THE DISTANT DRAW NEAR
Matthew 15:21-28
Supporting Scripture:
• Old Testament #1: Genesis 45:1-15
• Old testament #2: Isaiah 56:1-8
• Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28
1 Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, "Have everyone leave my presence!" So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh's household heard about it. 3 Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?" But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. 4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. 9 Now hurry back to my father and say to him, 'This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don't delay. 10 You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me--you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. 11 I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.' 12 "You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. 13 Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly." 14 Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him.
Genesis 45:1-15
1 This is what the LORD says: "Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed. 2 Blessed is the man who does this, the man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil." 3 Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the LORD say, "The LORD will surely exclude me from his people." And let not any eunuch complain, "I am only a dry tree." 4 For this is what the LORD says: "To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant-- 5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off. 6 And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant-- 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." 8 The Sovereign LORD declares-- he who gathers the exiles of Israel: "I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered."
Isaiah 56:1-8
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession." 23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." 24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." 25 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. 26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."27 "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."28 Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Matthew 15:21-28
Intro:
Have you ever noticed that Jesus initiated, even generated ministry? He did not wait passively for opportunities to come to him; rather he created opportunities; he created windows for people to approach him.
He got in boats
He visited cemeteries
He loitered around water wells
He approached the reproachable
He began conversations with ne'er-do-wells
And well, you get the picture.
Jesus looked for ways to make things happen. As a result people were healed, delivered, renewed, restored, and redeemed.
Because of Jesus’ initiative ... the distant drew near.
Not only do we see this modeled in our Lord but this morning’s other readings show us that this has been the heart of God all along – for the distant to draw near.
The big word the Bible uses to describe this is “reconciliation.” My work-a-day definition of reconciliation is “those who were enemies are now made friends.” And the Bible teaches us that our Father wants to become friends with humanity and … he also wants for humanity to be friends with each other.
God wants the distant to draw near – regardless of where that distance originates.
Now we (Jesus’ church) must be about our father's business; initiating and generating opportunities for people to draw near.
If we are not careful we will wait for ministry to come to us. I wonder how many people have sat on the sidelines waiting for a great opportunity to come when they should have been "doing good" and creating windows for said great opportunity? Many are still sitting ... and waiting. They should be making something happen.
Many churches are doing something similar. They are waiting for the least and lost to walk in the door rather than seeking and saving ... initiating and generating ministry activity.
And while we wait for the lost to come to us, hundreds of cars drive down our street and thousands of people, who do not know how to find what they seek, go without God's approach.
We have placed the responsibility for them to hear the Gospel on themselves – Jesus always seems to place the responsibility to take the Gospel to the world on His church.
I am certain that the biggest difference between churches that are growing and participating in the great commission and those that aren't is right here ... some wait ... willing to do something when that something comes to them … while others
Get in boats
Visit cemeteries
Loiter around water wells
Approach the reproachable
Begin conversations with ne'er-do-wells
The distant cannot draw near if they are not invited.
Before most people will become friends with God they have to become friends with God’s people. The story we read from Jesus’ life can be confusing but, in the end, this is what happens. He makes friends with someone who was heretofore not a friend.
The result? A distant girl is healed and a distant woman is befriended.
Reconciliation.
The story from Genesis about the reconciliation of Joseph and his brothers illustrates this too.
You see the emotional dam bursting. Joseph just can’t hold it in any longer and realizes that his rise to security, comfort, power and glory mean little. He was a boy who had lost his home and his family and had clawed his way up to power and prestige, and when he had it, there was still this gaping hole in the center of his life. What was missing was love. Love is the fundamental human need, and though we often try to use power and wealth as substitutes, in the long run it never works.
The phrase that moves me is the one at the very end of the reading. “And after that his brothers talked with him.”
The Distant drew near.
The four words found in our church’s mission statement are: “Connect, Grow, Serve, Go.” They have something to say about today’s topic. They challenge us to initiate and generate opportunities for people to make friends … both with us and with God.
LifeWay research has provided some statistics you might find interesting:
82% of the unchurched are at least somewhat likely to attend church if invited
Only 2% of church members invite an unchurched person to church. … that means 98% of us never extend an invitation in a given year.
A study including more than 15,000 adults revealed that about 2/3 are willing to receive information about a local church from a family member and 56% from a friend or neighbor.
35% indicated that they would be inspired to attend church “if I knew there were people like me there.”
There is one of other sobering statistic provided:
Only 1% of the churches in the United States are growing through conversion growth.
That means about 2 churches in Broken Arrow are growing through conversion growth.
Are you inviting the inviting the distant to draw near?
WRAP-UP
We’ve read a number of passages today from a variety of places in the Bible. One thing they all have in common is an invitation for the distant to draw near.
Well, they really have two things … the other is that God’s people are to invite, welcome and receive them. All three stories are not just about people who are like you that you have simply overlooked – rather they are about those who offend you, even repulse you. They, too, are invited into covenant relationship with Jesus Christ. They, too, have a place in His church.
Our mission is to include as many people as we can … to bring people into God’s Kingdom. Our intention and prayer is for them to receive Christ as Savior and grow in grace but it starts … it starts … simply by receiving them.
Initiating and generating ministry opportunity is very incarnational and intentionally blurs the lines between those who are “in” and those who are “out.” Many of Jesus’ religious contemporaries (think Pharisees here) did not like that – they liked the clear lines of distinction.
I want to leave you with three words today. Three words describe every church’s attitude toward “the distant.” These words are:
Believe Behave Belong
Now every church (consciously or unconsciously) struggles with and eventually settles on an order for these three words.
• Some say you have to believe – then behave – and then you can belong
• Some even say you have you have to behave – then believe – and then you can belong.
• But Wesleyans (and Jesus) say you can belong – then you’ll believe – and then behave.
When was the last time you nurtured a relationship with an unchurched neighbor? I am not talking about finding a “project” – I am talking about a genuine relationship where your faith is seen in action in a variety of settings.
A Confessional Prayer
There is a prayer of confession found in the prayer book of the Church of Scotland. In closing I would like you to read it with me.
God of mercy, we know that you show no favoritism but accept those who fear you and do what is right.
Truth be told, though, sometimes it is public opinion that we fear,
and doing right is not always so simple.
We have acted for reasons other than love of you and love of neighbor.
Forgive us, we pray, and enable us to live in ways that bring others to your truth.
In Jesus’ name. Amen
