SERVE: Not me! RUMC March 3, 2012

Have it your way!

Do yourself a favor.

You owe it to yourself.

You deserve a break today.

I, me, mine, myself.  That is the message of our culture.

Even the phrase “Look out for number 1.”  Think about that.  We all know who number one is, don’t we?  Who’s number one- no, It can’t be you.  If I am number one, it can’t be you.  There only room for one number one in this world.  Each and every one of us thinks that that WE are that number one.

We all know that coming in second is not as good as coming in first.

Loosing is not as good as winning.

Being last in line is not as good as being first in line.

Being smallest is not as good as being biggest.

Having second best is not as good as having the best.

Being Ms. Congeniality is not as good as winning the crown.

Telling the boss I almost got it done, or I was almost on time, or I almost got it fixed is not as good as finishing the job.  In fact, you may be ALMOST unemployed.

We live in an I, ME, MINE, MYSELF, look out for number one- society.  No one wants to be second best, no one wants to be second place, no one wants to be second fiddle.

Listen to this- “He did not count equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing and took on the form of a servant.”  He did not think being number one was important, so he made himself nothing.

“Nothing?”  We can’t take “nothing” to the bank, to the lake, or on vacation.  We can’t take “nothing” to the self-esteem seminar.  We can’t live in “nothing.”  We can’t retire on “nothing.”  There is nothing good about “nothing.”  Yet Jesus made himself “nothing.”

But wait, there’s more here.  He made himself nothing.  He was not forced into “nothing.”  He was not tricked into “nothing.”  He didn’t accidently become “nothing.”  He chose it.  Think of that descent from heaven to earth-- from God to nothing.  You can try to measure it . . .  but there is no ruler, no speedometer, and no number of light years that begins to measure Jesus’ descent from heaven to earth.  Jesus went from being God, hearing the angels sing “Holy, Holy, Holy;” to having to use doors, eating sheep,  riding mules, getting tired and going to the bathroom.  The omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent second person of the trinity yielded to the binding restrictions of the flesh.  [i]

It gets worse…  Jesus gave up “Holy, Holy, Holy;” for “Hey Jew boy,” “Hey King of the Jews.”  He traded worship for curses, praise for spit in his face, and a throne for a rough, splintery, deadly cross.  He gave up perfection and took on your sin.  He was flooded with every hate that was ever felt, every impure notion ever thought, every cruel word ever said, every loving deed left undone.

That is what it means to say - “He did not count equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing (… made himself NOTHING!)  and took on the form of a servant.”

The problem for us is that we are called to do the same.  As hard as it is for us to swallow… as hard as it is for us to grasp… as hard as it is for us to understand… we are called to give up looking out for number one in order to become nothing.  

Becoming a servant means giving up our concern for our own comfort and becoming nothing.

Becoming a servant means giving up our concern for respectability and becoming nothing.

Becoming a servant means giving up our need to control and becoming nothing.

Let’s look at each one of those.

How important is your own comfort?  You might protest, oh not very important.  But what comforts would you be willing to give up for someone else? 

·         Would you give up some food?  Many of us should. 

·         Would you give up some of your money?  Most of us do. 

·         Are you willing to give up your lazy boy for an hour to attend the education commission meeting to make sure that we have camperships for children to go to camp.

·         Are you willing to give up your favorite table at the restaurant on Sunday noon in order to help set up for an event later that week? 

·         Are you willing to give up 15 minutes of your week to prepare to be liturgist, or share kings kids. Would you give up an hour in order to teach, or help with light suppers?

·         Would you trade in your comfortable, reliable car for 2 older cars so you could give one to a single mother who doesn’t have transportation?  (Now I’ve gone from preaching to meddling haven’t I?)

·         Would you give up some of your comfortable space (say your extra room, your den, or that living room you never use except when the preacher visits?) so that a man who just lost his job might have a warm place for his children to sleep?

·           Would you give your boots to the homeless person that walks the ditches collecting cans?

