Sermon for February 24, 2008

“We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and HOPE does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us!”

       The other day I received a survey in the mail that included the following question, “WHO DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE GREATEST PERSON IN THE WORLD IN THE PAST 50 YEARS?”  They had a list of about 20 names to choose from as well as the infamous choice of “OTHER”- for you to fill in the blank with your personal choice.  The list included Mother Teresa, Gandhi, John F. Kennedy, Dwight Eisenhower, General Douglas Mac Arthur, to name a few.
       That survey caused me to ask myself the questions, “WHAT MAKES A PERSON GREAT?”  WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS that make a person great as the world judges “GREATNESS” today?  Often in the world, the word “GREATNESS” is assigned to people who are the WEALTHIEST, the most POPULAR and most WELL KNOWN, the Most POWERFUL, the Best player in a particular sport or activity!
       This idea of “GREATNESS” was discussed at a Practical Parenting Seminar that I led a few years ago.  We were talking about “ROLE MODELS” and who the adults and children like to follow as an example in their life.  Many of the suggestions were famous athletes and entertainers and movie stars.  But then we realized that many of these people weren’t always the best examples to follow because of the many “BAD CHAOICES” they have made in their life regarding drugs, alcohol and life styles.  They were “GREAT” in their particular profession, but they weren’t necessarily “GREAT” as a person or example to follow!
       A famous athlete commented about this fact a while back and put some ideas regarding “GREATNESS” into perspective when he said, “JUST BECAUSE A PERSON CAN SHOOT A BALL THROUGH A HOOP OR RUN FAST DOESN’T MEAN THAT PERSON IS A GREAT OR EVEN A “GOOD” PERSON.  IN FACT I DON’T LIKE TO BE CONSIDERED A ROLE MODEL FOR PEOPLE TO FOLLOW BECAUSE I DON’T LIKE PEOPLE WATCHING MY EVERY MOVE IN LIFE AND THEN JUDGING ME AND CRITICIZING ME!”
       In our Old Testament lesson from Genesis 12, God reveal a formula for “GREATNESS IN GOD’S EYES” which was revealed in the life of Abraham.  “GREATNESS IN GOD’S EYES” involves first of all “FAITH”.  Abraham had faith in God and believed in God’s promises that God had told him.  Abraham didn’t always fully understand what God’s plan was- but he knew that God loved him and would bless him as God had promised.
       How did Abraham show his faith in God?  Abraham obeyed God and left his home and moved to a far away country that God had chosen for him.  Abraham depended completely upon God to provide for and to protect him wherever he went.  He trusted in God’s promises that Abraham would be blessed in special ways in his life!
       I would like to ask you, “What does your faith in God mean to you?  Is it involved in every part of your life with Jesus at the center of your life and guides you in what you say and do and in the decisions that you make in your life?”
       We are encouraged in God’s Word to follow the example of Abraham in our life to have the same type of faith in God’s promises that Abraham did.  God HAS PROMISED TO BE WITH US- We believe this because it is contained in God’s Word!  God has PROMISED TO HELP US IN OUR TIMES OF NEED- we can believe this because it happens over and over again in our life!  God has PROMISED TO GIVE US VICTORY OVER OUR SPIRITUAL ENEMIES- the Devil, the world and our sinful flesh- We can trust that because that is what Jesus Christ did with His perfect life, death and resurrection!
       Above all, God has promised to give us the full and complete FORGIVENESS OF OUR SINS because of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!  And God has PROMISED TO TAKE US TO HEAVEN because of God’s gift of faith in our life in Jesus Christ as our Savior!    “GREATNESS IN GOD’S EYES” begins with faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior!”
       A Second ingredient for “GREATNESS IN GOD’S EYES” occurred in Abraham’s life as well!  Abraham “OBEYED GOD’S COMMANDS AND RECEIVED GOD’S BLESSINGS!”  As a result of Abraham’s OBEDIENCE- God BLESSED Abraham NUMERICALLY with as many descendants as the sand at the sea and the stars in the sky even though it seemed impossible at the time God gave Abraham the promise because he and Sarah did not have any children.
       God blessed Abraham “INFLUENTIALLY” as a powerful  and wealthy nation in the world built upon the one true God as the foundation.  And God also blessed Abraham “SPIRITUALLY”- as the Savior of the World- Jesus Christ was going to come from Abraham’s family!
       Every Great person in God’s eyes is a CENTER OF BLESSINGS as God uses him or her in their life to accomplish His purpose.  God blessed Abraham in ways which were to be shared with other people!  Abraham’s life was centered on God and he saw God fulfill His promises to Him by BLESSING HIM, BY HAVING HIS NAME BECOME GREAT, BY HAVING A GREAT NATION BE BUILT BY Him. It was a gift from God for the benefit of the whole world!
       I read a definition about “GREATNESS” that said, “THE WORLD MEASURES A PERSON’S GREATNESS BY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO SERVE HIM OR HER.  HEAVEN’S YARDSTICK MEASURES A PERSON’S GREATNESS BY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SERVED BY HIM OR HER”.  This follows the truth that Jesus gave in Mark 9 when He said, “WHOEVER WANTS TO BE THE GREATEST MUST BECOME THE LAST AND THE SERVANT OF ALL!
       “GREATNESS IN GOD’S EYES” is not something that we can earn OURSELVES- just like we can’t earn the forgiveness of our sins or God’s love in our life.  All of our works and Christian Service BY THEMSELVES don’t make us great.  The motivation and reason for our Service and ministry must be based on our Christian faith and our thankfulness to God for all His blessings and love in our life.  That is the only way to truly please God as we live here on this earth.
       What dream and plan of “GREATNESS” does God have for your life?  Have you been a blessing in other people’s lives as you have lived out your Christian faith?  What is your true motivation for the things that you do?  Is it to serve God and others in thankfulness for all that God has done for you in your life?  That is what makes our life truly SATISFYING AND FULFILLING and GIVES US TRUE MEANING FOR TODAY- TO HAVE OUR DREAMS IN HARMONY WITH GOD’S DREAM OF GREATNESS FOR US!
       Abraham is just one example of many in the Bible about “GREATNESS IN GOD’S EYES” for us to learn from and to follow as he “BELIEVED IN GOD’S PROMISES FOR HIS LIFE”,  he “OBEYED GOD’S COMMANDS WITH LOVE AND WAS A BLESSING IN THE LIVES OF MANY PEOPLE” and he “WORSHIPPED GOD EACH STEP OF THE WAY IN HIS EARTHLY LIFE!”  God promises to bless us as well in our Christian life and faith  through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  After all, “GREATNESS IN GOD’S EYES” has the eternal gift of heaven which makes it all worthwhile!