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I have
been watching a little bit of sports lately with the NCAA basketball
tournament and Aggie baseball. There is something I have noticed
about nearly every sport – they huddle up a lot. When the basketball
game gets going in the favor of one team, the other team calls a
time-out and the players huddle up. When a pitcher in baseball is not
doing so well, the coach comes out to the mound and huddles up with
the pitcher, catcher, and anyone else he wants in the huddle. In
football, they huddle up before every play. Huddles are important,
but do you ever wonder what is said in those huddles? I have. I
believe I have the answer now. I think the more important the huddle,
the more likely you and the players involved are going to hear
something simple and central. The huddle is a chance to revisit the
game plan, the basics. I can almost hear the coach saying, “Remember
what we talked about this week preparing for this game. Let’s stay
under control, remain focused, and execute.”
Of
course, the huddle is not unique to sports. Verne Harnisch wrote in
his book, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, “The huddle keeps
companies focused on the same strategic goals.” Patrick Lencioni
wrote about the importance of a “daily huddle” or “check-in” in his
book, Death by Meeting. The huddle is a time to refocus on the
main thing.
So it
is not surprising that after Jesus’ Easter resurrection, he called for
the disciples to huddle up before his ascension into heaven. We find
this convocation in Matthew 28:16-20. Hear now the Word of the Lord.
16Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the
mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17When they saw
him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18And Jesus came
and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given
to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything that I
have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of
the age.”
The
Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God.
In this
passage Matthew reported to his readers that Jesus dispatched his
disciples to make disciples.
Reading
this passage you can almost see Jesus strolling up the mountain in
Galilee and the disciples never tiring of seeing the resurrected
Christ, bowing down to worship him. Of course, some still stroke
their chin and wonder, “Now let me get this straight. Dead. Buried.
Resurrected.” While all this is going on, Jesus says, “Huddle Up!”
On this
Sunday after Easter, with the wonder of the resurrection still fresh
in our souls, I want us to huddle up as a church. This church
exists to invite and equip followers of Jesus Christ. Why? Because
Jesus said so.
The Conference with
Jesus Christ underscores the Importance of our Mission.
This is the last thing
that Matthew records about Jesus. It is his last chance to visit with
his disciples. I wonder what my last words would be to those closest
to me, if I was certain about the experience? Jesus did it in 61
words. This completely amazes me. In 61 words he outlines what is
the main thing, the most important thing. He could have done this in
a twenty-second timeout. The disciples traveled all the way from
Jerusalem where the risen Christ had appeared to them to Galilee where
he had instructed them to meet him. All eleven of the remaining
disciples made the trip. It was a moment for inspiration.
Earlier this month,
Zac and I had the opportunity to attend the symposium on baseball.
The event was organized around the opening of the baseball exhibit at
the George Bush Library. One of the speakers was Tommy Lasorda, who
managed the Los Angeles Dodgers for almost 20 years. He told the
audience that he knew early in his career that he could inspire
people. He was managing a minor league baseball team and the pitcher
was having a hard time. All he needed was one out and they would win
the game. If the other team got one hit, they would lose the game.
Lasorda went out to the mound and huddled up with the pitcher and the
catcher. He was somewhat relaxed as he talked to the pitcher, “You
know, it’s a funny thing about life. It could end any moment. We
don’t know but that this could be the last batter you ever face. The
only question I have for you is if this is the last batter you ever
face and then the good Lord calls you home, would you want to have
struck him out or let him win the game with a hit?”
Without hesitating the
young pitcher said, “I would want to strike him out, coach.”
“Well then,” Lasorda
said, “I want you to pitch to this guy like he is the
last batter that you will ever face.” The pitcher nodded and Lasorda
headed back to the dugout. He said, “Before I could even get settled
in the dugout, I heard the crack of a bat and turned to see the
runners scoring. We had lost the game in one hit.” Lasorda continued
his story, “When the pitcher came off the field, I asked him what
happened out there.”
The pitcher said,
“Coach, I started thinking so much about my own death that I couldn’t
focus on my pitching.”
Lasorda said, “I knew
that if I could get a young man thinking about his own mortality in
the middle of a baseball game, I had some power of inspiration.”
I want
to inspire you today as the pastor of A&M United Methodist Church. I
want to underscore the importance of our mission. So huddle
up. This church exists to invite and equip followers of Jesus
Christ. Why? Because Jesus said so.
The Commission by
Jesus Christ underscores the Imperative of our Mission.
Verse 19 and 20 are words that have been at the heart of every church
in every country in every century. They define who we are and what we
are to do as a church. Three years ago, leaders of this church came
together and examined scriptures, read books, prayed, and discussed
what the mission of this church should be. The answer was
embarrassingly simple. It is what these two verses say it is, “A&M
United Methodist Church exists to invite and equip followers of Jesus
Christ.” One commentator wrote about this passage, “Jesus’
instructions include an imperative (a command) surrounded by three
participial clauses: one should make disciples for Jesus by going,
baptizing and teaching. Making disciples involves more than getting
people to an altar; it involves training them as thoroughly as Jewish
teachers instructed their own students. Most of modern Christendom
falls far short on this count.” The commission has one imperative
- make disciples, and three modifying participles – going,
baptizing, teaching.
