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Step Out: a sermon
by Captain Andrew Miller
This week’s news (The first week of August) has
been dominated by the horrors of a collapsing bridge and
mining hole, which is contrasted by the triumph of a
collapsing baseball record (Barry Bonds 756 home run). Also in
the news was a story of two men in New York City who “stepped
out” for a woman who fell on the subway tracks, and brought
her to safety. Each story has demonstrated people making moves
in directions different from natural inclinations (e.g.
bravery in disaster, breaking a record, and heroism).
While people might have moments of heroism and pivots of
change that are marked as times of “stepping out,” I believe
every human being is called to “step out,” in faith. In the
Salvation Army our sixth statement of faith challenges, “We
believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has by his suffering and
death made an atonement for the whole world so that whosoever
will maybe be saved.” In essence we are saying that no person
is beyond a loving relationship with God, that Jesus’
substitutionary atonement covers the sins of the whole world
and it is our responsibility to respond to God’s gracious
offer of salvation. As Salvationists we have a distinct
calling within Christ’s body, we are called to step out in
compassion toward others, particularly those who find
themselves in need. Maybe you need to step out toward God and
accept his love, maybe you find yourself living in sin and you
need to step out toward God’s grace, maybe you find yourself
at a crossroad and you need to step out in faith and trust. We
are all called to step out, and for our benefit we have a
pantheon of Biblical heroes who “stepped out” before us.
• While his family was being mocked, and the world was filled
with “corruption and violence” and while he stood alone as a
“righteous man…who walked faithfully with God” (Genesis
6:9)--Noah stepped out. He trusted the Lord to guide him as he
built a large Ark (a boat with no navigational device) in the
middle of the dessert, and God saved his family.
• Abraham “stepped out” because God came to him and said,
“Go!” With Abraham’s obedience came the distinct way God was
to show his love to the world.
• Moses stepped out when called at the burning bush and
consequently led the Israelites to “step out” of slavery and
move toward the Promised Land.
• Joshua “stepped out” to finish what Moses started by guiding
the Israelites into the Promised Land.
• David stepped out before a giant to and declared that beyond
any size or strength, beyond anyone’s battlefield
experience—God can have the victory.
• Josiah stepped out as he saw the reform that his country
needed in light of hearing God’s voice in Scripture.
• The prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Micah, Haggai,
Ezekiel, and others “stepped out” toward people that didn’t
accept them—to declare God’s message when it wasn’t popular.
• Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendego “stepped out” for their God
and into a fiery furnace, and the Lord spared them from its
flames.
• Daniel “stepped out” and into a Lion’s Den and again God
honored and ordered his steps.
• John the Baptist “stepped out” to prepare the way for the
Messiah.
• When Jesus came into his home town of Nazareth he went into
the synagogue and “stepped out” to read Isaiah’s words that
told about him and the nature of his ministry. A ministry that
“stepped out” and defied messianic and religious expectations
• The apostles “stepped out” on the day of Pentecost and
brought thousands of people to the Way with the power of the
Holy Spirit.
• The apostle Paul stood in front the intellectual elite of
his days at the Areopagus in Athens. The text dramatically
brings us to the point where Paul finds himself before this
group of thinkers. In 17:22, Paul stands up to address this
group. In that moment not only did Paul stand up, but he
“stepped out” in faith knowing the validity of his testimony
to the resurrected Christ.
• John of Patmos, the author of Revelation, found himself in
prison because he stepped out for his faith. hile in prison
God showed him that creation was going to renewed.
Stepping out is a theme that spans of the biblical story.
Instead of looking at one text today, I wanted us to get a
glimpse of how this theme is developed through the Bible. Of
course the beginning of the story demonstrates the basis for
stepping out. Mainly that our triune God who exists beyond the
confines of space and time stepped out and created the world.
That world is more than you and me, but it is everything we
know—he is the “creator, sustainer, and governor of all
things.” Seeing the Bible as one complete story connects us to
heartbeat of God’s revelation—the Bible doesn’t come to us as
a set of abstract rules, but as a story in which we have the
privilege or participating.
What is it about stepping out that is so important? Let’s try
to define these words, it means that we make a move in a
direction that is different from our natural inclination (Andy
Miller dictionary). One of the Salvation Army’s statements of
faith describes how we are all sinners as a result of the sin
of “our first parents.” We all have a natural fondness with
sin. Praise God that we are given a way out through Jesus
Christ, because of him we can “step out” of sin. This stepping
out of sin is another way to understand this phrase (if
stepping out is a move in an unnatural direction). When you go
against the grain of society you “step out,” so when we decide
to listen to Jesus as he tells us to love your neighbor and
bless those who persecute you—you are stepping out. Stepping
out moves against the push of our individualistic culture for
if we want to follow after Jesus we need to deny ourselves.
In the Salvation Army we use a funny term to distinguish
ourselves among other denominations. We call ourselves
‘Salvationists.’ My father-in-law, who is a United Methodist
minister, wanted to go to a Salvation Army event. When he
called to ask if he could attend the person on the phone sadly
said “I’m sorry sir, this event is only for Salvationists.” My
father-in-law’s quick wit asserted, “Well, I believe in
Salvation!” When I say that “stepping out” has a particular
place for the Salvationist I recognize that anybody who
identifies whole heartedly with our mission, “to preach the
gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in his name
without discrimination”—is a Salvationist in the purest since
of the word. That said, a Salvationist is not one who “listens
to the gospel…” nor is a Salvationist one who “pays others to
meet human needs” A Salvationist is a person who proclaims the
gospel and meets human needs.
We Salvationist are called to step out in compassion for those
who do not know Christ. We are called to step out in love for
all of God’s creation. We are called to step out with passion
for those who find themselves in a position where they need
our help. We are called to step out for those who don’t
have a voice. We are called to step out in the name of Jesus
Christ because Jesus stepped out for the world. We are “saved
to serve” because Jesus stepped out for us on the cross. We
step out because Jesus Christ stepped out of an empty tomb.
Neil Armstrong said he took “one small step for a man and a
giant leap for mankind.” His step was a mere baby step
compared to the step that Jesus took for the world. The
songsters were right, “God so loved the world that he gave his
only that whoever believes in him should not perish but have
eternal life, for God sent not his son into the world to
condemn the world, but that the world through him might be
saved” [the small vocal group at our corps sung Len
Ballentine’s SAB arrangement of God So Loved]. Jesus’ step out
of the confines of death and his ascension to the right hand
of the Father, gives us a reason to step out ourselves. The
early church put their lives on line for this empirical truth
that they witnessed—Jesus was raised from the dead by God.
This is what the apostle Paul declared as he stepped in front
of that group in Athens, and declared an eschatological
reality that our Salvation was proven when Jesus raised from
the dead. It was at this point that the council turned away
and sneered at Paul. This group was roughly interested in
religion until Paul advanced this fact. The power of the
resurrection enabled Paul to step out, and that same power
enables us to step out today. The question still remains. Are
you willing to “step out” in the way God is calling you?
Are you willing to “step out” of our sin? Are you willing to
step out and be a radical disciple of Jesus Christ? Are you
ready to “step out” in ministry? Are you ready to “step out”
in service? Wherever you are recognize that the God has
stepped out for you in the person of Jesus Christ and he is
calling you to step out toward him and toward the realization
of His Kingdom.
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