REVIEW

In this summer's pastoral conversations we are considering the relationship between Christ and Culture.

      The gospel is never generic, it is always particular.
      It is never spoken into a vacuum, but in a time and place in history.
      It is never "other worldly;" it is always a "this worldly" proclamation.
      In is not about escape from the world, but engagement with the world.

Everyday, Christians live in culture and in that culture they speak either a "yes" or "no" to the way of faith in the world.

Last Sunday, we introduced the series and addressed our culture as "A Culture of Possession."

      What is it, in the world, that "has us" or "possesses us?" How are we not free?

Introduction

This Sunday we are concerned with the issue of "A Culture of Divided Loyalties."

We are faced with "choices" each day.

This is witnessed to in many ways.

      How will I act in a particular situation?
      How will I spend my time and how will I spend my money.
      What will I do with the gracious gift of the time of "this day."


Literature bears this out.

      From Hamlet's "To be or not to be, that is the question" to the great novel and movie, "Sophie's Choice."

From James Russell Lowell's "Once to every man and nation comes a moment to decide" to Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken."

            Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
            And sorry I could not travel both
            And be one traveler, long I stood
            And looked down one as far as I could
            To where it bent in the undergrowth;

            Then took the other, just as fair.
            And having perhaps the better claim,
            Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
            Though as for that the passing there
            Had worn them really about the same.

            And both that morning equally lay
            In leaves no step had trodden back.
            Oh, I kept the first for another day!
            Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
            I doubted if I should ever come back.

            I shall be telling this with a sigh
            Somewhere ages and ages hence:
            Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
            I took the one less traveled by,
            And that has made all the difference.

Or there is Stephen Crane's "The Truth Seeker"...

            The wayfarer,
            Perceiving the pathway to truth
            Was struck with astonishment.
            It was thickly grown with weeds.
            "Ha," he said.
            "I see that none has passed here
            In a long time."
            Later he saw that each weed
            Was a single knife.
            "Well," he mumbled at last,
            "Doubtless there are other roads."

And then there is Harvey Cox's quip: "Not to decide is to decide."

We cannot escape choice or decision. This belongs to the anxiety of our humanity.

The Bible says, "Choose this day whom you will serve."

I. The story in our text in Luke 9 is about choices people make about Jesus. And the story clearly reveals that we live in a culture of divided loyalties.

      A. Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem to be "taken up." He is to be taken up on the cross. The Samaritans reject him. It is not new for him. The first section of Luke begins with him being rejected in Nazareth. Now he is rejected in Samaria. And sense we know the rest of the story we know he is rejected in Jerusalem.

      B. The disciples, annoyed with culture's rejection of Jesus, want to call down fire from heaven to destroy them. But Jesus does not reject culture even when it rejects him. He is not vindictive about culture but he is clear about culture.

      C. And he is clear about his mission. Luke says he is resolute.
II. Then the text turns to those who say they will follow Jesus.

      A. But the first on who says "I will follow" is not ready to "rough it."
      B. The second one who says "I will follow" wants to bury his dad.
      C. The third one who says "I will follow" wants to take care of things at home.
III. Here we come face to face with divided loyalties.
      A. The thing that strikes me is that the choice between our divided loyalties is usually not between the worst and lowest, but the best and highest of our loyalties.
      B. The question which confronts us is: What is our primary loyalty?
      C. There are no bargain basement cheap offers in the way of discipleship.

Conclusion

If our primary loyalty is to the way of Jesus in the world, it settles a lot of the other decisions with which we are faced. It clarifies a lot of our confusions. But we must remember. In following Jesus our choice is not about comfort but about clarity. In a culture which requires many loyalties, our choice is not about what is perfection in life but what is primary in life.

The test for our choices is this: Am what I am about in what I choose shaped by following Jesus way in the world? Is what we are about as a church shaped by following the way of Jesus in the world?

And we make that decision in a thousand little ways each day.

Do you choose to be free to live, love, forgive, serve, celebrate, suffer, sing, journey, hope, seek, risk in the dance feast of life that is "following Jesus" or to serve the way of death in hate, selfishness, condemnation, grimness, defeat, and fear.

In the midst of so many voices that call to us for our loyalty, deciding our primary loyalty to the way of God's love brings a lot of other things into focus. There is no easy way offered. There is no cheap way of grace. There is no looking back. There is no putting off. There is no procrastination. Seize the day! The primary loyalty of the day will determine the long endurance in faith...or not, as the case may be. For not to decide, is to decide!



Past Sermons