Disciples Path : Come and See

October 27

A DISCIPLES PATH

Come and See

John 1:35-49   (NRSV)

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

One of the dirtiest words in the Christian lingo among mainline Christians and non-Christians is the word EVANGELISM.

That word tends to create all kinds of images in our minds

          First Baptist Church of Hammond

                   Knocking on your door

                   Bus ministry

          People handing out tracts

          More concerned about what you believe than how you live

But what does the word really mean?

          According to the dictionary the word means

                   "the preaching or promulgation of the gospel"

Gospel of course means "good news"

So evangelism is sharing the good news

It is neither a positive nor a negative word in itself --- it all depends on how it is done!

Most of us have experienced what we would classify as negative evangelism --- however, if we ask ourselves how did we end up at Ridge Church? --- the reality is we came because of positive evangelism

So what does positive evangelism look like?

Let's take a deeper look at our scripture this morning and see if Jesus doesn't model a better way of doing evangelism for us.

Our scripture comes from the opening scene in the gospel of John.

In it we meet two disciples of John the Baptist.

They had been with him in the wilderness for some time.

They hear John the Baptist say:

          “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”

When they heard their master say this they decided to see what John was talking about so they began following Jesus.

Jesus turns to them and asks them:

          “What are you looking for?”

And then he offers the invitation:

          "Come and see"

We are told that they remained with Jesus for a day and then the gospel story tell us that why they came across Simon Peter (Andrew his brother was one of the two who had encountered Jesus) they told Peter

          “We have found the Messiah”

The next day they went to the Galilee and came across Nathanial and Philip said to him:

“We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

Notice that Philip followed Jesus lesson in how to evangelize --- COME AND SEE

Please note

          There is no coercing or manipulation

                   No ---- "Do you know where you are going if you die tonight"

          No pressure

          No hard sell

         

          COME AND SEE was the invitation

Come and see the one whom you will eventually understand is the answer to all the searching that you are already doing.

Later in John's gospel we find a similar story

Jesus has just met a Samaritan woman sitting beside Jacob's well

The story begins with a simple conversation about Jesus being thirsty and needing a drink of water.

By the time the story ends, this woman has discovered that Jesus is "Living Water" and runs off to tell everyone that she can find.

If you go home this afternoon and pay attention to the way that Jesus engages with people --- I think that you will discover that there was a pattern to the way Jesus reached out.

It seems to have a very consistent pattern that includes:

·         conversation rather than confrontation

·         invitation rather than invasion

·         an adventure rather than an argument

·         a meeting of the hearts rather than a making of a point

·         personal discovery rather than vigorous debate

This style of evangelism is centered on loving people and giving them life rather than the negative images of evangelism that saturate our consciousness

The question really isn't should we evangelize ---

Charles Wesley said:

"We cannot expect the wanderers from God to seek us.  It is our part to go and seek them."

The question is HOW, --- how do we share our love of Jesus with others?

It begins with friendship

          It can't be manipulative

                   It must be centered in loving, caring friendships

You can't share Jesus until you really get to know somebody

We need to learn to LISTEN

          We don't really need to tell about Jesus

                   We need to find out what people are looking for

                             Remember --- that is what Jesus did to Andrew

                                      He asked him "What are you looking for?"

          Listen as they share their story

Know your story

          Know and understand how and why Jesus makes a difference in your life

                   Can you articulate that in a simple and concise way?

Offer an Invitation

          What is the invitation that Jesus offers?

                   COME AND SEE

          What do we offer them to come and see?

                   That is going to depend on the individual and their circumstances

                   It might be something such as:

                             Worship

                             Bible Study

                             Fun event

                             WWE Dinner

                             Youth Group

                   Or it may be something totally different

Trust God

One of the hallmarks of our Methodist tradition is the concept of Prevenient Grace

We believe God is already at work in their lives whether they know it or not

God helps us in this process --- we don't do it all

But what is the most important ingredient in evangelism?

          PASSION

What are you passionate about?

          Duke Basketball??

What does it take for us to become passionate for Jesus?

They key is knowing our story and how God intersects that story    

One Step at a Time

October 20

One Step at a Time

2 Corinthians 8:7-15

2 Corinthians 8:7-15    (NRSV)

Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.