Fortunately, your chances of being asked to do some of those things might be kid of slim, but would you?  Don’t answer too fast.  Let it sink in and really think about it.

Which is more important to you:  Your own comfort or loving someone else?  Which is more important to you:  Your own comfort or someone else’s safety?  Which is more important to you:  Your own comfort or following Jesus’ example to serve?  “He did not think his own comfort was something to be grasped, so he made himself nothing. “

How important is your respectability.  By that, I mean what other people think of you.  How important is it to you that other people think well of you?

·         Do you really care that people think you are wasting your time going to church?  Probably not or you wouldn’t be here?

·         How much do you care what people think about that pile of scrap metal you are storing behind your garage for the youth scrap drive?

·         How much do you care about what people think about you befriending and helping that family down the street that always has a messy yard and the children’s clothes are always stained?

·         Do you really care if someone thinks you are naive for giving gas money to the guy at Casey’s or helping that family that seems to always be in crisis?

We each probably have a hundred opportunities a week to serve someone.  How many opportunities do you turn down because you are afraid of what others will think?  Which is more important to:   Your own respectability and reputation or following Jesus’ example to serve.  “He did not think his own respectability something to be grasped, so he made himself nothing. “

 Control.  We all like to have power.  We like to control our schedules, our money, our behavior, our future.  We would even like to control the people around us.  But being a servant means giving up some of that control. 

·         A phone call comes, asking for a ride to the doctor.  You had planned to do three or four other things that afternoon.  Are you willing to let go of that control?

·         You are given the opportunity to fill in teaching at LIGHT for just one night.  You don’t usually come because it interferes with one of your favorite TV shows.  The question is, control or service.

·         Most of us would drop what we are doing for a friend.  Some for the church.  But where do you draw the line?  What about a neighbor?  The person down the street?  An acquaintance from across town?  A traveler passing through town?  The homeless person who sleeps under the 4^th street bridge?  The alcoholic who got himself in trouble again?  The youth who got in trouble again?  Who are you willing to allow to interrupt the order of your life?

Which is more important to you:   Having the power to control your life or following Jesus’ example to serve?  “He did not think his own power something to be grasped, so he made himself nothing. “

 I finally come to the scripture for the day.  Mom asks Jesus for a favor for her sons; that one sit on the left and the other on the right hand when he comes into his kingdom.[ii]  We hear that story and scoff.  How could she be so greedy?  How could she be so blind?

Think of it this way.  She wasn’t trying to be greedy.  She didn’t ask for the center throne.  She only asked for the two subordinate thrones.  And this was James and John, two of the three favorite disciples. 

The other disciples became “indignant.”  Not because they thought this was an inappropriate request, but because they weren’t about to let the Zebedee boys take their rightful place in the kingdom.  If anyone deserves to be number one disciple in the kingdom it’s me, said Peter the rock.  But then Bartholomew, James the lesser, Thomas, and each of the other disciples chimed in too.  No way- that’s my spot.  I’m his favorite.  I’m number one.

Does that sound familiar?  It sure does.    

·         Have it your way!

·         Do yourself a favor.

·         You owe it to yourself.

·         You deserve a break today.

I, me, mine, myself.  That is the message of our culture.  And this story is "us" all over again.

Jesus replies to the mother of James and John and to the disciples saying, categories, and rank, and status, and comfort, and respect and power all mean something in this world.  Being number one is important to people in this world.  But not in my kingdom.

In my kingdom loving others, putting others first and serving others makes you number one.  Remember number one is right next to the number 0.  Those who try to be number one, will end up as zeros.  Those who put others first, and make themselves nothing will be number one.

Leonard Bernstein was asked by an interviewer, “Which role in the symphony is hardest to fill?”  Bernstein replied, “The second fiddle.  I can get plenty of first violinists, but to find someone who can play the second fiddle with enthusiasm.”

Jesus is looking for a whole bunch of people who will play second fiddle with enthusiasm in the Kingdom of God. 

