“Serving as a Witness- Grace in Outreach” Mt. 9:35-38, 10:5-8; Gal. 6:9,10 3/2/08
This past week a couple of our members got back from the South Pacific. Talking to them reminded me of the story of the New Hebrides Islands, now know as Vanuatu (since it gained independence in 1980).
John G. Patton was a Presbyterian boy, and he heard the story of John Williams- a Presbyterian missionary to the New Hebrides islands. Williams was clubbed to death, and then eaten. His bones were handed over to the next missionaries. Missionary friends came back and asked if anyone would take up the challenge so that Rev. Williams would not have died in vain. Patton stood up. One older person in the congregation told him at the time, “You, young man, do not go there, they will eat you.” I will not forget his reply: “Old man, when you die and are buried worms will eat you in the grave. It does not make any difference if the cannibals eat me or the worms eat me in the grave.” Patton went to the islands, and despite tremendous persecution and threats, care for, loved in the name of Christ and in the end changed that culture. At first they blamed cyclones, floods and droughts on the missionaries. They tried to curse John Patton, but when he did not succumb to their curses, they began to listen to who Jesus was. Pattan went to Aniwa island, translated the Bible into their language, dug a well so they could have fresh drinking water. When the people got fresh water, the people were more open to hear about Jesus. Under his leadership, two orphanages, churches, and schools were built. He began a seminary. Cannibalism stopped. But another thing stopped as well- crimes and murders went down drastically. Today on these islands, most are Christians, and the largest body of Christians on the islands are Presbyterians.
There was a time when people criticized missionaries for putting themselves at risk, and they were saying they did not do much good in the world. Charles Darwin, the evolutionist, wrote an article defending missions. One of his lines was, if you get shipwrecked in the South Pacific, you had better hope the missionaries had gotten there ahead of you.
In our culture, we easily forget the power of the gospel to change people, and make the world a better place. We think that money, industry, and democracy makes all the changes. Today we are seeing the ferment of those things without faith. It shows in the rise of crime, gangs, drug use, sexual immorality.
You and I are called to follow Jesus. He was a missionary. He was sent to this world, and he went away from his comfort zone to all the towns in his area to spread good news, to heal, and to help.
I. HE HAD COMPASSION- Our passage says that he looked on the crowds and had compassion on them.
He had compassion because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.
People today are harassed and helpless. Everyone is harassed by the problems of life- the ups, the downs, the sadness. Money cannot eradicate our problems, our grief, our heartache. God sees our problems- our harassment if you will.
Without Jesus we are helpless- when the wolves of life come. We are helpless when we do not know there is hope beyond this life, but also in this life. We are helpless when we think there is no God and we have to do everything ourselves, or if we think God does not care or hear our prayers. The Bible says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Would that we could grow in our compassion for those who are harassed and helpless around us. Look and see who are the harassed and helpless? Maybe it is the poor, or the widow, or the hurting and sick. Maybe it is the children. Our concern is to not look only to ourselves, but to look to others.
There were believers who saw the same people Jesus saw but did not have compassion on them. They perhaps did not care that they were harassed and helpless- without God to shepherd them. Do you see people and not care about their souls? Do you see people and think that faith makes little difference? Lord give us all eyes like Jesus had.
II. HE PRAYED FOR LABORERS
Jesus response to this great need was to pray for laborers, and ask others to pray as well.
This is the first and primary missionary act. It might be the easiest, yet most important missionary act. Prayer puts God’s power to work in a needy and bad situation.
Jesus said, “we need more to go out and labor.” The other day at Chapin Middle School we had career day. There were firemen, dentists, lawyers, business people- and there was a minister. I told the men’s group- it is really hard to tell kids about the ministry and try to not tell them about God- who calls us into ministry, and makes the ministry go. Maybe God is calling one or two of you today to seriously consider being a minister. God knows we need people who will care for others in His name. But in a sense we are all ministers. Jesus next act was to send all his disciples out to help people and spread the good news. They didn’t say, “Wait, tell me what to say. Or wait, let me go to seminary first.” Not they went, and God used them- just because they were willing to go.
This is his call to us all. We are to help people with their physical and spiritual needs. So we need volunteers at the things we support- the HUB, GOoDWorks, Christgate, We Care. I would really love to have so many volunteers from Lake Murray Presbyterian, that we could go to We Care and say we’ll open the food bank more than one morning a week. The need is great- but there’s not enough laborers.
Ironically- Jesus solution to the lack of volunteers was to PRAY- pray that the Spirit would prompt people to be willing to go. You and I need to pray more that God will raise up witnesses for Him. Right now there are no Billy Grahams. But that is not the main problem. The main problem is that Christians today act as if they have nothing to say to the world. Maybe they are waiting to be perfect, or have some degree. God, by His Spirit, has called all of us to be witnesses to Him.
III. HE WENT- He did not just stay.
Jesus went to the different villages. He could have stayed in Nazareth. He could have stayed in heaven, for that matter. Why should he leave the comforts of his home to wander around- without much pay- with no home and no hotel? He came for love- love for God, for God’s purpose, and for people. We need to develop the same kind of heart of love.
March 15th we will be asking volunteers to go into some of the neighborhoods and invite people to church- right before Easter. I hope and pray some of you will respond. I hope you will follow our Lord’s example and go. You won’t have to learn a foreign language, you can sleep in your own bed at night. But this is missions.
I believe an essential part- an absolutely essential part of the Christian life is spreading the news. I believe that whenever I have shared my faith, I have thought about my faith. But I also believe that at those times when I have talked to another about my faith- those are the times when I have felt close to God. Jesus said Go into all the world and tell- and then he said, “Lo I am with you always.” When we speak, He is there.
Communion is also a witness to God’s love- it is a way that we proclaim to the world that it is important to gather together for fellowship around His table, and that there is forgiveness for sins, and grace. Grace is so important.
Cromer’s Peanuts in Columbia advertises itself by saying, “worst in town.” That came about because competing vendors would say, “Don’t by Cromer’s buy mine-they’re better.” I have thought maybe we ought to put a sign in front of the church that reads- “Worst church in town.” Maybe then people would realize we believe we are saved not because we are better- but we believe and stake our lives that we are saved by grace. Communion is an acknowledgement- that we need a savior- we need grace. And we need to proclaim that grace!