St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church

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Discipleship – Voices to Speak

1 Peter 3:8-16

May 1, 2005

1. We’re almost finished with this series on Discipleship -- The six keys to being a more effective disciple. The first three are A Heart for Christ Alone, A Mind Transformed by the Word, and Arms of Love. Remember Arms of Love? I brought in the large picture that hangs over my desk, the one of "The Good Shepherd," Jesus, clinging to a rock in a deep ravine, reaching his other arms toward a sheep that had gotten lost. Jesus risked his life to find that lost sheep, and bring it back to the safety of the fold. Jesus is the very image of God, who has this passion for seeking out and bringing home the one who has gotten lost. Hang that picture of Jesus on the wall of your mind so you can see it out of the corner of your eye as we move on.

2. Last week we learned the fourth key to being a more effective disciple -- Knees for Prayer – and that we should plan our prayers as we would plan our meals; spending as much time in prayer every day as we normally spend eating. In other words, feed our souls and spirits the way we feed our bodies. That would be a big change for all of us; it might seem like an unreachable goal. We probably cannot achieve that goal unless we joined a monastery, but we can try. How ‘bout praying as often as we snack? That seems like a good place to start.

3. That was last week. Today we have the fifth key . . . A Voice to Speak. I want to continue with the idea I shared with the children a few minutes ago. If we had a message we wanted to be heard, and didn’t want to go technical with a sound-board and microphone, we could make a megaphone to help us get a mega [large] phone [sound]. Megaphones help cheerleaders bring bleachers full of fainted-hearted fans into fanatic frenzy! Megaphones help coaches give instructions to their players without hurting their voices. Megaphones help disaster workers reach victims at long distances. Megaphones are essential when our voices need a boost. Keep that megaphone in your hand.

4. At this point, you have a megaphone in your hand and a picture hanging on your wall; look at that picture again. Who do you suppose the sheep is? And what do you suppose the rest of the flock looks like? In the Bible, the sheep represent us, and the lost sheep represents any person who is not part of the church. Glenn McDonald wants us to ask ourselves if we are willing to join The Good Shepherd in pursuit of the one who is lost. His question is "Will I raise my voice to speak the Good News that will help direct a lost person into the arms of God?" Or, "Will I become a megaphone for Jesus?"

5. Our answer often is, "I don’t know any people who are lost!" George Barna writes that 4% of adults in the United States Americans who do not go to church actually went when a friend invited them; 23% of the unchurched were invited but said, "No, I have other things to do."; and 73% had never been invited at all. The unchurched people in the United States are just like that lamb who fell into the ravine – they are in danger of becoming lost, but hardly anyone is looking for them!

6. Why is no one looking for the lost people in America? What could possibly be our purpose in letting the lost stay lost. McDonald says there are four answers to that question. First, American Christians cannot see much difference between themselves, inside the church, and those outside, who are not a part of a church at all. That’s a scary thought, isn’t it? We have been so thoroughly indoctrinated by ungodly people that we would rather be like them than be like Jesus. Second, we are very uncomfortable taking a stand on spiritual issues. We have a voice, but we don’t want to use it when it comes to our faith. Third, we have a voice but don’t know how to use our voices to reach the lost. And fourth, average Christians have experienced so little of God that they have no idea there is good news to share. That’s the end of his list. They are more like excuses than well-thought-out-answers, aren’t they?

7. McDonald goes on to say "every congregation has to decide whether it will be a holy huddle, focusing on those who are already here, or move out in search of the lost who, quite frankly, don’t appear to deserve an ounce of [God’s] grace." This is a very uncomfortable decision, isn’t it? I mentioned last week that I believe St. Andrew’s is at a fork in the road of it’s existence, and must make a decision. Two roads stretch out before us. One road leads to the "holy huddle" as McDonald calls it. It is a short road, and it leads nowhere. It is a dead-end road. The other road leads out into Tulsa, where the masses of unchurched or marginally churched people live. Which road to take? Which road to take? I’ve made my decision. Now it’s your turn. If you decide to go down the "holy huddle" road, St. Andrew’s will exist another ten years at the most, and you might as well call in hospice now to ease some of the pain. However, if you decide to go down the road to Tulsa, you’re only limitation would be seating capacity. This sanctuary will seat 250 people at a time; the Great Hall will hold 400 or more. Fellowship Hall holds another 70. And that’s just one hour a week. There are 168 hours in a week. So, if we were to use the three largest rooms in the building 24 hours a day, seven days a week, we could find 120,960 lost people and bring them here so they can learn God’s love for them through Jesus Christ.

8. Which road do you want to take? The elders on Session will be discussing our options during the next couple of months. Let them know what you think; tell them your decision. You know who they are. They’re listed in the bulletin every Sunday; their pictures are on the board just outside the church office. They can’t very well make a decision without your support. Tell them what you want to do. And those of you who are visitors today, tell us what you think. Should St. Andrew’s focus on its own members, or on those who are not yet members?

9. If a majority of you want to go down the road that leads into Tulsa, to find the lost and bring them home, then we will find ways to train your voices. Maybe a class in Christian Doctrine so you can better articulate what you believe. Maybe a class to train you how to knock on doors. Do you know what you get when you cross a Presbyterian with a Jehovah’s Witness? Someone who knocks on doors and doesn’t say a mumblin’ word! Remember, God is our "producer and director." God is the most creative person around, and can find uses for things (and people) that we might throw away. The paper I used to make a megaphone with the children was new, but it didn’t have to be. Anything that starts out flat, and is the least bit pliable, can be rounded to make a megaphone. We can become a megaphone to make our voices heard above the noise of the streets. We can!

10. If any of you are puzzled about or troubled with what I’m saying this morning, and want to discuss it, now is the time. I’m leaving early tomorrow morning for North Carolina, and I’ll be gone for two weeks. So right after worship, run up to Carl’s or Pizza Hut, get something to go, and meet me back in my office at 11:45. We’ll sit around the table and talk about it.

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