Every bone in your body says “NOT ME.”  Remember, Jesus gave up his heavenly throne for you. ... .  are you really going to tell him “NOT ME? “

SERVE: yes you!

---

[i] Hybels, Bill;  Descending Into Greatness

[ii] Matthew 20:20-28

SERVE: Like Jesus (#1)

SERVE:  Like Jesus (#1)

February 26, 2011

RUMC

There are nearly 10 million United Methodists in the world.  There are 8 times that many Anglicans, 30 times that many Orthodox Christians in the world, and 100 times that many Catholics.  When you add up all the Christian groups there are over 2 billion Christians in the world.  That is roughly the population of the world’s 2 most populous countries, China and India, added together.  1/3 of the earth’s population is Christian.[1]

One would assume that a movement that big, which has lasted over 2000 years, would have been founded by one of the world’s most powerful men. 

·         Someone who inspired people like Martin Luther King Jr, or Mahatma Gandhi. 

·         Surely, it must have been organized by someone who had greater administrative skills than the greatest world leader ever had.   

·         Surely, this person must have been smarter than Einstein, Gary Kasparov, Marilyn Savant, and Stephen Hawking all rolled into one.

·         Surely, the founder of such a great movement must have spoken many languages and traveled all over the world.

·         Surely, the creator of such an association must have been among the wealthiest and most powerful people of his day.

·         Surely, this man must have been known by, and rubbed shoulders with the most powerful people in the world.

·         Surely, the leader of such a great group must have lived in opulence and comfort.

·         And certainly, when he died there must have been an outpouring of grief greater than when Princes Diana died.  He must be buried in a great cathedral or palace with beautiful grounds and a huge memorial.

·         One would think that our founder would wear a crown and wield a scepter.

One would think… but then… one would be wrong.

You would think that the founder of the world’s greatest religion- who was God himself incarnate on the face of the earth would have had millions of followers, and a motorcade lead by white horses and trumpets and soldiers.  But you would be wrong.

You would think that Jesus would have had dozens of assistants, hundreds of employees, thousands of underlings, and a budget that would dwarf the current budget of the United States.  But you would be wrong.

Listen to this:

being in very nature God, (he)
   did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
   by taking the very nature of a servant,
   being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
   he humbled himself
   by becoming obedient to death—
      even death on a cross![2]

Rather than power, prestige, and privilege, we hear words like nothing, servant, humble, and death.  It is almost enough to make your head swim. 

It reminds me of the story about the aliens who visited the earth.  They landed near a small country church attracted by the light of its high steeple.

One of the aliens asked, “We have heard a rumor that God visited your planet many years ago.    Is that true?”

 “Well, there was a man named Jesus,” one person said

 “Yes!  That’s it!  Jesus Christ!  Did He really come?” the aliens asked excitedly -

“Well, yes, but…” one of the Churchgoers began.

The Aliens interrupted “What an extraordinary thing!    What a wonderful thing!”    exclaimed the aliens.  “Tell us, what did you do when God visited your planet?  Did you bring gifts and throw them at His feet?  Did you go crazy with celebrating and singing? Did you have parades and build him a big palace?  Did the entire world finally realize how much God loves them?  Please, tell us, what did you do?”

The members of the small country Church pondered for a moment and then sheepishly said, “We...ah…we killed Him.”[3]

           

The mental picture of God living as a humble, sandlefooted, country preacher and miracle worker, walking around a nation 1/7^th the size of Iowa, subjecting himself to the capricious rule of the Roman empire, and the maligning of the temple authority, having neither home nor entourage, seeking not celebrity, nor supremacy, nor the trappings of status boggles the mind.

He did not count equality with God something to be rasped, but took on the form of a servant.

In Matthew 20:28 Jesus announces his purpose.  “He has come not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” To serve and to give, not to be served. Not to grab the spotlight in the center ring.  Not to make a name, attract attention, or become successful, or famous, or powerful, or idolized.  No Quite frankly that stuff turned him off. [4]

Jesus came not to be served, but to serve.

