A United Methodist Pastor's Theological Reflections

"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory (nikos) through our Lord Jesus Christ." - I Corinthians 15:57


Sunday, September 25, 2011

Sermon (September 25) "Transformed Living: Priming the Pump"



          Today begins a new focus on what it means to live the transformed life.   This is going to be an exciting time because the more thought and effort we put into these next six weeks, the more we are going to experience transformation in our lives as well as in the life of our church.  It’s going to be a win/win for all of us!
          But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, we first need to think about priming the pump before transformation can begin to happen.   Do you remember how those old-fashioned pumps first needed some water poured in to prime them before they could reach down deep and provide the water supply? That’s what this first week of our series is all about—a priming of the pump, preparation, getting ready. 
     Priming the pump means we reflect on where we are now, evaluate where we’d like to be, and even question some of our basic beliefs about our relationship with God. All of this is to help us acknowledge where we are now and to prepare to commit to be the best followers of Jesus Christ we can possibly be.
     Today I want to suggest four things for us to consider over these next several weeks.
          You know, one thing I like about this focus of the transformed life is that it meets each of us where we are, right now, in our walk with Christ.  So the first point is that these Sundays will help us to take a fresh look at where we are now.  God wants to meet us where we are.  We’re all in different seasons of our life in Christ.  Some of us are thirsty for more, and we know we’re thirsty.  We know God has more for us in our lives than we’re experiencing or struggling through right now.  We want that deep refreshing drink that will satisfy every need and every cell crying out for more.
          Others of us are walking hand in hand with God and know what it means to receive the living water that refreshes us. Some of us might be thinking that we’re in a place in our spiritual lives where it’s hard to imagine that it can be any better.  But it can.
          And some of us are moving so fast with family, work, and activities that we don’t even know that we’re parched.  We think we’re okay and can’t imagine how on earth we could find the time to stop for a cool refreshing drink.  I mean, we might get one if we can get it at the drive-thru and drink it on the way, but to actually consider adding one more component to our life—well, when we’re in that spot, we’re so dry we don’t actually know how desperate for water we really are.
     The woman who met Jesus at the well was going about her business of getting water for the day.  Little did she know that she was about to encounter Jesus who is the living water.  It was at this well in the middle of a hot day when Jesus told her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty.  The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.”
     Did you know that word was in the bible?  “Gushing.”  That’s a great word.  Is your life filled with the gushing living water that comes to us from Jesus?  And I love this woman’s response to Jesus.  I hope it’s our response to him today.  “Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.”
          One thing that each of us have in common, no matter what our level of thirst at the present time, is that we all really want more.  Some of us might not think of it that way or realize we want more, but we do.  We aren’t satisfied, not really.  There’s something inside of each of us that wonders if there’s more to life than what we have; if it’s possible to be happier, more fulfilled, more content, more satisfied.  Even if you are really satisfied with your life in this moment, remember that even one of the richest men in the world wanted more.
          John D. Rockefeller Jr. was heir to the greatest fortune in the world back in the 1920s.  Among their enterprises, the Rockefellers owned Standard Oil, which controlled almost all the oil industry in America at the time.  Most of today’s big oil companies—ExxonMobil, Conoco, Phillips, Chevron, Amoco, BP, Atlantic Richfield, and Marathon—were part of Standard Oil.  Recent estimates of JDR Jr.’s net worth placed it at $995 million in 1928, which would be about $6.5 billion in our time. Well anyway, John D. Rockefeller was once asked how much money was enough. Rockefeller’s reply was “Just a little bit more.”
          Even one of the richest men in the world said that regardless of what we have, we all have the desire for more.  Of course, he was talking about money, and we do need to be wise with money. Luke chapter 16, verse 11 says, “If you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?” But Rockefeller’s statement also applies to other aspects of our lives. Money is just a little thing when compared to true riches.  Money doesn’t make people happy; money won’t ever satisfy.  God offers us the true riches of life—and among them is the gift of his love and care for us.  That’s the second point to consider: God really loves and cares for us.
          Do you know how much God cares for us?  God cares so much that he offers the very best for us.  Like Rockefeller, as a society, we tend to think that if we could just get a little more money, we’d be happy.  But the true riches of life go far beyond material possessions.  It has been aptly noted that “in today’s society we know the price of everything, but the value of very little.” Value is what’s important.  What is true?  What is lasting?
          Deep down, you and I know that we want what’s true and lasting.  It’s what we want in our relationships with our spouses, our children, and our life’s work. It’s okay to want what is true and lasting, to want more and to not want to settle for less than what God intended for you. God created us with a thirst to be more. He created us to want more, to want a rich life, one of more meaning and more fulfillment.  And the good news is that when we seek God, we get those things we long for . . . and more.
          Have you ever wondered what that “MORE” is for us?  We know we want it, but don’t have an idea what IT is.  That’s okay.  One thing I believe we’ll all gain through these weeks together is that we’ll discover new aspects of who and what really satisfies our souls.  We’ve heard all our lives that God has a plan and a purpose for us.  Some of us have been fortunate to discover what that very personal plan is.  But the rest of us, well, we’re in for a treat. Now we get to explore for what—and for whom—we’ve been created.
