Sermon On Where Are We Now?

Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American philosopher once remarked: “What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” Galatians 2:20 reminds us: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

“Where are we now?” befriends the present. It focuses on the identity of the here and now, which is a key concept in mindfulness and a way of being. It is a current association of personal recognition, standing and one’s significance in life. It may include thankfulness and appreciation for a good and happy existence with the multi fruits of success constantly around us, or it may incorporate poverty, sadness, hunger, loneliness or disappointment. But above all, it relates to the importance of who we are. 1 John 3:1-2 reminds us: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

For Christians and many other religious sects, life without God would appear empty and stark. It might seemingly lack the richness and adornment of life that provides enjoyment and satisfaction. Life could appear plain, bare or even feel cold. Real love would become non-existent, because all true love is a source from God. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 reminds us: “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.”

Although faith is said to not necessarily require a belief in God, for many, that particular element does provide comfort, hope and a meaning in life. Faith can be defined as a strong belief in something, even without proof. It can apply to various aspects of life, including religious faith, faith in humanity, or faith in the future. A specific passage in the Bible primarily focuses on the practical aspects of Christian living, emphasizing the importance of godly conduct, the dangers of greed and materialism, and the need to maintain a pure faith amidst false teachings. It urges strong Christian leaders to uphold the gospel and resist the allure of worldly possessions and false doctrines. 1 Timothy 6:1-21 reminds us: “Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these things. If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing.

He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time - he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.”