NO FEAR

                                                Matthew 10: 24-33

 

 

 

          In the 1990’s a small clothing apparel company sprang up in the Midwest. Its owners hoped to capitalize on the motocross extreme sports image. The name of the company was “No Fear.” The website shows a motocross biker high in the air about to vault a rock formation and the saying reads: “This is my comfort zone.” It looks really cool and really dangerous. The idea is that living on the edge and doing the extreme can get you high on life, that fear can hold you back from experiencing life.

          That’s one marketing jingle that is right on point. Fear can hold you back. But fear comes in an assorted package and everyone has some. Christians have certainly had their share. It’s hard to believe that there was a time when vaulting rock formations on a motorcycle was like a walk in the park compared to witnessing the gospel to a group gathered by the city gate, but it’s true. In Matthew, Jesus assembles his apostles to give them authority over unclean spirits. First, they are sent to their own people, the nation of Israel. Later there will be a much bigger commission, but for now, Jesus starts them out in more familiar territory.

          Even in this friendly arena, Jesus warns his disciples of the persecution that is to come. Jesus warns of bad religious leadership and uncaring, de-sensitized politicians. Sound familiar? He warns further that even families will be split, that the followers of Jesus will be hated for their message. They will have to flee for their very lives from village to village, all because they follow Jesus.

          “Have no fear of them,” says Jesus to his disciples. There was much to fear, but Jesus wasn’t talking about whether there was reason to fear. He was talking about what to do with it. Suspicion and misinformation ran so deep that Jesus had actually been accused of being Satan because of his power to perform mighty acts. Jesus pointed out to his followers that if it’s possible to get that far removed from the truth when in the presence of Jesus himself, how much more easy will it be to confuse the message of the disciples! They should expect no less than Jesus himself was accused of. Jesus was warning his followers of the cost of discipleship. He was persecuted and killed and his disciples suffered the same fate. The danger was real.

          But that was then and this is now. Surely in the 21^st century, there is really nothing to fear from practicing Christianity, right?  Wrong. In Minya, Egypt, the Bishop Mousa Coptic Church was destroyed by pro-Morsi supporters who blamed Christians for his overthrow. In Cirebeum, Indonesia, a Christian church was bulldozed by state authorities. North Korea has Christian labor camps. In fact, the World Watch List, an organization dedicated to tracking the abuse of Christians, reports that over sixty countries actively persecute Christians. One watch group has reported that a Christian is killed every eleven minutes for practicing his faith in Christ. Persecution of Christians is alive and well, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, China, North Korea and parts of India.

          But Jesus said to have no fear. What did he mean? Jesus was talking about why it was important to control the fear. In the tenth chapter of Matthew, Jesus gives his disciples several reasons why they should not let their fear control their actions. First, Jesus says, the truth will out. No matter what is covered or veiled now, the time will come when the real truth of the matter will come to light.

Secondly, Jesus reminds us of the value of comparison shopping. It’s bad to die, but it’s even worse to die on the wrong side of history and salvation. I saw a saying on a soccer shirt once that read something like “He who dies with the most toys, still dies.” I’ll leave it for you to work out what meaning that may convey to you, but for me, it’s a practical reminder that there is only one way out of this place. Jesus reminds us that when judgment day comes, there will be a resurrection for all of us, regardless of our beliefs. We are all accountable, and the wages of unredeemed lives and unforgiven sin will be paid. So it would seem that one of the things that Jesus reminds us through his disciples is that while death is unattractive, it is also inevitable, and a believer’s death reaps a great reward. Not so for the selfish. Not so for those who compromised their way out of the truth.

Last, and my personal favorite, is this. Jesus reminds us that the very hairs of our heads are numbered and identifiable to God. He says that not even a sparrow will fall to the ground unbeknownst to God. Jesus is saying that the providence of God extends not only to the big picture, but also to the very smallest details of each and every life he creates. God’s providence, his care and concern for all his creation, is as personal and all-encompassing as it is worldly.

So Jesus says to those who would follow him: Have no fear of those who would do you harm, of those who would lie about you and slander you. The truth will come out. Don’t fear death for the cause of Christ, for it is only the body that man can touch. God is the owner of the soul and it is immortal. And remember, God knows where you are, whom you’re with, whose side you’re on and he cares about you, right down to the toothpaste you use.

