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Sunday sermon: the obligation of belief
Sep 25, 2011, 9:20 AM
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'Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.'
In the book of John, Jesus FINALLY makes a believer of Thomas. It takes nails through the hands and a spear in the side to do it, but ol' Thomas is a doubter no more.
This isn't some sort of Old Testament-type prophecy, a standing on the watchtower with Habakkuk and count on the future sort of thing. It's not a "someday, somehow it's going to happen" sort of future faith.
The future is happening now.
The future is looking you in the face.
The future is present, laid out before you in the gritty resolve of Rennie Moore, playing with a torn muscle in his shoulder ... because he has always believed.
Blessed are they who have not seen, but believed anyway.
The young men, the true Sons of Clemson who bleed and hurt and continue to line up for the future they knew would be coming ... they are the blessed this morning as the carcass of Chief Osceola and his false dreams of greatness are dragged back to Tallahassee by his thuggish thrall wailing their Tomahawk dirge.
The fans who stood with one voice believing that somehow this day would come and helped will it to fruition and find themselves unable to speak ... and feeling d@mn proud of that affliction, by the way ... they are the blessed.
The pundits, those who smugly proclaimed that the Sons of Clemson wouldn't, no COULDN'T win the big game, or who smirkingly noted "Yeah, but you gave up 30 to the Noles," they will find no blessing. Pride does not go down easy with the morning coffee.
You believe because you see ... but how much more is the blessing for those who believed the vision long before it came to pass?
Now it gets interesting. This week, Clemson's Redemption Tour packs up the revival tent and heads on the road into a heathen snakepit of blasphemy called Lane Stadium. Ho-hum! Another weekend, another top 15 team.
The Sons of Clemson will not have the voices of the faithful to lean on. They will not have the comfort of their home. They are tired, and torn and bruised, staring into the howling face of with 60,000 minions who worship a castrated turkey.
But they believe ... and they will be blessed.
Will you join in their belief? Not in the victory already accomplished, but in that which will unfold. "Look and be amazed," The Lord said to Habakkuk as he waited in the watchtower.
But know one thing: when faith become belief, it arrives with obligation. When you believe you no longer can pick up and put down your love of Clemson at whim. When difficult times arise, and they will arise, you cannot turn your back on Clemson, screaming for Barabbas or howling for the head of John the Baptist on a tray.
This morning, there are no pumpers. There are no dumpers. There is only you, looking face-to-face with Clemson. The wounds are there to touch. Either you believe or you don't.
It's time to either stand with the Army or Orange, those who have always believed and those who have come to faith.
Or it is time to turn and walk away into the spiritual desert that your pride has spread before you.
Today is the day. This is the time.
Choose.
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