The Lutheran Hour
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"Retooled"
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Text: Ephesians 4:17-5:2
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Early in the year 2010, a designer at the Chrysler Automobile Company readied himself for what looked to be a difficult meeting. Matt Liddane was scheduled to convene with the new CEO, Sergio Marchionne, and a group of Chrysler executives. Given the assignment of spearheading the complete overhaul of the Jeep Grand Cherokee Liddane was walking into the meeting with a failed plan. He knew that the car wasn’t a failure. He and his team had worked very hard to get the vehicle right. But, the problem was the cost. He was over budget. But he didn’t want to cut corners. He and his design group needed to improve the vehicle. They wanted to present a product that would awe the public.
And the pressure was on. This was a critical time for the Chrysler Company. Reeling from bankruptcy, a buyout, and a bailout, the company needed to succeed. Thousands of jobs were on the line. Matt Liddane felt the weight on his shoulders as he walked into the meeting. He had a great car, but the budget was a problem and failure was not an option. That day, he was convinced that he might get fired.
Why such fear? Liddane was used to living in what had become a culture of cutbacks, an attitude of desperation, an atmosphere of striving to get by for as little cost as possible. Products suffered. Sales suffered. And morale suffered.
You could say that massive retooling was needed. There had to be a change of plan, a change of direction for there to be success again and not more failure. Thankfully, the leadership at that time felt the same way too. The new CEO, Sergio Marchionne, did indeed have a different plan. He also wanted Chrysler to succeed. In a speech to the National Automobile Dealers Association that year, he said:
“We have been given the responsibility of achieving a ‘creative reconstruction.’…The challenge before us is to put what we have learned from this economic crisis to good use.
“We can – we must – regain the creative spark that propels companies … and industries… and economies forward.”
The speech was called “A Year of Transformation.” Chrysler was failing and its new CEO knew that it needed to take a creative risk. The challenge was excellence. It needed complete retooling.
Have you ever felt such pressure in your life? Have you ever felt like you needed to really change to not only survive, but to really thrive? Retooling. Transformation. Car companies aren’t the only things that fail. People do, too.The Apostle Paul pointed that out in the Bible. He said in Ephesians chapter four: “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity” (vss. 17-19).
People fail. People fall apart. People settle for second best-people get caught up in the whirlpool of lowered expectations and the resignation of the reality of personal failure. The people that Paul was talking to in our lesson today, they had been walking in that way of life. He made clear it was time to stop.
There was a better way. There is a better way. It’s life retooled by way of grace, by way of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.I wonder if you need creative reconstruction in your life today, my friend. Are you tired of living mired in negative attitudes? Are you feeling the hurt of your habits that bring pain to people around you and make you feel miserable? Do you feel like you’ve been disappointing yourself, others, and God?
Well, there’s hope for you, there’s hope for me today. When excellence was demanded for Chrysler, what was also needed was leadership, leadership that was willing to take a risk, to take a chance on doing what was right not just for the company, but for the consumer, too.
The real good news of our lesson today, though, is that you and I are much more valuable than a car company, and that this kind of retooling isn’t merely to have a better product, this is much more important. This is about your life, now and forever. That’s why God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to retool you with His love and forgiveness. With the free gift of His grace, God retools you into a new creation today! Hear Him, believe Him, trust Him. Today is your day of repentant transformation.
Paul pleaded, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander, let it all be put away from you, along with malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (vss. 31-32).
He reminded them of who God is and what God had done for them. In the middle of failing lives, retooling was desperately needed! Retooling was provided, in Christ, by Christ, for all, especially for all who put their trust in Him.
A teenager, a young believer, he needed to be reminded of that one day in his life.
