Spirituality, Religion, and the Things of God

[00:00:04] Would you pray with me? [00:00:06] Lord, open our ears and our hearts to hear your word. Draw us near unto you through it. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of all of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, for you are our rock and our redeemer. [00:00:23] Amen. [00:00:26] So in my last post, my last church, Pleasant Hill, California, I began to wonder when I first arrived there at the faith lives of people in that immediate community. [00:00:42] My bias being that the level of spirituality in that locale was, well, low. [00:00:49] And it was a kind of a conglomerate of four different cities that had grown together in a big interstate that subdivided everything. [00:00:59] It was a place of hubbub. And what I was told was that 5% of the people in that whole metropolitan area attended church on a Sunday morning. [00:01:15] 5%. [00:01:17] So I wanted to explore that, learn a little bit more about people. And so I stationed myself in downtown Pleasant Hill. There was a kind of a open area that was concreted. It had fountains and artwork. It was just a beautiful place. And people walked through there on their way to and from various stores. [00:01:36] And I decided to go there and conduct a kind of an independent poll among people about spirituality, see what I could learn. [00:01:47] And I figured if Greenpeace and the Buddhist monks could be there conversing and asking for contributions, I could at least go there and ask a few questions. [00:01:59] So my opening question to people was simple. I said, I'm polling people about their spiritual interests in this area. [00:02:09] Would you be willing to answer a few questions for me? [00:02:15] Now, I spoke with 32 different people over a period about. [00:02:24] I will project. [00:02:28] There it is, back good. [00:02:30] 32 different people over a span of about four hours. [00:02:35] Half of those conversations ended when I asked my first question, what do you believe? [00:02:44] So I did have conversations with 16 people. [00:02:51] Those that have those people, they spoke with me. We're getting another microphone here. Thank you. It's off and on and I don't know, I put fresh batteries in here. I can take it right here. Sherry, thank you. [00:03:09] Let's. [00:03:14] Technology. You gotta love it. [00:03:16] So this other half of the people, they spoke with me and they answered two or three follow up questions that I had. [00:03:26] First one was, what do you believe about Christianity? [00:03:31] The next one is, where do you turn when you have spiritual questions? [00:03:39] Open ended. [00:03:41] And finally, and I only asked this third question, if people identified themselves as either atheist or agnostic, I asked them, I said, if I could convince you that God is real and wants a relationship with you, would you want more of him in your life? [00:03:57] Now, everyone that I spoke with was respectful and we had wonderful conversation, carried on since, conversation back and forth. [00:04:07] Particularly when people realized that I was genuinely interested in what they had to say, that I wasn't going to argue with them or try to twist them in one direction or another. I just wanted to hear what they had to say. And only two times in that four hour period was I able to share the good news of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. [00:04:37] And of all those people I spoke with, only three professed a strong faith in Jesus. And only two of those three regularly attended worship and fellowship with the same believers in a local congregation. [00:04:58] What is religion? [00:05:03] What is spirituality? [00:05:10] It's a big topic in our world today because, well, we hear people saying, I'm spiritual but not religious. Have you heard that? [00:05:22] And maybe that's even been on our minds a time or two in our lives. But what does it really mean? [00:05:29] What is true religion? What is true spirituality? [00:05:38] Is it about me getting God involved in my life? Or is it about God getting me involved in his life? [00:05:46] See, popular religion in our world and in our culture, really religion and spirituality starts with me, with us. [00:06:02] How can God make my life better? How can God make my marriage better? How can getting God involved in my life make my family better, or my job better, or my health better, or just simply me better? And the focus is on getting God to solve my problems or make my life better. I mean, this is what's going on all through our culture. It even has a name. [00:06:30] I won't bring that up right now. That's a rabbit hole. But that's not true religion, because true religion is about the things of God. [00:06:42] The things of God never start with us. [00:06:46] They start with God. In fact, we heard Jesus say it. He said before Abraham was I am. [00:06:55] And the things of God start with the God who existed before the foundations of the world and who created all things. [00:07:03] And so true religion is not about getting God involved in your life. It's about God getting you involved in his life. [00:07:14] It's about God in His mercy, calling us and drawing us to Himself. [00:07:20] That's what he did when he came to this earth. His incarnation, born in a manger, lived, suffered, died and rose again. [00:07:31] Why? [00:07:32] To bring life to us. [00:07:36] So religion and spirituality doesn't start and end with us. It starts and ends with God. [00:07:47] So that if that's the case, okay, then the Holy Trinity, the festival that we celebrate today, the Holy Trinity, is a matter of great importance. On the other hand, if religion is simply about making this life better, then who? God is, or which God you want to worship or believe in is really irrelevant as long as that entity, he or she fits or fulfills your needs and wishes and desires. [00:08:18] And so much popular spirituality today has become just like a cafeteria, you know, where you can go along and pick and choose what you think is best for you and works best for your life. [00:08:35] I'll have a little jello of worship, a little roast beef of singing songs, some dessert of the beautiful. You know, it just goes on and on that way. But the truth is that God is not primarily interested in making your life better. Oh, careful here. He wants