The Good Fight of Faith
Last Sunday @ Montezuma • Sermon • Submitted
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Keep the Faith!
Keep the Faith!
To start my last sermon here in Montezuma, I am going back to Montezuma Basketball one last time. Go back with me to the class 2A championship game. The boys were not expected to win it all. The were not even in the top 2 class 2A teams. But, they knew they that they had talent and courage. They believed that they could pull this off. They could win state. All they had to do was keep the faith, believe in themselves, the teammates and their coach. That is exactly what they did and they were able to win a state championship.
If at any point in that run to the state title they would have said, “We can’t do this. We don’t belong here. Does that coach know what he is doing?” Any or all of these attitudes could have sunk the ship that was sailing to a state championship win.
As Christians, the same thing can happen to us.
We need to keep the faith. I know the struggles are real. Life is hard. there is no doubt about that but if we are going to receive any type of reward, we must keep the faith.
How do we go about keeping the faith? John Wesley can help us here. For the Wesley the means of grace are “outward signs, words, or actions, ordained of God, and appointed to this end, to be the ordinary channels whereby he might convey to men (and women), preventing, justifying or sanctifying grace.” So what are some ordinary means of grace?
Wesley identified three basic, ordinary means of grace.
prayer in private or public
Scripture (reading or listening to)
The Lord’s Supper or Communion.
If we want to keep the faith, we all must incorporate these three things into our lives.
But why? Who cares if I can keep the faith? What do I get out of it? Am glad you asked that leads right into our next point.
A Crown Is Coming
A Crown Is Coming
The reason we want to keep the faith is because a crown is coming for all those who keep the faith. Paul said to Timothy that he was about to receive is crown of righteousness.
What does that mean? A Crown of righteousness? This is my way of thinking about it. You can adopt it or you can study it means and come up with your own idea but here is a good starting point
Paul writes to the Romans and tells them that no one is righteous, no not one. Our righteousness is as flithy rags. Why does our righteous matter? When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, their right relationship was gone. The were cursed and kicked out of the garden. Now our righteous must be restored so that we can again have a right relationship with the Lord. As you know, the problem was that we could not do this on our own. We needed Jesus to die on the cross to restore that relationship. Now, when we receive Christ, we are regard as righteous. But there is a theological concept is that says, there are parts of gospel that are fulfilled and yet there are parts that are not fulfilled. In a shortened form we say, “The Now, not yet” of scripture. We are positionally righteous. God the Father can “look upon us” because when we accept Jesus the process of salvation which includes justification, sanctification and glorification, we receive Christ righteous. Paul say we put on the righteousness of Chris and God the Father see Jesus’ righteousness and not ours. Reminds me of Andy Griffith episode.
In the episode entitle, “Barney’s Uniform” (Tell store of Barney’s Uniform. Make sure I tell about Izamoto putting on Barney’s clothes to make Fred Plummer thinking it is Barney. When Fred attacks, Izamoto beats up Fred. Later Barney comes by and confronts Fred. Fred has now changed is tune because of the beating he has taken from Mr. Izamoto which of course Fred thinks was Barney.)
But as we all know none of us do anything totally, 100% right. That is the crown of righteousness that Paul said he was going to receive. That we all would receive. We will some day be 100% righteous. Not because of our righteousness but because of His righteous. Your righteousness will not only be positional but it will be actual and you will be in relationship with God forever! You have a crown coming. Are you ready to receive?
Fulfill Your Ministry
Fulfill Your Ministry
The final encouragement I want to give to this congregation is back up in verse 5. Paul encourages Timothy to “fulfill your ministry.” That is my encourage to you as well. This congregation has a ministry to fulfill in this community. Each one of you have good works that God wants you to fulfill. These good works when put together is called “our ministry.” You have a ministry to fulfill. I want to encourage you to fulfill that ministry in Jesus’ Name. Will it be easy to fulfill the ministry that God has set before us? No probably not but keep the faith. The good work that Jesus has started in you will surely complete it. You might say, “So you say it is not going to be easy, but will what we go through in this life be worthy the reward we will receive in the next life?” Yes! You will receive a crown of righteous so go out into this community and fulfill your ministry. Work together to show the people of Montezuma the love of God in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through you.
If you remember nothing that I have said in the last two years, please remember this…The Lord loves you and wants to restore His relationship with you and everyone in this community. He is asking you to be a part of that ministry. And if you follow Him you will receive a reward: the crown of righteousness. So Montezuma United Methodist Church, I charge you before God…To Keep The Faith and Fulfill Your Ministry In Christ’s Name. Amen!
The only way that you are going to be able To Keep The Faith and Fulfill Your Ministry is by Going into all the world starting here in Montezuma. Our closing song will encourage us to do just that. Sing with me.