William R. Bouknight - "The Level Ground Beneath the Cross" (June 11, 1995)
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- | Good morning and welcome to Duke Chapel | 0:21 |
on this Trinity Sunday. | 0:24 | |
This morning, I would like to extend a hearty welcome | 0:28 | |
to the Duke Chapel pulpit, | 0:33 | |
Reverend Doctor William R. Bouknight. | 0:36 | |
Dr. Bouknight is a senior minister at | 0:41 | |
Christ United Methodist Church | 0:44 | |
in Memphis, Tennessee. | 0:47 | |
We also extend special welcome to our guest choir, | 0:51 | |
Harmony Atlanta International Youth Chorus | 0:55 | |
at Emory University, | 0:59 | |
under the directorship of Miss Elizabeth Kimble. | 1:02 | |
I, on behalf of black campus ministry | 1:08 | |
and the Guyana mission team, | 1:11 | |
would like to extend special thanks | 1:13 | |
for your prayers and support | 1:16 | |
for the Guyana team who was in Guyana | 1:18 | |
for two weeks on mission outreach. | 1:21 | |
We were able to reach out | 1:24 | |
and to participate as members of | 1:27 | |
the church universal, and God blessed, | 1:30 | |
and for this we give special thanks. | 1:32 | |
Please note that beginning today | 1:36 | |
at five o'clock and following every Sunday, | 1:40 | |
the Duke Chapel service will be aired on Cable 8 | 1:44 | |
at 5:00 p.m. in the afternoon, | 1:49 | |
with a week delay in the broadcast. | 1:51 | |
Let us stand. | 2:02 | |
Christ is risen. | 2:12 | |
Amen. | 2:13 | |
Congregation | The Lord is risen indeed. | 2:15 |
- | Glory and honor, dominion and power | 2:17 |
be to God for ever and ever. | 2:22 | |
- | Christ is risen. | 2:25 |
Amen. | 2:27 | |
Rev. Kirton | Let's sing together | 2:28 |
to the glory of God, hymn 64. | 2:29 | |
(organ music) | 2:35 | |
- | ♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ | 3:13 |
♪ Lord God almighty ♪ | 3:18 | |
♪ Early in the morning ♪ | 3:23 | |
♪ Our song shall rise to Thee. ♪ | 3:27 | |
♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ | 3:33 | |
♪ Merciful and mighty ♪ | 3:38 | |
♪ God in three persons ♪ | 3:43 | |
♪ Blessed Trinity ♪ | 3:48 | |
♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ | 3:54 | |
♪ All the saints adore Thee ♪ | 4:00 | |
♪ Casting down their golden crowns ♪ | 4:05 | |
♪ Around the glassy sea ♪ | 4:09 | |
♪ Cherubim and seraphim ♪ | 4:15 | |
♪ Falling down before Him ♪ | 4:19 | |
♪ Who wert and art and ♪ | 4:24 | |
♪ Evermore shall be. ♪ | 4:29 | |
♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ | 4:36 | |
♪ Though the darkness hide Thee ♪ | 4:42 | |
♪ Though the eye of sinful man ♪ | 4:47 | |
♪ Thy glory may not see ♪ | 4:51 | |
♪ Only Thou art holy ♪ | 4:58 | |
♪ There is none beside Thee ♪ | 5:03 | |
♪ Perfect in power, ♪ | 5:08 | |
♪ in love, and purity. ♪ | 5:12 | |
♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ | 5:36 | |
♪ Lord God almighty ♪ | 5:41 | |
♪ All Thy works shall praise Thy name ♪ | 5:47 | |
♪ In earth and sky and sea ♪ | 5:51 | |
♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ | 5:58 | |
♪ Merciful and mighty ♪ | 6:03 | |
♪ God in three persons, ♪ | 6:09 | |
♪ Blessed Trinity. ♪ | 6:15 | |
- | Let us pray. | 6:31 |
Almighty and everlasting God, | 6:36 | |
You have given to Your servants grace, | 6:40 | |
by the confession of a true faith, | 6:43 | |
to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, | 6:46 | |
and in the power of Your divine majesty, | 6:51 | |
to worship the unity. | 6:55 | |
Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, | 6:58 | |
and bring us at last to see You | 7:03 | |
in Your one and eternal glory. | 7:06 | |
Oh Father who with the Son and Holy Spirit reigns, | 7:09 | |
one God forever. | 7:13 | |
Amen. | 7:16 | |
- | Let us pray together the prayer for illumination. | 7:37 |
Open our hearts and minds, oh God, | 7:42 | |
by the power of Your Holy Spirit. | 7:46 | |
So that, as the Word is read and proclaimed, | 7:49 | |
we may hear your message with joy this day. | 7:54 | |
Amen. | 7:58 | |
The first lesson is from Proverbs 8, | 8:01 | |
chapter 8, verses 1 through 4, | 8:04 | |
and 22 through 31. | 8:08 | |
"Does not wisdom call, | 8:13 | |
and does not understanding raise her voice? | 8:16 | |
On the heights, beside the way, | 8:20 | |
at the crossroads she takes her stand. | 8:23 | |
Beside the gates in front of the town, | 8:28 | |
at the entrance of the portals, | 8:31 | |
she cries out, | 8:33 | |
"To you, O people, I call, | 8:35 | |
and my cry is to all that live. | 8:39 | |
The Lord created me at the beginning of His work. | 8:43 | |
The first of His acts of long ago, | 8:47 | |
ages ago, I was set up at the first, | 8:51 | |
before the beginning of the Earth. | 8:55 | |
When there were no depths, | 8:59 | |
I was brought forth. | 9:00 | |
When there were no springs abounding with water, | 9:03 | |
before the mountains had been shaped, | 9:07 | |
before the hills, | 9:10 | |
I was brought forth. | 9:12 | |
When He had not yet made earth and fields, | 9:15 | |
or the world's first bits of soil. | 9:19 | |
