ROMANS 5:1-5 | EXPONENTIAL FAITH

EXPONENTIAL FAITH

ROMANS 5:1-5

MAY 22, 2016

HOW MANY OF US KNOW THE NAME RUBE GOLDBERG?  (NOT TO BE CONFUSED, BY THE WAY WITH THE NAME GERD RUBE, THE LOCAL GUITARIST WHO PLAYS DOWN AT WILLIE T’S ON DUVAL STREET.)

PERHAPS YOU KNOW RUBE GOLDBERG BETTER FOR HIS 1930 MOVIE SOUP TO NUTS STARRING TED HEALY AND THE THREE STOOGES.

OR MAYBE YOU KNOW HIM AS THE INSPIRATION FOR SCENES FROM EVERYTHING FROM SESAME STREET, TO LOONEY TOONS, TO TOM AND JERRY CARTOONS, TO BACK TO THE FUTURE, TO HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS, TO THE GOONIES AND THE GREMLINS, TO HOME ALONE, TO THE OPENING SEQUENCE OF THE CBS’ TELEVISION SHOW ELEMENTARY.

OR MAYBE YOUR FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH THE IDEAS OF RUBE GOLDBERG WAS THE 1960’S ERA BOARD GAME – MOUSETRAP.

RUBE GOLDBERG WAS AN AMERICAN CARTOONIST, SCULPTOR, AUTHOR, ENGINEER, AND INVENTOR IN THE EARLY 1900’S.

HE IS BEST KNOWN FOR A SERIES OF POPULAR CARTOONS DEPICTING COMPLICATED GADGETS THAT PERFORM SIMPLE TASKS IN INDIRECT, CONVOLUTED WAYS.

WHEN THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE RELEASED A SERIES OF POSTAGE STAMPS BACK IN 1995 DEPICTING COMIC STRIP CLASSICS, RUBE GOLDBERG’S “SELF-OPERATING NAPKIN” WAS ONE OF THEM.

YOU MAY NOT KNOW HIS NAME, BUT CHANCES ARE IN ONE OF THE THINGS I MENTIONED EARLIER, YOU KNOW HIS TRADEMARK INSPIRATION.

AN HOUR GLASS’ SAND RUNS OUT, WEIGHING IT DOWN ENOUGH TO FLIP A SWITCH ON A FAN, THE FAN BLOWS THE SAILBOAT ACROSS A WATER FILLED POOL; THE SAIL NUDGES A MATCH AGAINST A MATCH BOX, IGNITING THE MATCH, WHICH LIGHTS A CANDLE, WHICH BURNS THROUGH THE STRING, WHICH DROPS THE WEIGHT, WHICH HITS THE END OF THE SEE SAW, WHICH FLIPS THE FIGURINE INTO THE BARREL, WHICH DUMPS OUT STRIKING A MARBLE WHICH ROLLS DOWN A TRACK, WHICH STRIKES A ROCKING HORSE TO WHICH A STICK WITH A FEATHER HAS BEEN AFFIXED, WHICH ROCKS BACK AND FORTH UNDER THE SLEEPING PERSON’S NOSE, THE FEATHER TICKLING THEIR NOSE, WHICH CAUSES THEM TO SNEEZE, WAKING THEM UP.

A RUBE GOLDBERG INSPIRED ALARM CLOCK.

A CHAIN REACTION OF EVENTS WHICH LEADS TO THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF SOMETHING.

NOW I DOUBT THAT THE APOSTLE PAUL HAD ANY IDEA HE WAS APPLYING THE RUBE GOLDBERG PRINCIPLE FOR GETTING THINGS DONE, BUT WHEN HE SETS OUT TO DESCRIBE THE RESULTS OF JUSTIFICATION – THAT IS, WHAT CHRIST HAS ACCOMPLISHED FOR US;

AND IN TURN, WHAT THAT ENABLES US TO ACCOMPLISH IN OUR FAITH AND IN OUR LIVES; BUT THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS.

PAUL DESCRIBES A CHAIN REACTION OF EVENTS BEGINNING WITH OUR JUSTIFICATION IN CHRIST, WHICH LEADS TO OUR SANCTIFICATION BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHICH CAUSES US TO LIVE FAITHFUL LIVES.

NOW BEFORE THIS SERMON ITSELF BECOMES SOMETHING OF A RUBE GOLDBERG INVENTION, LET ME EXPLAIN.

