Scripture: 1 John 3:4-6; Micah 6:8 Series: 2020
A New Year sermon (with a children’s message on being honest and true rather than fitting in) that defines sin, via 1 John 3:4-6, as rebellion against God rather than a mere list of dos and don’ts. Pop-culture rebels (Star Wars, American Graffiti, Footloose) work only against an evil empire or oppressive order, but God’s order is sacrificial love revealed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Drawing on the Augustinian curvatus image and Micah 6:8, the preacher argues Christian freedom is not a buffet of choices but the freedom not to rebel against the God who is love, extending faithfulness beyond individual acts to seeking justice and mercy in a changing world.
Illustrations: star-wars-rebellion, american-graffiti-rebel, footloose-rebellion, curvatus-construction-destruction
January 3
Children’s Message
New school year. New impression
God doesn’t ask you to fit in but to be honest and true to who you are. You have a chance to be more honest and more true this year, and it can
Every person who practices sin commits an act of rebellion, and sin is rebellion. You know that he appeared to take away sins, and there is no sin in him. Every person who remains in relationship to him does not sin. Any person who sins has not seen him or known him. 1 John 3:4-6
The first time I ever heard about rebellion was watching Star Wars.
American Graffiti
The rebel who does what he wants, or keeps it real.
This idea works when there is an evil empire to rebel against, or folks in a small town he need to get, loose, foot loose.
John, though, defines sin for us here as an act of rebellion against God.
Sin is usually presented as a list of dos and don’ts.
A lot of it comes down to what our point of reference is: is it society, our parents, our country, our political party, the other political party. Who defines rebellion? Who defines order?
The order of God is found in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Sacrificial love is the order God seeks for the world.
Sin is our heart in rebellion to God. And what John says is that we don’t need it. We don’t need to be contrary to the God who is love. This is Christian freedom. It is not about a buffet line of choice but the freedom to not rebel.
Curvatus. “Are you in the construction business or the destruction business?”
If God is good and just and true then all goodness and justice and truth lies with God.
This is the power of Micah 6:8
As well, our faithfulness to God is not just about our individual actions but what we seek in this world.
In this new year, hear these words: you don’t have to fight yourself, you don’t have to act against others.
You are loved, so act in love. You are forgiven, so offer forgiveness. Let us work together to seek new forms of justice and mercy as the world continues to change.