The Rev. Dr. John G. Innis
18 January 2006
document
Monrovia — Sermon Delivered on Sunday, January 15, 2006 at the Thanksgiving and Intercessory Service for the Inauguration of the New Government for the Republic of Liberia at First United Methodist Church, Ashmun St., Monrovia.
My thanks and appreciation go to the Chairperson and members of the Inauguration Committee for selecting me to serve as the preacher for this very important occasion in the history of our country. Indeed, this is an honor for me and my family. Also, I praise and thank God for bringing peace to our country through the sacrificial efforts of the International Community: the U N, ECOWAS, the AU, EU, the Government of the United States of America and all friendly nations. We are grateful to the Christian Denominations and our Muslim brothers and sisters in and around Liberia for their prayers for peace. It is a good thing that we as a nation and friends of Liberia can assemble here today to thank God for answering our prayers, and granting us the desires of our hearts. So let us rejoice and be glad for what God has done for Liberia. What, then, should be our response to that which God has done for us? Should we shout for joy? Should we dance? Should we sing?
In consideration of these questions, I have decided to speak on the theme: A New Heart for Our Nation - The text is Matthew 5: 1 - 12, with emphasis on verse 8 which reads thus: "Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God."
Matthew 5 is referred to as the Sermon on the Mount. A faithful and an obedience heart is the focus of this sermon. Jesus addressed this message to his disciples because these were the leaders recruited and trained for the promotion of God's kingdom on earth. These were the persons who were to hold positions and power in God's earthly kingdom. But Jesus was quick to warn them that positions, power, pride and money must not blind their eyes from doing the will of God. "If you heed to my command and lead my people whom I will entrust unto you, you will be blessed," said the Lord.
It is good to be blessed, my brothers and sisters. To be blessed means to be happy, to be fortunate, to be free, to accept one another, and to take responsibility of the blessings that God has given to us. In other words, when we are blessed, we look back and share the blessings with others. In summary, to be blessed means that a person will experience hope, joy and redemption. But the requirement to enjoy God's hope, joy and redemption is to be pure in heart, says our Master.
To be pure means to be clean from all falsehood and vanities. It also means rightness of mind and singleness of motive. In this text, the word heart is used figuratively and it means the total personality which includes the mind, will, and emotion.
When paraphrased, the text is read: How happy are those who have no desire for falsehood, who do not swear to lie, who have singleness of mind and strength to do the will of God. Such persons will experience the visitation of God in their lives. They will always dwell in the holy place of the Most High.
Those who are pure in heart:
a. will see and know the purpose of God in the world.
b. will be aware of the movement of the Divine will of God in the midst of suffering, hunger, pain, and rebelliousness.
c. will know, by intention, the leading of God's Spirit when others feel bereft.
d. will be a people of vision.
Such people foresee the future from a positive point in light of what God has ordained for the human family.
No wonder why Jesus told his disciples that only the pure in heart will see God. At creation, God had placed a very good heart in every human being. This was intended to reflect God's image and likeness. That is, the very heart of God was placed in us, allowing us to live in a state of purity. But oftentimes, we refuse to use God's gift of a pure heart to us wisely. Scriptures tell us that humankind lived in fellowship with God without fear or shame.
But something happened, and the relationship was broken! The sin of disobedience entered that perfect state of life through the manipulation of the Devil. The mind, will, and emotion of the human race became totally polluted, and resultantly, human beings could no longer live in the presence of the Holy God. Sin made them to appear naked. In the same way, our sins, over the years, have not only separated us from God, but from one another as Liberians. Just as humankind fled from the presence of God, hid themselves and covered their bodies with leaves (Genesis 3:7-8), today, we find ourselves fleeing from God's presence, and becoming overwhelmed by the evils of this world, which include, crime, pollution, violence, rioting and other vices. These evils continue to tear us apart as a nation and people, thus leaving us heartless, hopeless, senseless, helpless, careless, rude and naked. But brothers and sisters, I have the belief with a new heart and our new leaders, we can defeat the evils which have brought disgrace to us as a nation over the years.
People of God, historians tell us that in 18th century England, there were problems of pollution, crime, violence and rioting. The English people had just discovered gin. As a result, people got carried away with excessive drunkenness. Worst of all, family ties disintegrated. But one important question that comes to mind is, what saved England from that terrible situation? How did that nation overcome its nightmare? We learned that England was able to overcome its national tragedy through John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. His movement had profound religious, social, economic and political consequences, which transformed and saved that nation. But this would not have been possible if John Wesley did not cultivate the pure heart which God had given him.
Around our world today are evidences of the holistic nature of John Wesley's understanding, acceptance and practice of a pure heart as declared by Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount.
What is important about the Methodist Movement is that it began as a spiritual revival and a spiritual awakening. This nation of ours, Brothers and Sisters, needs a strong, spiritual revival and re-awakening. This will help create and improve the socio-economic, political, and religious life of our country. We need Liberians who will do for this day in Liberia what John Wesley did for his country. Liberians, we need a new heart - a heart that is kind, peace-loving, and caring - a heart that is dedicated to the rebuilding of this nation of ours.
We can understandably compare John Wesley with past African leaders like the late Presidents William V. S. Tubman of Liberia, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and Sheku Toure of Guinea. These men not only fought for social, economic and political rights in their respective countries but they worked real hard for the unity of Africa. Out of their tireless efforts, came the Organization of African Unity (OAU, now the African Union (AU). The late Tanzanian President, Julius Nyerere is another role model in the exercise of good leadership based upon the concept of a new and pure heart for one's country. World report said that President Nyerere died without having millions or billions of dollars of his country's money stacked up in banks around the world. He led his people and country in love, humility, honesty and integrity.
Also, the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah is another example in West Africa who united his people and was working towards uniting Africa with a pure heart. And sure with the first female elected president, Africa will be united towards peace, justice and sustainable development.
Today, fellow Liberians, God has given us a new leader. A Mother, whom I believe, has a gracious and kind heart, ever willing to lead Liberia forward, by God's command. It is therefore our responsibility to surround her with a new heart for our nation, and thus press forward with a movement for sustainable development. This movement, like the one started by John Wesley, must take into account the spiritual, educational, health, and agricultural needs of our children and people.
I can assure you, Madam President-elect and your corps of leaders, that if you do the will of God concerning His people in Liberia, your administration will be blessed and your godly leadership that will invite everyone on board will make a positive difference for our country. In his book, The Leader Within, Howard G. Haas writes, "You Cannot Lead by Yourself. You Have To Lead Through People. Just as there is an art of leadership, there too is an art of followership". Remember the words of Jesus, when He said, 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God'.
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