I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something— now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one does not have. I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. As it is written,

“The one who had much did not have too much,
    and the one who had little did not have too little.”

The buzz word for the last couple of weeks has been economics.

The looming question was --- if Congress had not passed a budget bill of some variety would our (and the world's) economy collapse.

But it posses and interesting question that nobody seemed really to answer.

Just what is "economics?"

We love to talk about the economy --- but my hunch is most of us really don't understand it --- other than watching whether or not the price of gas is going up or down.

A few years ago, there was a New York Times best selling book that seemed to challenge our thinking about the whole idea of economics and how financial and social capitol actually move in our culture.

The book, if you are familiar with it is: Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Looks at the Hidden Side of Everything.

The rogue economist is Steven Levitt who, along with partner Stephen Dubner, looks at the real nature of economics as a web of interconnected relationships.

Their premise?

“If morality represents how we’d like the world to work, then economics represents how it actually does work.”

I think why I was attracted by the book, was instead of doing what most economist do --- which is look a the numbers and make statements or predictions --- Levitt asks WHY?

He believes that at the center of economics is the concept of incentives.

He writes:

“Economics is, at root, the study of incentives: how people get what they want, or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing . . .  An incentive is a bullet, a lever, a key: an often tiny object with astonishing power to change a situation.”

If the incentive is great enough, with enough of a payoff in the end, people will go to great lengths to achieve it.

In a world where conventional economic wisdom is all about acquiring enough money and things to live comfortably and secure, Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church offers a completely different way of thinking economically and spiritually.

Let's take a quick look at what Corinth was like in the first century.

Corinth was a cosmopolitan culture where the economy, status and religion were all based on competition between individuals and groups (sounds a lot like today).

The basic incentive that drove people was the desire for “excellence,” or one-upping others in any pursuit.

Much of 1 Corinthians is devoted to Paul’s arguments against this kind of thinking in the church.

Paul says that instead of climbing over one another to be the best or most worthy, we should move toward equality and unity in things like worship (1 Corinthians 11) and in the use of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12).

My hunch is the people of Corinth felt pretty beat up by Paul's first letter and it created some hard feelings in the church toward Paul and, in particular, about the collection that Paul was asking for from all the Gentile churches to support the work of the Jerusalem church among the poor and needy (1 Corinthians 16:1-4).

It wasn’t that the Corinthians were unwilling.

          They simply lacked incentive.

Without an incentive to take up the offering, other than a perceived obligation, the Corinthians were falling behind.

A year earlier they had been all for it, but since their relationships with Paul had apparently been strained, they had become less enthusiastic about giving to his cause (2 Corinthians 8:10-12).

Clearly, they needed a different kind of incentive in order to finish what they started.

We run into the same dilemma every year

Every fall there are letters written, newsletter articles posted and sermons from me soliciting your support through estimates of giving for the coming year.

And as we try to plan our annual campaign, one of the things that quickly becomes apparent is that there are hundreds of campaigns out there.

One of the most offensive to me (because it is theologically WRONG) is the one that says:

          Give and you will prosper financially

or       Give $1000 and God will grant you new wealth.

The bible is full of talk about blessings --- even blessings that are in response to faithful giving.

          But the scriptures never promise a shopping spree.

Another approach is to encourage you to support the budget.        

          To give your fair share . . .

As I said a couple weeks ago --- we don't GIVE to raise money for the church or to support the budget.

          That's not why you bring an offering each week

We have even been known to use guilt to try and get you to give.

I bet some of you have heard some of these lines over the years (I hope not here!!!)

          "If you don't raise your giving we may have to close the church doors"

          "We may have to let staff go"

          "We may not have Sunday school material for our children"

Guilt doesn't work too well!

I even read about a church that tried a lottery approach

          Probably appropriate in this day and age with our love of gambling

What the campaign said was: Bring your offering in a sealed envelope.

Once the offering was collected --- all the envelopes were placed in a big drum, like the ones used for bingo

The pastor spins the drum and pulls out an envelope

The name is read and the winning person gets double his or her money back

CRAZY!

Or there was the weight loss challenge.

