Go Therefore and...
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Matthew 28:16-20
16
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to
which Jesus had directed them. 17When
they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. 18And
Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth
has been given to me. 19Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20and
teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And
remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’*
Ecclesiastes –note
from Reformation Study Bible...
4:9–12
Cooperation, rather than strife rooted in envy, produces success and
provides protection …
Two
are better than one....I've said it before...we are created to be in
community. We are created to be together with God and with each
other! The cord of 3 strands is us and God! Two are better than one,
when we have God in the equation as well :)
Gospel
lesson...after Jesus' death...disciples maybe saying 'where do we go
from here?” Jesus had told them 'go to Galilee” but they were
shaken by his arrest and death! Maybe they forgot or thought that it
all the plans had been disrupted, it was all over!
Then Jesus, the Risen Jesus!--reminded the women at the empty tomb..
“Do not be afraid. Go and
tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
So
they went to Galilee...back to where it all began. And then
encountered Jesus, risen from the dead! They worshiped him! But 'some
doubted!” they still had trouble believing even after all they had
been through!
In
another bible, called the Message..which is a modern language
paraphrase, Author Eugene Peterson tells it this way.
Matthew
28:16-20The Message (MSG)
16-17
Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee,
headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment
they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure
about worship, about risking themselves totally.
18-20
Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God
authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train
everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by
baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then
instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be
with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end
of the age.”
Peterson's
phrasing here is powerful...'they held back, not sure about worship,
about risking themselves totally...” The Disciples needed to be
ALL IN! In the book of the Revelation, the letter to one church says
that God will spit them out because they are lukewarm! Jesus was
never lukewarm. He had times of frustration, and anger, but that was
because of his passion and commitment!
“Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations!.”
People
prefer to be with folks who are like themselves. But Jesus tells us
to reach out to all 'nations'..to all countries, but also to all
different kinds of people. The word translated here “Nations” in
the original Greek is the word Ethnos. From which we get the word
'ethnic' –it means races and peoples. In this context it also means
peoples other than the Jews...the people to whom Jesus was speaking.
He said go therefore to the people who aren't like you! Step out of
your comfort zone.
Front
of bulletin...'building a community in Christ...to reach the
community for Christ.” what does that mean to you? When you read
this statement, or hear it, what part speaks to you, what part do you
focus on? Building? Community? To reach? For Christ? Each component
of this is important. And each of us has a role to play. Perhaps the
part you focus on is the part you are to do! Do you build up? Are you
an encourager? Everyone needs an encourager and everyone can be one!
We need to pray for each other, we need to know someone is praying
for us, we need to hear and to say, I am here for you!!
In
black churches, saying “amen”, and “preach it” during the
sermon, serves purpose...It encourages the pastor! It also keeps the
parishioners listening and engaged!
Worship
means to be engaged, to participate. Worship is how we braid that
cord of 3 strands together! It means being engaged with God and with
each other! If we are thinking too much about self..what I like, what
I think about this, what I need to do later on...then we are not
engaged. If we are not engaged, we are not worshiping God. We may be
AT a worship service but we are not part of it, we are not IN it. We
are not worshiping.
Worship
is corporate, that is we do it as a group..it's conversation with
God, and adoration OF God. And hearing from God, through the
Scriptures, and hearing and thinking about what God's word means to
us today! Yes, we can have prayer, adoration and scripture alone!
And we need to do so, that is part of how we maintain our roots in
our faith. and participating in worship happens when we are together!
When we are together in God, we worship God and are more at One with
God!
A
church is a lot like a family. We have a lot in common, but not
absolutely everything! And we enjoy being together because we are
connected.
Now
our family members may not all be exactly like us! Most of the time
there are a lot of similarities but even siblings can be wildly
different from each other! But we are still family, so we look at
what we have in common and maybe even learn to celebrate the
differences!
The
point is that we come together!
According
to our Gospel lesson, the point is that we come together with others
too! That we reach out to the community For Christ. We reach out
beyond the four walls, beyond this church, into this neighborhood and
beyond. That we work with other churches, with other organizations
that are working to build up the city. That we worship with other
churches. I have read a lot of material about the decline of the
mainline churches, about how fewer and fewer people identify
themselves as 'religious' whether or not they attend church! The
culture has changed rapidly and churches have struggled, some not
changing enough, some too much! One thing I do know, is we...this
church and other churches can not just do the same old same old. We
must reach out. Make disciples! For Jesus!
Jesus
was One with God and the Holy Spirit. Yet he came to live with us :D
and
he said to reach out and to Baptize in the name of the father, son,
holy spirit.
We
are to make disciples and teach what he taught! Share our stories,
tell what Jesus means to us, and share what Jesus taught...but also
to listen to others' stories. Even those of very different faiths,
that is how we can find common ground.
Remember
what Jesus said were the 'greatest commandments”? Love the Lord
your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength; and love each
other as yourself. We love God and love others, caring for them as
Jesus did! Listening to others to learn what their needs are and
their hopes and dreams! And sharing ours. Inviting people who may be
quite different to be a part of our lives, our churches. Working with
other churches to bring the loving care of God into our city. Working
with organizations like Caritas―who help our neighbors in need.
At
a meeting this week, we were working on prep for the book bag bash.
And one member of our team who is a school teacher shared that kids
learn young who really cares for them, and who is just doing stuff
for them because they are obligated to do so. When kids learn someone
is doing something just because they care...they respond. They KNOW
that they are cared for and cared about in that moment! Thru our work
in the community, they have some of the Love and Light of Christ in
that moment, and that light can shine through a lot!
We
all need to know that we are cared for and cared about. That is what
churches can do for a community. A healthy church really can be very
effective in reaching out to the community for Christ! How so?
Because a healthy church puts Jesus first. And Jesus promised,
“Surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age!”
through the holy spirit, we have the love and power of Jesus, if we
stay rooted in his love and word, through our private time with God
and through our worshiping community!
Jesus,
who was One with God and with the Holy Spirit,. Jesus, was ONE with
God, yet chose to be One with us too!! He chose to be part of this
glorious creation and to be one with our inglorious selves!! And he
went to the cross...CHOSE to go to the cross...chose not because God
is mean but because God is LOVE and we are mean...chose to go to the
Cross. To himself endure complete separation from God so that We
would NEVER endure complete separation from God. And then told his
disciples―and US-- Go therefore and...share his teachings, share
this amazing story, share that LOVE! with everyone! Even and
especially the ones who are not just like us. So that we can all
become more like Jesus!
Dearest
Lord, thank You so much for choosing to live with us and die for us,
and rising again to help US live in YOUR love. Show us how to better
go out into the world for you. Amen.
