Epiphany 2 b 2015

Holy Trinity Kew Sunday 18 January 2015 Epiphany 2 Year B Sermon Notes Jesus and Moses went golfing one day. Jesus was about to hit a shot and said, “Hey Moses, watch this! Just like Ian Baker Finch!” Moses said, “Jesus, you can do anything but don’t try to be like Ian Baker Finch.” Jesus said, “No, watch this— just like Ian Baker Finch! “Jesus hit the ball in the water so Jesus asked Moses to get the ball. Moses parted the water and got the ball. This continued for about fifteen minutes. Finally, Jesus hit the ball in the water for the seventh time. “Please get my ball for me,” Jesus asked Moses. Moses said, “No, I told you to stop trying to be like Ian Baker Finch so I’m not getting it this time. “Jesus walked across the water, reached down, and got his ball. While he was doing this, a couple rode by in a cart and said, “Who does he think he is, Jesus?” Moses said, “No! He thinks he’s Ian Baker Finch!”

All of us can’t be like Ian Baker Finch, but all of us can be like Jesus! In fact, we have been called to be like Jesus— to love like Jesus — to make a difference like Jesus — to change the world like Jesus. The New Testament says we have been empowered to be like Jesus. I think this is what compelled Philip and the rest of the disciples to drop everything and follow him. Jesus simply said to Philip, “Follow me” and he did, right on the spot (John 1:43). There was a great call of adventure and meaning in those two simple words of Jesus. Philip and the disciples couldn’t resist.

We give a lot of credence to Jesus’ last words. We believe what people say is important before they leave the earth. Have you ever paid attention to Jesus’ last words to his disciples before he left the earth? In Matthew 28:16-20 Jesus’ last words to his disciples were “Go and make disciples…” In Mark 16:15, Jesus’ last words were “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” In Luke 24:47, 49, Jesus’ last words were “repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all the nations… stay here… until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

We have been given the power of the Holy Spirit to transform the world for Jesus. We have the same power the early church had. But here is the key: We must do something with this power! When Jesus said, “Go and make disciples…” he was giving the Great Commission. It was not the great reflection.

It was not the great suggestion or the great option. It was the Great Commission. It is a mandate from Jesus Christ. Jesus made no distinction between his followers and his witnesses. Discipleship and evangelism cannot be separated. A faith worth having is a faith worth sharing. This is the rub of the faith, isn’t it? It is easy to come to worship and study. It is even easy to serve the church in some way. But sharing our faith? That is another matter. Many want to leave that job to someone else.

A while back Jane and I were having dinner with some friends at a new restaurant. The food and service were fantastic, but there were not many people at the restaurant. A friend of mine spoke up and said, “We have to tell more people about this place. It is great and nobody is here. It would be a shame if they went out of business.”

How quick we are to share something good. We will tell everyone about a good restaurant or a good book. When we see a good movie we will tell the whole world to go see it; yet when it comes to sharing the greatest news in the universe, mum is the word for many Christians.

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I love the story found in the first chapter of Acts. Jesus is ascending into heaven and Jesus’ followers are looking up in awe. As Jesus is ascending he is telling his followers to “go and be witnesses…”

And his followers just keep looking up. When Jesus disappears, two men appear and basically say, “Stop looking up into heaven. Did you hear what Jesus said? Go and be witnesses!”

Perhaps you are thinking, “Yeah, but sharing faith is so personal.” You bet it is. We have been given the power to transform people with God’s love. We have the source of hope and strength. Will we share it? If we had the cure to cancer we would tell everyone. We have the cure for a meaningless life and spiritual death. What’s keeping us from sharing it?

I know that the word “witness” conjures up many negative images. I know that many people have given the word “witness” a bad name. We think of people passing out tracts, holding up signs, grabbing people by the lapels, and screaming about Jesus with judgment in their eyes. Quite often those who loudly profess to follow Christ don’t behave like Christ.

We are fond of quoting John 3:16, “For God so loved the world…” But Scripture also says in John 3:17 that God did not send Jesus to condemn the world but to save it! It is high time Christian’s start believing it and, more importantly, living like it!

The more I read scripture and the teachings of Jesus the more I see that Christianity spreads not through coercion or force, but through fascination. The Early Christians knew this well and knew that you had to catch it, not study, read and weigh and measure it. Tertullian the 3 rd Century Church Father explained why so many people turned to Christianity: “see those Christians how they love one another”. People are fascinated by the love of Jesus. When we are reflecting that love, people want to know about it. I Peter 3:15-16 says it well: “Always be ready to make your defense to any- one who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence.” It is so simple. When we are filled with the hope and love of Christ, people will want to know about it.

We live in a world filled with people who have little hope and so when others see our hope, they are drawn to us. When we are living out the love of Christ, we will not need to seek out people and tell them about Jesus. They will seek us out!

Fr Robert Newton

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