Not to have power, but to love

Not to have authority, but to be vulnerable

Not to have wealth, but to raise up the poor.

Not to have status, but to walk with the nobodies.

Not to be comfortable, but to comfort.

Not to be famous, but to make God famous.

We are called to this same servanthood. Just before the passage we read today Paul writes, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.  In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” [5]

Have the same mindset that is in Christ Jesus . . .  the mindset of a servant

I Peter says, 5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud
   but shows favor to the humble.”[6]

Like Jesus, we are called to be servants.  Therefore, we will spend the next 6 weeks unpacking that and trying to come to grips with just what that means for us.  

Let’s get two things out of the way though. 

·         As I talk about service and servanthood.  I am not advocating low self-esteem, weakness or being a doormat.  That is not at all, what I think of when I think of Jesus.  In fact, I think it takes greater self-esteem and greater strength to be a servant than it does to use, abuse, and intimidate others. 

·         Second, being a servant does not come automatically with being a Christian.  Being a Christian does not erase our ego, our lust for power, or our sense of entitlement.  Becoming a Christian servant, having that serving mind of Christ, is therefore something we can and will work on together.

It is easy to lose sight of our primary calling as Christians, isn’t it?  In an entitlement driven society, in this hierarchical society, in this world consumed with one-upmanship, where even our bishops (who ought to be examples of servanthood) seek more and more authority; the call to service is easily drowned out by the allure of power.

·         The busy mother of small children struggles with schoolwork and soccer matches, to stay a step or two ahead of her husband and kids.

·         Workers fight tooth and nail to get the promotion, have better crop yields, or have a more successful business than the person next to them.

·         Parents push their children to be the best athlete at the expense of being the best person.

·         Neighbors just have to have a bigger house, a better car, a nicer garden, or a fancier grill than the family next door.

In the midst of all of that we read, “he who would be greatest of all must be a servant of all.”[7]  An attitude of servanthood is hard to find in our society, but it is overwhelmingly the attitude of Christ, and should be the attitude of we who follow his way.

Jesus was God as a servant- He came not to be served, but to serve. 

Today we are starting an 8 sermon series that will end on Easter Sunday.  In the next weeks we will explore what we have to lay down, what we have to pick up, the character of the servant, the great oxymoron of servant leadership, on Maundy Thursday I will preach the sermon with my favorite title, “I don’t wana’ touch your stinkin’ feet!”  And we will conclude on Easter with “Is there a servant in the house.” 

I have frankly been struggling with and planning this series for about 9 months.  Knowing that as a people, we need to come to grips with the reality that the church is not here to serve you, you are here to learn to serve Jesus and all the people he loves.

Therefore, as pastor I am declaring this year, “The year of the servant.”  I want us to be uncomfortable together, struggle together, and grit our teeth together so that we can learn to be better servants of Christ together.   How about it?  Will you join me?

What do you want to be when you grow up?  We were all asked that at one time or another.  We usually hear answers like “policeman,” “nurse,”  “doctor,” “ball player.”  Sometimes that is based on interest;   many times those answers are based on how much status or profit they see in that particular job. 

 Let’s conclude today by asking Jesus what he wants us to be when we grow up.  Suddenly the question takes on new light.  I don’t think Jesus would tell you to be a farmer, banker, preacher, or anything else.  He would not tell us to grow up to be something that will give us status or wealth.  I think Jesus would give every one of us the same answer.   I think Jesus would say, “I want you to be different.  I don’t want you to grow up asking, “what can I get?  But instead “what can I give?” [8]

Jesus did not     “consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant.”  I think when I grow up I want to be just like him. 

