THE CALL TO SERVE

THE CALL TO SERVE

Matthew 10:1-16

Dr. Wm. J. Maxwell

First Presbyterian Church, Newport, RI

February 17, 2008

As all of you know, we’ve just finished observing Valentine’s Day. The Promise Keeper’s gave us a wonderful evening to celebrate last night. In addition, hopefully a good number of husbands and wives celebrated the fact that “love is a many-splendored thing.” But as we begin to make our way through the season of Lent with a focus on Peter’s calling, it’s not difficult to soon see that Christ’s call to discipleship is also “a many-splendored thing.” This fact will only be reinforced as we look at the calling Sunday by Sunday.

In our passage for this morning, we look at the calling of Peter and the others to serve, as Jesus called them to Himself, gave them His authority and power to go forth, and directed them how they might serve others as His appointed ambassadors. All these points of calling are clearly relevant to our own with Christ, as we look at each one carefully.

THE FIRST POINT

IS THAT DISCIPLESHIP INCLUDES

THE CALL TO BE WITH CHRIST.

Although by this time, Jesus had already called the Twelve to be His disciples, He called them to Himself at this point for a special purpose. There were many people always crowding around Jesus, listening to His teaching and observing His miracles. But this was different, in that Jesus was calling the disciples to be with Him and to then go out as His appointed apostles.

In the parallel passage found in Mark’s Gospel, we read this: “Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to Him those He wanted, and they came to Him. He appointed twelve – designating them apostles – that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.”[i]

Now, please note that Jesus wanted them to “be with Him.” Yes, they would go out to serve, and the mission they were about to fulfill was just the beginning of their ministry. But don’t miss the essential point that comes first. Jesus wanted the disciples to be with Him, not only for teaching and training, but for the sake of intimate fellowship.

Our Lord Jesus Christ wants the very same today from us. He desires that we take the time necessary for study of His Word, reflection, prayer and worship. Our relationship with Him must always take precedence over who we are in the church and what we do in and through the church. If we don’t take time for fellowship with Him, we run the risk of cold hearts, empty ritual, and meaningless service to others.

You may recall that in the New Testament book of Revelation, Christ is found addressing seven churches. The very first church mentioned is the church in Ephesus, where much is commended. The congregation had worked very hard, persevered through tough times, endured hardships for Christ’s sake, and had tested out false teachers. In all of these efforts, they weren’t showing any weariness. This is just the kind of church you’d think the Lord would celebrate! “Yet I hold this against you,” He said. “You have forsaken your first love.”[ii] While this is seen by some to be love for others, the primacy of this love points to love for Christ. And so we are reminded of the primacy and importance of our own love relationship with Christ.

In the wonderful classic, My Heart Christ’s Home, Robert Boyd Munger speaks of his heart as a home. In this analogy, he goes through all the rooms of a house and connects them with the heart. He does so to relate the importance of Christ being in every aspect and arena of our lives. At one point, he tells how he had neglected quiet times spent with the Lord in the mornings. Appointments, responsibilities and busyness began to take precedence over the nurture of his relationship with Christ. But then one day, he came under loving conviction. He heard the Lord speak to him about those Quiet Times:

The trouble is that you have been thinking of the quiet time, of Bible study and prayer, as a means for your own spiritual growth. This is true, but you have forgotten that this time means something to Me also. Remember, I love you. At a great cost I have redeemed you. I value your fellowship. Just to have you look into My face warms my heart. Don’t neglect this hour if only for My sake. Whether or not you want to be with Me, remember I want to be with you. I really love you! [iii]

Hearing the Lord say this to Munger made such a difference – knowing that the Lord wanted his fellowship, that He loved him, and that Christ desired to be with Him and waited for Him. It should make a difference to every disciple of Christ. It should make a difference to us.

THE CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP

ALSO INCLUDES ACCEPTING HIS AUTHORITY

TO BECOME AN AMBASSADOR OF CHRIST.

We’re told that Christ “gave them authority” to preach, deliver and to heal. The Greek word means both authority as right and the power to act. We might say it is “the right and the might.” Now, clearly, the twelve apostles had an authority unequaled by any of us. As John Stott points out, they were unique in having been personally chosen and called directly by Christ; having been eyewitnesses of Christ, either of His years of ministry and/or His resurrection; and having been promised a special anointing of the Holy Spirit so that they could give us authoritative teaching, leading to the writing of the New Testament.