When He established the Heavens, | 9:23 | |
I was there. | 9:25 | |
When He drew a circle on the face of the deep, | 9:27 | |
when He made firm the skies above, | 9:30 | |
when He established the fountains of the deep, | 9:34 | |
when He assigned to the sea its limits, | 9:37 | |
so that the waters might not transgress His command. | 9:40 | |
When He marked out the foundations of the Earth, | 9:45 | |
then I was beside Him, | 9:48 | |
like a master worker. | 9:50 | |
And I was daily His delight, | 9:53 | |
rejoicing before Him always, | 9:56 | |
rejoicing in His inhabited world, | 9:59 | |
and delighting in the human race." | 10:02 | |
This is the Word of the Lord. | 10:06 | |
Thanks be to God. | 10:09 | |
- | Our Psalter for this morning comes from Psalm 8, | 10:23 |
page 743 and 44. | 10:27 | |
And we'll read it responsively. | 10:31 | |
O Lord, our Lord, | 10:43 | |
Congregation | How majestic is your name | 10:46 |
in all the Earth. | 10:48 | |
- | Your glory is chanted above the Heavens | 10:50 |
by the mouths of babes and infants. | 10:53 | |
(congregation responding) | 10:56 | |
When I look at Your Heavens, | 11:03 | |
the Works of your finger, | 11:05 | |
(congregation responding) | 11:08 | |
What are human beings, | 11:12 | |
that You are mindful of them? | 11:14 | |
(congregation responding) | 11:17 | |
Yet You have made them a little less than God. | 11:19 | |
(congregation responding) | 11:24 | |
You have given them dominion over | 11:28 | |
the Works of Your hands. | 11:30 | |
(congregation responding) | 11:32 | |
All sheep and oxen. | 11:35 | |
(congregation responding) | 11:37 | |
The birds of the air and the fish of the sea. | 11:40 | |
(congregation responding) | 11:43 | |
O Lord, our Lord. | 11:47 | |
- | How majestic is Your name in all the earth. | 11:49 |
(organ music) | 11:54 | |
(congregation singing) | 12:35 | |
(Children's choir singing in foreign language) | 13:17 | |
Ms. Close | The gospel lesson | 16:10 |
is from the book of John, | 16:11 | |
chapter 16, verses 12 through 15. | 16:13 | |
"I still have many things to say to you, | 16:19 | |
but you cannot bear them now. | 16:23 | |
When the spirit of truth comes, | 16:26 | |
he will guide you into all the truth, | 16:28 | |
for he will not speak on his own, | 16:31 | |
but will speak whatever he hears, | 16:34 | |
and he will declare to you the things that are to come. | 16:37 | |
He will glorify me, | 16:41 | |
because he will take what is mine, | 16:43 | |
and declare it to you. | 16:46 | |
All that the Father has is mine. | 16:49 | |
For this reason I said | 16:53 | |
that he will take what is mine | 16:55 | |
and declare it to you." | 16:57 | |
This is the Word of the Lord. | 17:00 | |
Thanks be to God. | 17:02 | |
The epistle lesson is from the book of Romans, | 17:06 | |
chapter 3, verses 9 through 18, | 17:10 | |
and 21 through 25. | 17:15 | |
"What then? | 17:19 | |
Are we any better off? | 17:21 | |
No, not at all, | 17:23 | |
for we have already charged that all, | 17:26 | |
both Jews and Greeks, | 17:29 | |
are under the power of sin, | 17:32 | |
as it is written: | 17:34 | |
There is no one who is righteous, | 17:36 | |
not even one. | 17:38 | |
There is no one who has understanding. | 17:41 | |
There is no one who seeks God. | 17:44 | |
All have turned aside. | 17:48 | |
Together, they have become worthless. | 17:51 | |
There is no one who shows kindness, | 17:54 | |
there is not even one. | 17:58 | |
Their throats are opened graves. | 18:01 | |
They use their tongues to deceive. | 18:04 | |
The venom of vipers is under their lips. | 18:07 | |
Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. | 18:11 | |
Their feet are swift to shed blood. | 18:15 | |
Ruin and misery are in their paths, | 18:18 | |
and the way of peace, they have not known. | 18:22 | |
There is no fear of God before their eyes. | 18:26 | |
But now, apart from law, | 18:31 | |
the righteousness of God | 18:35 | |
has been disclosed, | 18:37 | |
and is attested by the law and the prophets. | 18:39 | |
The righteousness of God | 18:42 | |
through faith in Jesus Christ, | 18:44 | |
for all who believe. | 18:47 | |
For there is no distinction, | 18:50 | |
since all have sinned | 18:52 | |
and fall short of the glory of God. | 18:54 | |
They are now justified by His grace as a gift, | 18:58 | |
through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, | 19:03 | |
whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement | 19:06 | |
by His blood, effective through faith. | 19:10 | |
He did this to show his righteousness, | 19:14 | |
because in his divine forbearance, | 19:18 | |
he had passed over the sins previously committed." | 19:20 | |
This is the Word of the Lord. | 19:25 | |
Thanks be to God. | 19:28 | |
- | Please allow me a word of personal privilege. | 19:38 |
What a great honor it is to be able to declare | 19:42 | |
the gospel here in this holy place. | 19:45 | |
As an undergraduate in the 1960s, | 19:48 | |
my spiritual development was anchored here, | 19:52 | |