He came to his pastor’s office saying, “Sometimes, Pastor, I don’t think I am a Christian. I don’t seem to have the same interest and excitement, or enthusiasm I once did. It isn’t easy for me to remember God, to come to church, and to pray. It is too easy to find excuses to stay away from church and then to make those excuses into reasons why I should stay away. Pastor, I know God hasn’t left me, but boy I sure feel as if I have left Him.”The pastor said, “Do you remember the time your father was away from home on those long business trips? Was it difficult for you to remember him?”
“Not a bit,” the boy said, “I had letter from him and I kept thinking about him, and he sent me gifts in the mail so I would remember him.”
”Well,” said the pastor, “that is the way it is with God. Sure it is tough to remember God, it is tough to stay a Christian in this world. But God has given us His word, like your father’s letters, to remember him. God has given us His gifts of Holy Communion and Baptism as a physical reminder of His love for us, like the gifts your father sent you. God also wants us to include Him in our conversations, not just on Sunday, but throughout the week. It is tough to stay a Christian, it is tough to remember that God doesn’t leave you, it is tough to keep a relationship with God alive, exciting, and fresh. But God is always working on His end. He has given you all the tools, necessary!” Get it? Ready to put that to work?
The boy smiled and nodded, yes.
Our lives need retooling, don’t they? But Paul reminds us all that God is the one in the retooling business. Even the righteous lives that we try to live, are imitations of what we have received from Him by grace.
Remember Matt Liddane and the pressures of a failing company, failing leadership, and enormous challenges? He thought that the old company ways would cause his life to come crashing down. But something remarkable happened. He was upfront with his new boss about what had to be done and why. He told the new CEO that his Grand Cherokee had to be grand again. So he spoke out. He laid it all on the table. And he waited for the ax to fall.
Instead of a declaration of “you’re fired,” he received the authoritative word of no less than the CEO to “go for it”.
Marchionne, even amidst the grumblings of some of his executives said, “I know the numbers. We’ll take care of the numbers. This vehicle needs to be 100% right. That comes first.”
Marchionne looked at Liddane and at the executives around the table. In a swift and decisive decision the new CEO approved every new material and design feature proposed, it was time for complete retooling.
He meant it. Marchionne meant it in his earlier speech: “Creative reconstruction begins with the recognition of the fact that the former points of reference no longer exist.”
Wow! The former points of reference no longer exist. That word changed everything.
Well, if a CEO’s word can change things like that, what does the Word of the Creator and the Redeemer of the universe mean to your life and mine today? And remember, He doesn’t merely speak such a Word, He makes that Word work.
Through the sending of His Son Jesus into the world, God the Father changed our former points of reference with Him. Our struggles might look the same as other peoples, our ups and downs, our temptations might even be the same, but the situation changes when God acts, when God speaks. His decision, His work overcoming your sin, paying the price for your guilt, and promising you His wisdom, His Presence, and His eternal grace; that changes everything.
What about the struggle you have with a bad attitude? What about your propensity to pass along juicy gossip? What about your addiction or habit that casts you into guilt and darkness? What about your painful past or the struggle you’re enduring today?
I have good news for you today, my friend. God did not veto a better life for you. In fact, he acted with a sense of urgency to help you. He started a creative reconstruction project when He sent His Son into the world for you. He did away will all the old reference points–all the old ways that defined your life and all of the punishment and misery your sin deserved. Instead, in the work of Jesus, He declared it so for you.
St. Paul reminds us in Ephesians four and five: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (vss. 4:32-5:2).
Retooling began as Jesus lived a perfect life in your place. The creative reconstruction continued as Jesus went to the cross to die in your place, receiving the consequences of your sin, saving you and me from being eternally lost. Your retooling reached a high point when Jesus rose from the dead, breaking the bonds of death and misery. Now, in your baptism, God Himself declares you as a new creation in Christ Jesus. The old is gone; you’re a new in Him. You’re no longer a second-class product designed by under-resourced engineers. You’re God’s new and beautiful creation! You’re an award-winning design wrapped in the prize of God’s grace in Jesus Christ.
You’re retooled. The reason? So that you can now be a hit in this world.