---

[1] Wikipedia

[2] Philippians 2:6-8

[3] Hot Illustrations, YOUTH SPECIALITES, © 2001

[4] Swindol, Charles; Improving Your Serve

[5] Philippians 2:3-5

[6] 1 Peter 5:5-7

[7] Matthew 23:11

[8] White, Jerry; Honesty, morality, and conscience

“Full length mirror” Ash Wednesday 2012

“Full length mirror”

Ash Wednesday 2012

@Union UCC

Do you all have at least one mirror in your house?  Looking at your neatly combed hair and nice clothes, I suspect you might have more than one.  Maybe you have one in the bathroom and one in the bedroom for getting dressed.  And maybe one by the front door so you can check yourself one more time?  Most of us have a variety of mirrors in our house and we probably don’t even think about them

The prophet Isaiah is holding up a great big mirror in front of the nation of Israel.  He says, see this- look at yourselves, you fast and then exploit your workers.  The fast ends and the fights break out.  You can’t continue like this and expect God to be silent.

Isaiah is holding up a full length mirror forcing them to look at themselves.  He is forcing them to see their injustice.  Forcing them to see where they are the oppressors.  He is forcing them to see that they are the hypocrites.  Forcing them to see that their judges pervert justice, their priests abuse the privilege of the office.   Isaiah wants them to take a real good long look at themselves.

I dare say, we spend most of our lives looking in fun house mirrors.  You know the kind.  They warp reality into their own shape.  If I looked long enough, and hard enough, and maybe put American pickers on the job, I’ll bet I could even find a fun house mirror that would make me look tall and buff and handsome.  It might be a stretch, but I’ll bet there’s one out there.  I’ll bet each of you could find one to your liking that would make you taller or shorter, thinner or plumper.  I’ll bet you could find one that would fool you into believing just about anything about yourself.

I’ll bet you could find a mirror that would make you look a better Christian too. 

Do you want one that will make you look more faithful?  One that will make you look like you know the bible better,  one that will make you look more prayerful, one that makes you look more loving.  If you look long enough you can find a fun house mirror that will enlarge or shrink, lengthen or shorten, or just plain hide the parts of you that you would rather not see.

The only real truth here is that we people who don’t really like the truth.  The truth?  “We can’t handle the truth!”  Or maybe we just don’t want to.

Ash Wednesday is here and it looms in front of us like a mirror.  UN fortunately for us, it is not a fun house mirror. Ash Wednesday would be a lot more pleasant if it were.  That’s really the original reason for Mardi Grass.  Mardi Gras (which means Fat Tuesday) was the last day to eat drink and be merry as our old deluded selves before Ash Wednesday and lent hit us square in the nose with the unpleasant truth of our idolatry and sin.

In verse 6 of our Isaiah reading, God begins to reflect the image God wants to see in us: to lose the chains of injustice and the cords of oppression, to share food and shelter and clothing with the hungry, homeless and naked.  In other words, behavior matters.  Good intentions, spiritual thoughts, holy hopes don’t count in God’s eyes.  Faith and lived faith are the measures of holiness.

The mirror I brought tonight is a special mirror.  When you look into it you will not see if your hair is messed up, or your tie straight.  It is rather a call to self reflection, self evaluation, and self examination. It is a call to reflect on our corporate sins, our corporate injustices, and our corporate violations of Gods intended order.  It is a call to reflect on our private sins.  The private thoughts, actions, and obsessions that damage your relationships with other people and most importantly with God.

You will each have an opportunity to look in the mirror tonight.  But let me share a few things you might see.

·         Starting at the bottom, you might see the faces of those upon whom your feet have trod.  Persons whom you have kicked aside in your rush to comfort and convenience.  The faces you used as rungs on the ladder to get you where you wanted to go.  The faces of the children who work in sweat shops to make your tennis shoes. Pregnant women who breathe heavy metal dust to make your TV.  The young man dying of cancer caused by the pesticides absorbed through his skin as he picks your tomatoes.

