Pale Blue Dot

Romans 10:5-17

 

 

“Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.”

From the book Pale Blue Dot by Carl Sagan

 

Carl Sagan seems to believe that all there is to life is what is here; that there is no after life; no purpose to our lives beyond right now. But the truth of the matter is that all of us are searching for meaning in our lives.

 

We try to find it through relationships; as a spouse or as a parent. We try to find it through work; reaching that next level.

 

 

 

 

We try to find it through possessions; he who has the most toys wins. We try to find it through science and reason; not unlike Carl Sagan. We try to find it through being religious; going to church and being nice.

 

 

 

The Israelites searched for meaning through the Law and their customs. Paul addressed this in today’s passage: “For they don’t understand that Christ has died to make them right with God. Instead they are trying to make themselves good enough to gain God’s favor by keeping the Jewish laws and customs, but that is not God’s way of salvation.”

 

Instead, Paul pointed to a simpler way: ^“For salvation that comes from trusting Christ—which is what we preach—is already within easy reach of each of us; in fact, it is as near as our own hearts and mouths. For if you tell others with your own mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord and believe in your own heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

 

It is true that we live on a pale blue dot that seems pretty insignificant; “a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam”.

 

 

 

 

But the living God stepped into His creation in the person of His one and only son so that you and I might know Him and find purpose, not only in this life, but in our life to come. Amen.

 

 

I'm the Best in the World

Romans 10:5-17

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%2010%3A5-17&version=NIV;TLB

(This is the first of two postings on this passage. I hope you enjoy them.)

 

 

There was a tremendous amount of fanfare when it was announced that LeBron James would be returning to his home team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Fans immediately anticipated that an NBA championship would soon follow. King James would inevitably lead the Cavs, and the city of Cleveland, back to the Promised Land.

 

Following game 5 of the NBA Finals, LeBron was asked if he was feeling freer to shoot than normal since the Cavs were so undermanned. His response is a classic: "Nah, I feel confident because I'm the best player in the world. It's simple."

 

In other words, he believed that even though the Cavs were down 3 games to 2 and two Cav starters were out due to injury; that they still were in it because of him. This confirmed that he was Cleveland’s savior.

 

Our passage today is a contrast in how salvation is attained. The Jews believed salvation was possible by obeying the Law. Paul wrote in response to this belief:

 

"For they don’t understand that Christ has died to make them right with God. Instead they are trying to make themselves good enough to gain God’s favor by keeping the Jewish laws and customs, but that is not God’s way of salvation.”

 

 

“For salvation that comes from trusting Christ—which is what we preach—is already within easy reach of each of us; in fact, it is as near as our own hearts and mouths. For if you tell others with your own mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord and believe in your own heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

 

You and I may not try to find salvation through laws and customs, but we may try through our spouse, our children or our job. There are many imposters that can lead us down the wrong path; that can lead us away from the Savior and salvation.

 

In LeBron’s interview he talked about how hard he had worked for this. Unfortunately, it didn’t matter how hard Lebron worked or how much confidence he had or even if he is the best player in the world – the Cavs lost.

 

Fortunately for us, God’s word is not just true but He is faithful. He is the Living God who created us and continues to work in and through us. We don’t need the confidence of being the best in the world. We just need the God who is trustworthy.

 

Trust… Like a Child

Mark 10:13-22

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark%2010%3A13-22&version=NIV;TLB

 

 

 

Have you ever seen a father throw his child up in the air and then catch him or her on the way down as they cry out with laughter and joy? It takes a lot of trust in dear old Dad.

 

Children are so much more trusting than adults. They

take things at face value. They don’t have agendas. Their ego doesn’t get in the way. Whereas adults are cynical and suspicious. They tend to try to manipulate things to control them. They are motivated by “what’s in it for me”. Take today’s passage for example.

 

The children came to Jesus with no expectations; no pride; no “here I am take me” attitude. On the other hand, the rich young ruler had it all figured out. He knew there was a formula, and if he could learn what it was, he could have eternal life. It was simple: one plus one is two.

 

Which category do you fall under? The trust of a child or the control of an adult?

 

As adults we like to appear as though we have it all together. After all, the world doesn’t reward those who are childlike and waits for the adult to take charge. It rewards those who take control. It rewards those who are proactive and preemptive. It rewards those who make things happen.

 

There are some good questions brought up in this passage today. “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” That’s a good one for all of us to ask. Another one is,“Why do you call me good?” Jesus was great at asking a question in response to a question. He makes us think when we don’t want to.

 

But maybe the most important question to ask is one that never gets asked. It is brought out by the two stories. By comparing and contrasting these two stories we see two very different styles of approaching Jesus. One as a child. The other as the rich young ruler.

 

The question to ask yourself is: How do I approach Jesus? Like a child or like a ruler? It's time to put your hand in his and follow him... like a child.

 

 

 

 

 

Will You Get into the Wheel Barrow?

