Called & Commissioned - transcript of sermon St Mary's, Knutton Third Sunday after Easter 2019

Sermon St Mary’s Knutton 5^th May 2019 Third Sunday after Easter

Acts 9.1-6 & John 21.1-19

To begin, two quotes…

Michael Quoist in his book ‘The Christian Response’

‘You are a unique and irreplaceable actor in the drama of human history, and Jesus Christ has need of you to make known his salvific work in this particular place and at this particular moment in history.’

ABC Justin Welby – 2015 Lambeth Lecture

'I want to start by saying just two simple sentences about the church. First, the church exists to worship God in Jesus Christ.  Second, the Church exists to make new disciples of Jesus Christ. Everything else is decoration. Some of it may be very necessary, useful, or wonderful decoration – but it’s decoration.'

Now let me remind you of the Vision of Lichfield Diocese…

“As we follow Christ in the footsteps of St Chad, we pray that the two million people in our diocese encounter a church that is confident in the gospel, knows and loves its communities, and is excited to find God already at work in the world. We pray for a church that reflects the richness and variety of those communities. We pray for a church that partners with others in seeking the common good, working for justice as a people of hope.”

With this in mind and with key personal shifting or retiring this year, the Diocese is taking the opportunity to restructure at all levels to better serve the commitment to develop discipleship, to encourage vocation and to see inspirational evangelism – you may have seen this on Diocesan information and written as EVD or sometimes DVE.

Now let us turn to the two stories we heard today about Peter and Saul (who we know better as Paul).

But first let me say a word about the place of the Bible in our life as the People of God.

It is, and always has been and always should be our foundational text from which we draw insights, instructions and inspiration.

However I have known Churches that are fixated on buildings, or programmes, or filling rotas, or which songs or hymns we should sing.

All in their proper contexts good things – but as Justin Welby pointed out they are decorations, maybe good and needful, but decorations none the less.

The Archbishop usefully reminds us of the purpose and the calling of the Church – worship and making disciples.

As someone once said, ‘the Church of God does not have a mission, but the God of mission has a Church.’

This is sometimes referred to as the ‘Missio Dei’ – the Mission of God.

And our Scripture’s tell us in one overarching and ever unfolding story of God’s mission. It’s wonderfully encapsulated in the hymn with this opening verse…

God is working his purpose out,
as year succeeds to year,
God is working his purpose out,
and the time is drawing near;
nearer and nearer draws the time,
the time that shall surely be,
when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.

That’s our calling and that’s our purpose as the People of God.

I sometimes suggest that every time the PCC meets there ought to be one extra space, perhaps with an open Bible on the table. That is to remind us of the place for Jesus in our discussions and deliberating.

And of each and every item on the agenda this ought to be our primary question – ‘how will this help us to know Jesus better or help to make Jesus better known.’

For it is in Jesus that the redemptive purposes of God are fully revealed.

For a starter just think about the difference it would make if we not only said the Lord’s Prayer but lived it out and strove to make it a reality in our lives, in our families and across our nation and the world. 

And in this great task we have both an individual calling and vocation and a corporate calling and vocation.

The quotes I began reflect that – the first from Michelle Quoist speaks of the individual call and then the one from Justin Welby speaks of the nature and the calling of the Church – as the body of Christ.

And our two stories of Peter and Saul/Paul can help us consider the call of the individual and the call of the corporate.

The story of Peter’s restoration is most wonderfully and tenderly told.  We get to know Peter as we read the Gospel accounts because he is presented to us with his flaws and failings. Rather like Oliver Cromwell was to say many years later, ‘paint me warts and all’ - so we get to know Peter warts and all.’

And we know Peter, we know people like Peter, and we might even be like Peter.  The mouth is open before the brain has time to engage the gears and something is blurted out or some action is taken.

No, never will I deny you, the others might, but me, I will die for you.  And then it would seem initially at least, Peter might just do that. As Jesus is arrested it is Peter who is waving his sword around in defence of Jesus.

But that’s not the way Jesus is going to win this battle – swords and harsh words and petty jealousies and bullying and violence – that’s the way of the world.

Jesus came to bring a loving revelation not the violent revolution many were looking for.

And then we see Peter following Jesus as he is taken into the courtyard of the High Priest – another act of impulsiveness but when it came down it he failed.

