The Lutheran Hour
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"What Do You Want? What are You Looking For?"
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Text: Colossians 3:1-2
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PRAYER: Dear Lord, our heavenly Father, questions have bothered humankind for centuries. Questions like “What do we want?” and “What are we looking for?” We give thanks that we have Jesus Christ who is the answer to the questions of life — Jesus Christ, who is our Savior and our Lord. We pray His presence as we hear of His great love this day. Amen.
What do you want? What are you looking for? Those questions were easy to answer when you were a child. Children know what they want. They’ll tell you, and anyone else who will listen, in no uncertain terms, exactly what they want. That’s why, not long ago, a letter was written to Santa in which a child said what he wanted. The letter read, “Dear Santa Claus, Last year I got a sister instead of a bike. Maybe some other boy wanted a sister and got my bike. We have kept the sister, but I’d still like a bike.”
Children know what they want. But the older we get, the harder it is to find a good answer to these questions. We probably shouldn’t be surprised. The search to find an answer to life’s questions is age old. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve didn’t know what they wanted. They thought they wanted knowledge and to be like God. But, when they ate of the forbidden fruit, they found sin and death. Since then, countless others have searched for and been eluded by the answers to these questions. Their frustration can be summed up in the words of Solomon. In Ecclesiastes, he wrote, “Meaningless, Meaningless! Everything is meaningless…..” That was Solomon’s verdict, and Solomon was a very smart man.
Of course, you may not agree with him. Most people prefer to believe they can and will find answers because they are “masters of their fate and captains of their souls.” That sounds a lot better to our ears than Solomon’s “meaningless, meaningless.” Those words, ‘I am master of my fate, captain of my soul,’ come from the poem, “Invictus,” written by William Henley. Those words have recently regained prominence because they were quoted by the Oklahoma City bomber, Tim McVeigh, shortly before he was executed for his murderous crimes.
Tim McVeigh thought those words were good. He liked them. It made him feel he was in control as he snuffed out lives of men, women and children. The author of those words, William Henley, thought they sounded good, too. Henley thought he had the answers to where he was going and what he was looking for. He thought he was in control of his destiny. He wasn’t. When death took his six-year-old daughter, Margaret, his heart was understandably broken. Henley ended up committing suicide because he didn’t find the answers.
What do we want? What are we looking for? Can government give us the answers? Some leaders act as if they can. Equality for all has been a cornerstone of our culture. Countless laws have mandated it, but prejudice, inequity, discrimination, bigotry, and hatred remain. Government would give us the answers, but it isn’t able.
What do you want? What are you looking for? Advertisers think they know. They believe their products can answer any and every want and need of humankind. They tell me what greeting card to send when I want to send the very best. I know what soft drink is the real thing. I know where to eat if I deserve a break today. I know what drink is the king of beers and what aspirin four out of five doctors recommend. I know how to dispel the gloom that comes from “ring around the collar” and what tissue is softer than soft. But even after I’ve cleaned out the shelves of the drug stores, the questions are still there. That’s why, each year, thousands of products, once ripe with promise, are shelved. They didn’t give us what we wanted. They weren’t what we were looking for.
Maybe we should go to the experts to find answers. Listening to experts, we become like the man who had a toothache for two days and tried to treat it himself. Using a small drill, he opened his mouth and ground away. When he was done, he filled the hole with spackle. Self-treatment worked. He didn’t have a bit of pain, until the following day. Then his tooth hurt worse. Did he look for help? He did not. He repeated the procedure, drilled things out and filled his tooth one more time. This time he used some plastic goop he bought at the hardware store. That did the trick. No more pain — for a whole three hours. Then agony returned with a ferocity that can’t be described on a radio broadcast where children are listening. Using his own answers, he never got rid of that toothache — just as our own answers don’t get rid of bad habits, addictions, sins and shortcomings. No wonder Solomon looking at human solutions, said, “Meaningless, meaningless.”
Let me ask you, “What do you want? What are you looking for?” Most people would say, “I want happiness.” If I asked them, just like I’m asking you, “have you found that happiness?”, they would pause, think, and say “No.” Are you happy? Has your life turned out the way you wanted? Have your dreams been fulfilled? Between us, I think you’re carrying around a burden, a difficulty, a problem, a wound, a grief, a loss, an illness, a pain, a disappointment, a heartache. No matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, no matter how much you work, that burden, difficulty, problem, wound, grief, loss, illness, or heartache sticks to you like glue.
If you understand what I’m talking about, and most will, you ought to know someone and something is messing you up. Inside of each of us, sin and Satan have introduced a cancerous corruption that keeps us from finding what we’re looking for. Sin and Satan have told us technology, science, the universal goodness of humankind can give us our answers. Read the paper and see if they’re right. Watch the news, and see if we’ve really found the answers. If what I’m saying makes sense, I would like to tell you there is a way to find what you’re looking for to get what you want.