John 20:19-31

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2020%3A19-31&version=NIV;TLB

 

 

On June 30, 1859, Charles Blondin became the first man in history to walk on a tightrope across Niagara Falls. On the days following this amazing feat, The Great Blondin made many other trips which included death defying stunts such as walking on stilts, cooking and eating an omelet, carrying his manager piggyback and pushing a wheelbarrow loaded with 350 pounds of cement.

 

Apparently there was quite a crowd of spectators cheering him on as he performed his various stunts. Upon completion of pushing the wheel barrow across he asked the crowd if they thought he could carry a man in the wheel barrow. They roared with approval. But when he asked one man to get in… he declined.

 

What we truly believe is the very foundation of why we do what we do.  The man who declined to get into the wheel barrow had been cheering fervently for The Great Blondin, and apparently believed that he could do exactly what he said. But when push came to shove, he didn’t really believe it.

 

James 2:18 states, “But someone may well argue, “You say the way to God is by faith alone, plus nothing; well, I say that good works are important too, for without good works you can’t prove whether you have faith or not; but anyone can see that I have faith by the way I act.”

 

Our actions are the window to what we believe. For most of the disciples to believe, it only took seeing Jesus in the flesh with the holes in his hands and in his side. But for Thomas to believe, he had to put his finger in the holes and his hand into Jesus’ side. What would it take for you to believe?

 

Jesus called his disciples to action. “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you”. In the same way, Jesus is calling us to action. Do you believe enough to take a risk and step out on faith? To do something that makes you feel uncomfortable? To do something that seems impossible? Jesus is calling you to do just that!

 

Will you get into the wheel barrow?

 

 

Let’s See, Where Was I?

Colossians 2:6-15

 

 

Have you ever started to do something; been distracted by something else; and then forgot what it was that you started to do in the first place? They say that women can multi-task better than men. “They” being women. Personally, I don’t know if this issue is a gender thing, an age thing or just a thing; but it happens to all of us.

 

Paul was concerned for the Colossian believers that they might get distracted. He warned them to, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.”

 

He also reminded the Colossians about what it was like before the circumcision of their hearts. That is, about their evil desires and being dead in their sins; but also how Christ had changed them.

 

"When you came to Christ, he set you free from your evil desires, not by a bodily operation of circumcision but by a spiritual operation, the baptism of your souls.”

 

Just like with the Colossians, there are many distractions that tempt us to lose our focus; forget what it was that we were doing. We get caught up in the details of living; the struggles, the pain, the temptations; and we forget.

 

So how do we get back on track; regain our focus; remember what it was that we were doing in the first place? Paul had this to say:

 

“And now just as you trusted Christ to save you, trust him, too, for each day’s problems; live in vital union with him. Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him. See that you go on growing in the Lord, and become strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught.”

 

“For in Christ there is all of God in a human body; so you have everything when you have Christ, and you are filled with God through your union with Christ.” Let me repeat that. “You have everything when you have Christ and you are filled with God through your union with Christ”.

 

Therefore, how do we get back on track? We need reminders. We need accountability. We need to grow in Christ. We need to refocus.

 

Let’s see, where was I? What was I doing? Oh yeah, I was following Christ when I got distracted; when I started looking elsewhere to find purpose and answers; when life knocked me down and I turned to my old ways to deal with it.


But now I remember: “I have everything when I have Christ, and I am filled with God through my union with Christ”. I think I’m good to go now.

 

 

 

What More Can We Ask For?

Colossians 2:6-15

 

  

Close your eyes and think of a time when you felt ecstatic; when life felt like it couldn’t get any better. Was it one of the following?

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Your first child or grandchild was born.
2. Your wedding day.
3. The day your children graduated.
4. Making a big sale or getting that promotion you worked so hard for.

 

What you thought of may have been one of these or something else. The fact is, that this world makes a lot of promises it can’t keep. Do you remember this jingle from 1970? “When you say Budweiser, you’ve said it all.” That’s a bold statement that would seem to indicate that Budweiser can give us fullness in our life.

 

God promises fullness of life. In the Living Bible verses 9-10 read like this: “For in Christ there is all of God in a human body; so you have everything when you have Christ, and you are filled with God through your union with Christ.”

 

“In Christ you have been brought to fullness” so that “you have everything when you have Christ”. Life can’t get any better than this. God promises it.

 

And yet, life pulls at our hearts to seek the fullness that we so desperately desire in other ways. Oftentimes, it is something good that our human nature distorts like our career, our possessions, church or even our family. Or it can be something like drinking or drugs, sex, gambling or other addictive behaviors.

 

God has given us freedom to experience His fullness. Verse 11 reads: “When you came to Christ, he set you free from your evil desires, not by a bodily operation of circumcision but by a spiritual operation, the baptism of your souls.” And then verse 14 states: “He took this list of sins and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross.”

 

Blaise Pascal is credited with this quote: “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”

 

God has created us to experience the fullness of Jesus in our lives. What more can we ask for?

 

(Tomorrow there will be another posting on these verses with a completely different theme. Be sure to read it.)