John1:35-37
Whatdoyouwant?
SermonbyRev.GabrielJSnymanforFaithPresbyterianChurchFortMcMurray
April23,2017
InJohn1wereadabouttwomenwhodecidedtoenquireaboutJesus.TheyweretoldthatHewastheLambof
Godwhowilltakeawaythesinsoftheworld.AndastheyfollowedHim,Heasksthenanunexpectedquestion.The
questionisnotwhatonewouldexpectJesustoaskthem.Rabbi’susuallyaskedadifferentquestiontodetermineif
acandidateissuitableasadisciple.Theywouldask:“Whatdoyouknow…aboutthisorthat?”Theywould
sometimesevenask:“Whatdoyoubelieve?”Jesusemploysanotherquestiontodetermineiftheyaresuitableto
befollowers.Heasksthem:“Whatdoyouwant?”
Eventoday,ifweweretoimagineJesuswaitingforusattheproverbialpearlygateswewouldimagineHimasking:
“WhatdoyouknowofMe?”or“Whatdoyoubelieveaboutme?”Manyofuswerekindofraisedwiththeideathat
Jesuswillacceptusbasedonouranswertothesequestions.
ButtoanypersonthatwantstofollowHimJesusasksthequestion:“Whatdoyouwant?”,“Whatisyourhearts’
desire?”HeconsidersthisthemostfundamentalquestionwhenitcomestodiscipleshipandI’lltellyouwhy…Our
identityisdeterminedbyourdesires.Bynaturewearewhatyoucancalldynamicandintentionalcreatures.Which
meanswearealwaysheadingsomewhere.Wealwayshavesomegoalweworktowardsevenifwearenotaware
ofit.Wealllivewithsomekindofpictureofwhatwouldmakeupagoodlifeandourdesireforthiskindoflife
driveswhatwesaydoorthink.
Soconsideringthis,whatdoesitmeantofollowJesus?TobeafollowerimpliesthatyouallowJesustopaintyour
pictureofwhatagoodlifeshouldlooklike.TobeafollowerimpliesthatJesustakesyouthroughexperiencesand
exercisesandroutinesthatmakeyoulovehispictureofwhatagoodlifeshouldlooklikeevenmorethantheone
youusedtohave.SurethecorrectknowledgeoftheBibleanddoctrineandfaithalsoplaysaroleinfollowingJesus.
Butevenmorefundamentallyyourpassion,yourdesire,whatyouloveaboveallelseformsyouintoadisciple.
JesustransformsusintopeoplethatlovehisKingdomofpeace,hisrighteousnessandhismoralsmorethan
anythingelse.AndJesusdoesn’tdothisonlybegivingusinformationorbyinstillingabeliefsysteminus.Hedoesit
byphysicallytakingourbodythroughexperiencesandmotionsagainandagainuntiltheybecomethehabitsthat
transformus.
Youseeaperiodinrecenthistoryhaditallwrongaboutwhatmakesushuman.Itwasthoughtthatitourrational
capacities,ourthinkingthatmakesushuman.“IthinkthereforeIam”.Itwasalmostasifhumanswerethoughtof
asthesebigbobbleheaddollswiththeoversizedheads.Ourbrainsmatterandeverythingelseisjusttemporary
appendices.Thensomeimprovedonthisbystatingthatmaybeitisourbeliefsanddeepconvictionsthatmakesus
whoweare.Nowtheyweregettingcloserbutonlyjustrecentlywediscoveredthatwhatmakesushumanisthe
factthatwelove.Somewillrefertothisasourheartsorourgut-thatdeepestplaceinuswhereourthoughts,
emotionsandconvictionsallcomestogether.Discipleshipismuchmoreaboutwhatyoulovethanaboutwhat
knowledgeyouhaveoraboutwhatbelievesystemyouhave,importantastheymightbealso.
