Are you pleased? Do you look away?
Sometime if I get up in the middle of the night and turn on the bathroom light, I am frankly startled by what I see. I have been tempted to call 911 a time or two. I figure anyone looking that rough must need help.
But even when we look in the mirror, we don't see what others see. I think that's why many of us find our own photograph never looks quite right. Its because our everyday view of ourselves is flip flop.
The rich and famous hire professional consultants to trim and mold their image so they are seen the way they hope to be seen.
But every now and then the mask slips and reality leaks out.
Do you ever wonder how God sees you?
I know that I do.
To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy,
together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ'their Lord and ours:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 2-3
together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ'their Lord and ours:
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 2-3
What happens for you when you walk past a mirror?
Are you pleased? Do you look away?
Sometime if I get up in the middle of the night and turn on the bathroom light, I am frankly startled by what I see. I have been tempted to call 911 a time or two. I figure anyone looking that rough must need help.
But even when we look in the mirror, we don't see what others see. I think that's why many of us find our own photograph never looks quite right. Its because our everyday view of ourselves is flip flop.
The rich and famous hire professional consultants to trim and mold their image so they are seen the way they hope to be seen.
But every now and then the mask slips and reality leaks out.
Do you ever wonder how God sees you?
I know that I do.
The image consultants will help you dress for success and do what you can to look good.
But you can't do a PR job with God, so how does God see us?
Paul tells us something about that in 1 Corinthians. He says of himself that he is an apostle called by God.
And he says that we are called by God as well . We are the people who are called to be holy together with everyone called by the Lord's name.
The idea of being considering yourself holy or coming to see this as something that is expected of us is almost enough to send most folks scurrying for cover. Especially when you think about how hard it is just to make and keep simple New Years resolutions. Taking off ten to twenty pounds is an accomplishment. Quitting smoking is a huge issue for smokers. How in the world do you even get your mind around the idea of being called to be holy when just basic things like that are such big tasks?
Maybe God is thinking about someone else. Isn't that what preachers and missionaries do?
Surely its not for ordinary people. I mean who even knows what it means, let alone have any idea that you can become that?
When you think of the church in Corinth, Paul's words become even more noteworthy. Corinth was one of the most immoral cities of its time. The church was struggling with the effects of the living in Corinth. Sexual morality seemed optional to some. Some frequented pagan temples where they bought their meat supply, offending others. There were rich church members and poor church members and the church was suffering because of preferential treatment of some and discrimination against others. There were factions who fought over who was the best preacher and teacher. This was a lively and dynamic church but "holy" would not be a word you would automatically think of when you thought about Corinth.
But that's the first thing Paul says about them. He says, "to those sanctified in Christ and called to be holy..."
Considering all the trouble he had with this church someone else might have been tempted to address the letter, "to the biggest collection of troublemakers in all of Greece...greetings"
But he doesn't. He identifies them by the one characteristic that perhaps seemed least evident: holiness.
So what exactly is holiness, you might ask, hoping a study of Hebrew and Greek revealed it was some simple task a shepherd might perform for the sheep once a week or so, like combing out the burrs from their wool. Sorry.
Or maybe you think, "Isn't there a verse somewhere that says, it's good to be holy but its just as important to be friendly?"
Nope, no such verse.
The word literally means to be separated, or set aside for special purposes, the way a church or special items used in worship are designated for a special purpose. I remember as a teenager in my home church, our youth group were in the sanctuary preparing some drama we would present in church. I sat down on the communion table as we talked. Someone, I don't remember whom, came into the sanctuary and very quickly told me to get off the table and why I should not do that again. The table was dedicated to something that was considered sacred and my butt was not welcome upon it.
But we look at ourselves in the mirror of our everyday life and what we see is nothing resembling what we would call holy.
Maybe we don't see it, but remember our vision is flip flopped.
A developer buys a piece of raw land. It is all trees and blackberry bramble and rocks and perhaps not even level ground.
But a surveyor is employed and a subdivision marked out.
The developer applies for zoning and once that is granted the subdivision plan is registered in land titles.
