Faith in Action

Text: ESV 1 Samuel 3:10 And the LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”

Goal: That we respond in faith to God’s calling in our lives.

ESV 1 Timothy 1:2 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

How many times have you heard the Lord calling out to you? It’s usually not a voice that you can hear with your ears . . . not too many of us have heard God speak in the way that Samuel heard Him. But we all hear God speaking to us through His Word. His Holy Spirit makes connections in our minds as He communicates His will for our lives. Sometimes people make the mistake of believing that it’s our job to find or figure out God’s specific plan for our lives. I served in Germany with a guy who almost drove himself crazy, trying to figure out if he was living by God’s plan for his life or not. He believed that there were levels of Christianity and if you could get close enough to God, you could figure out what He really wanted you to do in life.

Two problems with that kind of thinking: First God’s plan for the life of a Christian is clearly outlined in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. It’s called the Ten Commandments. If you want to know God’s will and purpose for your life, simply listen to God’s plan for His people: You shall have no other gods. You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Honor your father and mother. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. That’s God’s plan for each of us. We memorize the plan as part of our catechism instruction. We know that we daily fail to live by God’s plan, but we also know that through His Holy Spirit, we are empowered to live by His plan. There is no mystery, no secret, no hidden levels of Christianity.

But I did say that there were two problems. My friend in Germany believed that there were levels of Christianity and if you could get close enough to God, you could figure out what He really wanted you to do in life. The second problem is that we can’t move ourselves closer to God. God always comes to us. He breaks into our world. And when He breaks into our world, we usually don’t even recognize it at first. When God spoke to Samuel, he ran to Eli. No idea that God Himself was calling His name. Even Eli, God’s priest, didn’t realize what was happening until God had called out to the boy two times. God reveals Himself to us, we never find God. We can never get closer to God. He comes to us.

That’s what the season of Epiphany is all about . . . God coming to us, God revealing, God showing Himself to us. All throughout history God has shown Himself to His people. All throughout history God has provided a way to live among His people. All throughout history God has worked through a physical means to give His people forgiveness, life, and salvation. Finally God showed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. God revealed His love and mercy through the life of Jesus Christ. God demonstrated His love by being willing to die on the cross to take away our sin. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16&17).

In the same way that God called out to Samuel, God calls out to us. He says our name loudly and clearly on the day of our Baptism. He continues to call out to us all of our lives. He calls us to live according to His Word. He calls us to use our gifts and talents for His glory. He calls us to work in honorable vocations. He gives us the faith to do His will. He gives us the strength to respond to His calling by saying, “Speak, for your servant hears” (1 Samuel 3:10b).

Our faith results in action. Samuel heard God speaking and he responded by doing God’s will. We hear God speaking and we respond by doing God’s will. James stated it with these words (James 2:17&18): “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” James never claimed that we are saved by our works, but he clearly stated that faith and works go hand in hand. God has given us our faith, so that we might respond by doing His will. Doing God’s will means loving God and loving our neighbor. We show this love by the works that we do as we respond to God’s love for us. So what does it look like for us to live as Christians? How do we respond to God’s call in our lives? A recent article by Lawrence Rast Jr. published in The Lutheran Witness (January 2009) may be helpful. Dr. Rast highlights five ways that we can live our lives in response to God’s calling. Number one: receive God’s gifts. Dr. Rast comments: “In the Divine service God pours His grace and mercy out on us in abundance through His Word and Sacraments and strengthens us for a life of service to Him and our neighbor” (p. 8). Our faith in action compels us to receive blessing after blessing from our Lord. In every worship service we confess our sins and receive His absolute word of forgiveness. Today we will eat His own body and drink His own blood as He fills our bodies with His strength.

Number two: study the Word. Dr. Rast continues: “People today wish they could hear the voice of God. He speaks powerfully through His Word to contemporary circumstances” (p. 8). God’s Word is never outdated. His Word never fails to communicate. Our faith in action encourages us to study the Word whenever we have an opportunity: family devotions, personal reading and reflection, Bible studies, and Sunday school, all ways of studying the Word.

Number three: know your doctrine. Dr. Rast encourages: “Refamiliarize yourself with the Small Catechism. It is a rich resource for speaking the truths of the faith in a simple way and will give you confidence to speak about your faith” (p. 8). Do you know the six chief parts of the Small Catechism? Do you understand what the Bible teaches concerning the Ten Commandments, Holy Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, the Office of the Keys, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Apostles’ Creed? When we commune together we are proclaiming a unified confession, a unified belief in these six teachings. Our faith in action gives us the desire to be students of the Small Catechism all the days of our lives.

Number four: tell your story. Dr. Rast declares: “Simple testimony to God’s faithfulness to His promises as He has worked through parents, teachers, and friends in your life can be powerful means through which God’s Spirit works” (p. 8). God is at work in our lives. He is providing for us through other Christians. In my own life, God provided an incredible amount of financial support for my college and seminary education through my great-aunt and uncle. Month after month, check after check, they made sure that the bills were paid and that food was on our table. Our faith in action realizes that God is faithful, no matter how difficult the situation. Our faith in action tells others of God’s provision in our lives.

Finally: share your faith. Dr. Rast concludes: “Look for opportunities to share the faith, as well as your personal faith. Sharing stories of Gods’ work in your life can build deep and lasting relationships with people who need to hear of God’s love for them in Christ” (p. 8). In my own life, my mom, my grandpa, and my grandma shared their faith with me. They encouraged me. They prayed for me. They never gave up on me. Our faith in action recognizes that someone shared their faith with us. Our faith in action motivates us to share our faith with others.

ESV Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.