in worship in the chapel. | 19:56 | |
The beautiful choral music, | 19:59 | |
combined with the architecture of this place, | 20:01 | |
taught me volumes about the grandeur of God. | 20:05 | |
Even when one had been out late on a Saturday night, | 20:10 | |
it was impossible to sleep through a sermon | 20:15 | |
by that incomparable Scotsman, James T. Cleland. | 20:18 | |
Here, in the fall of 1961, | 20:24 | |
I brought to this place a freshly received | 20:29 | |
call to ordain ministry, | 20:33 | |
and here, God confirmed that call. | 20:36 | |
And then on one dismal Friday afternoon, | 20:40 | |
as I was working on a paper | 20:45 | |
somewhere in the depths of the Duke library, | 20:47 | |
I came up for air and a Coke. | 20:51 | |
The librarian, a grown man, was weeping, | 20:55 | |
and I asked what was wrong. | 20:58 | |
And he told me that the president | 21:01 | |
of the United States had been assassinated. | 21:03 | |
Hundreds of us, dazed by grief and disbelief, | 21:07 | |
began wandering toward this place. | 21:13 | |
There was no other place to go. | 21:16 | |
And so we spent that afternoon here, | 21:19 | |
weeping, worshiping, | 21:22 | |
grieving, praying. | 21:26 | |
Thank God for Duke Chapel. | 21:30 | |
And I would say a word of appreciation too, | 21:33 | |
for the distinguished dean of the chapel, | 21:35 | |
Will Willimon, for he is my friend | 21:38 | |
and fellow South Carolinian. | 21:41 | |
You are so fortunate to have him here. | 21:46 | |
His impact on Christendom, | 21:49 | |
through his books and sermons, | 21:52 | |
exceeds that of any other South Carolinian | 21:54 | |
of this century, | 21:58 | |
and I'm proud to call him my friend, | 22:00 | |
and I'm so indebted to him for this invitation. | 22:01 | |
Please join with me in prayer. | 22:07 | |
Take my lips and speak through them. | 22:12 | |
Take our thoughts and think through them. | 22:15 | |
Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. | 22:18 | |
Unless you speak, nothing of significance | 22:22 | |
will be spoken. | 22:25 | |
Give us your Word, Lord Jesus. | 22:27 | |
Amen. | 22:31 | |
I like the story of the old baptist preacher, | 22:35 | |
who was much beloved by his congregation, | 22:39 | |
there was just one problem. | 22:42 | |
Almost every Sunday, he preached on the same subject. | 22:45 | |
Baptism by immersion. | 22:49 | |
And most of the people | 22:53 | |
agreed with him about the doctrine, | 22:54 | |
they just got tired of hearing it week after week. | 22:56 | |
But the deacons did not want to hurt his feelings, | 23:00 | |
so they came up with a plan, | 23:04 | |
and they deputized two of the deacons | 23:07 | |
to put the plan into action. | 23:09 | |
They went to the pastor and said, | 23:11 | |
"Preacher, it's known throughout the community | 23:13 | |
that you are a master in the pulpit. | 23:16 | |
There is none better. | 23:18 | |
And in fact, some of us deacons | 23:20 | |
were discussing it recently, | 23:21 | |
and several of us alleged as how we believe | 23:23 | |
that you could be handed a verse of scripture | 23:27 | |
moments before time to step into the pulpit, | 23:29 | |
and without any preparation whatsoever, | 23:32 | |
you could step up and deliver a masterful sermon. | 23:35 | |
Well, there were some of the other deacons | 23:39 | |
who doubted that you could do that, | 23:40 | |
and one word led to another, | 23:42 | |
and before you know it, | 23:44 | |
we have committed you to do that this Sunday. | 23:45 | |
And we just hope you'll back us up. | 23:49 | |
Because we're convinced you can do it." | 23:52 | |
Well, what pastor could | 23:54 | |
turn down a challenge like that, | 23:55 | |
so he agreed to do it. | 23:57 | |
And then the deacons went to work, | 23:59 | |
trying to select a verse from the Bible | 24:01 | |
that has no relation whatever to baptism by immersion. | 24:03 | |
And after much study, | 24:09 | |
they selected the very first verse in the Bible. | 24:10 | |
"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." | 24:13 | |
They said, surely this has no connection with baptism. | 24:17 | |
The following Sunday, moments before sermon time, | 24:21 | |
a deacon handed a piece of paper to the pastor, | 24:24 | |
with that verse written on it. | 24:27 | |
He stepped into the pulpit, | 24:29 | |
read the verse aloud three times, | 24:31 | |
and then he said, | 24:34 | |
"Brothers and sisters, | 24:35 | |
if my memory of geography serves me correctly, | 24:37 | |
the earth which the Lord created | 24:41 | |
is made out of one fourth land, | 24:43 | |
and three fourths water, | 24:45 | |
and the mention of water brings me to the subject | 24:47 | |
that's really on my heart today, | 24:50 | |
baptism by immersion." | 24:52 | |
What a one-track mind. | 24:56 | |
Sort of like Saint Paul. | 24:58 | |
No matter what Saint Paul started out | 25:01 | |
talking or writing about, | 25:03 | |
pretty quickly, it led right back | 25:05 | |
to the heart of the matter for him, | 25:08 | |
which was the cross. | 25:09 | |
