September 6-7, 1997 Sermon

September 6-7, 1997

Mike Slaughter

The Most Important Question
This past couple of weeks we've been asking the Dayton community by way of TV and radio an important question. Well, the question 'What is God like?' is the most important question you can ask, because your understanding of God has everything to do with your understanding of self. It is a matter of identity.
I don't know how many of you got up Saturday morning to watch Princess Diana's funeral. It was a tragedy this past weekend, and the thing that amazes me is that not a lot is being said about the chauffeur. The chauffeur forgot who he was. I mean, didn't they say that the test said that his blood-alcohol level was four times past that of the legal limit for France? I mean, the man was drunk. He forgot who he was. He forgot that he was entrusted with the life of a princess.
Have you heard about the kid down at LSU? His second day back at college, he died binge drinking. Eleven other kids went to the hospital sick. This is becoming an epidemic around the country and they're releasing lists of the "Top Ten Party Schools." Our children do not know who they are because they have forgotten whose they are.
Last weekend we took our daughter back to college and I was driving home - she's about eight hours away - and driving home I was reflecting over the summer. She'd been home about three and a half months and I thought back to Father's Day. Father's Day she had worked late and driven down to Cincinnati to my parent's home where we were going to celebrate. Just before we left there that night she stretched up to hug my mom & dad and I noticed that she had a belly button ring. She'd been home a month, I went, "Wow, a belly button ring!" It just kind of popped out! She kind of looked over at me really sheepishly. I go "Kristen, when did you do that?" She said they did that over Easter break at college. I said, "Well you've been home a month, why didn't you tell me?" She said, "Well, Dad, Amanda at church said that you'd probably get mad." I said, "Kristen it is not about body piercing. That's not what it comes down to. Or Benj Miller's orange hair. It's not about that."

Psalm 100:3
3: Know that the Lord is God! It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

It all comes down to one thing. Here it is:

I. The One Thing
Here's what life comes down to. It is Psalm 100:3. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
I said Kristen, everything in life comes down to this. Know who you are by understanding whose you are.
Identity. Identity. Understanding whose you are has everything to do with the decisions you make in your life. Back when Carolyn and I were struggling and having all those problems in our marriage, asking "do you stay or do you leave?" You see, it's a matter of identity. Understanding whose you are. When you're tempted, do you give in to your temptations and become a cheat and a liar? Or do you keep your promises?
Let me ask you a question. How do you personally make the decision of what is right and wrong? Now you know how most people in our culture do it? Here's what they do. They say well, by my experience, I just kind of go by my past experience and if it seems right to me or feels right to me, I do it. Now think about that for a minute. If I am my highest force of authority in determining the standard of what is right, then I'm making myself out to be God. And that is a pretty shaky foundation to base my life on. Right? Identity. The Lord is God. It is He who made us. We are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. You see understanding whose you are has everything to do with who you are and what you become.

II. Ownership
It is a matter of ownership. The Lord is God. It is He who made us. You know, God, our Creator, has a right to make a claim upon our lives. Would you agree? Think about it for a minute. The Creator, He made all the stars. Do you know how many stars there are? I don't even know how to say this number, maybe you mathematicians can pronounce this number, but it is 250 million times 250 million. I can't even say what that is but that's how many stars there are. And do you know that our star is about the smallest. Everything else in the universe is bigger than this. Now turn around the other way - take one handful of dirt and put that one handful under an electro-microscope and there are literally millions of micro-organisms in one handful of dirt.
And then He made you and I in the middle of all of that.
You are a fool if you think you are self-made. Identity. The Lord is God. It is He who made you. You are His. You are His people, the sheep of His pasture. You know I like the way David put it. David is somebody who rarely forgot who he was. He did one time, King David, cost him big time, but after that I don't think he ever forgot who he was again. He wrote a psalm, it's called Psalm 23. You know how it begins? Just like this, it's about identity: The Lord is my Shepherd. You know what that means. Here's how you'd say it today. You know we don't grow up around sheep, so it's kind of strange. The Lord is my owner. You see, David knew it is a matter of identity. You understand who you are because you know whose you are. The Lord is my shepherd.
We don't like that word 'owner' today, do we? We resent being owned. I don't like that idea of ownership. You know what our generation is known for? We're known as the 'addicted generation.' We are addicted to everything from sex to chocolate. You know this AIDS thing? You know what this AIDS thing is really all about? We want love so bad it's killing us.
Now the Bible has a word for what we sophisticated Westerners call addiction. It's called idolatry. Do you know what idolatry is? Here's a definition for idolatry. Idolatry is the commitment of your spirit to that which cannot bear it's weight. That's idolatry. The commitment of your spirit to anything that cannot bear the weight of your spirit.
I always like to read on vacation and out of those seven weeks we took about three weeks of vacation. You know what I'm reminded of every time I read a novel? We are a people who idolize romance. We all have this idea, we keep it back in our mind. I think this is why the Princess Diana thing is so big. I mean, what did Diana really do? She was someone who married the right person, kissed a prince and he became a frog. Got millions of dollars and she has committed adultery and she has problems like ordinary people. But there is someone else who died yesterday who was born with millions of dollars but gave it away and gave her life to serving the poor.
It's because we idolize romance, like we all think that if we can find that right relationship, we'd be satisfied. You're single but you're never satisfied. If you could find that right relationship it would satisfy your thirst. Then you get married and you think if I could just get rid of this relationship and find another right relationship... It's like the Samaritan woman. Remember, Jesus met the woman at the water fountain.
Samaritan woman, looks like you're thirsty, really thirsty. Did you ever think it's because you've been married to five men and the guy you're living with now is not even your husband? You see, she was thirsty for intimacy. And she was placing the weight of her spirit on that which could not possibly bear it up. So Jesus says you keep drinking that kind of water, you're always going to be thirsty, for there is no relationship in the world that is able to bear the weight of your spirit. There's no success in the world that's able to bear the weight of your spirit.
I said to someone, why is everyone so enamoured in this Princess Diana person? And they said because it's a fairy tale. But it's not a fairy tale that came true. So Jesus said, if you drink the water I give you, you'll never thirst again. There is only one thing that can bear the weight of your spirit. There's only one thing that can satisfy your thirst. Here's what Jesus said:

John 10:11
11: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

We are the sheep of His pasture, listen to this:
"I am the good shepherd."
What is God like? Good.
Now get this. This amazes me. That God, 250 million stars times 250 million stars, a handful of dirt, millions of micro-organisms, the God who did all of that, said, "I am the good shepherd and the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep."
A God who lays down his life for me? A God who lays down his life for you? We can trust Him, that God, to bear our weights. It's a matter of identity. The Lord is God. He has made you. You are His. You are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
My son plays on the Tipp City football team and last Sunday night they had a family picnic for the football players. And the tight end, a junior, Phil Couch, who goes to this church, just moved here from Wisconsin. So he has a wedding ring on his hand. I said, "Son, what is that ring on your hand?" He said, "That's a promise ring."
Do you know what a promise ring is? A promise ring is a ring that parents give their young people when they hit adolescence to remind them of their identity. Last October I was speaking in Leesburg, Florida, to all the United Methodist ministers in the state. I went into the Cokesbury bookstore there and I noticed they had this tiny little cross, made out of small nails, and it was put together simply with copper wire on a leather rope. I said that would be a great identity mark, what we call a promise cross, for me to take home to Jonathan. So I went home and I said, "Jonathan, for a year and a half we've been looking for a promise ring for you. I have not found a ring but I like this cross of nails because every time you look at this cross of nails I want you to remember who you are by remembering whose you are for Jonathan, it is the Lord who is God. He has made you. You are not your own, son, for you are His. You are His people, the sheep of His pasture. You are a follower of the good shepherd, son."

III. No Short Cuts
And there are no short cuts. You've been reading about Deion Sanders.
The guy that plays for the Cincinnati Reds and the Dallas Cowboys. Deion has just discovered his identity. Have you been reading about this? He's been running around with all kinds of women, just went through a divorce with his wife, and he has just found a relationship with Jesus Christ and he can't stop telling people about it. Another big article in the Dayton paper about it today. Now I hope Deion makes it, but in my twenty-some years of being on this journey with Jesus, I've grown a bit skeptical, because I've seen a lot of people like Deion. Like Elridge Cleaver, who used to be head of the Black Panthers and made a decision for Christ; and Bob Dylan. Even a lot of my friends who began on this journey and quit. Because we live in an instant society, we want a short cut to God. Just cut through the chase and give me the Cliff Notes version. God, do it for me NOW. But, there are no short cuts to a relationship with God. There is no Cliff Notes version to a relationship with Jesus. When people stumble or fall or are tempted and they discover that it is not instant, then they become disillusioned and quit. Hey, this is the hard way, folks. When Jesus Christ invites a man or woman to follow, He invites them to follow on the narrow way, and most folks prefer the big easy. But you're not going to find life on the big easy.
There is only one thing that can satisfy your thirst. There is only one thing that can bear the weight of your spirit, and here's what you do. Here's the key to life. Ready for this? Listen. Not wavering back and forth - that's the key. To make a lifetime commitment to a long obedience in the same direction. Not, well, this week I think I will and next week I don't know. To make a lifetime commitment to a long obedience in the same direction, because it's about identity. Understanding who you are because you know whose you are.
At night one of my favorite places to sit is out on our deck. Right across from my deck is the cemetery. I walk around there sometimes.
And every night I look over at the cemetery and I think of my friends. And my friends speak to me everyday as I look to that cemetery - out of their silence. You know what they say to me? Mike, you're going to die. Yes, you are going to be here sooner than you think. So every day, Mike, remember, everyday of this precious gift of life you have, remember this one thing - who you are - because you understand whose you are.
Identity, my brothers and sisters, for the Lord is God. He created you. You are His. You are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Amen