JUSTIFICATION IS SIMPLY THE BELIEF THAT WE ARE JUSTIFIED (OR MADE RIGHT WITH GOD) BY THE GRACE OF GOD.

GOD’S GRACE AND FORGIVENESS IS BEST DEMONSTRATED AND ACCOMPLISHED FOR US BY WHAT CHRIST DID ON THE CROSS, BY THE EMPTY TOMB, AND BY OUR FAITH IN BELIEVING IT.

WE, IN TURN, ARE TO LIVE OUT OUR FAITH AND LIVES IN RESPONSE TO WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US.  A CHAIN REACTION.

LET ME USE PAUL’S WORDS FOR A MOMENT.

“THEREFORE, SINCE WE ARE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST…”

(BY THE WAY, THE GREEK VERB TENSE HERE INDICATES A COMPLETED STATE OF ACTION IN WHICH WE AS BELIEVERS CAN BE FULLY CONFIDENT.)

THAT IS, GOD HAS ALREADY DONE THIS.  GOD ACTS, WE REACT.  GOD HAS ACCOMPLISHED OUR JUSTIFICATION, WE ARE TO RESPOND TO IT BY LEADING SANCTIFIED LIVES.

BACK TO PAUL’S WORDS: “…THROUGH WHOM (CHRIST) WE HAVE OBTAINED ACCESS TO THIS GRACE IN WHICH WE STAND; AND WE BOAST IN OUR HOPE OF SHARING THE GLORY OF GOD.”

IT IS RUBE GOLDBERG ALL OVER AGAIN.  GOD ACTS – CAUSING CHRIST TO ACT – WINNING FOR US OUR JUSTIFICATION – PRODUCING IN US FAITH – BRINGING GOD’S PEACE TO OUR LIVES – CAUSING US TO BOAST IN OUR HOPE OF SHARING THE GLORY OF GOD.

ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER; BUT LIKE ANY RUBE GOLDBERG INSPIRED INVENTION, THINGS HAVE JUST GOTTEN STARTED, AND ARE ABOUT TO PICK UP SPEED!

THE WORDS OF PAUL AGAIN: “AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WE ALSO BOAST IN OUR SUFFERINGS, KNOWING THAT” (NOW WATCH THE “GOLDBERG-ESQUE” WAY THINGS PICK UP STEAM HERE…)

“KNOWING THAT SUFFERING PRODUCES ENDURANCE, AND ENDURANCE PRODUCES CHARACTER, AND CHARACTER PRODUCES HOPE, AND HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT US, BECAUSE GOD’S LOVE HAS BEEN POURED INTO OUR HEART THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US.”

YOU CAN JUST SEE ALL OF THE MOVING PARTS.

IT’S WHAT I’M CALLING EXPONENTIAL FAITH – HOW OUR FAITH OFTEN EXPANDS, GROWS, AND MULTIPLIES, PICKING UP SPEED, EVEN IN THE WORST OF TIMES; AND SOMETIMES, PRECISELY BECAUSE IT IS THE WORST OF TIMES!

NOW GRANTED, ALL OF THIS MAY LOOK LIKE A RATHER COMPLICATED RUBE GOLDBERG MOUSETRAP OF SORTS, BUT ACTUALLY, IT’S PRETTY SIMPLE, AND HAVING LIVED IT, HAVING EXPERIENCED IT, WE KNOW IT TO BE TRUE!

SUFFERING PRODUCES ENDURANCE, ENDURANCE PRODUCES CHARACTER, CHARACTER PRODUCES HOPE, AND HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT, BUT RATHER ENCOURAGES US TO KEEP GOING.

IT’S THIS VERY STUFF THAT ALLOWS MARTY MCFLY AND “DOC” BROWN TO GO BACK TO THE FUTURE AND SORT IT ALL OUT;

IT’S WHAT ENABLES RICK MORANIS TO UNSHRINK HIS KIDS;

IT’S WHAT ALLOWS MACAULAY CULKIN TO THWART THE BAD GUYS AT EVERY TURN;

AND ALL OF THOSE OTHER THINGS TO OCCUR THAT WE MENTIONED EARLIER.

FOR US, IT IS THIS – GRACE, PEACE, FAITH, HOPE, THAT GETS US THROUGH LIFE – AND MORE THAN JUST GETTING THROUGH – MAKES FOR A LIFE OF FAITH FOR OURSELVES AND OTHERS.

