As we prepare for communion this morning, I want to approach it from a different angle. I would like to ask you a question that I’ve asked you not so long ago. The question is, “Why are you here?” Many years ago the Christian group Glad went out onto the streets of Philadelphia and posed that question to those walking by. I love the one line in the song, “Intellectuals found it very amusing, ‘I’ve got it all figured out,’ he replied with a smile, ‘And I’d tell you but it’s much too confusing.’” Last week during our Sunday night lesson on the Beatitudes, we discovered one famous psychologist said, “The chief duty of a human being is to endure life.” How much more pessimistic can you get — is that all that we are here for – to endure life? Listen to the words of Isaiah the prophet from chapter 55.
Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink – even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk – it’s all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me (God), and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make a everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David…I the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious. Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
Does this sound as if the chief end of man is to endure life? Yes, there is something more to life than just simply enduring it.
Step 1–God’s Purpose: Peace & Eternal Life
As we have discovered as we have read this Scripture that God designed us for a purpose. He designed us to function best when we have a living, active, intimate relationship with him. The Westminster Shorter Catechism teaches us, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” We were designed to have peace with God and eternal life. Listen to this familiar passage of scripture.
For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. — John 3:16
What seems to be the problem? The scriptures clearly state that there is more to this life than simply enduring it. Why have so few found it?
Step 2–Our Problem: Sin & Separation
The problem is not God and he does not go around bossing us around as some claim. We are not robots. Like I said before, “If love is required, then it really isn’t love.” God does not require us to love Him, but he does desire it with all of his heart. The problem is instead sin. I love it – thing about this; what is the middle letter of sin? It is an “I.” The reason we do not have peace with God is because we have “I” trouble and sin is all around it. Just as Adam disobeyed in the Garden of Eden all of us have disobeyed God. All of us have willfully disobeyed God and that disobedience is called sin. God gave us a will and freedom of choice. We chose wrong and sin is what separates us from God. One of my favorite verses to illustrate this is Romans 3:23: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. In Isaiah 59:2, we find these words; “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away…”
Our sin separates us from God. We are sinful and God is holy – and in between us is a large gap. In bowling, we would call it a 7-10 split, except in this case, there is no way to make it on our own. What should we do? Most of us in our humanness try to bridge the gap to God all by themselves. They might try to be good enough for God. They might try to attend church for God. They might try to be a humanitarian for God (lest I get in trouble – there is nothing wrong with being a humanitarian – We have a great one in The Wesleyan Church – Dr. Joann Lyon, but being a humanitarian will not save you. Reading the right books, religion, philosophy, psychology – they will all fail in bridging the gap to God. All of the things I mentioned are ladders (bridges) that are too short – that are too inadequate to bridge the gap.
Step 3–God’s Remedy: The Cross
Jesus Christ is the only answer to this problem of separation from God. He died on the cross and rose from the grave to pay the penalty for our sin–completely bridging the gap between us and God. I think it’s amazing – this thing called grace — not getting what we deserve. We are told in Paul’s letter to the Romans; “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” The answer to our “I” problem and sin is the cross. We are reminded by the early apostles; “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. — 1 Timothy 2:5
The cross and the resurrection is the way God has provided to make restitution for our sins. Make no mistake about it, there only way… and we must make the choice….Where are you?
Step 4 – Our Response: Receive Christ
We can receive Jesus Christ when we believe in His message and trust in Him alone to save us. What are we told in the Bible? “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.” — John 14:1 We are reminded in John’s gospel that; “all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. — John 1:12. If we believe him and accept him as Savior – we can become a child of God.
How to receive Christ:
- Admit your need (I am a sinner).
- Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).
- Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.
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Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Him as your Savior).
If you prayed that prayer this morning for the first time, welcome to the family.
God’s Assurance: His Word
If you sincerely prayed this prayer and asked Jesus Christ to come into your life, do you know what He has given you? Christ has given you salvation – he has forgiven you of your sins – you are a new creation. If you prayed that prayer, be assured of this. “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We can choose to reject God, but his love still stands. Listen to these reassuring words: “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” — Romans 5:1
If you prayed that prayer today, first I encourage you to participate in communion with us this morning. Wesleyan’s believe that if you are in God’s family, meaning you have received Christ as your Savior, you can participate in this sacrament. This sacrament – communion is open to everyone here this morning who is a believer in Jesus Christ. I encourage everyone who believes in Jesus and who has repented of their sins and who is living in Christ today, to come forward in a few moments and receive this sacrament.
Second, if you prayed that prayer, I would like you to come see me. One of the next steps a new believer should follow is baptism and discipleship, followed by membership in our church. Also, if you have received Christ as your Savior and you have not yet been baptized, I encourage you to come see me, so we can get you baptized and also see about membership.
We are about to partake in a holy time – a time set apart for God’s children – A time of remembrance. We remember Christ’s death on the cross – the blood that was shed for us – his body that was broken for us that forgives us of our sins. We remember Christ’s resurrection from the dead that frees us from the power of sin. And we remember that Christ is coming back again for his church. He said that every time we partake we should do it in remembrance until he comes again.
