Living a Sacramental Life — K.P. Yohannan

The Call to a Sacramental Life

The fundamental, basic, non-negotiable, core purpose of God for you, and I'm just talking about you and talking about me also, it is that you will have what they call a sacramental life. Jesus had that.

What is sacramental life? It is life revolves around God all the time. It just continues. That's the reason the Bible says if you drink or eat or do anything, do for the glory of God in the name of God, right?

That which is not of faith is sin. All those things are in the Bible, by the way. So I'm telling you those things. So what happened? This thinking changed, especially with the American Bastian theology coming into these countries.

The Church Year and Remembering God

Before AD 1600, the little we know about the church, but it is a very serious thing about God that our life on earth should revolve around him. So that is one of the reasons why the early church fathers in the church designed the seasons of our life, and we take advantage of that.

Then we realize, really, life and the meaning and the value of it only comes when we understand God being connected to that in all that you do. Some of you are studying. You ask the question, why are you studying?

What's the purpose of it? You should be able to say, I'm studying Greek or Hebrew or this language or that language of philosophy or be a doctor or whatever. You should be able to say without trying to be pretending as a second nature.

You know, all these things are incidental for me, but the real purpose of my life is somehow, how can I glorify God? A doctor may say, I'm sure I've run into some poor people who are helpless, and I will have the opportunity to show them kindness.

And that kindness they will see because of Christ. You see, the purpose changes. Maybe somebody else will say, that is for somebody else. My goal is to make one crore. And he will make a nice house, and before he knows it, it's all gone.

You see, it all ends here. So, when you talk about our Christian life being a journey, and this journey, God gives us several events, not for ten years, but every year it happens. Why? Why we have the candle?

I'll tell you more about it maybe later, if I remember it. We forget. That is, I was looking at the concordance this morning about Christ. The light that shines and gives hope for all people. Those who sat in darkness saw light.

People that were completely helpless, finally said there is hope. People who were guilt-ridden and marked by sin and rejection and hopelessness, finally they saw there is hope. And Christ said, I am the light of the world.

Then he said, you are the light of the world. You know, it's funny. A lot of people want to worship God in their mind, but a lot of them are liars. You know why? Because they don't do nothing, but in their mind they are thinking about their car, their house, and dal fry, and chapati, and roti, and chicken fry, and mutton fry, and somebody they like, somebody they don't like, or going out to eat, or whatever else.

This is the way everybody works. But God knew this is how we work. Therefore he said, you need to engage your five senses. And I will do everything I can. God says, for you as a whole person, remember me and be active.

But it all depends on your choice in your mind, and understanding the meaning of it. So when the Advent is behind us, then we have the several seasons. I wrote all of them down, but it will take a long time.

But in our lectionary, you will see that. In your daily reading of the Bible, you will see that. And when you do that, what happens, our life will become meaningful. The Bible is given to us not to gain knowledge, but for transformation, that we may change.

Scripture for Transformation, Not Mere Knowledge

You see, I went to seminary for five and a half years, and studied the book of Acts, left and right, up, down, Greek, Hebrew, everything. But I never heard somebody say, you know what, you can believe in Jesus, and trust him, and go lay a hand on somebody who is sick, and pray in the name of Jesus, they will be healed.

That's true. But that's what it says. And think about all our precious brothers. You know, I met this dear brother, who had more than a dozen communities, that came to know the Lord Jesus Christ. Why?

He is not a philosopher, but he lives in the book of Acts. And life is supernatural, when God is in us, and that is called sacramental life. We are always with him. What is the subject we have given in the lectionary?

Advent Anticipation and the Hope of Christ's Kingdom

Expect, and manage the unexpected. Expect. Is that a word, anticipation? It's a good word for that? Right? Now, all of you, when you go home, you write an email, or you write a letter, and then your papa and mama, and brothers and sisters, they will be talking about your coming, by train or whatever means, and that waiting period, there is an anticipation, right?

Some of you are saying, I didn't want to go home. Don't worry. That also is there. But anticipation, the longing, the hope to meet someone, for someone coming, and so, here, we have these four passages, and I will do the best I can, to make sense out of it, because God's word is given to us, for us to learn.

And our brothers put these scriptures together, knowing they talk about it. So, what do we have in Isaiah chapter 2? About the kingdom rule on earth. And translating that, there will be a righteous government, a righteous king, and this world is never going to be giving us any hope.

I tell you, there was a time I thought, if you do everything right, things will work out. But, you know, naiveness is not very good. It is good, but sometimes, I remember, you know, I left my home when I was very young, and then I was overseas for studies, and I fly back to Bombay, and then I had to catch a flight from Mumbai.