Paul said, "I determine to know nothing | 25:12 | |
but Christ and Him crucified." | 25:15 | |
I share that obsession | 25:18 | |
and one-track mind with Saint Paul. | 25:21 | |
My main purpose as a minister of the gospel | 25:24 | |
is to reach as many people within my lifetime as possible | 25:27 | |
with the good news of Jesus Christ. | 25:31 | |
To invite them to claim Him | 25:34 | |
by faith as savior and Lord, | 25:36 | |
so that they can experience abundant life on this earth, | 25:38 | |
and eternal life hereafter. | 25:41 | |
And therefore, I find myself coming back | 25:44 | |
again and again to the heart of the matter. | 25:46 | |
The good news of salvation, | 25:49 | |
which revolves around a cross. | 25:51 | |
The scripture that was just read to you | 25:56 | |
from Paul's great letter to the Romans | 25:58 | |
reminds us of the democracy | 26:00 | |
or equality of opportunity in the gospel. | 26:04 | |
Another way of saying that is, | 26:08 | |
the ground beneath the cross is level. | 26:10 | |
No one is good enough to be saved without a savior, | 26:15 | |
and no one is so bad | 26:19 | |
as to be beyond the reach of the savior's love. | 26:21 | |
Another way of saying this is, | 26:24 | |
my chances of going to Hell without a savior | 26:27 | |
are exactly the same | 26:30 | |
as that of the worst drug dealer in New York City. | 26:32 | |
But if, by chance, I claim Jesus as Lord by faith, | 26:36 | |
my chances of going to Heaven | 26:41 | |
are as good as those of Billy Graham and the Pope. | 26:43 | |
The ground is level beneath the cross. | 26:47 | |
There are two fundamental truths | 26:51 | |
that I find in Saint Paul's words, | 26:52 | |
that I wish to declare to you. | 26:55 | |
The first is this. | 26:58 | |
All of us are equally sinners. | 27:00 | |
I did not say all of us sin equally. | 27:04 | |
All of us are equally sinners. | 27:06 | |
Sin is partly systemic, | 27:10 | |
affecting all of creation. | 27:12 | |
The Bible tracks this all the way back | 27:15 | |
to the original rebellion of Adam and Eve. | 27:17 | |
There is an essential brokenness in us | 27:21 | |
and in our creation. | 27:24 | |
The most obvious symptoms are violence, | 27:26 | |
war, hate, selfishness. | 27:31 | |
Witness what is going on in Bosnia. | 27:35 | |
On an individual basis, | 27:39 | |
sin refers to our tendency to rebel against God. | 27:41 | |
Our tendency to use people | 27:46 | |
rather than loving them. | 27:48 | |
To exploit the creation, | 27:50 | |
rather than being custodians of it. | 27:52 | |
Notice in verse nine, | 27:55 | |
Paul wrote: | 27:59 | |
All persons, both Jews and non-Jews, | 28:00 | |
or Jews and Greeks, | 28:03 | |
are under the power of sin. | 28:05 | |
And the Greek word, | 28:07 | |
which we translate here | 28:08 | |
"under the power of," | 28:10 | |
is the same word used to describe | 28:12 | |
the authority of a Roman centurion, | 28:15 | |
or company commander, | 28:17 | |
over the 100 troops in his command. | 28:19 | |
They are under his operational authority. | 28:22 | |
So Saint Paul is saying | 28:26 | |
you are under the power of sin | 28:28 | |
in your natural condition. | 28:29 | |
That is, you come into the world | 28:31 | |
with a bent toward evil, | 28:34 | |
a bias toward disobedience, | 28:36 | |
a propensity toward selfishness, | 28:39 | |
a tendency to rebel. | 28:42 | |
Like automobiles with their front ends out of line, | 28:44 | |
you're tilted toward the ditches of sin. | 28:48 | |
A few years ago, Charles Colson, | 28:52 | |
president of Prison Fellowship, | 28:55 | |
was invited to speak at Harvard, on the subject: | 28:56 | |
why good people do bad things. | 29:01 | |
And Mr. Colson refused to go, | 29:05 | |
unless they changed the topic. | 29:07 | |
You see, the topic presupposed that | 29:11 | |
people are basically good, | 29:13 | |
and for some weird reason, | 29:15 | |
occasionally they do bad things. | 29:16 | |
Mr. Colson did not agree. | 29:18 | |
Because that's not the Biblical view. | 29:21 | |
There are many secular humanists who believe | 29:24 | |
that everybody would be beautiful | 29:27 | |
if he just happened to be in a loving home, | 29:29 | |
or given a good diet, and educated. | 29:33 | |
And yet, even a well-fed, | 29:38 | |
loved, educated pagan, | 29:42 | |
is still a pagan, | 29:44 | |
with a bent toward evil, | 29:47 | |
and a bias toward disobedience. | 29:49 | |
Notice that the word "sin" in verse nine is singular. | 29:53 | |
It usually is in the Bible, | 29:57 | |
rather than plural. | 29:59 | |
Sin is a spiritual disease, | 30:01 | |
which causes all the symptoms | 30:05 | |
we refer to as sins in the plural. | 30:07 | |
Lying, cheating, stealing, racism, greed, | 30:09 | |
and all the rest. | 30:13 | |
Does the disease of sin infect us all? | 30:15 | |
Look at verse ten, | 30:18 | |
where Paul writes: | 30:20 | |
None is righteous, | 30:21 | |
no, not one. | 30:22 | |
And then again in verse 23, Paul writes: | 30:23 | |
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. | 30:28 | |
