Sunday Messages

Jesus-followers must overcome listening deprivation by letting Jesus be our high-tech hearing aid, filtering and clarifying what we hear and how we respond.

We are concluding our series on Spiritual Deprivation. Reasons why we encounter deprivation when it comes to spiritual matters in our Christian lives is due to losing touch with the lost, losing sight for reaching the lost, and losing spiritual sensitivity due to the clamoring voices of our culture. So in this final message, we want to highlight the final way we develop sensory deprivation in our spiritual walk with Jesus. We simply practice selective hearing.

Many years ago I helped lead a family enrichment seminar during Family Camp at Thousand Pines. The topic was communication in the family. As we met with a cluster of families, one little boy about 7 years old was fidgeting, distracted, not paying attention. The mother turned to him with reprimand in her voice. "Did you hear what he just said?" The little boy turned and said, "Let me take out my imaginary ear plugs first." He reached his fingers up to both ears, as if he was pulling out his ear plugs, and then he said, "Now, would you say that again?"

Hearing is that way, isn’t it? We use selective hearing. We often are tuning in and out of the conversation. At various times we have our ear-plugs in place, so genuine listening is tough to do. It’s a challenge.

Selective hearing. Anyone not been accused of that? Throughout the course of our lives we all develop a remarkable talent for selective hearing. Dale Carnegie said that hearing one's name is the most beautiful sound to the human ear (and he proved it personally with his gift of libraries, all of which bore his name). But that only applies when the one calling our name isn't a parent or spouse asking us to perform some chore. No matter what decibel level is used, kids can always fail to hear mom calling them away from the basketball game for dinner, just as all of us can keep directives to pick up socks and towels from ever crossing our eardrum's threshold.

One of the most enduring legacies of the harsh 60s rock music is an early onset of hearing problems for the Boomer generation. As Boomers move into their sixties, more and more of them are going to be sporting hearing aid devices of some sort to help them hear the world. As the consummate consumer generation of all time, Boomers' buying trends will spike new R&D in hearing aids. Our parents' and grandparents' clunky squealers that amplify all noise are already being replaced by sophisticated, digital electronic gadgetry – equipped with designer logos.

I suffer a hearing impairment due to a hereditary nerve ending loss. Excessive noise is not good when nerve damage is at stake. But it's not just our ears that are suffering from too much, too loud. Over the past two decades, research has discovered that excess noise has more impact on the body than just hearing loss. It also contributes to high blood pressure, elevated death rates from diseases of the heart and arteries, and damaged mitochondria (the power-generating structures of cells). Exposure to loud sounds stimulates free radicals throughout heart tissue causing injury to cells' DNA. Too much noise is bad for us.

The key to turning down the volume and tuning out some of the world's clamor is to find those frequencies and amplitudes that resonate with the truth. Accomplishing that feat takes a special filter, a "hearing aid" that doesn't just make everything louder, but that makes those things we need to hear clearer, while letting the rest of the clamor surrounding us disappear into a background of white noise.

We need to consider a most important question: How do we tell what voices to listen to, whose advice to take, what directives are important, and what we should just let fall on deaf ears?

The account of Jesus’ transfiguration scene affirms the truth of Jesus' messianic divinity—of his exalted, unrepeatable place in God's plan for creation. At the same time Jesus turns toward Jerusalem and makes plain the suffering nature of his Messiahship. Mark's focus on the disciples in his version of the transfiguration event is unique. Mark involves them more fully and intentionally in this mountaintop miracle than either Luke or Matthew. Although Mark continues to portray the disciples as uncomprehending, even after Peter, James, and John witness the transfiguration, they have been introduced to the truth of Jesus' identity and his destiny.

I’ve shared the example of Dr. Jaroslav Pelikan of Yale University in a previous message. He wrote a remarkable study of the significance of the person and work of Jesus Christ titled Jesus Through the Centuries. Dr. Pelikan demonstrates how Jesus has been the dominant figure in the history of Western culture. Each age has made Jesus relevant to its own needs. Jesus has furnished each new age with answers to fundamental questions as every generation has had to address new social problems that tested the more fundamental questions of human existence. The world had to take note of Jesus as a rabbi, as the Cosmic Christ, the Ruler of the World, the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace, the Son of Man, the True Image of Man, the Great Liberator. In many other ways Jesus furnished the answers and the images that affected society in positive ways.

