| No Matter What God Gives Me Another Chance |
“No Matter What: God Gives Me Another Chance”
Matthew 16:13-18
October 7, 2007
This is the third sermon in a four-part series I call “No Matter What.”
What do I understand about God no matter what? No matter what occurs
in my life, if I can remember four basics, I am convinced my life will be full
and there will be nothing that will overwhelm me. Once again, here are
the basics as I understand them:
No Matter What: God Loves Me
No Matter What: God Seeks Me
No Matter What: God Gives Me Another Chance
No Matter What: God Uses My Gifts
To understand the third “no matter what” I am proposing that we go to
the expert: Simon Bar-Jona. Simon the son of Jonah. Simon Peter,
perhaps better known to us as Peter.
Poor Peter. He really is the kind of person only a Jesus would
appreciate. The kind of person so set in his ways that change comes
hard. The kind of person who seemingly messes up more than he
accomplishes.
Over the years of their relationship together, Simon Peter doubted and
denied Jesus. He questioned the direction Jesus was going and even
tried to lead the way himself. Because of his relationship with Jesus,
Peter ate broken bread, had his toes washed, sloshed around on the
top of a lake, caught more fish than he knew what to do with, and most of
the time didn’t seem to have a clue who he was or whose he was.
As far as healthy relationships and good life decisions, Peter did just
about everything wrong that a human could do wrong, and yet... yet…
Jesus still wanted him to be a part of the kingdom that was at hand; God’
s kingdom that was at hand. Peter was as human in his human-ness, as
we are. Which means he made mistakes. Yet, Jesus knew that, while
mistakes – egregious mistakes - were made - there was still room for
Peter in God’s plan. Jesus had high expectations of Peter.
You know about expectations. They provide a challenge that can cause
one to grow. Or, they can put such a burden upon a person that it is
almost impossible to live up to them. That burden can be imposed from
without... like job or relationship expectations. Or, the burden can be
imposed from within... such as thinking there are certain things I have to
accomplish in order to be successful or worthwhile. We all live in the
midst of expectations, both reasonable and unreasonable, and they are
imposed upon us from either within or without. Even more likely,
imposed from both within and without.
Now it seems to me that expectations are neither good nor bad... just as
feelings are neither good nor bad. It is what one does with those
expectations... just as with feelings... where the difficulties enter in. How
we respond to the plethora of emotions that rage in us is the true test.
Let me suggest that it is how we respond to those expectations, not the
expectations themselves that cause us either to grow or to become
burdened.
Simon Peter was burdened, burdened by the expectations placed upon
him from so many directions. Husband, father, business person, Jew,
human, male... each of his roles, each of his identities, were layered with
expectations that were becoming burdens. You can guess at what he
was telling himself: “I've got to catch more fish to sell or I won't be
successful; I've got to say the prayers right or I won't be acceptable in
God's sight; I can’t show any weakness or people will think me less of a
man. And if there is any time left I'll spend it with family.”
Simon Peter was burdened. Flat out, inundated with expectations,
stressed to the limit, and what happens? Along comes Jesus. One more
source of burden-causing expectations.
It is a shame that so much of the beauty of what Jesus was saying is lost
in translation. We open our various Bibles and read: “Your name is
Peter and I am going to build my church on a rock.” Big deal. It is a big
deal because if you had been Peter you would have heard the
expectation in Jesus’ words.
The Bible started out by people sharing stories. Not unlike in the book
Fahrenheit 451 the stories of the faith were memorized and passed
down orally. A one point the Old Testament was written down in Hebrew
and the New Testament was written down in Greek. The Greek in which
these words were written would be heard as Petros and petra. You are
Petros and on this petra I will build my church. Still not quite the full
impact. While the words were transcribed in Greek, Jesus usually spoke
in Palestine Aramaic and the words for Peter and rock were the same:
You are Kepha (kay pha) and on this kepha I will build my church.
Imagine that.
Jesus has an expectation that Peter... Kepha... will be the kepha... the
rock... the cornerstone upon which the church will be built.
A cornerstone, as you may know, is the most important block of a
building. Placed as the first stone in the foundation, its orientation
determines the stability of the rest of the structure. It often bears some
information about when the building was built, or who built it. Sometimes
it holds a time capsule with information about the period in which it was
built. To say that Peter would be the cornerstone of God’s church, is
really saying something. It is saying that Peter is precious indeed. It is
saying that Jesus has placed such a trust in Peter that when built upon,
Peter, would provide the necessary strength and integrity to assure the
church would remain. Steady. Strong.
