Our Beliefs : Sermons : Sermon Archive - 2004 : May 16, 2004
God Works Miracles through You
Easter 6
William McKinley, President of the United States as it entered the 20th century, understood the following principle: "You can accomplish by kindness what you can't accomplish by force." During one of his campaign trips, a reporter from an opposition newspaper followed him constantly, and just as constantly misrepresented McKinley's views. One day on the campaign it became bitterly cold. While McKinley rode in his warm carriage, the reporter was riding on top on the driver's seat, freezing. McKinley stopped the carriage and invited the man inside. The reporter was astonished. He told McKinley that it wasn't going to stop him from opposing McKinley during the campaign, and McKinley told him that was fine, but he just didn't want him to freeze. The reporter continued to write against McKinley for the rest of the campaign, but he never misrepresented him again.
"You can accomplish by kindness what you can't accomplish by force." The apostle Paul understood that as well as he went on campaign to turn unbelievers from their false gods to the true God. God worked miracles through Paul, and he does the same through you today. Let's see how.
The Apostle Paul had nothing better to do. He had nothing better to do than to spread the message of Jesus Christ with his life. So in our text we find the Apostle, with his missionary companion Barnabas, on his first missionary journey. They came to a town called Lystra. He started to share the good news with people in the town, and a man who was crippled from birth was listening to Paul's message about Jesus. Paul looked at him, and seeing that he had faith to be healed, he said: " 'Stand up on your feet!' At that, the man jumped up and began to walk." The man jumped to his feet, immediately healed. God worked a miracle through the Apostle Paul that changed this man's life forever.
Paul was in Lystra; you live in or around Waukesha, Wisconsin. Paul was on his first missionary journey because Jesus had saved him from his sins; you are on a missionary journey every day of your life as well because Jesus saved you from your sins. God worked through Paul to bring physical healing to a man's life. God can work through you to do the same thing. No, you probably won't be able to look at a person and heal them (unless God allows you to it), but what physical acts of kindness can you do? Look for opportunities! How many of your neighbors do you know? Get to know them. If they go on vacation, mow their lawn, get their mail, take care of their dog, and if they leave their kids at home while they go on vacation, take care of their kids. If they're sick, be ready to help them with their meals, offer to pick up groceries or drive them to the doctor. When their not sick, invite them over for brats and beers. In doing those things you've done at least three things: 1) you've shown love for others, just as Jesus tells us to do, 2) you've developed a relationship of trust and friendship, which is good and healthy for you and them, and 3) you've given yourself an opportunity to be able to speak to them about spiritual matters.
When Paul wrote to the Galatians, the very people he was meeting for the first time on this first missionary journey, he said, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." (Galatians 6:9-10) What better thing can you talk about over a brat and beer with your neighbor than what Jesus has done for you and for him?
God was working miracles through Paul. Paul used the physical act of kindness of healing as a way to get into a discussion of the real reason why he was there. He was there to talk about Jesus. He was there to bring this man and the people of Lystra spiritual words of salvation.
But before he could do that, something unexpected happened. They started to treat Paul and Barnabas as gods. Here's why. We look at Greek mythology as something we have to learn in high school or college to pass a class. But it meant much more to the people in Paul's day -— they believed that stuff. It was their religion. In one story, Zeus and Hermes came to the people of Lystra in human form as beggars. But no one accepted them. All the people were rude to them and didn't help them at all, except for a poor old couple by the names of Philemon and Baucis, (not the Philemon in the Bible, but the same name.) Philemon and Baucis did everything they could to help the two supposed beggars, and treated them like family. When Zeus and Hermes revealed who they were, they rewarded Philemon and Baucis' kindness by changing the shack they lived in into the magnificent temple of Zeus -— the same temple of Zeus was just outside the city of Lystra. After God healed the crippled man through Paul, they thought Paul was Hermes, the spokesman for the gods, and Barnabas was Zeus, come back again to see if those rotten people had changed. They didn't want to mess up again and earn the wrath of the gods, so the people of Lystra lost no time in treating them like gods and offering sacrifices to them.