Dr. Pelikan's thesis is that Jesus did not and does not belong to the churches and the theologians alone, but that he belongs to the world. None of this is to say that we can make Jesus what we want Jesus to be. Quite the opposite. It is to say that the Christ is adequate for all our needs and that Jesus transcends culture in such a way that he is able to belong to each age and to address the issues of all time.

To understand this truth today regarding Jesus’ transcending nature, we can do no better than to look to Mark’s Gospel for, which celebrates the transfiguration of our Lord. In that momentous event we learn how and why Jesus belongs to the centuries. From this transfiguration account we will see why Jesus belongs to the world and to the ages.

In our gospel text the divine voice from the enshrouding cloud offered Peter, James, and John—Jesus’ inner circle—simple, straightforward words. The message and mission of Jesus was to guide the disciples, informing all their actions, influencing all else they heard.

These words are recorded in Mark 9:2-9…

2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5 Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) 7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" 8Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

Straightforward words: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” Listen to him. Or as Jesus put it elsewhere, "Learn from me." All too often we, like the three disciples, look at the account of Jesus’ transfiguration, and fail to listen to the words that were spoken. God's proclamation to those three disciples is the same for all Jesus-followers today:

Let Jesus be our high-tech hearing aid, filtering and clarifying what we hear and how we respond.

Pay Attention

The disciples had already heard from Jesus a message they didn't want to hear. They practiced selective hearing. Not only did Jesus declare that as Messiah he must suffer, be rejected, even be killed, but he dared to intimate that things might not be all that great for those who followed him as well. All this talk about taking up crosses and suffering alongside the Messiah sounded more than unpleasant, more than unexpected. It sounded downright dangerous and distasteful.

The transfiguration, that "sneak peek" at Jesus' glory and divinity, was designed to help the disciples stop listening to their fears and open their ears to the new and unexpected deliverance that Jesus preached and lived. They were called by Jesus to “pay attention” to his orders.

Let’s fast forward and pay attention for a moment to the book of Hebrews. The writer speaks the following words from Hebrews 2:1-4…

1 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

1. Pay attention—so we don’t discount the words of Jesus

We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard. The first command in the book of Hebrews—the first duty mentioned—is that we give heed to the Word of God in his Son. Now here is a command that we need desperately to hear in our day. What do we listen to? Whom do we listen to? God has spoken through his Son, do we listen to him? How does our listening to him compare to our listening to other things?

When we want to listen to someone, we make provisions for listening. If we want to listen to a musical group we make sure that we have a tape or CD player in the car and that we have the tapes or discs in hand. If we want to listen to the news, we make sure there is a radio in the kitchen or that we have a TV and that we have it turned on at the right time. If we want to listen to a missionary who is in a critical situation overseas we make arrangements to have Email and pick up our mail often during the day. If we want to listen to John Grisham tell his latest tale we buy a paperback in the airport and have it with us on the airplane. On and on it goes. We all want to listen to something. And we make plans for our listening and we buy things and go places and make sure we are not distracted.

So how does all this compare to our listening to God's Word to us in his Son? Are we listening to that? Are we making provisions for that? Are our kitchen and our car and our den and our reading devoted to listening—paying attention to Jesus?

2. Pay attention—so we don’t drift into destruction

…so that we do not drift away. Now comes another reason for paying close attention to what we have heard of God's word through his Son: if we don't do this, we will drift into destruction. We need to consider this word "drifting." Drifting means float by. It's what a piece of bark or a leaf or a dead fish does in the river—it floats by the boat that is being rowed up stream. It takes no life and no motion to float by. We need only do nothing, and we will float by. The book of Hebrews says that if we do not vigilantly pay closer attention to the Word of God, we will float by—we will drift away from God's Word. We all know people that this has happened to. Some are in this worship center. There is no urgency. No vigilance. No focused listening or selective hearing on Jesus. And the result has not been a standing still, but a drifting away.