          The third point is this: you’ll discover your niche. There’s a place where you fit perfectly into the niche that God has created for you, and where everything you have or do works together to accomplish his desires for you.  You may be called on to use your time, money, talent, knowledge, or even relationships.  God has given us all these and he wants us to use them in order that God’s kingdom will fill this earth.
          God’s desire is to show us what is the best for us in a life of transformed living.  He wants us to jump into the water and enjoy it in all of its fullness. This can’t happen if we have divided loyalties.  We need a central focus.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God.” The top of our priority list should be commitment to the kingdom of God. When we choose God, other choices will begin to take their rightful place.
          One of the foundational truths of this series is that we are all to be in ministry.  Every person in the body of Christ is called to have the kingdom of God as his or her whole life.  Every person in the body of Christ is called to be a minister—especially those who don’t have that title on their business cards.  Or especially if they don’t even have business cards. We minister to people by the way we live our lives, by the way we talk to the person in line next to us at the grocery store, by little kindnesses you do like bringing in the mail for your elderly neighbor, and by volunteering in areas of service in the church and in our community.
     The kingdom of God is not just about service.  It’s all about that relationship we talked about earlier. When you love someone, you become like them. You want to do the things you see them do. Jesus said he only did what he saw God doing. “Whatever the Father does, the Son also does (John 5:19).  And putting the kingdom of God first doesn’t have to be that hard. Some people know that already.  But for the rest of us—this series will help us discover how simple it is when we have the Holy Spirit guiding and empowering us along the way.
          A father once asked his son what he had learned in Sunday school.  The young boy replied, “Well, I learned the vowels.” Dad was intrigued by that unexpected answer, so he asked, “Well, what are the vowels?”
          “A-E-I-O-U,” came the reply.
          Dad said, “Son, you learned that in public school, not in Sunday school today.”
          The son responded “Well, the teacher taught that we can remember a basic concept of life using A-E-I-O-U. A is for Adam, E is for Eve, and we owe them because of our sin. The last three letters, I-O-U, remind us that we owe God.”    
          As Adam and Eve sinned, so have we. But God forgives us and loves us, and still wants to draw us closer to him.  I’m constantly amazed that the creator of the universe wants to be my friend.  God wants to spend time with me.  He wants to talk with me, and he listens to what I have to say. That’s an incredible thought.  But it’s true. God created us to be in relationship with him. That relationship takes many forms. It develops in prayer, it expands when we participate in worship, it deepens when we give, and it grows when we reach out to others in need.  And like all intense, satisfying relationships, it requires commitment.
          That’s the fourth point to consider: it’s time to commit.  God has already made his commitment to us. Now, as we walk through this six-week focus as a church, we have the opportunity to commit—or in some cases—recommit in our relationship with God and experience the joy of living a transformed life.
          The woman who met Jesus at the well experienced joy and transformation, didn’t she?  She immediately left the well and went back to her community and told them all about Jesus.  And John tells us that many believed because of her.
          Because this woman experienced the true living water, she wanted others to as well.  And she made the commitment to live out her new faith in Christ.
          In preparation for this journey together, I’ve been praying for us to discover how we might satisfy our thirst for that something more that’s missing.  I hope you’re as excited by this possibility as I am.
          There’s that word again: commitment.  It’s an important word and concept, and we’re going to hear it again and again. Commitment primes the pump, bringing the water of life. Once primed, the pump will flow endlessly as long as it keeps moving.  To keep ourselves moving in the right direction, we’ll soon be looking at our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness —beginning the fulfilled life that God has for us.
          A pastor in Africa who possessed contagious faith wrote these words about commitment that speak straight to the heart:
                        I am a Christian, the die has been cast. I’ve stepped over the line. My decision has been made. I’m a disciple of his. I will not let up, look back, slow down, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I’m finished. I’m totally done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence or prosperity or position or promotion or popularity. I don’t have to be right or first or top or recognized or praised or rewarded. My pace is set, my goal is sure. The road is narrow. My way is rough, my companions few, but my God is reliable and my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, delayed, or deluded. I will not flinch in the face of adversity nor negotiate at the table of the enemy nor meander in the maze of mediocrity. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I’ll go until he comes, give until I drop, speak all I know of him, and work until he stops me. And when he comes again, he’ll have no problem recognizing me because my colors are clear.
          Commitment is when our colors are clear; it involves knowing whose team we’re on.  Commitment primes the pump for receiving the water of life that God has prepared for us.  My prayer is that each of us will commit to the journey over these next several weeks and receive all that God has in mind for us.


*This sermon is based on the resource, Treasures of the Transformed Life, Abingdon Press, 2006.

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