I Just Can't Help It

"I Just Can't Help It"
a condensed version of the sermon delivered by Rev. Kirk Moore on Sunday, April 15, 2007 at Union Congregational Church in Somonauk, Illinois.

PODCAST of "I Just Can't Help It"

This morning's scripture reading is:
Acts 5:27-32

When I see a great film, experience a great meal, enjoy a moving worship service (Just like every week here!) or even after I’ve read a good book, I feel like telling someone else. I heartily gush about what it is I found so appealing about whatever it is that I encountered. I don’t think I say it in a "If you don’t experience this, your life will be forever less than it could be" way, but I certainly let people know how I felt about the experience and why I’m glad I had it.

I call that kind of sharing "bubbling" where I have to tell someone what’s going on with me or I’ll just burst! Sometimes we have bubbling situations that aren’t about something positive we’ve experienced – but rather with juicy news that we simply have to share someone else. I’m not talking about that kind of talking here. This is positive talk about positive experiences that come from you – not experiences that are about someone else.

OK – gossiping lesson over.

I’ve had lots of things to bubble about over my life. I’ve had lots of opportunities to share my opinions about a variety of topics too. I like doing that. I have told you that I like hearing myself speak, right? It must be a necessary trait for a preacher. As a preacher, or in any instance, I don’t think I’ve ever run into a situation where I felt like I wasn’t permitted to share an opinion. I may have decided not to share an opinion out of good taste or tact, but I don’t think I’ve ever been forbidden to speak.

Have you ever felt silenced – forbidden from sharing an experience?

I’ve also never experienced a situation where others have the right to think for me. I wonder, if I was faced with that reality, if I’d be able to gush about Jesus’ love and God’s extravagant welcome for everyone.

In this week’s reading from Acts 5:27-32, the apostles stood before the high priest and flat-out refused to submit to their authority. The religious authorities were jealous after seeing what was happening with the apostles and those who learned from them. The sick were healed. The crowds were growing. Things were getting even more out of hand. But the apostles weren’t about to stop. They had to follow God instead of the priests.

In the events just after today’s reading, a progressive and highly respected rabbi named Gamaliel stopped the rest from putting the apostles to death by saying, "I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; because if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them--in that case you may even be found fighting against God!"

The apostles were flogged (for annoying the priests) and were sent out with orders not to teach in Jesus’ name. They didn’t follow that order. The apostles had to follow God instead of any human authority.

What do you think about "obeying God rather than any human authority?" Does that feel like church?

It might seem to be a no-brainer. We follow God. If any human authority tells us not to follow God we have to follow God rather than the human authority. However, sometimes it can be difficult to know what to do with that. What about when God "tells" people to do things that conflict with what others think God is "telling" them?

What about when someone commits murder and says they had to do it because God "told them to?"

What about things like prayer in public schools and displays of the 10 commandments in public courthouses? Is support for things like that an example of obeying God rather than any human authority?

What about politics? One group of people from a church supports one candidate while another group from the same church supports the other. Can we pull "we are voting to obey God rather than any human authority" in that situation? To what side does it apply?

And when things go our way and we say "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God," are we saying the opposite of what we might say when one we don’t agree with is in office and we say "We must obey God rather than any human authority?"

If 51% of the people think one thing and we agree will we call it a mandate? If 51% of the people think something and we disagree will we call it a "narrow majority?"

Do we claim that God is on our side by using phrases like "obey God rather than any human authority" or "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God?"

How can we know when we’re doing what God wants instead of molding God to what we want?

Let me give you some basic guidelines that have been helpful to me over the years. I hope that none of the next three feel like church.

If you ever think that obeying God includes hurting yourself or others – it’s time to think differently.
If you ever think that obeying God includes manipulating, marginalizing or exploiting any person – it’s time to think again.
If you ever think that obeying God means doing anything that violates the two most important commandments – Love God and love one another – it’s time to think differently.

However, this one is different

If you ever think that obeying God means standing up for justice and love for all people – then you are in good company -- Moses before Pharaoh, John the Baptist before Herod, Paul before the Sanhedrin, Martin Luther before Charles the Fifth, Reinhold Niebuhr before the Nazis or Martin Luther King before those who would deny civil rights to people based on skin color or cultural background.

You’re in good company with Morgan Tsvangirai, the founder of the Movement for Democratic Change in Zimbabwe, who just last month was severely beaten and jailed because he has organized peaceful protests and has said publicly "I only seek a new dispensation in my country, in which citizens live freely, in prosperity, and not in perpetual fear of their own rulers."

When we see Christ’s love and justice anywhere, I hope if feels like church.

This week I’d like to offer a couple of things to try. First, in relation to the first part of the sermon about telling someone about a great experience: Every time this week that want to tell about a great experience with someone, Share something that moves or excites you about following Jesus. Share something that moves or excites you about being a part of a church.

If you don't consider yourself a person who follows Jesus, don't know what that means, or hadn't ever thought about it. Let me give you a similar challenge. Instead of sharing something that moves you or excited you about being following Jesus, ask someone you know who does follow Jesus what moves and excites them about following Jesus. Ask them what it is that draws them to be part of a church. Ask yourself what draws you to be part of a church.

Here’s the second thing. Think of two or three significant opinions or preferences you have about anything religious or political. Write them down and then spend time contemplating whether those ideas violate or abide by any of the basic guidelines I talked about. Pay closest attention to the one about the two most important commandments – you remember them – Love God and love one another.

I know I come back to those two all the time. It’s true; I’m stuck on them. It’s just that they are so important and so foundational that I just can’t help it.