That is the point here: there is no standing still. The life of this world is not a lake. It is a river. And it is flowing downward to destruction. If we do not listen earnestly to Jesus and consider him daily, then we will not stand still, we will go backward. We will float by and allow others who don’t know Jesus to drift as well.

Drifting is a deadly thing in the Christian life. The only thing that keeps us from swimming like this is our sinful desire to float with other interests. But let us not complain that God has given us a hard job. Listen, pay attention—this is not what we would call a hard job description. In fact, it is not a job description. It is a solemn invitation to be satisfied in Jesus so that we do not get lured downstream by deceitful desires.

3. Pay attention—so we don’t disregard such a great salvation

…how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? If we choose not to listen to Jesus every day, and drift away from the faith, then we are neglecting a "great salvation." Now why would anybody want to do that? The only reason would be if we regard something else as more important to listen to and set our attention upon. But what distinguishes a Jesus-follower from a non-Christian is that a Jesus-follower has been born again with a new nature that regards Christ as supremely valuable. The Christian life is first and foremost a life of contemplation -- listening to Jesus, considering Jesus, setting our attention upon the heart of Jesus. Everything else in the Christian life grows out of this. Without this the Christian life is simply unlivable. How could we not want to be vigilant in listening and considering and paying attention to Jesus’ words?

Let’s return to the account of Jesus’ transfiguration. Finding Jesus' words jarring and discordant, Peter had taken it upon himself to rebuke his Master, rejecting his words, shutting his ears to the truth of Jesus' message. Fear kept Peter from hearing the unmistakable ring of truth in Jesus' voice. So Peter doesn’t understand the need to go back down the mountain and follow Jesus’ instructions. He desires to stay on the mountain by suggesting that they build three shelters—one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah. 5 Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." Peter was practicing selective hearing in regards to Jesus’ transcending nature—his belonging to the world and the ages.

What's keeping us from hearing God's voice? Have we managed to develop our own selective hearing to the point that only a few mealy-mouthed platitudes about generally being "nice" define our Christian identity, our discipleship journey? When God commanded Jesus' disciples to listen to him, God didn't add "sometimes," or "when it fits into our lifestyle," or "as long as it doesn't disturb the rest of our life."

God's message to us was simple and unadorned.

“Pay attention—listen to him”…

First and foremost listen to him.

Above all other voices, listen to him.

When everything else is loud and confusing, listen to him.

At the start of each morning and the end of each evening, listen to him.

Before we act, listen to him.

No matter what other languages we must learn, listen to him.

When we're especially busy and tired, listen to him.

When we're especially alone and despondent, listen to him.

In the face of tremendous pressures and temptations, listen to him.

In the aftermath of failures and frustrations, listen to him.

In the midst of celebrations and successes, listen to him.

The voice that informs a disciple's journey may not be recognizable or discernible to others. The world's ears are not attuned to the uncommon, unexpected sounds that accompany Jesus' instructions.

One of Christianity's most interesting desert-dwellers was Richard Rolle whose desert was the West Riding during the 14th century. He heard a singing, not a speaking silence. He liked to sit on the doorstep and listen. He wrote: "It's the tune that makes the song, not the words. The listener in the silence will be living in splendor and fire, and marvelous music will exalt him. He will pay no respect to anyone, even if they do think he is an oaf or a bumpkin, because in the depths of his being there is praise of God -- and this jubilant song! For that sweet song is very special, and given only to the most special. It's not an affair of those cadences we listen to in church, nor does it blend much with the human voice, nor is it often heard by human ears. But among angel melodies it possesses its own acceptable harmony, and those lucky enough to hear it speak of it with wonder and approval. I used to delight to sit alone, so that away from all the racket of life my song could flow more easily."

[Alternate Illustration]

After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church's pastor slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit and, before he gave his sermon for the evening, briefly introduced a guest minister who was in the service that evening. In the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service. With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak.

"A father, his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the pacific coast," he began. "When a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to the shore. The waves were so high, that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright and the three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized."

