A Reason for Hope

The Third Track

 

Last week my metaphorical raft was stuck.  There are, at least, two ways to give a reason for our hope.  Some, advocate we tell our story.  They say, "The best way we can connect to our culture is to share our story of hope."  Christianity works in our lives.  We need to be able to communicate how our faith works to give us hope!  Track One is to share the story of God in your life!  But others argue we need to do our apologetic homework.  They would encourage us to know the reasons; to make the arguments; to use the brains God gave us and use logic.  The Logic Track folks argue we need to know WHY we believe what we believe.  So, last week I was stuck between choosing between logic and story.

 

But, you helped me get unstuck by pointing out the obvious, "Tell logical stories".  Well, no kidding.  We don't have to choose one over the other.  We need to incorporate both into our theme for 2010.  As we give a reason for hope, let us use both our heart/story and our mind/logic.  Last week I read from Jesus.

 

Matthew 22:37 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'"

 

Jesus advocates that we love God with both heart and mind.  So, I want to be like Jesus.  I want to love God with all my heart; all my story, but I want to know why.  I want to use my mind.  I am excited again to move forward with this year's sermons; both passionate stories and carefully constructed arguments.

 

But did you notice in, Jesus' statement, there were three ways we are to love God.  Did you notice there is a third word in our verse?  Might there be a third way to love God?  Perhaps there is a third track in sharing our hope.  Did you notice the word soul?

 

Matthew 22:37 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'"

 

Is there a better way to share our hope?  What does it mean to share our hope with our soul?  Perhaps we have left an entire dimension out of our thinking.  If it was just you and me and a lamppost having a private discussion and I asked, "How do you know you have hope?"  Wouldn't your deepest answer be, "I just know"?  I have a connection which goes beyond logic.  I have an assurance which transcends my story.  There is a confirmation in my soul of hope! 

 

-------

 

Listen to a few scriptures which speak of this confirmation of hope;

 

Galatians 4:6-9 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."  So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.  Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.  But now that you know God-- or rather are known by God-- how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles?  Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

 

The whole argument Paul is making is you know you are God's sons because of the Spirit in your heart speaking, "Abba Father!"  Don't give up on that confirmation of knowing God!  We know from the Spirit that we are God's sons!

 

Paul makes much the same point in Romans 8 where he tells us the Spirit is witness to us that we are God's children!

 

Romans 8:14-16  Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.  For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

 

There is a connection in our soul between us and the Holy Spirit which confirms our sonship. 

 

1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,  because our gospel came to you not simply with words, (Logic)  but also with power, (Story; demonstrations that it works) with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.

 

Beyond Logic and Story is this deep conviction of the Holy Spirit within us.  The Soul Train - I mean Track - is this deep conviction.

 

1 John 3:21-24  Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.  And this is his command: to believe (logic) in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another (heart; story) as he commanded us.  Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

 

We have a connection to the Holy Spirit.  We experience God himself.  We know Christ is living in us.  So, just between you and me and the lamppost, how do you know the truth of our hope?  It is the experience of the Spirit in our lives.

-When we connect to God in worship we feel he is there.

-When his forgiveness washes over us we experience our hope.

-When our prayers rise before his throne we know someone is listening.

-In the handshakes and hugs of fellowship we sense the bond of the Spirit.

-We recognize the still small voice which guides our actions and sermons.

-In the "coincidences" which fill our lives we know who is pulling the strings.

-In the assurance of facing adversity we know who fills us with his presence.

 

"Thus, although arguments and evidence may be used to support the believer's faith, they are never properly the basis of that faith.  For the believer, God is not the conclusion of a syllogism; he is the living God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob dwelling within us.  How then does the believer know that Christianity is true?  He knows because of the self-authenticating witness of God's Spirit who lives within him."  - William Lane Craig -

 

This is the 3rd Track.  It is the Soul Track.  It is the direct connection we have with God through the Holy Spirit.  We love God through our soul connection to him. 

 

-------

 

Here is the real question for our thinking this morning.  How does the Soul Track work when sharing our hope with unbelievers?  There is a knowing and then there is a showing.  I can know of my hope because of the Spirit, but how do I show this connection with others?  Do I simply say, "Trust me.  I'm a Christian"?  Probably not to convincing.

 

The Story Track is pretty obvious.  I learn to share my story with others; I connect.  The Logic Track is also pretty straight forward.  I organize my arguments.  I build cases.  I appeal to their thinking.  But what do I do with the Soul Track?  What role does the Holy Spirit play in convincing unbelievers of the hope?  How do I plug into this showing?

 

Once again let's look at a couple of Scriptures.  Listen again to Jesus.

 

John 6:40-45  "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."  At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven."  They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?  How can he now say, 'I came down from heaven'?"  "Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered.   "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.  It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.'  Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me."

 

Jesus has just fed the 5,000.  Then he tells the crowds that he is the bread of life that has come from God.  But many in the crowd do not believe.  There is this obstacle of their knowing Joseph and Mary.  "What are you talking about?"  Jesus in this context of grumbling and doubt, states it is God who draws people to him.  It is not only our logic or our story involved in sharing our hope, it is God's drawing.

 

John 16:7-8 "But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away.  Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.  When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment."

 

The Spirit is the one who convicts he world of sin and points to righteousness and lets people know there is going to be a time of Judgment!  The Holy Spirit is alive in this world convicting people and creating this desire within them to know there is something so much bigger than they are.  God draws people and the Spirit convicts them.  But how are we involved in this process?

 

Romans 10:13-17  "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."  How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?  And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  And how can they preach unless they are sent?  As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"  Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

 

Here is the best I can figure.  As I always say, The Spirit does what the Spirit does.  Here is how, I think, it typically works.

1) God draws people to him in a variety of ways; sense of beauty or justice, or the love of another, music, a carefully placed word, prick in their minds or I don't know.

2) The Spirit convicts them of sin.  They believe there is something wrong.  They wrestle with the empty place in their hearts where God needs to fit. What's wrong with this picture? 

3) The individual responses to God.  There is a choice to make.  I want to know.  I want to learn.  I want this connection, this union with God. 

4) This person is brought into contact with a messenger of God.  The obstacles are removed by Logic.  The potential for hope is shared in Story. 

5) The Gospel is preached; not necessarily in a sermon.  The death, burial and resurrection is proclaimed.  An offer is made.

6) The person steps up in beginning faith and reenacts the Gospel in death to sin, burial in baptism and resurrection to a new life.

7) This new person is incorporated into the fellowship of God, of other Christians and affirmation of the Spirit.

 

Isn't that a beautiful picture?  Isn't it exciting to have experienced that transformation and to be used by God to be involved in others transformations?  Wow, God uses us in this spectacular process.  Why use us?  I haven't a clue.  But he does. Last year we discovered that sanctification occurs in community.  This year we discover that salvation happens with the use of community; us!

 

-------

 

So, what is the relationship between logic, story and the Holy Spirit?  These are not either or choices, or even primary or secondary choices.  All three work together to share hope. 

-We need to know why we believe what we believe so we can help people over the obstacles between them and faith.

-We need to know how our story fits into the story of God, so we can share that there is reason to expect hope.

-We are used by the Spirit all along the process as people are drawn, through us, to God.   

 

Matthew 22:37 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'"