Sermon -- April 30, 2006

Here's the transcript of my sermon from Sunday morning. I know it challenged a lot of us about how we live our lives. Review and let me know what you think!


1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Perhaps you have heard this story before. If so, let me tell it to you again:

Once upon a time there lived a vain Emperor whose only worry in life was to dress in elegant clothes. He changed clothes almost every hour and loved to show them off to his people.

Word of the Emperor's refined habits spread over his kingdom and beyond. Two scoundrels who had heard of the Emperor's vanity decided to take advantage of it. They introduced themselves at the gates of the palace with a scheme in mind.

"We are two very good tailors and after many years of research we have invented an extraordinary method to weave a cloth so light and fine that it looks invisible. As a matter of fact it is invisible to anyone who is too stupid and incompetent to appreciate its quality."

The chief of the guards heard the scoundrel's strange story and sent for the court chamberlain. The chamberlain notified the prime minister, who ran to the Emperor and disclosed the incredible news. The Emperor's curiosity got the better of him and he decided to see the two scoundrels.

"Besides being invisible, your Highness, this cloth will be woven in colors and patterns created especially for you." The emperor gave the two men a bag of gold coins in exchange for their promise to begin working on the fabric immediately.

"Just tell us what you need to get started and we'll give it to you." The two scoundrels asked for a loom, silk, gold thread and then pretended to begin working. The Emperor thought he had spent his money quite well: in addition to getting a new extraordinary suit, he would discover which of his subjects were ignorant and incompetent. A few days later, he called the old and wise prime minister, who was considered by everyone as a man with common sense.

"Go and see how the work is proceeding," the Emperor told him, "and come back to let me know."

The prime minister was welcomed by the two scoundrels.

"We're almost finished, but we need a lot more gold thread. Here, Excellency! Admire the colors, feel the softness!" The old man bent over the loom and tried to see the fabric that was not there. He felt cold sweat on his forehead.

"I can't see anything," he thought. "If I see nothing, that means I'm stupid! Or, worse, incompetent!" If the prime minister admitted that he didn't see anything, he would be discharged from his office.

"What a marvelous fabric, he said then. "I'll certainly tell the Emperor." The two scoundrels rubbed their hands gleefully. They had almost made it. More thread was requested to finish the work.

Finally, the Emperor received the announcement that the two tailors had come to take all the measurements needed to sew his new suit.

"Come in," the Emperor ordered. Even as they bowed, the two scoundrels pretended to be holding large roll of fabric.

"Here it is your Highness, the result of our labour," the scoundrels said. "We have worked night and day but, at last, the most beautiful fabric in the world is ready for you. Look at the colors and feel how fine it is." Of course the Emperor did not see any colors and could not feel any cloth between his fingers. He panicked and felt like fainting. But luckily the throne was right behind him and he sat down. But when he realized that no one could know that he did not see the fabric, he felt better. Nobody could find out he was stupid and incompetent. And the Emperor didn't know that everybody else around him thought and did the very same thing.

The farce continued as the two scoundrels had foreseen it. Once they had taken the measurements, the two began cutting the air with scissors while sewing with their needles an invisible cloth.

"Your Highness, you'll have to take off your clothes to try on your new ones." The two scoundrels draped the new clothes on him and then held up a mirror. The Emperor was embarrassed but since none of his bystanders were, he felt relieved.

"Yes, this is a beautiful suit and it looks very good on me," the Emperor said trying to look comfortable. "You've done a fine job."

"Your Majesty," the prime minister said, "we have a request for you. The people have found out about this extraordinary fabric and they are anxious to see you in your new suit." The Emperor was doubtful showing himself naked to the people, but then he abandoned his fears. After all, no one would know about it except the ignorant and the incompetent.

"All right," he said. "I will grant the people this privilege." He summoned his carriage and the ceremonial parade was formed. A group of dignitaries walked at the very front of the procession and anxiously scrutinized the faces of the people in the street. All the people had gathered in the main square, pushing and shoving to get a better look. An applause welcomed the regal procession. Everyone wanted to know how stupid or incompetent his or her neighbor was but, as the Emperor passed, a strange murmur rose from the crowd.

Everyone said, loud enough for the others to hear: "Look at the Emperor's new clothes. They're beautiful!"

"What a marvelous train!"

"And the colors! The colors of that beautiful fabric! I have never seen anything like it in my life!" They all tried to conceal their disappointment at not being able to see the clothes, and since nobody was willing to admit his own stupidity and incompetence, they all behaved as the two scoundrels had predicted.

A child, however, who had no important job and could only see things as his eyes showed them to him, went up to the carriage.

"The Emperor is naked," he said.