We hear a threefold denial and fisherman’s curses.

And today – today we hear the wonderful story of the resurrected Jesus gently taking Peter out of earshot of the others following a night of fruitless fishing until given insight by Jesus on which side to fish from.

We hear Jesus ask three times if Peter loves him – matching his three fold denial. As Peter declares his love for Jesus so he receives his commission and vocation.  To lead, guide, nurture and tend the young church in its foundational stages.

What we learn here to put it into modern parlance is – ‘if you mess up then fess up’ – and move on.

Now let us turn to our other character Saul and the wonderful story of his conversion.  Whatever it was that happened it was enough to turn Saul into Paul and his world view upside down – or perhaps we should say the right way up.

Saul in due course also receives his call and vocation…

Paul (let’s call him that now) recalls this account three times and we can read them in the Acts of the Apostles.

What’s your own conversion story – how did you come to faith. Can you tell your story, like Paul was able to do?

I met somebody the other day who was able to tell the exact date and time, 2pm when he gave his life to Christ.

My own date is the 1^st January 1975 when at the age of 24 I made a New Year’s Resolution to become a Christian.

But maybe you would say to me that that you have always known God and you have never been knocked of a horse and had that moment of blinding inspiration and change. That you just grew up and into the Christian faith.

When it comes to sharing your own Faith story I often invite people to use two mnemonics to help them frame their story.

BEN & ANN

Ben stands for those who speak of a definite life before without Christ, a particular life changing encounter(s) and what life is like now. These are what we might term conversion Christians.

Then we have Ann and this stands for those who have always known God but then came to recognise the need to have an owned faith and then how that is being worked out now in their day to day life. These are what we might term as cradle Christians.

Peter was restored and brought back on the right track. 

Saul thought he was doing God’s work until he met the risen Jesus which sent him off in another direction altogether - Saul the persecutor became Paul the evangelist.

And we can be eternally grateful because it is Paul’s rich Hebrew heritage and deep desire to know Jesus better and to make Jesus better known that we have a rich treasure trove to mine in the Letters.  

These can help us to live the Christian life both as individuals and as the People of God, the Body of Christ, to use one of Paul’s own metaphors.

But whether you or more of a Ben than an Ann or an admixture of the two the most important thing is in which direction are you travelling?

Jesus began his ministry by saying…

 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."

Repent means to turn around 180 degrees and go in the other direction.

As we have heard afresh again recently when we journeyed with Jesus through Palm Sunday, onto his passion, crucifixion and then resurrection – there are but two ways and two paths.

The way of Caesar and the world or the way of God revealed in Jesus – either Caesar is Lord or Jesus is Lord.

Remember the famous legend of Peter during the reign of Emperor Nero. The subject of a film, called. “Quo vadis?”  This is the question Peter puts to Jesus as he sees him walking towards Rome along the Appian Way. Jesus replies, “Romam vado iterum crucifigi.” I am going to Rome to be crucified again.

At which point Peter repents, turns around and goes to face death in Rome by crucifixion.

Today and every day you and I will choose which path and which Lord to follow.

And choosing to follow Jesus isn’t about escaping to some sort of eternal life in heaven when you die.  That’s not the Christian hope or story.

The big story is about God’s redemptive purposes for the whole of the created order.

And you and are invited to help with those redemptive purposes by showing in our lives as individuals and together as the People of God how we are designed to live as authentic human beings in God’s world.

And you and I are commissioned to tell others about this Good News and invite them to repent and to join in God’s Mission of bringing everything into good order.

Until that great and glorious day that we read about in Revelation chapter 21 when heaven comes to earth and there is the ultimate marriage between God and his created order.  

Until then we are called to follow Christ in the footsteps of St Chad and in the footsteps of St Peter and St Paul. We are called individually and collectively to discover our vocation, deepen our discipleship and engage in evangelism.     

So let me ask you this question…

Which I ask it both as individuals and also as the People of God, as members of this Faith Community….

Quo Vadis?

Where are you going?

Let me close with a Consecration Prayer of Prebandery Wilson Carlile, Founder of Church Army that you may wish to echo in your hearts...

And now and here I give myself to you,

  and now and here you give yourself to me;

  and now and here I find your love within.

Break through me Lord that others I might win;

Your wounded body and your life blood poured

 impel me forth to live and preach you Lord.