Even in this land of religious freedom, there are decisions to make for God every day. How will we be known? Where will we draw the line? There are truths contained within the Word of God, immutable truths that cannot and should not be compromised. The laws of the state are just that. They have a different design, a different purpose. The law of God and his design of the Church are precious jewels of truth to be protected, cherished and preserved. In these days of modern persecution of the church, we in the West can be lulled into a false sense of security, of entitlement. But we too should understand that our desire to be popular cannot govern our duty to be obedient to God. We cannot be all things to all people.We must be on our guard to see that we do not implode from our desire to be inclusive and tolerant. Such characteristics are admirable, even virtuous, but they are not now and have never been substitutes for the truths our Savior taught us. Religious freedom does not give us license to re-write the Word of God in the name of social change. There are truths contained within God’s Word that will never be subject to change and cannot be “interpreted” away.

Sometimes it is easier to deal with the enemy when he shows his face and takes aim directly at you. Then you are sure of where you stand. But sometimes the enemy is barely recognizable. He is disguised as inevitability or progress or even tolerance. Remember what Jesus taught the disciples. The truth will come out. Make sure you are on its side and not that of some fad or social movement.

 Are you standing up for the Church? Are you controlling the fear or is it controlling you? Is your silence an act of courage or an act of acquiescence? The price of discipleship is high and the standard of vigilance is as well. Our Savior calls upon us to protect his bride.  We cannot deny him. If we do, he will deny us. So have no fear. His truth is worth any price to protect.  Amen.

         Commissioning

                                   Matthew 28: 16-20

 

 

          When we think of vacations or great escapes, we usually think of either the beach or the mountains. Maybe that’s because at either location, we stand in the presence of more natural beauty and raw power that we are used to seeing in more civilized areas.  The oceans and the mountains have an untamed taste to them that makes us more aware of our limitations, more attuned, perhaps, to the fact that there really is a big picture and that we are not completely in control of our destinies after all.

          Jesus had a thing for the beach and the mountains himself. They were two of his favorite venues for preaching, for praying, even for promising. He picked up several of his disciples on a stroll down the beach one day. Later, we see him doing everything from preaching in a boat to calming the sea in a tempest. After his resurrection, he even made breakfast on the beach for seven of the disciples.

          As for the mountains, there are at least five mountaintop appearances by Jesus, and one more that is promised. More about that one later. Jesus came up from the desert during his temptation and met Satan on a mountaintop where they could see for miles. He preached to the people on a mountaintop in Galilee. He met with Moses and Elijah on a high mountaintop for the Transfiguration. In Jerusalem he climbed a hill carrying a cross to a place called Mount Calvary. The last time was after the resurrection. Jesus directed his disciples to come to a mountain in Galilee. We know that event as the Great Commission, but that’s really only half the story. It could also be known as the Great Promise, for indeed our Savior gave us that in addition to a commissioning.

          To receive a commission is to be granted certain powers or maybe to authorize a group to undertake a certain task. For instance, I was commissioned as a U.S. Naval officer. My ship was as new as I was and it was commissioned a U.S. Naval vessel at a big ceremony. Even my current job operates through a commission. I am commissioned as the pastor of this church to do all those things that pastors do, but I am to do them only at this church because that’s the way my commission is defined. Jesus did that in Matthew 28. He called his disciples together and he defined their commission. They were to go, to make disciples, to baptize and to teach. They were to do so pursuant to the authority given them by Jesus. Their commission was not limited by geography, but it was limited in its application. They were to do these things in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit. They were not to create their own agenda, but rather to work within the scope of their commission.

          So the eleven disciples come to the mountain at Jesus’ invitation. By this time, Jesus has made at least two other post-resurrection appearances to them. When they see him again, they worship him. And yet, Matthew tells us that some doubted. Some who? Some of the eleven? Some of the other, unnamed disciples? Who is it that doubted him? Bible scholars will argue about who they were, but the text of Matthew is pretty plain. It says that the eleven disciples went to the mountain and some doubted. To me, this means that some of the eleven disciples doubted. This in spite of the fact that they had already seen the risen Christ! Now what’s that all about?  It could be a number of things. Maybe they doubted what good they could do now. The Jesus movement was apparently over.  There was to be no overthrow of the Roman government.  The Messiah was not going to save his people. Or maybe they just still doubted who or what they saw. Was it really Jesus? Was he really alive?  It was a lot to take in. Maybe they were just paralyzed by being in the presence of a supernatural, totally holy being. They still didn’t know what to do or even what Jesus wanted them to do.

