Sermons for the Month
Vision of Faith (Part 1)
DATE: May 16, 1999
SERVICE: Easter VII
TEXT: John 17:23"To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN Last week I attended a retirement seminar at the encouragement of our national church. Even though it is more than a decade away, at least for me, still our church feels it best to that its younger pastors begin preparing early rather than waiting until it is too late. The devotions each morning were led by a young seminarian from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus. His first day's text was devoted to Moses dying words to Joshua. Next he talked about Elijah's dying words to Elisha. Then he talked about Paul's advice to the young Timothy. Finally, he ended with Jesus' dying words to his disciples. Talk about having one foot in the grave. I also spent a fair amount of time privately with the leaders and with two of my contemporaries who happened to have attended the same seminar. Over lunch we chatted about the past and spent time looking forward in our ministry. One of our topics was how the ministry has changed over the years. When I attended Hans' 30 Retrospective Organ Recital, there I was again while I listening to his wonderful concert, thinking back and thinking forward, reflecting and imagining, recalling and dreaming. As I began Monday preparing for this morning's message I also noticed this Sunday is perhaps the most unusual in the church year. It is really not a part of the Easter season even though it is called Easter VII because it occurs after the Ascension of our Lord which was Thursday. On the other hand, it is not yet Pentecost, the birthday of the Christian church, which is next Sunday. In other words, this is an in-between Sunday, a looking back at Easter and a looking forward toward Pentecost Sunday. And then when I read that our second reading for today is Peter's final words and admonitions for the future to his followers, with all of these apparent coincidences, I knew the Holy Spirit was conspiring to tell me something. I thought this might be a wonderful opportunity then to do just that--look back and look forward. But first let us pray (Prayer) First, looking back. These last six weeks following the resurrection, our Bible tells us that Jesus spent the remainder of his time on earth with his followers. After the resurrection he didn't make any more attempts to convince the Roman leaders, the Pharisees, the scribes, the unchurched of the coming of the Kingdom of God. Rather, he spent the time he had before his return to meet with those who trusted him, those that believed in him, those who loved him. Jesus spent those six weeks before his ascension 1) assuring them he was alive and 2) teaching them what they must do after he left them. Jesus spent his last few days leading a training course for those who would carry his message of the kingdom of God to the world. Matthew sums up his departing words most succinctly in what we call the Great Commission, "Therefore go and make disciples of all peoples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." Following Jesus' ascension, we read in the book of Acts how the Disciples took that commission to heart and began preaching and teaching almost immediately those who had never heard of Jesus of Nazareth. One of those who heard the story of Jesus was Paul who went on to become the first missionary to the likes of all of us in this room. If it were not for Paul, we probably would not be sitting here today. We all know from our ancient history that Paul lived in a deeply religious world not unlike our own. It was a very spiritual world. However it was pre-Christian world. Paul could not take for granted anyone knowing the Bible let alone who Jesus was. When Paul went out on the highways and byways to talk to people about Jesus he could assume nothing. Gradually, however, over time and with much persistence all that changed until it seemed the whole world knew about Jesus Christ. So it came to pass as I grew up it was assumed the only people who did not know Jesus Christ were those in some remote South American or African village. We sent missionaries overseas. Everyone went to church. It didn't make any difference whether the pastor was a good preacher or the choir could carry a tune. All the churches were full and denominations were starting churches right and left. Everyone knew the Bible's best stories. The stores were closed on Sunday and the restaurants all had prayer tents on the tables. Television was available four hours a day, in glorious black and white and on only three networks. That was the world we all knew. So in seminary, I was taught how to minister to that world. My teachers had all honed their skills in the parishes of that day and were now eager to impart their wisdom. But something happened in the 1960s. The world as I knew it began to change ironically just about the time I left the seminary. Few people continued reading their Bible outside the church. Just as fast as new churches were being started others were closing the rate of one every twelve days. The local parish's Sunday morning services began competing with sports, professional choirs and staging. Stores started opening 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And instead of three networks, there are now over 50. No, this is not my Father's world. And if you feel getting used to this change has been difficult for you, you should be where I am. I remember talking to a computer engineer telling me that by the time he had graduated, all he learned about computers was obsolete. Council members Chris Sears, Randy Cole and I attended an evangelism summit of our Synod in Fairport Harbor last Saturday. Two Lutheran researchers and church growth leaders described our world today as post-Christian, post-modern. They called it a crack in history, comparing our time to beginning of the age of the enlightenment or the Protestant Reformation. They described our world as more like the world of Peter and Paul than the world of the 1950s. They quoted Kennon Callahan, a Methodist church leader as saying, "The day of the churched culture is over. The day of the mission field has come." In fact, churches overseas are now sending more missionaries to the United States than any other country in the world save two. In other words, we have come full circle. One of the most beautiful movies of recent years was A River Runs Through It, based upon the novel by the same title. The movie told the story of the Maclean family, who lived in Montana early in the 20th century. The father of the family was a Presbyterian minister--stern but loving. His wife was supportive and nurturing. They had two sons: the oldest, first-born Norman, who tells the story, and a younger son Paul. The real protagonist in the story is the river that runs through their part of Montana. That river becomes the focal point of their family life and the catalyst for everything