I was sitting in a Burger King restaurant | 30:34 | |
some time ago, having lunch. | 30:36 | |
And over in the corner, | 30:39 | |
the manager was giving a training session | 30:40 | |
to some new employees. | 30:43 | |
He did not think any of the customers | 30:45 | |
could overhear him, but I could. | 30:46 | |
He made some interesting statements. | 30:49 | |
And among them, he said this: | 30:52 | |
"McDonald's used to have real good french fries, | 30:54 | |
but then they started messing up, | 30:58 | |
and now their fries are no better than ours." | 31:00 | |
(congregation chuckling) | 31:03 | |
Now, that's one line you'll never hear in their commercials. | 31:05 | |
(congregation chuckling) | 31:08 | |
But I like the honesty of that restaurant manager, | 31:10 | |
he was saying, | 31:12 | |
all of the fast food restaurants, | 31:14 | |
including our own, | 31:16 | |
have done their share of, | 31:17 | |
as he put it, messing up. | 31:19 | |
And Saint Paul would urge us | 31:21 | |
to be that honest about ourselves, | 31:23 | |
acknowledging that all have sinned | 31:25 | |
and fall short of the glory of God. | 31:27 | |
Notice in verses 10 through 18, | 31:30 | |
Paul notes the four organs associated with speech: | 31:32 | |
throat, tongue, lips, and mouth. | 31:36 | |
And he says all are infected by sin. | 31:39 | |
And then he goes on to charge | 31:43 | |
that the eyes and the feet are also servants of sin. | 31:44 | |
We may not have killed anybody, | 31:50 | |
but all of us have hated, | 31:53 | |
or at least deeply resented other people, at times. | 31:55 | |
One of the things I believe that fascinates America | 31:59 | |
with the O.J. Simpson trial, | 32:03 | |
is the fact that O.J. Simpson, for many years, | 32:06 | |
had an excellent reputation, | 32:09 | |
the kind of reputation we would like to have, | 32:11 | |
in most respects. | 32:13 | |
And so as we contemplate his guilt or innocence, | 32:16 | |
it's very hard for us not to ask of ourselves, | 32:19 | |
am I capable of such a dastardly deed? | 32:21 | |
And if we are brave enough | 32:26 | |
to look into our hearts of darkness, | 32:28 | |
with honesty, | 32:32 | |
we have to admit that there have been times | 32:34 | |
when we were almost angry enough, | 32:36 | |
almost jealous enough, | 32:38 | |
almost frustrated enough | 32:40 | |
to kill somebody. | 32:43 | |
We may not have committed adultery, | 32:45 | |
but none of us is unfamiliar with lust. | 32:47 | |
We tend to choose up sides based on race and class. | 32:51 | |
Frankly, given a choice on the one hand, | 32:56 | |
between helping poor, sick people in America | 32:58 | |
get medical treatment. | 33:04 | |
And on the other hand, | 33:05 | |
getting a tax break, | 33:06 | |
many of us would choose the tax break for ourselves, | 33:08 | |
especially if our responses could be kept anonymous. | 33:10 | |
Some of us try very hard to keep the third commandment, | 33:15 | |
which says: Do not profane God's name. | 33:18 | |
But it's strange to me | 33:22 | |
that we don't see any moral contradiction | 33:23 | |
in paying the price of a movie ticket, | 33:25 | |
to a movie in which we know a Hollywood actor | 33:29 | |
is going to profane God's holy name. | 33:31 | |
Do we not become a sponsor of that, | 33:34 | |
when we know it's going to happen? | 33:37 | |
Many of us would take offense | 33:40 | |
if someone called us thieves. | 33:42 | |
And yet, often we see no moral problem | 33:46 | |
in charging our national debts to our grandchildren | 33:49 | |
without their permission. | 33:52 | |
And because of envy and jealousy, | 33:55 | |
have you ever noticed that we don't fully rejoice, | 33:57 | |
even when good things happen | 34:01 | |
to our friends and relatives? | 34:03 | |
There's something sinister within us that won't applaud. | 34:06 | |
The ground is level beneath the cross. | 34:11 | |
All of us are equally sinners. | 34:14 | |
And then we come to | 34:17 | |
that second great democratic truth | 34:18 | |
that's found here. | 34:20 | |
And it is this: | 34:23 | |
We are loved equally by God, | 34:24 | |
through Jesus Christ. | 34:27 | |
There is this wonderful sentence | 34:29 | |
that runs from verse 23 through 25. | 34:31 | |
Paul had this fondness for long sentences. | 34:34 | |
He was like the man who said, | 34:39 | |
"I know how to spell Mississippi, | 34:40 | |
I just don't know when to stop." | 34:42 | |
Paul's sentences were that way, | 34:44 | |
just on and on, | 34:46 | |
and yet, this great sentence beginning in verse 23, | 34:48 | |
it includes the whole of the gospel. | 34:52 | |
Listen to it again. | 34:55 | |
"Since all have sinned | 34:56 | |
and fall short of the glory of God, | 34:58 | |
they are justified by His grace as a gift, | 35:00 | |
through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, | 35:05 | |
whom God put forward as an expiation by His blood | 35:07 | |
to be received by faith." | 35:12 | |
End of quote. | 35:15 | |
Notice, first, that Paul said salvation is a gift. | 35:16 | |