          So he told them. I have the authority, he said. I have it in heaven and I have it here on earth, he said. Go, he said, meaning: don’t stay home. Instead, he meant get off this mountain. Leave the upper room and Go. Make disciples, he said.  Here, the mission of all followers of Jesus becomes clear. It is now a global commission. Jesus wants to make disciples of all nations. No more Jews or Greeks or Samaritans or hippies or strangers or any other man made classes.  Just Christians. Baptize, he said, referring not so much to the physical act as to the spiritual conversion of people to the gospel message. It is a baptism that clearly mentions the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, though the word itself is not used. Teach, he said, and he meant everyone. He wanted them to tell others of all his teachings, all his commands.

          Then there was the promise, and what a promise it was! Jesus said to his followers: “Ánd behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  Look at Jesus’ promise. After he commissions us to do the work of evangelism, he gives us all the motivation…and all the support, we should ever need. Jesus, the risen Christ, the Son of God, will be with us. He will be at our side. No days off. He will be with us always. Always means all the time for all time. It was and is, the Great Promise from the Master. I’ve got your back…all the time.

          I mentioned earlier that the New Testament contains at least one more promised mountaintop appearance. In the fourteenth chapter of Revelation, the Lamb of God stands with a godly army on Mount Zion, God’s holy hill in heaven. God’s heavenly choir sings a new song. Only the redeemed can sing this new song. This is our promise as God’s people that one day, the Lamb of God will return from Mount Zion to claim those of us who have been redeemed. Just like the Great Promise in Matthew, we have this vision of God’s promise for the end of the age.

          It’s a great thing to be a disciple of Jesus. Being a disciple means first that we follow him. But it doesn’t stop there. He has led us, taught us, convicted us for a reason. We are his arms and legs, his hands and feet…yes, even his spokespersons. We are the church, the gathering of God’s people. As surely as we gather here for worship and fellowship, we must disperse to our homes and schools and neighborhoods and places of work as disciples commissioned to make disciples, to make known the Savior who has made himself known to us. Yes, we too may doubt. We may doubt our ability or our conviction or our readiness. When we do, we are in good company, for Matthew reminds us that even Jesus’ handpicked disciples shared such doubts. But we are armed…armed with the written Word of God, and with the Great Promise of Jesus himself. “And behold, I am with you always…”

       The Breath of Life

                                        John 20: 19-23

 

 

          I sat in the hospital room and watched. When she was semi-awake, I just stole glances at her because I didn’t want to make her nervous. After all, her parents were right there. She was lying in the hospital bed sprawled across her mother’s arm and her dad sat in the rocker only a couple feet away. Her hand was bandaged in an attempt to keep her from pulling out the IV line bringing nourishment and antibiotics to her eighteen month old body.

          No matter how necessary hospitals are to our society, they are nevertheless disconcerting, and when the patient is so young, it is even more true. The rhythm of normal life is interrupted by tests and needles and gowns with no backs. Our normal pace is replaced by the sounds of diagnostic machines and stethoscopes and doctors in white gowns who never seem to get to us soon enough.

          I watched as the medicine began to do its work…as her troubled face began to relax. Her fitful attempt at sleep became effortless as she sighed and slipped into a comfortable rest. Her mother lovingly tidied her matted hair and she sighed and slept, her breath coming easily now. As she began to rest, I could even see a more rested look on the faces of her parents.

          Breath. We take it for granted until it is in short supply. Whenever we swim and test the limits of our lungs, we long for the luxury of one simple breath. When respiratory problems affect our health, we would give anything for one long, deep breath. I can still remember the first deep breaths I was able to take when I quit smoking.  Breath. It seems almost like it is the source of life. Maybe that’s because in a very real sense, it is.

          In Genesis 2, we are told that God formed man from the dust of the ground and that he breathed the breath of life into his nostrils.  In Ezekiel 37, God invokes the four winds to come and breathe on the slain nation of Israel and a valley of dry bones takes life from dust in Ezekiel’s vision.  Today, we look at the gospel of John, at the appearance of the resurrected Jesus in the upper room, and we see yet another example of the breath of life that comes only from God.