Some members of a congregation challenged the Sr Pastor to lose some weight

          They pledged money for every pound that he lost

It was kind of a win -- win situation

          The Sr Pastor wins by losing some weight

          The congregation wins by getting some money

Silly --- maybe even amusing --- but sad at the same time

Why do we give to the church?

          Why do you give?

If not to raise money for the church ---- WHY?

As I said a few weeks ago

          Giving is essential to Discipleship

                   One cannot be a disciple of Jesus and not be generous

So let's take a quick look at Paul's approach.

What Paul realized was that the church at Corinth needed a crash course in faith-onomics, or better yet, grace-onomics.

Paul starts where they are.

He knows what motivates these Corinthians, ---- what incentive will work.

What he had chided them about in the first letter, he now uses to bolster his argument in the second:

If the Corinthians want to demonstrate “excellence,” here is the perfect chance to do so (8:7).

The Macedonian churches (particularly those at Thessalonica and Philippi) had already given sacrificially and enthusiastically to this offering, even though they were dealing with their own poor economic conditions (8:1-6).

Despite their own poverty, these people gave “beyond their means” and begged for the privilege of doing more.

The poor Macedonians have outdone themselves, writes Paul to the wealthy Corinthians.

          So, it’s your call.

          What are you going to do in response?

Paul not only encourages the Corinthians to follow the example of the Macedonians in their giving, but even more so the example of Christ, who “became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (v. 9).

All that they have, materially and spiritually, is the result of the grace of God and that grace is, in fact, a form of wealth in itself.

God has poured himself out for them in Jesus Christ — how can they not do the same for others?

Understand that Paul is not talking actual drachma amounts here, like a corporation that offers matching gifts to charity.

He’s talking about attitude and motivation, urging the Corinthians to give out of the abundance of what they have, not focusing on what they don’t have (v. 12).

Balance, fairness and reciprocity are the economics of God, where all share together in the model of Christ in whose eyes all of us are equal (v. 13).

It’s not about tossing God our leftovers, but about seeking the higher value of excellence in our stewardship,

living our lives with open hands as well as open hearts, rather than begrudging our giving.

Paul’s basic economic theory, very different from that of Levitt and Dubner, is that everything belongs to God in the first place, but God has seen fit to share it with us — even to the point of sharing God’s own self in Jesus (1 Corinthians 3:21b-23).

Even if we don’t have a penny to our names, we are rich because of God’s grace toward us.

          It’s thinking that runs counter to just about every economic theory.

So why do we give?

Let me offer to us some reasons why we give

WE GIVE IN ORDER TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE

We give to express gratitude and joy for the gift of life.

WE GIVE IN ORDER TO BE INVOLVED

The gift says something of what I am about.

It proclaims that I want to be involved in what my church is doing.

A mature Christian is one who wants to be involved and who wants to make a contribution

WE GIVE IN ORDER TO GROW

We don't give to make the church bigger.

We give in order to facilitate our own steady growth as disciples of Jesus --- and to make sure that others can join us on this Discipleship Path

A good gift is one that has a positive effect on the spiritual life of the giver!

We give not to get, but because we have received.

We love because we have been loved.

Our incentive to give of our time, our talents, and our treasure in God’s service has nothing to do with what we’ll get in return.

Instead it has everything to do with what God has already done for us.

A DISCIPLES PATH: Servanthood

October 13

A DISCIPLES PATH

Servanthood

Ephesians 4:1-16  

Ephesians 4:1-16

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said,

“When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.”

(When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

When you join any United Methodist Church, you promise to support the church with your:     Prayers

          Presence

          Gifts

          Service

          Witness

But as a follower of Jesus --- you promise to become an active participant in Jesus' ministry of service to the world.

One of the hallmarks of the Reformation is the affirmation of the Priesthood of all believers. 

          In other words, all followers of Jesus are ministers.

In the United Methodist Discipline (our rulebook) it declares:

"all Christians are called through their baptism to this ministry of servanthood in the world to the glory of God."

Whoever you are

          clergy person --- staff person --- layperson

          man --- woman

          young --- old

          skilled in the bible  --- or one whom the bible is new

ALL are called! --- And that includes YOU!

One of the mistakes that we --- as ordained ministers make --- is in implying that calling is only something we get.