You buy one of those lots and go out to see where the new house will be.
You arrive and its just rough land. You push through mud and brambles into a clearing that's only partially level. But there are pegs in the ground and you find the one corresponding to the lot you now own.
You call the family together and you begin to mark out about where the house will be.
That tree is about where the front door will be. This rock over here is about where someone's bedroom window will go and you all climb up on it to see what the view will look like.
Now at this stage its still just raw land. There is no road, no sidewalks, no street lamps and no house.
But in the land titles office that piece of land has been noted and designated as the lot for your house.
In heaven, once you belong to Christ, your life is designated as holy ground. It is already set aside for a special purpose.
No, the work is far from done, but in God's view, He can see the completed project.
The deed has been signed sealed and delivered.
That's the Presbyterian side of the story.
The Nazarene side of the story is to say, you better be willing to pay for this because its going to take a lot of work and the land isn't going to clear itself and the house won't get built just by standing and looking at it.
Corinth was not exactly a hotbed of Christian virtues, or virtues of any kind for that matter, but before he goes on to address the specific issues that have come to his attention he is giving them a subtle tap on the shoulder and saying to them, "remember who you are."
And who are they?
Slaves and masters? Merchants and harlots? Winners and losers?
No, they are the prized of God.
That is part of what this word holy means. It means something so special you would never think of using it for common purposes.
A Ming vase that is not going to be used as a milk pitcher. There is tupperware for that.
A golden ring that is not going to be used to pry open a jar. We have tools for that.
A hand painted portrait of your beloved, that is not going to be used as a shim under a short table leg. There is cardboard for that.
Some items are too valuable for anything but the best use.
That's who you are.
Jesus spent his own life and blood on you.
He continues to work in your life, to grieve when you fall, to laugh for joy when you get it right.
I was listening to a song on the radio the other day.
It's a song by Nat King Cole, called "The More I See You"
One stanza goes like this:
I imagine the Lord saying to us:
You are designated as special.
Don't forget it.
Preached January 16, 2005
Dr. Harold McNabb
West Shore Presbyterian Church
Victoria, British Columbia
Are you pleased? Do you look away?
Sometime if I get up in the middle of the night and turn on the bathroom light, I am frankly startled by what I see. I have been tempted to call 911 a time or two. I figure anyone looking that rough must need help.
But even when we look in the mirror, we don't see what others see. I think that's why many of us find our own photograph never looks quite right. Its because our everyday view of ourselves is flip flop.
The rich and famous hire professional consultants to trim and mold their image so they are seen the way they hope to be seen.
But every now and then the mask slips and reality leaks out.
Do you ever wonder how God sees you?
I know that I do.
The image consultants will help you dress for success and do what you can to look good.
But you can't do a PR job with God, so how does God see us?
Paul tells us something about that in 1 Corinthians. He says of himself that he is an apostle called by God.
And he says that we are called by God as well . We are the people who are called to be holy together with everyone called by the Lord's name.
The idea of being considering yourself holy or coming to see this as something that is expected of us is almost enough to send most folks scurrying for cover. Especially when you think about how hard it is just to make and keep simple New Years resolutions. Taking off ten to twenty pounds is an accomplishment. Quitting smoking is a huge issue for smokers. How in the world do you even get your mind around the idea of being called to be holy when just basic things like that are such big tasks?
Maybe God is thinking about someone else. Isn't that what preachers and missionaries do?
Surely its not for ordinary people. I mean who even knows what it means, let alone have any idea that you can become that?
When you think of the church in Corinth, Paul's words become even more noteworthy. Corinth was one of the most immoral cities of its time. The church was struggling with the effects of the living in Corinth. Sexual morality seemed optional to some. Some frequented pagan temples where they bought their meat supply, offending others. There were rich church members and poor church members and the church was suffering because of preferential treatment of some and discrimination against others. There were factions who fought over who was the best preacher and teacher. This was a lively and dynamic church but "holy" would not be a word you would automatically think of when you thought about Corinth.