The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story. The aged minister continued with his story, "Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life: to which boy would he throw the other end of the life line. He only had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his son was a Christian and he also knew that his son's friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves. As the father yelled out, 'I love you, son!'

He threw out the lifeline to his son's friend. By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of night. His body was never recovered. By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old minister's mouth.

"The father," he continued, "knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus and he could not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the son's friend. How great is the love of God that he should do the same for us. Our heavenly father sacrificed his only begotten son that we could be saved. I urge you to accept his offer to rescue you and take a hold of the life line he is throwing out to you in this service."

With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room. The pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon with an invitation at the end. However, no one responded to the appeal. Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man's side.

"That was a nice story," politely stated one of them, "but I don't think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian." "Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied glancing down at his worn bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face. He once again looked up at the boys and said, "It sure isn't very realistic, is it? But I'm standing here today to tell you that story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up his son for me. You see . . . I was that father and your pastor is my son's friend."

What message are our lives sending to the rest of the world? Do our lives rebuke a suffering Savior, a servant Christ, a crucified Messiah? Or do our lives reveal that we're listening, taking seriously, and patterning our own behavior, after the testimony of the crucified Christ?

We pay attention to Jesus’ words. If we carefully attune our ears to Jesus amidst the clamor of our culture, he might just say to all Jesus-followers today…

My child, you are an instrument of hope for those that are furthest away from me. You have been called and have been chosen to be my instrument in this world. My child, it is through your suffering that you will be able to reach out to those who are so lost in the darkness.

It is by your willingness to speak the words I give you that my people have responded. For as I have told you, their eyes will be opened by your witnessing and example. I walked this earth and reached out to the lame and lowly. You must not be focused on your time but rather on how many souls you can witness my love to in these last days. For too many of you spend your time in leisure and not being a true example to the lost people around you. Now listen, listen, listen to my words for I am your Master and it is only through me that you will be rewarded in the kingdom. Now be at peace for it is my will, not your will that will be done. My peace I give to each one of you my chosen children.

My child, come to your Master for I am Jesus. My heart is open to your prayers. Please, dear child, come and share with me your trials and sufferings for your reward will be great in the kingdom. Now go forth, my child, and persevere for you are on a mission to save souls. Be willing to suffer for the hour is now before you. The whole world will feel my wrath awakening this earth. Now have peace, my child, for all will be done according to my will.

Jesus knows that things will not always be easy for his people who carry on in his name. We will undergo hardships and suffering. We will be misunderstood by our fellow human beings; even family members may reject us because of our allegiance to God in Christ. Whether we are experiencing great blessings in our lives or whether we are depressed, afraid, or just not feeling connected with God.

We are invited to embrace Jesus' Words with fresh meaning just for us and for the sake of lost people. For Jesus wants us to understand and embrace his word. So we practice selective hearing and we let Jesus be our high-tech hearing aid, filtering and clarifying what we hear and how we respond. May we dwell in him and find ourselves becoming busy with keeping his Word and then releasing it, for the sake of a lost world from this day forward and evermore. “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” Amen.

Lost people matter to God so they also matter to Jesus-followers. Jesus came into this world with the cross of Calvary in his heart.

As we read the Gospel accounts, it quickly becomes apparent that the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ was a people centered ministry. There are two verses that declare, in detail, Jesus’ mission statement:

Luke 19:10. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

Mark 10:45. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Jesus was literally born to save the lost by serving, and by giving his life as a ransom through death on a cross. The phrase “to serve” literally means “to minister” and it comes from the same word that gives us the English word “deacon” or “servant”. The word “ransom” means “to set free.” Jesus came into this world to serve and set people free.

To evangelize is to spread the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins and was raised from the dead according to the scriptures, and that as the reigning Lord. He now offers the forgiveness of sins and liberating gift of spirit to all who repent and believe. Our Christian presence in the world is indispensable to evangelism, and so is that kind of dialogue whose purpose is to listen sensitively in order to understand.