significant that takes place in their individual lives. It was walking along the banks of that river on Sunday afternoons that the father forged a relationship with his two boys--turning over rocks, teaching them about the world, about life, and about the God who made it all. When it came time for these adolescent boys to prove their moxie, they took a death-defying ride down the rapids in a stolen boat. It was on the river that young Paul made a name for himself as the finest fly-fisherman in the territory. When Norman came back from college searching for himself and his roots, it was to the river that he went to fish, alongside his brother. The Maclean family knew failure and success and laughter and fighting and change and disappointment, but always the river was there. It was the defining force and the spiritual center of that family. Montana would have been just a wilderness; their home, four walls and a roof; their individual lives just sound and fury--if not for the river running through it all. I would like to suggest there has been a river that has run through the whole life of the Church since its beginning, a river that has flowed through every Christian since that first resurrection, a river called the love of God. Through all the centuries of failure and success and laughter and fighting and change and disappointment, the love of God has always been there giving sum and substance to our being. It has been the defining force and the spiritual center of our Christian community. The world would have been just a wilderness, our lives without meaning, our actions mere futile gestures--if not for the river of God's love running through it all these last two millenia. You and I have been gifted with something remarkable. We have been gifted with a God who deeply loves us, who cherishes us above all else. We have been gifted with a savior that went to great lengths to make sure that we would not have to just lie down and die in our sin. We have been gifted with a companion who promises never to desert us even in the darkest of times. We have been gifted with a friend who values us more than we deserve, who puts us first even when we don't return the favor. We have been gifted with a gracious and loving God. I believe that Peter and Paul's biggest problem was convincing people of their there was a someone who actually loved them so unconditionally that he was willing to die in their place. Most of the gods of the first century had conditions on their love. This god will love you if you behave in a certain manner. That god will love you if you believe a certain way. Another god will love you when and if you measure up to its standards. But none of the gods of he first or the 20th centuries for that matter have been willing to die for you. So when Peter and Paul and the others began preaching and teaching the good news of Jesus Christ, the first reaction of the crowds was, "What do I have to do to deserve it?" And their answer, "You can't deserve it; it comes as a free gift." How many out there in our post-modern, post-Christian, pagan world do you think still need to hear that message? How many fragmented, lonely, aimless lives do you know that could use some good news in their life? 10%? 20%? 50%? 100%? I was getting my car's windshield fixed on Monday. As I waited, a woman came in to pick up a broken mirror that had been fixed. The clerk brought it into the waiting room and said, "Ma'am it was only 3 dollars. Forget it. Don't worry about it." The woman stood there uncomprehending. "You mean this is a free gift?" She then turned to me, a total stranger, beamed a great big smile and said to the clerk, "Thank you; thank you very much." That is often how it is with hearing the good news of Jesus Christ. We can't believe it. We are dumbfounded. So when Jesus gave us as his great commission, "Go and make disciples of all peoples; please, please teach them, tell them, share with them this river of love," he knew we would encounter incredulity. He knew we would encounter dumbfounded looks. But he also knew we would encounter big smiles and gracious thank yous. He knew we would be hugged and blessed. He knew we would receive more than we gave if we but give. In Star Trek, the prime directive of the Federation of Planets was to do nothing to interfere with the affairs of a planet. Of course, James Kirk and John Luc Picard violated that prime directive almost every show. They violated it invariably to bring peace and goodwill to that planet. They could not leave well enough alone. They were always trying to make each planet they visited a better place. Thank God, Jesus violated that prime directive. Brothers and sisters in Christ, we too have been given a prime directive by the world. It comes in many forms but it all boils down to this, "live and let live" which translated really means, "Live and let die." Jesus has called us to violate that prime directive. "Go and make disciples of my love. Teach them everything I have taught you, how they are loved, how I have forgiven them, how much I hold them in esteem, how they are to lift one another up during times of suffering and loss." That has been our great commission since the beginning of the church. That is the mission that informs our vision. That is why we exist. That is why we are called. Years ago a king went hunting with some friends. While walking through the woods they noticed a group of people gathered on the riverbank. As they made their way over to the river they quickly learned that a man had fallen into it. The heavy currents were dragging him toward a waterfall. They also discovered that the victim was a condemned criminal. Before anyone realized what was happening, the king dived into the river. He swam toward the man and pushed him over to a rock. Unfortunately, as the criminal hung onto the rock, the falls dragged the king to his death. The people on the bank eventually rescued the criminal. And from that moment on his life was different. The king had died for him. Every day he received reminder of how his life had been spared. Whenever people saw him they would say, "you're the one the king died for." That sacrifice changed his life. And because of it, he went on to become a model citizen. Mission churches passionately believe that Jesus, the King, died for all people. Mission churches believe that Jesus can change any life that following him is the greatest adventure on earth. Mission churches have: A passion that leaves behind the 99 to find the one who is lost.
A passion that tears apart an entire house to find one lost coin.
A passion that lays down one's life for a friend
A passion that sets aside one own rights for the sake of others
A passion that sees lost people through the eyes of Jesus
A passion that puts the needs of the unchurched ahead of the churched
A passion that will do whatever it takes to invite people to discover what we have discovered--the joy of being a disciple for Jesus.AMEN