February 20, 2005

Sermon Series: The Things We Wish Jesus Had Not Said

Going in the Wrong Direction

Matthew 4:17-22

Introduction

I love the story of three year old Matthew Stowell. He went to the Woodfield Mall near Chicago with his parents and grandparents for some last second Christmas shopping. The family divided up so they could buy some secret gifts. The family decided to meet back at a designated spot in one hour. Sixty minutes later the family gathered. It was only at that moment that Joseph Stowell, the three year old’s father, discovered that Matthew was missing. Each family member thought that Matthew was with someone else. Panic swept through the Stowells. Everyone imagined the worst. Everyone was assigned a different part of the mall to look for Matthew. It was Matthew’s grandfather who found him. He reported to the family that he was fine. He said, “Matthew didn’t even know that he was lost. I found him outside the candy story with his nosed pressed up against the glass. We are in far worse shaped than he is.”

That is the story of Lent. We have many people in our world who are lost and don’t even know it. We may have people who are right here at Western Reserve who are lost and don’t even know it. Lent is the season to discover your lost ness and to start heading in the right direction.

Body

We are instructed today from the fourth chapter of Matthew. It is early in Jesus' ministry. As a matter of fact Jesus has just been baptized by John and has just been confronted by Satan, himself, in the wilderness. Jesus is thirty years old and he is about to begin his work as an itinerant preacher. We heard this morning the calling of his first few disciples or pupils. You have heard this story many times in your life but this time look at it as you think about the season of Lent. This story is a wonderful model for us on this second Sunday of Lent. For in these few verses we find our story. Jesus is calling us. This morning I am going to look at three theological points that you can you should consider during this sacred season. So if you are ready to hear these theological points then say, “Amen!”

Theological Point Number One: Many people are going in the wrong direction. Use you sanctified imagination with me. You can see fisherman on the shore of a lake working with their nets. Verse 18 says Peter and Andrew were casting their nets. Verse 21 says James and John were preparing their nets for the next day’s work. In any case Jesus invites them to follow him. Take this old story down to the basics. They were just living their lives and Jesus invites them. They were not doing sinister things. They were working! They were just trying to make ends meet. They were just living their lives but just living your life is not good enough. People want to make a difference in this world. Just living is not rewarding and shallow. Their lives were going in the wrong direction. Have you ever known anyone who is going in the wrong direction?

Cindy was going in the wrong direction. On the surface it looked like she had it all. She had two great kids. She lived in a nice home and she had a career to pay the bills. The problem was Cindy never stopped moving. She was always on the go. She worked at the local hospital as a nurse during the week. On the weekend she worked as a private duty nurse. Her children were involved in every extra curricular activity. She felt guilty about the divorce so she got them in everything. She never missed a soccer game. She never missed a baseball game. She never missed a dance lesson or a band concert. Cindy was an attractive young woman but she always looked tired. On Ash Wednesday I preached from the tenth chapter of John, “Jesus came to give us life and give us life abundantly.” Cindy walked by me when the service was over and said in a whisper loud enough for all to hear, “Russ, “I have no life!” Have you ever felt like you have no life? Have you ever felt like your life is empty or shallow? Have you ever felt like your life is going in the wrong direction?

Lent is the time of year when Jesus says to you and me, “Follow me!” You life can have meaning and purpose. You can make a difference in the sad old world. Peter, Andrew, James and John were not doing evil things when the Master called them. They were not doing anything illegal. They were fishing. They were working. They were just living their lives but just living your life is not enough. Jesus offers more. If you have ever felt like your life is empty and lacks purpose then say, “Amen!” Then you need to follow Jesus! Theological point number one says, “Many people are going in the wrong direction.”

Theological Point Number Two: Stop going in the wrong direction. I want you to use your sanctified imagination one more time. This time imagine the four disciples working on the shore. Jesus invites them to come along. The scripture says they jumped on the opportunity. Verse 20 says Peter and Andrew went at once. Verse 22 says James and John went immediately.

Let me ask you a question this morning, why do you think those four disciples left immediately with Jesus? For years I have answered that question by saying there was just something about Jesus. There was just something about his presence. He was a charismatic person who just drew people to him. The problem is that answer does not set right with me. It is too quick and cliquey. It wasn’t until Friday afternoon that I saw this passage in a new way. The reason they left immediately was not just “blind faith” but “love and devotion” for Jesus. We have always assumed they didn’t know Jesus, but assume they did know of Jesus. The Master was thirty years old. His life was different from everyone else. They knew Jesus’ reputation and they respected the man. Jesus had lived in that area his whole life! When Jesus says follow me he is not just a stranger in the crowd. He is a noted personality in their community. It was an honor to be invited so they went immediately. It is not a story of “blind faith.” It is a story of “love and devotion.” When you love and respect someone you will do anything immediately.

