“But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in each accordance with Scripture – ‘I believed and so I spoke’ – we also believe and so we speak…” This is what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:13
Paul wasn’t always Paul. He started out as Saul of Tarsus, an immensely proud Hebrew, a Pharisee even. Remember that Pharisees were the people who followed religious law so strictly that they didn’t eat anything unless it was allowed, they didn’t do anything on the Sabbath – not even preaching or healing? Yeah. Saul was a very well-educated young man, came from a lengthy line of law-abiding Hebrews and he didn’t like the fact that people were starting to go off on this “new-fangled religion”. So, to put an end to that new-fangled religion, Saul started putting an end to those who followed Jesus!
Until Love Showed Up.
On the road to Damascus, Saul had a vision and fell to his knees. When he was on the ground, he heard a voice calling his name. Asking Saul why he was persecuting him. The voice was Jesus, and this even is referred to as Saul’s conversion, where God revealed Jesus to him. Saul was then blinded and for three days, he fasted and prayed to God as he walked to Damascus. In Damascus, Ananias of Damascus baptized Saul, who regained his sight, and then began to preach.
Saul went into the synagogues – which shocked the Jews, because they knew him as the one who was killing all the followers of Jesus. Now, here he was, telling them that Jesus is the Messiah!! And Saul grew more influential and continued to speak to everyone he knew and encountered about Jesus being the Messiah.
Saul became Paul, the apostle, Christ follower, servant, called, set apart, and the man who went around and shared with others about Jesus the Messiah because love showed up.
God took a very stringent Jew who hated and persecuted those who were following Jesus and turned his heart; setting in motion the path for Paul to become one who would go out and preach to others about Jesus. Saul had a vision. He believed. He then went and spoke. He went everywhere to tell others the Good News about Jesus. Paul loved God, so he showed up.
I’m here today because I said yes. Not just to Jason and Jan, but to God. You see, I had no intention of ever being here, in front of a congregation. You see, I was going to be a famous country and western singer. I was going to live off room service in ritzy hotels and travel the world with an entourage. When I won a spot on the TNN show, “You Can Be A Star”, I didn’t know two weeks later I would be engaged and eleven weeks later I would be married. I had no idea that I would ever be standing here in front of a congregation, feeling afraid, unqualified, nervous, and not good enough, never on my radar. But I finally decided to show up. But 20 years ago, God left ninety-nine and came after me. Love showed up for me, and I believed, and so I spoke.
I was afraid to even come to this church, because I didn’t want to be judged for my casual dress and noisy kids. But one night, I was chatting with some old friends, and I mentioned my concerns. It was Juanita who urged me to bring my family, as we are, and sit in the front, right behind her family. Everyone had told me how no one genuinely cares about the noise, but Juanita understood that my feelings would keep me out, no matter how nice everyone else seemed. She said, “If you sit in the front, then you can’t see who’s looking at you.” And that was some great advice. Juanita heard with her heart what my heart was saying, and with genuine love, Juanita showed up. She believed and so she spoke.
Juanita was getting her hair done one day long before that, and her hairstylist asked Juanita if she attended church anywhere. Juanita admitted that she had been hurt by a church before and was looking for a church to become her home; a place where she would feel welcomed and loved. Kristen, being excited about her home church and the growth which was happening, shared with Juanita, casually asking her to come and check it out. Kristen felt excited about her church, the ministry, and the church family. Kristen felt an opportunity to share the goodness of her church, and she showed up! Kristen believed, so she spoke!
Kristen was brought to church by her parents and is involved in many facets of church life here; but it isn’t the jobs she does for the church that qualifies Kristen to be a modern-day apostle – it is Kristen’s willingness to say “Yes” to God. Don’t get me wrong, the work we do in the church is needed, it’s important work… but it is the “Yes” that we say to God that truly makes the mark.
“We also believe and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace as it extends to more and more people may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God.”
Because Kristen’s parents believed, they spoke.
Because Kristen believed, she spoke.
Because Juanita believed, she spoke.
Because I believe and speak…
Everything is for GOD because I want to further his mission – that more and more people will receive grace.
That’s the mission of this church, right? Open your bulletin and read the front of your bulletin under the picture:
“Our mission is to share the saving love of Christ and to help persons grow as joyful disciples in ministry to all the world.”
Let those last four words sink in… TO. ALL. THE. WORLD.
How will we get to all the world when we live here in “Podunk” Iowa? How are we going to extend that grace to more and more people, so that it may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God?
WE MUST SHOW UP!!
We must listen to what God is calling us to do, we need to answer with a “yes”, and then we need to do whatever we have to do to show up. Set the alarm, brush our teeth, brush our hair, get dressed, grab a coffee, and get going! I don’t know what it is going to look like when we show up. It could be a haircut and a quick question, casual conversation with a friend, it could be praying for a friend, it could be bringing supper and five Hershey’s candy bars to a new mom. It could be cleaning toilets for a sick friend! Whatever it looks like – we must do it. Because we love God. Because we see miracles. Because we hear God calling us to something different.
Because we believe, we also speak.
God shows up.
We show up.
Love shows up.
TO. ALL. THE. WORLD
Momma Rich's 