THANKSGIVING AND MISSION
Introduction
This is a day of thanksgiving as we thank God for the birthday of the church. Birthdays are often times we spend to reflect- giving deep thoughts on the past; perhaps our achievements and challenges. It is also a time we may look at our future- the years ahead of us and what we want to achieve and how to get there. For instance, when you celebrated your last birthday, you may have told yourself that by the time I will be so and so years old, I should have got this, completed that project, etc.
As we celebrate St. John’s Church 156th birthday, perhaps it will be good if we reflect on what has happened in the past- in the life of the church i.e. the body of believers and what your individual vision for the church is.
Let us pray- Lord Jesus prepare the soil for your seed, amen.
The Theme and the Text
I want us to focus on the theme- Thanksgiving and Mission and I believe Matthew (the Gospel writer) has something to tell us in the 13th chapter verses 24 to 32.
Illustration
I will tell you a story: a boy (named Joe Fode) was crying because mum could not buy him banana. Actually mum wanted to buy him some but had already spent the money she had on some other grocery items she came to buy. Luckily, a friend of this woman was passing by and was obviously concerned about Joe Fode’s tantrum. The Friend was told that Joe Fode was crying for banana. She then pulled from her shopping bag a piece of this fruit and gave it to Joe Fode. ‘What should you say?’ The mum asked the boy. Joe Fode then told the friend to peel it. Poor mum was so embarrassed. She expected Joe Fode to say ‘thank you’.
Explaining the Text
Today we have the opportunity to look at another parable, again something about a sower. Last week it was about the sower who broadcast his seeds and the various locations the seeds landed. Today it is about another planting exercise and Jesus explained some of the characters and features in the parable in verses 36 to 43 and it will be good if you will find time to read these verses later on. Perhaps you may want to write down the reference in your Order of Service/The Service Sheet i.e. Matthew chapter 13 verses 1 to 43. In these verses (i.e. verses 36 to 43) Jesus said He is the sower, the ‘field is the world’ and the good seeds are ‘children of the Kingdom’.
One way (among others) we can understand this parable is that Jesus, the sower has planted ‘children of the kingdom’ in specific fields; for the obvious reason- for them to grow. Do you see yourself as a child of the Kingdom? For me, I see myself as a child of the Kingdom; because one day God ‘brought me up ... out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings’ (Psalm 40 verse 2); once I was ‘poor, wretched [and] blind’ but God gave me sight, riches [and] healing of the mind’. Therefore, because of what Jesus did for me some years ago, I see myself as a child of His Kingdom. I believe many of you here are also children of His Kingdom.
Definitely, because of what God has done for us in our individual lives and as a church; we must be thankful to Him. We must not behave like the boy in my story- instead of saying thanks for the gift he received, what he wanted was this gracious friend to do something else for him. We must, as Apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians chapter 5 verse 20 to ‘always [give] thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ’ (NIV).
Jesus’ intention for planting us in His field is for us to grow. Wherever He has planted us, He wants to see growth. For instant, when you plant a mango seed you expect it to produce fruits and from the fruits you get seeds that you will use to plant in another season. Jesus is expecting the same from us. He wants us to grow where he has placed us so that others may gain from what Jesus did in our lives. I see the ‘others’ as ‘the birds of the air’ in Jesus’ second parable in our text who found the branches of the planted and germinated seed as a source of comfort.
Jesus is expecting us to produce fruits that will have the ability to also reproduce from the seeds in the fruits. Therefore, this same writer Matthew reminds us of the words of the resurrected Jesus in chapter 28 verse 19 in which Jesus commanded us to ‘go and make disciples of all nations...’ This often requires us to leave our comfort zones, go out of the box (the box representing the place we already know) and then back into the box; in order to create an effective network and web of relationships with members in our communities- both the church (those in the box) and those outside the church community. All in a bid:
‘...to see Jesus lifted high. A banner that flies across the land. That all [humankind] might see the truth and know
He is the way to heaven’ (Doug Horley)
That was the purpose of the Nine-Dot exercise. Perhaps you were able to connect straight lines across the nine dots without raising your hand. That came about when you took some of the lines outside the box as you will see on the screen.
(Please Brother Eric, screen the answer for us)
The lesson behind the exercise is that we need to go out, reach out to others. Often that is the only way out to accomplish things.
If you look at the diagrams on the screen, the bottom one, you will see numbers- both even and odd. Now let me explain what that means:
• The even numbers represent the people you are naturally comfortable with and you easily sync with them. Perhaps as a result of common backgrounds- age group, ethnicity, education and other societal features.
• The odd numbers represent those that you are not easily comfortable with; perhaps as a result of varied backgrounds.
• Very much within the dots, you will find both odd and even numbers (i.e. 1 and 4) and the dots represent your fellow church members.
• Outside the dots, you will also find both odd and even numbers (3 and 2).
• Outside the dots represent those outside the church.
What lessons can we learn out of this? Even within the church you have people, that you can honestly say you are not comfortable with and those you are at ease with. The same is true of those outside the church. But for us to have an effective network, the web of Godly relationships we must let our lines i.e. our God-given love reach out to each one of them (whether odd or even or within the church or outside).
Are you ready to let God’s love in you reach out to others in the community? Are you ready to connect with others- both within and outside the church? Perhaps one way you can do it is to say- there is need for an outreach committee or to say- I want to be in an outreach committee.
Conclusion
Jesus has invested so much in us in planting us in this field of Lewisham and He is expecting us:
• To first of all continue to thank Him (‘with our hearts full of praise’) for all He has done for us, is doing and will continue to do in our individual lives and as a church.
• To continue to grow and branch out; so that people outside the church may continue to see us as a place where they can nestle- get warmth, spiritual food and other healthy stuffs.
A fellow by the name of César Malan branched out to a young lady- Charlotte Elliot, who was visiting some friends in West End London. He met this young lady not in church or during praise and worship time but at a meeting where they were having super. César said something to Charlotte, but she thought it was a politically incorrect statement, the former therefore apologised. What was it? César told this young lady that he wished she was a Christian. Three weeks later César and Charlotte met again; once again not in church but in a friend’s house. Charlotte asked César to show her how to come to Jesus and become a Christian. César’s reply was ‘just come to Jesus as you are’. Charlotte did exactly that. Later she wrote the famous hymn- ‘Just as I am without one plea’.
Like César Malan we need to branch out to people, connect with them where they are. You never know how those words that will come out of your mouth will transform someone.
Christian friends, God is building you and me; growing you and me to have branches that will ‘move through [Lewisham] by His Spirit and will glorify His precious Name.’
I pray that God will continue to build His church, to make us one and strong in the Kingdom of His Son- amen.
