ROMANS 5:1-11

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,

4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

It’s been said that there are two kinds of people in the world.  There are those who walk into a room and say, “Here I am!” and there are those who walk into a room and say, “There you are!”  Now here’s a question for you. Which one would you rather spend an evening with? Would you rather spend it with a “Here I am!” person or would you rather spend it with a “There you are person?”  Here’s another question for you. Which one would you rather be?  Would you rather be a “Here I am person” or a “There you are person.”

Common sense suggests that you’re going to be a lot happier and a lot more popular if you’re a “There you are!” person.  Unfortunately, however, we live in a society that encourages you to be a “Here I am” person.  The reason for that is simple.

Do you remember the old Smith Barney commercials?  The tag line was always the same. We make money the old fashioned way.  We earn it.  That’s true for most things in life.  If you really want something you have to go out and earn it.  If you want that promotion at work you have to go out and earn it.  If you want to graduate with honors you have to go out and earn it.  If you want to win that road race you have to go out and earn it.  In other words if you really want something you have to be a “Here I am” person!

That’s one of the reasons why we live in a society that is so incredibly competitive even though that competitive spirit can sometimes get the best of you.  A man saw that when he went to an auction and decided to bid on a talking parrot.  As soon as the man bid $5 there was a bid for $10.  So he bid $15 and there was a bid for $20.  So he bid $25 and there was a bid for $30.  On and on it went.  $40…$50…$60….$70.  Finally the man bid $100 and that turned out to be the winning bid.  Later when the man went to pay for the parrot he asked the auctioneer a question.  “So,” the man said, “Can this parrot really talk.”  The auctioneer smiled. “Absolutely,” he said.  “Who do you think was bidding against you?”

We live in a competitive society that says “If you want something you have to earn it” which means you have to be a “Here I am” person.  That’s not the way it works though when it comes to your relationship with God.  You don’t earn God’s love.  You don’t earn your way into the kingdom of heaven.  The Apostle Paul knew that. Listen again to what he says in his Letter to the Romans.  Paul says, “…since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Let me say it again.  You don’t earn God’s love.  You don’t earn your way into the kingdom of heaven.  It’s a gift that God freely gives to you.  At the heart of our faith is the belief that in Bethlehem our living, loving God came to be with us in Christ Jesus. At the heart of our faith is the belief that in Jerusalem our living, loving God who was in Christ Jesus suffered for us.  On the Cross the God who was in Christ came face to face with the worst that human nature has to offer and said, “Forgive them for they know not what they do.”  On the Cross our living, loving God says the same thing to you and me and to everyone who believes.  Our living, loving God says to us, “Just remember this!  There isn’t anything that you can do that will ever make me stop loving you.” There isn’t anything that I can do that will make God stop loving me.  There isn’t anything that you can do that will make God stop loving you.

“…since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Mark Twain wasn’t a great theologian but he knew that Paul was right.  That’s why Mark Twain once said, “Heaven goes by grace.  If it went by merit you would stay out and your dog would go in.”

Mark Twain wasn’t a great theologian but Paul Tillich was and he also knew that Paul was right.  That’s why Paul Tillich once said, “Accept the fact that you are accepted.”

When it comes to God’s love you don’t earn it.  When it comes to getting into the kingdom of heaven you don’t earn it.  So you don’t have to be a “Here I am” person.  God’s love sets you free from the dilemma that Linus found himself in one day while talking to his good friend Charlie Brown.  The two of them are talking about what they want to do when they grow up when all of a sudden Linus announces, “When I get big I’m going to be a humble little country doctor.  I’ll live in the city, see, and every morning I’ll get up, climb into my sports car and zoom into the country!  Then I’ll start healing people.  I’ll heal everybody for miles around.”  “Yes,” Linus says, “I’ll be a world-famous humble little country doctor.”

The Good News is that you don’t have to be like that because God’s love isn’t something that you got out and earn.  The kingdom of heaven isn’t something that you go out and earn.  So, instead of being a “Here I am person” you can rejoice in the blessings of God’s love and use it to be a “There you are person.”

You can be a “There you are person” who shares the joy of being loved with others.  You can be a “There you are person” who rejoices with those who are glad and weeps with those who are sad.  You can be a “There you are person” and help that little old lady across the street not because you want God and everyone else to see how awesome you are but because you really do care about that little old lady.  You really do want to help her across the street.

Since we started off with a story about an auction it’s fitting that we end with a story about another auction.  Unlike the talking parrot auction though this auction actually happened.  It all started when a 17-year-old girl by the name of Katie Fisher brought her lamb to a 4-H auction.   As Katie stood there on stage with her lamb, her mother hoped that she wouldn’t collapse.  You see Katie was battling cancer and it was her first time in months that she had been out of the hospital and away from her chemotherapy treatments.  It was difficult for Katie to part with the lamb but she needed the money and lamb was selling for two dollars a pound.  Shortly after the bidding began the auctioneer had a sudden inspiration.  He said, “We sort of let folks know that Katie had a situation that wasn’t too pleasant.”  He hoped that his words would push the bidding up a little.  Well, it worked.  The lamb sold for $11.50 a pound, but things didn’t stop there.  The buyer paid up and then gave the lamb back so that it could be sold again.  That started a chain reaction, with people buying and returning the lamb over and over again.  When local businesses started buying and returning the lamb the earnings really began to pile up.  The first sale is the only one Katie’s mom remembers.  After that, she was crying too hard as the crowd kept chanting, ‘Resell!  Resell!’  Katie’s lamb was sold 36 times that day and ended up raising $16,000 to help with her medical expenses and the best part of all is that she got to keep her famous lamb.”  (Chicken Soup for the Soul v.4 pp.78-79)

“…since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  That’s the thing about God’s wonderful love and amazing grace.  It frees you from the clutches of being a “Here I Am” person and so you can experience the joy of being a “There You Are” person.  Amen.

Rev. Dr. Richard A. Hughes

May 26, 2013