Salvation, what do we mean by that? | 35:19 | |
You have to define everything these days. | 35:21 | |
Salvation means right relationship with God, | 35:23 | |
self, and neighbor. | 35:26 | |
It means reordering my values and priorities | 35:27 | |
according to the will of God. | 35:31 | |
It means the assurance of being forgiven | 35:32 | |
and spending eternity with God. | 35:34 | |
That is salvation. | 35:37 | |
Salvation is a gift. | 35:38 | |
Have you noticed that we middle class folks | 35:41 | |
have a hard time receiving gifts? | 35:43 | |
We like to give them. | 35:46 | |
We don't mind trading favors at all. | 35:49 | |
I'll do something for you, | 35:51 | |
and you'll do something for me. | 35:52 | |
But it's so hard for us to just reach out | 35:54 | |
and receive it and say thanks. | 35:56 | |
And yet, Paul says if you don't receive salvation that way, | 36:00 | |
you can't have it. | 36:03 | |
For there is no other way. | 36:05 | |
In verse 25, notice the reference | 36:08 | |
to the blood of Jesus. | 36:10 | |
We don't like to talk about that these days. | 36:13 | |
In fact, in certain theological circles, | 36:15 | |
it's politically incorrect | 36:18 | |
to talk about the shed blood of Jesus. | 36:20 | |
So many people wish that God had found | 36:25 | |
a more antiseptic way to save humanity. | 36:27 | |
The way he chose was so messy, so gory. | 36:31 | |
Having to do with the blood of Jesus. | 36:36 | |
But let me give you the bottom line of the gospel. | 36:40 | |
The precious blood of God's son, Jesus Christ, | 36:43 | |
trickled down an old, splintery cross, | 36:49 | |
and seeped into the sands of the middle east. | 36:51 | |
And if there had been any other way | 36:56 | |
to save humanity apart from that shed blood, | 36:57 | |
God would have done it. | 37:00 | |
But there was no other way. | 37:02 | |
A great, broken moral law | 37:08 | |
stood between a holy God | 37:12 | |
and his beloved children, | 37:14 | |
and through that shed blood of Jesus, | 37:16 | |
the place of judgment was transformed | 37:19 | |
into the place of mercy. | 37:22 | |
No, I can't describe to you | 37:24 | |
all the details of that divine transaction, | 37:25 | |
but I know this for sure. | 37:29 | |
I have been saved. | 37:32 | |
And am being transformed | 37:34 | |
by the shed blood of Christ. | 37:37 | |
Many years ago, | 37:41 | |
during the worst part of the Great Depression, | 37:42 | |
a woman walked into an office | 37:45 | |
of a life insurance company one day, | 37:47 | |
deeply distraught. | 37:50 | |
She did not understand how life insurance worked. | 37:51 | |
She said to the clerk, | 37:56 | |
"I can no longer afford to pay the premiums | 37:58 | |
for my husband's policy. | 38:01 | |
He died six months ago, | 38:02 | |
and I just can't afford to keep up the policy." | 38:04 | |
The amazed clerk pulled the proper file | 38:08 | |
and called the manager in. | 38:11 | |
And the manager explained to this lady | 38:13 | |
that she would soon receive a check | 38:16 | |
for 200,000 dollars from the company. | 38:18 | |
She thought she was in poverty, | 38:22 | |
but indeed, she was a wealthy person. | 38:25 | |
There is a kind of spiritual wealth | 38:29 | |
that is worth so much more than even the national debt. | 38:32 | |
All the spiritual riches of the Lord Jesus Christ, | 38:36 | |
His forgiveness, His salvation, His peace, | 38:39 | |
His joy, His power, | 38:42 | |
all of them are available to us who believe in him. | 38:44 | |
He paid the premiums on Calvary's cross, | 38:48 | |
and we are the beneficiaries, | 38:51 | |
if we simply endorse the offer through faith. | 38:53 | |
Lots of people think | 38:58 | |
that Heaven will be a hall of fame | 39:00 | |
for distinguished saints, | 39:04 | |
with their moral batting averages | 39:06 | |
posted all around the wall. | 39:08 | |
Oh, Heaven won't be like that. | 39:09 | |
Heaven will just be a vast reunion | 39:12 | |
of saved sinners whose only boast | 39:15 | |
will be in the Lord Jesus, who got them there. | 39:18 | |
The ground is level beneath the cross. | 39:23 | |
The great, old retired bishop, | 39:27 | |
Ed Pendergrass from Florida, | 39:29 | |
often tells about the time | 39:32 | |
that he was converted as a young adult in Jacksonville, | 39:34 | |
and soon thereafter, there was a great, city-wide revival, | 39:39 | |
sponsored by the local counsel of churches. | 39:42 | |
It was an outdoor revival. | 39:46 | |
They cordoned off several blocks of the city, | 39:48 | |
and had great services every night. | 39:52 | |
This was in the worst section of Jacksonville, | 39:54 | |
where all the flop houses and bars were. | 39:57 | |
Ed Pendergrass was invited as a young layman | 40:01 | |
to share his testimony | 40:04 | |
in one of those services, | 40:06 | |
and he did. | 40:07 | |
At the conclusion of the service, | 40:09 | |
the invitation was given | 40:10 | |
for those who would receive Christ as Lord. | 40:12 | |
Many people came down, and among them | 40:15 | |
