“What’s After the Resurrection- Huddling Up or Breaking Out?” Jn. 20:26,27; Acts 1:8; 8:1-8 4-19-09
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Stop doubting and believe.” (John 20:26,27)
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. ..so there was great joy in that city. Acts 8:1-4,8
In a recent football movie, the home football team looked much
smaller. They looked like they didn’t have the best equipment. It appeared
that they were actually scared of the other team. But they had a coach with a
good reputation. Most would say they had no chance. They huddled together at
the twenty yard line after the kickoff. People waited for them to break
out. They didn’t. They looked at the sideline. They looked at the coach.
They stayed in the huddle. They got one delay of game. Then another. Then the
referee finally came over and made them break out.
This was the story of the early church, and I think it is the
story of Christians today. Jesus had told them to go into all the
world, and they stayed huddled in a locked room. Jesus came and said
“stop doubting and believe!” We want to kind of believe. We want to
believe just enough to get into heaven, but not enough to really let Jesus
change our lives. It is a natural thing. We have a natural tendency to doubt,
especially when we see bad news with our own eyes and we are discouraged.
Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. Do not hide
your light under a bowl.” “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt
loses its saltiness how can it be made salty again?” Light is meant to shine.
Salt is supposed to get out of the salt shaker and be tasted. Those
early disciples were in full retreat after the cross, and kept their light in a
corner, and kept their salt in the salt shaker. Even after the resurrection, in
which they were no longer encouraged, they still just stayed in Jerusalem.
This is another amazing thing. They had experienced the living
Christ! They knew he was real. They had heard his words to go into all the
world and make disciples and baptize. They heard his word that they would be
witnesses in Jerusalem and they stopped there. That’s what they wanted to
hear. It is what we want to hear too. We want to be witnesses- and
mild-mannered ones at that- right here in Chapin and Irmo. But Jesus didn’t
stop there. He didn’t say stop in your home town. He said you will be
my witnesses in Jerusalem (their city), Judea (their state), Samaria (their
neighboring country), and to the uttermost parts of the earth. They heard that
but they wanted to stay in the city!
If this was true of the disciples, it is also true of us.
It is a natural thing to keep good news to ourselves. But it
is not the godly thing to do. It is the easiest, most comfortable thing to
do. It is most comfortable not to commit, but to only inquire. Jesus
first words to the women were to go and tell the disciples. These women
were afraid, but they at least went and told them- though some thought they were
crazy, and most didn’t believe. Thomas was there in that locked room after
receiving word of the resurrection, leading the whole group in doubt. There
are always those who would tell us to slow down, don’t take this faith thing too
seriously. It takes a tremendous amount of energy and courage to share your
faith.
I can distinctly remember when I was at Clemson, and I went
to a Bible study and they said, “We’re going to go out and purposefully share
our faith.” I said, “Okay, you guys go ahead.” I’ve got something else to do-
maybe study, maybe go to sleep- maybe anything but do that! Now, it is
important to realize that college is a different place. Young people are
actively inviting others to come join in the fun. Join a
fraternity/sorority; play intramurals; “Hey- we’re having a party want to
come? “ was a common phrase in college. “Hey do you want a beer?” “Hey, come
on let’s go to the lake.” Invitations were being extended a lot to a lot of
people. But extending an invitation to go to a Bible study or to make a
commitment to Christ- that was something else. The reason the church is
shrinking today is we do not believe our message enough to let it change
us. We do not believe in the resurrected Christ enough to let Him change us.
A fire that is not spreading will eventually go out. That is very true
of the message of the gospel.
There is a great poem by Yeats called “The Second Coming.”
It says in part-
“turning and turning in the widening gyre, the falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart, the center cannot old; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is
drowned;
The best lack all convictions while the worst are full of passionate intensity.”
That was how it was after the crucifixion. The best lacked
conviction while the worst were saying, “crucify him!” But after the
resurrection, it was better, but not much better. People stayed in Jerusalem.
But Jesus had commanded them to go into all the world! Today people are
spreading the news about their interest, their ideologies- and because we are
fading in faith and interest in God- there are many- environmentalism, politics,
feminism, gay rights, but few are spreading word about the risen Christ
Jesus’ ideal was for them to go into the world on their own, but
they did not. The next thing that happened is that Stephen, the deacon was
killed and a great persecution broke out in Jerusalem. Christians reacted by
scattering. Wherever they scattered, they took the gospel with them. The
prophesy of Jesus was fulfilled then that said, “You will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth.” Jesus also
had another prophesy that was fulfilled within a few years and that was that the
temple would be destroyed. That literally happened in 70 A.D. But many of the
Christians were not in Jerusalem because they were scattered by persecution, and
because they remembered Jesus’ prophesy of the destruction, so they abandoned
Jerusalem before its siege.
There are many Christians who believe in effect that it’s okay
for people not to know Jesus. They would say, “You do your thing and I’ll
do mine” and it’s just fine. They find an excuse to stay in Jerusalem. They
find an excuse to spend all their time, resources, efforts here. They
don’t want to hear Jesus’ words to go into all the world. Maybe they find a way
to interpret this as just for that time, and not for our time. This is a
natural thing. It is the most comfortable thing to stay where we are and spend
everything on ourselves or those around us. It is part of the core kerygma-
the basic teaching of the Bible- that God is interested in the world, and wants
the whole world- not just a portion to know Him. God is for everyone- “For
God so loved the world…”
But God has a heart for all people. When God chose
Abraham H e said, “I will bless you and you will be a blessing. All nations
of the earth will be blessed through you.” Jonah is a whole story of
someone who wanted to do anything BUT missions. He wanted to stay home. If he
had to go somewhere, he wanted to go on vacation to the luxury spot of Tarsus
instead of the mission spot of Ninevah. God says through Isaiah that he will
make Israel “a light for the Gentiles , that my salvation may reach to
the ends of the earth.” Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, and Zechariah speak of
Jerusalem as the spiritual “throne of the world” (Jer. 3:17; Isa. 2:1-4; 25:6-9;
Mic 4:1-4; Zech. 8:20f.). Psalm 67 says “May the Lord bless you and keep
you, May the Lord make his face to shine upon you; May the Lord lift up his
countenance upon you and give you peace”- that is the regular priestly blessing
that the priest blessed the people with every week. But the Psalmist added this
phrase- “so that you way may be known upon the earth, your salvation among all
nations.” The idea of scripture is that we are blessed to be a blessing- not
just to those right around us- but to the whole world. If scripture and Jesus
are calling us out of ourselves, why are we retreating within ourselves? The
Presbyterian U.S.A. creeds say similar things. One of the distinctions
of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is that it added a whole chapter to the
Westminster Confession in the early 1900s about the proclamation of the gospel –
and it was accepted universally. The Book or Order it says the Great ends of
the church are the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind.”
This is part of our heritage, part of who we are. The Presbyterian Church
(USA) according to Marge Carpenter, former moderator, has started more mission
fields than any other Protestant denomination. Yet today we are huddling up
instead of breaking out.
When a couple has a baby, how do they respond? Most of them
send out invitations, put balloons or ribbons on their doors to let the
neighbors know. It is not something that they hide- it is good news. When
a child has a birthday- we celebrate, and invite others to come join in the
good news of life. When someone graduates from school announcements and
invitations are sent out. But we have even better news. We have news of
new life- eternal life. We have news of a fresh start. We have good
news worth sharing but we are keeping it quiet like we are ashamed. We
have been called by Jesus to be fishers of men, but we are keepers of the
aquarium. We are huddling up when we should be breaking out. He is risen! Let
us us spread the news here and everywhere!