sermon notes: "Faith and Black Holes" (8/2/2009)

Previously, I’ve selected a theme and found scriptures to fit. This time around I decided to do things the other way around…I decided to read through I and II Corinthians…two of my favorite books of the Bible when I was a kid to see what verse(s) spoke to me. I got through 1 Corinthians and nothing…but when I got to 2 Corinthians 5:7; the verse jumped out at me.

“We live by faith, not by sight”.

As Christians we talk a lot about faith. Faith, faithful, faithfully and faithfulness are commonly mentioned in the Old and New Testament. Faith is fundamental to being a Christian.

Faith is something that I’ve heard many pastors talk about in their sermons but when I got to thinking about it I don’t believe I’ve ever heard anyone standing behind a pulpit talk about the how hard it is to maintain ones faith or doubts they’ve had as it relates to their beliefs or faith. Is it okay to have doubts or am I a bad Christian because I from time to time have such thoughts? After all having true, unwavering, spotless faith is often easier said than done.

I very rarely hear people talk publically about the how challenging it is to be Christian, about doubts they have, the challenges they face that truly shake the very foundation of their faith…I’m not sure why but it might have something to do with us not wanting to should even the slightest chink in the armor. In our culture we’re taught to be self sufficient…deal with all our issues on our own. Further, we want others to think we are impervious to temptation, free of doubts and strong in our faith….because if one has doubts or questions related to their faith, then they might be considered weak….a second class Christian.

Rhetorical question…How would your rate the strength of your faith on a scale from 1-10? Has it always been the same or does it fluctuate? How often do you find yourself questioning your beliefs? What causes you to question those beliefs and how does that impact the strength of your faith? Do you feel comfortable sharing doubts and the daily challenges in your Christian life?

This is what my journey looks like. I have ups and downs in my life and am faced with countless temptations every day. This causes me to question my beliefs from time to time but in doing so, I think that faith has continued to grow…and my relationship with God has continued to mature. I’m not where I’d like to be…actually I’m not even close but I feel like I’m on my way.

I believe it’s natural for us to have doubts…to question the way things are. I would actually argue that it’s okay to have doubts and is healthy to question one’s beliefs. However, it’s only a good thing if you are prepared to put real time and effort into sincerely, thoughtfully and prayerfully processing those doubts and questions…and understand that you are not in it alone. I believe that Jesus understood that people would have doubts, face temptation and ultimately question their beliefs/faith or elements of it. He spent a lot of time teaching his followers about what faith is and what faith could do for them. He also spent a lot of time instructing them on how to practice their faith.

Paul also understood that early Christians, much like Christians today…lived in a complex world, full of challenges. There were countless temptations as well as competing ideologies and faiths. Paul knew that they had their doubts….that there beliefs would be challenged and their faith put to the test. He knew that things didn’t always go their way and that they, like us, didn’t have Jesus physically present to encourage them or give them instructions on how to be good Christians. Like today, it was hard to be a faithful Christian. There was and continues to be a lot of outside influences and distractions. The early church had a hard time…so much so that Paul spent considerable time visiting and writing letters [SLIDE 8] to the church in places like Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colosse and Thessalonica. Why did Paul invest this much time and effort?

1) It’s easy to say live by faith, not by sight but it’s hard to do.

Paul understood that Christians needed to be reminded of what faith really was and what it could do for them. He recognized that the life of an early Christian was filled with challenges, obstacles and temptations. He knew that they would question their beliefs and faith and that they would find it easier to not to be Christian and he wanted to support them.

Beyond all of this there is the simple fact that the concept of faith goes against human nature. It also goes against logic and our entire scientific method is built on the premise that something needs to be proved to be true. [SLIDE 10] Let’s take black holes for instance…by definition black holes are the absence of everything. They are a void in space. It took years for scientists who had lots of anecdotal evidence and theories fighting to gain acceptance, many suspected they existed…they believed they existed…I wouldn’t call it faith but it’s something akin to that. Nevertheless, if you can’t see it or measure it then how do you prove its existence? Well, in the case of black holes, they ended up proving their existence not because they were finally able to develop the technology to see them but rather they came to understand and recognize the effects of a black hole. Black holes suck in any matter or energy that fall within their event horizon. They take that matter and energy/light and change it.