was a woman who appeared to be in her mid 30s, | 40:17 | |
though it was hard to tell | 40:22 | |
because of all the heavy makeup she wore. | 40:23 | |
But lots of people recognized her, | 40:26 | |
for she was the madam | 40:29 | |
in the most notorious house of prostitution in Jacksonville. | 40:30 | |
And Ed was selected as the person | 40:37 | |
to be her counselor at the end of the service. | 40:39 | |
And he talked with her | 40:42 | |
about starting the Christian life, | 40:43 | |
reading the scripture, prayer, | 40:44 | |
and he said, "Now it's essential | 40:47 | |
that we find you a local church, | 40:48 | |
where you can experience the family of faith." | 40:51 | |
And he said, "I'll help you." | 40:54 | |
But that turned out | 40:56 | |
to be a more difficult task than he thought. | 40:57 | |
He went to his own pastor, | 41:00 | |
and was flatly turned down. | 41:01 | |
The pastor said, | 41:04 | |
"Ed, I appreciate what you're trying to do, | 41:07 | |
but frankly, she would not fit in here, | 41:09 | |
and I think she would | 41:12 | |
make some of our people nervous." | 41:13 | |
And so, Ed looked for another church, | 41:17 | |
that had more of the heart of Christ than did his own, | 41:20 | |
and he found one. | 41:23 | |
And these people welcomed her with open arms, | 41:25 | |
and accepting hearts, | 41:28 | |
and in that warm and supportive fellowship, | 41:30 | |
she grew strong as a disciple of Jesus Christ. | 41:32 | |
Before that woman died, | 41:36 | |
she had won 56 other young women | 41:39 | |
from the brothels into the Kingdom. | 41:43 | |
Now hear me closely. | 41:47 | |
That madam was as precious to the heart of God | 41:49 | |
as was the pastor of the largest church in Jacksonville. | 41:53 | |
The misguided drug dealer on the streets of New York | 41:59 | |
is as dear to the heart of God as is Billy Graham. | 42:03 | |
Those convicted murderers on death row, | 42:07 | |
are as dear to the heart of God | 42:11 | |
as is the council of bishops. | 42:13 | |
The ground is level beneath the cross. | 42:15 | |
Long ago, an old gospel hymn | 42:20 | |
which declares that message, | 42:22 | |
found a place in my heart and it has remained there. | 42:24 | |
Some of the words are these: | 42:29 | |
There's room at the cross for you, | 42:31 | |
there's room at the cross for you. | 42:35 | |
Though millions have come, | 42:37 | |
there's still room for one. | 42:39 | |
There's room at the cross for you. | 42:44 | |
Now I'm gonna ask all of us to bow our heads | 42:49 | |
and close our eyes. | 42:51 | |
And in a few moments, | 42:53 | |
a soloist is going to sing that beloved song, | 42:54 | |
and as she sings, | 42:58 | |
I invite us all to transact | 42:59 | |
high and holy business with God. | 43:01 | |
I invite you to whisper to God | 43:04 | |
something that sounds like this: | 43:07 | |
Lord, here I am, at the foot of the cross. | 43:10 | |
I'm not good enough to stay away, | 43:15 | |
but thanks to your love, | 43:18 | |
I'm not too bad to come. | 43:19 | |
I want to trust you as savior, | 43:22 | |
and follow you as Lord. | 43:25 | |
Amen. | 43:28 | |
(organ music) | 43:39 | |
- | ♪ The cross upon which Jesus died ♪ | 43:59 |
♪ Is a shelter in which we can hide. ♪ | 44:09 | |
♪ And its grace so free ♪ | 44:19 | |
♪ Is sufficient for me ♪ | 44:24 | |
♪ And deep is its fountain ♪ | 44:29 | |
♪ As wide as the sea. ♪ | 44:36 | |
♪ There's room at the cross for you ♪ | 44:42 | |
♪ There's room at the cross for you ♪ | 44:53 | |
♪ Though millions have come, ♪ | 45:04 | |
♪ There's still room for one ♪ | 45:09 | |
♪ Yes, there's room at the cross for you. ♪ | 45:15 | |
♪ The hand of my Savior is strong ♪ | 46:00 | |
♪ And the love of my Savior is long ♪ | 46:11 | |
♪ Through sunshine or rain ♪ | 46:20 | |
♪ Through loss or in gain, ♪ | 46:26 | |
♪ The blood flows from Calvary ♪ | 46:31 | |
♪ to cleanse every stain. ♪ | 46:37 | |
♪ There's room at the cross for you ♪ | 46:44 | |
♪ There's room at the cross for you ♪ | 46:54 | |
♪ Though millions have come, ♪ | 47:04 | |
♪ There's still room for one ♪ | 47:12 | |
♪ Yes, there's room at the cross for you. ♪ | 47:21 | |
- | Let us unite our hearts in prayer. | 48:05 |
Almighty God, | 48:15 | |
You who continue to reveal Yourself to Your church, | 48:19 | |
even through Your cross, | 48:26 | |
draw us closer to Yourself | 48:31 | |
at this hour. | 48:35 | |
We come today praying for Your church universal. | 48:41 | |
We pray, oh gracious God, | 48:47 | |
that the Holy Catholic Church | 48:51 | |
would be filled with all truth, | 48:55 | |
in all truth, | 48:59 | |
and with peace. | 49:02 | |
Where Your church is corrupt, dear God, | 49:06 | |
purify her. | 49:09 | |
Where it is in error, | 49:13 | |
direct it. | 49:16 | |
Where in anything that is amiss, | 49:20 | |
reform it. | 49:24 | |
Where it is right, | 49:27 | |
strengthen it. | 49:28 | |
Where it is in want, | 49:31 | |
provide for it. | 49:32 | |
Where it's divided, | 49:35 | |
reunite it. | 49:39 | |
Lord, in Your mercy. | 49:42 | |