          EVERYBODY IS CALLED

                   Every call is different

The task of the church is pretty simple in regards to this ---- we are here to help you discover your call, understand your spiritual gifts and help you find your place in service --- and then to support you in using them!

But what are these things that I am calling spiritual gifts?

Our scripture this morning reminds us that as followers of Jesus we are all given spiritual gifts

·         these are not something that we earn

·         God gives this to us and expects us to use them

·         You could say that God pre-wired us to use our natural talents, our personality, our passions, and the gifts we have been given to become a part of God's transformation of the world through God's love

Remember, the purpose of the church is to "make Disciple of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."  THAT IS OUR MISSION.

YOU have been called to be a part of that mission.

Paul, as he was writing to the church at Corinth was trying to help them understand their spiritual gifts.

He tells them: (1 Corinthians 12 selected The Message)

What I want to talk about now is the various ways God’s Spirit gets worked into our lives. This is complex and often misunderstood, but I want you to be informed and knowledgeable. . . .

God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people!

Every follower of Jesus ---- Every Christian is gifted by God.

One of the best ways to find out what your spiritual gifts are is to take a spiritual gifts inventory.

A simple one can be found at www.ministrymatters.com/spiritualgifts

          It is free and easy

Once we figure out what our gifts are, then we can figure out what God wants us to do with them.

And by that I don't mean that we are to volunteer.

God doesn't want volunteers

God wants us servants.

And there is a big difference between being a volunteer and being a servant

·         being a volunteer describes a particular activity that is not at the center of your identity ---- but being a servant describes something about you as a follower of Jesus

·         A volunteer gives of time and talent when it is convenient or when it fits into one's schedule ---- a disciple of Jesus understands that they are a servant ALWAYS

·         A volunteer serves based on their interests or values ---- a disciple is guided by the Jesus' kingdom values.

Can one be a disciple of Jesus and not be a servant?

          The author of James says NO (James 2:14-17)

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

Faith without action is no faith

Being a Christian is not just about BELIEVING certain things --- being a Christian is about a way of life.

On May 16, 2006 an auction was held at Christie's in London.

Up for auction was an old violin

People were in awe when the price for the violin went past $1 million, and then $2 million

When the gavel finally came down ---- the violin sold for $3.5 million, the highest price ever paid for a musical instrument.

The violin was one that was hand made by Antonio Stradivari --- without a doubt the greatest maker of violins ever.

George Eliot, the pen name of 19th century British novelist Mary Anne Evans wrote a poem simply titled: Stradivarius.

In the poem, a young, undisciplined painter named Naldo mocks Stradivari's hard work, telling him that he could have fame and wealth with a lot less labor.

Antonio replies that any musician who holds one of his violins will be grateful that Stradivari lived, made violins, and made them the best that he could.

Antonio says that God gives the musicians their skill, but that he gives them the instruments to play: "God choosing me to help him."

Naldo is shocked by the idea that God might need Stradivarius' help.

Antonio replies:

Not God Himself can make man's best

Without best men to help him . . .

. . . He could not make

Antonio Stradivari's violins

Without Antonio

Stradivarius understood how God works in the world

God works in the world through us!

The churches job is to help you figure out what God has gifted you with ---

          but not to stop there

                   to help you put those gifts into action

So that with the help of the Holy Spirit you can help in the transformation of the world

Slow Down

October 6

A DISCIPLES PATH

Slow Down!!

Genesis 37:5-12   (The Message)

Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. He said, “Listen to this dream I had. We were all out in the field gathering bundles of wheat. All of a sudden my bundle stood straight up and your bundles circled around it and bowed down to mine.”

His brothers said, “So! You’re going to rule us? You’re going to boss us around?” And they hated him more than ever because of his dreams and the way he talked.

He had another dream and told this one also to his brothers: “I dreamed another dream—the sun and moon and eleven stars bowed down to me!”

When he told it to his father and brothers, his father reprimanded him: “What’s with all this dreaming? Am I and your mother and your brothers all supposed to bow down to you?” Now his brothers were really jealous; but his father brooded over the whole business.

As many of you know --- three years ago ---- I got tired of always watching Nancy run marathon after marathon.

And on my 50th birthday I announced to all of you in worship that I was setting a goal of completing a marathon before my 51st birthday.

