Street Signs

Romans 5:1-5

5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Earlier this week I found myself glued to my tv watching the devastation of Moore, Oklahoma and the surrounding areas.  I couldn't help but to feel sorry for them and wonder how I would handle a situation like that.  Their houses were completely gone, entire neighborhoods destroyed to the point it was difficult for them to know which house was theirs.  Then I hear about the schools that were hit by the tornado and the children that lost their lives and I can’t help but to think how angry and devastated I would be if I were in their situation.  But the people affected by this tornado are resilient, they have endured such tragedies before and rebuilt and this time is no different.  The one thing that really stuck with me this week was something that I heard on one of the newscasts.  The broadcaster said that after everyone is accounted for the first thing they do is go back and put all the street signs back up so people have an idea of where their house used to be.  It is difficult to imagine that the tornado was so strong that it destroyed everything in its path to the point that it is difficult to know which house is yours.  It is difficult to imagine such chaos and destruction in which it is almost impossible to identify something we hold so close to us.  But those street signs help point them in the right direction so they can start searching for their homes.  Those people probably passed by those signs thousands of times and not given them much thought but now those signs are the only things that give them direction.  This led me to think about the street signs that God puts into our lives.  The signs that we too pass by thousands of times and not give much thought until those signs are the only things we have left to offer us direction.  

In only five short verses, Paul offers us direction, street signs if you will.  The Sunday after Pentecost is referred to as Trinity Sunday and Paul gives us a great lesson in the Trinity.  In verse one Paul tells us that we have peace with God.  And verse two tells us that this peace, as well as access to everlasting grace has come to us through Jesus Christ.  And finally, God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit in verse five.  Christ gives us access to God’s glory and the Spirit pours out God’s love for us.  Along with the suffering Paul mentions in verse three, peace, hope and love are the street signs God gives to us to help us find our way through life.  As a people who have fallen from the Garden, we live in an imperfect world.  Sin and tragedy are apart of our very existence but the way we deal with those situations defines who we are.  The faith we show to the world in situations of devastation and tragedy is what brings people to Christ and it is that faith that justifies us to God.  It is this faith that speaks to the hearts of people way more than any words can.  It is the actions and reactions to difficult situations that show the world that we are God’s people.  

This morning’s scripture reminds us that we are given peace and everlasting grace through God’s son Jesus Christ and that God’s love is poured onto by His Spirit and we hope to one day share in the glory of God.  But I would like to expand on the idea of suffering that Paul talked about.  Just as much as peace, hope and love are apart of our faith so is suffering.  Until recently, I used to think that suffering and pain was almost a payback sent down from God for our sins and shortcomings.  I used to think that it was how God punished us for not being completely faithful to Him.  But then you think about those kids across this planet who starve to death, those people who are taken from us by the selfish actions of another, and I think about those kids who were in those schools that lost their lives.  What did those people do to deserve their pain and suffering?  It is easy to blame God for the suffering we endure and it is even easier to say that we have fallen out of favor with God and these sufferings are a result of that.  But I tell you that God does not let this happen.  No matter what we have done, no matter our sins and shortcomings we do not fall out of favor with God.  He sent His son to die for our sins, for all of them, not just some of them... All of them.  Jesus died on the cross so that we could be justified before God and there is no longer any reason for God to punish us for our sins.  So now the question becomes “Why do we need to suffer at all then?”  If Jesus really did die for our sins and really did justify us before God, then why do we encounter any tragedy at all?  Paul tells us that suffering produces endurance.  Some biblical translations use the word fortitude instead of endurance which gives us the impression that Paul is speaking of a will, a state of mind that is strong enough to overcome the world.  We have to remember that Paul is speaking to Christian in the first century and being a Christian in Rome during that time was very difficult.  The threat of persecution was always looming and this is how Paul offered them hope.  Paul tells us that our sufferings create in us a spirit which does not passively endure what the world may throw our way; instead we are called to actively overcome the trials and tribulations of this life.  It is this enduring fortitude that produces character.  The greek word for character that Paul is dokimë.  This word was used for metal that had been passed through fire which allowed for all of the bases to taken out of it.  This would allow for the metal to be stronger, purer and better.  This means that our fortitude helps build a character that is also stronger, purer, better and nearer to God.  Paul goes on to say that this character produces hope.  When two different people meet the exact same situation one of them may be lead astray from their faith which drives them deeper and deeper into despair while the other one can come out of that situation stronger and more faithful than ever.  Why the two different endings for the same situation?  The different results correspond to the differing attitudes of the people involved.  If one of them allows the circumstances to beat them down, to drive them into depression then there is no hope.  On the other hand if the other meets the challenges head on with a spirit of enduring strength then they have no choice but to hope .  The character which has endured the tests of time will always emerge as hopeful.  Finally Paul tells us that hope does not disappoint because God’s love has been poured into our hearts.  This does not mean we can be hopeful for a little while and when things do not turn around we fall into despair, it means that we have to be filled with hope all of the time.  When our hope is backed with endurance, fortitude and character then our hope is everlasting, it is eternal.  When our hope is in God, it cannot turn to dust.  When our hope is in God, it cannot be disappointed.  When our hope is in the love of God, it will never be an illusion for Paul tells us that God loves with an everlasting love back by an everlasting power.  

So what about the people of Oklahoma?  How do their sufferings relate?  They will rebuild as they have before.  They will mourn those that they have lost.  They will question whether or not God cares about them but this is a test of their endurance, their fortitude, and their character.  It is not a question of when we will have to face tragedy, it is a question of when but our faith is not defined by our sufferings, it is defined by how we respond in those moments.  I often think of the men and women who serve our country in moments like this.  It is often times those people who help with the rebuilding projects.  Many of them have spent months away from their families, yet they are the first to go and help those in need.  On this Memorial Day weekend, remember those who have sacrificed so much so we can live in freedom. Those who fight for our country when they are abroad and help us to rebuild when they are home are the true examples of endurance, fortitude, and character.  On this Trinity Sunday remember that we have peace through Christ, we have hope through the glory of God, and the Spirit showers us in love.  If you are feeling lost, if you have been searching for a way through the trials of life but cannot seem to find a place to start, follow the street signs to a living relationship with Jesus Christ.  You may come forward to show the congregation that you are accepting Christ or reaffirming your faith but you may also do so from your seat.  If you are searching for hope, you can find it through God’s son whom He sent to die for our sin.  Amen.  

Here is a link to an article about the street signs: http://www.news9.com/story/22452640/moore-street-signs-relieve-stress-along-destruction-path

God Bless,

Clinton

Fairview Christian Church