I once heard it said, "Every Writer Has a Story. It's like a living thing inside that's yearning to be set free. It's the story. You've got to tell your story, your way." This week as I have been studying and meditating on Galatians 1:6-10 for my next sermon, it hit me, "I think this may just be it?" I found my one story, the one that lights me on fire. Galatians 1:6-10 has three parts to it that resemble the three movements in my own life: Pt. 1: Bobby Brady Believing in a "Different Gospel" & a "False Jesus" (1:6-7) By temperament, I was, and still am, a nice, compliant guy. In fact if you ever watched the "Brady Bunch" growing up, I looked and acted a lot like Bobby Brady. I had brown hair combed straight down, and I wore t-shirts with two-colored large stripes matched along with brown corduroy pants. I also was the youngest of six kids; and like Bobby I often said to my older siblings, "Gee wiz guys, can I come too?" Bobby Brady rarely made waves, and neither did I. I liked peace and having fun playing lawn-jarts with my sisters in our nicely trimmed suburban backyard. And I really trusted all the authority figures in my life. My dad, like Mr. Brady, was always available to give wise fatherly advice with a comforting smile. My neighbors were trustworthy and gave us kids on the block a cool glass of Hi-C punch on a hot summer day; and my teachers were kind (except of course Sister Joan of Arc). And because of my innate trust and respect for people, I naturally listened without question to the spiritual teachings of our parish priest, Father Callahan. Looking back with adult eyes, Father Callahan was one weird dude. His favorite saying was, "The most profound spiritual moment you can have is when you begin to 'think about, what you're thinking about, what you're thinking about.' Think about it." He was also a strong proponent of religious pluralism: He accepted Vatican II's "Brighter Light" paradigm which meant he saw salvific value in Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. In other words, Jesus was great, but he wan't the only show in town. As Bobby Brady, I didn't question my superiors, nor did I see any need to. Life was good! Little did I realize, I really did not know Christ. Even though I did have a thirst for God, I more than gladly accepted a "different gospel" as the answer to my thirst. And I never once questioned Father Callahan's perverted version of a "softer suburban Christ." Pt. 2: Otter turned Lion After Illumination and Regeneration a New Fury Arose (1:8-9) As I started to grow up I went from being a nice Bobby Brady to a foolish partier. I was a jolly otter swimming in a sea of happy meaninglessness. College was one stupid escapade and 'pleasure hunt' after another. I paid Jesus lip service on Sunday while ignoring him Monday thru Saturday. Just as I learned from Father Callahan and others like him, I had nothing to fear because God is love and he won't hold anything against you. "It's all good!". So it didn't matter who "god" was: Allah, Krishna, or whoever else you chose to worship that particular day. Most of my friends at that time chose to worship Bud Light, Margaritas and Jimmy Buffett. But my life was spinning out of control; the more I tried to fix it the more messed up it became. I lost touch with God, and I was now swimming in a stormy sea without purpose. Tossed to and fro like a piece of driftwood I wondered, "Why was I on this earth, and do I even matter?" The God of the bible, the one "Who is, Who was, and Who is to come" came to me in my misery. First he sent my brother Don to tell me the 'True Gospel': "Jesus died for your sins so you would sin no more. He wants your allegiance by faith, and if you don't accept him, he will not be yours." I began to read the bible from cover to cover, and I came to realize as Acts 4:12 declared, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Either this is true, and Jesus is it; or false, and as the 70's rock group Queen sings, "Nothing really matters." I knew it was true! So I asked Jesus to forgive all my sins and take over. Boy did he ever, so much so I became a man on fire. No longer was I an otter swimming in a meaningless sea, I became a lion boldly declaring that "Jesus is God" to anyone who wanted to hear. I even confronted a few Catholic priests in my young fire, "Tell people the truth!" I demanded. This didn't go over well, but I didn't care anymore. . .no more Bobby Brady for me. Pt. 3: Once Dead no more Dread The Fear of God set me Free (1:10) Overtime, I began to mature as a Christian. I learned that I had to tame the lion if I was going to have anyone listen to me. So I went to school to sand my rough edges by studying theology and the art of persuasion. While there I was asked to preach, and then asked to go to Poland to speak, and soon enough I found my calling, "To serve God in a professional capacity." God has allowed me many opportunities to serve him: I got to go to Russia, Bulgaria, Mexico, Germany and he even sent me to the deepest and darkest corners of west Michigan in a little town called Kent City. Here I have been planted and here I stand, among the apple trees and wild wolverines. I have one singular aim in my ministry: To stop people from believing the lies that the Father Callahans of the world are spreading. In my naive Bobby Brady nature, I was deceived, and still can't get over it. If I would of died believing in the soft-peddled 'different gospel' of suburban bliss, I would be in agony right now. Lost forever under the hot condemnation of my deliberate sins. However, Jesus came to my rescue, and I owe him everything. So, I must say something. While in Kent City I went from a shorts wearing youth pastor to a shorts wearing pastor. I tried the stiff white collar and penny loafers thing for a week, but it wasn't me. Guilt about my unprofessionalism started creeping in as I could read the disdain from area pastors looking at my untidy blue jeans. Then I read a wonderful book called, "On Being a Theologian of the Cross: Reflections on Luther's Heidelberg Disputation, 1518" by Gerhard Forde. I learned that God likes me being me. He is the one who gave me Bobby Brady's disposition. He is the one who pulled me from the bar and rugby field because he wanted to use me. He is the one who has set my heart on fire. I really like being me, and I am preaching on Galatians because I want you to be you. We do not have to believe the lies of liars, nor intimidated by the professional pastors who look down on the non-tie wearing world. We serve one person, the one who saved us; and to be truly free we must live by Galatians 1:10. Let it sink into your soul... "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." This is my one story...and I am sticking with it!
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