Why did you suffer this pain in silence, the Saint wanted to know.
The king replied, “I thought it was part of the ritual.”
Baptism…what
does it mean to you? More importantly
what does it mean to God?
Confirmation…it too begs the same question. Then there is Ordination…well everyone knows
what that means right? While we're at it, let's throw in Matrimony for good
measure!
Each of
these is a commissioning. With God: it
is a "co-mission-ing." That is kind of like "God is my
co-pilot" although I do think that saying should be more "God is my
'pilot'"! That is to say that the Christians sacraments are commissioning into
service. It is the Christians: vocation,
calling freely embraced joyful opportunity to be a presence of God in the
world. Mission Impossible? Not if we
participate in the process.
Paul wrote
to the Philippian Church: " Be energetic in your life
of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within
you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure." The Message (Phil.
2:13)
All too often in the Christian Army, we want to be servedCin fact we are offended if we are
not! We don=t
see our first obligation to IHSBX
to get in there and get involved in the fight of God=s
Kingdom against that of the world. We
hire bishops, priests, and deacons to "do" the ministry.. Too often the norm is: the ministersCminister and the congregation congregates. Is this God=s
plan for us?
Let me
quote from the service of Holy Baptism two things: "Heavenly Father, we thank you that by water and the Holy
Spirit you have
bestowed upon these your servants the
forgiveness of sin, and
have raised them to the new life of
grace. Sustain them, O Lord, in your Holy Spirit. Give them an
inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere,
a spirit to know and to love you, and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works.
Amen."
and "We receive you into
the household of God. Confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim
his resurrection, and share with us in his eternal priesthood"
The courage to
will and to persevere,.. Confess the faith, proclaim his resurrection, and
share with us
in his eternal priesthood Is that what we're thinking
about when we bring anyone to the baptismal font??? And with all of the cultural rituals that
have grown up around this fundamental sacrament of the Church??? This is not a sermon primarily about baptism,
but it does lay the foundation for mission!
One thing is crystal clear: the Christian mission is two-fold both
beginning at baptism.. First, to
minister to the Body of Christ, Secondly, to minister to those who are not yet
a part of that Body.
I.
In the gospel for today, Jesus' second
Commissioning was the Commissioning of the 70.
A.
They were sent to the surrounding areasCWith very basic instructions
1.
The harvest is plentiful, laborers few: pray the
Lord of the Harvest to send forth laborers...but don=t
stop thereCGoCas lambs
among wolves
B.
What?
Doesn't Jesus know anything about advertizing? You know something catchy
like: "be all you can be." This isn=t
going to be an easy, nice experience, not necessarily. People who are sick are
not always pleased to be told that they have a fatal illness. Self assured and
determined people, even if they have an inner sense of need don=t necessarily like to be told that only
God can fill it.
1.
Don=t
make a lot of plans or provisionsCtrust
Me to supply what you will need. Can we live by that much faith?
2.
It is the image of the Church on the move. Not a settler mentality but pioneer
mentality. Not the farm and city but the
covered wagon living off the land.
a.
When the institutional church becomes the Asettler@
church, it nearly always forgets MISSION!
(1)
Jesus said "travel lightly, don=t accumulate a lot of things you will have to carry with you! That takes effort and
stops mission. Paul wrote to the Colossian Church
" God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the
glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of
glory.:"
Who me? Christ in ME? the
hope of glory? Yes YOU!
II.
There are a number of things to digest for St
Thomas Parish this morning..
- There is an urgency about communicating the Kingdom of God to people. Life is very uncertain. What may be as Paul said from God: "For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation." 2 Corinthians 6:2
A.
God the Spirit is the bringer of souls but we
need to show up so he can work through us.! That's the plan!
a.
Christianity is hopelessly incarnational.
(1)
This means God uses us for Divine
purposes.
2.
God will provide for our mission.
a.
The greatest sin is rejection of the Kingdom
messageCmessengerCJesus and GodCall
in one package.
B.
One commentator wroteCAthe eager witness and service of all of
the Lord=s
disciples is needed before those to whom they are being sent will believe that
there is a Kingdom of God that could draw near to anyone.
1.
It is our duty to get preparedCto be prepared to fight for God with
the weapons God gives. Love, faith, listening, praying, reaching out to let God
love others through us.
III.
God calls on each of us to bear one another=s burdensCto
bear the world=s
burdens. Galatians 6 says in the earlier verse in this chapter: "bear one another's burdens and fulfill
the law of Christ."
A.
John Wesley saidCAthe world is my parish.@
B.
God has established a law of sowing and reaping.
You reap what seed you plant.
1.
What seed do you sow? Seed that satisfies me for now? Seed that reaps a spiritual harvest? The
temporary or the eternal?
2.
We cannot expect any kind of relationship with
God any kind of growth toward Christ
likeness to serve without continuously sowing in order to grow.
C.
Do you remember
the words of Cain to God in Genesis, Aam
I my brother=s keeper?@
That is exactly what we are on Christ=s
behalf and for Jesus=
sake.
1.
One of our missions is to support others
as God enables us.
a.
Have you ever wanted to help someone carry some
heavy problem but they wouldn't let you?
b.
How many persons have wanted to help us
deal with something but we refused to share that burden with them?
(1)
Maybe you=ve
offered to help someone carry something and they=ve
responded a @tough guy@: Anope,
I=ve got it@
and oops!
2.
For most of us the problem isn't finding someone
to help us carry our burdens, it's our willingness to SHARE our burdens so they
can help carry them.
a.
Many of us find it easier to help bear the
burdens of others than to share our own with others. For then we are operating
from a position of strength. We are not the person in need. We're not the weak
one. We're the strong one. It makes us feel good to be able to help.
3.
But Paul wrote: "for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in
insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak,
then I am strong"( 2 Corinthians 12:10)
a.
Was he nuts? No!
It's very much like the AA idiom: "let go and let God." Release your need to be the co-pilot!
We are called become focused about our vocationCwe are Christians. Christianity is costly first to Jesus then to
us! We are called to become skilled at our faith. Only the person who runs to the end can claim
to finish the marathon. What if we don=t know the right way or words or afraid
of failure? Writer Cheryl Faber said: Asomehow
we never see God in failure but only in successCa
strange attitude for people who have the cross at the center of their faith.@
But we want Pentecost without a cost!
We want Easter without Good Friday!
We want Christmas without leaving the throne in heaven! What costs nothing to us is worth little. Perhaps that is why we can so rarely speak as
St. Paul does of Athis
great salvation@. Grace is freeCbut
it isn't cheap! Do we want to glory in
the cross? Then the hard part, we willing to do the work to which we
are called.
- All to Jesus I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live. - Refrain:
I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
2.
All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!
- Refrain:
I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
And God asks: "do we? do we really?"
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