          The Greeks called it pneuma. We translate it as breath, but it can also mean spirit or soul. Perhaps the best translation is the combinations of breath and spirit. That might come out as breath of life. Look at our three examples. In Genesis the breath comes from God. In Ezekiel, God calls the winds of the earth to do his bidding. In John, it is the risen Jesus who breathes life into the inhabitants of the upper room. In every case, new life is the outcome. In every case, that which did not exist or had expired is brought to new life.

          You might say that is not the case in John. Everyone was already alive. Were they? Certainly they were not dead, but they were hiding in that room in fear of their lives. They were paralyzed into inaction. Then Jesus came and everything changed.

          It was the evening of the day of the resurrection. Jesus was missing from the tomb. He had already appeared to Mary Magdalene and she had told the disciples, but what did a hysterical woman know? Now it was late in the day and the disciples were gathered behind locked doors. Three days before, an angry mob had called for the death of Jesus and it had gotten its wish. Now Jesus’ body was missing and the religious leaders were going to be in a foul mood. The disciples had good reason to stay behind locked doors. They could most certainly be next. They were scared for their lives.

          Then Jesus is standing among them. No door has been unlocked, but there he is in the flesh. As they gasp in disbelief, he shows them the nail holes in his hands and the sword wound in his side. Twice he says “Peace be with you.” William Barclay translates the phrase as: “May God give you every good thing.”

          What follows is nothing less than the commission of the Church. Jesus said: “As the Father is sending me, even so I am sending you.” It was the marching orders of the Church, orders for which the Church has never been de-commissioned. When Jesus had said this, John’s gospel tells us that “he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”

          We know that the event that we now call Pentecost was about fifty days after the resurrection. We associate that event with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon those disciples present. This event takes place the day of Christ’s resurrection, long before Pentecost. Though this narrative is focused on resurrection appearances, nevertheless here is Jesus breathing the Holy Spirit upon the disciples. We are not given any specifics of what actions the disciples took. That is not John’s focus.

          Is there conflict between John’s account and Luke’s account in Acts? I don’t see any. It was the initial announcement from our risen Savior. The events surrounding Pentecost were to give life to this announcement. Besides, I can look to my own life and to those of others and I see various deposits of the Holy Spirit at different times in different degrees in different places. Sometimes it has come with the fire of Pentecost into my heart and other times it has come with a whisper not unlike the easy breathing of that little girl in the hospital bed. No matter how it comes, it is always profound and it is always life changing. The Holy Spirit is God’s breath and it is the breath of life.

          Each of us has or will experience our “Aha” moments with our Savior. All of us can relate those moments when something changed, when we knew that we were in one of those “thin” places where we were closer to God than usual. For Christians, it is our lot that such moments must remain both lost and found until our sanctification, our walk with God in this time and place, is complete. But when we want to get closer, we have the written revelation at our fingertips. Paul reminds us in 1Timothy that all Scripture is “God-breathed.” We have but to open God’s Word to find the breath we are seeking, the new life that is promised us.

          Jesus comes to us. He comes to us even behind locked doors and penetrates our hearts and he breathes the breath of life right into us. All we have to do is believe…and receive. So…inhale… and receive the blessing!

Fighting a Roaring Lion

                                1 Peter 4:12-14,  5: 6-11

 

 

          Lions are scary animals. They are the second biggest members of the big cat family on earth and are impressive to look at. They are prolific hunters and live at the top of the food chain. Their only natural rival is a crocodile. Crocs have been known to attack lions in rivers, but then lions have been known to return the favor on land. A lion has an amazing roar. A lion’s roar has been measured at being heard at six miles. That’s a lot of firepower. Lions pretty much live to eat. They kill their prey, devour it and then rest and digest until they hunt again. They are designed to attack, kill and devour.

          Peter, speaking probably to Gentiles, new members of the early church scattered through and all around the Holy Land, warns them that the devil is their adversary; that he prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Peter warns that we will have to be watchful, sober- minded. One would think that if a roaring lion were in the vicinity, we would know what to do. We would seek safety, gather around one another, turn on the lights or build a bigger fire.  We would make sure our weapons were at the ready.