I didn't make it --- I actually completed my first marathon 2 weeks after my 51st birthday.

Since my 50th birthday I have completed 2 marathons and 5 half marathons with a sixth in two weeks.

As many of you know --- Last year when I ran the Chicago marathon Nancy and I finished hand in hand together --- it is a highlight of my life!

This past May, Nancy and I ran the Indy Mini together and the day of the race just happened to be our 27th anniversary

We had been training together and I had it in my head how awesome it would be for us to finish together.

We started out pretty good, but at about mile three I had to stop and smell some flowers and I never saw Nancy again.

          She finished with her fastest ever half marathon 1:53 minutes

          I struggled across the finish line some 18 minutes behind her

Again we trained together every day for our next race

          And as we would train Nancy would say to me

                   "We are running the same pace, we should run together"

We were up in Wine Country Michigan at the end of August and Nancy said to me before the race began --- "If I am running too fast let me know"

We started out at a pretty good pace, but at around the second mile I said to her we were running too fast --- she kind of looked at me and kept on going.

I finished in just under 2:05 minutes --- but a good 6 minutes behind Nancy

As much as I wanted to keep up with her --- I couldn't and she was not willing to slow down and run with me

I think I have done the same to you

          I have been running faster than you can keep up

          Some of you pointed that out to me this week

                   And the surprising news ---- I actually listened

So I want to slow down this morning

Try to regroup

Explain why I am preaching this series

One that I believe may be one of the most important that I have shared with you

Almost three years ago we were invited as a church to participate in the Fruitful Congregations Journey.

12 Lay People committed to be a part of a process in which they would meet once a month with a coach and then meet a second time each month with the pastors.

Over the two years we met we read a number of books and prepared to bring in a group of consultants who would evaluate what we were doing and the things that we might improve on.

Last spring we had the consultants come and give us their recommendations.

The recommended 5 areas that we work on.

1.       COMMUNICATION

They suggested that we improve our website

That the Trustees create a task force to look at signage issues

That we develop better lines of communication among the staff and the congregation

We are well on our way to achieving this goal

·         Website

New website is in development and should be up soon

·         Signage

As far as I know the Trustees have not acted on this recommendation yet

·         Communication

We are trying to do a better job communicating.

          Staff Meeting weekly

          I meet with most of the staff individually each week

2.       CLEAR, SHARED MISSION AND VISION

Do you know what the mission of Ridge Church is?

to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world

Do you know what our vision is?

          Offer hope, unconditional love and meaning for life

I try to make sure I life those up in every worship service and we seek to make sure every ministry we engage in is in line with those values

3.       STEWARDSHIP

You have been hearing about our Grow One Step stewardship campaign and in the spring of next year we will be conducting a capital campaign to fix the roof and pay off our debt.

The one area that they challenged us in as regards stewardship is they felt we had too many fund raisers.  That has not changed.

4.       CREATE AN INTENTIONAL PLAN TO DEVELOP, TRAIN, AND DEPLOY STAFF & LEADERS

This is the one area that we have not at all tackled.  The Fruitful Team will be taking this up at their meeting next month.

5.       DEVELOP AN INTENTIONAL DISCIPLESHIP PATH

The goal is to develop a clear and articulated path to help people who come to RUMC grow into a committed follower of Jesus.  This process with be one that persons of all ages and levels of spiritual maturity will have the opportunity to connect, move and grow along this path into a deeper relationship with Jesus.

This path, will seek to help persons grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ by sharing hope, loving unconditionally and helping one another recognize that we all have gifts to share on our journey.  We will encourage persons to:

·         Develop a transformational relationship with Jesus

·         Participate in passionate worship and relevant Bible study

·         Connect with the community for support, prayer and accountability

·         Sent out to serve others in the community or world

This is what this sermon series has been about.

I am convinced that if we take the five promises we make when we join the church, we will be well on our way to helping all of us grow as disciples.

This is not saying that we are not good disciples already --- the point is we can become better disciples and more intentional in helping others to grow in a love relationship with Jesus.

So for the past three weeks we have looked at the first three promised that we made when we joined the church.

We promised to support the church with our prayers

We promised to support the church with our presence

We promised to support the church with our gifts

But the ultimate question is what is the outcome that we are looking for?

