Every so often I go through phases where I think philosophically about stuff in my alone time. Typically it happens when I get quiet with my thoughts and no one is around except me and God. And I started thinking about the last few years. It’s an interesting thing that we are writing history each day. I wonder in 5, 10, 15 or 50 years what people will say about our today. I think I can guess what some of the history books will say:
• This was a time of civil unrest that harkens back to the Civil Rights era of the 50 and 60s
• They might talk about the comparisons between how we handled the pandemic with all of our advanced technology versus the pandemic of the 1890s
• History might be critical of how the power brokers seemed to care more about tying each other in knots rather than doing something to improve the lives of every people.
• History will show the emergence of some in the public eye taking a stand to do what is just.
• Surely, when history looks back at this period it won’t forget the men and women that knowingly or unknowingly put themselves in the most precarious, dire, or deadly position and caused society to pivot. People like Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, and others.
• Undoubtedly, history will reflect on the great divide in the US caused by the left and the right that brought “fake news” to the very center of the collective thought in the nation.
I find it fascinating because on the broad scope it very much the case that the grey isn’t grey anymore; it’s becoming clear, who supports what. People and institutions are choosing sides publicly. The O’Jays sang a song that said “they smile in your face, but all the time they’re trying to take your place, backstabbers.” Well, they aren’t smiling in our faces anymore and they aren’t afraid of stabbing you in the front instead of waiting for you to turn around these days. When history finishes the examination of our time it will wonder collectively what happened to the collective moral compass of this country that it became so bent, twisted, and stretched, and in some cases destroyed. But history couldn’t be complete without looking at one more aspect of this time.
• History might examine a very introspective question, where was the church or the house of God during all of this time. What part did we play? Where were our voices? During the days, weeks, months as families were being thrown into turmoil, lives being lost to the pandemic, justice being tossed from post to post like a bean bag, where was the church?
And while I might not be the best to talk about the prevailing conditions of society during the pandemic, nor could I rightfully speak to the judicial intricacies of law or the political machinations of those seated in Washington DC and other places. I think I am, and we are able to have a conversation about us today if that’s okay with you. You see, as I’ve been thinking of this day for several weeks, as most ministers do on a weekly basis, we try to lean in and understand what God would want us to say. I did no less, and I found myself alone with one question that challenges me over and over and over again. And so could it be that the questions that history would ask of the church, the questions that history would ask us, seem to be the same question that God has been hammering in my head for the last few weeks, and this is the title of the message this morning, “What do you believe?” This is the central question of our day, history will be able to put into context everything we did and did not do by looking at the answer to that particular question. And more than that, God is challenging us to line up our answers and our actions.
Our text
We’re going to come back to that question in a moment. But first I want us to take a look at what many will consider as a familiar passage of scripture. Let’s jump over to Matthew 8:5-13
Matthew 8:5–13 AMP
5 As Jesus went into Capernaum, a centurion came up to Him, begging Him,
6 And saying, Lord, my servant boy is lying at the house paralyzed and distressed with intense pains.
7 And Jesus said to him, I will come and restore him.
8 But the centurion replied to Him, Lord, I am not worthy or fit to have You come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant boy will be cured.
9 For I also am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my slave, Do this, and he does it.
10 When Jesus heard him, He marveled and said to those who followed Him [who adhered steadfastly to Him, conforming to His example in living and, if need be, in dying also], I tell you truly, I have not found so much faith as this with anyone, even in Israel.
11 I tell you, many will come from east and west, and will sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,
12 While the sons and heirs of the kingdom will be driven out into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
13 Then to the centurion Jesus said, Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed. And the servant boy was restored to health at that very moment.
This passage of scripture talks about recognition, positions of authority, it shows action, but most of all it shows belief. And get ready I’m about to drop an f-bomb…faith. Let’s talk about it, and we’re going to focus on verses 8, 9, & 13:
Recognition
Matthew 8:8 NKJV - 8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.
We see the centurion understanding who he was and who Jesus was in an instant.
Authority
Matthew 8:9 NLT - 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”
The centurion correctly understood how authority works and saw that authority in Jesus.
Action
Matthew 8:8 The Message
8 “Oh, no,” said the captain. “I don’t want to put you to all that trouble. Just give the order and my servant will be fine.
The centurion’s action was just to say to Jesus, “Just give the order.”
Belief
Matthew 8:13 AMP - 13 Then to the centurion Jesus said, Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed. And the servant boy was restored to health at that very moment.
Based on this man’s belief and action Jesus healed.
Faith without works...
Now there are plenty of other accounts of belief lined up with action in the Word of God, but this one is so direct and speaks to the heart of our topic today, What do you believe?
I must be insistent here and forgive me, but I am not asking if you believe in Christ. Many of us will surely answer, Yes. But that oversimplifies the intention behind the question. Just asking if you believe in Christ is a lot like asking do you believe the George Washington existed but on a much grander scale. I’m not asking today, if you believe that the sky is blue. I’m not asking if you understand how trees produce oxygen. This question is much more introspective and cuts across the fluff of life. What do you believe takes what’s in your head, stitches it to what’s in your heart, wraps it around your tongue and ties it to your muscles and produces action.
So church, what do you believe?
I get it, maybe I am not communicating well. Let me try it this way and I’m going to drop an f-bomb again: According to your Faith, what will be your actions?
Look at what James says:
James 2:14–20 The Message
14 Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it?
15 For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved
16 and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you?
17 Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?
18 I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, “Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I’ll handle the works department.” Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.
19 Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That’s just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them?
20 Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands?
Now I’m not suggesting that our belief isn’t genuine, what I’ve been challenged and what I’m challenging you to do is more. If you want the more of God, you’ve got to give the more to God.
So church, what do you believe? I believe that after a year of watching, praying, waiting, fasting, crying on so many fronts for so many people and causes God is challenging our hearts…what will be your action to His Call? How will you respond?
When history looks back at our lives when we are called up to glory and have to give our personal account before God, will you be before the throne with the question being asked What do you believe? or will it be a statement of What you believed! You see the first may call to question that there were some times, maybe many times that your faith came up wanting, and your action may be faltered under the weight of trial and circumstance. But the second statement noted in wonder all the things you acted on in faith and the glories of God that were witnessed as a result of your faith works. I can imagine them walking us down hallways in the kingdom, first pass the hallway that had rooms of blessings…they’re all empty because they’ve been poured out…and then into another hallway that had places where they accounted for all the works that God had done on behalf of those believed and there’s a room with your name on it. And they say, because of your belief we had to put you into multiple rooms.
• They walk in one room, and they say this room is for the people that were healed because of you.
• They go into another room, and they say these are people that were provided for because of your actions.
• They go into yet another room and said justice was done because you showed up and showed out
They keep going and keep going and they say...What you believed did all of this...
Family, what do you believe?