But evangelism itself is the proclamation of the historical, Biblical Christ as Savior and Lord, with a view to persuading people to come to him personally and so be reconciled to God. In issuing the Gospel invitation we have no liberty to conceal the cost of discipleship. Jesus still calls all who would follow him to deny themselves, take up their cross, and identify themselves with his new community. The results of evangelism include obedience to Christ, incorporation into his Church and responsible service in the world.

There is a process today called Sensory Deprivation. It is the deliberate reduction or removal of stimuli from one or more of the senses. Sensory deprivation, or Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy (REST), is a technique by which sensory input (touch, light, sound, etc.) is minimized. It’s deprivation of external sensory stimulation by prolonged isolation.

Reasons why we encounter sensory deprivation when it comes to spiritual matters in our Christian lives is due to losing touch with the lost, losing sight for reaching the lost, and losing spiritual sensitivity due to the clamoring voices of our culture. So in this message, we want to highlight the first way we develop sensory deprivation in our spiritual walk with Jesus. We simply neglect lost people. Sensory deprivation takes place by losing touch with the lost. Every Jesus-following church – no matter what the style, size, or setting – can learn to excel at communicating the uncompromised gospel so that ordinary people can understand and respond. Every Jesus-follower can discover his or her unique role in building a church that is welcoming and transforming to those still outside the family of God. Even more, every believer can play a part in experiencing the world’s greatest joy—watching someone they love step across the line of faith into the waiting arms of God.

When I was 12 years old many Jesus-followers walked right by me because I wasn’t showing up in their buildings or didn’t fit their target audience. I was invisible to them. They couldn’t afford to notice me since evangelizing me would have required listening, hanging out and being real. No one was taught how to do those things in their evangelism courses. It’s an amazing fact that 85% of those who accept Jesus as personal Savior do so before the age of 12! So if we want to place a touch upon lost people, we need to change lives beginning with our children.

Traditional forms of evangelism are simply too hard for most people. “Sales evangelism” and even “occurrence evangelism” require speaking skills, memory work and emotional intensity that ordinary Jesus-followers may find entertaining in others but often absent in themselves. They don’t like to make a pitch, give a speech, or take the risk of inviting people to a program. They have very limited amounts of time and money and don’t like being fake. We need to make evangelism doable and normative for ordinary Jesus-followers today.

These people don’t reject us as much as they feel sorry for us. They listen to our speeches out of a desire to be supportive but have no intention of responding. They already know what we are going to say before we say it. We are the spiritual equivalent of the mealtime telemarketer. In a word they see us coming and know how to masterfully deflect any of our cool speeches, fake surveys or even our neighborly talks. They prefer real conversations and someone who is genuinely interested in them.

Jesus-followers need to start with “the art of noticing.” This is when we take time to see the people who are already in our world (oikos)—family, friends, neighbors, work associates, and schoolmates. This is the first step to making a connection with lost people. Once we have that down we can move to the more advanced practice of asking someone this question. “How’s it going?” Then just listen and pray for them behind their backs.

Jesus himself had a particular style of touching lost people. Jesus’ approach to the man named Matthew started with “the art of noticing.” Jesus noticed Matthew’s potential, and he loved him. He knew what the power of his love could accomplish.

The story is told of Jesus touching the life of a lost person in the Matthew 9:9-13…

9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. 10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

This passage gives us Matthew’s conversion story in his own words. Although it is a brief account, it still gives us a good picture of who Matthew was, what he did, and what became of him.

God’s Love Engages the IRS

The account of the meeting between Jesus and Matthew is noteworthy for its sheer economy of words. It is short and straightforward: Jesus saw, Jesus spoke, and Matthew surrendered.

1. Jesus saw

9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth.

Jesus was perceptive. He practiced “the act of noticing” as noted earlier. Jesus went about all the cities and villages. Since Jesus was on the move, he saw the needs of people, especially people like Matthew. As Jesus carried out his ministry, he focused on the urban centers of Palestine and visited Jerusalem at least three times. This brought Jesus into contact with a greater number and wider variety of people than he would have encountered in a purely rural area.

Abraham Maslow said, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.” Because Jesus had a variety of tools in his carpenter’s box, he just noticed people with problems, not problem people. He had compassion for the lost.