I don't know the last time someone thought you were a god, but it hasn't happened to me very often. Paul and Barnabas were horrified at being treated as gods. They tore their clothes, showing that they wanted no part of this blasphemy. And it's not as if they could just go back to their minivan and search through their three suitcases for another turban. Paul and Barnabas were there to turn them from their idolatry to the one true and living God.
How incensed do you get that your neighbors are steeped in idolatry? How angry does it make you that people are living for themselves and their own pleasure in this life instead of living for the God who gave his own Son to save them, and either they don't know that or they don't care? Does that get you angry? It should. Here's what you can do about it. How many of you own remote controls? When you get home, look at the owner's manual so you can use your remote on human beings and influence them. Really —- there's one button on your remote control that allows you to have a dramatic influence on everyone you meet everyday. Can you guess which one? It's the OFF button. In other words, put down the remote, get off the couch, and go talk to someone. You don't even have to talk to them about Jesus right away. Do what Paul did. He showed a physical act of kindness to someone, and that led to him being able to share spiritual words of salvation.
Is it easy? In theory, yes; in practice, no. We know what we should be doing, but it's often hard for us to do it. All of you think about ways you can share your Savior, I know. But what will change you from just thinking about it to actually doing it? Jesus will. How much time did you give to your Lord this past week? One hour in worship? One hour in Bible class -— maybe. An hour or two in home devotions -— maybe. Several hours in prayer -— maybe, maybe not. How many hours did you spend in telling people about Jesus? How many people did you show a physical act of kindness to in the hope that you could eventually speak spiritual words of salvation to them? And I'm in the same boat you are. Then think of all the things you spent your time on. There are all kinds of things you could think of, getting the kids to school, going to work, relaxation, being with friends and family. All of those are good -— if fact, they're gifts from God. But getting the kids to soccer games and ballet lessons isn't what we're here on earth to do. Don't let those things become your gods. What are we here for? We're here to be Jesus' witnesses. Jesus tells us the fields are ripe; the harvest is waiting.
What's it going to take to get you to put down the remote and get off the couch? Jesus will. In spite of the many times this past week that you and I have found "more important" things to do than spread the message of Jesus, Jesus still saw you as the most important thing to him. In spite of all the times we've been too comfortable with our lives, which kept us from getting out of our comfort zones and actually making a difference in someone's life by sharing the gospel with them, Jesus did get out of his comfort zone. He left the glory of heaven to be one of us. He set aside the robe of his full glory for the tattered robe of a wandering prophet, and a robe of mockery on his way to the cross. He set aside his scepter as King of kings to be hit over the head with one on his way to the cross. He set aside his crown of glory for a crown of thorns. He gave up his perfect life to suffer eternal death for you, so that you would never have to. "You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9) That's what Jesus did for you. Jesus made you rich in every way. You have so many physical blessings that you can't begin to count them all -— Paul mentioned some of them as he talked to the people of Lystra: rain, crops, plenty of food, joy. More importantly, Jesus gave you eternal life. Jesus took all your sins of idolatry when you didn't place him first in your life, and nailed them to the cross. They are paid for in full by Jesus. You are a forgiven, holy person in God's eyes. That's how much God thought of you. That's how much he still thinks of you. That's how much God loved you and loves you now.
Just like Paul, use every opportunity to show people how empty, worthless the gods of this world are -— money, cars, houses, ourselves, family and friends when they get in the way of worshiping God. Use opportunities to tell them about Christ. Then let the Spirit do the work he has promised -— he won't let his Word return without accomplishing his purpose. After you've shared Jesus, see how God can use that witness to change a person's life, see how God can work a miracle through you. After all, you can already see the miracle God has worked in your life -— you're going to heaven through faith in Jesus. How many people will you bring with you? Amen.
