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Sunday May 30, 1999
~ First Sunday after Pentecost
Sermon Text: Matthew 28:16-20
Genesis 1:1- 2:4a * 2 Corinthians 13: 11-13 * Psalm 8
What I have in my hands here is a small white (well, it used to be white) blanket. It is quite worn and ragged actually. If you found this in your car or on your living room couch, you would likely put it out with your trash.
Who would want such a thing?
For sure, you would not drive two hours to get one of these -- would you?
Well -- you might. Let me explain. When our daughter was just about three years old, we went out of state to visit some friends. After a long day of visiting, catching up and eating, we packed up and returned home. It was a tiring day. When we got to our driveway and stopped the car, I carried our sleeping three year old to her bedroom. She opened here eyes, looked around and let out a loud scream, WHERE'S MY BLANKEY??"
Don't think that didn't send a cold chill through my body and guess who made the long journey back to pick up a raggedy, worthless piece of cloth!
Amazingly, this object brings assurance, security and peace to its owner. When she's upset or afraid, it's there for her. In good times and in bad, but especially in bad, it is a great comfort to her. Nothing can take its place. Just washing the thing can be traumatic. On one occasion this blankey's owner drug around three, "okay, but not great" blankeys, two towels, a washcloth an afghan and three dishtowels -- pacing back and forth in front of the clothes dryer waiting for the real blankey to finish drying!
Now that's devotion!
Wouldn't it be great if there was something equivalent that could bring this kind of comfort and assurance to us adults?
Actually, for Christian people there is something that can bring assurance, peace and comfort to our lives. This is especially so as we make the commitment to carry out the orders that have been given to us by Christ.
Our scripture this morning is commonly known as "The Great Commission. "But, there is actually much more than a "commission" in these verses. They speak to the central issues of our faith and they answer two crucial questions. "Who is Jesus Christ?" 'and' "What does He want us to do?" The last verse contains an incredible promise that will sustain and encourage us as long as we live!
There is more than a great commission here. This passage gives us a; "Great Claim," a "Great Commission" and a "Great Comfort."
1. THE GREAT CLAIM
Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.'
During the time Jesus exercised His ministry on earth, He taught with great authority and there was power in His healing touch. But, that power and authority was always curtailed in some way. He did submit Himself to rejection, persecution, humiliation and death. After His death, there was a widespread feeling that His had been a lost cause.
But now, as He stands, risen from the dead, in front of His disciples, everything has changed. Jesus Christ was not simply a great leader who had a powerful ministry for a brief moment in time. Rather, He is a Great Savior in whose hands lies all authority and power for all time and eternity!
There have been leaders throughout history who have inspired confidence in their followers. It is a wonderful thing to be involved with a great person in a great cause. Mother Theresa, for instance, inspired hundreds and thousands of people to make a difference in the lives of the poor. She will likely attain "Sainthood" in the Roman Catholic Church for her amazing life and works. Her memory will undoubtedly inspire others to continue her work. Her memory will be with her followers.
But -- there is a huge difference with what takes place in our gospel reading. This is the risen Christ who says he has complete authority in heaven and on earth -- that is in essence divine authority. He does not simply inspire by a great example, he empowers by a great authority. That -- is an amazing claim. It is a life changing thing to be involved with this cause!
II. THE GREAT COMMISSION
Matthew 28:19-20a 'Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing then in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20] and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you... 11
Based on his Great Claim to absolute authority, Jesus gives his followers the most magnificent gift. He makes them (and us) a part of the the greatest possible adventure life can offer.
The commission we have been given calls us to examine our lives and the life of our church in light of these words. All of our activities and programs -- our budget and our stewardship programs -- all that we do must somehow relate to these few words. "Go and make disciples..."
It is not that each one of us should rush out of here today with our bibles and briefcases and hit the streets, knock on doors and buttonhole the lost. It is not that we shouldn't have pot-lucks, social gatherings, fellowship events or great times together.
It is, however, a challenge to take a careful look at our life together.
* We are not a club.
* We are not a fraternal organization.
* We are not a book club.
* We are not a social service organization.
* We are not a restaurant.
* We are not a university.
* Or even a seminary!There may be times in our life together when we do things that resemble a school or a club or a social service organization. But Christ has issued a blueprint that defines the heart of who we are and empowers us to do it. It is a Great Commission.
* We are those who make, teach and baptize followers of Jesus Christ.
That can be a daunting task. Many people -- especially in mainline churches -- might prefer to attend a book review or attend a pot-luck than to go about "making disciples." This can be a touchy issue.
During my student minister days, I served a small church where the highlight of the year, every year, for as many years as the elderly members of that could could remember was the annual Strawberry Festival. More work and planning and time and effort went into that Strawberry Festival than anything else in the entire life of the church. Every year. It always had been and it always would be -- world without end -- Amen!
