Hope

Called to Serve

Just before our service began this morning, I asked for volunteers to help me during the service with an illustration. I made it clear that those who volunteered did not need to be members of the church. And then, I asked those who had decided to assist me to meet me at the back of the sanctuary during the playing of our prelude. I would like to ask all those who agreed to help me to come forward at this time. Please have a seat in the red chairs that our youth used during the Children’s Lesson. For, you see, my conversation this morning is not with you… it is with all the others who are here in this place today.

You can probably tell that something is up. I am not wearing my robe. I am sitting on a stool in the central aisle, instead of standing… where I should be… in the pulpit. And I am dressed like any of you… not casually, but not too formally either. That is because I am one of you… a human… a Christian… someone who came to worship God today. And I want to speak to you as a peer.

Sometimes, I think that my big black robe… with its velvet panels and the stripes on its sleeves… and the beautiful stoles that change with the seasons… sometimes, I believe that that robe… and the pulpit… way up there in front… separate me from you… visually, at least, if not actually. And, theologically… at least in our Presbyterian tradition… that is not correct. We are all human… and we all worship the same God. There is only one head of the Church… and that is Jesus Christ. Within this body… the Body of Christ … you and I differ only in the function that we perform. There is no hierarchy here. We are all here to learn… and to discern together what we believe is the will of God.

But, before we begin, I’m curious about something. Before the service began, I asked for volunteers and some of you chose not to volunteer. Tell me why. Why didn’t you volunteer? Come on. Don’t be shy. I know that it is not normal for you to talk in church… especially during worship… but help me, as your new pastor, understand why you did not volunteer. After all, I will be asking for volunteers many times during my ministry here… so I need to know what goes through your head when I ask for volunteers. So, tell me why you didn’t volunteer.

[Responses from the congregation]

O.K. Does that pretty much cover it? Did I miss anything? Thank you so much for helping me understand that. Now, we are going to switch gears, because I want to hear from these people behind me. I issued the same invitation to you. You heard the same words. But you chose to come to the back of the sanctuary and offer to help. Why? What made you give up your comfortable seat… the family members or friends you were with… your anonymity… to offer to help?

[Responses from the volunteers]

Anything else? Thank you. Please stay seated here for a little while longer. I have something that I would like to share with all of you. I am reading from the gospel of Matthew: “As he (meaning Jesus) walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea-- for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.” Think for a moment. Why would these men decide to follow Jesus?

Before you answer that, let me put a couple things in context. Jesus was not in Jerusalem. Nor was he in Nazareth. When Jesus began his ministry, he went up to the town of Capernaum, by the Sea of Galilee. He was not in his hometown. So, these were not the boys he grew up with… buddies from high school or college… people he normally hung around with. These men were fishermen. Jesus was not a fisherman… he was a carpenter. He was not a hometown boy… he was from Nazareth. And these were men who had families … a future in the fishing business… people with responsibilities. Why would they follow Jesus?

And, furthermore, Jesus wasn’t a king. He wasn’t a general. He wasn’t a politician… a church authority… and city magistrate… or anyone of importance. So, why did they follow him?

The scriptures do not say that these men had any kind of a mountaintop experience that day. They had no vision of God. They had no “conversion experience.” There is no mention of any miracle here. Nothing that would tell them that Jesus was someone special. So, why would they follow him?

What would make you drop everything and follow Jesus? What would convince you that this man… this simple laborer from another town… could be trusted… would care for you… and that following him would be worth giving up everything for? What would you be willing to give up today to follow him? Your home? Your family? Your job? Everything you know… everything you love?

That’s what the disciples did. They gave up everything… and everyone they knew. The comfort of home… of family… even their occupation as fishermen. For what? Did they know? Jesus did not promise them anything… except to make them “fishers of men.” For them, that was a whole new occupation. How many of them… do you think… were “people persons” at the time that Jesus called them? How many of them knew how to preach … how to teach… how to touch the lives of others… how to reach other people’s hearts… how to demonstrate the love of God to others? One of them? None of them?

I will share with you again a sentence that you have heard me use before… and will hear me use again: God does not choose the equipped. God equips the chosen. These men had no idea how to do any of the things that they would be asked to do during their ministry with Jesus… and during their ministry after his death. They were just ordinary people, chosen by God to do an extraordinary thing… to spread the news of God’s kingdom to the entire world. Did they know that when Jesus called them? No. Did they know that they would be the ones who would start a movement that would sweep around the world and result in millions of followers 2,000 years after Jesus’ death? No. Did they have the skills to do this when they were called? No, they didn’t. But, when Jesus called, did they hesitate? No, they didn’t hesitate, did they?

Isaiah tells us that “there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time, he (meaning God) brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali… in other words, this land surrounding Capernaum… but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.” Matthew very clearly believes that Jesus has come to Capernaum to fulfill the promises that were given to the people by the Prophet Isaiah. And how does Jesus begin? By calling the disciples. Why? What is their role?

They are called to be witnesses to the Light. And… in the absence of the physical presence of the Light… they are to be the light… and to bring the light to those who live in darkness. Yes, you. You are the light of the world. You represent the one Light… and you are called to bring the light to those who live in darkness. For we are all called to be disciples… not just me… but all of us. I am only one in the midst of the Body of Christ here in this church… in this city… in this nation under God. And we are all called to follow Jesus… to follow him and to bring the light that he represents… the light that he is… to others.

How do we do that? You see, I know you are all saying, but I can’t preach… I am afraid to get up in front of a group of people to talk… I can’t do that. What did I say earlier? God does not choose the equipped. God equips the chosen. You have the Light. You are a Christian… a follower of Christ. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his disciples… and through them, tells us that we are the light of the world and that we are to let our light shine so that others will see it and give glory to God. It’s not an option, Folks. In the Greek, it is a command: “Shine your light.” “Let your light shine so that people… all the people… will see the good that you do, and praise your Father… and give glory to God.”

You know, sometimes we ridicule the little songs that we once learned in Sunday School, but those little songs were written so that we, as children, would learn to truth of the gospel and remember it throughout our lives. There is a little song that I once learned in Sunday School that applies here. Perhaps, you learned it, too. “This little light of mine. I’m going to let it shine.” I’m going to ask Jane if she will play it once for us, so that we can sing it together. The words are on the insert in your bulletin.

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine,

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Hide it under a bushel, NO! I'm gonna let it shine...

Won't let Satan blow it out, I'm gonna let it shine...

Let it shine 'till Jesus comes, I'm gonna let it shine...

I asked a for a few volunteers this morning… and, as you thought about responding to my request, all the excuses that the disciples could have given Jesus ran through your mind. And they are all valid excuses. What will it take for us… as humans… as Christians … to simply drop everything and follow Jesus when he calls us… even if we don’t know where it might lead… or what he might ask us to do? Think about it. Because there is one thing that I do know for sure: If he hasn’t called you yet… he will. I don’t know what he might ask you to do… or where he might ask you to go… but I do know that it will be the greatest adventure of your life. Amen.

Matthew 4:12-23