Sermon 4th September 2011

Today, our Vicar, Cameron Barker, preaches based on the reading from Matthew 4 verses 18-25

Peter had a temper;
Miriam was a gossip;
Jacob was a cheater;
Noah got drunk;
David had an affair;
Jonah ran away from God;
one Mary was a worrier;
another Mary was a prostitute;
Thomas was a doubter;
Paul was a murderer;
Sarah was impatient;
Elijah was moody;
Moses stuttered;
Gideon was insecure;
Zacchaeus was short;
Abraham was old;
and Lazarus was dead!

So what's YOUR reason for thinking that God isn't interested in, or can't do anything, with you, then?

As ever, chances are that I am – quite literally – preaching to the converted. You are probably listening to this sermon because you have already made the fundamental decision: to respond to God's call to you. At some time, in some way, however gradually it may have been, you have found yourself following after Jesus – even though he died some 2 000 years ago. Doubtless you are also all too aware that taking that key decision didn't make you perfect. You don't always get it right. In fact, if you're anything like me, you're probably amazed that God still bothers with you at all! How many times has He shown, or taught you this, or that, already? And how many more times will it take, until you do actually learn, and live, it, finally? Maybe, that is. Until the next time!

Well, that's why this autumn's series is for you, no matter where you are with God. It may be that you have already been well described. Maybe you're one of those who has been experiencing the ups and downs along this discipleship road for some time. Or it may be that you are at a rather earlier stage of this journey. Perhaps you're still wondering what this being a Christian lark is all about. Wherever you are along that spectrum, though, this series is for you. That's because it's inviting each one of us to take the next step forward. Your next step may well be different to mine, and to anybody else's. But what is for sure is that there is a next step for you. You see, faith in Jesus is a journey, and an adventure. It's one that is never over, until you meet him, face to face. So come on, then: it's time to press onwards.

Now, to coin a phrase, the greatest journey always begins with the first step. That's why we're beginning our term’s journey here, at the start of Jesus' public ministry in Matthew. Yes, it is half-way through Chapter 4 already; but Matthew had much to say to his readers before he could get to this point in his story about Jesus. To explain it briefly, the headline summary of this gospel is that it was most likely written for a mainly Jewish readership. I say “most likely”, because of course we don't know for sure. As with many of the books of the Bible, we don't know much very exactly: we don’t know when it was written; or where; or who for; or even who by, in this case!

This one has been known as Matthew since the 1st Century; but no such claim is made anywhere in the book itself. So it could have been written by Matthew, who might formerly have been known as Levi, the ex-tax-collector, who was one of Jesus' 12 disciples. In many ways it doesn't matter who wrote it – any more than it matters who it was particularly written to. There is plenty that we can work out from going at it backward; but what matters most is the fact that this is a book about the life of Jesus. Whoever wrote it, at whatever point in the 1st Century, what they wanted people to know above all is about who Jesus is. More than that, they wanted people to know not just what he did, but how anyone, at any point in history, can also become one of his followers. And of course that includes you, in the 21st Century!

Discipleship is one – of four – of the clear major themes in Matthew's gospel; and those other three are very closely related to it. It's also no surprise that each of the other three gospels also have discipleship as one of their own main themes. We certainly saw this theme in our series on John before the summer break. In case you missed it, it's best summed up by where we ended – with Jesus' call for us to go and bear fruit for him. Well, in the same way, Luke and Mark have discipleship among their major themes too. Like Matthew and John, they each bring their own distinct flavour to the subject. I won't name those other two now – mostly because our focus in this series is solely on Matthew's gospel.

What we do need to know from the outset, though, is the Matthew-take on discipleship. It's best summed up by this phrase: “Examples with a commission”. That's at the heart of what it means to be a disciple in the story of Jesus as it is told by Matthew. Disciples above all are those who serve as examples to others. They / we can and do serve as examples both positively and negatively – as we will see time and again between now and Advent. I don't want to spoil any of the fun, but that's good news for anyone – so that's all of us – who gets it wrong occasionally. We, and others, can learn as much from our mistake as we can from our successes. As is often the way, maybe we and others can learn more from those failures than we can from the successes. And the biggest lesson is surelythat it's more about God than it is about us.

That feeds into the second part of this discipleship picture in Matthew. Examples, yes, we are indeed meant to be – but examples with a commission. We have been chosen, by Jesus. That's not often how WE see things, of course! We tend to think more in terms of a decision that we have made. We have decided to follow Jesus, we think. But if I were to say that 'It's not about you', that will hopefully be familiar to those who were here in Lent. If I then add, 'It's all about Him', some will recognise both statements as among the classic one-liners from our “Purpose Driven Life” study book. More importantly they both remind us how this is all God's plan, God's initiative, and God's action, in Jesus.

It is also important to say that this discipleship course that we are doing from Matthew is part of a bigger picture. It's based on our commitment to keep learning from all that God taught us at the start of this year. To be purposeful about it, then: this is to help us learn more of our Godly purpose of having been Created to become like Christ. That's what it means to be a disciple, or follower of Christ, after all – to become like him. The word ‘Christian’ literally means ‘little Christ’. But, as we have already seen in Matthew, it's more than that as well. Disciples aren't 'just' those who have been called to be with Jesus; or 'just' to be examples; we're also commissioned by Jesus, to continue his work and ministry.

That's another theme which we will see time and again in this series, then. After spending time being with Jesus, learning from him, watching him, his disciples are sent off to go and do what he has taught them. Matthew then ends his gospel with the risen Jesus sending his disciples out, literally to the ends of the earth. That's where we will end this series on discipleship. We will see how Jesus then gave his disciples their job. It is the same job that his disciples today also have: to carry the message, work and ministry of Jesus to all people everywhere. And the sharp-witted will surely recall how that is the last of our five life-purposes too. Yes, we have each been Made for Mission: to carry on Jesus' work.

So there's the outline agenda for adults here over the next three months. We'll be seeing, and learning, what it means to be examples, with a commission. We'll be doing that from selected stories told in Matthew's gospel; and doing it in the context of two of our life-purposes: that we have been Created to become like Christ; and that we have been Made for a Mission: Jesus'. But I dare to suggest that none of that will even be possible unless we get our starting point right. What we have to admit today, then, is that this is all about Him, and not about us. Unless we can let go of any clinging illusions that we are in charge, we won't be able to follow where God is wanting to lead us, personally or as church.

If you have any doubts about that, look at what happened with these two pairs of brothers in today's reading. As so often with Matthew, this is shorthand, a summary of events. The second part of today's reading is also a summary, but more obviously so. Although his is the longest gospel, Matthew was a pithy story-teller, usually in a hurry to get to the meaty bits. Both sets of brothers had already heard and seen Jesus around their fishing town, Capernaum. Matthew left others to tell that part of the story. He jumped straight to the brothers’ point of decision: in response to Jesus' call. Jesus took the initiative: he approached them – which was very unusual at that time. He told them to leave everything and everyone they knew; and it was a lot! As fishermen, they had families, thriving businesses, and a secure future. Jesus simply told them to come and follow him – and expected them to obey instantly. They did; and just look what happened.

If you're not sure what happened, make sure that you are here to hear it as this series unfolds. Either way, I encourage you to read Matthew at home in the week too; and to catch up or re-read the sermons on our website. No matter where you are on this journey there will be steps to take that will lead you further along. All you have to do is be willing to answer Jesus' call obediently; no matter what the cost, or the risk. You see, the bottom line is that you too have been made to be an Example with a Commission. Wouldn't it be great if by us being that, people rushed here from all over to meet with Jesus? Let’s pray that it will indeed be so, then ...