| For Me to Live | ||
| June 28, 1996 | Sermon by DRW | Passage Galatians 2.20 |
Introduction
Most of us grew up looking forward to Saturdays. When I was a kid in the 70’s, we had the beginning of many Saturday type things. Things such as: Bay City Rollers and their S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night, Elton John with Saturday Night’s Alright, Michelob was made for weekends, and the infamous Saturday Night Live, to name a few. Saturday was the day for many people. Most of my friends enjoyed it as they looked forward to getting out of school on Friday to party and wake up late on Saturday just to party again. Sundays were made for recuperation and realizing that Monday was coming. For many people in the world, Saturday was the day to live for and in.
For Christians, spiritually speaking, Saturday is probably the worst day to live in and for. The question that I have for you through this message is: What day do you live your faith in?
Follow me as we consider the weekend of our faith.
1. I have been crucified with Christ
The disciples didn’t want this to happen [add Campolo’s Friday part]. There was no victory, no approval. There is guilt here and it will consume you if you live on this day. We don’t know if God accepts us when we have a Friday faith. We ask what must I add to be accepted (like JW).
I realize that Friday and Saturday are needed for a Sunday faith. And Monday is the beginning of the reflection of a Sunday faith.
Why would we want this faith? It lessens who Jesus is, giving us more control and power in our salvation.
Is your God still nailed?
A. Friday Faith
1. Nailed
2. Dead
a. no hope
b. no future
both as viewed from this side of heaven.
B. Friday Failure
1. Nailed
2. Dead
a. no hope if lived here
b. no future if lived here
Is Christianity more than sayings to know and a church to attend? Friday faith says no because we live as if Christ didn’t rise from the dead nor that He is God.
What a waste that a man so young died after doing so much for so little.
1 Corinthians 15.12-19
2. . . . most of us live here
Why would we want to live here? It provides us with an excuse for waffling in our faith, for not living the way we are called to live.
They hid, were afraid, living life like most of us do on a daily basis. They were fearful of being found as followers of Christ. Flopping from a desire to honour Jesus to a desire to be accepted by society (at least not rejected by it). Their’s was a life of mourning and grief.
A. Saturday (synonym for faith)
1. Buried
2. Misery
a. hopeless
b. helpless
B. Saturday (synonym for failure)
1. Buried
2. Misery
a. hopeless
b. helpless
3. Nevertheless, I live
It is only here we taste victory and freedom for the resurrection was God’s stamp of approval for Christ’s death and burial. We stand approved before God because we are in Christ.
Resurrection verses
1 Corinthians 15
Is your God free?
A. Sunday (synonym for faith)
1. Free Galatians 5.1
2. Alive John 8.31
a. hope
b. future
We must realize that Sunday was always Jesus goal.
Unless a grain fall to the ground . . . there will not be a greater yield. Dandelion blown creates hundreds more.
B. Sunday Success
1. Free
2. Alive
a. hope
b. future
Why we don’t want a Sunday faith. I must listen to Him; even worse, He must be out there somewhere, loose (and that’s dangerous). He then becomes a force to be reckoned with.
Beuchner on Easter: “we can never nail him down, not even if the nails we use are real and the thing we nail him to is a cross” (The Magnificent Defeat, p 76).
Where is your faith lived? If you want to live abundantly you must live on Sunday. How? By faith in the Son of God who . . . Beleive the great news of . . . (verses on victory through the resurrection).
End with Campolo’s Friday but Sunday’s A-comin (either all or just the Sunday portion)
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