At one council meeting of this church, I suggested that the council set aside some time to do a mini-retreat where we would explore some ways to reach out to our community. The community was changing and our membership had been in decline for some years.
"Oh, goodness," the president of the council said, "We wouldn't have time for that pastor. We still have not recruited enough workers for the Strawberry Festival."
I want to share with you what I said from the pulpit of that church on the next Sunday. May I say in advance that I was, at that point in my ministry, filled with the zeal of the Lord and youthful enthusiasm? However, in terms of wisdom, I cringe at the stupidity of what came out of my mouth.
"There's more to the Christian life than Strawberry Festivals!"
There was no Strawberry Festival that year! For the first time in who knows how long there was no Strawberry Festival. I might as well have spoken against Christmas, Easter and Golden Anniversaries. It has been just about thirty years and although although no one there knows my name anymore, they do remember the pastor "who killed the Strawberry Festival."
My statement was theologically correct. No heresy there right? The problem is that nothing I did encouraged us toward the task of gaining followers for Christ. That Strawberry Festival was the single most powerful event in the life of the church that could have been gently aimed toward drawing people to our fellowship and then to the Christ of our fellowship.
The Great Commission isn't about killing the Strawberry Festivals, but about looking through our life together with a fine tooth comb and seeking ways to turn all we do toward the task we've been given. The Great Task. The Great Commission. And for this task, we are finally given the "Great Comfort."
III.THE GREAT COMFORT
Matthew 28:20b '...And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. 11
The English here is anemic compared to the Greek text. The force is more like: "And GET THIS... I am with you day in and day out until My purpose is fulfilled and earthly history comes to an end!"
There is no question about the fact that the task we've been given is challenging. How can we go about making followers for Jesus Christ? Notice that Jesus didn't appoint a chair person for an evangelism committee or select two or three who were good at the task. He appointed them all. He appoints all of us.
You are appointed.
I am appointed.
To make followers for Christ.
There are times when this is frankly not at the top of my list. At other times it seems so difficult to reach the people I want to reach.
For twenty five years I prayed for my agnostic brother Brian. He simply had no interest in God. "If there is a God," he was fond of saying, "Then he should be fired. Just look at this mess our world is in!" Brian would much rather attend a strawberry festival than a worship service. He would be one of those who would remember me as the one who killed the strawberry festival.
Then the phone rang one day. It was my brother Brian on the other end. "Johnny, I think I need God in my life," he said. I almost swallowed my strawberry shortcake. I could not believe my ears. He wanted me to pray with him on the phone. He really wanted to get in touch with God. His wife and three children had left him and his well-constructed life had come unglued.
"Give me the words," I am thinking-praying as we talk. And somehow, the words came -- and the conversation took us deep into the care we had for each other and the care that God had for him. How thankful I was for my "blankey" -- my security in the promise of Christ that he would be with me in the task of bringing people to his love and care -- until the end of the age.
My brother became a follower of Christ. And I am so grateful for that.
Someone you know and love needs to know the love and care of God. May you know the "Great Comfort" of the One who is there to help you in the task of making followers for Christ.
Amen!
Discussion and Reflection on the Texts
Connections in the Texts
The texts for today in one way or another have a reference to the Trinity. In Matthew it is the baptismal formula. In 2 Corinthians it is simple the benediction, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you." The Genesis account of creation includes the words, "Then God said, 'Let us make humankind in our own image..." The primary issue here, of course, is that the writer uses the plural... "let us..."
Personally, I find the arrangement of the texts here is a bit artificial. The central themes of each passage are not fundamentally related to -- but have direct or indirect references to the Trinity. Perhaps the issue here is that biblical literature can not be forced into a "post-Athanasian" attempt to clarify the meaning of "trinity". The lack of complete development of a Trinitarian doctrine in biblical literature is self evident. Of course there is not a complete doctrine of trinity in the New Testament. While the concept of trinity is not intact in the New Testament, it is intrinsic -- and in this sense the lectionary texts point to that reality. If you are considering a sermon on the Trinity, and want to explore Old Testament clues or considerations -- there is a wonderful passage in Genesis 18:1-15 where the Lord appears to Abraham and announces that Sarah will bear him a child. The Lord, the theophany of the three men and the switch between the Lord, the men and the singular and plural voice of the three men is fascinating. While it is a stretch to suggest that the "three men" represent the Trinity -- the passage does suggest the mystery of the divine nature which the doctrine of the Trinity attempts to communicate. (This is the O.T. lectionary reading for June 13)
Matthew 28:16-20
Verse 17 provides for great discussion and perhaps a preaching point. "When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted." Who is it that is doubting? It could be, "When they [the disciples] saw him, they [the disciples] worshiped him -- but some [of the people who had gathered - bystanders] doubted." Or, it might be, "When they [the disciples] saw him, they worshiped him -- but some [of the disciples] doubted."
