Right Here...Right Now...

October 30, 2016

Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church

The Body of Christ…?

“Start Living Right Now”

Psalm 148

Matthew 7:21-23; Mark 1:14-20

2 Corinthians 5:11-15; 2 Corinthians 6:1-2

Acts 17:24-28

Right Here…Right Now…

Prayer of adoration and for God’s illumination so that His Word would be heard through me or in spite of me…

I would ask you to stand, as you are able, for the Gospel reading from the Gospel of Matthew, verses 21-23. Listen to the Word of God…His Love Letter…to and for you and me…His beloved children…

Comfort zone…what comes to mind when I use the words “comfort zone”? Why do you think we create comfort zones for ourselves? Are you willing to step out of our comfort zone? I know for me it is hard to step out of my comfort zone. I like my comfort zone. It is a place where I feel safe and don’t have to worry about failing. As we stay in our comfort zone, we know how far we can go…it’s much more sensible for us to stay there if we are going to serve God. Right?

When God called me to ministry I had this fear of public speaking. Every time I had to do it I would stumble and stutter through whatever it was I had to read. There was no way I was going to be able to speak in front of a congregation every week let alone shepherd one. Now here is God calling me out of my comfort zone. What was I to do? I had said that I would do whatever God called me to do when I rededicated my life to God. I never realized how much I would have to step out in faith…

Now remember, as I said last week, as we think about…as we ponder this question or these questions…we remember that God loves you and I so much that He thinks we are to die for… As a matter of fact…that is exactly what He did…die for sinners like us…He who knew no sin took our sin upon Himself… are we willing to begin living in the right here and now? Are we going to trust God…like we proclaim…with our lives? Is it time to get out of the boat and get rid of our safety water wings and walk upon the waters of this world?

We have been trying to define…trying to open our view of…the body of Christ? We have defined it as family. But how we do you and I define “family?” But we don’t even come close to how God would define it. We are not the ones who define family…the Creator of our diversely awesome family is the One who defines it…remember “Ohana means family and family means no one is left out or left behind.”  We have come to the realization that to become community in the world…to continue to be relevant we, as Christ’s followers, need to wake up. Wake from our slumber…wake from our complacency…wake from our numbness and see the world and people around us who are looking for someone to reach out in love, hope and compassion. We need to decide what is most important in our lives as Christ followers. And we need to do this together…as one family…one body of Christ. We are called to love one another. We are called to “look into” the eyes of those in need and help fill that need. We are called to be the hands, feet and voice in the world. Our hearts must be broken not so much for us and our agenda but for what breaks His heart…for His agenda…

So here we are at the end of ourselves. We have been talking about many things and have pondered much. But one thing has remained the same through it all…there was one question that was asked and only we can answer that question. What are you going to do?

In the Mark scripture this morning the men that Jesus spoke to all had the same question posed to them. They were asked by Jesus to follow Him…to become fishers of men. And in every invitation, the answer was the same…YES. Yes, I will change my life. Yes, I will leave everything and follow you. Yes, I will trust You with all that I have and am. Yes, I know that You will supply all since You are asking me to leave my profession. Jesus is still asking you and me the same question…will you follow me? Are you willing to follow me right here…right now…?

God is calling us right here…right now… “6 As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2 For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation”. (2 Corinthians 6:1-2) When we gave our lives to Christ it no longer was and is our own. We were bought at a very High price…God’s own Son. So, we who believe are not our own.  11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12 We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13 If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (2 Corinthians 5:11-15)

We are called to be light for the world that lives in darkness…we are called to be the body of Christ…we are called to be fishers of men. Now I don’t do much fishing…OK I don’t fish…but when you go fishing do you go to places where everyone else goes or do you go to your “favorite fishing hole”? And what would you do if your fishing hole all the sudden had no fish? Would you go somewhere else if someone told you that there were more fish elsewhere? We need stop fishing the same fishing holes and go to where the One who created the fish tells us to go. We need to trust our guide that He knows where our special fishing hole is…each of us has a different place but we are all fishing the same type of fish.

We are fishing for soul…  not sole but soul fish. We may feel we have the perfect fishing spot but God may have other ponds for you and I to fish. We tend to keep using our own sonar to find the fish instead if God’s sonar to find them…funny thing is…our sonar may read there is no fish but we insist there is…we don’t want to leave the comfort of our surroundings…we know this private fishing spot and we gladly bring in this type of fish…we don’t want to risk reeling in a shark or something like that…

Acts 17:24-28 tells us;

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

OK…so we are fishing in the same spots…we are staying in our comfort zone…we are living in our buildings…and we are missing something vital to our Christian walk… God… He doesn’t live in our buildings…but within all of His creation. That also means that He also lives in the “un-comfort zone” places. It means that as we seek God and His will we have to reach out to those who are part of the body in which we profess…the body of Christ…out of our comfort zones and into theirs… We are all His offspring…some of us are the prodigals hoping someone from home will see their figure on the horizon and welcome them home.

So…questions posed earlier:

v Are you and I willing to live right here…right now? Speak from the Spirit

v Are we going to trust God with our lives? Speak from the Spirit

v Do we need to get rid of the water wings and walk on the waters of this world? Speak from the Spirit

v Are you will to use your gifts, your graces, your finances for the redemption of souls…bringing about change in the community around us and the world? Nothing belongs to us anyway. It is God who gave us the talents and the means. It is because of His great love that we have all that we have. We may be saving for a rainy day but there are people out there who are having a rainy day right now who could use our help.

v Are you willing to answer the call of Jesus as He uses you for His agenda? That’s a question that only you can answer. There is no doubt about it. God is calling us to a new thing…and it involves you and me…do you not perceive it…

OK…synopsis…As we open our hearts and our doors to those who are on the outside we become family. As we become family we can work together as the body of Christ…as a family of believers who reach out to those who are looking for someone to grab their hand to pull them out of the vortex they are in. As we come together the word Ohana becomes our battle cry because no one is left out or left behind. As we help others our focus is changed and we begin to think “we” instead of “me”. We begin to see a change happen within our communities when we begin to define…to specify what matters most.  As we look into the eyes of others and come up next to them and help them in their need, we will model what Jesus did for you and me. As we open our hands and our doors we begin to create a better world not only for ourselves but in our community…our surrounding communities…and the world. We need to work together as a church…as churches…as extended families…as the body of Christ…one body… As we love a Jesus did our hearts and hands will be open to and for others. But we need to have our hearts broken from this world and all that it holds to be open to God’s vision and love of others.  We can start living right here…right now…out of our own little world into the vast possibilities of the Reign of God. We need to pledge our support…our presence, our energy and resources as we live for the right here right now in the world. Then and only then, we will become one as we do all of this in the name the One who is head and shoulders above the rest…who is the head of the church, our hearts and our minds…our Risen Lord Jesus Christ…

We are the body of Christ…good bad or indifferent we need to get along. We need to be stepping out of our comfort zone and meet the other parts of the body where they are…by the way…we can’t be the true body of Christ without them. We all get to have choices in life? Are you going fishing or not…? By the way…before you answer that question…and yes, it is between you and God…I want to leave you with 1 more piece of Scripture that is found in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 7 verses 21-23:

True and False Disciples

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Food for thought…

AMEN