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Today we begin a short series asking, "What do you believe about the world?"
(a) Do we believe God knows, and cares deeply, about every single person? That God is intimately acquainted with every story? (b) Do we believe that God is moving and working all around us? (c) Do we believe that we can join God in his work?
There is a passage that has greatly shaped Christendom this past century. It's Matthew 28:18-20, where Jesus says to his church, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Notice the scope of our mission is all the nations (cultures) of the earth. The big news this past week is the two doctors infected w/Ebola virus in Liberia, are now being treated in Atlanta. What you might not know, is that Liberia only has 14 doctors per 1 million people. By way of comparison, Lakeside has at least six doctors and countless medical professionals in attendance every Sunday. Iraq has 607 doctors per 1 million. There is an overwhelming need in Liberia. These two doctors are medical missionaries. Their belief that God cares about the people of Liberia compelled them to risk everything, and go.
The question about whether God cares about every person isn't academic. Christians go further, go deeper, stay longer, sacrifice more, and risk more for the sake of the nations than any other faith (or non-faith group) on the face of the earth.
Notice the nature of our mission--it happens out in the world, as we "go." God is at work "in" the church; He's also on the move in your home, neighborhood, workplace, school. Notice also, that as we go, we have this assurance of Jesus: "I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
A lot of folks lack assurance of God's presence, maybe that describes you. When I was a kid, my Dad worked in a factory. He would leave early in the mornings and arrive home late at night. He would be gone many weekends. As a young man, I made it a point that if my dad was working out in his shop, I'd go out to the shop. If dad was working in the yard, or garden, I'd go outside. If he traveled to the river, or the farm to chop firewood, I'd go down to the river or farm. If you want to be with the Father, and assured of his presence, join him in his work!
Jesus is inviting us, out into the world, to join Him in his work. Matthew 5:13 Jesus says, "You are the salt of the earth." Matthew 5:14, "You are the light of the world." Matthew 5:16, "let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Ephesians 2:10, "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
If your life is dull and empty, maybe you've missed the work he's prepared for you to do! If you're lacking assurance of God's presence, maybe it's because you're not working alongside him in his world. He's out in your neighborhood, but you're inside watching TV. He's in the game, but you're on the couch or sitting on the sideline. He's calling you into the world, but maybe you don't want to get your hands dirty. We're setting aside this month to consider ways we can join with God in his work.
As we study the gospel, we find Jesus responding to the full spectrum of human needs. Most often, Jesus' first point of contact was caring for people's physical needs. Their need for food, water, clothing, healing, sobriety, justice, freedom, safety. Jesus' care for people was non-discriminating. He cared for the righteous and unrighteous, the good and wicked, even the unkind and the ungrateful. His good deeds created good will, and hearts opened to receive the good news of eternal life.
Care was one of Jesus' go-to strategies--and it's one of the most obvious ways we can join the Father, who is at work in our world. Romans 2:4 says "God's kindness leads you toward repentance." Matthew 4:23-24, "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed: and he healed them."
What would it look like to join God in his care for people? Let's do a quick, 5-question, self-assessment. You can circle the statement that's most true of you.
(1) Am I cold, callous, cynical? When it comes to care, this is our default position. We don't make eye contact. We don't respond, look, acknowledge things. We say to ourselves, "I've been burned before. Why bother?"
(2) Am I carefree? Sometimes we're perfectly aware of a situation, but we tell ourselves, "It's not my problem. It's not my responsibility. Somebody else should do something about that. The government. "Other" Christians."
(3) Am I careless? Sometimes we go to the opposite extreme. We recklessly react to a need without fully understanding a situation. One time I was in Chicago with some friends and bought a sandwich for a homeless man. His sign said he was hungry. But just about the time we started feeling good about our deed, two other homeless people confronted us and explained that we were enabling his dependency, and robbing him of taking initiative to enter a community program and change.
(4) Am I cautious? I actually think it's wise to be cautious. But most often we let fear dictate our response more than faith. So we hide behind gates, barred windows, deadbolts and security systems. We defer everything to law enforcement, government agencies, and professionals. And because of fear, fail to engage.
(5) Am I Christ-like? To me, this is the key question. What's the redemptive response? What can we learn from Jesus, and become more like Jesus? What we're really asking is how can we be more missionary'ish? More "on the move" with God?
Be compassionate. The most basic step we can take is see our world through God's eyes. An example of this is in Matthew 9:36-37 where is says of Jesus, "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." Jesus then invites his disciples to pray. "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest."
Prayer changes the way we see people. If there's not enough empathy for others, it's for a lack of prayer. Too much time concentrating on self, and not enough asking God to show us the needs of others.
Be uncomfortable. If we're going to be used by God, we have to engage people, and be in places, that make us feel uncomfortable. It might be a hospital, a prison, a men's shelter, a neighbor's living room, a stranger's porch. Jesus came from heaven to earth--we have to be willing to go next door, or the next community.
Be committed. Jesus always followed through. For all us there is a temptation to show up, play the hero for an hour, and disappear. When Jesus engaged people, he would stick around for days when necessary. To care, we have to be committed to be there the next day, and the next, and the next.
Be creative. When it came to meeting needs, Jesus was like MacGyver. He would see what resources were readily available, and work a miracle. At the end of the day, you only have what you have. You don't have what you don't have. The disciples had fives loaves, two fish, and twelve baskets. Jesus used what they had to feed 5000. Care requires that kind of creativity. Ask, "What do I have readily available?"
Be collaborative. The danger of caring for people is we can get swallowed up by their needs. Jesus always responded to needs with a team of twelve. When he sent his disciples out in Luke 10, he sent them out as teams of two. Doing Jesus' mission with a few friends is a blast. Going it alone? Can be dangerous, isolating, overwhelming.
Build capacity. Jesus was continually training people around him. He enlarged his ministry through others. At first, Jesus was like a trailblazer. He'd take the twelve, and blaze some new path to a place they'd never been. Then he would equip them how to trust God, and meet needs, and pray. In the end, Jesus entrusted his whole mission to the twelve!
So much to say, so little time. Let's recap. First, what word most describes you now (cold, carefree, careless, cautious, Christlike)? Then, how might you become more missionary'ish?