          And yet, lions don’t always roar, do they? They also stalk their prey. And they hunt together for maximum effect. They don’t just kill to eat, either. Sometimes, they kill just to kill.

          Peter tells us that the devil is like a lion. He might add that the devil is also like a chameleon. The devil is described in many ways in Scripture. He is a slanderer, a liar, the evil one, a masquerader, the Prince of the Power of the Air, the Prince of this world, the Ruler of this world, to name a few.

The one that worries me the most is the masquerader. Scriptures say the devil can masquerade as the Angel of Light. That means that he can look like a Clerk of the Session or a really good new book or even a teacher. The devil can use and hide behind all the things and all the people and all the ideas we encounter every day. He can make us feel like we’re doing the right thing even as we really are being hurtful to someone.

Not too long ago, I saw a great example of that masquerading devil. I was at a church gathering. There was an issue to be resolved.  A minister had apparently had some problems with stress and he may have handled them less than wisely. Words were exchanged with church leaders. In the aftermath of the confrontation, his employment was terminated. It was not clear whether he quit or was fired. The remaining matter was how to deal with financial issues that arose from the termination. The complaining church made its case. It didn’t want to pay anything. The negotiators made their case. Something ought to be done financially to help. A room full of Christians were at an impasse. The lion was roaring and looking for someone to devour.

And Peter says to us to not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes. It will come. Don’t be surprised. It only comes to real Christians. Think about it. Suffering in the name of God doesn’t come to lukewarm Christians. If they’re lukewarm, then when the going gets tough, they will compromise. Compromise isn’t suffering. It is the very avoidance of it. Real suffering for God only comes to real Christians. Real suffering is no fun, but it is restorative. It is strengthening. It is that which will ultimately help establish and define us as Christians. We wonder at those whose eyes seem to soften at just the right time. We marvel at voices that sing God’s praises in some special way that transcends talent. Usually we have only to look behind those eyes or that voice to find a test or a loss that took that person to a new level of understanding. They are at a different place than we are and it shows in their behavior. William Barclay says that suffering is meant by God to add the grace notes to life. Musicians will know that term as those notes which enhance the melody. How appropriate that they be termed “grace” notes, as that is precisely what God does to us when he refines us by suffering to receive his grace.

And through that suffering we become prepared. We are more able to recognize the lion in the grass and do not have to wait until he mounts his charge. Peter tells us to be sober-minded, to be watchful. It reminds me of what Oliver Cromwell is said to have told his troops during the invasion of Ireland: “Trust in the Lord and keep your powder dry.” Our heavenly Father will test us and refine us so that we may be found ready for what will come.  

Peter also reminds us Christians to stand firm in our faith, and to take heart from knowing that we do not do so alone. We are joined in such resistance to Satan by our brotherhood throughout the world. The church stands as the bride of Christ and we Christians stand together as the body of Christ, holding hands with our brothers and sisters in faith across party lines and denominations and spanning oceans around the globe. And we are blessed. The trials we bear, the test we face, pale in comparison to that which is promised by God, nothing less than the spirit of glory and of God which Peter says will rest upon us.

In that gathering of church leaders, I saw one rise to ask this question of the dismissing church: When your leader stumbled, what did you do to administer to him? How did you go about fulfilling the vows you had taken to give care to one among you? There was no answer. The silence that followed the question was deafening. It was a telling indictment on the people of God that they had become the voice of the lion rather than the grace notes of our Lord.

Why do we do such things to each other? Why do we so often insist on judging instead of nurturing? Why can we not see that we are being tested? The liar, the slanderer, the masquerader is always there, waiting to trap us, to make fools of us, to devour us.

We cannot defeat him alone. He is the ruler of this earth. Yes, God has dominion over Satan, but God has permitted his presence among us. We cannot resist Satan by ourselves, but he will does us no harm if we are firm in our faith, grounded in our suffering and calling on the name of God to turn away the lion. The still, small voice of God will drown out the roar of the lion that is Satan and will leave us restored and established in Him. He cares for us. We can take our worries and our fears and place them in his hands. We need not be trapped by the deceit of Satan. All we have to do is fill ourselves with the Spirit of God. So much more awaits than that for which we suffer now.