But Stott also reminds us that certain people in the New Testament were also called apostles in the sense that they were messengers, missionaries or mission partners. And that, furthermore, since the word “apostle” means “one who is sent,” we are likewise sent out by Christ to be His ambassadors and messengers, living out and sharing with others the Good News of the Gospel. Together with the Twelve, we are called to go out into the world with Christ’s authority, sharing in the apostolic mission of the Church.[iv]

Years ago, in the 1950’s, Presbyterians could be proud in the right sense regarding mission work. Many congregations had raised support money or had personally sent out missionaries. I remember looking at the worship bulletin in my early years and noticing the missionaries, including the former pastor of our congregation who left Ohio to serve as a missionary in Brazil.

But the way mission is being done today is different. While we still send out missionaries, many of them go to train nationals in other countries and then soon return, rather than spend a lifetime in that foreign country. Missionaries are also being sent here to the United States. In fact, America is receiving missionaries at an amazing rate – we are the second or third most missionary-receiving nation in the world! It is time for those of us in the “western world” to recognize that the church is called to be missional and that we have a mission field here, as well as abroad. As we go about being Christ’s ambassadors here or wherever He sends us, may we let our light shine!

This is what St. Francis of Assisi tried to teach a young monk who often accompanied him. Francis invited the young man to assist him in going to the local town to preach. The novice was honored to do so and so they went through the city, along the streets and alleyways, talking to peddlers and rich people alike. When the day was done, the young monk was confused, as there had been no preaching of any sermon by either of them. “My son,” St. Francis said to the young monk, “we have preached. We have been seen by many. Our behavior was closely watched. Our attitudes were closely measured. Our words have been overheard. It was by thus that we preached our morning sermon.” [v]

Dear friends, please believe me when I say that there is more than just one “preacher” in this sanctuary. We are all “preachers” in the sense of what St. Francis was talking about. We are Christ’s ambassadors here in our communities. He’s given us His name, authority and power to share His love, His presence and His power in all of our involvement with others, in all of our behavior, in all of our attitudes and in all of our words.

III

THE CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP

IS ALSO A CALL TO SERVE.

It’s quite clear what Jesus had in mind in calling the Twelve forward and in sending them out. The list had nothing to do with privilege or prominence or prestige. It had everything to do with service to others in meeting their needs. In the commission of Christ and the exercise of both “the right and the might,” they were to drive out evil spirits, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, and having displayed all these signs and wonders, preach that the Kingdom of heaven was near. And lest they ever think that personal gain could be had by such ministry, Jesus added: “Freely you have received, freely give.”

At one point, the disciples forgot all this. Just before Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, they all had a contentious moment. It was all about placement in God’s kingdom. The mother of James and John wanted the best seats in the house for her sons in the Kingdom of Heaven. What mother wouldn’t? But when the other disciples heard about it, they were “indignant,” probably because they didn’t get to Jesus first!

Then came the teaching moment, however, as Jesus said to them: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” [vi]

In his book: Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World, Henri Nouwen writes of what it means to be “the beloved,” that is a Christian. The book draws our attention to the Lord’s Supper, with the bread that is taken, blessed, broken and given. We are like that bread, he says, being taken from the world to Christ, blessed by His grace, and broken through hardships and trials. But as the Lord’s beloved, we’re also those who are given in service to others.

We are chosen, blessed and broken so as to be given. The fourth aspect of the life of the Beloved is to be given. For me, personally, this means that it is only as people who are given that we can fully understand our being chosen, blessed, and broken …

Our humanity comes to its fullest bloom in giving. We become beautiful people when we give whatever we can give: a smile, a handshake, a kiss, an embrace, a word of love, a present, a part of our life ... all of our life. [vii]

Nouwen is right, of course, in that he sees our fulfillment not only in being the beloved, but in loving others as well.

We can see it, then, can we not? The call to discipleship is a “many-splendored thing,” a “many-splendored thing” that includes being with Christ, being an emissary of Christ, and giving of ourselves in service to others, and in that manner, being like Christ!