SERMON VIDEOS & COUNTDOWNS

When I graduated from college, I applied for a job at a local manufacturing firm. There was one job opening and two of us applied for it. My ’competitor for the job’ - Roger - and I had graduated from high school together so the day we applied for the job, Roger and I got to relive some of the "good old days". Roger and I were equally qualified for the job. He and I had the same degree and our grades were very close together. When it came time for Roger and me to have our personal interview with the supervisor we would report to, you can imagine my surprise - and relief - that the supervisor had taught me Sunday School when I was in junior high school. I had not seen him for years but I knew "the who"! I was offered the job on the spot. Was I smarter than Roger? No. Were my grades better than Roger’s? No. Did all the things that we each listed on our resumes mean that much (our works)? No. With all things being equal, I got the job not because of what I had done, but because of who I knew.

No doubt some reading this will view my getting the job as being unfair because the supervisor "played favorites". But, that is the way life works. It’s not what you do as much as it is who you know. This applies not only to jobs, social events, etc. but it applies to where we will spend eternity. The Bible says that God "chose" His people. What does this mean? It does not mean that God plays favorites! It means that our salvation depends totally on God. Common sense says that we do not deserve it. Grace makes salvation available to us by our faith in Jesus Christ. Grace simply means ’undeserved favor’ from God. Salvation by Grace is ’unearned salvation’ that is, we are saved not because of what we do but who we know - Jesus! Pride that can result from works is a terrible thing. Pride gets in the way of relationships, hardens hearts, and leads people to believe they earn their salvation through their works; not through God’s Grace.

Imagine what the world would be like if salvation was based on completing a ’check list’ of things to do. People would ignore the love aspect of a relationship with God. People would do ’stuff’ to check the box with no compassion for others in their hearts. People would quickly forget about God and would come to believe that they themselves could secure salvation. Prideful people forget that God wants to "choose" them, that is, He wants to save them. It is not the "do", but the who!

We are adopted into God’s family through the death of Jesus! It is Jesus who makes it possible for us to be with God. God’s plan is for us to realize how simple salvation really is. Regardless of what your beliefs are just sit and think of this. If there is a God that made the universe and all in it, then He must be really powerful! If you believe that, then think of what ’works’ you could do that would impress God enough for Him to save you. My friend, I assure you, there is nothing that you can do to impress God. In fact, God does not want us to impress Him by "the do" (works). God wants us to know Him (the who), love Him, and depend on Him. We do "the do" out of our love for Him. It’s so simple mankind often misses it. We are conditioned to believe we are rewarded based on merit. You do a good job at work and you get a good pay raise. You do a great job at home by doing all your chores and you are praised and given your weekly allowance. You enter a tournament and score the most points, you win the medal! But the mystery of Christ is not that of what we do; it is what He has already done. It’s so simple. Won’t you meditate on these things?

There is a saying: ’be as gracious in receiving as in giving’. We all love to give presents to the people we love! We get excited when we give someone something we know they want! We watch them open the package, we see their face light up and as the smile spreads across their face, we feel a great sense of satisfaction in our hearts. However, when folks give us a gift, we often respond, ’you shouldn’t have done this’ or ’this is too much’, etc. Even in the exchange of gifts we often feel like we are the ones who have to ’do’! Dear one, God "chose" you! God has no favorites. He does not look at your skin color, your family tree, your economic condition, etc. He looks at your heart. One day, we will all face God. No one has ever told me they do not want to go to Heaven! Everyone wants to go to Heaven and we all can but it is not based on the do, it is based on the who!