Anyway, and I come with the Air India ticket. Those days there were no other airlines. You know that. Air India, Kozhikode. It was good enough to keep chickens there, usually. But I remember, I would come to the airport, and present the ticket, and it is stamped on it, Okay, Okay, I have given you the money, your seat is reserved.

The seat, everything. But when I go to the counter, the man says, They cheated you, man. That travel agent, there is no seat. You are on request. I said, No, no, no, no, no. It is saying, Okay, Okay, okay, but they didn't tell you the truth.

You cannot go. And one time, I sat at the airport, that in Bombay, for two, three days. Then I was sitting there, wondering, what to do? Everybody is going, I am the only one sitting there. Then one coolie, you know, this red turban wala, Right?

Yes. He came to me and said, You have been sitting here for the last two, three days. Do you want to go? I said, Yes, I want to go to Cochin. Okay, you want a seat, I will get it to you. 100 rupees. I said, 100 rupees for what?

Don't ask questions. You want to go? 100 rupees. First I said, No, no, no, I thought, 100 rupees, why should I give you 100 rupees? But then I found out, I will be there for the whole life. Then somebody told me, Ray, he gave you 100 rupees, that is not ticket price, but that is his reward for getting you a seat, whatever.

And I used to always think, My goodness, I bought this ticket, I paid the price here, I cannot fly it. Would the airline or anyone do justice? There is no justice in this world. As a matter of fact, if you think you can live for God, and pray and fast, and be honest and upright, things will go good with you.

No, it is not. If I put black hair on my beard, and black ink on my head, maybe I can pretend I am 16 years old. Now these two will die. So I can tell you, someone being older, little older than you, I am 28 years old.

Following Christ Through Opposition and Suffering

Somebody really believes that. I am telling you, Jesus said, your very household, your brothers and sisters, born from your own mother, and your father, will become your enemies. Your best friends, will become reason for being betrayed.

You go and talk to other people about Jesus, and help them. You think you did a great favor? No, in the end, they will turn against you. Why you look so surprised? Why we are so amazed? If that's what happened to Jesus, He said, don't expect any more than that from you.

So it is a foolishness, and a false teaching that has come from America, and other countries, or the television, that if you live for God, and if you are filled with the Holy Spirit, everything will go right.

In this life, everything is going to be wonderful. And Jesus, His coming to this world, I wish it was really make our life wonderful. No, He said, I came to bring sword. I came to bring division. And then He offered, unless you pick up His cross, and follow me.

You know, some people don't understand, Apostle Paul, because Peter, Saint Peter was the greatest of all Apostles, and upon him, He said, and His confession, the church will be built. He was number one.

But then, if you really want to know, in terms of greatness, or theology, and understanding, and the whole world, it was Saint Paul. But some people think, he was a single man, celibate, all his life, serving God, what a sacrifice.

No, that is not true. He studied the life. For being a member of a Sanhedrin, he must have been married. He must have been at least 30 years old, when he met Christ. And I am certain, his wife told him, you have this choice, you want your Messiah, your Jesus, or you want your wife.

Did he have children? I have no understanding of that. He had to make a choice. So he says, I did not consult with the flesh and blood, about my decision to follow Christ, and he followed God. See, you, you know, it is very unfortunate.

I wish, some way, I wish we were never, infected, and destroyed by western theology. But unfortunately, we are already. Many times, your fight is, to save your life, from false teachers, who provoke God's word.

And Jesus promised, until the end, those who live godly, shall suffer persecution. But, none of us can survive, if there is no hope. There is a saying in English language, Oh my God, finally, finally, finally, there is light, at the end of the tunnel.

That means, somehow, I can see there is hope. All these wonderful, promises of hope, a place where there is no sickness, and death, and sorrow, and separation, and illegality, and unrighteousness, and abuse, and pain, and betrayal.

The Church as a Collective People of God

He says, there is hope. This day reminds us of that. The question now, can you live a little longer, by faith, looking forward to the day, and endure. Another huge misunderstanding, of the modern day, Protestant, Evangelical Christianity, is that, individuals are, the most important thing.

No, it is the church. It is all of us, people of God, together, helping, loving, caring, one another. We are moving toward, something, that is so precious, that is, the heavenly sign. And, how do we start this journey?

It began, because Jesus came, into this world, and he said, in John chapter 14, don't worry about, all these problems. I am going to prepare, a place for you. When it is finished, I will come back personally.

I will receive you, so that you can be with me. And so, in this journey, through the wilderness, we look at, a psalm like that, and, all of a sudden we realize, the only way to make it, you read the psalm again, it is, your focus must be God.