"Fool!" his father reprimanded, running after him. "Don't talk nonsense!" He grabbed his child and took him away. But the boy's remark, which had been heard by the bystanders, was repeated over and over again until everyone cried:

"The boy is right! The Emperor is naked! It's true!"

The Emperor realized that the people were right but could not admit to that. He thought it better to continue the procession under the illusion that anyone who couldn't see his clothes was either stupid or incompetent. And he stood stiffly on his carriage, while behind him a page held his imaginary mantle.


1 Corinthians 1:18-31

The April 18, 2005 edition of Time Magazine listed the “100 Most Influential People In The World”. In the section of 100 most influential scientists and thinkers, Peter Singer, professor of bioethics in Princeton University’s Center for Human Values, is said to be “a man whose reasoning merits consideration by everyone”. This is a system of thinking in which Singer considers that 20th-century advances in medicine, technology and anthropology have made traditional Judeo-Christian ethics irrelevant and hypocritical. He offers five new commandments:

1. Recognize that the worth of human life varies" because all life is not of equal value.
2. Take responsibility for the consequences of your decisions" because the old commandment to "never intentionally to take innocent human life" is too absolutist to deal with all the circumstances that can arise.
3. Respect a person's desire to live or die" because "incurably ill people who ask doctors to help them die are not harming others".
4. Bring children into the world only if they are wanted" because being fruitful and multiplying now causes serious overpopulation.
5. Do not discriminate on the basis of species" because what is "human" can no longer be demonstrated to apply to homo sapiens alone.

Based on these five commandments, Singer analyzes the history of traditional arguments about life and death, with man as the center of the universe, and makes a forceful case for his new ethic.

An ethic which includes abortion as a viable option even to the point that the head of the baby is still in the birth canal.
An ethic in which people whose brains no longer function may have their vital organs removed, even if they are not legally dead.
An ethic in which beastiality is considered a proper sexual consideration.
An ethic in which an outside determining group makes a decision as to when one has stopped contributing to society and the lives of the elderly are ended prematurely.
An ethic in which people and animals are literally on the same level. And given the choice between killing you or killing a chicken, serious moral consideration would have to be had.
An ethic in which children who are diagnosed with genetic malfunction leading to disease or handicap may be exterminated. What he’s saying is that when we found out our six month old daughter Christy had cystic fibrosis, to choose to murder her at that point would have been morally permissible.

And this is from a man widely referred to as the most influential philosopher in American education.

How is it that we get to this point? When do we say enough is enough? We are at a point of moral crisis.

And I’m not talking to the world, I’m speaking to us the church. And I’m not talking about Cornerstone, I’m speaking to the Church, capital “C” – you just happen to be listening this morning.

I mentioned to you before the nightwalkers, thousands of children in Uganda who walk from their villages every night into the cities in order to sleep safely. If they stay in their villages, rebel forces kidnap them force them to become sex slaves and soldiers. Here is a picture of their story.

Video clip from "Invisible Children" -- www.invisiblechildren.org

This is a moral crisis. Where is truth? Where is a moral code to govern our lives? What happened to right and wrong?

A worldview is the lens by which you view the world around you. Today we are ruled by this worldview: moralistic therapeutic deism. (Term taken from James W. Sire -- "The Universe Next Door".)

It’s all about us. It’s all about making ourselves happy. It’s as inward-focused as it can get. And don’t think this hasn’t permeated the Church because it’s everywhere. It’s in our marriages, our families, our programs, our ministries, our budgets. The church at large is a bunch of moralistic therapeutic deistic consumers.

When will we stop watching TV and begin engaging the Kingdom?
When do we stop bickering in our families and begin living healthy lives?
When will we stop substituting “faith questions” about what we know about God into a life walked in faith – following His voice?
When will we realize that illegal immigration has very little to do with immigration and has everything to do with the Great Commission?
When will we realize that even the poorest person in this room is unbelievably wealthy in global terms?
When will we stop playing church and begin to build relationship with our neighbors?
When will we stop complaining about the public school system and begin running for the school board, or speaking up at PTA meetings, or just volunteering to go on a field trip?
When will we begin to realize that every black man in a big coat, baggy jeans and a ball cap twisted sideways isn’t out to hurt us, and realize that there’s a person there with hopes, dreams and fears?
When will the individuals in our church stop coming into our pastoral offices and saying, “I want community” and then not be faithful in attending their small group or joining any small group at all?
When will we stop talking about prayer, or how we’d like to pray, or who we like to hear pray, or how we’re not sure we believe in prayer, or how we’re too intimidated to pray and begin actually praying because prayer changes things?
When will Christians, the same Christians who placed this administration into power, demand that our government stop securing oil fields in Iraq and if they want to send troops somewhere, send them a few thousand miles south to liberate tens thousands of terrified children in Uganda, Sudan and Congo?
When will realize we’ve all been abused one way or another – physically,verbally, sexually, emotionally, spiritually-- we’re all screwed up and we just need to be real about it and talk about it and pray for one another?

