Turning Belief Around

When one accepts the call of God to preach, almost immediately a realization is made. That realization is that a good portion of my time is going to be spent telling people what they NEED to hear, but less of my time telling them what they want to hear. There are two contributing factors to this phenomenon, the first: that we humans so often want something even when we need something so different, and the second: it's the proclaimer's job to tell people what they need. Occasionally though, the two line up and I personally find great joy when that happens. I am joyful, then, to tell you that I have for you today, words that you need to hear, but very much words that you will want to hear. God believes in you.

Our text for the morning is 1 Peter 5:1-7. I want to add to the printed text one from John’s Gospel, but hopefully that one will become apparent. Let me tell you that the text is, obviously, from the Apostle Peter, in what many have described as the first “pastoral letter” of the new testament. It was most likely not written by Peter, but by one of his scribes, perhaps Silvanus an elder or presbyter in the Church of Rome. The letter is a real united composition, some scholars have suggested that perhaps it was a baptismal homily or a liturgy, but close examination clearly show it a letter to the churches in the five provinces of Asia. The portion of the letter we deal with today is from what most call the “concluding exhortations” or last minute instructions.

Please read 1 Peter 5:1-7.

Three men rise and shine on a morning that starts just like any other. A father and his two sons, wake long before the sun rises and head off to work in the family business. The father, a man with the most common of names, and the most menial of jobs, a man others knew little about. The kind of man who kept to himself, worked hard, and didn’t bother anyone. The family business consisted of one boat, a couple of tattered nets, and some other assorted fishing gear. While he had made it to the point that he could work for himself, there would be nothing about this man which would lead us to believe he was anything but common, average, middle class - a regular guy. He was flanked every day by his two boys. His youngest son had learned the family business well, taking time to always check details, follow through on tasks, and learn all he could. He was already a good fisherman and sailor, but he was learning the business side of the equation. He could sit for long hours quiet, listening, fishing, and learning. This younger son was no longer a little brother having long since passed both his father and older sibling in height and weight. The father was so proud of his younger son he could barely contain himself sometimes. The boy had good instincts; he knew when to point things out, when to bring important matters up. The father loved both his sons but, though steeped in a tradition that would have most all he owned go to his older son, could already see in this younger of his boys that it was he who would carry on the family name and business with pride. The older son was just too, too something. While the younger boy and his father could sit still for hours on end waiting for just the right time to drop the nets, the older boy was always talking, always asking some crazy question, making some bold prediction. The older boy was always loud, even when he wasn’t right. He was always audacious, even if not always sure. In spite of all this though, everyone knew there was something about him. No one could quite put their finger on it, and more importantly no one was willing to get behind any of his daring ideas and plans, but everyone knew he had something. Because they could not nail down what it was, they joked to the older boy mercilessly. They even gave him a nickname that stuck. They called him “pebble” because, they laughed, his brain must be about the size of a pebble. Most of the time people didn’t know whether to believe in what he said, or laugh at what had to be a joke, another "funny" from "old Simon, the pebble".

The family fished in a river basin, on a body of water the locals called a sea. Like their neighbors though, they were “river" people. In fact, more than most, they had all the characteristics of folks who depended on the river. As fisherman, they had calloused hands and chapped skin. Most of the time they smelled of blood and fish guts. In fact, the smell was so bad that one of the aforementioned crazy ideas 'Simon the pebble' had come up with was a saltwater perfume/hand cleaner. It was a chance for the business to branch out, diversify, he told his dad. The father wasn’t even sure he knew what diversify meant, but was sure he didn’t like the sound of it. Like most of his ideas, Simon could not get anyone to believe in it and it fell away. Several other failed attempts at putting together a “way off the boat” lead Simon to a state where he was almost resolved to his place along-side his brother, Andrew, and his father, John, on their boat day after day. After all, no one believed he would or could do anything else, he was "the pebble".

