11-1-98 Called to Serve Is. 1

by Ronald E. George Jr. at the Sand Fork Baptist Church

By modest estimate, more than a quarter of the entire population of the United States have professed an evangelical conversion experience. William Iverson wryly observes that "A pound of meat would surely be affected by a quarter pound of salt. If this is real Christianity, the 'salt of the earth,' where is the effect of which Jesus spoke?" Christianity Today, June 6, 1980, p.33

What is real christianity? Christian from the American Heritage Dictionary.

(krís´chn) —adj. 1. Professing belief in Jesus as Christ or following the religion based on his teachings. 2. Pertaining to or derived from Jesus or his teachings. 3. Manifesting the qualities or spirit of Christ; Christlike. 4. Pertaining to or characteristic of Christianity or its adherents. 5. INFORMAL. Neighborly; decent.

—n. 1. One who professes belief in Jesus as Christ or follows the religion based on his teachings. 2. One who lives according to the teachings of Jesus.

Christian: One who believes that the New Testament is a divinely inspired book admirably suited to the spiritual needs of his neighbor. Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) (American author)

What is the purpose of this message from the Lord?

What is the real thing? What does one whom professes to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior look like?

Scripture Text:

Is 1:10 (KJS) Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. 11 To what purpose [is] the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. 12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? 13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; [it is] iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear [them]. 15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Listen to this message from the Lord. This is his word to us this morning? V.10

What is the purpose of your sacrifices unto me says the Lord? What is the purpose of what we are doing in the church? What is a real Christian look like?

1. Is being a real Christian making sacrifice? The Lord says to stop bringing those "vain oblations" into his house. Sacrifices alone are not the answer to this question.
2. Is being a real Christian coming to God’s house/Temple? The Lord says the calling of assemblies and solemn meetings are useless to me. They are meaningless to you and to me.
3. Is being a real Christian Keeping all the holidays, communion, and Baptisms? The Lord says the new moons and feasts trouble him because they are meaningless to you and to him.
4. Is being a real Christian Praying aloud and lifting up our hands? The Lord says that when we make many prayers he won’t hear, because our hands are full of blood. Our prayers have no meaning to us or to God.

Recently I was talking to a fellow about coming to church and he began to explain to me that he was broke down on a Sunday Morning within sight of a Church and the people on their way to God passed him by to go on into the house of the Lord. The Lord says that we have missed Him on our way to church. Our church and our services and our prayers have become our God. Our lives and our loves are unaffected by the Lord who we say we worship. Have we passed up God to go to the church?

Here is the message of the Lord to his people who have ears to hear. Listen to Him. This is real Christianity? Hear the word of the Lord…

1. Answer the Call for cleansing from the Lord…We need the Lord. We need to come to him and join with him. Only one way for this to happen and that is through Confession of our sin and Repentance from sin to Christ. Turn from ourselves to the Lord. People need the Lord but do People want the Lord. This is joining ourselves to God.

2. Answer the Call for Service from the Lord to the People in need. Joining with God in his work of reaching out to others in the community who are the poor, the oppressed, the fatherless, the widow.

v. 17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. This is real Christianity.

Are you ready to answer God’s call for Cleansing and for Service. This is what being a real Christian is all about. Are you a real Christian or are you one who goes through the motions without having or knowing the real thing?