to make your life eternal. [00:09:00] Those are two vastly different things. [00:09:03] For to make your life eternal is to draw you into his life so that the things in this life and the things of God clash. [00:09:15] Because there's different goals, different ways of reaching those goals. [00:09:20] An example would be suffering. [00:09:24] If God is supposed to make my life better, then this is how the thinking goes. Then I shouldn't have to suffer. Nobody should. But. But God allows trials into our lives for our good, to direct or maybe redirect our hearts and our minds away from the things of this world so that we would focus on him and his life. [00:09:49] Another example of such a clash is wealth. [00:09:54] If God is supposed to make my life better, and the thinking goes, then he should give me a lot of wealth. [00:10:04] But if we turn the things that we have, if we turn wealth into an idol, loving our stuff more than God, looking to our stuff for meaning, then wouldn't a loving God remove those things that try to take his place? [00:10:24] My answer is, I hope so. [00:10:28] I heard it this way. Material loss, you know, losing, crashing and spiritual growth are often served on the same plate. [00:10:42] Because the truth is that the life of God is bigger than this world. And so God is working not to fix this life, but to give you true life, to give you and me eternal life. [00:10:57] And that's what this festival of the Holy Trinity is all about. This day. It's not about commemorating, just a teaching or an abstract doctrine, which is why we're not reading the Athanasian Creed, because it's a mindful. [00:11:16] But we're celebrating life, the life of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that these three persons, he gives himself to us. [00:11:30] The understanding of the Trinity is not optional. [00:11:36] For example, some might say, well, it's simple enough to just believe in God without defining who God is. No, the Holy Trinity is a matter of life and death, like it says in the Athanasian Creed. This is the universal faith. [00:11:51] Whoever does not believe it Faithfully and firmly cannot be saved. By the way, if you get one of those copies out in the narthex this morning, as you take that and read it, it's going to say the Catholic faith. That doesn't mean the Catholic Church. It's small C Catholic. It means universal, all the una sancta, the whole Christian Church, believers in Jesus Christ and in the Trinity. It's what it's speaking about. [00:12:19] So the Trinity becomes the substance of our faith. God is not only revealing Himself to us, telling us who he is. [00:12:28] The Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Three in one, one in three. Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier. That we might know God as He creates us, reconciles us to him and receive his life. [00:12:52] You heard it, those Jews in Jesus Day. [00:12:56] They couldn't accept or even understand such a God. A God who comes to us, a God who wants to serve us. It didn't make any sense to them. And so they profaned him. [00:13:10] They picked up stones to kill Him. Did you see that? [00:13:13] But it would be harsh of us to judge them for that. [00:13:19] Because we have to confess that oftentimes we don't understand Him. [00:13:27] For why would a holy God love and serve sinners like you and me? [00:13:36] Why would he do that? [00:13:37] Sinners who repent so little. Sinners who often take his forgiveness for granted. Sinners who regularly profane the Holy Name that was given to us in our Holy Baptism by our unholy living. [00:13:49] And while our stones may not be the rocky granite kind, when we resist his word or resist his working in our lives, isn't it like throwing stones at him as well? [00:14:11] And yet the Word of God exposes to us the patience and love of Jesus. [00:14:18] First of all his patience with the Jews back then, patience with us today. Not leaving them and us to the demons that they accused him of having. [00:14:32] Not throwing stones back at them in return, not condemning us in our unbelief, but bearing with us patiently, lovingly, so that what we sinners cannot understand, we might yet, through the power of the Holy Spirit, come to believe. [00:14:50] See, Jesus shows His strength by becoming weak. [00:14:58] Jesus shows his greatness by becoming a servant. [00:15:04] What God does that? [00:15:07] What other God does that? [00:15:13] And so the Father sends the Son into the world to bear our sins and to be our Savior. And the Son sends the Spirit into the world to give us faith to take hold of that grace. [00:15:25] And yet, not three gods, but one God and one God in three persons. And three persons in one God, working as one for us and for our salvation. [00:15:36] This is who Our God is. [00:15:40] And though we profane his name, he doesn't take his name away from us, but in divine patience and in love, he creates in us clean hearts and renews in us right spirit. Psalm 51. [00:15:57] So that the devil and the world and our sinful nature have no more power of us, power over us, but that the claim of our true identity. [00:16:10] We talked about this last week. [00:16:12] Children of the Father, given the family name, redeemed by the Son, that we would no longer suffer eternal death, and kept in the fellowship of believers by the power of the Holy Spirit. Many people today, they're going about their lives. They're living, but many do not have life. [00:16:42] They're spiritual, maybe, but not faithful. [00:16:47] They go about working, marrying, traveling, buying bigger and bigger houses, selling. [00:16:55] But if that's the life, it's really no life, because just think about it. An earthquake or a fire or an economic turndown or an accident would level all of that in short order. [00:17:07] But the life of God, that's different. [00:17:11] It's the life that death cannot end. [00:17:15] Your creation, your redemption, your sanctification, they were all wrapped up and given to you when you were baptized. And to believe and to confess. This is what it means to celebrate the triune God who is not just, you know, out there, but who is right here, living in and through believers. [00:17:35] This is true religion. [00:17:39] This is what it means to be spiritual. [00:17:43] Amen. [00:17:48] And typically, we confess our Christian faith