Pastor Dan Mangler's Sunday Sermon

Short-cuts to Faith

Matthew 3: 13-17

January 13, 2008

Short-cuts to Faith

One of the better known stories about Jesus’ life is that after his baptism and before the beginning of his public ministry, was tempted by the Devil three times. There is a hint here in Matthew, chapter 3, that the Devil was not the first to tempt Jesus, but rather John the Baptist. John did not mean it as a temptation, but that's what it was. Jesus' response to this first temptation would decide the path that he would follow and ultimately would determine the question of salvation for humankind.

"Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?'"

John, by trying to prevent the baptism, unwittingly tempts Jesus not to do all that God required of him. He invites Jesus to assume his proper, kingly position now: to be the more powerful one, to take and exercise the might and authority of the Son of God. No doubt it was a humbling experience by John to have Jesus approach him for baptism. It is understandable that John would think the roles should be reversed. But had Jesus done as John requested, baptizing John instead of being baptized by John, he would have avoided the part where he, Jesus, came to share in our sinful humanity and thereby removed the need for his suffering and dying. The temptation to skip the baptism is the temptation to take a spiritual short-cut. It is the attempt to have the victory without the sacrifice, the crown without the cross, to have resurrection without dying. Such a path would have saved Jesus from a lot of pain and grief but it would have left us in our sins.

"But Jesus answered him 'Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.'" With those words Jesus turns from the easy road to the hard road, the road leading to the cross. He refuses the temptation to take the spiritual shortcut.

The temptation is still around, this temptation to take shortcuts to the life in the Spirit. It is the temptation to want the blessings of the faith while avoiding the disciplines of the faith.

One spiritual shortcut is the longing after forgiveness without the discipline of repentance. Our confirmation class learned that there are two steps to forgiveness, confession and repentance. Confession alone cannot lead to forgiveness. Confession is merely acknowledging the sin. Repentance is required, the earnest desire, prayer, and effort not to commit that sin again.

John came preaching a message not of confession but of repentance: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." And it is in those exact words that Matthew describes how Jesus came preaching:"From that time," says Matthew, "Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.'" There is no shortcut to forgiveness. Forgiveness is God's response to repentance.

Another spiritual shortcut is the desire for victory without sacrifice, to win the war without taking part in the battle. Here is the hope to share in the victory over sin in the world without ever personally entering into the battle against that sin. Paul, in Ephesians 6, describes the life of a Christian on earth as a war against evil: "Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm." As God-led warriors in this battle, you must" says Paul, "stand firm with the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit."

If a Christian is to share in the victory over sin, that Christian must take his/her place as a warrior against sin. Repentance has to do with the battle against sin in one's own life. This war against evil, which Paul describes so vividly in Ephesians 6, is the battle for righteousness in the world. It is the war whose battle cry is the words in the Lord's Prayer "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." To be soldiers in this battle is not only not sinning, but also to speak out and act against sin in all its forms in society.

Yet another spiritual shortcut to Christianity is the longing for spiritual strength without taking time out for spiritual nourishment and exercise. It is to want the blessings of God's Word without taking time for God's Word. It is to want a strong faith apart from the discipline of worship.

In my previous congregation we developed a statement on the role and importance of worship to the Christian life. It was printed on newsprint and members affixed their inked thumb print affirming their agreement. The statement read: "The importance we place on the worship ministry of the church is grounded in our belief that corporate worship, the regular gathering of believers around Word and Sacrament, builds up the household of faith, grants us an audience with our Maker and Redeemer, provides us with direction and counsel, clarifies our roles in this world, permits us to have that inspiring experience of glimpsing God's glory, and equips us to face life and to fulfill our life's purpose."

That is to say that there are spiritual blessings to be had as a Christian, and the primary tool through which God brings those blessings is through Word and Sacrament ministry, the worship by the church.

Some years back the world watched as three gray whales, icebound off Point Barrow, Alaska, floated battered and bloody, gasping for breath at a hole in the ice. Their only hope: somehow to be transported five miles past the ice pack to the open sea. Rescuers began cutting a string of breathing holes about twenty yards apart in the six-inch-thick ice. For eight days they coaxed the whales from one hole to the next, mile after mile.

Along the way, one of the trio vanished and was presumed dead. But finally, with the help of icebreaker ships, the whales Puto and Siku swam to freedom.

In a way, worship is a string of breathing holes that the Lord provides his people from week to week. Battered and bruised in a world frozen over with greed, selfishness, and hatred, we rise for spiritual air in church, a place where the Spirit blows, a place to breathe again, to be loved and encouraged, until that day when the Lord forever shatters the ice cap.

Deion Sanders is a well-known former player for the Dallas Cowboys who commanded a very high salary when he was playing. He also had a talent for professional baseball. Jerry Jones is the long-time owner of the Cowboys and is to football what George Steinbrenner, the owner of the New York Yankees, is to baseball. Pizza Hut had this great idea to put the two together in a pizza commercial

In this commercial Jerry Jones is negotiating a contract with his superstar Deion Sanders. "Baseball or football, Deion?" "Both, boss" "Offense or defense, Deion?" "Both, boss." "How much, Deion, 15, 20 million?" "Both, boss."

There are some churches that emphasize the blessings of the faith, what theologians call the theology of glory. Other churches stress the discipline and sacrifices of the faith, a theology of the cross. Which is right? In the words of Deion Sanders, they are "both, boss."

Glory grows out of the cross. Where there is repentance, there is guaranteed forgiveness. Where there is entering into the battle against sin, there is guaranteed the victory over sin. Where there is regular feeding on the Word of God in worship, there is guaranteed spiritual strength. We see it no more clearly than in the life of Jesus. Out of his servanthood came glory. Out of the cross came the crown. Out of death came the resurrection. And so it will be for those who follow him. Amen.

May the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.

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