Well clearly, the hope is that you will get intentional in your relationship with Jesus.

That means that we have to become more intentional in our prayer life

Become more intentional in our participation in our spiritual growth

          attend church regularly

          participate in some type of small group

Grow in your generosity.

But more than that, that we will become more aware of those around us who are new on the Discipleship Path and that we will intentionally help them find their way

DISCIPLES PATH: Generosity

A DISCIPLES PATH

Generosity

1 Timothy 6:17-18   (The Message)

Tell those rich in this world’s wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous.

This morning we are continuing the journey we began four weeks ago.

We have decided to follow the fork in the road that Jesus is leading us on.

It's not an easy path --- but we know that is the way that leads to life that really is life!

We are using as our guide for this journey the promises that we make as members of the United Methodist Church.

If we practice the disciplines necessary to fulfill these promises --- we will be well on our way on the path of Discipleship

We began by talking about our prayer life --- our relationship with God

Last week we continued by focusing on our need to participate in worship and in a small group

Today we will look at the third promise we make --- which is to support our church through our gifts.

A while back some friends and I were sharing ideas about sermons when we talk about giving.

One of the pastors said that as he began preaching on the topic of giving a husband turned to his wife and said loud enough for most people to hear:

          "Please, Make the bad man stop!"

I kind of doubt that it is a historical story

          But I know that it is true!

We don't like talking about our money.

But do you remember what I said about the offering last week?

          The purpose of the offering is not to raise money for the church.

                   The giving of our gifts is symbolic of giving ourselves.

Each week, as we have talked about these disciplines, I have been referring back to John Wesley and the early Methodist movement.

Wesley's goal was to make every waking moment of our lives centered in the love of God.

By following the roadmap that Wesley set out for us ---- we are able to live our lives in a way in which everything that we say and do is organized around loving God and loving others.

And that includes what we do with our money.

One of the surprising results of the methodical way of life that Wesley taught was that through cleaner living, being better educated and living more disciplined lives ---- the early Methodists grew in wealth.

Wesley preached a number of sermons to try and head off potential problems that might develop with this new found wealth.

He preached sermons titled:

·         "The Use of Money"

·         "On the Danger of Riches"

·         "On the Danger of Increasing Riches"

The purpose of these sermons was not to raise money for the Methodist Movement

His motivation was his desire to lead the Methodist people into more Christ-Centered lives.

It wasn't their money he was after --- it was their hearts and souls.

When Wesley preached on money his sermons were rooted in the conviction that we cannot be faithful disciples of Jesus unless we learn to manage --- what Wesley called the "excellent gift" of money and to use it wisely "to the greatest advantage."

In Wesley's sermon --- "The Use of Money" --- he laid out three rather simple rules

·         Gain all you can

·         Save all you can

·         Give all you can

I obviously don't have a lot of time to dig into this (but we will spend more time on it on Wednesday evening)

Let's look at each of these concepts:

GAIN ALL YOU CAN

Pretty self explanatory, but Wesley suggested some guidelines to make sure we didn't pay too high a price for our wealth.

·         Gain all you can without hurting your health

Don't work yourself to death

·         Gain all you can without hurting your mind

Don't cheat, lie or engage in behavior that is not consistent with a good conscience

·         Gain all you can without hurting your neighbor

Loving other as we love ourselves requires that we consider the way our economic practices will impact others

This is the exact opposite advice that Daddy Warbucks offered to Annie

He told her that you don't have to be nice to the people that you pass on the way up --- as long as you don't intend to go back down!

SAVE ALL YOU CAN

This is not about building huge bank accounts.

Wesley was calling the people called Methodist to live a frugal lifestyle.

Wesley called on his people not to waste their money on silly, overly expensive or needless items.

He called them to a simple lifestyle.

He was challenging us to discover the contentment that Paul described to the Philippians

Philippians 4:11-13   (NRSV)

Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

GIVE ALL YOU CAN

Wesley wanted us to gain all that we could and save all that we could so that we might give it away!

But this is more than just writing a check to a charity.  For Wesley, the purpose of the discipline of generosity is for our lives to be shaped into the likeness of the extravagant generosity of God. 