I gotta tell you, Jesus saw something in Peter that no one else did. Not
even Peter. After that momentous discussion Peter went on to moments
of great... failure. The simple fact is he messed up. And not just in some
mediocre way. Peter... Kepha... The Rock... the very cornerstone of the
church... denied he knew Jesus. Not once, but three times.... Ouch.
You would think that would be the end of Peter’s career. Not many
bosses hang on to employees that mess up in such a big way. But no
matter what: God gives us another chance. God gave Peter another
chance. After all the times of failure, God, through the person of Jesus,
still wanted Peter to be remarkable. Read about it in John 21 sometime.
I resonate with Peter. To put it simply, I too, have messed up. I have at
times needed a second chance. And a third and a fourth. There have
been those moments when God has been counting on me. God has had
expectations of me... and I have failed miserably in those expectations.
Yet, no matter what: God gives me another chance.
And of course... if God will give Peter another chance... and God will
give me another chance... then no matter what... God will give you
another chance.
God has created each of us to be worthwhile. God has created each of
us with eternal value. We don’t have to compare ourselves with others.
We don’t have to PROVE that we are somebody God has already
established that by creating us in God’s image. We don’t have to tear
others down to build ourselves up we are built up by God’s grace. We
don’t have to search for love in all the wrong places we are infinitely
loved by God.
So... Let me share with you the good news that I have heard, that I
understand to be true no matter what: While you may have been cast
aside as a worthless pebble by some or used by others as a destructive
stone, God has chosen you for other purposes. You are the cornerstone
of a brand new world. You are the chosen living rocks that make up the
foundation of the faith. You are the Kephas that God has chosen to be
the kepha of the church.
For what purpose a stone is chosen makes all the difference. And God
has chosen you. As Peter writes later out of his own experience: "You
are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called
you out of darkness into this wonderful light. Once you were not a
people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received
mercy, but now you have received mercy."
No matter what: God gives you another chance. AMEN.
Matthew 16:13-18
October 7, 2007
This is the third sermon in a four-part series I call “No Matter What.”
What do I understand about God no matter what? No matter what occurs
in my life, if I can remember four basics, I am convinced my life will be full
and there will be nothing that will overwhelm me. Once again, here are
the basics as I understand them:
No Matter What: God Loves Me
No Matter What: God Seeks Me
No Matter What: God Gives Me Another Chance
No Matter What: God Uses My Gifts
To understand the third “no matter what” I am proposing that we go to
the expert: Simon Bar-Jona. Simon the son of Jonah. Simon Peter,
perhaps better known to us as Peter.
Poor Peter. He really is the kind of person only a Jesus would
appreciate. The kind of person so set in his ways that change comes
hard. The kind of person who seemingly messes up more than he
accomplishes.
Over the years of their relationship together, Simon Peter doubted and
denied Jesus. He questioned the direction Jesus was going and even
tried to lead the way himself. Because of his relationship with Jesus,
Peter ate broken bread, had his toes washed, sloshed around on the
top of a lake, caught more fish than he knew what to do with, and most of
the time didn’t seem to have a clue who he was or whose he was.
As far as healthy relationships and good life decisions, Peter did just
about everything wrong that a human could do wrong, and yet... yet…
Jesus still wanted him to be a part of the kingdom that was at hand; God’
s kingdom that was at hand. Peter was as human in his human-ness, as
we are. Which means he made mistakes. Yet, Jesus knew that, while
mistakes – egregious mistakes - were made - there was still room for
Peter in God’s plan. Jesus had high expectations of Peter.
You know about expectations. They provide a challenge that can cause
one to grow. Or, they can put such a burden upon a person that it is
almost impossible to live up to them. That burden can be imposed from
without... like job or relationship expectations. Or, the burden can be
imposed from within... such as thinking there are certain things I have to
accomplish in order to be successful or worthwhile. We all live in the
midst of expectations, both reasonable and unreasonable, and they are
imposed upon us from either within or without. Even more likely,
imposed from both within and without.