·         Looking up to your knees, you might see that they are supple and soft, because they are rarely used for sincere prayer.  We say “I’ll pray for you,” but do you?  Perhaps your knees remind you of all the opportunities you had to change a life by prayer that you passed up.  Perhaps they remind you of the hours you spend in front of the TV or the slot machine, and the few seconds you spend with God in real communion.  Perhaps your knees remind you of the children you see every Sunday in church and the lost opportunities to kneel down and say, “I’m glad you’re here.”  Or “you did a good job.”

·         As we move up perhaps, you are reminded of how your affair hurt your spouse.  Perhaps you are reminded of the impure thoughts you have about the young woman across the street.  Perhaps you are reminded of the ways you have neglected, injured, or failed to love your spouse.

·         Our abdomen reminds us of our gluttony.  If not gluttony than it remind us that we eat plenty while others starve.  Perhaps it reminds you that you never did make that donation to the food pantry.  Perhaps it reminds you that you were silent while the woman in front of you with two children had to put some of her milk and meat back because her food stamp card didn’t have as much money as she thought.  You would not have even missed the few dollars.  On the other hand, maybe your abdomen reminds you of the knot of anger that lives there… the hatred you harbor toward someone, or some group.  Perhaps it reminds you of the venomous person in your life who hurt you and the knot of unforgiveness you carry in your belly.

·         Then look at your chest.  Imagine seeing your heart, cold to the guy next door because he never bathes.  Imagine seeing it empty- devoid of compassion for the little ones, the hungry ones and the children of prisoners.  It is frozen with a grudge you have carried for years?  Is it racing with anxiety for fear that your deepest secret will be discovered?

·         Let your mouth and throat remind you of the opportunities you had to stand up for someone and didn’t.  Let it remind you of the lies you heard through the grape vine and the scars they left on others because you failed to speak up.  Let your mouth remind you of the angry words you said to your children and how sad their eyes looked afterwards. Let you lips remind you of the times you could have encouraged, blessed and built up someone.  Instead, you sent them away empty.  Or worse, filled with your venom.

·         Let you eyes remind you of the times you close your eyes to the wrong you see.  Perhaps you don’t want to get involved.  Perhaps you chose your own safety rather than speaking up for what is right.  Let them remind you that perhaps you live with one eye shut to the hurt and hopelessness of those around you.

·         Let your brain remind you of times you pretended to know more or understand more than you did, just to get someone off your back.  Let it remind you of the clerk who had to make up the difference in her cash register because you though no one would ever know that she gave you change for a 20 instead of the ten dollar bill you really handed to her.

·         Let the cross on your forehead remind you that you are dust and to dust you shall return.  Let it remind you of your own mortality.  Someday you will die.  And so will I.  We just act s though there is no end in sight.  We just act as if we will live forever.  Let the ashes remind you of the times you thought you were pretty hot stuff.  Let them remind you and all that you are is a gift from God and that gift will vanish as fast as it appeared.

As you come for communion tonight.  Look in the mirror.  This mirror is OK, but I really want you to look in the mirror of God’s judgment.  Examine yourselves.  Bottom to top, inside and out.  From one end to the other.  Examine yourself.  Put away your fun house mirrors and face the truth in Honesty and humility, in simplicity in clarity and relying on the grace of God- and the grace of God alone.

Share and keep sharing February 12, 2012

Now, THIS is a scripture with which we can all connect.  Races, boxing, competition, winning, prizes. We understand those things. In our sports crazed society where it seems the world stops spinning for the super bowl, every office has a pool for  March madness, where professional athletes are some of highest paid people in our culture, and where it seems childhood is not complete without participating in some team sports; this passage from Paul seems to fit right in.

There are a lot of people for whom Paul’s words about training, competition, racing and winning are a breath of fresh air after the preceding passages about eating meat sacrificed to idols and being all things to all people.

Remember, Paul is writing to the church in Corinth.  Corinth was home to the second most famous sporting event in the world.  The Isthmian Games were celebrated every other year.  Next to the Olympics, which were even in those days celebrated every 4 years, the Isthmian games were the most splendid and best attended of all the national festivals of Greece. 