          A life of Loving God and Loving Others

Jesus describes for us what a life of loving God and loving others looks like in Matthew's Gospel.

Matthew 6:25-33   (NRSV)

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

If we were to live that way --- How would our lives be different?

James Harnish offers six rules when it comes to the spiritual discipline of Generosity.

·         Generosity begins with God

This is kind of a no brainer

Our generosity can never compete with God's

God is the absolute expression of extravagant, self-giving generosity

We are generous to others ---- because God has been extravagantly generous to us

·         Generosity is essential

We cannot be a disciple of Jesus and not be generous --- it just isn’t possible

Our use of money will undergo a fundamental transformation when we stop asking how much of our wealth we will give to God and instead start asking how much of God's wealth we will keep for ourselves.

Generosity is the only antidote to greed

·         Generosity is intentional

Generosity doesn't just happen

We don't just wake up one morning and become generous --- it is something we have to work at

·         Generosity grows with practice

It is a learned behavior that runs counter to everything that our culture teaches.

We live in a world that says grab for all you can

God says share all you can

·         Generosity is joyful

One of the things I have observed is that generous people are some of the most joyful people I have ever met.

When we give all that we can --- we experience the joy of knowing that our generosity is blessing not only our lives --- but also the lives of others

When I am generous --- I am making an active contribution to the building of God's kingdom.

·         Generosity results in blessing.

I wish that I could promise you that if you tithe you will get wealthy. (I will leave that to other churches)

What I can promise you is that if you develop the spiritual gift of generosity --- YOU WILL BE BLESSED and your life will be a blessing to others.

Proverbs 11:24-25  (The Message)

The world of the generous gets larger and larger;
    the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.

The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed;
    those who help others are helped.

A well lived life is one that is filled with generosity as our scripture passage today reminds us.

1 Timothy 6:17-19  (The Message)

Tell those rich in this world’s wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they’ll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life.

May we all learn to get our wealth and possessions in line with loving God and loving others.

A DISCIPLES PATH: The Joy of True Worship

September 22

A DISCIPLES PATH:  The Joy of True Worship

Psalm 100    (NRSV)

A Psalm of thanksgiving.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
    Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come into his presence with singing.

Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he that made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise.
    Give thanks to him, bless his name.

For the Lord is good;
    his steadfast love endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations.

As much as we sometimes believe it, the truth is NO ONE can be a FOLLOWER of JESUS all by THEMSELVES.

There is no such thing as a solitary Christian or Disciple of Jesus.

Christianity --- being a follower or Disciple of Jesus is ALWAYS lived out in community.

No matter how hard we try --- we cannot be spiritual or religious without the presence of other people in our lives.

We need each other --- for:

          encouragement

          guidance

          wisdom

          and accountability

I think E Stanley Jones was right when he said:

"everyone who belongs to Christ, belongs to everyone who belongs to Christ"

While reading McLaren's Book, EVERYTHING MUST CHANGE, (that I preached on last year) --- he shared the African concept of ubuntu.  Archbishop Desmond Tutu defined ubuntu as meaning:

"My humanity is caught up, is inextricably bound up, in yours. . . . A person is a person through other persons."

Our humanity is found in our connections with other people!

          I am who I am because you are who you are

This is the whole example of Jesus --- his life was lived in community

·         He calls 12 very ordinary men to be his first Disciples

·         He promises that whenever two or three gather he would be among us

·         As he and his disciples shared a last meal together Jesus even seemed to raise Christian friendship to a sacramental level when he said:

John 15:15   (NRSV)

I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.

And when Paul told the Disciples in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 12:27   

Now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it.

Or as the author of Hebrews reminds us of the need for community

Hebrews 10:23-25   (NRSV)

Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

You understand that there is a problem with this idea?

          This goes totally counter to everything in our culture.

We live by a "do it yourself" --- "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" mentality

But that is not the message of the Gospel

One of my favorite passages of Scripture ---- one that I often use at weddings because the image of community is so powerful is found in the book of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12   (NRSV)

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.

When John Wesley began, what became known as the Methodist Movement, one of the things that he did very early was to organize people into small groups.  The purpose of these groups was to do all those things that the author of Hebrews talked about.

provoke one another to love and good deeds, . . . encouraging one another

One of the things that Wesley observed was that those who were active participants in these small groups continued to grow in their faith while those who were not involved often would fall away.

