The Church is Responsible

The Responsible
June 14, 2009
Grant van Boeschoten

BUT JESUS WALKED On his sixteenth birthday a son approached his father and said, "Dad, I’m sixteen now. When I get my license, can I drive the family car?" His dad looked at him and said, "Son, driving the car takes maturity, and first, you must prove that you are responsible enough. And one way you must do that is to bring up your grades. They are not acceptable. Second, you must read the Bible every day. And finally, you must get that hair cut; it looks outrageous." The son began the task of fulfilling his father’s requirements, knowing that the last might be impossible. When his grades came out he went to his dad with a big smile. "Look, Dad, all A’s and B’s on my report card. Now can I drive the family car?" "Very good, son. You are one-third of the way there, but have you been reading the Bible?" the father replied. "Yes, Dad, every day," said the son. "Very good son. You are two-thirds of the way there. Now when are you going to get that hair cut?" The son, thinking that he could out smart the father, responded, "Well, I don’t see why I should get my hair cut to drive the car. Jesus had long hair, didn’t he?" The father looked at his boy and said, "That’s right, son and Jesus walked everywhere he went."

Keys to the car equal responsibility. Now you are responsible to follow the law, responsible to the safety of others, responsible for the maintenance of the car. You are responsible to make sure that there is enough gas in the tank and oil in the engine.

The Keys symbolize Responsibility.

This morning our message centers around the topic of Responsibility. The word responsible is defined by the dictionary as:

answerable or accountable, as for something within one’s power, control, or management.

It might shock you to hear this, but I believe that our Church holds the primary responsibility for the health and future of our community. I believe that we are answerable and accountable for our action or inaction towards Eckville.

I don’t for a minute believe that we are powerless to do anything. We are not helpless victims who are being blindsided by society. We are not powerless as those who need help most call out for answers and a hand up. Instead we are victors, we carry with us the Word of Life, we carry the authority of Jesus Christ, and he is the one who conquered death itself. We are not victims, we are victors, and within us it the power to overcome.

What’s more is that I believe that God has commissioned the Church to be his hands and feet on the earth. I believe that he has designated that the Church become the loudest voice in a community with the greatest amount of influence and the best wisdom and practical advice that there is to give.

Psalms 24 declares that “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.” Psalms 24:1 (NLT)

We can take that verse and put it on a more local scale and it would read, Canada is the Lord’s and everything in it. The country and all its people belong to him.

Or we could put the word Alberta in their, or West Country, or we could even put them name of our own town in it.

Eckville is the Lord’s and everything in it. This town and all its people belong to him.

If Eckville is the Lord’s, and I believe that is exactly what Psalm 24 is declaring, then the