Sunday, January 27, 2008
Matthew 4:12-23
Senior Pastor
We are taking an extended look here early in 2008 at what it would mean for us, as Christians, to risk all of who we are and what we have on Jesus Christ. I am using the image of a poker game in which a player comes to the point that they push all of their chips to the middle and declare, “I’m all in!”
I am fascinated and maybe a bit envious of such a bold declaration and willingness to risk it all. We have explored what it might take in terms of commitment and character to take such a step in our Christian life. Then last week we began to look at more practical or specific steps we might take to accomplish this in our own lives. We drew on the work of John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, who designed three general rules for the people that came to him for prayer and practical advice.
We looked at the first of these General Rules last week. Wesley said, “First, Do No Harm.” We found that perhaps it is somewhat more difficult than it may sound to arrange our lives and our choices in an effort to do no harm.
My niece who has only been married a few years sent me this email recently. It was entitled “Spring Classes Forming Soon.” It listed under the classification “Classes for Men” several new offerings:
Fundamental
Differences Between The Laundry Hamper and The Floor –
Pictures With
Explanatory Graphics will be presented. Meets Saturdays, 2 – 4 p.m.
Also in that section
was this class:
Dinner Dishes – Can
They Levitate and Fly Into The Kitchen Sink?
Examples on Video.
Then in the driving
section were these two:
Real Men Ask For
Directions, It Can Be Done: Live
Testimonials, Tuesdays at 6:00
PM – Location to be determined. With
the Bonus Section: How to Remember to Call
When You're Going To Be Late.
Is It Genetically
Impossible To Sit Quietly While She Parallel Parks?
Driving Simulations. 4 sessions, everyone will get to experience
it first hand.
Then there were a
few in the health section for men.
The Toilet Paper
Roll – Does It Change Itself? Round
Table Discussion.
Meets 2 weeks, Saturday at Noon for 2 hours.
News Flash: Bringing Her Flowers Poses No Health Hazard!
Power Point Presentations will be used. Fridays, 7:00 PM. (We bet you are free.)
All that is to say, for men and for any and all disciples…it can be harder than it sounds to do no harm. Sometimes all of us need some help to fulfill our commitments. So Wesley advises those seeking help.
First, do no harm. Then Wesley advises those who are seriously seeking to live a more holy life devoted to Christ to “Secondly, Do Good.” This is how it is recorded in his notes, “It is expected of all who continue in these societies that they should continue to evidence their desire of salvation, Secondly, by doing good; by being in every kind merciful after their power; as they have opportunity, doing good of every possible sort, and, as far as possible, to all [people].”
He also adds some specifics here by suggesting that we pay attention to doing good to people’s bodies, “by giving food to the hungry, by clothing the naked, by visiting or helping them that are sick or in prison.”
But not only bodies but to their souls by “instructing,
reproving, or exhorting” all we have interaction with, whenever we have
opportunity. (The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, 2004, p.
73)
In our world today the people called Methodists have grown from small bands of people scattered across England to a worldwide denomination numbering in the millions. So we have structured ourselves to do good in some sweeping and remarkable ways. Through our global missions efforts, we provide good to the souls and bodies of people in countries around the world.
That means you and I, along with other Methodists, start churches, train ministers, we establish schools and health care facilities, orphanages. We provide Bibles and other curriculum often along with personnel to operate these mission efforts. Just one example: Did you know that the United Methodist Church has started over 100 churches spanning eight countries and eleven time zones across Eurasia, since the break up of the U.S.S.R.? We are doing good for the souls of these brothers and sisters.
For the body our most recent effort raised $1700 from First Church focused on providing mosquito nets to Africa in an effort to stop malaria from killing so many. The nets run $10 each, so that equals 170 lives saved. But we also send health educators to treat the ill and teach folks how to use the nets. We send others to teach farming techniques and develop sustainable food supplies. We send engineers to develop clean water systems and build better roads to improve communities.
We just finished our seventh year in a row in which our church qualified for the 5 Star Church Award presented by our annual conference for outstanding mission efforts. There was an article in The Focus newsletter last week detailing these efforts by First Church members to do good “of every possible sort.”
Our text describes the work of Jesus like this: the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned. (v. 16) In doing these many things, we are following Jesus because Jesus brings the light, the hope and the love of God for those who dwell in darkness. As a group we are certainly bringing the light, we are doing good; but then Matthew says Jesus called these individuals to join him and immediately they do so. If I may paraphrase, they go “all in”! It seems like a big step, but we may be closer to “all in” than we realize.
Bill Goldberg is a
successful lawyer and works representing professional athletes. He tells the story about when he was a
struggling law student in Los Angeles, yet he was from the Bronx and a huge New
York Yankees fan. It was 1977 and the
Yankees were coming to town to play the Dodgers in the World Series. The night the Yankee baseball team arrived,
the late news reported that they were staying in a hotel that happened to be in
his neighborhood. He decided to go down
and try to meet some of the players. He
gets to the lobby and before he spots any of them a young man walks by and
looks at him and says, “Billy Goldberg!” and
reaches out to shake his hand.
Do I know you?”
Goldberg asked.
“It’s Jimmy,” he replied. “You remember me? I know I’ll never forget you. You were the lifeguard at
Castle Hill. I remember you were the only one who would stop and talk to
us younger kids. You even gave me your whistle to wear…that was the
coolest thing.”
“What are you doing here in California?” Goldberg asked.
“I’m the bat boy for the Yankees,” he explained. “Say, let me introduce
you around.”
He took me around
then, and told the whistle story to one Yankee after another.
Well, one thing led to another and before you know it, center fielder Mickey
Rivers offered me a ticket to the World Series if I would drive him to the
ballpark the next day. He ended up giving me tickets for all of the games
and to a party where they honored the most valuable player.
Goldberg says, I have
told this story many times throughout my career as an agent and
representative. And for as often as I’ve repeated it, I always thought
the main point was the persistence it took to get those tickets. But now
as I’ve grown older and have learned a bit more about life, I realize that the
real point of my baseball adventure began not with some late night news
announcement, but long, long before that, with the small act of sharing a
whistle with a little kid. (2001 from Chicken Soup for the Baseball
Fan's Soul by Canfield, Hansen, et. al.)
Perhaps,
“all in,” starts much more simply than we think. Maybe with a small act of kindness, a small gesture of care, a
simple act of sharing God’s love with another.
Maybe, just maybe, we have already started on the adventure of going
“all in”.
Amen
and thanks be to God.
…what it would mean for ____, as Christians, to risk all…
on Jesus Christ.
Wesley said, “First, Do No ________.”
should continue to evidence their desire of
salvation, Secondly,
by doing ________; by
being in every kind merciful after
their power; as they have opportunity, doing
good of every
possible sort, and, as far as possible, to all
[people].”
…structured ourselves to ____ ________ in some sweeping…
…the UM Church has started over ______ churches…
…that equals ______ lives saved.
…our 7th year in a row… the 5 ________ Church Award…
…members to do good “of every possible sort.”
verse ____
It seems like a big step, but we may be ____________ …
You even gave me
your ______________ to wear…
that was the
coolest thing.”
…with the __________
act of sharing a whistle with a little kid.
Kid’s Question: What is the 2nd thing Wesley advises us to do?