Proving the existence of God, the reason for our faith and beliefs, is much the same. We can’t see God but the impact he has on this world is clear. We usually can’t directly see his hand; but we can clearly she how his love and grace affects how things happen and outcomes. He takes those around him and changes them.

Paul never heard of black holes but he knew that the followers of Christ were young in their faith and were surrounded by countless others in the community that told them they were crazy….after all “where is your God?”

We are creatures that rely heavily on our five senses. If we can’t see it, hear it, feel it, touch it or taste it then it can’t be real. So, Paul wanted them to be constantly reminded that God was there with them and that their faith regardless of how strong it was would take them places.

2) It’s not easy to be a Christian. Life is full of ups and downs…countless temptations…and more challenges and obstacles than we care to think about. These lead to doubts and questioning….is what I believe right?

Just in 1 and 2 Corinthians Paul addressed issues such as division in the church (in other words, disagreements among Christians which coincidentally was the first issue he tackled in this letter), sexual immorality, false religions, the need to learn from history and the need for forgiveness. [SLIDE 12] He didn’t just want to tell them what to avoid but also to commend them on all of the things they were doing right…acknowledge that their lives were full of challenges and difficulties. [2 Cor 6:3ff] He commended the church on its endurance in troubles, hardships and distress; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor; in bad report and good report…

He knew that life was tough…full of ups and downs….full of challenges….full of temptations….all making it difficult to stay strong in the faith. God understands this as well. These ups and downs caused Christians then and now to question their beliefs and often stray from their faith.

3) Paul knew that it was his responsibility as a fellow Christian, strong in his faith, (though not his alone) to encourage the early church. Jesus set an example for his followers. Paul understood that Jesus talked about his faith, shared his faith, lived his faith and practiced his faith. He understood that he needed to do the same. Much like in the way Jesus said in Luke 22:32, I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers. He knew how important it was…and is… for those who were strong in their faith to be there to help those that weren’t…and aren’t.

He knew that being a Christian meant being part of a community. Community is a huge topic that deserves its own Sunday so I won’t go into a great deal of detail. But what I will say is that Paul understood it to be his job to share his faith (not because he was a leader, but because he was a member of the community) to offer guidance and words of encouragement.

But he also knew that it would be extremely difficult to maintain his own, strong faith without that same community. Even a model Christian, strong in his faith and certain of that faith, needs the faith of others. In Romans 1:11-12 Paul writes, “I long to see you so that I may impart to some spiritual gifts to make you strong---that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.”

I noticed something in his letters that I never picked up on before. As I was reading Corinthians it got me thinking…I bet Paul wrote these letters as much for him as he did for those he was writing to. He understood that it was tough to be out there in the world on his own. Paul knew it was vital for Christians no matter where they were to stay connected… to dialogue, to share the experiences and concerns, to support one another regardless of where they found themselves.

The churches were his first concern, these letters and interactions with these churches in modern day Greece and Asia Minor were vital to their survival and success. However, he spent all this time and energy also because he needed their faith just as much as they needed his…and that only this way would the church grow.

Paul understood that without all of these elements, faith would be hard to maintain….nevertheless even with these elements, beliefs would be challenged and temptations plentiful.

I’d just like to leave you with this….

• It’s okay to have doubts…to have your beliefs challenged and self evaluate the strength of your faith BUT you need to take the time through prayer, reflection and dialogue with other Christians to properly discern over these issues.
• It’s hard to live by faith. But remember that God is, was and always will be with his people. Even if you don’t see him working in your life in the way you would like him to, doesn’t mean he isn’t there.
• Paul understood that life is full of ups and downs…that we will have doubts and that our lives will be filled with distractions. He knew that the early church and the followers of Christ would be challenged and without the proper support structure waver in their faith.
• We belong to a community of believers. I encourage you to share your faith with others…Christians and non-Christians alike. If you have questions and doubts, I encourage you to talk to a fellow Christian…whether they attend this church or not. Only through dialogue and mutual support will this congregation and the Christian church as a whole continue to grow and become the beacon of light in the world that God wants it to be.