Dont Just Hear, Do

Author James Moore tells the story of a man who died and went to heaven.

As he was shown around, he was very impressed with the sights – beautiful gardens full of flowers, and mansions built of marble and gold and precious stones.  It was all so beautiful, even more wonderful than he had imagined!  Then he was led to a huge room which looked like a storeroom.  As far as he could see, the walls were lined with shelves, and it looked like all the shelves were piled high with dried mushrooms.  However, when he got to lookin’ a little closer, the man saw they weren’t mushrooms at all – they were human ears…! His guide explained that these were the ears of people who were diligent about goin’ to church – who were eager to hear what pastor had to say every week – but at the same time, did nothin’ to change their lives accordingly, so when they died, they themselves went somewhere else and only their ears got into heaven…!

It’s a little weird, but it makes a point.  While it’s true that we are saved by our faith in Jesus, and by our faith alone, there are still expectations of those who eat at His table.  We must learn to live by Jesus’ teachings if we are gonna enter the kingdom of God!  As James would say, “You must be doers of the word, and not hearers only!”

That’s the ultimate danger of our human presumption – our pride – our arrogance. We come to God’s feast, but we still wanna have things our own way, regardless of what God requires of us. And in the end, that is exactly what disqualifies us from the kingdom! The invitation to the kingdom of God is an invitation of GRACE, and grace is free, but it is NOT cheap. The price of being invited is the price of submitting to the rule and reign of God. When you come to God’s kingdom, there’s already a line drawn in the sand – there are rules in place, and you don’t get to re-write the rules to fit your own wants and desires. Yes, God will accept you in whatever condition you come to Him, but He loves you way too much to ever allow you to stay the way you were!  So, the bottom line is this: you can’t do anything to earn your way into heaven, but because you’ve been invited, there’s a whole lifetime of serving and doing you CAN do out of gratitude and joy! You’ve heard the call to enter into God’s kingdom, but are you actually putting that call into action in your life by loving other people around you the way Jesus would?

You see, many are invited, and some refuse to come. Many are invited, and some refuse to dress for the party. Many are invited, but few are chosen. Let anyone with ears to hear, listen!

Pastor Corey Jenkins, First United Methodist Church