But that's the first thing Paul says about them. He says, "to those sanctified in Christ and called to be holy..."
Considering all the trouble he had with this church someone else might have been tempted to address the letter, "to the biggest collection of troublemakers in all of Greece...greetings"
But he doesn't. He identifies them by the one characteristic that perhaps seemed least evident: holiness.
So what exactly is holiness, you might ask, hoping a study of Hebrew and Greek revealed it was some simple task a shepherd might perform for the sheep once a week or so, like combing out the burrs from their wool. Sorry.
Or maybe you think, "Isn't there a verse somewhere that says, it's good to be holy but its just as important to be friendly?"
Nope, no such verse.
The word literally means to be separated, or set aside for special purposes, the way a church or special items used in worship are designated for a special purpose. I remember as a teenager in my home church, our youth group were in the sanctuary preparing some drama we would present in church. I sat down on the communion table as we talked. Someone, I don't remember whom, came into the sanctuary and very quickly told me to get off the table and why I should not do that again. The table was dedicated to something that was considered sacred and my butt was not welcome upon it.
But we look at ourselves in the mirror of our everyday life and what we see is nothing resembling what we would call holy.
Maybe we don't see it, but remember our vision is flip flopped.
A developer buys a piece of raw land. It is all trees and blackberry bramble and rocks and perhaps not even level ground.
But a surveyor is employed and a subdivision marked out.
The developer applies for zoning and once that is granted the subdivision plan is registered in land titles.
You buy one of those lots and go out to see where the new house will be.
You arrive and its just rough land. You push through mud and brambles into a clearing that's only partially level. But there are pegs in the ground and you find the one corresponding to the lot you now own.
You call the family together and you begin to mark out about where the house will be.
That tree is about where the front door will be. This rock over here is about where someone's bedroom window will go and you all climb up on it to see what the view will look like.
Now at this stage its still just raw land. There is no road, no sidewalks, no street lamps and no house.
But in the land titles office that piece of land has been noted and designated as the lot for your house.
In heaven, once you belong to Christ, your life is designated as holy ground. It is already set aside for a special purpose.
No, the work is far from done, but in God's view, He can see the completed project.
The deed has been signed sealed and delivered.
That's the Presbyterian side of the story.
The Nazarene side of the story is to say, you better be willing to pay for this because its going to take a lot of work and the land isn't going to clear itself and the house won't get built just by standing and looking at it.
Corinth was not exactly a hotbed of Christian virtues, or virtues of any kind for that matter, but before he goes on to address the specific issues that have come to his attention he is giving them a subtle tap on the shoulder and saying to them, "remember who you are."
And who are they?
Slaves and masters? Merchants and harlots? Winners and losers?
No, they are the prized of God.
That is part of what this word holy means. It means something so special you would never think of using it for common purposes.
A Ming vase that is not going to be used as a milk pitcher. There is tupperware for that.
A golden ring that is not going to be used to pry open a jar. We have tools for that.
A hand painted portrait of your beloved, that is not going to be used as a shim under a short table leg. There is cardboard for that.
Some items are too valuable for anything but the best use.
That's who you are.
Jesus spent his own life and blood on you.
He continues to work in your life, to grieve when you fall, to laugh for joy when you get it right.
I was listening to a song on the radio the other day.
It's a song by Nat King Cole, called "The More I See You"
One stanza goes like this:
Can you imagine how much I love you?
The more I see you as years go by
I know the only one for me can only be you
My arms won't free you, my heart won't try
The more I see you as years go by
I know the only one for me can only be you
My arms won't free you, my heart won't try
I imagine the Lord saying to us:
Can you imagine how much I love you?
The more I work in you as years go by
I am the only way to be what you are meant to be
My hands won't quit on you and my heart won't try.
The more I work in you as years go by
I am the only way to be what you are meant to be
My hands won't quit on you and my heart won't try.
You are designated as special.
Don't forget it.
Preached January 16, 2005
Dr. Harold McNabb
West Shore Presbyterian Church
Victoria, British Columbia