in the words of some creed. It would be at this point that we would be opening up the Athanasian Creed. But I chose something a little different today. And if you would look in your bulletins or follow. Is it on the screen as well? I don't know. Yeah. So we're going to do a little responsive work here with the first, second and third article of the Apostles Creed. Would you join me? Please do the bold parts. [00:18:19] I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth. [00:18:25] And Luther says, what does this mean? [00:18:30] And instead of describing God the Father as the one who spun the universe into existence, you know, maybe in those days they didn't have the telescopic vision that we have today, that we can look out into the eternity and see myriad and myriad of galaxies here in our universe. Where Luther goes is, I believe that God has made me and all creatures that he's given me body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason, all my senses, and he still takes care of Him. [00:19:17] And he also gives me clothing and shoes, food, drink, house, home, wife, children, land animals, all that I Have. And he richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. [00:19:30] He defends me against all danger, guards and protects me from all evil. [00:19:35] All this he does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. [00:19:44] For all this, it's my duty to thank and praise, to serve and obey Him. [00:19:49] This is most certainly true. [00:19:52] Did you see what happened there? [00:19:55] He turned this eternal, all knowing, all powerful God into the One who cares about you. [00:20:09] Second article. [00:20:11] Join me. [00:20:13] And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. [00:20:27] He descended into hell. [00:20:29] On the third day, he rose again. [00:20:32] He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence he will come to judge the living and the dead. [00:20:43] And Luther again says, what does this mean? [00:20:49] He says, I believe Jesus Christ is true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, also true man born of the Virgin Mary. That he's my Lord. [00:21:00] That he has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sin, from death, from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with his holy precious blood and with his innocent suffering and death, that I may be his own and live under him in his kingdom and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence and blessedness, just as he's risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true. [00:21:32] Now, do you hear in there God involving you in his life? [00:21:42] Third article. Here we go. [00:21:43] That I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, the life everlasting. [00:21:56] And what does this mean? [00:21:58] That I believe I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ or even come to Him. [00:22:06] But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and keeps me in the one true faith. And in the same way he calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith and in this Christian Church, he daily and richly forgives my sins and the sins of all believers. [00:22:34] And on the last day he will raise me up and all the dead and give to me and all believers in Christ eternal life. [00:22:48] Wow. This is our God, Father, Son, Holy Spirit. [00:22:53] Now, that probably took longer than the Athanasian Creed. [00:22:59] For that I apologize. [00:23:01] But what a God. We Have. [00:23:06] Amen. [00:23:08] Let's pray. [00:23:16] Blessed Father, from you come all that is. And we are forever indebted to your grace for the gift of life. [00:23:25] So receive this day our special thanks for the redemption you have provided in Jesus Christ, your son, and for the work of the Spirit in bringing us to know you by faith and to be adopted as your children by baptism into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Lord, in your mercy and blessed Father, your son was the voice that spoke all things into existence. And your grace still preserves all that you have made. [00:23:52] You did not abandon your people, but have delivered us by the blood of Christ. Grant us your Holy Spirit, that we may know your word and keep it in faith through all the days in your presence forevermore. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. And blessed Father, you established marriage and sanctified the home to be a place of blessing and of love. [00:24:15] Give to parents and children the courage to love as you have loved us. [00:24:21] Unite them in their common life by your spirit to know Jesus and to serve him. Bless the single with chastity, comfort the widow, protect the orphan, defend the helpless. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Blessed Father, you give all authority to your son, Jesus Christ, yet you call us to honor our worldly rulers. So give wisdom to your people to render rules rulers their due always under Christ, by whom all kings reign. [00:24:52] Lord, in your mercy, blessed Father, grant healing and patience in every affliction. To the ailing, to the dying, to those in need, especially Karen and Mary, Virtus, Dale, Sharon, Christy, Chris, Bill, Earl, Bob, Richard, Rachel, Kathy and John, Norman, Harold, Steve, Laureen, Allen, Ron, Bruce, Dick, Francis. [00:25:47] Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. [00:25:51] Blessed Father, you give us your son's body and blood that we may taste and see that you are good. [00:25:58] Grant that we may use your gifts faithfully and frequently. Draw near to your table in true repentance. Lord, in your mercy. [00:26:08] Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood is named, we give you thanks for earthly fathers. Give them confidence in their station and zeal for their task to care for their families faithfully. Make them examples to their children of godly life and of love. For your word, bless their work of bringing up children in the fear and instruction of the Lord. And give them the comfort of your absolution over all their shortcomings. Gather us together with all our fathers to your eternal household, for we pray through Jesus Christ, your son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit as one God, now and forever. [00:26:51] Amen. [00:26:56] At this time we gather our offerings.