An event I saw many years ago serves as an introduction. At the university near me, a famous guest lecturer was brought in to talk about Jesus. Out of curiosity and because a lot of my friends wanted to hear what he was going to say, I went along. In that presentation, he took a shot at religion in general and Christianity in particular. He put down just about everything I hold sacred. At the end, he opened himself up to questions. I had no doubt he expected one or two hot-headed young men to vigorously oppose him, and make some passionate plea for Jesus. He was ready for that. But that’s not what happened.
Instead, an older lady whose clothing had seen better days and was no longer in style, went to the microphone. She started by saying, “I came here tonight to learn something good about Jesus, and I have not heard it.” She continued, “Let me tell you what Jesus has done for me. I’ve been a widow for 30 years. My husband’s death left me with five children. Back then, without a cent to my name, I trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ. He comforted me, and helped me bring up my children. Nobody knows what troubles I faced, what feelings I felt. But each day the Lord’s grace was enough. You can say I’m foolish. Those who haven’t been where I have been might believe you, but I know there is power and love and forgiveness in my Savior.” I must say, that kind of argument was new to the lecturer. He wasn’t prepared for it. Rather than fighting her publicly, he gave her and the audience a look which basically said, “You poor old dear. Live in your delusion. I won’t try to straighten you out.”
Well, he forgot this lady was a mother. She knew that look said she was being patronized and replied, “That look won’t do. Truth is truth, and your silly smirk can’t change it. Jesus Christ has been all this to me, and I can’t leave tonight, having heard you talk about Him without speaking up for Him. I’ve checked Him out as a Savior, and that’s a lot more than you have done.”
What do you want? What are you looking for? That mother of five knew there was an answer to the questions. She, like hundreds of millions of others, found her answer in Jesus. St. Paul says those who have been raised with Christ are free to set their hearts and minds on things above. (Colossians 3:1-2)
A therapist can commiserate and say, “I feel for you;” but therapists can’t change you or save you. Therapists can’t give you the eternal answers. Some religions encourage, “Change your state of mind and you will be lifted up.” But that’s as far as they can go. Other churches say, “Here are rules to help you escape your sin,” but even then, you’re never sure if you have. Some world religions offer all kinds of mental and physical exercises to help you, but if you fall short, in their philosophy, you are recycled and reincarnated again and again. Science can tell you there is no such thing as sin. After all, from its perspective you’re only a human animal, but your conscience says better. Name the philosophy or religion, all will fail to give you the absolute, positive, powerful assurance of salvation and hope you need. All will fail, except for Christianity.
We live in a time where there are many ways to heaven, if there is a heaven. Ours is a time when folks feel all religions are the same, with every road leading you to God, if there is a god. In contrast to what is fashionable, Christianity alone promises total and complete answers to life’s questions. That’s because Jesus’ church is the only church that says we are saved by God’s grace and not by our actions.
Those who have been raised up from this dismal, dark world know Jesus is the answer. He is not an answer. He is not one of many answers. Jesus, alone, is the Good News of great joy the angels announced at His birth. Jesus is the Answer, the Message of hope the angels spoke about at the entrance to the empty tomb on Easter Sunday. Jesus is the Answer. He is the Answer that toppled the Greek gods from Olympus and closed down the oracle at Delphi. Jesus is the Answer that shut down the temples of Isis in Egypt, and made sure the mystery religions remain a mystery. Jesus is the Answer. He is the answer that turned the world upside down 2000 years ago. Because Jesus is still the answer today, the Holy Spirit continues to bring comfort to those who mourn, and hope to millions more who give their lives to the Lord who cares.
So, what do you want? What are you looking for? Do you want, and are you looking for love? That’s not unusual. Everybody wants to be loved. Unfortunately, our best friends drift away. Parents pass away. Those we trust betray us. Often, we are never absolutely sure of the love of those closest to us. Do you want love? Set your mind and heart on things above. See God’s love that gives its best all the time. It is a love that continues on when you do wrong. It is not destroyed because you are less than perfect.
What else do you want? What else are you looking for? If you want security, look in the manger. Jesus had a secure position in heaven, yet He gave it up to be Your Savior, so all who follow Him might be saved and secure. Do you want security? Look on the cross. Jesus gave up a secure, normal life, and died the death we deserve so you might live forever. Do you want security? Look in the open tomb. See a once dead and now living Lord. See Him reaching out to you. He wants you to be secure. That’s why He says, “Come unto Me all that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Do you want security? He provides eternal security in the promise: ‘All who believe in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.”
What do you want? What are you looking for? I know. You want to be rich. Who can make you richer than Jesus? Do you want to have a life which is fulfilling? Jesus came to give you life and give it to you abundantly. Do you want to feel beautiful? What face is more beautiful than that which is not creased by sins of the past, and is now filled with the smiles of sins forgiven? What do you want? What are you looking for? Be raised with Christ and find hope and happiness. Be raised with Christ and see all that is good and pure and fine.
