorified. Yes, folks are looking at you, talking about you, and criticizing you. But God will be glorified. Your response and my response, as we go through this season is, “Father, glorify the name.” Be gloried Jesus, in the heavens. Be glorified in the earth. Be glorified in this temple. Jesus, Be thou glorified.
So, how will God be glorified as I go through this season of loss? How is he glorified as I go through losing my health? Tell, me preacher how is he glorified as I try to cope with the idea of losing my love one to heart disease, to cancer, and AIDS. Tell me, preacher, how is God glorified while I see my family struggle and stress?
He is glorified in your willingness to fall before him. God is glorified when we are willing to abase ourselves in his presence. Like the grain, a seed, we must be willing to fall to the ground. Like the seed, in order to grow, you must be willing to fall to the ground. You see a seed is no good and serves no purpose if it is not planted. As long as it remains above ground, where it can be seen, it’s remains sterile. And the problem with many in the church is that our lives have been sterile. We have no purpose. We are making no difference in our community. We have no growth-there is no fruit of the spirit in our lives- no love, no joy, no peace, no patience, no kindness, no goodness, no faithfulness, no gentleness, no self-control. We are in the same place we where we when first join the church. And that’s the problem we joined the church but we did not join Christ. We are in a bowl of seeds when we should in the ground because as long as we are above ground-we can be seen. We can be heard. We can walk by sight and use common sense and be the voice of reason. And yet, as long as we remain above ground we are the most vulnerable to our enemy. Here the birds can feed off of us. Here the rodents, and the pestilence can devour our lives. Here, the enemy- the devil can still have access to our lives. But Jesus says when we come upon holy ground we must be willing to allow some things to fall. We must be willing to lay aside every weight and sin, which clings so closely.
But falling to the ground in itself is still not enough. Jesus says we must die. God will be glorified in the death of your fleshly desires and concerns. Our flesh must perish so that our spirits may live. It is interesting that every spring, although we plant, many seeds, only a few sprout and grow. That’s due to the seed’s coat called the testa: the harder the coat of the seed, the longer the germination process. Seeds with harder coatings may take a longer time to germinate simply because that hard coating of the seed may prevent expansion of the embryo inside of it. That hard coating may block the entrance of water. That hard coating may impede gas exchange so that the embryos lack oxygen. And many of us come of the Lord with hard coatings. Life has made us hard. We have walls around us and in us. We don’t trust any one. We don’t know how care for others; love them as well as ourselves because we don’t even love ourselves. We have surrounded ourselves with people, situations, and things that make it difficult for God to reach inside of us and deal with our hearts. And so, although we may be planted in the church, our hard hearts have prevented our spiritual growth. Our hard hearts have prevented the entrance of ‘living water’- the Holy Ghost. Our hard hearts impede the exchange God’s spirit and our souls. And for the world to see the Christ in you, the embryo of the holy ghost, you must not cling to those hard coverings. We have to let them go. We, our selves, our flesh must die: our need to be heard and voice our opinions because we should have some say- that must die. Our fear of losing control and not being involved in how things are ran around us- that must die. To gain our lives in Christ we must be willing to lose our selves in Christ. We must be willing to lose our identity in order to gain our spirituality. We must let be willing to let self die. In order words, we must become humbled and abased. We must die. And the problem with many churches today is that many Christians have not yet died. Christ says, if we still get upset because of trifling church mess, we still must die. If we get mad because our name is not on program, Christ says, die. If we lose our joy because no one speaks to us, die. If our nose get bent out of joint because the Pastor said no to our proposal, die. If our emotions are troubled because of power plays in the church, die. You must die. The “I” in you must die. Your pride must die. Your ego must die. Your arrogance must die. Your ambition must die. And when self is dead then our spirit can live. Is this not what Jesus told brother Nicodemus? “Truly, truly, I say to you unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.” We have to allow some things in our life to die. Flesh can’t worship, praise, and serve that which is spirit. Paul said it best, “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
And dying is a lonely experience. It is a dark and trying season in your life. When you decide to begin to allow God to kill off those sinful desires in your life, you begin a lonely process wilderness process. The storms will come. The winter will come. Your life will seem extreme and often barren. That’s because your flesh is dying. And those in the world don’t want to be around dead things. You’ll too religious for them. You are too deep for them. You’ll too high and mighty for them. They will talk about you and make comments, well, everybody can’t be perfect. Well done be so heavenly bound that you are no earthly good. To them you have become a dead thing. And that’s a good thing. Paul says, but if Christ is in you although your bodies are dead because of sin, your spirits are alive.” Tell some body, “My body is a dead thing. But my spirit is coming alive.” And when it comes to the church of Jesus Christ, it should be filled with people who have become dead to the world. In fact, when the world sees you they should say, “dead man walking.” Tell somebody, “He’s talking about me. I’m a dead man walking.”
And the good news of the gospel is this, if you are willing to lose your life, to let those worldly concerns die, then you shall gain it. God will be glorified in the life you receive after this temporary existence. You shall gain your purpose with the prince of peace. You shall can your relevance with the Righteous one of God. Those who seek to save their lives shall lose and those who hate their lives shall gain eternal life. Jesus uses himself as the quintessential premise that even the best of us, can still get better. As glorious as Jesus was, he was still yet to be glorified. There was still a level of glory for him to ascend. He had yet to be at his best. I would have thought he was glorified when the heavens opened up and the Holy Ghost descended upon him and the father said this is my beloved son, in whom I’m well pleased- but that was not Jesus at his best. I thought maybe he was at his best when stood on the bow of a boat in the midst of a raging sea, and said, “Peace be still’ and the roaring seas became calm still waters. The winds slowed down to a nice summer breeze. But yet, he was not at his best. Some would have surmised that Jesus was at his best when he raised Lazarus from the dead. But he was still not at his best. No, Jesus was at his best when he carried an old rugged cross to a hill called Calvary. Jesus was at his best when he allowed his enemies to nail him to that cross; and yet, pray, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Jesus was at his best, when he allowed the crowd to mock his name, pierce him in his side, and place a crown of thorns on his head when he could have called down the host of heaven to deliver him from that cross. Jesus was at his best when he exclaimed, “It is finished. Into thy hands, Father, I do commend my spirit.” Jesus was at his best, when he allowed them to bury his body in a borrowed tomb. Jesus was at his best when on the third day, he rose, and stood before his disciples and declared, “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Listen to me your best moment is just ahead. You will come out of this dark gruesome test knowing that God has triumph, Jesus has gotten the victory, and he has given you power to be his witness to the uttermost parts of the world. Somebody say, “Amen and Amen.”
