February 28, 2010

 

This is my story: Levi

Mark 2:13-17

 

Opening Words: The Master has touched each one of our lives. Each one of us has a different story. Some stories are quite dramatic, like the Apostle Paul‘s on the Damascus Road. Some stories are quite simple, like mine. This is the truth. The details of the story really doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that at point in your life you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. On this second Sunday of Lent we hear how Levi came to know Christ. May God give you ears to hear these words from the second chapter of the gospel of Mark, verses thirteen through seventeen.

 

Mark 2:13-17 13Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. 14As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. 15While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" 17On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

 

Webster defines acceptance as, “to tolerate something without trying to change it.“ Remember that definition as I tell you this story.

 

As the story goes a church was getting a new pastor. The search committee had done a great job. They had recruited the perfect candidate. Everyone was excited has his first Sunday approached! No one had ever met him. They decided to pull out all the stops to welcome him. They ordered a cake with his name on it and purchased the ingredients needed to make their favorite punch. They wanted everything to be perfect and were a little upset when a homeless man started lingering around the front of their church building. The homeless man’s appearance was not great. His clothes were old and smelly, his hair was greasy. He had a horrible cough and a worse odor. They couldn’t have this homeless man in front of their church. What would the new pastor think? So they called the police to get rid of him. However, the police couldn’t do anything because he hadn’t broken any laws. The church people were concerned when this homeless man was in front of their church. They were upset when the homeless man entered their church building and sat near the altar. They were shocked when the homeless man stood up and walked behind the pulpit. They were devastated when the homeless man introduced himself as new pastor and chastised them for not accepting everyone. I do not know how long that pastor stayed in that parish but he made a memorable point. The church should welcome everyone!

 

Webster defines acceptance as, “to tolerate something without trying to change it.“ Can I ask you a question? If a homeless man came to Western Reserve would we welcome him? Would we tolerate a homeless person? Or would we try to get rid of him or her? Perhaps, this is the hardest question f them all. Are we able to welcome anyone who isn’t just like us? I will answer the question out loud. You answer the question in your heart. The answer is NO! On paper there are about 650 of us. It is easier to find ways we are in similar, then it is to find ways we are different. Everyone here can trace their family tree back to Europe. Everyone of us has a passion for America. Everyone of us is financially secure, no one is homeless. We come from different communities: Austintown, Boardman, Canfield, or Youngstown. There are a few wild folks from Columbiana. But let us be honest. We are all basically the same. Our core values are the same. There is nothing really wrong with our sameness. However, the church was never meant to be a family reunion. The church at her best is a clinic for all sinners. We are not alone. I do not know of a church who isn’t more like a family reunion then a clinic.

 

Today, I want to talk about welcoming people who are not like us. Everyone should be welcomed at church. In the perfect church (which doesn’t exist) everyone is accepted. Our model for today comes from Jesus, himself. We are in the second chapter of Mark. The story is the calling of Levi, a tax collector. Jesus didn’t just tolerate the brother, he accepted him. I want to examine this passage by looking at it in sections. There are three sections to this story. Each one reveals something about Jesus. How can that be bad? So if you are ready to look at this model of evangelism say, “Amen!“

 

His Method

The first section deals with Jesus’ method. According to the text, Jesus is walking along the shores of the lake. The lake is another way of saying the Sea of Galilee. The Master is not alone. Just the opposite is true. A great crowd has gathered to be with Jesus. It is like he is an eye in the middle of a great storm of energy. Everyone must have been quiet because the Jesus was teaching them. They wanted to hear every word but that day he taught not by words alone, he taught by example. They came across a tax collector’s booth. This is not unusual. Galilee was one of the great road centers in the ancient world. It was said the roads of Judea lead to no where, the roads of Galilee lead to everywhere. Many tax collectors sat in their booths as people traveled to their destinations. Inside of that particular booth is a tax collector by the name of Levi. His mom and dad gave him the name Levi. Later we learn his name has been changed to his apostolic name, Matthew. That name means “gift of the Lord.” This point you can’t miss. This is Jesus’ method in evangelism. Jesus went into the world, he didn’t expect the world to come to him. Jesus met Levi because he went to him. As a church do we go to people or do we expect people to come to us?

 

On Tuesday night I met with the Missions Committee for the first time this year. There are some new faces on the committee so I compiled a list of everything this church does in the name of missions. I wanted them to know what we do. I want you to know what we do. These are the things on my list.

1. Collections items for helping agencies

2. Comfort Blankets

3. Giving Tree

4. Great Food for All

5. Helping Hand

6. Kairos Prison Ministry

7. 2011 Mill Creek Workcamp

8. Prayer Quilts

9. Rescue Mission

10. Resurrection Tree

11. Russian Mission Trips

12. 2010 Youth Mission trip to Racine, Wisconsin

 

I hope that list is complete. I don’t want to offend anyone. I said it the other night. The goal of the Missions Committee is not to regulate mission activities within the life of the church. The goal of the Missions Committee is to help you help you succeed in your mission project. If you have some new idea for a mission project, then I would love to talk. I would love to help you turn your idea into a reality.