Preparation for these events occupied the attention of the citizens of Corinth several months in advance, and when the throngs arrived to view the contests in the Isthmian stadium, the vendors, and entertainers from Corinth were on hand to reap profit from the occasion.

This festival drew thousands of people, both as competitors and spectators, from all over the empire. The greater athletes were honored in Corinth by monuments, statues, and inscriptions.

The games consisted of foot races, horse races, chariot contests, jumping, wrestling, boxing, and throwing of the discus and javelin.  Paul’s audience was just as familiar with the lure of competition, the drive to win, and athletic discipline as we are.

I can imagine all of this going on around Paul, so he uses the image of athletic competition as a way to teach about the Christian faith.

 

We might be tempted to see Paul’s athletic metaphor here as an appeal to a rugged individualism in our faith, an exhortation to individual training, self-control and self-improvement.  Since I Corinthians, however,  is an exhortation towards unity and community that individualistic interpretation just doesn’t fit in this case.

I think what we have in Paul’s athletic metaphor, is not meant to highlight the athlete, his discipline, or her achievements so much as to call us to examine our motivation compared to the athlete’s motivation, our determination compared to the athlete’s determination, our inspiration compared to the athlete’s inspiration.  He is asking, “what if we lived our faith the way we play or sports.”

Let me turn that around, what if Payton Manning threw with the same level of confidence and conviction that we have about our faith?  What if Tony Stewart drove with the same level of focus with which we live our discipleship?  Do you think he would have  Winston Cup,  a Nextel Cup and Sprint Cup sitting on his mantle?  Do you think Matt Gattens would average 34 points per game for the Hawkeyes if he worked as hard on his shooting as we work on learning scripture?

I think not.

And which is more important, a superbowl ring or your salvation?  Which is more important the NASCAR cups or the kingdom of God?  Which is more important making it to the final four in March madness, or making sure someone knows God?

Translating Paul’s metaphor here, I think his first point is, “How would our church be different if we paid as much attention to God as we do to sports?” “How would the world be different if we talked about our faith as much as we talk about the weather?” “How would our lives be different if we knew the Bible as well as we know the plot on our favorite TV shows?”

I think Paul’s focus here, is even a little narrower than that, though.  Let’s zoom in a little.  Paul says, I do not beat the air, like a boxer shadow boxing to show off for the crowd.  I do not run aimlessly.  I train so that after PROCLAIMING TO OTHERS… let’s stop there.  After proclaiming to others. . .  What is Paul talking about?  He is talking about the Herald of the games.

The Herald was a subordinate official who went to various cities to announce the games.  Then during the Isthmian games the Herald proclaimed the rules, conditions, and qualifications for each game, and when it was over, pronounced the judge's verdict of the winner.

When all the games were completed, the Herald announced the name, country, and father of each victor, and handed over the wreath of victory to the judge.  

I think what Paul is saying is that we are not only athletes in the game.  We are also announcers.  Paul calls us Heralds, and gives us all the responsibility of announcing the game to all who will hear.  Pointing others to the stadium.  Instructing others about how to get involved in the games. In other words, if (in the metaphor) our faith is the game- we are to be sharing Jesus with others.

If you have been here the last couple of weeks, you know that I have been talking about sharing our faith.

·       
First by doing love.  Unilateral acts of love that get our foot in the door. 

·        Second by developing relationships, being real friends with people who don’t know Jesus.

·        This week I want to say that being friends is great… but being a true friend is more than hanging out.  A true friend has to show their friend what it means to be a friend of Jesus.  A true friend heralds for their friend the opportunity to join the race.

You see Paul’s prize is not a dried up victory wreath that he could hang on his wall.  For Paul the prize was not even eternal life.  For Paul the prize was sharing the Gospel with others. You see Paul is saying that we train, work, and prepare, not that we might ourselves win the prize, but that others might join in the race.  The best prize is having others join the Jesus team.

