Seasons of Love, 5

Seasons of Love, Sermon part 5

One more question.  What happens if we don’t do it?  What God is calling us to do isn’t easy.  It takes commitment.  Maybe suffering, if Paul is right in his letter to Timothy.  What if we choose not to live a life of faith?

I was in a conference last week.  One of the leaders said that a webpage communicates 24 hours a day, every day, globally.  I think we all get that.  Not to push the analogy too far, but we are like web pages.  We communicate by the way we live our lives, by what we say, by what we do, 24 hours a day, every day.  People are watching us, and their faith is being shaped by what we do.  For better or for worse.  So, the question we must answer is not, “Will I teach others about God?”  The question we must answer is, “What will they learn from me?”

What will other people learn from the way you live your life?  Will they learn about God’s grace and love?   Or not?

What will happen if we do not do the work of an evangelist, keep the message alive, do a thorough job as God’s servant?  I don’t think God has another plan.  This has been entrusted by an ever faithful God into our hands.  This isn’t about the survival of the church or whether this building will be here in 100 years.  It’s much more important – will other people know about Christ?  Will they experience what we know?  Will they know God?  Or not?

The youth sang a song last called Seasons of Love.  It’s from the Broadway show Rent.  Too bad they aren’t up here to sing it this week – you’ll have to listen to the words as I read them:

How do you measure the life of a woman or a man?
In truths that she learned
Or in times that he cried
In bridges he burned
Or the way that she died
It's time now, to sing out
Though the story never ends
Let's celebrate
Remember a year in the life of friends
Remember the love
Remember the love.  Remember the truth of God’s love that you have been taught.  Remember the people who have shaped your faith and brought you to this point.  Remember, most of all, that it is our job to continue the legacy of faith.

How will you live your life?  Will you say yes to God?  In 25 years, will someone be able to say, “My faith was shaped and my life was changed” because of something you did?  Something you said?  An invitation you offered?  A hand you extended?

What difference will you make for God?