In Christ Alone - May 24, 2015 sermon

By Pastor Greg

A tourist browsing a curio shop in San Francisco saw a very lifelike, life-sized bronze statue of a rat. It had no price tag but was so striking he decided he must have it.  He asked the shop owner, "How much for the bronze rat?" The reply: "Twenty dollars for the rat, two hundred dollars for the story."  The tourist gave the man twenty dollars and said, "I'll take the rat, you can keep the story."

As he walked down the street carrying his bronze rat, he noticed a few real rats crawling out of the alleys and sewers and following him down the street. This was disconcerting; he began walking faster. However, within a couple blocks, the herd of rats behind him had grown to a hundred, and they all started squealing.  He began to trot toward the Bay. Glancing backward, he saw that the rats now numbered in the thousands and were squealing and snarling and coming toward him faster and faster!  Terrified, he sprinted to the edge of the Bay and threw the bronze rat far out into the water. Amazingly, the millions of rats rushed past him and jumped into the Bay after it, and all were drowned!

The man ran back to the curio shop. "Aha," said the shop owner, "You have come back for the story!"  "No," said the man, "I came back to see if you have a bronze politician?”

Oh, if only, if only it were true.  Somehow, I doubt it would work.  I just don’t have that kind of faith in a bronze statue.  As funny as that story is, it does not paint an accurate picture of reality.  Too often, we are disappointed by the Bronze Statues in this world.  Sometimes the Bronze Statue is a job or money or new friends.  Sometimes our Bronze Statue is our skills, abilities, and talents.  Sometimes it is our wisdom and knowledge.  The problem with these Bronze Statues is that we place our hope in them rather than the One who gives us hope.

We’ve been looking at many biblical examples of faith; the kind of faith that will move a mountain.  One of the stories in the Bible that I often think about is Jesus’ encounter with a Roman Centurion.  I find it significant that the Lord was amazed at his faith.  Who could have imagined that a gentile soldier would possess this kind of faith?

⁵ When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, ⁶ “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” ⁷ Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” ⁸ But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 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.” ¹⁰ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! ¹¹ And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. ¹² But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ¹³ Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour (Matthew 8:5-13).

What kind of mountain moving faith did this soldier possess?  What was it about this man’s faith that amazed Jesus?  The answer is found in verses 10-12.  This Gentile Soldier knew that his hope was not in a bronze statue but Christ alone.  He understood Jesus’ authority, and perhaps just who Jesus is.  However, many of the Israelites did not possess the same understanding.

Instead of recognizing Jesus as the Messiah and placing their hope in Him, many of the Jews continued to put their faith in a Bronze Statues - their rules and rituals.  However, following rules and rituals will not grant someone entrance into heaven.  Actually, the Jews felt they did not need the Messiah to help them enter Heaven.  Most Jews were not looking for the Messiah to save them from their Sin. They wanted someone to save them from their enemies.  Most Jews felt they would be granted space at the banquet table simply because they were Jewish.  Now, of course, doing good things and obeying the Laws of God is good, but goodness will not guarantee entrance into Heaven.  However, this Gentile Soldier apparently understood whom Jesus is and recognized His authority, and therein lies the difference.

Here is an important lesson on faith – mountain moving faith.  Mountains are not moved because we say the right prayers or have exceptional faith.  Mountains are not moved because we have all night prayer vigils.  Mountains are not moved because we come to Church or give an offering.  Mountains are not moved by any effort of our own.  That is putting faith in our efforts and labors – a Bronze Statue.  Mountains are moved by the Lord.  In Christ alone our hope is found.  He is our cornerstone, our solid ground.  Mountains are moved when we humble ourselves before the Lord and admit we cannot do this on our own.

There are days when the mountain seems to loom before us.  The work of the Kingdom seems nearly impossible.  It seems the Devil is working against us.  Satan points to the size of the task before us and taunts, “Seriously?  Do you really think you can make a difference in this place?  Do you really think anything you do is going to make a difference in this community?  People are not going to come.  You are a failure and will always be a failure”.

One of the realities of becoming a Christian is that one day discouragement will infect your heart.  Oh, we begin this race strong, filled with enthusiasm.  With the Lord’s help, we will change the world.  But then things start to go wrong.  No one comes to our event.  Someone grumbles about the way it was managed.  We step out into the world with the intention of helping people meet Christ, and then we meet the agnostic or the atheist who tears the Good News to shreds.  Then we wonder.  We figure we’ve done something wrong or perhaps we are not as gifted as we thought.  We become discouraged and stop trying.  It is at this point we need the same faith seen in this Roman soldier.  It is at this stage we need to ask ourselves whether we’ve been trusting in our gifts and abilities or if we have indeed placed our faith in Christ alone.

On days when Satan attempts to destroy us and our work, those are the days we need to realize that the mountain is moved by Christ alone.  We must stop trusting in bronze statues, which is trusting in our skills, wisdom, knowledge, gifts, and abilities, and realize that we are merely the instruments through which He works.  These are His hands.  These are His feet.  These are His lips.  The Roman Centurion recognized Jesus’s authority and submitted to His authority.  Mountain moving faith does the same.

As you serve the Lord within His Church, there is nothing wrong with admitting your weakness and lack of skill.  There is no shame in telling God what He is asking you to do is beyond your abilities.  He knows this already.  He already knows the mountain He has asked you to move is too imposing – too impossible for you to move.  What He is asking you to do is stop trusting in a Bronze Rat and instead place your faith and hope in Him.  He will move the mountain.