Sermon Excerpt from Jesus Is the Answer posted on 11-23-14

There are few things in this world worse than bumper-sticker theology. It is amazing that people try to limit something as far-reaching as faith in the God revealed in the person of Jesus Christ into a few pithy words to slap on the back of a vehicle.

“Jesus is my co-pilot.” If Jesus is merely your co-pilot, I suggest you switch seats. Jesus wants to be your pilot. Jesus wants to be the one who makes the decisions, charts the course, and steers the ship. As Carrie Underwood sings, it is Jesus who needs to “take the wheel.”

“Honk if you love Jesus.” Please don’t do that. The world does not need any more people tooting their own horns. The world needs less noise and more action. If you really love Jesus, do the things that Jesus did. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, love the outcast, visit the imprisoned, welcome the stranger, defend and forgive the sinner, care for the dying and be a friend to the lonely.

“Got Jesus?”  That is such a silly question. For Jesus cannot be “got.”  It is Jesus who wants to get you. He wants to get you to deny yourself, pick up a cross and follow him. You don’t get Jesus to meet your needs or to fulfill your desires. Jesus wants to get a hold of your needs and rearrange them, get a hold of your desires and transform them. You don’t get Jesus as some sort of ticket to heaven. Jesus wants to get you to bring heaven to earth.

“Jesus is the reason for the season.” Isn’t Jesus reason for all of the seasons? Jesus wants to be the Lord over every season, every month, and every day. Jesus wants to be the reason you get up out of the bed every morning.

“Keep Christ in ‘Christmas.’” Why don’t you first try to keep Christ in “Christian?” The reason so many people are turned off by Christians today is because many Christians act nothing like the Christ they claim to worship and serve.

With our bumper stickers on the back of our vehicles, we look like pompous people who are trying to arrogantly impress others who follow us, instead of a humble people who are trying to selflessly love others as we follow Jesus.