"Agents of God's Grace"  

Deuteronomy 8:11-18       1 Peter 2:9-12

 

Deuteronomy 8:11-18 (NRSV)

11 Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today. 12When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, 13and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, 14then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 15who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid waste-land with poisonous* snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, 16and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good. 17Do not say to yourself, ‘My power and the might of my own hand have gained me this wealth.’ 18But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today.

 

1 Peter 2:9-12 (NRSV)

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.  10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.  11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. 12Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge.

 

A pastor was notified to report for jury duty,

            and as they were selecting jurors for the trial,

                        an attorney noticed that she was a pastor and asked her:

            "Do you think you can render a verdict on this case

                        without letting

                                    your religious beliefs affect your decision?" 

 

She paused to think for a moment, and then replied,

                        "I hope that I wouldn't make any decision

                                    without letting my faith and my religious beliefs                                                       guide, influence and affect that decision."

            And so she was excused from serving on the jury.

 

My friend's experience with our legal system

     raises and interesting and timely question for the 4^th of July;

                                    ' how does our Christian faith relate

                                      to our citizenship and patriotism? '

 

When I was growing up,  my father's aunt often stayed with us.

            I remember that she always saw a connection between

                        whatever was going on in her life or out in the world,

                            and a Bible character or story, or Scripture passage;

 

                                       -because everything in life, everything about life

                                                always related to her relationship with God.    

That was the lens through which she perceived life and the world.

 

The author of Deuteronomy

            saw and described the world through a similar perspective --                                - that faith in God and our relationship with the Lord

                                    must influence and guide

                                                our every attitude and behavior in the world;

                à even when life is good and we're not asking God for help.

 

When all is going well, & our lives are filled with good things,

            sometimes people become a little less consistent

                        in their church attendance, Christian service,

       allowing other things in life to take precedent,   untilà

                there is some crisis  that draws our attention back to God.

                                   

The setting of Deuteronomy is that

            the people of Israel were about the enter the Promised Land.

 

For 40 years they had depended on God for daily manna,

            but now they would have a home, their own land and nation.

 

So the author warns and urges them that once they have arrived

                                    and are feeling secure and prosperous----

                                       don't forget who provided all of those blessings…

          … remember the Lord and don't become complacent.

vs. 12~18                                            When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, ...  Do not say to yourself, “My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.”  But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power…

Reading further in the Old Testament, it explains that

            it wasn't that Israel deserved God's mercy and blessings,

                        but that, when weak Israel prospered and did well,

                          the surrounding nations, the world would see & notice;

            so that other nations, seeing that God blessed Israel,

                        would see the light and come to the Lord God.

 

That is the basic theology of Deuteronomy,

            that the world seeing how well things go well

                        when the people of Israel obey & follow the ways of God,

                        they will come to Israel like bugs to a light at night,

                                    to learn about the God of Israel, and God's ways.

 

The letter of First Peter follows that same logic and theologyà

            that when those early Christians

               live in ways that reflect God's grace and mercy,

                  they will be a light to the world, attracting them to God.

           

The church of 1^st Peter was being brutally persecuted.

            The advice, was that having received God's mercy and grace,

                        they should deal with the persecution                  

                                    by showing and reflecting that mercy and grace

                                                as a   loving light  to their neighbors.

 

Just as Israel had received God's mercy, and had been entrusted

          with the word of God to reveal God's truth to the world;

                   so too those early Christians had received God's grace

                             & were to live & serve according to God's purpose…

vs.  9b-10                                           in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.                     

           

The result of God's grace and mercy is that, as the people of God,

            that reality changes everything about life and how we live,

                    our motivations, attitudes & how we relate in the world.

 

Imagine a child, orphaned or abandoned

            and having to learn to live, sleep & survive on the streets.

                        Over time, what do you suppose such a child be like?,

                                    what would that youth have to do in order to get by?

 

But then suppose that child or youth is found and rescued;

            taken in off the streets to live with some caring relatives;

                        into a nice home with plenty of food, back in school,

                                    with all the normal stuff of a kind and loving home.

 

            That child's situation is now completely different,

                        and it has come entirely as a gift…

                         … nothing earned or deserved, it's all mercy and grace.

Imagine that orphan's adjustment from depravation to abundance,

            from constant danger, to warm hospitality and fully secure,

                                    from endless struggle and hopeless fear,

                                          to a new life filled with hope, joy and promise.

 

What an abrupt change and challenge that would be,

            learning to live as one, who is loved, precious and belongs.

 

It is likely that someday that child or youth might walk down

            the same streets where he or she once struggles to live—

- but now it would be all different;

    it would be the former place of deprivation, fear & struggle,

            but not home, knowing that a loving family & future awaits.

 

            That street or alley where that child once lived & survived,

                        is now just   a passing place    somewhere along the way,

                                    but definitely not   a home or final destination.

 

That is how it is for the Christian living in this world ---

            for we are loved and precious recipients of God's mercy,

                        and so our heavenly home which is wonderful awaits us.

    We live in this world for now, but our true citizenship

          is elsewhere, our  true home awaits us  in the Kingdom of God.

 

A friend and classmate who worked at an embassy in Washington DC.

    told me about his ambassador insisting, at least once a year,

                        everybody at the embassy had to return home

                                    and spend some time back in their native country…

                   … because living in America, acclimating to America

                             might cause the embassy staff and their families

                                      to forget about their true home and loyalties.

 

One of the reasons that regular weekly worship is so important,

 is that we can become too comfortable, acclimated to this world.

*    Like my friend at his nation's embassy,

            living comfortable and prosperous lives in this world,

                 we can be distracted, taking on the values of this world,

                        and start to live as if this were our permanent home…

       … and forget the promises that await us in the Kingdom of God.

 

This First Peter passage

            is really about how to live as an alien in a hostile land…

vs. 11-12                     Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul.  Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God

 

The idea is that as Christians,

            we are called to live in ways, so faithful, and so honorable,

                        that we are noticeable

                                    in this world of  graceless greed  and corruption;

            that looking at the Church, seeing Christ alive in us,

                the world sees a light reflecting God's grace;  and says:

                        "I want whatever is it that you have,   à

       I want to know the God  who motivates you   to live like that."

 

On July 4^thththtt Independence Day, it seems appropriate to consider,

            how do we as Christians relate to state & patriotism?

 

*   We are called to reflect the light of God's grace and truth.

 

In 1630, on board a ship on his way to Plymouth

            to become governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony,

                        John Winthrop preached an important – defining sermon,

                                    that was titled, "A Model  of Christian Charity".

He wrote:                             Now the only way to avoid this shipwreck, and to provide for our posterity, is to follow the counsel of Micah, to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God. For this end, we must be knit together,… We must uphold together in all meekness, gentleness, patience and liberality. We must delight in each other; make others’ conditions our own; rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together, as members of the same body. The Lord will be our God, and delight to dwell among us, as His own people.  He shall make us a praise and glory that men shall say, "may the Lord make it like that of New England." For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill.

 

As Christians,

            we serve our national interests by letting our lives shine,

                        by reflecting God’s love and goodness before the world.

 

God isn’t calling Christians to a political world domination,

            but simply to live in the world as who we are –

                        by reflecting God's love and to whom we belong…

            …for to support the interest of our nation best,

                  is first to be faithful and obedient in our walk with God.

 

As we come to the Lord's Table today,

            let us come in gratitude to our God who loves and blesses us.

 

            And may we be drawn nearer to the Lord

                        so that we can live exceptional lives

                                    that proclaim the truth and Gospel of Jesus Christ,

                                          and that faithfully brings honor & glory to God.