Really what I’m asking is this, when do our lives stop being about us and about securing our own personal happiness?

We’re walking around naked. Everyone sees it, except us. You know what, I think maybe even we see it, but like the emperor, we don’t want to look stupid.

Here’s a point of truth: when you’re naked, and you know it, and you pretend you’re not naked but you really are – there’s a serious issue there.

These problems are massive.
Peter Singer’s ethical code.
Genocide in Sudan.
Nightwallkers in Uganda.
Child labor in China.
Murder on Mifflin Street.
Drug trafficking down Route 78.
Stolen car laundering on the east side of Chestnut Street.
A five yr old and two yr old living in inhumane conditions on Fifth Street.
Domestic abuse in the building right next to our church.
Broken homes in the people who live next door to you.

The thing is, none of this is new. For years, decades, centuries, mankind has been trying to cure itself of these vast diseases of society and culture. Secular organizations of all sorts and kinds -- non-profit and governmental – have worked countless hours and spent billions of dollars to cure societal and sociological issues of brokenness. And the struggle still continues.

These things are so huge they don’t make sense. We can’t even wrap our minds around them, which is one reason why you should go to a third world country and force your mind to wrap around them. That’s for free.

No invention of man is going to answer these things. No strategy of community wellness or plan of restructuring society is going to fit the bill. They’re too huge.

If you’ve ever experienced significant pain, you know what I’m talking about. At some point, the words and clichés just stop being effective. Your pain is too huge.

There is only one thing that will bring hope to this hopelessness: Jesus.

Some of you out there here me say that and you’re like, “Yeah! Preach it!” Others of you are like, “That’s just a little too simplistic”. Others of you are just rolling your eyes saying, “Look where He got us so far.” Still others are not even sure He’s for real.

Listen, it’s not Jesus’ fault we’re not Kingdom people. And it’s not Jesus’ fault we don’t listen.

It’s not that Jesus is "the answer" to society’s problems. I’m not saying to enter one of these secure locations with a thousand kids in it, preach Jesus and expect all their problems to go away. Now that’s an over-simplification. It’s just simply this: Jesus is life.

Everything else is death. And so we bring Jesus, which makes absolutely no sense to the world. It’s foolish. That’s what Paul says anyway. Look again at v.18-25. This is the paradox of faith at work, and the world scorns it and mocks it and says thanks, but no thanks – it’s just foolishness. Jesus is my worldview.

When we present out worldview to those around us, the key question is not “Why?”, the key question is “So what?”. What change has this worldview brought you? How has it effected who you are? The reason why Jesus has lost so much sway in this world is not because He’s not doing anything, but because His people are more concerned with securing their own happiness than they are about furthering His Kingdom through sacrifice and submission to Him.

Whether they know it or not, the entire world is looking for Jesus, but they will never find Him on their terms. We come to Christ on His terms. We desperately need Him because He is life and He alone has the words of life.

That’s what makes the Bible so powerful. These are the words of life that God has spoken through His Spirit to us. Again, that’s straight-up foolishness to the world, and I make no apologies for it. How’s that worldview working out for you? Are you happy? No, you’re not. There’s always a higher level of happiness, isn’t there? There’s always more to be attained through whatever avenue you choose: money, sex, pleasure, work. Who cares who you slept with? Who cares what you smoked? Who cares what you own? Who cares how much money you make? Who cares how you force your kids to define you? Who cares how busy you are? You’re never completely filled by any of these things.

But with Jesus, even the crazy things make sense. Check out v.26-29. Things with Jesus are so against the system of the world that they look foolish, but they’re not. And that frustrates the world. It’s frustrating that we can simply rest in Christ and in the community -- living for relationship with Jesus and meeting the needs of others, and we don’t need the rat race or the sex or the drugs or the alcohol or the religion or the paycheck or the popularity or the stuff. We just need Jesus and we live our lives as on outflow of who we are in Him. That is so foolish to the world and it is so the path of wisdom and the path of life. Jesus is the starting point and the ending point and everything in between. You may as well give up running now because you’re never going to find what it is that you’re looking for anywhere other than giving it all up to Him.

I don’t care if you believe what I’m saying, just live it. Live it and watch the huge things not necessarily get solved, but watch them not dominate anymore, watch them lose their authority, because Jesus is life and in certainty of life there is hope even in the darkest of nights.