IfwekeepclingingontothisbobbleheadunderstandingofwhatitmeanstobehumanwekeeptellingourselvesifI
canonlygettherightinformationaboutGod,ifIcankeepmyselfdoctrinallypure,allwillbesolved.AndyetIbet
youcanthinkofmanypeoplethathadimpressiveknowledgeaboutGodandverysounddoctrinalbeliefsbutwho
whereatthesametimecoldheartedandpeopleinwhomyousawverylittleofChristdespitetheirawesome
knowledgeaboutGodandtheBible.It’syourheartJesusisafter,notonlyyourbrain!
SermonbyRev.GabrielJ.SnymanforFaithPresbyterianChurchFortMcMurray.Apr23,2017
WhatIamsayingmightsoundallnewtoyoubutactuallyyouhaveseenthisphenomenoncomeintoplayina
thousandways.Letmegiveyouoneexamplefrommyownlife.Ihadafriendwhowasamedicaldoctor.Hewas
alsoaheavysmoker.Asadoctorheknewmuchbetterthantheaveragemanonthestreetwhatdamagesmoking
doestothebody.Hiscolleaguesremindedhimofiteverytimetheysawhimlightingacigarette.Yetallthis
knowledgedidnotchangehissmokinghabitonebit.Thenonedayhistwoyearolddaughteraskedhimnotto
smokeasitdoesn’tmakehimsmellnice.Theverynextdayhestoppedsmokingandneversmokedacigarette
again.Nowsurelythislittlegirlhadnoknowledgehiscolleaguesdidn’thave.Butshegottohisheartwhilethe
othersonlygottohismind.Thereforeshetransformedhishabitswhilsttheotherscouldn’t.Truetransformation
requiresyourheartnotjustyourmind.
ThereareversesintheBiblethatencourageustogainknowledgeandtoattendtoourminds.Romans12:1and2
Corinthians10:5beingacaseinpoint.Butwetendtoemphasizetheseversesatthecostofotherverseslikethe
oneswereadinPhilippians2.WhenPaulpraysforthiscongregationhehelddear,hedoesnotpraythatGodwill
increasetheirknowledgeorcorrecttheirbeliefsystem.Yes,hedidcontributetotheirknowledgeofGodandtheir
beliefsinthisletter.Buthestartswiththemostimportant.Hepraysthattheirhearts,theirlovewillincrease.It’s
likeheissaying:Onlybylovingmorewillyourincreaseinknowledgereallymeananything.
Yousee,sayyouresearchmywife.Youmightgetalotofinformationonher.Youmightevenendupgettingsome
informationaboutherthatIdon’tevenhave.ButwouldthismeanthatyounecessarilyknowmywifebetterthanI
do?No,becauseofthefactthatIlovehermorethanyoudo,Iwillknowherbetter.Myloveforherwillutilizethe
informationIhaveofherinsuchawaythatIacttowardsherinawaythatappealstohermoresothatyouareable
to-wellhopefullyit’sthecase!
Oneofourgreatchurchfathers,Augustine,said:“Ourheartsarerestlessuntiltheyhavefoundrestinyou”.There
issomuchwisdominthesewords.HebasicallysaythreeimportantthingsaboutusandaboutGod:
• Firstly,hesaysthatwewerecreatedbyGodandforGod’spurposes.
• Secondlyhesayswearedynamicbeingsinthesensethatwearedrivenbyourpassions
• Thirdly,hesayswiththisthatourheartsisthehomeofthesepassions.
SoAugustinesayswewerecreatedtofindourpurposeinsomethingorsomeoneveryspecific.Thatsomeoneis
God.Wewillfeelrestlessnessandevenanxietywheneverourheartsaresetonadifferentpurpose.Thethingiswe
cannotchoosewhetherweloveornot.Weonlygettochoosewhowelove.Itisthereforepossibletosubstitute
otherpassionsforGod.Wealldo.Itscalledsin.
Sothentheonlyquestionremainingwhenwerealizethisis:HowdowegetourheartstolovetheOneweshould
aboveallelse?Wedothisintwoways:Byimitationandbyexercising.
Iknowthissoundsstrange.Toimitatehasformanyofustheconnotationofnotbeingoriginalorevenofbeing
fake.ButintheBible,especiallyinthewayPaulusesit,copyinghasapositiveconnotation.Paulsaysinmorethan
onepassage:“Followmyexample,asIfollowtheexampleofChrist”.YoudonotgettoloveGodmorebysimply
gettingmoreinformationaboutHim.YougettoloveGodmorebydoingwhatotherpeoplethatloveHimdoes.
