This morning, we wrap up our study of what it means to BE the Church. Next Sunday, we put it into action! Over the last couple of weeks, we have thought about and discussed with each other what it means to BE the Mouth and to BE the Hands of Jesus. Today, we finish up with what it means to BE the Feet of Jesus.
You would think that a bunch of preacher’s would know what it mean to be the Feet of Jesus, wouldn’t you? I mean, to step out and do something that needs to be done, right? Well, you would think so, but it doesn’t always happen. Take for instance, last week I went to one of our district clergy meetings. Do any of you ever have to go to some mandatory meeting? Do you like those? Well, ours aren’t very different. Yes, you get some good information and you are usually glad you went afterwards, but beforehand, sometimes you just want to wake up sick so you can have a legitimate excuse for not going. Anyway, our meeting was going along pretty good, until the presenter did something that caused a collective gasp and eyes to slowly shut. No, he didn’t invoke a prayer, instead, he asked for volunteers. How dare he! He was wanting to have a bit of interaction and he asked for volunteers. Well, can you guess what happened? No one spoke up! So, he said, “Come on, I need somebody from this side of the room and somebody from this side.” Silence. “Alright, it’s not that bad. Anybody?...Well, who would you like to see volunteer?” With that, my hand shot up and…pointed to my buddy, David, who was sitting next to me. The presenter then pointed to David and said, “Thank you sir, for being volunteered!” With that, David eyes go wide as he knew he had been chosen.
So, why didn’t I volunteer? I don’t know…I didn’t know what was expected of me, I wasn’t sure I could do what was expected of me, I may have to go to the bathroom and couldn’t devote the time needed of me, I woke up that morning with a bone in my leg…Oh, I could come up with an excuse. Excuses 101 was a course I aced in high school.
Do you know the definition of “excuse”? I have come up with what I feel is a pretty apt definition:
Excuse – anything that one can use to alleviate responsibility
It seems to me that I am not alone in finding excuses; I was surrounded by about fifty other preachers who were somehow trying to conceive some excuse why they couldn’t or shouldn’t volunteer. Though I felt a bit smug at my cleverness and volunteered David, I soon began to feel the pang of remorse because I found myself guilty of doing exactly what I advocate against. Stop looking for excuses.
The final words spoken by Jesus were some to combat excuses. You have heard these words before, but let consider the again for a moment, okay?
Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Let’s look particularly at verse 19, for just a moment.
Matthew 28:19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
There is one small word that could seem rather innocuous, but really is the crux of the whole passage. Do you know which one I am referring to?
[Allow response]
Right. “Go”.
As we read it, “go” seems to imply something that we should do in the future – either immediate future or at some later time future. In grammatical terms, we tend to see it as an imperative. But as we do a little word study, in the original language of Greek and in this framework, the better way of viewing this word is as a present participle. So, a better translation would be this:
Therefore, as you are going, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
You see, what Jesus is saying here is that he doesn’t want you to be his mouth, hands, and feet at just some special time of the week, month, year, or of your life. No, what he is saying is as you live out your daily life, interacting with your family and friends, working and going to school, shopping and engaging in leisure recreation, BE the Mouth, BE the Hands, BE the Feet of Jesus.
That’s why the Gospel of John puts it this way. Jesus knew that Peter was struggling a bit with making the connection with his head-knowledge of who Jesus is and his heart-knowledge of who Jesus is. Jesus knew that Peter had to put this knowledge into action before it could be manifested into real, authentic love for Jesus. So he said to him, picking up halfway into verse 15
John 21:15b-17
15b "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." 16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." 17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
What Jesus is saying is, “If you really love me, love those that I love.”
Now next week, we are doing this. We are expressing our love for Jesus by showing others we love them too. Our projects have a broad range, so you can enter into whatever comfort level you are willing to expand.
[At this time, go over some of the service projects already know, ask for any others, and let the people divide into those groups to discuss the specifics]
This whole campaign, BE the Church, is just to reopen our eyes to the opportunities that God has laid out before us, each and every day.
Several weeks ago, I witnessed someone recognizing the need to react and then seizing the opportunity to do so. While I was pulling into a parking lot at a store, I saw a lady who must have been carrying a lot to her car. Like many would, she place one of her packages on top of the car while she unlocked the door and put her other packages in. What I witnessed was a young man who sprinted after her car as she was leaving the parking lot because she forgot the package she placed on top of it. He leapt and grabbed it just before the package…her baby…it hit the ground. He saw the need; he reacted.
Each day, God declares to you and me, just as God did with Isaiah.
Isaiah 6:8
"Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
Amen.
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