Andy Stanley wrote in his book, The Seven Practices of Effective
Ministry, that too often as a church we develop a mission
statement, but implement no strategy for accomplishing it. He said it
was like putting a mark on the floor here “start point” and putting a
mark there “goal point” and not marking out a path for someone to get
there. He suggested setting up steps that help to accomplish the
mission. It was that image along with this imperative in the
scriptures that led us to outline the strategy of the 5-I’s at
A&M UMC: Invest, Invite, Include in Worship, Involve in Small Groups,
Implement Spiritual and Financial Gifts.
o
Invest in
people’s lives through authentic relationships. This is where we
spread the fragrance of Christ wherever we go. It is applying the
participle “as you go”, or “going”. Our mission is not simply
to stay here, but to go to all the nations, every culture. I can tell
you that when we go and invest in the lives of others by outfitting a
portable medical clinic, like the one in our parking lot, or building
houses in Juarez like our youth and adults did in March and College
Students and adults are planning for May, we are doing what Christ
instructed the church to do, we are going. We are going into our
neighborhoods every time you do something for a neighbor that
represents Christ. Across the street or across the world we are to
invest in other lives.
o
Invite others
to hear our faith story and/or experience our faith community. This
is the second “I” of our 5-I strategy for accomplishing our
mission. This is how people move toward professions of faith and
baptism. Jesus used the two participles baptizing and
teaching, we talk about inviting and equipping, but
we mean to say the same thing. Baptism initiates us into Christ’s
holy church and incorporates us into God’s mighty acts of salvation.
It includes us in what God is doing in making disciples. There are
many who have either never been baptized or forgotten the significance
of their baptism. There are still thousands of people who are
wondering as we mentioned earlier this month, “What must I do to be
saved?” Invite them to hear your faith story and experience your
faith community. I wish you could see how this is being lived out in
college ministry area. Every night in the coffee house there are
people who have been invited to a relaxed atmosphere where they can
hear the good news of Jesus Christ through casual conversation.
o
Include in Worship
is the third of the 5-I’s of our church. It is our hope
that worship begins the part of “teaching them to obey everything
that I have commanded you.” We desire for worship to produce a
sense of awe, relevance, community, and inspiration. I love the story
I heard from one of our newest members, Katie O’Connor when I asked
her what drew her to this church. She said she doesn’t have a car and
this is walking distance from her dorm. She went on to say that the
reason she wanted to join is because the women who sit behind her in
worship have been so nice to her. One of those women is Margie Benson
who has been a member of A&M UMC for nearly 60 years. I love this
story.
o
Involve in Small Groups is the fourth of 5-I’s. It is the next step in
“teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.”
This is where we learn what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ,
a disciple. Small groups are where we have the chance to discuss our
faith, be held accountable to our faith, and live out the “one
another’s” of scripture. Just this week I heard the story of one of
our members who was on the outside looking in for years, until she got
involved in a small group. There she found the community for which
her soul hungered. Ken and Jerome are two teachers in this church who
feel led to promote a small group experience with our college
students, which by the way, is our fastest growing demographic for
getting involved in small groups.
o
Implement Spiritual & Financial Gifts
is the fifth of our
5-I’s. It reminds us that what we have been given - financial
resources, physical abilities, even interests - are to be used for the
kingdom of God, both inside the church and outside. Again I remember
my conversation with Katie O’Connor of eight days ago. When I asked
her if she had any questions about the church, she asked how she could
get involved. People of God, if you give back proportionally to God
of your finances and employ your God given abilities and interests for
God’s kingdom, you will be on your way to being a fully equipped
follower of Jesus Christ.
So these are the 5 I’s of our church - Invest, Invite, Include
in Worship, Involve in Small Groups, Implement Spiritual and Financial
Gifts. We even restructured our church ministry organizational chart
a couple of years ago to reflect this strategy. Yet even with this it
is easy to get a bit off course and make my area of Involve in Small
Groups or Include in Worship my sole focus. When that happens, it is
time to huddle up. So huddle up. This church exists to invite
and equip followers of Jesus Christ. Why? Because Jesus said so.
The Commission by Jesus Christ underscores the Imperative of
our Mission. Rick Warren wrote in his book, The Purpose Driven
Church, “A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great
Commission will grow a Great Church.”
The Commitment from
Jesus Christ underscores the Inclusion of Christ in our Mission.
The great commission is sandwiched in between two wonderful
assurances. First, Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and
on earth. The one who calls us is capable. Second, Jesus promises to
be with us always – to the end of the age, or the end of time. The
one who calls us is with us. Isn’t it wonderful that in Matthew 1
Jesus is introduced as Emmanuel, God with us, and in the
last chapter his last statement is, “I am with you always”? We
do not go into the whole wide world to make disciples under our own
power. Jesus Christ is with us.
I was reminded of this last Sunday. After the sixth worship service
in four days I stood at the back of this sanctuary. The choir
finished the service, accompanied by the orchestra, singing the
Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. Now bear in mind
that I had already heard the choir and orchestra do this less than
three hours earlier. However, this time the Lord took me back to a
time over 20 years ago when I was doubting the existence of the Lord
our God omnipotent. I had met up with some dead ends in my life. I
had witnessed good people having to endure some very bad things. I
remembered being unable to sing this song of faith, protesting, “Where
are you God? Where are you reigning?”
All of a sudden, in that moment in 1986, I saw Ronnie and Cindy and
Verlina and Dale and Marty and Nancy and Gene and Alan and with the
view of every face, God seemed to be saying, “Here I am. I am in the
community of faith who continues to hold you even as you wander
through a valley of doubt.”
Last Sunday I was reminded that he is with me always. I am not, nor
ever will be alone. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah,
hallelujah!
So huddle up. This church exists to invite and equip followers of Jesus
Christ. Why? Because Jesus said so.
It is important. It is
imperative. It includes the presence of the risen Christ.
Hallelujah. Amen.
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