I can not tell you how many times I have walked in my home at 9:30 at night. It has been a long day and all I want to do is sit down. Kathy will look at me and say, “Do you mind going to the store to get milk for breakfast?” I will think, “You have to be crazy! It has been a long day. I have driven around the country twice and have heard everyone’s problems and complaints. Why don’t we drink our coffee black in the morning and eat our cereal dry?” I will think those things but I will say, “Yes, Dear” and go to the store. If Rocky would ask me I would say, “Drop dead!” If we love and respect someone we will do what they ask. It is true in every avenue of your life.

If we really loved Jesus we would do what Jesus asked. How would your attitudes and lives changed if you really applied Jesus’ lessons to your life? You may not recognize yourself. The relationships in your life would improve. If you really loved Jesus then you would really care about the poor and the uneducated. If you really loved Jesus you would get involved with the incarcerated and the forgotten. If we really loved Jesus then you would care about local, national and international missions. If we really loved Jesus then you would stop judging others and start re-evaluating yourself. If we really loved Jesus then you would change and become true disciples. One of the reasons that many people are going in the wrong direction is that we really don’t love Jesus. When Jesus asks us to do something what do we say? Do we say, “Yes, dear.” We really say, “Drop dead!” How many people who are going in the wrong direction only see Jesus as a curiosity? If you are a disciple of Jesus then you love Jesus. If you love Jesus then say, “Amen!” Stop going in the wrong direction because you love Jesus and will do whatever he asks.

Theological Point Number Three: Let Jesus be your guide. Go back to the lake shore one more time with me. The four are working. Jesus walks along the shore and invites them to come. Peter, Andrew, James and John go immediately with him and the rest is history. In time, those four became the basic building blocks for the church. There is no way they knew the difference Jesus would have in their lives. What difference has Jesus made in your life?

Several years ago I asked the question to a Sunday evening Lenten service. We were the host church that evening. As the host pastor it was my responsibility to create an order of worship. Every week is about the same so I wanted to do something different. I wanted to hear testimonies of how Jesus changed lives. So I stood in front of the congregation and asked the people the question, what difference has Jesus made in your life? At first no one said a word but then an elderly gentleman raised his hand and said, “I have been married for 57 years. We met at church so without Jesus we never would have met. Without Jesus I wouldn’t have had my children.” One woman said, “I buried my mother six mother ago. Without Jesus I would have no hope of seeing her again.” A young man said, “Without Jesus I would be going to hell.” Suddenly everyone wanted to tell their story about Jesus. I had to cut off the talk but when the service was over people ate cookies and told others how Jesus had changed their lives. What difference has Jesus made in your life?

Those people saw those blessing by being comfortable Christians. What joys are we preventing in our own lives by not fully following the master?  We only know life abundantly when we have fully aliened our lives with Jesus.

Conclusion

At the point where North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee meet there is a historical marker. It was on that spot that a Scottish settlement was founded. It did not last long because Indians came and attacked those pioneers. The men were killed. The Indians took the boys to become warriors. The women and girls were set free. Twelve years later a woman went back to find her sons. Peace had come to the land so she wanted to find her boys. They were only four and six when they were taken from her. She saw two young braves, who were just about the right age. They were sixteen and eighteen years old. They were dressed like Indians with paint on their faces. She walked up to them and called them their Scottish names. The big strong young men did not respond. She told them stories about their family but they didn’t respond. The sergeant who was accompanying her said, “Ma'am, it must not be them. Let us keep looking.” She said, “Let me try one more thing.” She began to sing to them a lullaby she sang to them as babies.” The sergeant looked at those two big strong young men and he couldn’t believe what he saw. He saw tears running down their faces.”

The truth is we have many people in our world who are lost and don’t even know it. The good news is the Gospel is the sweet music that is calling us home. Rudolf Bultmann once said, “That within every person there is a faint recollection of Eden calling us home.” You maybe dressed like teachers and preachers and mothers and fathers but you are really a child of God. Is it possible that you are going in the wrong direction? Is it possible that you are lost and don’t even know it? If that is your story then Lent is for you. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”