M. Eugene Boring in the New Interpreter's Bible takes the latter position suggesting that this is within Matthew's theology of the mission of Jesus being given to those of "little faith". The mission (thankfully) is given to imperfect persons. This lets you and me in on the Great Commission. It is not the "great" that are commissioned, but the commission that is "great."
D.A. Carson in the Expositor's Bible Commentary [Vol. 8, p.594 - Zondervan] says of the issue of "doubt" in Matt. 28:17, "Several solutions have been proposed, none of them convincing. Perhaps it is best to conclude that the move from unbelief and fear to faith and joy on the part of the larger group was for them a hesitant one. The Eleven, who according to the other gospels had already seen the risen Jesus at least twice, respond instantly with worship on the occasion of this new appearance, but some (others) 'hesitated' --without further specification as to their subsequent belief or doubt. That is, Jesus' resurrection did not instantly transform people of little faith and faltering understanding into spiritual giants."
Matthew 28:16-20 is a wonderful gospel in a "nutshell". God chooses people like you and me to carry the Good News to others. The messengers are flawed, but the message is not. This is consistent with the entire biblical theme in which God chooses people who consider themselves to be too imperfect to serve God are, in spite of their frailties, chosen to bear the message. Thus the "Great Commission" comes down to you and me!
(v. 20) "...and remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." When Peter confessed Jesus to be the Christ, Jesus said "and you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church." Although we are the message bearers and witnesses to Christ -- it is still Christ who does the building, the energizing of the disciples (Pentecost) and who is with the church in its discipling task. This theme cautions those who call themselves "church." "I am with you always..." is a promise to those who are "making, teaching and baptizing" disciples. The promise of the presence of Christ is not given to us because of who we say we are, but because we are about the work we have been given to do.
2 Corinthians 13:11-13
This passage is the concluding statement to a really troubled church. And yet the last word is "grace, love and fellowship". It is included in the readings for today because of the Trinitarian blessing which concludes the letter, but there may be a deeper point to consider.
The Corinthian church was torn apart by strife and selfishness. What a place to be a pastor! Yet, the last thing Paul has to say to them is that they should come together and live in the peace and love of God. They will find their unity in, "...the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit!" As there is unity in the three persons of the trinity and that which binds the three in one may also bind the church.
As a matter of fact, the imperative use of the verbs -- gives the sense that Paul commands the unity of the Godhead in the Body of Christ.
Genesis 1:1- 2:4a
The account of creation in this text includes the "let us make... in our image... according to our likeness..." of 1:26. In 1:1, the NIV is closer with "and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters," than the NRSV, "...a wind from God swept over..."
The early church Fathers interpreted these verses as pointing to the Trinity, although three is nowhere mentioned. More recent commentary has seen in Gen.1:26 "echoes of polytheism" or a sense of the "heavenly host" being witness to creation. (The original Interpreter's Bible) The suggestion that there might be remnants of polytheism does not fit with the very strong sense of monotheism. In fact, the Genesis account contrasted to the Epic of Gilgamesh and other ancient creation stories is a strong polemic against polytheism. Whatever else contributes to the plural... "let us make..." Plurality in divine majesty is finally and fully developed in the Christological conflicts of the earliest church and given expression in the doctrine of the trinity.
There is a dimension to the creation story that would fit with a discussion of the trinity. References to the work of Christ in creation provides some connection with the "let us make..." If you go this route, look at:
* John 1:1-3 "...all things came into being through him..."
* Col. 1:17 "... in him all things consist..."
* Heb. 1:3 "...he sustains all things..."
* Col. 1:16 "...in him were all things created..."
A Call To Worship (Based on Psalm 804 )
Leader: O Lord, our Lord, how
majestic is your name in all the earth,
People: Your power and glory are set forever in the heavens.
Leader: When we look at the moon and stars you have created,
People: We are humbled that you should care for us.
Leader: You have given us stewardship of all the earth,
People: And trusted us with all that is.
Leader: O Lord, our Sovereign Lord,
People: Your name is great and greatly to be praised,
in
all the earth! Amen!
A Prayer Of Dedication
Everything you have made, O Lord, you have
placed into our hands.
Now we bring a portion of this bounty for the work of your reign in
the hearts of all people. O bless the gifts we bring and the hearts
from which they spring. May we see the peace, love and joy that
are the fruit of all who truly love you. Amen.
A Pastoral Prayer
As we gather to worship you, O God of life and
love, we pray that we
may know the joy of a fellowship that is truly led by the love of Christ.
Under your Spirit, our brother Paul writes to enjoin your people -- even us
to live in peace. We have the promise of your love and peace in our midst
if we will but give ourselves to the unity of your Holy Spirit.
Giver of all true gladness, may it be that the
grace of the Lord Jesus,
the love of God and the community of the Holy Spirit will mark our life
together.
Then all who come to this place, experience
our joy and are touched
by the love you have given us -- will know that indeed, you are the Lord!
Amen.