Matthew 28:16-20
"How?"
(After showing the 3:42 Youtube Video)
That's Atheist Penn Jillette who is one half of Penn and Teller, a duo that has been headlining Vegas shows for years with comedy and the art of illusion.
Penn has never been shy about his disbelief in God.
Yet in that video blog we just watched Penn shares a story about the time a gracious Christian businessman gave him a Bible as a gift.
And he really appreciated it.
Still, many of us have probably had bad experiences with folks who have tried to "convert" us through hard handed tactics or have "seemingly" looked down on us in a way that may seem "self-righteous," as they tried to get us to "believe the way they believe."
And experiences like these, may cause some of us to "shy away" from evangelism all-together because we don't want to treat others in a similar way.
A cartoon in the New Yorker Magazine shows a man sitting alone on a seat, wearing a tee-shirt that says: "ASK ME ABOUT MY RELIGION."
The caption above the cartoon reads: "Another way to keep an empty seat beside you on the train."
Although, if it is done with love and a sincere respect for the thoughts, ideas, beliefs and opinions of the other--humbly and without judgment--speaking to the person sitting next to you on the train or the airplane about Jesus can be very fruitful.
And I speak from experience.
A number of years ago, on a flight from New York to Los Angeles I sat next to a young man who was of a similar age as I was.
He was reading a certain "Heavy Metal" magazine that I was very familiar with.
We got to be pretty good friends on that 5 hour flight.
And I told him all about my Christian Conversion experience, how it had changed me, and so forth.
I didn't know whether he was much interested in this aspect of our conversation or not.
But after we had gotten off the plane, and were waiting for our luggage...
...he came up to me and asked me if I had any informational material about Christianity that I could give him.
He said that he wanted to learn more about it.
In our Gospel Lesson for this morning Jesus gives us what is referred to as the Great Commission: "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I've commanded you."
But how are we supposed to go about doing that?
I think the "how" is something we get a bit confused about.
One thing we must not miss in the Great Commission is the last sentence, where Jesus says: "I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age."
So, at the very least, we don't evangelize alone.
Jesus is with us.
And Jesus is the One Who convicts the hearts of persons.
And Jesus is the One Who provides persons with the gift of faith...or the ability to believe.
And Jesus doesn't force people to believe.
But, amazingly enough, God has chosen to use us in bringing about the "making of disciples," and the "teaching or bringing up of" disciples.
And what greater privilege and responsibility could there possibly be in all the earth?
That being said, Jesus' followers probably shouldn't try and force people to believe either.
It really won't work anyway.
When Jesus was talking with Nicodemus about being born again, in John Chapter 3, He spoke about it as the work of the Holy Spirit.
And He said, "God's Spirit blows wherever it wishes...It's the same with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
For some reason, it seems, that salvation happens according to God's timing.
We can plant seeds.
We can even watch as someone makes the decision to follow Christ.
And we are to help people along in that process.
But we can't force people to accept Christ.
If we think we can, we will be extremely frustrated Christians, to say the least.
But we are to "make disciples" in partnership with God.
Have you ever seen those signs on businesses that promote some "deal" they are trying to sell, and then in the last few words the sign reads: "Come in and ask us how"?
I've often been tempted to just walk into one of those stores, go up to a clerk or manager and simply say: "How?"
And after the perplexed store attendant looks at me funny and asks: "How what?," I would reply, "Your sign instructed me to come in and ask you 'How?'"
Anyway, Jesus commands His first disciples and Jesus commands us to "go and make disciples..."
But He doesn't tell us "how" does He...
...or does He?
This is called the "Great Commission," and the definition of a commission is "an instruction, a command, a duty given."
Well, what other commands are there in the Bible?
In Matthew Chapter 22 Jesus is asked what the "greatest commandment of all" is.
His answer?
"You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind...And...You must love your neighbor as yourself."
He says that everything hangs on these two commandments.
So, if everything hangs on these two commandments...
...I think it makes sense that our motivation to "make disciples of Jesus Christ" should come from our love for God and other people.
And from this, we might very rightly infer that "making disciples of Jesus Christ" involves much more than just "talking."
It was Saint Francis who once said, "Preach the Gospel always; when
necessary, use words."
And since the "Great Commission" involves the instructions to teach those who become followers of Christ "to obey everything" Jesus has command us...
...teaching persons to LOVE God and others should be number one on the teaching list.
It should guide everything we do.
As Methodists we believe in something called "Christian Perfection" or "Total Sanctification."
John Wesley, the Founder of the Methodist Movement defined "Christian Perfection" as "having a habitual love for God and neighbor."
And as it says in the "Hokey Pokey" "that's what it's all about!!!"
That's what we are to strive for, although few if any will ever get there in this life-time.
So, what does loving persons look like?
What does Jesus command?
Well, He commands us to be "the salt of the earth," and the "light of the world."
He commands us not only not to murder but if someone has something against us, to "Go, and be reconciled--make friends."
He commands us to "turn the other cheek," to "go the second mile," to "pray"--even for our enemies, to sell our possessions and give our money to the poor, to visit the sick, those in prison, to give a drink of water to the thirsty, food to the hungry, clothing to the naked.
Jesus commands us not to judge one another...
...and He calls on us to have compassion and show mercy.
That's pretty GREAT, I must say.
Even an atheist couldn't argue with those principals.
Do you know what the earliest Christians were most known for?
It wasn't their stance on politics or any other "hot topic"...
...it was "Look how they love one another!!!"
And that's why Christianity grew.
The first results of the Gospel are nothing short of astonishing.
In 25 AD nobody outside a small town in Galilee had heard of Jesus.
By 50 AD there were riots in Rome because of Him, and by 65 AD His followers were being persecuted by the emperor.
Today, His followers number in the billions!!!
Christianity is the world's biggest religion.
What are we to make of that?
In any event, the task of making disciples of Jesus Christ is far from finished.
Not until death itself is destroyed, and the entire world comes under the rule of Jesus, will God's purposes be fully accomplished.
But just to "say" the words: "I'm a Christian," doesn't appear to seal the deal.
In Matthew Chapter 7, Jesus says: "Not everybody who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will get into the kingdom of heaven.
Only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter.
On the Judgment Day, many people will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name and expel demons in your name and do lots of miracles in your name?'
Then I will tell them, 'I've never known you. Get away from me, you people who do wrong.'"
Then Jesus goes on to say: But, "everybody who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise builder..."
In other words, "love" is an action word.
Lip service by itself doesn't do it.
Making disciples means loving people into God's Kingdom--ALL PEOPLE!!!
Certainly, Christians will never agree on every aspect of the Bible or of the faith, but we are all commissioned to "make disciples."
We are all commissioned to LOVE.
John Wesley is quoted as saying: "Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike?
May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion?"
(PAUSE)
Love God, love neighbor.
"Go and make disciples of Jesus Christ by loving God and loving neighbor.
Teach those who accept the message of Love to love as you have been taught to love.
And don't worry about it.
For, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age."
Atheist Penn Jillete said: " I've always said, you know, that I don't respect people who do not proselytize.
I don't respect that at all.
If you believe that there's a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life or whatever, and you think that, uh, well, it's not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward—uh, how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize them?
How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?
I mean, if I believed beyond the shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming to hit you, and you didn't believe it, and that truck was bearing down on you, there's a certain point where I tackle you.
And this is more important than that."
Yes. Yes it is.
Amen.