In fact, let me challenge you in this declaration of God’s grace to you in Christ, to let the retooled reconstruction of your life express itself daily so that you can impact the world in which you live!
Impact, that’s what happened to the Jeep Grand Cherokee. It became a hit. The vehicles were flying off the car lots. Chrysler had to hire more assembly line workers in order to increase production to meet the demand. People knew a good thing when they saw it and drove it. This retooling caused a stir. It changed the way people looked at Chrysler.
And that is what your new and saved life can be about, too. Your retooling is meant to get heads to turn God’s way. Your salvation in Jesus is intended to be productive in bringing lost people, broken down souls, and hurting hearts to the One who can bring them hope, to the One who can retool them, too.
Is your new life in Jesus causing a stir? Is it changing lives? Is it bringing people closer to Him?
We haven’t always done the best with this, though, have we? Chrysler didn’t either. Sergio Marchionne confessed in a “Financial Times Article” that the automobile industry often did a better job alienating people rather than attracting them. The Times’ author said: “Choosing between carmakers is often like trying to pick the least flea-ridden dog.”
But folks, even flea-ridden dogs can lead other strays to a wonderful master. If you’re a Christian, you know that you have the same struggles as others, but you know a magnificent Savior and your life can be a deliberate testimony to why knowing Him is the greatest good news in all of your life. In fact, you’re retooled for just such a life.
The Apostle Paul challenged believers to walk in God’s love, to be imitators of Him as beloved children.
So let the retooled reconstruction begin anew for you today. Let people see that you live under a different declaration than whatever this world can muster. You live by grace alone through faith in Jesus, with kindness, concern, and humility.
Let that declaration challenge you in what you say and what you do.
How is your attitude these days? Retooled, reconstructed people in Christ count blessings instead of complaining about setbacks?
How are your actions? Retooled, reconstructed believers in Jesus speak and act in ways that build others up with God’s love instead of building yourself up by tearing others down?
Lives lived boldly in Christ for others, that’s how people get to know that Jesus loves them too. When they watch you, they get to see Him in action in your life and in theirs, as well.
Country music singer Rodney Atkins wrote a song called “Watching You.” In the song he recounted how he, as a father, had a slip of the tongue during a moment of frustration while driving. As a parent, you may know how that goes. But then he heard his little boy copy him. His toddler son said the same bad word!
Well, the song went on to say it this way:“So I said son now where did you learn to talk like that
He said I’ve been watching you dad, ain’t that cool
I’m your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
We got cowboy boots and camo pants
Yeah we’re just alike, hey ain’t we dad
I wanna do everything you do
So I’ve been watching you”So that night the father prayed. He knelt down and prayed that he could be a better example. The next night something special happened as the father watched his son again:
“He crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees
He closed his little eyes, and folded his little hands
And he spoke to God like he was talking to a friend
And I said son now where’d you learn to pray like thatHe said I’ve been watching you dad, ain’t that cool
I’m your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
We like fixing things and holding mama’s hand
Yeah we’re just alike, hey ain’t we dad
I wanna do everything you do
So I’ve been watching you”Dear friend, the Apostle Paul said, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.” (Ephesians 5:1-2).
Today you’ve heard how the Good News of Jesus comes into your life and gives you forgiveness of sins, new life, and restored hope. Now you know that going to church is not some public, spiritual fashion show to give people false impressions about your life. No, going to church is for you to continually receive the power of a retooled life for you, to put God’s grace to work in your life for you and for others.
Family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, all the people around you, are watching. You’re retooled. You’re reconstructed, not just for yourself, but for them too. That’s what God wants them to see in you.
The good news; you’re ready because Christ is your Savior. The good news; you can live that kind of life because Christ Jesus is your wisdom, your power, and your strength.Retooled by His grace, let the reconstruction of your life come to fruition for all to see. And know this, we are all in this together with you as His people for others.
Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for August 12, 2012
Topic: Is Getting Angry A Sin?ANNOUNCER: Now, Pastor Gregory Seltz responds to questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer. Pastor, “Is it a sin to get angry? There are things that make us mad. Are we sinning when we feel that way?”
SELTZ: Now that’s a good question because this question, actually, brings an answer that may surprise people. It’s not necessarily a sin to feel angry. In fact, the Bible says in Psalm 4:4, “In your anger do not sin.”
ANNOUNCER: But how is sin and anger connected?
SELTZ: Notice that God tells us not to fall into sin when we feel anger. The Bible tells us often that God became angry. Even Jesus was upset when merchants turned the temple into a marketplace. Psalm 4 goes on to tell us how to handle anger. Verses four and five say: “In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer right sacrifices and trust in the LORD” (Psalms 4:4-5 NIV). In other words, when we feel anger, we need to deal with it properly. Yelling hurtful words with an uncontrolled temper is not what God desires. That’s sinful. And, so too is hurting other people in uncontrolled rage. That’s not our Christian calling.
ANNOUNCER: What can we do when anger overwhelms us?
SELTZ: Well, like it says in the Bible, “When you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.” In other words, take time to understand the anger. Look within before exploding outwardly. Find out what’s going on. You just may be tired. You may have some deeper issues that you need to deal with in conversation with a pastor or a counselor. Or you may find that you are angry because of injustice or about something that is against God’s will. It’s important that you stop first, however, to figure out what the real issue is.
ANNOUNCER: To avoid “flying off the handle.”
SELTZ: You could say that. The emotion of anger can be very destructive, even if a person is justifiably upset. I think that’s why the Psalmist continues: “Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord.” Anger can be a very good thing. It can lead us to correct injustice, to stop evil in its tracks, to start a movement that helps people in need. Anger can lead us to get our own act together too and to pursue living rightly. God wants us to offer right sacrifices to Him out of faith and trust in Him because those actions please Him and bless others.
ANNOUNCER: Yeah, but, truth be told, sometimes we get angry because we’re either embarrassed, or we’re in the wrong, or we’re selfish, or frustrated. What about then?
SELTZ: That’s why the writer of the Psalms says we have to put our “trust in the Lord.” There are some things in life we have no control over–well, pretty much everything in life! We need to trust God. And, when it comes to our own sin and our failures, we need to ask Him for the forgiveness that He has for us. We need His mercy and grace. We trust Him even when there are those times we mess up. We also need to trust Him when we are helpless. Anger over being victimized over something, that can actually consume us or we can commend it to God and His strength, justice, and action. Anger about circumstances in life can drive us to hopelessness or we can put our hope in the Lord with whom nothing is impossible. We need to trust God or our anger, even when it’s justified, can consume us.
ANNOUNCER: Now, is a Christian supposed to be a weak and wishy-washy sort of person?
SELTZ: Not at all. In fact, the greatest strength is seen in people who can manage their anger well. And some of the greatest accomplishments in life, some of the most courageous decisions and actions, happen when people exercise self-control while exhibiting appropriate intensity or anger. The calling to manage your anger is a calling to uncommon strength and decisiveness in Jesus Christ.
ANNOUNCER: Okay. What else does the Bible say about anger?
SELTZ: There are some great Proverbs about anger. Proverbs 29:8 says, “Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger” (NIV). Proverbs 29:11 goes on to say, “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control” (NIV). And in the New Testament, James said, “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:19-20 NIV). All these verses give us great counsel about how to handle anger.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you Pastor Seltz. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music Selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by Chris Bergmann. Used by permission.
“All Who Believe and Are Baptized” arr. Henry Gerike. Used by permission.
“Prelude on Repton” arr. John Behnke. From For All Seasons, vol. 2 by John Behnke (© 2001 John A. Behnke) Concordia Publishing House
“Oh, That the Lord Would Guide My Ways” From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)