Paul Tillich once preached a famous sermon in which he insisted that we have to accept the fact that we are accepted. Perhaps the deepest need that every one of us has is that of being accepted. The search for acceptance can be seen in all kinds of behavior.
We might think that some of the nicest good news is hearing of the birth of a baby, coming into a lot of money, or being cured of a disease, but the best news of all is that even though we are sinners who don’t deserve it, Christ has died for us.
Here is another idol I have seen you worship: Your achievements, your accomplishments. You seem to think that titles puff you up; like “doctor” or “teacher” or “president” or “pastor.” You seem to think that once you have achieved a status in life, you are better than the others, and so what you are really worshiping is yourself. Am I wrong?
In C. S. Lewis' book The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the children ask about Aslan the lion--the Christ figure in Lewis' stories. The children look at Aslan and ask, "Is he safe?" And the reply from the other characters is, "Of course he's not safe. But he's good." The same thing could probably be said about Christ.
It’s worth noting how Paul intentionally stepped out of his comfort zone to share the Good News with those who were caught up in pagan ways. Notice I said they were intentional – they deliberately made a decision to make the most of the moment. To hesitate, to stall, to put it off, would mean a lost opportunity.
I have a question for you to consider this morning. I don’t want you to answer it; just ponder it for the next 15 minutes, and perhaps as you leave this place today. The question is this: What would you be willing to do for a million dollars? For one million in cold cash, what deed would you be willing to do?
The Greek word for spirit is pneuma--meaning breath or spirit. Jesus gave up his breath or his spirit. The fully human Jesus died and gave up the fully divine Spirit. He released the Holy Spirit into the world when he died on the cross. Fifty days later, on Pentecost, that Spirit of God—that breath of God—descended upon the Apostles.
Paul never woke up in the morning saying, “Think I’ll write some holy scripture today.” No. He woke up thinking, “I’ve got to write that church in Corinth and straighten them out! Those churches in Galatia are in a mess. They need to hear from me!” He just couldn’t leave the churches alone.
On the surface, Paul's experience in Athens stands out as one of his less successful preaching efforts. For example, you won't find a Letter to the Athenians in the New Testament. That suggests he wasn't able to start a congregation there. From all appearances, he stayed in Athens a short time and never came back. So it goes.
When we are willing to “wait” as people of faith, extraordinary things can happen. God’s gift of love can come at any time. Remember, it is free, not something we have to earn. It may, however take time. Meanwhile, we live with hope.