Now, I know you probably aren’t going to reverse your entire life because an anonymous voice says so. You don’t know me. You have no reason to trust me. That’s why I’d like to introduce you to Eric Barker, a missionary from Great Britain. Eric spent 50 years overseas sharing the Savior. During World War II, the war got close enough that he was advised to send his wife and eight children to England for safety. His sister and her three children were also evacuated on the same ship, while Barker remained behind to carry on God’s work. A short time after his family left, Pastor Barker announced to his congregation, “I’ve just received word that all my family has arrived safely home!” He then continued with the service. It was only later that his congregation found out just before the worship service began, he had been given a telegram which told of how the ship on which his family was sailing had been torpedoed. There were no survivors.
As a husband, father, brother, I cannot imagine the impact of that telegram. In a few short words, his life should have been turned upside down. No, I can’t imagine what went through his mind. I know every problem I have ever had is nothing compared to what that man felt. I know many people would snap under the weight of such a tragedy. Barker did not. Instead, the Spirit of God lifted his eyes. Rather than a lost family, because of Jesus he saw a saved family. He could look past death and a watery grave to see his family with Jesus. In the worst of life, he relied on Jesus. What a weak word that is, relying. Better to say, clinging to and clutching Jesus, he found the the answer. Have you?
Believe in Jesus, the Answer. Trust in Jesus, our Hope. Cling to Jesus, our Savior and Salvation. If you don’t know Him, or want to know more of Him, contact us at a number that will be given at the end of our broadcast. We will put you in contact with someone who can help you meet Jesus, the answer to the question, “What do you want? What are you looking for?” Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for August 19, 2001 “What Do You Want? What Are You Looking For?” 68-50
ANNOUNCER: I’m Mark Eischer. Joining me today is the Rev. Art Simmons who is the assistant director for International Ministries and the area counselor for Europe for Lutheran Hour Ministries. Art, over the course of the past year you’ve spent some time in Yugoslavia working to establish a new ministry center. Is Lutheran Hour Ministries doing this alone or are we working with existing Christian churches in Yugoslavia?
SIMMONS: We began by forming a partnership with Slovak Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Yugoslavia. A very long and complicated title, it’s the Slovak speaking Lutherans in Yugoslavia. Together, in partnership with them, we formed a media ministry office.
ANNOUNCER: We were invited to go over there?
SIMMONS: Yes. Generally, that’s how we begin a ministry in another country. We are invited by the Lutheran church in that country or the Lutheran churches in that country. We don’t try to replace their ministry. We serve as an evangelism tool by which they can reach out to people.
ANNOUNCER: So using the media is a new idea in Yugoslavia?
SIMMONS: It’s a very new idea because of the communist rule of Yugoslavia for so many years. There wasn’t any Christian broadcasting of any kind and I don’t think anyone has ever used media as an evangelistic tool to reach out to people outside the church.
ANNOUNCER: What opportunities do we have there?
SIMMONS: We have many opportunities-radio, television, Internet web-site development. Basically, the media environment is fairly open to us. The churches there basically grew through the communist era, and became sort of Slovak cultural clubs, a gathering place for Slovaks to speak their own language. But nobody had any opportunity to reach out to the other Slovak speaking people and invite them into the church. So what we want to do is energize the church, wake them up to the concept of freedom. The barriers are down. We want to go out and reach out to people.
ANNOUNCER: Art, could you describe the situation of a society in Yugoslavia and how it relates to the ministry?
SIMMONS: If you look at Jesus’ ministry, the people who came to Him always had a crisis. Heal my blindness, make it possible for me to hear, fix my lame leg. In the same way, I think people today still are most receptive to the Gospel in times of crisis. In Yugoslavia, it has been such a churning mess of war and bloodshed and ethnic conflict, people are looking for encouragement and hope-more now than ever. I like to think of our ministry, our new little ministry in Yugoslavia, as the eye of the storm. All the turmoil and tension and shake-up in people’s lives is all around. The moment of calm, the peace that’s being spoken in the midst of all that conflict is what people desperately need to hear.
ANNOUNCER: Art, if people are interested in finding out more about what’s happening in Yugoslavia, how can they get that information?
SIMMONS: A couple of ways; if they have a computer and an internet access, the easiest way would be to go to our international Web-site, www.lhmint.org and look for Yugoslavia. There’s a ministry fact sheet there that tells a little bit about the country and what we’re doing there. The other way is to contact the international ministries department here at Lutheran Hour Ministries through the 800 number.
ANNOUNCER: That number is 1-800-876-9880, and ask for information about the International Ministries department. We’ve been talking with the Rev. Art Simmons, assistant director for International Ministries at Lutheran Hour Ministries. Art, thank you for joining us.