Sermon: AN EXAGGERATED FAITH – June 6, 2010

Scripture Reading: John 21:15-25

Can you guess who this is? “He was born in the state of Maine.  When he was 2 weeks old he weighed 100 pounds.  His parents took him and put him in a cradle out in the ocean.  Every time he rocked in his cradle, big waves would come in and flood the seashore.  When he grew up, he found an ox in the snow. He fed it and it soon measured 42 ax handles high.  He founded the Big Onion Logging Company.  He built a big skillet to feed his hundreds of men.  It was so big that 100 men had to strap fat to their shoes and skate on it to grease it.”  Wouldn’t you agree this is exaggeration?

Speaking of exaggeration you may remember this classic story of Mark Twain.  While in Europe, the newspapers in the United States ran a story about his death.  When the news reached him, he cabled the following message to the Associated Press, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”

One of the verses in our God Sighting scriptures this week is the verse with which John finishes up his gospel — “But there are also many other things that Jesus did; if every one of them were written down, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” (John 21:25 NRSV)  If John had been writing the gospel today on a Word Processor he might have written, “There’s a whole lot more that I could tell you about Jesus and what he did but there aren’t enough gigabytes or hard drives to contain all of it.”

By all standards, if anything sounds like an exaggeration this statement does. However, exaggeration or not, what a way to end a gospel.  John was excited about Jesus his Lord. He was excited about all the things Jesus had done and said.

Webster defines “exaggerate” as enlarging beyond bounds or the truth or enlarging beyond the normal.  Some synonyms would be “overstate” or “overemphasize.”

I had always equated exaggeration with lying but that is not always the case.  Sometimes, something is perceived as exaggeration simply because the limits as perceived by the listener, or what the listener knows as truth, does not go far enough.

Marco Polo came back to Italy in the 13th century after visiting the Orient.  He told stories of wonders he had seen and marvelous cities he had visited.  Far beyond the imagination of his people, they accused him of exaggerating and lying.  They ridiculed everything he had to say.  When he was dying they asked him to confess his lies, since he was about to face God.  Marco Polo’s final answer? – “I never told the half of it.”

Benjamin Franklin had the exaggerated idea that lightening was a form of electricity.  He sent a paper on the subject to a friend and asked him to read it for him at the Royal Society in London.  The friend later reported they laughed at the idea.

In 1837, Rowland Hill proposed the exaggerated idea of using postage stamps in Great Britain, instead of asking the recipient to make a cash payment on acceptance.  The postmaster general, Lord Richfield, said the idea was “entirely repugnant to reason.”

If we were all honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that we are believers in an exaggerated faith.  Think about some of the things Jesus had to say – some of them are simply outrageous, “The meek shall inherit the earth.”  “Love your enemies.”  “Ask anything in my name and you will receive it.”  “Turn your other cheek.”

Our Bible talks about happenings such as the dividing of the Red Sea; the boy David killing the Giant Goliath with a slingshot; Daniel surviving in the lion’s den; and, Jesus turning water into wine, walking on water and rising from the dead.

Our faith is exaggerated, at least when viewed through the world’s eyes.  The world cannot understand or at least cannot scientifically evaluate those kinds of happenings. The world cannot understand the people in the Bible who gave up everything for God or the people who claimed to speak for God.

A good example is the Apostle Paul.  In his letter to the Philippians, he boastfully lists off his incredible Jewish credentials of lineage, learning and law keeping.  Listen how he ends his bragging time: “… whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ.  More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ  and be found in him …” (Philippians 3:7-9a NRSV)

What a thing to say.  Paul had everything going for him.  Did he really mean it?  Was he just getting carried away? With the eyes of the world, it sounds like exaggeration.  With the eyes of faith, there is no doubt Paul was speaking the truth.

One pastor tells about a letter he received in his first pastorate in the ’50′s.  The letter was from a young member of his congregation who was in the Marine Corp, stationed in Southern California.  He had met the girl of his dreams and was going to bring her home to get married. The letter contained five or six pages describing the girl.  As the pastor read it, he wondered if maybe the soldier had met Elizabeth Taylor and persuaded her to marry him.

A month later, the soldier and his bride came home.  The pastor was astonished.  She did not even come close to being a beauty. However, he concluded the soldier had not lied.  He had only exaggerated.  He actually saw the girl as he had described.  In his love, he saw a beauty no one else could see.

Although the illustration falls short, it has application.  When we have experienced the love and power of God, when we have experienced a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we see things in a new way.  Some would call it exaggeration, exuberance or even fanaticism but it is reality for us.

We make some pretty phenomenal claims as the church of Jesus Christ – as we read and preach the Bible.  I have already alluded to some of the phenomenal scriptures.  What about our hymns — “O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer’s praise.”  “O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds thy hands have made.”  “We’ve a story to tell to the nations.”

We do it through our buildings such as cathedrals with tall spires and vaulted ceilings.  Look at our own church – why do we have this ceiling – it sure isn’t for heating efficiency.  What about our big cross – inside and out?  To some this might all be an exaggeration but to us it comes out of an excitement and enthusiasm over God’s connection with us.

At least I hope this is why we do the things we do.  There is always the temptation to do what we do out of habit.  We hear the word of God but we don’t really listen because we’ve heard it all before.  We sing the hymns we have always sung and no longer pay attention to the incredible words.

What is the opposite of exaggerating?  Underrating – understating – minimizing?  All too often, the church has such little impact on this world because its members choose to underrate or understate their faith in their conversation and lifestyle.

We have a great God and a great faith – worthy of exaggeration.  In fact, there is no way we can over-exaggerate.  God and God’s ways are higher, deeper, wider, larger, smaller than any of us could imagine.

In his gospel, John was bold enough to state that the whole world could never contain all the books it would take to record the many things Jesus did. It is a wonderful exaggeration.  If only we could be that convinced and carried away in enthusiasm.

This is what the world needs.  Apathy is high – trust is low.  People are afraid. Now is the time to proclaim the gospel boldly.  Now is the time to share the outrageous news of God’s love for us.

Some may call us foolish.  Some may accuse us of exaggeration.  However, there are many who are seeking; whose hearts and eyes and ears are open and waiting for the truth.  Will we deny them life because we are afraid of our reputation?

The gospel of Jesus Christ has endured.  The gospel of Jesus Christ has prevailed.  It will not end here.  If we do not do it God will find somebody else.  However, wouldn’t it be great if we could say we have had a part in telling and showing this incredible story of God’s love for the world?