 

Missions are important in the life of this church because we get off our little piece of property and get involved in other people’s lives. When you get involved in a mission project (local, regional or international) you are starting to act like Jesus, who went to people. That was Jesus method. Are you ready to get involved in the world or are you happy hiding on a little piece of property? Jesus’ method was to go to people! And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

 

His Message

During the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell sentenced a soldier to be shot at dawn for his crimes. However, the bell that was the signal dawn never sounded. Why? The soldier's fiancé had climbed into the belfry and clung to the great clapper of the bell to prevent it from striking. When she was summoned by Cromwell to account for her actions, she wept as she showed him her bruised and bleeding hands. Cromwell's heart was touched and he said, "Your lover shall live because of your sacrifice. Love make us do some incredible things. Love changes everything! If you don’t believe me, then ask Levi.

 

The second section of the story deals with Jesus’ message. Verse 14 says, “As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.“ Jesus changed everything in Levi’s life with two words, “Follow me!“ The rest of the world said to Levi, “Go away!“ But Jesus said, “Follow me.“ Jesus wanted to not just be with Levi. He wanted to have a long term relationship with him. He became on of his disciples. He traveled with the Master for three years. Levi is just like you and me, valuable to God. And once you discover that God wants a relationship with you everything changes. The scriptures tell us Levi left the tax booth and followed Jesus. Tradition tells us after the resurrection he traveled to Ethiopia and told those people that God loved them. Have I told you lately that God loves you! And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

 

His Mission

The third and final section of our story deals with Jesus’ mission. According to verse fifteen Jesus is invited back to Levi’s home for dinner. It isn’t just Jesus and Levi. The tax collector has invited a few friends. It is safe to say that the only friends a tax collector had were other tax collectors. The orthodox leaders of the day aren’t so impressed with the company that Jesus is keeping. Verses 16 and 17 say, “they (the teachers of the law) asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." In other words, Jesus’ primary mission was to help all people be in relationship with God. That is the mission of the church. We are in the disciple making business!

 

The local news has been filled with this week with the proposed reconfiguring of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown. These are emotions days for many people. No wants to see their church close. Our Catholic neighbors are not alone, our days is coming. I have heard talk of the four United Methodist congregations in Youngstown (Centenary, Mahoning, Richard Brown and Trinity) being merged into one.

 

In the world of United Methodism we are “rethinking” everything. How do we do ministry is a new way. Why are we suddenly “rethinking church?“ This is the reason. Our denomination is in a state of decline. We have been declining for decades. My entire generation of ministers has been bombarded by church growth principles for this reason. There are many reasons why we are declining. Two stand out to me. First, we have fallen in love with a 1957 way of doing church. How much has our world changed in the past fifty years? Would you go to a doctor who uses 1957 methods and procedures? Why would younger people want to go to a church who pretends like it is 1957? It isn’t like people my age are suddenly going to grow up and embrace a 1957 worship style. Second, the population base of the Mahoning Valley is shrinking. The 2010 census will reveal that fact. Did you know the population of the city of Youngstown hasn’t been this low in 100 years? Those two things have effected the entire church. It hits close to home.

It is painful to think about the death of a congregation but it really don’t change the mission of the church. Our mission is not to keep congregations alive! Our mission is not to keep dead traditions alive. Our mission is to supply wholesome activities for our young. Our mission is not to be obedient to the United Methodist Church. Our goal is to make disciples for Jesus Christ because that was the Master‘s mission. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!” Are you making any progress in the faith?

 

The most influential person within the world of United Methodism today is a man by the name of Adam Hamilton. On Monday nights we are looking at his most recent book, 24 Hours that Changed the World. Hamilton founded and is the pastor of the fastest growing United Methodist Church in the country. His congregation, The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, in Leawood, Kansas, will welcome 9,000 worshippers this weekend.

 

Personally, Adam Hamilton is married with two daughters. His wife name is LaVonn. I am not sure of his daughter’s names. Let me call them Denise and Kathy. His daughters were raised in the life of his church but only Denise attends today. Denise embraced the ministry of the church and was married in the church’s original sanctuary. Kathy rejected the church. According to her father, she stands outside of the circle of God’s grace. Adam says he prays for his daughter’s salvation regularly and hopes there is a church out there that will accept her. Accepting Kathy would not be easy. Kathy is covered with tattoos. Kathy has body piercings. Kathy has little hair because her head is shaved. Can I ask you a question? Would we be able to accept Adam Hamilton’s daughter here? If she came to worship today, would you talk to her? Would you welcome her? Would you accept her? I hope your answer is, “Yes!”

 

Jesus was walking down the road one day and saw a man. He didn’t have tattoos. He didn’t have body piercing. He hadn’t shaved his head. The story was worse. He was a tax collector, a traitor. Jesus didn’t just speak to him, he accepted him as one of his own. You shouldn’t be surprised. After all, God accepted the strangest person of all, you! And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”