SERMON FOR DECEMBER 31, 2006

SERMON FOR DECEMBER 31, 2006

“The Cycle of Discipleship”

Thank you for being here this morning. Thank you for worshiping with me; thank you for allowing me to worship with you. I believe God has wisdom for us this last morning of 2006, and that wisdom can be called “the cycle of discipleship.”

With sadness I say that today is a nearly perfect day for preaching on the cycle of discipleship, because one lamentable aspect of it can be so clearly seen here in worship this morning: The cycle of discipleship is for—is open to—everyone, but not everyone will become part of the cycle.

Let me try to explain by asking a confrontational question: Last Sunday evening, 837 people worshiped in this room. Most of us were part of that crowd. But where are all the rest of those people now?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not criticizing or judging people—individual or families. I’m merely remarking on a reality. I know that some people are on vacation. I know that today is a secular celebration day (not a holy-day). I know that some people are tired and need “time away.” But I’m not talking about those who are usually here and happen to be absent today. I’m referring to those dozens whose faces I couldn’t even see across the expanse of this room, who aren’t here today and who likely won’t be back until Easter or until God finally reaches them through the misery of some personal tragedy. (Oh, may it not need to be so.)

It’s the same way at the mall, of course. During the week before Christmas—and even the day or two after—the mall and all the stores I went to were just “madhouses.” People everywhere—rushing to and fro, buying everything in sight. The smell of burning plastic (credit cards!) mingled with holly and ivy in the air. But now, a week later, things are much calmer. You can get to the check-out counter in much less time; kind of like here this morning—you might have your pick of several empty seats.

In fact, the crowd around commercialism and consumerism might even be a little more faithful than the crowd around the baby Jesus. After all, he fed 5000, but they didn’t all cluster around the foot of his cross. As long as they were getting something out of him, Jesus drew massive numbers of people, but they walked away when he looked helpless.

Now hear me well: There is nothing wrong with people coming to church occasionally. We love to see old friends and new guests. We open our arms, in imitation of Christ’s. Come. Come to Grace.

But to that invitation, Jesus extends another: Come and see, and come and become part of “the cycle of discipleship.” What does that mean? Look at the little design on the top right of your worship bulletin. It looks like a little flower—just like we bloom and blossom forth by the grace of God. Look at the words on it: INVITE, INSPIRE, EDUCATE, EQUIP, and EMPOWER. Those five actions are the machinery of the “cycle.”

“What would Jesus do?” Those five actions are what Jesus did:

He invited individuals to join him. In Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Jesus is quoted as saying, “Follow me.” To men and women, young and old, rich and poor, moral and immoral—Jesus issued the same invitation. And he still does today.

Then, Jesus inspired those who had followed. In his baptism, through the miracles he performed, in his transfiguration, and by his insight into the secrets of every heart—Jesus inspired many who followed him.

And he educated those who were inspired to learn. Scripture says that Jesus taught “as one having authority”—for good reason! Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In word and deed, he communicated truth and challenged his inspired followers to become disciples—students.

Next, he equipped his students to be servants. Jesus didn’t simply teach ideas. He taught skills and gave abilities and passions to those who learned from him. We call those “spiritual gifts,” given to equip the saints to serve God by serving others.

And finally, as Jesus prepared to ascend back to heaven, he empowered his servants to become witnesses of who he is and what he can and will do (Acts 1:8). On the holy-day of Pentecost, fifty days after the first Easter Sunday, the Holy Spirit descended, as promised, and empowered 120 obedient disciples to become the Church, the Body and Bride of Christ!

That was the original “Cycle of Discipleship.” Jesus invited, inspired, educated, equipped, and empowered. But the reason I call it a “cycle” instead of simply a story, is that it continues. Jesus didn’t do it all. He invited, inspired, educated, equipped, and empowered the disciples who knew him in the flesh, so that they could invite, inspire, educate, equip, and empower the second generation of believers, and so on and so on—until here we are today, still being invited by Jesus, inspired by Jesus, educated and equipped by Jesus, and empowered by the Holy Spirit of Jesus, to take our part in the great “cycle of discipleship” to continue through the ages until he comes again in glory to receive unto himself the living and the dead. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God!

The cycle of discipleship was begun by Jesus, repeated by the Twelve, and continued through the ages by grace. And here at Grace church we organize our ministries around those five words, because we long, from the bottom of our hearts, to do as Jesus would have us do.

All of us were included by Jesus when he prayed: “Father, the time has come. …I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. … I have given them your word. … My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me’” (John 17:1b-22).

So, what is the relationship between grace and this cycle of discipleship?

God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit issues the invitation to each and every one (He is the Host of our Great Feast).
With majesty and beauty, the Triune God inspires all who will receive (He is the Holy Spirit).
The Holy Spirit, from the Father and the Son, teaches all who have ears to hear (He is the fountain of wisdom and truth).
God equips those who would be servants of the Most High (all good and perfect gifts come down from the Father in heaven).
And God Almighty empowers all who will give blessing, honor, and glory to Him (He grants as He wills).

********************************************

When Jesus began to teach about himself, after he fed the 5000, many of his followers grumbled and turned back, no longer following him. To the Twelve, Jesus turned: “You do not want to leave too, do you?” And Peter replied, in words that we sing every Sunday: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:67-69). Would that we each and all would stay true to that confession.

For not everyone who saw Jesus as a man on earth joined his “cycle of discipleship”:

Not everyone who heard him say “Follow me” did.
Not everyone who initially followed him was inspired. Some people were just curious.
Not everyone who ate from the Bread of Life chose to learn of him.
Not everyone present at Jesus’ great teaching sessions learned how to become his servant.
And not everyone who served obeyed Jesus to receive the power of the Holy Spirit (remember Judas).

And so it is today: Not everyone who hears Jesus’ initial invitation accepts and becomes a part of the cycle of discipleship. Will you?

I close by quoting a passage from the first chapter of Philippians that says my new year’s hope for you: “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:3-6). Amen.