Jesus’ strategy was “go and lay low.” Jesus did not want to call attention to himself. Jesus’ urban strategy—touching people close by in the cities—established a model for his disciples and the early church. In light of the vital role that going into cities played in the ministry of Jesus, we who follow him today need to ask:

Question: What are we noticing about people as we relate the message of Jesus to our increasingly urban, multicultural, and pluralistic world?

2. Jesus spoke

9 …"Follow me," he told him.

Jesus said two words: “Follow me.” It is the shortest evangelistic sermon on record! Matthew must have been surprised when Jesus asked him to come and follow him. They were both so different from each other.

The people loved Jesus; they hated Matthew.

They thought Jesus was the salt of the earth; they thought Matthew was the scum of the earth.

Jesus freely gave his time, his words, and his love to anyone who wanted it; Matthew took anything he could from anyone he met.

Jesus healed people physically and emotionally; Matthew crippled people financially and emotionally.

Jesus was the Messiah; Matthew was a menace. These two could not be further apart.

So Matthew wasn’t considered to be a prime candidate for Jesus’ ministry in the eyes of the community around him. Matthew had an identity crises due to his reputation of being a traitor. Matthew was a Jew who was appointed by the Romans to be the area’s tax collector. He collected taxes from the citizens as well as from merchants passing through town. Tax collectors were expected to take a commission on the taxes they collected, but most of them overcharged and kept the profits. Thus, tax collectors were hated by the Jews because of their reputation for cheating and because of their support of Rome.

Let’s listen to a letter received by Jesus from the Jordan Management Consultants:

To: Jesus, Son of Joseph

Woodcrafter's Carpenter Shop

Nazareth 25922

From: Jordan Management Consultants

Dear Sir:

Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for managerial positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken our battery of tests; and we have not only run the results through our computer, but also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant.

The profiles of all tests are included, and you will want to study each of them carefully. As part of our service, we make some general comments for your guidance, much as an auditor will include some general statements. This is given as a result of staff consultation, and comes without any additional fee.

It is the staff opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking. They do not have the team concept. We would recommend that you continue your search for persons of experience in managerial ability and proven capability.

Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper. Andrew has absolutely no qualities of leadership. The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, place personal interest above company loyalty. Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale. We feel that it is our duty to tell you that Matthew had been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus definitely have radical leanings, and they both registered a high score on the manic-depressive scale.

One of the candidates, however, shows great potential. He is a man of ability and resourcefulness, meets people well, has a keen business mind, and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious, and responsible. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right-hand man. All of the other profiles are self-explanatory.

We wish you every success in your new venture.

Sincerely,

Jordan Management Consultants

Yet Jesus walked up and gave the invitation: “Follow me.” It seemed unprecedented that Jesus would ask these twelve men, especially a man like Matthew, to join his staff of disciples. If others heard the invitation, they must have been shocked.

Jesus’ strategy was “go and touch.” This more-touch, less-talk strategy established a model for his disciples and the early church. In light of the vital role that personally encountering others played in the ministry of Jesus, we who follow him today need to ask:

Question: What atmosphere are we providing for people as we confront them with an invitation to follow Jesus?

3. Matthew surrendered

9…and Matthew got up and followed him.

The response by Matthew was amazing: “Matthew got up and followed him.” No lag time recorded. No internal battle encountered. No sweet anthem to soften the emotions for the altar call—just a simple command and a simple response. When Matthew got up from his desk that day, his tax booth would forever be in his rearview mirror. He knew he was severing the cord from his old way of life and also with Rome forever.

Following Jesus meant forsaking his livelihood. Matthew was saying good-bye to the stuff that had brought him comfort and security. But the next few years with Jesus and even beyond would be the adventure of a lifetime.

The decisions we make will have an impact upon third and forth generations. Max Jukes lived in New York. He did not believe in Christ or in Christian training. He refused to take his children to church, even when they asked to go. He has had 1,026 descendants; 300 were sent to prison for an average term of thirteen years; 190 were public prostitutes; 680 were admitted alcoholics. His family, thus far, has cost the state in excess of $420,000. They made no contribution to society. Jonathan Edwards lived in the same state, at the same time as Jukes. He loved the Lord and saw that his children were in church every Sunday, as he served the Lord to the best of his ability. He has had 929 descendants, and of these 430 were ministers; 86 became university professors; 13 became university presidents; 75 authored good books; 7 were elected to the United States Congress. One was vice president of his nation. His family never cost the state one cent but has contributed immeasurably to the life of plenty in this land today.