Now it seems to me that expectations are neither good nor bad... just as
feelings are neither good nor bad. It is what one does with those
expectations... just as with feelings... where the difficulties enter in. How
we respond to the plethora of emotions that rage in us is the true test.
Let me suggest that it is how we respond to those expectations, not the
expectations themselves that cause us either to grow or to become
burdened.
Simon Peter was burdened, burdened by the expectations placed upon
him from so many directions. Husband, father, business person, Jew,
human, male... each of his roles, each of his identities, were layered with
expectations that were becoming burdens. You can guess at what he
was telling himself: “I've got to catch more fish to sell or I won't be
successful; I've got to say the prayers right or I won't be acceptable in
God's sight; I can’t show any weakness or people will think me less of a
man. And if there is any time left I'll spend it with family.”
Simon Peter was burdened. Flat out, inundated with expectations,
stressed to the limit, and what happens? Along comes Jesus. One more
source of burden-causing expectations.
It is a shame that so much of the beauty of what Jesus was saying is lost
in translation. We open our various Bibles and read: “Your name is
Peter and I am going to build my church on a rock.” Big deal. It is a big
deal because if you had been Peter you would have heard the
expectation in Jesus’ words.
The Bible started out by people sharing stories. Not unlike in the book
Fahrenheit 451 the stories of the faith were memorized and passed
down orally. A one point the Old Testament was written down in Hebrew
and the New Testament was written down in Greek. The Greek in which
these words were written would be heard as Petros and petra. You are
Petros and on this petra I will build my church. Still not quite the full
impact. While the words were transcribed in Greek, Jesus usually spoke
in Palestine Aramaic and the words for Peter and rock were the same:
You are Kepha (kay pha) and on this kepha I will build my church.
Imagine that.
Jesus has an expectation that Peter... Kepha... will be the kepha... the
rock... the cornerstone upon which the church will be built.
A cornerstone, as you may know, is the most important block of a
building. Placed as the first stone in the foundation, its orientation
determines the stability of the rest of the structure. It often bears some
information about when the building was built, or who built it. Sometimes
it holds a time capsule with information about the period in which it was
built. To say that Peter would be the cornerstone of God’s church, is
really saying something. It is saying that Peter is precious indeed. It is
saying that Jesus has placed such a trust in Peter that when built upon,
Peter, would provide the necessary strength and integrity to assure the
church would remain. Steady. Strong.
I gotta tell you, Jesus saw something in Peter that no one else did. Not
even Peter. After that momentous discussion Peter went on to moments
of great... failure. The simple fact is he messed up. And not just in some
mediocre way. Peter... Kepha... The Rock... the very cornerstone of the
church... denied he knew Jesus. Not once, but three times.... Ouch.
You would think that would be the end of Peter’s career. Not many
bosses hang on to employees that mess up in such a big way. But no
matter what: God gives us another chance. God gave Peter another
chance. After all the times of failure, God, through the person of Jesus,
still wanted Peter to be remarkable. Read about it in John 21 sometime.
I resonate with Peter. To put it simply, I too, have messed up. I have at
times needed a second chance. And a third and a fourth. There have
been those moments when God has been counting on me. God has had
expectations of me... and I have failed miserably in those expectations.
Yet, no matter what: God gives me another chance.
And of course... if God will give Peter another chance... and God will
give me another chance... then no matter what... God will give you
another chance.
God has created each of us to be worthwhile. God has created each of
us with eternal value. We don’t have to compare ourselves with others.
We don’t have to PROVE that we are somebody God has already
established that by creating us in God’s image. We don’t have to tear
others down to build ourselves up we are built up by God’s grace. We
don’t have to search for love in all the wrong places we are infinitely
loved by God.
So... Let me share with you the good news that I have heard, that I
understand to be true no matter what: While you may have been cast
aside as a worthless pebble by some or used by others as a destructive
stone, God has chosen you for other purposes. You are the cornerstone
of a brand new world. You are the chosen living rocks that make up the
foundation of the faith. You are the Kephas that God has chosen to be
the kepha of the church.
For what purpose a stone is chosen makes all the difference. And God
has chosen you. As Peter writes later out of his own experience: "You
are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called
you out of darkness into this wonderful light. Once you were not a
people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received
mercy, but now you have received mercy."
No matter what: God gives you another chance. AMEN.
DeWitt United Methodist Church
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