This is not the only place where Paul uses the athletic metaphor.  And in almost every case where Paul speaks of the wreath or crown, he is says “YOU are winning the crown” He is talking about those to whom he has preached the gospel and who have come to believe, joining Jesus Team.

To put it in the simplest athletic terms I can, we are each a captain of a team and it is our job to recruit others to be on the team for Jesus.  Does that make sense?

 

Easy to say, harder to do, right?  Not really. 

I suspect you all have at least one friend who doesn’t go to church.  If not, go back to that tic-tac-toe board you drew last week, and make a new friend. 

What is ,almost without question, the most important quality of a friend?  Honesty.  Most people want friends who are honest.  If you are Christian and you are an honest friend, don’t you think your faith and your church will come up from time to time?  Sure, it will.

And when it comes up should you be all embarrassed and worried how they will respond?  No, because if you have really become friends they will accept you for who you are.  And some time.  Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday they may want some of what you have.  When they do, you give it to them.  Honestly and lovingly.

Do you give up after 6 months, when they haven’t come to church?  A friend wouldn’t.

Do you give up after 6 years, when they haven’t come to church?  A friend wouldn’t.

Do you give up after 60 years, when they haven’t come to church?  A friend wouldn’t.

Do you abandon the friendship when they say they don’t believe in Jesus?  A friend wouldn’t.

Do you run like a scared child when they say that they don’t like the church?  A friend wouldn’t.

Do you try to shove your faith down their throat?  A friend wouldn’t.

Do you try to trick them in to coming to church?  A friend wouldn’t.

Do you ever give up on a friend? A friend wouldn’t. And neither would God.

Had Drew Brees given up when he dropped the football the first time, where would he be? 

Had Tony Stewart quit the first time he hit the wall, where would he be.

Had Michael Phelps quit swimming because his fingers got too wrinkly, who would own those 16 Olympic medals now?

If God had given up on you when you lost your temper, or turned your back on Him, or ignored an opportunity to love your neighbor, where would you be now?

If God had not pursued me and chased me down to bring me back to the church, where would I be now?

No, as friends, we Share Christ with our friends--- and then, we share him again,

--- and again--- and again, never ever giving up because God never gives up.

 

Finally, I find one more interesting thing in this passage.  Paul writes "Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete...?"  Notice not the ordained runners.  Not the hired runners.  Sharing the faith is not a responsibility solely for pastors.

Not just the gifted runners.  Sharing the faith is not the responsibility solely of those who have the spiritual gift of evangelism.

Not just those who want to.  Not those who have time.  Not those who feel like it.  Not those who … anything else.  Sharing the faith is the responsibility of all Christians; young and old, new and experienced, lay and clergy. . .  no matter what.  Every Christian.

Perhaps you know that one of my favorite sports is fishing.   Listen to this fishing story.

Now it came to pass that a group existed who called themselves fishermen. The Streams and lakes were filled with fish, and they were all very hungry.

Week after week, month after month, year after year, people who called themselves fishermen met in meetings and talked about fishing, the abundance of fish and how they really should go fishing. They built large buildings to have these meetings, and recruited more fishermen on a regular basis. But they never fished.

 They organized a board to send out fishermen to other places where there were many fish.  But the staff and committee members just never got around to fishing.

Large, elaborate training centers were built to teach fishermen how to fish. Persons with doctorates in "fishology" were hired to do the teaching. They did teach, but they didn't fish.

After one stirring meeting on the "The Necessity of Fishing", one young fellow left the meeting and went fishing. He caught two outstanding fish. He was honored for his excellent catch and scheduled to visit all the big meetings, to tell about his experience. So he quit fishing in order to travel and tell his story.

Now, there were some people who wondered if these fishermen who never fished were really fishermen at all.   They and laughed at their clubs and rallies, when there was never any evidence of any actual fishing. But they continued claiming to be fishermen, even if they never found time to fish.

 And Jesus said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men". Matt 4:19