Delivered on September 18, 2005, Melana

talks about our growing food mission and

the volunteers.  If you haven't come to help,

stop by on distribution day and see what

you're missing!

 

Fools for Christ                             Matt. 14:28-36 and I Cor. 4:1-21

      Last year we had a small group Bible study which looked at the book, If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat, by John Ortberg.

The evening circle is using this as their Bible study for the coming months.  The title of the book comes from the gospel passage we read this morning.

      Peter could not have walked on the water, if he had not first stepped out of the boat.  Peter was able, with Jesus' help, to do what seems physically impossible - until the moment that he realized that it should be physically impossible  and he looked at himself, instead of Jesus.

      This morning we are looking at what it means to have the opportunity to do what seems impossible, with God's help.  By now, most of you know that we received 601 orders for boxes of food - and another 276 orders for specials - that is nearly 900 boxes of food!  This ministry has grown by about 200% or more every month since we started.  Janie Derby was told by our connection in Republic that we are one of only two churches that are doing Angel Food Ministry this way.

      It seems that most churches are simply offering this chance to people in their congregation - it would be a lot easier, we wouldn't need so many volunteers, we wouldn't have such a mess, we wouldn't have to worry about the size of the building or whether we need something bigger.

      But if we had only offered it to people in our congregation, we would not have experienced this wonderful transformation that has occurred in the last few months.

      We have taken our eyes off ourselves and put them on Christ - exactly the opposite of what Peter did when he started slipping into the water - so we find ourselves doing the impossible, with God's help.  If we had known what might happen so quickly, we probably would have balked.  We would have set up committees, as Presbyterians do so well, and we would have talked around the possibilities until the opportunity passed us by.  But some people got a passion for helping others in the community be able to afford food and medicine, be able to feed their children healthy meals, be able to buy gasoline to get to their jobs and still have food.  We found something that could help others at a time when the government told them they had to make it on their own.

      Passion for ministry and good timing have put us outside the boat, walking on the water, keeping our eyes on Jesus, not on ourselves.

      In his book, John Ortberg talks about the first-step principle - we have to take the first step and then God makes us more comfortable so that we can take the next step.  This process continues as we grow in our spiritual comfort zone, Ortberg says.  Every step takes us farther in our faith and commitment to Jesus Christ.  Every step seems risky, but by keeping our eyes on Jesus, not on ourselves, we are able to do far more than we ever thought possible.

      Several people have asked me how in the world we are going to distribute all this food out of this building.  We are being forced to take the next step out in faith.  I believe that God would not have brought us this far, without helping us continue.  We may have the opportunity to use a tent on the grass in the back until we have time to build a rudimentary structure to use for distribution.  When we talked about a tent as a possibility, we had to think about tables - that very day someone offered to donate 8 folding tables to use.  That is God at work, making the impossible, possible.  If we keep our eyes on Jesus, we can continue to do what seems impossible.

      Everyone who has come to help, has developed a passion about this ministry - people who come to help in any way - come back again and don't want to miss the opportunity to share in this.  Last week, someone who was taking orders was told by a woman who ordered, that God would bless this church because of what we are doing.  She was told that God already had - and that is true - we have been blessed to be a blessing.  That is a wonderful thing, that comes with some serious responsibility.  We aren't doing this to be blessed - but we are being blessed - because developing a passion for God's work, changes us.

      Now we come to the other text that we read this morning, the one in which Paul says we are fools for Christ's sake.

  Being fools for Christ means that we do not give up the passion to serve others just because it seems difficult.  This is true for Angel Food Ministries, for LOGOS, and for Moses Basket.  Moses Basket has picked up because more people are hearing about it through the brochures for food.

      We expect to have about 50 children and youth for LOGOS when it starts a week from Wednesday.  50 children and youth and the adults involved to make the program work means that we will be using every table we have available and will be stretching the room we have to seat people for dinner.

      But we are excited about it because as fools for Christ we know it gives us the opportunity to share God's message with all the people involved.  Being fools for Christ means we see something bigger than ourselves through our commitment to God's work.  That's why the fifteen or so people in the choir give up every Wednesday evening and Sunday morning to share the gospel in music - because they have a bigger vision and a passion for Christ.  The Session is working hard to move this congregation into the future God has in store for us - that sometimes means talking about things that seem impossible, but all things are possible with God.

      The deacons continue to work to serve people in the congregation and the community so that people know Christ's love through their actions - they do it because they understand that commitment moves us along in God's way.

      There are so many people who do so many things in the life and ministry of this church that I cannot begin to mention all of them.  I have tried to hit the highlights to remind ourselves that there are many ways to serve - there are many ways to step out of the boat with our eyes on Christ so that we can grow in our spiritual comfort zone.  When we serve others, those served see Christ in us.

I want to share a reading that someone sent me as an e-mail that is a reminder that as fools for Christ, we show others who Christ is.

I saw Jesus last week.

He was wearing blue jeans and an old shirt.

He was up at the church building.

He was alone and working hard.

For just a minute, He looked a little like one of our members.

But it was Jesus, I could tell by His smile.

I saw Jesus last Sunday.

He was teaching a Bible class. He didn't talk real loud or use long words.

But you could tell He believed what He said.

For just a minute, He looked like my Sunday School teacher.

But it was Jesus, I could tell by His loving voice.

I saw Jesus the other day.

He was at the hospital visiting a friend who was sick.

They prayed together quietly. For just a minute, He looked like my pastor. But it was Jesus, I could tell by the tears in His eyes.

I saw Jesus yesterday.

He was bringing a covered dish over to me because I had been sick.

For just a minute, I thought it was Him, with His gentle hands stroking my shoulder.

I thought it was Him, but it looked like my sweet neighbor.

But it was Jesus, because I could feel Him in my soul.

I saw Jesus this morning.

He was in my kitchen making my breakfast and fixing me a special lunch.

For just a minute, He looked like my Mom.

But it was Jesus; I could feel the love from His heart.

I see Jesus everywhere, taking food to the sick, being friendly to a newcomer. And for just a minute, I think He's someone I know.

But it's always Jesus, I can tell by the way He serves.

May someone see Jesus in me today.

--Author Unknown

 

      Like Peter, we have stepped out of the safety and security of the boat, so that we can be part of what Christ is doing.  It is a risky thing to do and it comes out of our passion to be with Christ - the way to continue is to keep our focus on Christ, forgetting what seems practical or possible - trusting that God has called us into this mission and ministry and that God will continue to provide for our needs.

      This is a joyous time in the life of this church - we are having fun doing what God has called us to do - in worship, in LOGOS, in serving food to others.

We are doing the impossible, with God's help, because we have stepped out of the boat, understanding it is foolish, but looking always to Christ.

Let's allow others to see Christ in us.

 

© Melana Scruggs 2005

 

 

  

     

    

 

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