Matthew’s dramatic decision to leave his past and follow Jesus was all part of the crisis that Jesus’ touch on his life produced. It seems as if this tax collector had been yearning for such a call. If appears that there was a process already going on inside him, preparing him for Jesus’ command to follow him. Matthew moved immediately.

John Holcomb says, “You must get involved to have an impact. No one is impressed with the won-lost record of the referee.”

Matthew got involved. His encounter with Jesus vividly demonstrates that it is possible to change and do so radically and immediately and permanently. That’s not to say that Matthew never struggled with his choice after this. However, he did get up and leave everything. Matthew made his immediate, life-altering choice to follow Jesus. Then he made another choice; he arranged a huge feast at his own house and invited a few old friends—tax collectors and perhaps neighbors—and his new friend, Jesus.

10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

We have to love Matthew’s style. He must have known how skeptical people would be of his spiritual maneuvers. Their suspicions were understandable. He had been considered their enemy for as long as they could remember. But there in the middle of the room, surrounded by lowlife, was Jesus. He sat with them, sharing food and conversation. It was a great opportunity to reach out and touch. Jesus could see into the heart, and he could also see the potential of lost people. Jesus noticed a flawed individual who, with some chiseling and sanding, would become “a gift” to humanity.

Matthew’s strategy was “go and make friends.” This friendship strategy established a model for bringing people to Christ: (1) make friends with Jesus; (2) make friends with unbelievers; (3) introduce your friends to each other! In light of the vital role that Matthew played in touching the lost, we who learn from this committed disciple today need to ask:

Question: What ordinary attempts for fellowship are we offering people to experience a friendship encounter with Jesus?

Let’s consider for a moment a practical way to touch the lost.

It’s called “Ordinary Attempts.” What do ordinary attempts look like out in the real world? When I go to my local Starbucks I order the same drink eight out of ten times. Suzy or Sam serve me six out of ten times. I make eye contact, I say thank you, I notice them, and I ask them how they’re doing. They tell me and I pray for them behind their backs, or ask them to tell me more. That’s it. We call these “free attention giveaways” We simply do this over and over again with variations on this theme. So how can we measure success with this method?

When Sam or Suzy make eye contact, say “thanks” for being interested, and periodically asking me what I am doing. These very small almost invisible acts of relational kindness often lead to more meaningful conversations over time, which is very rewarding. When a lost person recruits me to be their spiritual consultant, I feel rewarded. When they trust me enough to ask me what I think about life, God or religion, I feel rewarded.

Ordinary Jesus-followers make up 90% of our church population. For years these people have been blocked out from meaningful participation in evangelism. They have voted with their feet and chosen not to show up for our programs. We owe them something better than this. Evangelism needs to be restored to the “normal” category of spiritual practices along with bible reading and prayer. If they knew about Ordinary Attempts and were encouraged to practice them by their pastors – these people would begin to connect with the people Jesus misses most in consistent and non fake ways. They would feel fulfilled and energized and some of their friends might even go to church with them.

Matthew invited his friends to a table to share food and conversation. God invites us to a table we call the Lord’s Table. This table represents a shared meal, a banquet where we eat and drink together, to be sure, but where more than anything else, grace reigns; the healing, forgiving, physician operates; the one who binds us to eternity and to each other is at work.

We gather at this table knowing that the beauty of this table is a fraud if somehow the mercy, the love, the embrace, and the grace of the God of that Jesus who shared a table with all of those religious outsiders, and yes, those religious insiders, too is missing. Yes, what we do here is null and void if grace does not reach out to us and touch us in our need, and in our sense of mutual vulnerability and solidarity with others here and in God's world. "Lost people matter to God.” Yes, lost people must matter to us! Amen.