The same seems true today.

If somebody's only contact with the church is worship, there is a pretty good change that that person will fall away --- or even sadder, miss out on the care and concern of the church community.

Growth as a disciple happens best when each individual is connected to others in the community through a small group

And there are a bunch of opportunities for you to connect --- if you so choose.

But the place that I want focus, or start this morning is the entry point for most people when they decide that they want to inquire about what it means to follow Jesus --- and that is worship.

Mike Slaughter, pastor of one of the larger UM Churches made this true but sarcastic comment on his twitter page:

          "Curious crowds don't equal committed disciples"

What makes a committed Disciple is one that participates not only in worship, but seeks opportunities to further their spiritual growth.

I have people tell me all the time that they are spiritual, but don't have any use for the church.

As I have already shared --- I think they are missing the most important part of the church --- supporting and encouraging each other.

But more than just that --- worship isn't a solitary experience.

I have had some profound experiences of the divine while watching the sun rise and set ---- particularly over the ocean.

          That experience just opens me up to God

And I have even had those experiences by myself --- but something is missing when I cannot share them with others.

A few weeks back I made a round trip to Bloomington. 

As I was nearing the wind farm along I65 the sun was just setting. 

It was so beautiful, I had to stop and take a picture.

But I also had to share it --- so I took a few minutes and posted it online, but also sent it to Nancy and the girls

I don't believe we can experience the fullness of Christian worship by ourselves.

It is in coming together --- sharing our common journey ---- that we experience the power of God.

But one of the main reasons we gather together to worship is to be able to proclaim the Word together.

We are the people of the BOOK --- we have a story to tell.

When we come together to worship, we come together to tell the story.

And we do this through a variety of means

          Scripture

          Preaching

          Sharing

          Music

We tell the story of what God has done and is doing through Jesus and us!

We tell the story that shapes us as disciples of Jesus.

We tell the story to invite others to join us on the journey.

Regardless of HOW we tell the story ---- We tell the story to help us find our place within the story so that God's story becomes our story!

But the story is just empty words if we don't do anything with it.

Once we receive the story, we are called to respond to it!

You have probably heard the story before about the guy who was always falling asleep in church.

One Sunday the pastor wanted to try and teach him a lesson, so when the man was asleep he said rather quietly to the congregation:

"Everybody who wants to go to heaven, raise your hand."

Everybody quietly raised their hands --- except for the one guy who was sound asleep.  Then the Pastor said:

"Everybody who wants to go to hell, STAND UP!"

The man, startled, jumped up, looked around, and said:

"Preacher, I'm not sure what we are voting on, but it looks like we are the only two in favor of it."

That's not the kind of response that I am talking about.

We are invited to respond to God's word in a number of ways.

One of the ways that we are invited to respond is in thanksgiving to God for all that God has done in our lives and for our commitment to Jesus.

And that brings us to the offering.

Wesley said that the offering should be after the Proclamation of the Word --- as a response to the Word.

Now, we do it earlier in the service, but regardless, where it is placed in the order of worship  --- The purpose of the offering is not to raise money for the church.

The giving of our gifts is symbolic of giving ourselves.

It is the act of worship in which we say thanks to God for all that God has done in Jesus and in which we once again affirm our commitment to Jesus by pledging our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness.

We are called to respond to God's love --- to God's story.

Worship, then concludes with what we call the Benediction --- it is a final blessing, but it really is a sending forth.

Having heard God's story we are called to take that story of love out into the world and share it.

Worship is sort of like the locker room of a sports team.

          We gather together to get fired up on the love of God in Jesus.

          We are sent out of the worship service to share that powerful love!

Can one be a Christian and not participate in worship

          Not really

Worship matters

It matters because it is one of the disciplines that helps shape us into the likeness of Jesus.

It matters because our presence may be the very thing that God uses to strengthen, encourage, challenge and bless one of our brothers or sisters.

It matters because it prepares us to go out into the world to share God's unconditional love and God uses us to help transform the world.

So make a joyful noise to the Lord and worship God with gladness. 

Because God's steadfast love --- endures forever!