THE APOSTLE PAUL IS AT ONCE BOTH REALISTIC ABOUT LIFE, AS WELL AS HOPEFUL, AND FAITHFUL, BELIEVING THAT WITH GOD’S HELP, BY GOD’S POWER, WITH THE STRENGTH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND BY THE LOVE OF CHRIST, WE CAN MAKE OUR WAY IN THIS WORLD.

PAUL IS NOT OFFERING HERE A PRESCRIPTION FOR LIFE’S ILLS, OR BETTER, AN INOCULATION AGAINST THEM – TAKE THIS; GET A SHOT AGAINST THAT; AND EVERYTHING WILL BE ALL RIGHT.

RATHER, PAUL IS ADMITTING TO THE FACT THAT LIFE CAN BE TOUGH AT TIMES, AND PROBLEMS ARE GOING TO COME OUR WAY, AND WE WILL SUFFER;

BUT HERE’S HOW IT CAN BE – I THINK PAUL IS SAYING – IF WE TRUST GOD, AND AT THE SAME TIME, DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO, TO MAKE IT SO, WE CAN TURN PROBLEMS, DIFFICULTIES, SUFFERING, ETC. INTO SOMETHING WE CAN NOT ONLY MANAGE, BUT SOMETHING THAT CAN ACTUALLY BENEFIT US.

THINK ABOUT YOUR OWN LIFE FOR A MOMENT.

CAN YOU REMEMBER THOSE TIMES WHEN SUFFERING PRODUCED ENDURANCE, AND ENDURANCE PRODUCED CHARACTER, AND CHARACTER PRODUCED HOPE, AND HOPE DID NOT DISAPPOINT?  I’M BETTING WE CAN.

I’M GUESSING WE CAN ALSO REMEMBER TIMES WHEN JUST THE OPPOSITE OCCURRED.

AND IF IT IS TOO DIFFICULT TO DO THAT SUBJECTIVELY, FOR OURSELVES, THINK ABOUT THOSE YOU HAVE KNOWN, THOSE YOU HAVE LOVED, WHO YOU’VE WATCHED GO THROUGH SOME OF THESE VERY KINDS OF THINGS, THE VERY WORST THAT LIFE COULD THROW AT THEM, BUT WHO CAME OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE AS A BETTER PERSON; A STRONGER PERSON; A MORE FAITHFUL PERSON.

CHANCES ARE – MANY OF THEM, AS MANY OF US, ACTUALLY WENT INTO THESE SITUATIONS THAT WAY;

IT’S JUST THAT THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN, BROUGHT OUT THE BEST IN THEM, IN US.

TOM LONG TELLS THE STORY OF A FORMER SEMINARY STUDENT OF HIS WHO AT A CLASS REUNION CAME UP AND STARTED TALKING WITH HIM.

SHE TOLD HIM HOW SHE WAS DOING IN MINISTRY AND THEN SHARED WITH HIM THE GREAT NEWS THAT SHE AND HER HUSBAND WERE EXPECTING.

IT WAS GREAT NEWS, AND WHILE THE COUPLE HAD A SEVEN-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, THEY HAD BEEN TRYING FOR SOME TIME TO HAVE ANOTHER CHILD, WITHOUT SUCCESS; BUT NOW THEY WERE EXPECTING AGAIN.

IN SHARING HER NEWS WITH PROFESSOR LONG SHE SAID: “WE KNOW TWO THINGS: IT WILL BE A LITTLE BOY; AND HE HAS DOWN’S SYNDROME.”

“THAT SOUNDS LIKE A HEAVY WORD TO SPEAK AND HEAR,” DR. LONG RESPONDED.

“I DON’T KNOW WHERE WE ARE GOING TO GET THE STRENGTH, BUT MY HUSBAND AND I ARE PRAYING EVERY DAY FOR THE STRENGTH.”

NINE MONTHS LATER, DR. LONG GOT A CHRISTMAS CARD FROM HER, AND IN IT WAS A LETTER.

LET ME READ YOU A PORTION OF IT:

“AFTER NINE LONG MONTHS OF UNMITIGATED DISCOMFORT AT 4:00 AM IN THE MORNING ON AUGUST 18^TH I KNEW THE MAGIC MOMENT HAD COME; AND AT 10:55 AM TIMOTHY TOOK HIS FIRST BREATH AND LET OUT A HEARTY YELL.