You have people around us, you have events, and you have desert, you have a tent to put up, and, you know, maybe it is difficult to, find a place to sleep, and all these different things, but, these lakhs and lakhs of people, are marching day after day, morning and night, they are moving toward, one goal, the place of worship, where they meet God.

And along the way, they sing, and those songs of essence, and now, the same way, we are moving toward, the heavenly sign, and how do we know, this is going to be, because of Jesus, He came. And we know, that's where, we are heading for.

Christ's Return as the Ground of Christian Hope

And finally, no, number three, Romans 13, looking forward with the hope, He is coming, and that's what it says, you know, read that, it's a fantastic verses, and then our time to go through, all this just a few minutes left, and now, there, we have the scripture passage, that says, that we have a hope, and Acts chapter 1 verse 11, remember that, I think that's where it says, these disciples were in despair, they were trying to figure out, what to do, and the angel said, why you are gazing up to heaven, like you lost all hope, you see Jesus going up, He is going to come back, just as He went.

Now, they were excited to find out, He is the Messiah, now He is the Lord, but now, all the hope seems to be vanished, and He said, no, there is hope, because He rose again from the dead, therefore, we also know, we have the hope.

Then, the final passage, Matthew gospel chapter 24, now, here is, a key passage, that talks about, how we need to, continue this journey, the advent, actually reminds us, the ultimate purpose, for this whole, Christ coming into the world, is to gather a people, to Himself, and nothing in this world, is going to be here permanently, don't live, for the passing, fleeting world, be like Christ, and He came, He went, for Him to return, and, it is a matter of, a little time, so, even the first day of advent, should never stop us from, thinking any further than, Christmas is coming, I am going to get a gift, or holiday, no, this is actually, indication, or something amazing, I remember, when I was growing up in my village, you know, Jagapathan also is from my village, 14 kilometers from here, when I was a little boy, I remember, the entire village, my memory, if it served correctly, I cannot think of, anyone in my village, having electricity, there was no electricity, all we had is carousel lamps, and all that, and, I remember, when I was studying in the 9th grade, or 10th grade or so, all the sudden, we saw people, pulling these, electric, lines, through the paddy fields, and, none of us knew what it was, some old Ammajis thought, they are planting crosses, in the field, so they will do like that, every time, it's really true, because, those electric posts, look like, on the top, a cross, you know, but then, all the sudden, the talk began, you are going to have bulb, you are going to have light, you are going to have electricity, in the village, and so, all those cables, and, all the work that is going on, finally, finally, the dark, little village, called Niranam, in the night, it lit up, everybody is getting connection, and I wonder, what went through his mind, for 4000 years, he waited, saying, father may I go, he said, no, not yet, 4000 years, he waited in heaven, for this, coming, and so, when the time got near, another 4 weeks, he is going to be born, becoming a man, God, incarnate, I cannot imagine, what all thoughts went through his mind, but, for us, you can be sure, our life, everything changed, and makes sense, because, of Jesus coming into the world, I would say, 4 applications, and we will end, before going to, the season for, taking the, Holy Communion, being part of, the Eucharist, one, enter into the meaning of Advent, let him in, he is a true king, and Lord, so, he came into the world to, bring, hope, forgiveness, love, to fill the emptiness, give peace, I did not know you, about this, because I lived on a ship, for a few months, I can tell you, you are thirsty and you are dying, and you see water all around you, it's billions and billions, of liters of water, you are in the middle of the ocean, and you think, this is fantastic, and you start drinking, that water, the only result, will be death, salt water will never quench your thirst, some of the richest people in the world, ended up, my question, did this, reality ever happen to you, is Jesus, still a story, or, is he, sitting on the throne of your life, he came for you, and you only know the answer, number two, always, remember, we are on a journey, to experience, continually, this sacramental life, and you cannot, achieve it, on your own, therefore, be loyal, diligent, and, open, and honest, with, your church, never, remove yourself from the people of God, the song of ascent, the hope, was never, an individual thing, it was a collective, reality of the people of God, number four, decisions we make, every day about a lot of things, I do, you do, see if we can make it, based on the scripture portion we read, in the light, of eternity, that is, Jesus came into this world, not for him to become the king, and have a permanent residence here, no, he said no, this is not, my hope, this is not my world, and he came, to save, those, who made a residence in this world, and will perish, like Lord, and his family, so, the advent, the coming of the Lord, has a specific purpose, that is, to deliver us, and save us, from ourselves, and from whatever, that holds us back, so I say Lord thank you, for your mercy, your grace, that you saw us, before the world began, we didn't choose you, but you chose us, and I ask oh Lord, that you will, help us, in spite of, our stubbornness, and distractions, and lack of understanding, that you in your mercy, will break through, and help us see you, and the reason, why you came into this world, I pray that, this is your prayer also.