As the three got to their place on the pier where their boat was docked on this day however, they could not help but notice that everyone was talking, and it wasn’t, as usual about currents and runs of fish. No, it was about something bigger. The father, no doubt afraid Simon would be easily side tracked at any chance, sent Andrew to find out what exactly was going on, what had the river folks so stirred up. Five minutes later he wasn’t sure he had made the right decision though, as getting Simon to thread nets and pull anchor lines was tough enough normally, today as the older brother craned his neck to catch even a glimpse of what was going on, he was worthless. I suspect the father thought something like this, “This boy is about as useless to me right now as a milk bucket under a bull.” Maybe his analogy would have been a net with holes, but I am sure you get the picture. I have no doubt, the father thought "why did I ever believe Simon could do this stuff today?".

About this time Andrew comes into view as he makes his way back. Simon notices first that his younger brother is running; maybe even sprinting back to them, but it is only a second or two until the father notices too. In fact, Andrew’s haste is cause for concern for John, who might expect Simon to let something distract from work to the point he would waste energy running back just to tell about it, but not Andrew. If he was running back, either the news was REALLY BAD, or REALLY good.

When Andrew got close enough that both his father and his brother could hear, he shouted simply six words. "We have found the anointed one", he said. And then he said only one word over and over again, “Messiah, Messiah, Messiah.” John wasn’t sure what to make of his dependable child, but Simon’s pebble brain sure buys it. He runs to meet Andrew halfway, and John begins to half fuss, half moan about being left to do all the work, but gets back to it knowing it has to be done.

At this point, I wonder if, while holding your fingers on our first text, you’d turn over with me to John 1:40-42. Yes the story you have just heard is a scriptural one. Yes, some licenses have been taken, but only to magnify points, the truth of the scripture and its application for us is not affected. The end of our story, from John 1, manifests itself in a magnificent transformation. Look with me at verses 40-42 of John 1.

Simon the Pebble, becomes Peter the Rock. The only difference from one moment to the next was this: Simon realized that God believed in him. Jesus says to him "you are the Rock on which I will build my church." "Jesus", says Peter, "I believe in you."

The same Simon who most likely was teased, who was most likely told he was not worth listening to, much less believing in, this same Simon the Pebble transformed into Peter the Rock has the words from our first text for the church of God. He says you can do it church. Peter cries out to the people of the church of God both young and old, you can do this. He says humble yourselves, recognize you need him, know you can cast all your cares on him and know He cares for you. Straight from a man whose own transformation is so vivid and clear that it was necessary to change his name, the message comes through. Peter points a finger to the First Baptist Church of Burlington and too every single individual in that church and says God believes in you.

Norman Vincent Peele, the legendary motivational speaker and founder of Guideposts Magazine, tells the story of walking by a tattoo parlor in New York City. Peele stopped to look at some of the designs available to those who would choose to be tattooed. He remembered there being everything from flowers, to hearts; he remembered words and phrases which honored moms and complimented girlfriends. But the great positive thinker was struck by one which simply read “Born to loose.” Peele’s curiosity got the better of him and he walked into the store and was quickly greeted by the proprietor, a slight Chinese man who asked if Peele wanted a tattoo. Peele quickly replied that he did not, but he wanted to know if anyone had EVER chosen the one that had caught his attention. The Chinese man simply nodded his head, but added “one of most popular.” Peele, almost in shock, asked rhetorically why anyone would ink something so defeatist on their body. The Chinese man remarked, “before tattoo on skin, feeling in soul.”

I think that describes we the church, and we the Christian far more often than we want to know. We believe we can’t win. We see dilapidated buildings, unfilled nominating committee roles, and budget shortfalls and we believe our church is not going to make it. We experience failures at work, disharmony at home, and losses in our personal lives and we believe that we are doomed for failure. But transformation is upon us Peter says, if only we will humble ourselves under the Mighty hand of God. In fact, to quote this Simon the pebble turned Peter the Rock,

· You are partakers in a glory that WILL be revealed.
· You will receive the crown of glory that does not fade.
· You will be exalted in due time.
· You can cast all those cares on a God who cares.

In our quest to be spiritual, or religious, we spend almost all our time in church dwelling on our belief in God. And while this is necessary, and even profitable, it is not always what we need. This morning, we need to turn belief around. This morning, listen to something you definitely need to hear, but also something I am almost sure you want to hear. God believes in you!