INTRODUCTION: I did something touristy yesterday and if you ask my family they will tell you it is not something I normally like to do. I like to keep a low profile. I don’t like people to think I get really excited about something. I don’t stand in lines for autographs - unless I am hoping to get another date with Jackie. I am a fan, but not a fanatic. So it was a little odd for me yesterday that while I was running across the southbeach bridge that I would stop what I was doing and then cross over 4 lanes of traffic to take a picture. And what was I taking a picture of - I was bummed that it did not really come out that well, but yes it was Air Force 1 in the final approach for the St. Lucie County International Airport. It was a little cool to think that Air Force 1 was landing in our backyard. I should add another disclaimer - I did meet President Reagan and I also met President Jimmy Carter - but I had to stand in line to meet them. I was young and impressionable :-).
Just curious who would you stand in line to meet or get a glimpse of? I can’t tell you the number of times I have used the side doors just so I wouldn’t have to stand in line to greet the pastor after church :-).
My question reminds me of that Sunday School teacher who once asked a group of elementary school boys, “What is furry, brown and eats nuts?” The boys answered, “I know the answer is Jesus but it sure sounds like a squirrel to me.” Of course you would answer the question with - “I would stand in line for hours to get a glimpse of Jesus.”
Of course that raises a question - What is it about Jesus that makes people want to rip roofs off of strangers homes oW
r walk through the middle of a crowd to just touch the hemn of his garments. Even more spectacular what is it about Jesus that people were willing to die just for being associated with him?
Can I suggest that if we discover what that secret is and we commit to perfecting that secret we will be a church that attracts hundreds of people in our community to come and experience the power of Jesus’ love and grace.
BODY: So let’s talk about that secret. Let me ask you these questions.
1. Has following Christ benefitted you? If yes raise your hand.
Following Christ has given me a sense of purpose and direction. That sense of purpose and direction moved me from a life
of survival to a life of significance. When I was in survival mode it was all about me. Operating from the significance
position leads me to ask the question - “How can I add value to others?"
2. Has knowing that you are loved benefitted you?
Knowing that I am loved gives me the confidence to create relationships with other people, it gives me the courage to ask
for forgiveness and to offer forgiveness.
3. Has being a part of a loving and caring community benefitted you?
A community that loves and cares for me challenges me to go further than I thought possible. That kind of community
knows the ways I try to hide from offering my best and they refuse to let me hide. My accomplishments or achievements
have nothing to do with individual effort, it has everything to do with a community that expects greatness from each other.
These were simple closed ended questions - you could only answer “yes” or “no”. The real power of the question comes in answering the follow-up question - So how has following Christ benefitted you? How has knowing that you are loved benefitted you? How has being a part of a loving and caring community benefitted you? As you answer these questions, as you create your list of benefits you will begin to get a surge of energy and surge of power in your position about being a follower of Christ.
The first revelation about the secret - REMEMBER THERE ARE BENEFITS FOR BEING A CHRISTIAN
Now notice the shift that Paul makes. First he takes the time to remind people that they have benefitted by being a Christian then he says you have a responsibility to do something with those benefits. Just curious - how do you feel when someone gets the benefit of all you hard work? Generally I don’t mind but over time I get a little frustrated if I get the sense that the person receiving the benefit is not showing the same generosity towards others.
Jesus shared this parable about showing forgiveness towards others but it also fits what I am describing here. The parable is about a man who owned 10,000 talents. He did not have the ability to pay it back so he begged the king for mercy. The king granted him mercy. He benefitted from the king’s mercy and generosity. The parable continues with the man who had benefitted from the king’s mercy and generosity encountering a person who owed him a few hundred talents. The man had an opportunity to show the same mercy and generosity but he chose a different path - he chose to throw the man in jail.
Paul is challenging us to consider what we are doing will all the benefits we have received in calling ourselves Christians. Paul tells us if you have benefitted from following Christ, knowing that you are loved, being a part of a loving and caring community
THEN
1. Agree with each other.
2. Love each other.
3. Be united in purpose.
4. Put others agenda ahead of your own.
5. Help others get ahead.
The second revelation of the secret - UNDERSTAND THE EXPECTATION THE BENEFIT WAS NOT JUST FOR YOU - IT WAS ALSO FOR OTHERS.
Alright so we get all of that. This all seems pretty basic to me, it makes sense to me, so what is the big deal. I mean that doesn’t seem like a big secret to me. True.
So let’s discover the secret - if we want to be a church that attracts hundreds of people to come here and learn that they are loved and forgiven WE MUST HAVE THE SAME ATTITUDE OF JESUS WHEN PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU!
Everyone wanted to see Jesus when He rode into Jerusalem but where were they a week later? But Jesus’ attitude? “Father forgive them.
The disciples believed they knew the heart and mind of Jesus, but they would deny knowing Him. But Jesus’ attitude? He would still kneel down and wash their feet while knowing what was to come.
The secret - If you want to go up in the world then you need to be willing to kneel down. Over this next week we will watch and reflect upon God’s willingness to kneel down and wash our feet even when we willingly and unwillingly made choices not to do anything with him. This is the week of God’s passion revealed through Jesus. And it starts with this communion, this breaking of the bread and this sharing of the cup.