HE WAS WHISKED OFF TO NEO-NATAL INTENSIVE CARE WHERE HE SPENT THE NEXT THREE DAYS BEFORE COMING HOME.  HE’S STRONG, ALERT, BEAUTIFUL;

HE HAS THE SWEETEST DISPOSITION; HE SHATTERS DAILY OUR IMAGES OF HANDICAPPED AND SPECIAL NEEDS.

HE MAY NEED SPECIAL HELP, BUT HE’S ALREADY NO SLOUCH IN GIVING SPECIAL LOVE.  WE’RE BLESSED.

KATE, (THAT’S THEIR DAUGHTER) IS TIM’S CHAMPION.

HEARING OUR CONCERNS OF HOW TIM MIGHT BE ACCEPTED BY OTHER KIDS, KATE INFORMED THE KIDS ON OUR BLOCK, “MY BROTHER HAS DOWN’S SYNDROME AND EVERYBODY’S GOING TO PLAY WITH HIM OR ELSE.”

ONE EVENING WE HEARD HER TALKING TO TIM: “I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE HERE TIMOTHY; I’LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU; I’LL NEVER LEAVE YOU; I’LL ALWAYS BE NEARBY.”

THIS IS WHAT I THINK THE APOSTLE PAUL HAD IN MIND WHEN HE WROTE THESE WORDS, AND COMMENDED THEM TO THE ROMAN CHURCH, AND TO US.

TO BELIEVE THAT HAVING ALREADY BEEN JUSTIFIED BY GRACE, THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, THERE IS NOTHING WE CANNOT FACE, AND FACING IT, BELIEVE THAT GOD WILL HELP US THROUGH, AND THAT WE CAN MAKE IT.

AND MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, AFTER SOME TIME HAS PASSED, BE A BETTER PERSON FOR IT.

SIMPLY PUT – WE OFTEN GROW STRONG IN THE BROKEN PLACES.

BUT SOMETIMES WE DON’T.  SOMETIMES WE ARE SO BROKEN THAT WE CAN NEVER GET PAST IT.  AND THAT IS A TERRIBLE PLACE TO BE.

AND IF YOU ARE IN SUCH A PLACE; OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS; WELL, GOD BLESS YOU;

AND I HOPE AND PRAY THAT YOU CAN FIND YOUR WAY OUT OF THAT PLACE, TO A BETTER PLACE IN LIFE, IN FAITH, IN YOURSELF.

NOTHING BOTHERS ME MORE THAN TO SEE THE TELEVANGELIST GRINNING FROM EAR-TO-EAR, WHOSE VOICE SING-SONG-ING-LY ASSURES PEOPLE THAT EVERYTHING WILL BE ALL RIGHT, IF THEY’LL JUST… JUST WHATEVER…

PRAY HARDER, BELIEVE BETTER, SURRENDER MORE, TRUST GOD, WHATEVER…

THINGS CAN BE BETTER, THINGS CAN GET BETTER, THINGS DO GET BETTER, BUT THERE’S NO GUARANTEE THEY WILL.

AND WHEN WE READ SCRIPTURE, WE SEE THAT IT IS OFTEN IN THE WORST OF TIMES, THAT GOD IS AT HIS BEST;

AND OUR HOPE AND PRAYER IS THAT GOD WILL BE AT GOD’S BEST FOR US, WHEN WE ARE AT OUR WORST;

AND THAT SOMEHOW, SOME WAY, WE’LL GET BACK TO BEING BETTER TOO.

THE TRUTH IS, AT TIMES, OUR LIVES MAY LOOK LIKE A RUBE GOLDBERG INVENTION – GOING THIS WAY AND THAT – RANDOM ACTS – CHAIN REACTIONS – WHIRLING GIZMOS – FLYING WHEELS – TUMBLING TOWARDS SOMETHING –

AND HOPEFULLY, EVENTUALLY, TOWARD SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE, INVENTIVE, AND POSITIVE.

IN THE MEANTIME, THE BEST WE CAN PROBABLY DO IS TO FOLLOW PAUL’S FORMULA FOR LIFE – GRACE, FAITH, PEACE;

AND BELIEVING:

“THAT SUFFERING PRODUCES ENDURANCE, AND ENDURANCE PRODUCES CHARACTER, AND CHARACTER PRODUCES HOPE; AND HOPE WILL NOT DISAPPOINT…”