Christianity

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"It's the supreme art of the devil that he can make the law out of the gospel. If I can hold on to the distinction between law and gospel, I can say to him any and every time that he should kiss my backside. . . . Once I debate about what I have done and left undone, I am finished. But if I reply on the basis of the gospel, 'The forgiveness of sins covers it all,' I have won."

-- Martin Luther

The sermon...(color me frustrated) on the Sabbath.  I heard on "Issues Etc." that one way to critique a sermon is to count the number of times that "Jesus" is mentioned.  This sermon:  ZERO.

The point the pastor made was that God used the Sabbath to show us that we (humans) need a rhythm and rest and we should follow God's example because of our health and well-being.

Yes...I agree...BUT...

It should have the OPENING...not the conclusion.

We follow the Sabbath commandment, not  only because of our health and well-being (and because it's a commandment)  -

we should also keep it at the forefront of our minds, our souls, our hearts...that God have us the Sabbath Law as a foreshadowing of things to come.

(That matter of first importance)

Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.

Because of Christ's finished work on the cross, we no longer depend on the works of the Law for our salvation.

Christ IS our Sabbath rest.

Not only that, but those who are found in Christ should reflect on the Sabbath and use that time to reflect on our future...the eternal Sabbath.

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I carefully read Hebrews 11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Read that middle part:

for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists...

Doesn't that seem obvious?  Yet, that's exactly what it says.

"...He exists..." - ἐστί - third person singular, "to be" - He IS.

And yet...(even as I write this the connection hits me)

First person singular:  I AM.  And the Old Testament statement that comes to mind...

God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" (Exo. 3:14)

"I AM" -  הָיָה (hayah) - "to be".

It's such an odd statement - in order to get close to somebody you seek, you must believe that it exists.  Well...um...yes.

But if you but the "HE IS" alongside the Old Testament "I AM" , is it possible that the Hebrews passage is telling us that if we want to draw near to God, we must first come to the conviction that we stand before the "GREAT I AM", justified by grace, through faith.

Not the fluffy "feel good", "love is never having to be told I'm wrong" Jesus that we find too often in today's "theology lite".

No...the I AM who spoke creation into existence, the Father who gave His Son, the Son who died and the Spirit who convicts us of sin draws us.

In order to get close to God"...we have to believe in "I AM".

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Some ways to critique a sermon:

- How many times is Jesus mentioned?

- is Jesus the subject of the verbs? (Is Jesus the one doing the actions?)

- What are the verbs?  Are they the verbs of today's pop psychology or are they the verbs of Scripture?

- What was the problem that the preacher diagnosed.  What remedy did he give?

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Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD;

I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places.

Hubakkuk 3:17-19 ESV