Order Out of Chaos

California

No Date - I suspect it to be in order so this would be for a late February sermon.

Headlines are impressive and sometimes confusing. Pick of the daily paper and what do you see? Eisenhower say not go to Russia. Khrushchev wars U.S. about spy flights. Africans shoot down in government protest. Rhee of Korea resigns. Mr. Slank shoots his wife.

It sometimes seems that the modern world is nothing but turmoil. Tension and fear appear on the faxes of people in many areas. Labor Unions and management slug it out to see who is boss. We fight for better wages at work and then we sometimes find labor and management working together art the expense of the worker. We want better homes; we want better cars; we want better educations for our children; and we want more leisure time. We want many things in life and there doesn’t seem to be the time or money available to have these things. And on top of all this we have personality conflicts with our boss, our neighbor, or arguments with our wife. It seems at times as though amass of things impinge upon the life of the average person and cause him to be torn into chao and confusion. The result is loss of direction, dissatisfaction, a feeling of futility and bewilderment.

And the Jesus Christ – what answer does he have to the confused nature of modern life? At times the Gospel record must sound like fairy tales to modern men accustomed to cars, to atom bombs, labor relations, and freeways. Pick up your newspaper and read the big flashy headlines about Khrushchev, inflation, and the latest automobile accident and then pick up your Bible. The Bible sounds so impractical at times.

In fact, people come to us and say: “The trouble with preaching and religion is that it always deals with the same old stuff – sin, justification, St. Paul, Jerusalem, and other things that just don’t fit in with a fast, flashy, confused modern day.

Let us read a few words from our text for today.” I have given them thy word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not pray that thou shouldn’t take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world, sanctify them in the truth, thy word is truth.”

The setting of the text is just shortly before the betrayal of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, and Jesus is here praying for his disciples and all Christians. The text sounds rather involved and confused. Jesus neither here nor other places talks about labor unions, United Nations, democracy, or TV. But I want you to notice a few of the basic thoughts from this text. One: Jesus says that the world hates his disciples. Two: Jesus still leaves his disciples in the world. Three: His disciples are really not of the world or in other words, they are different than other people in the world, and Four: Jesus prays that his disciples will be kept from the evil one or in other words the devil who seeks to destroy the soul of Christians.

Now, what has this text got to do with creating order out of chaos? Can Jesus Christ offer any answers to the confusion of our times? What does Jesus say about Communism, Democracy, or the jet age? If you are looking for something specific concerning labor relations, the California water problem, or graft in the federal government, I think, as I have said before, that you will be disappointed. Jesus did not seem to espouse or advocate any particular labor, political, or social system.

But Jesus did mean to do something for society. This I believe. I believe he wanted to bring some order in of our age and every age and he wanted to do it through people he says the world won’t always be too happy with. These people are Christians, people who have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior.

The Chinese have done some very beautiful ancient artwork. Some Chinese vases are especially beautiful. The design and the handicraft are superb. Some of these vases have flawless surfaces.

The story of how these smooth, flawless surfaces were achieved is interesting. After the gold, and other metals were beaten into place, the vases were then taken to a mountain top. On top of the mountain the air was clear and quiet with no dust to mar a finish. Here in this clear, quiet atmosphere layer after layer of fine enamel was brushed on the surface. You see in their atmosphere the right type of product was achieved.

And this is what God wants to do with us as men. In everyday life we do find disorder and chaos. Often there is confusion with a scurrying here and there. This responsibility and that cause men to be just a little disturbed. There seems to be little peace and security that men can hold on to. At this point, God wants to take us out of the hustle and bustle of everyday life into the quiet clear atmosphere of His love. God wants to take us and take some of the jagged edges out of our lives. He wans to smooth out our lives a little. He wans to fashion us into vases or should we say men, that bear His image. He wants to create order of the chao of lives that are broken and imperfect.

E. Stanley Jones has written these words: “We divide humanity into many classes – white and colored, rich, and poor, educated, and uneducated, Americans and non-Americans, East and West. But Jesus drew a line down through all these distinctions and divided humanity into two classes – the unconverted and the converted, the once born, and the twice-born. All men live on one side or the other of that line. No other division matters this is a division that divides; it is a division that runs through time and eternity”

The convertible and the unconverted. Here lies the distinction and also the answer. God can only create order out of the chaos of our lives when we are converted. Many of you have told me how you have found this to be true in your lives.

You see, God wants to take us apart into the quiet clear atmosphere of His love and five us proper lives, lives that bear His workmanship. He can only do this by converting us, by scraping the old nature out of our souls and putting the enamel of His love in our hearts. He has to remake us. He has to cause us to bow down in repentance and as we him for forgiveness. He has to make us new men who accept Him as Savior. Men who are dedicated to His ethic at all times and in all places.

Labor relations, communism, community problems, the threat of atomic war. Think what would happen if Christians, born again Christians sat around the table at Geneva. Think about what would happen if born again Christians sat at every community council. Think what would happen if true Christian men utterly committed to the ethics of Jesus Christ sat in every government office and every labor management talk. You can be certain that there would be a lot of order brought to much of modern life.