Andthenyouexercise,whichmeanstodosomethingoverandoveruntilitbecomessecondnature.Whatdoyou
dowhenyoupracticepiano?Youplaynotesoverandoveragainuntilitbecomessecondnaturetofindandply
them.Thesamewithdriving.Itbecomessomethingyoudobydefault.Somethingyoudooutofhabitorbydefault
shouldneverbecomeamindlessactionbecausethatishowaccidentshappen.Butjustastherearebadhabits
therearegood,lifegivinghabits.
Soweshouldimitateandexercise,formhabitsinordertoloveGodmoreandeventuallyaboveallelse.Nowwhen
Augustinesaidwearewhatwelovemost,anotherwaytosayitwouldhavebeentosay:Webecomelikewhatwe
worship.ThereforealsoworshippingGodissomethingweshouldimitateandthendorepeatedlyuntilitbecomesa
habit.Itshouldneverbecomeamindlesshabitbutworshiphasatransformativeeffectwhenitisnotsomethingwe
practiceoccasionallybutregularlysothatitbecomespartofyourroutine.Exerciseswedotohelpusworshipand
SermonbyRev.GabrielJ.SnymanforFaithPresbyterianChurchFortMcMurray.Apr23,2017
formourpassionsasaformofhabitiscalledliturgies.Weassociatethiswordwithchurchifwehearitandindeed
aliturgyiswhatwefolloweverySundayinourChurchservices.Butdoyourealizethattherearemanyother
liturgiesyouareknowinglyandunknowinglyexposedtoeveryweek?Yes,therearevariousadvertisements,radio
programs,conversationsandsocialmediainteractionsthatallcompeteforthepassionsofyourheart.Andmostof
themdoesnottoattempttosteerthosepassionstowardsGodbutawayfromHim.
SoIguesswhatIamgettingatisthefactthatwhatyouareparticipatinginthismorningiswaymoreimportantand
transformationalasyoumayrealize.ThismorningweareactuallyrecalibratingourpassionstowardsGod.Weare
practicingtoworshipGodsothatitcanbecomeamatterofhabitinourdaytodaylives.Andsometimesevenjust
yourpresenceataworshipservicestrengthensanother’sfaithbythesheeractofyougivinganotheronemore
persontoimitate.Whatyouareinvestinginbysimplybeingherethismorningisthoroughlyworthwhile.
Close
Whoofyouhavereadthebook“TheLittlePrince”writtenbyAntoinedeSaint-Exupery?Inithegivesthefollowing
advice:
“Ifyouwanttobuiltaship,don’tdrumuppeopletocollectwoodanddon’tassigntasksandwork,butratherteach
themtolongfortheendlessimmensityofthesea”
Whatdoesthiscomesdownto?Ifyouwanttogivepeopletheverybest.Ifyouwanttoinvitethemintoareal
inspiringpurpose,don’tsimplypumpthemfullofinformationandplans.Firstmakethemlovethepictureyousee
andtheywillbemotivatedenoughtofindtheknowledgeandplanstheyneedtopaintthatpictureforthemselves.
Thinkaboutwhyyoustillbelongandattendachurchinacommunitywhereitisnotpopulartodoso?Isittoget
thecorrectinformation?Maybealittlebutnotfirstandforemost-infoshouldn’tbeyourgreatestexpectationwhen
youattendaworshipservice.LetusstartwherePaulstartedwiththePhilippians.Letusstartbypraying,notthat
GodwillincreaseourknowledgebutthatGodwillincreaseourloveforHimandforotherssothattheknowledge
wehaveandgetaboutHimwillbetrulyuseful.
Jesusisaskingyou:“Whatdoyouwant?”Andifyoudareanswerithonestly,youwillrealizethatHeactuallyfound
you!
Amen
SermonbyRev.GabrielJ.SnymanforFaithPresbyterianChurchFortMcMurray.Apr23,2017