W.W.J.H.M.D Part III

Matthew 4:23-25

January 23, 2005

1. For the last couple of Sundays, we’ve been asking the question, "What Would Jesus Have Me Do?" (Which is not necessarily the same as asking "What would Jesus do?") The first week’s answer was "Be baptized!" and we reaffirmed the vows we took at our own baptism or our confirmation as members of the Church. Last week’s answer was "Repent!" Change your mind, go a different direction. And this week the answer to the question is "Follow me." Last Sunday I read a paragraph from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s book The Cost of Discipleship. Printed on the front cover of that book are these words: "a powerful attack on "easy Christianity." On page 62 are these words: "The old life is left behind, and completely surrendered. The disciple is dragged out of his relative security into a life of absolute insecurity (that is, in truth, into the absolute security and safety of the fellowship of Jesus)". (Page 62). ". . . Dragged out of security into a life of insecurity!" Sometimes I ask myself the question I’ve been asking all of us these three weeks: "What would Jesus have me do?" Or sometimes I ask, "What keeps me from being a better disciple?" The answer (or excuse) I give myself is this: "Because I want to be secure, that’s why! I like my life the way it is, and I like how I live, and I like all the stuff around me. I don’t even want to think about giving up the security of my life to face the insecurity of the fellowship of Jesus." Isn’t that true for you, too? Aren’t you really tied to the safety and security of your life as you know it, like I am? Aren’t you afraid God is going to ask you to give up something you love if you "repent" and "follow Jesus"? I truly believe the need for security is what keeps Christians from doing a better job of following Jesus.

2. There was a man named Rick. When he was in college, heard Jesus’ call to follow him. He thought that meant becoming a properly-credentialed "minister." So he took all the right steps; made all the right moves. He entered Princeton, the most prestigious of seminaries. Toward the end of his first semester, on his way to class one day, he saw a snazzy little sports car zipping along a campus street, skis anchored to the roof rack, and a bumper sticker on the car bumper that said REV TO BE. Something about that sight just didn’t seem right. It didn’t square with the life of Jesus as Rick has learned it; this seminary student didn’t seem to be "following Jesus." So Rick "repented," he changed his mind, he un-enrolled from seminary [or whatever the term is that sounds more positive than ‘dropped out’). Later Rick was to say, "I thank God that my heart was open to risk-taking at that moment in my life, because I embarked on a journey in mission I could never have imagined on my own." That "journey in mission" came to be called BorderLinks, a bi-national organization which he founded. It’s purpose is to connect and educate people of faith on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border. People from the north and south come together to explore global issues with all their complexities in the stark reality of the border environment. They offer a firsthand immersion experience for anyone interested in this dynamic conversation. But that’s not the end of his story.

3. His full name is Rick Ufford -Chase, and this past June the 204^th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) elected him its Moderator, the highest elected position in the Church. Rick writes that God has often invited him to change directions in his life, but many times those moments of call have been less than clear. But that day when he turned his back on the security represented by the snazzy sports car and the ski trips and the title of "Minister," Rick learned to trust. In the current issue of Presbyterian’s Today, he writes, "Sometimes I feel as if I’m standing at the bottom of a mountain path holding a lantern in the dark. The lantern doesn’t help me to see the top of the mountain, but I can use it to [make out] the first few steps. Occasionally I walk a few steps and realize I’ve made a mistake, so I return to look for the path once again. Perhaps I will never even see the top of the mountain. But the journey–the chance to keep seeking God’s will in my life–is as worthwhile an adventure as I can imagine." (Presbyterians Today, January/February 2005, page 4). That same journey–to keep seeking God’s will in our lives--is what we have before us today. It is a lifelong journey.

4. Fortunately, we have a journey-map. And the question that keeps us on track in our journey is "What Would Jesus Have Me Do?" I told you earlier that the answer this week is "Follow me." It is buried in the text from Matthew. That may seem a little vague, and actually it is, so we’ll have to look a little closer for greater detail. What did Jesus do in these verses? He taught, and he preached, and he healed. Would Jesus have you teach . . . or preach? How would Jesus have you or heal? Now, before you decide to "repent" of being a Christian, before you "turn around" and flee from this room, remember the words of some anonymous person: ‘Be careful how you life; you may be the only Bible some people ever read." We can tweak that saying only slightly to convince us that we can tweak our lives to the place where we can follow Jesus.

5. Be careful how you live; you may be teaching the only lesson some people will ever learn. What is the last lesson your actions taught? Was it one of the lessons Jesus taught?

6. Be careful how you live; you may be preaching the only sermon some people ever hear. What is the most powerful sermon your life has preached so far?

7. Be careful how you live; yours may be the only healing touch some people ever feel. How does your touch heal the grief and loneliness of someone who is hurting?