Jesus did not give talks on the philosophy of labor or the ideal government. However, Jesus did talk much about sin in life and man’s need for repentance and salvation. And Jesus did talk about the necessity of love in our world. The love that Jesus talks about is that which can create order out of the chaos of life. Jesus was very practical we only receive this love as we accept Jesus Christ as Savior. Life worth living.

The little fish was a big fish in the creek where he was born, but he was a mighty small fish in the big sea. Old John Jones is an honest man compared to Cousin Jim. Old John Jones is a righteous man compared to his skin-flint neighbor. Old John Jones is a godly man compared to the devilish Hanna. But Old John Jones is a mighty small man compared to the man he ought to be.

And this is the case with all men. Were all mighty small men compared to the men we’re supposed to be. And we can only begin to be the man we’re supposed to be by becoming converted and becoming sons of God. Many of you have testified to the truth of this in your own lives. Many of you can testify how Jesus helped bring order to the chaos of the life you once lived and this conclusion. Again, I turn to our text our calling after we have received Christ.

“I do not pray that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one.” Here is our calling and mission. We are to be in the thick of the battle. Christ doesn’t suddenly take us to heaven once we become Christians – he leaves us here as lights to the world. We are to be in the world, but not of the world. We are to be in the world to help bring men to Jesus Christ that order may be brought to the chaos of their lives. That kindness, humility, meekness, courage, a passion for righteousness and love might come to the hears of men.

But there is a catch to all of his as Christians we are to be lights of the world and we are to take up our cross and follow Jesus. Sometimes, however, it is the cross begins to get heavy. As Christians we are not perfect – not until heaven can we begin to feel that we are holding up the universe. We can get so involved in Church meetings and community affairs that we are always running and instead of order and tranquility our lives may seem to bear some chaos too. Modern life gets involved and complex as we say. Hurry here, hurry there, tote that bale.

But if we as Christians are to try and be lights of the world- if we as Christians are to help bring order out of the chaos of life, we have to have the ammunition to do so.

We have heard a large outcry in the last few years which involves these words: “Why Johnny Can’t Read.” Now, it may or may not be true that Johnny can’t read. Personally, I think Johnny can read quite well. But how about us in the Christian Church? Can we read? But this I do not mean are we capable of reading, but do we have the spiritual information we should have? Do we know our Bible? How many of you can quote half dozen bible passages by memory? How may of you know the emphasis of Luke or John or Peter in the Bible? Do you know what books are in the New Testament?

Martin Luther in his address to the Christian nobility writes against the Roman Church and the pope who claim sole authority to interpret scripture. This is one thing Luther writes, “In the olden days Abraham had to listen to Sarah, although she was in more complete subjection to him than we are to anyone on earth. Balaam’s ass also, was wiser than the prophet himself. If God then spoke by an ass against a prophet, why should He not be able now to speak by a righteous man against the pope? It behooves every Christian to espouse the cause of the faith, to understand and defend it, and to rebuke all errors.”

But I ask you, how are we to defend the Bible and rebuke error if we don’t know the Bible to the extent we should.

I do not think we are incapable of knowing the Bible, but I think even as Christians our lives can become a little too confused and chaotic. Modern life is involved and complex for all men, Christians or not. Our children demand and need time and attention. There is washing, ironing, P.T., fast freeways, meetings here, meetings there, lift that bale, tote that barge, drive that car and get to that meeting by seven.

I think we have to slow down. Possibly we have to cut out a pile of activities. Possibly we have to return to the simplicity of the old days – not just to calm our hurried lives, but to take time to learn what God has to say. To draw apart to the dust free, sin free atmosphere with God. We have only small percentage of our congregation in our Sunday morning and Wednesday night Bible classes. The number could be many times more. Elton Trueblood states that the nature of the church in the next few years is that each church is going to have to be a type of layman’s seminary. I believe big changes are going to occur. We are going to have to get back to the Bible. If you are a salesman, you can only sell your product if you know something about it. We can only bring the word of God to men if we know the word.

Labor conflicts, Communism, spy troubles, Korean riots, government graft, payola: The Bible isn’t such old stuff. This is what the Bible deals with: sin, greed, lust, self-centeredness, and the Bible’s answer is practical, very practical. Men need to converted that the power and love of God will work in their lives and stop greed, lust, labor conflicts and the rest.

Let us slow down, give your problems to God. The world isn’t resting on any of our shoulders. God is the one that holds the world up. Stop and look at the beautiful moon, or a flower in bloom, notice the taste of good food, delight in the laughter of children. Get rid of the snarl of your lives and slow down that you might be able to enjoy the simple basic things of life and that you might also have time to become students of the Bible.

“The Lord is in his Holy Temple: Let all the earth keep silence before Him.” It is as we meditate in the word of God and in public worship that we draw dust free, sin free into the presence of our God who is able to bring order out of the chaos of life.

In the presence of God we begin to receive the finish we are supposed to have. We and Old John Jones may be mighty men beside Cousin Jim or Devilish Hanna, but we’re mighty small men compared to the men we could be. And we only begin to be the men we’re supposed to be through the power of God. Men capable of “love possessed peace. men capable of service and men capable of love.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

May the peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.