Years ago I was asked on Monday by a fellow worker to show him the sermon I had heard on Sunday. I thought he wanted me to show him the scripture and tell him what the sermon was about. He quickly made it clear that he wanted me to display or demonstrate what the sermon looked like in my actions and attitudes. Like a vacuum cleaner salesman who learns what his product can do and then goes out to demonstrate that the product can do what it claims.
He said that he would be watching me that week to see if going to church and hearing sermons really made a difference. He was not impressed with how much Bible I knew if it did not show in my life. He was asking me to display on Monday what the preacher declared on Sunday.
Since then I have asked the Holy Spirit to help me identify at least one way that the sermon (devotions,Sunday School lesson,verse memorized, book read) can be demonstrated through my life in a specific observable way so that the beauty of Jesus can be “seen”in me. Who cares what I know if it doesn”t show? What good is there in hearing lectures on the skill of flying (cooking, driving, farming) if one cannot display the skill of flying. Hebrews 4 states that it is unprofitable hearing which does not mix that hearing with faith (the kind that leads to action).
The preachers job is to prepare and declare the truth on Sunday. My resposibility is to demonstrate the power and sufficiency of the declared truth in all my ways at all times. With that in mind I focus less on gathering more information or evaluating the preachers delivery. My focus is on making sure I have some specific personal way that I will demonstrate what that truth looks like to my family , friends , and neighbors.
Last Sunday we looked at Genesis 12:10-20 in our Sunday School. I wanted to be able to leave class with at least one way I could live differently because of that scripture. In that passage we are told about Abraham failing to practice living by faith because he tried to apply his own thought instead of God’s ways to his situation. I want to learn from his failure and be sensitive to the possibility of my walking by sight rather than what God says. I plan to be sensitive to words in my vocabulary that are faithless or words that disconnect my faith channel to Grace. These words include ‘it”s hopeless,”impossible”, “it looks like”, “it,s too late”, ” it wont work”. and many more. I will replace those with faith words such as ’ with God all things are possible”, “now is the day of salvation” and ” God is working in you’. People can “see” me living that Sunday School lesson when I use faith words instead of doubt words.
The sermon on Sunday morning was about the cross. We were reminded that we live by the death ,burial and resurrection of Christ Therefore, I plan to remind myself (reckon) and tell others that my moment by moment victory over sin comes only because I died with Him, was buried with Him and now risen with Him I have the power oft the resurrection to live as a conqueror not one who is conquered.
When I come to any presentation of God’s word with a desire to walk it, keep it, and do it i find all kinds of ways i can display it. Attending church takes on a whole new meaning if I realize that what the preacher declares on Sunday I have the responsibility to display on Monday. The apostle Paul writes about the importance of preaching so others hear but also the importance of living so others can see the truth: “Those things ,which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you: (Phillippians 4:9)