Congregation | Hear our prayer. | 49:45 |
- | We pray for the mission of Your church. | 49:47 |
Ever living God, who will that all should come | 49:51 | |
to You through Your Son, Jesus Christ. | 49:56 | |
Inspire our witness to Him, | 50:01 | |
that all may know the power of His forgiveness, | 50:06 | |
and the hope of His resurrection. | 50:10 | |
We pray for the mission of the church in Honduras, | 50:15 | |
in Guyana, | 50:21 | |
Barbados, | 50:25 | |
Uganda, | 50:29 | |
here in the United States, | 50:32 | |
in Durham, | 50:36 | |
and especially here at Duke Chapel, | 50:39 | |
remember these congregations. | 50:44 | |
Lord, in Your mercy. | 50:49 | |
Congregation | Hear our prayer. | 50:52 |
Rev. Kirton | We pray for the oppressed. | 50:55 |
Look with pity, oh Heavenly Father, | 50:59 | |
upon the people of the world, | 51:02 | |
who live with injustice, terror, | 51:05 | |
disease, death as constant companions. | 51:10 | |
Have mercy upon us. | 51:18 | |
Lift up our brothers and sisters in Bosnia, | 51:22 | |
Haiti, | 51:27 | |
the District of Colombia, | 51:30 | |
and here in Durham. | 51:33 | |
Help us to eliminate our cruelty | 51:37 | |
to these, our neighbors. | 51:41 | |
Strengthen those who spend their lives | 51:45 | |
establishing equal protection of the law, | 51:49 | |
and equal opportunities for all. | 51:53 | |
And grant that every one of us | 51:57 | |
may enjoy a fair portion of the richness | 51:59 | |
of this, Your world. | 52:03 | |
Lord, in Your mercy. | 52:06 | |
Congregation | Hear our prayer. | 52:09 |
Rev. Kirton | For those who suffer | 52:11 |
and in trouble, we pray. | 52:12 | |
Oh, merciful God, | 52:15 | |
who has taught us in Your Holy Word | 52:18 | |
that You do not will that any of us | 52:21 | |
should be afflicted, or be grieved as Your children. | 52:27 | |
Look with pity upon the sorrows of Your servants. | 52:34 | |
For those who are in beds of sickness, | 52:39 | |
grant Your healing touch. | 52:42 | |
For those who mourn, Your comfort. | 52:45 | |
For those who are lonely, Your companionship. | 52:49 | |
Nourish the souls of all Your children | 52:55 | |
with patience, comfort, and a sense of goodness. | 52:57 | |
Lift up Your countenance upon them, | 53:03 | |
and grant us Your peace, | 53:07 | |
Lord in Your mercy. | 53:09 | |
Congregation | Hear our prayer. | 53:12 |
Rev. Kirton | Oh Lord, our God, | 53:13 |
accept these, our fervent prayers, | 53:16 | |
in the multitude of Your mercy, | 53:19 | |
look with compassion upon us, | 53:22 | |
and all who turn to You for help, | 53:25 | |
for You are gracious, | 53:28 | |
oh lover of our souls, | 53:30 | |
and we will give You glory | 53:32 | |
through the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, | 53:35 | |
now and forevermore. | 53:39 | |
Amen. | 53:42 | |
Through Christ, let us continually offer to God | 53:50 | |
the sacrifice of praise, | 53:54 | |
that is the fruits of our lips, | 53:57 | |
that acknowledge God's name. | 53:59 | |
Let us worship God in our offering. | 54:02 | |
(organ music) | 54:09 | |
(drum playing) | 55:26 | |
(Children's choir singing in foreign language) | 55:36 | |
(organ music) | 57:52 | |
- | God of all blessing, | 59:39 |
source of all life, | 59:42 | |
giver of all grace, | 59:47 | |
we thank You for the gift of life. | 59:52 | |
For breath, | 59:58 | |
for sustained life, | 1:00:00 | |
for food of the Earth, | 1:00:04 | |
that nurtures our lives. | 1:00:07 | |
For the love of family, friends and community. | 1:00:10 | |
For the gift of Your church, | 1:00:18 | |
through Your Son, Jesus Christ. | 1:00:21 | |
We give You thanks, dear Lord, | 1:00:26 | |
for these and all blessings, | 1:00:30 | |
we worship Your holy name, | 1:00:34 | |
and praise You as eternal Father, | 1:00:38 | |
Jesus Christ, Your only begotten Son, | 1:00:42 | |
all through the power of Your blessed Holy Spirit, | 1:00:48 | |
we ask these things with thanksgiving, | 1:00:52 | |
through Jesus, who taught us when we pray to say: | 1:00:55 | |
Our Father, | 1:01:00 | |
who art in Heaven, | 1:01:02 | |
hallowed be Thy name. | 1:01:04 | |
Thy kingdom come, | 1:01:07 | |
Thy will be done | 1:01:09 | |
on Earth as it is in Heaven. | 1:01:11 | |
Give us this day our daily bread, | 1:01:14 | |
and forgive us our trespasses | 1:01:18 | |
as we forgive those who trespass against us. | 1:01:21 | |
And lead us not into temptation, | 1:01:25 | |
but deliver us from evil. | 1:01:28 | |
For Thine is the kingdom, | 1:01:31 | |
the power, and the glory forever. | 1:01:32 | |
Amen. | 1:01:36 | |
(organ music) | 1:01:39 | |
(Congregation singing) | 1:02:24 | |
- | And now, unto God, | 1:06:23 |
who is able to keep us from falling, | 1:06:25 | |
the only wise God, | 1:06:29 | |
fill us with the power of the cross, | 1:06:33 | |
to live in union with | 1:06:37 | |
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, | 1:06:39 | |
now and forever. | 1:06:43 | |
Amen. | 1:06:46 | |
(Children's choir singing "Shalom Chaverim") | 1:06:52 | |
(organ music) | 1:07:47 |