We have talked about Piety, ......Filling our life with Christ.
We have discussed Study ... deepening our understanding of Gods will for us.
Yet ... These two things are not complete, without Action.
Just as a three legged stool is not complete... without the third leg.
Action will remind us of the Pious life we are to live ... and will stimulate us to Study ... even more.
Without action... our Pious living is a Hypocrisy and our Study to no avail.
James puts it this way : " Even so Faith without works is dead" or we could paraphrase, Faith without Action is Dead. (James 2:17)
The type of Action we are talking about ... is Apostolic Action.
Who is an Apostle?
Mr. Webster states that an Apostle is: One who is sent out with a special message or Commission".
For those walking in the Life of Grace, ... that commission is set forth by Jesus Christ himself.
In the Gospel of Mark Jesus states " Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." (Mark 16:15)
Jesus did not suggest that we go and preach the gospel, ... He commanded it.
We have been commanded by Christ ... to go ... and to spread the good news to the whole world.
Some may feel they do not want to engage in Apostolic Action until they are quote "A Stronger Christians".
These may be the same people ... that would have you believe ... that you become a perfected golfer, ... skier or tennis player ... by just reading about it ... or thinking about it.
We truly become stronger not only in Sports ... but in our Christian walk ... by combining both Study and Action.
Jesus states in the Gospel of John that you should Love one another as I have loved you. (John 13:34)
That makes Apostolic Action ... so much easier.
Love gives us the desire ... to introduce others to our best friend, Jesus.
If you can imagine yourself standing with our Lord ... as the unbelievers are being Judged.
And, there in the crowd is a neighbor ... or maybe it is someone you work with.
They catch your eye.
You hear their voice, Why didn't you tell me? ...... Why didn't you care. (Pause)
We need to exercise our Apostolic Action ... because by telling others about Christ ... we grow.
We learn from our action... how to exercise our Faith.
In the epistle of James, He states that as a result of works, Faith was perfected. (James 2:22)
That is, ... your faith becomes stronger ... due to our Apostolic Action. (Pause)
As men of God ... we are called to be the spiritual leader ... in our household.
Therefore ... Our home is the best place to begin ... our Apostolic walk.
I truly believe that my wife Lee and I have brought up our children in a Christ centered home.
Almost every night ... I laid my hands on Kristin and Justin's head while they are sleeping and would pray for them.
I always end the prayer with "Jesus in your Dreams".
There is such power when Lee and I do Gods work together ... and Pray together.
Our Lords presence ... brings such peace ... in those moments when we are in His will.
Our wives ... are such blessings and they clearly know our weaknesses and I know it is a strong word but they know when we are hypocrites.
If we would only take the time to listen, ... If we would only MAKE time to listen.
I believe that God gives our wives a gift of tremendous insight and intuition.
If we would only listen ... and let that gift permeate our life.
When I think of Apostolic Action it brings to mind Lee's (My wife) , brother Al, who owns a small bakery in Painesville, Ohio.
He places the yeast in a refrigerated area to keep it from spoiling.
Yet when he mixes it with dough,... It starts a reaction that makes the dough truly come alive.
As Christians we are like the yeast.
We can keep ourselves from spoiling by a Pious life and by Study but that is not all God called us to be.
We should be mixed like leaven with the lost world around us ... and start a reaction ... so the whole world can come alive in Christ. (Pause)
We as Christian Men and Women ... are called to bring our Ideal of a Christ oriented life ... into every situation, ... into all of our Environments.
But, to do it in a Spirit of Love..... accompanied by Apostolic Prayer ... and Apostolic Action.
Beloved...... you were called by name,... just as the early disciples, ... from different backgrounds, ... different experiences and even different beliefs.
Called to take time to be with your Lord.
To share with each other ... and to grow in Christ.
To become Christian men and women ... dedicated to a life of Piety, Study and Action.
That Action should be planed... and should be motivated by a love of God and neighbor, ... not just a desire to do good.
I remember a comment that was shared about my son Justin at a parent teacher conference from his High School Chemistry teacher.
She stated that Justin was an exceptional student ... and that he was not afraid,...... not afraid to work with other students that were considered odd or different.
You see Justin was pretty well known kid at school ... yet he was not afraid to be available to those that might be looked down upon ... by the rest of the student body.
He was not afraid ... of how he would be perceived by the rest of his class.
He sees a person in need ... and he steps forward to fulfill that need.
I believe the opposite of Love is not Hate, ........, it is Fear.
And it is fear ... that keeps us from stepping out ... and doing the right thing.
It could be the fear of how we are perceived by others ... or the fear that we might be considered odd or different.
When my Wife shared what this teacher said about Justin ... I felt a tremendous Pride in him for his courage.
We need to be willing to step out and do Gods work ... even in the presence of fear.
And not let that fear separate us from Gods plan for our lives.
The Statement .......Fear Not" or "Be not Afraid" is purported to be in the scriptures 365 times;
One for every day of your Life.
Apostolic Action often times must revert back to the fundamental call of being a Witness for Christ.
Some people seem to be disturbed by the term Witness, ... I know I did at one time,.... but I believe Christ used this word for a very special reason.
What makes a good Witness?
Let us turn to a courtroom setting.
First a witness is required to only answer questions that are presented to them.
If a witness speaks out of turn or rambles on, ... the Judge will call them out of order.
This is no different than our Christian walk.
We answer questions of those around us ... who are seeking the Truth.
Second: You must be believable.
Are you a believable witness?
Does your life portray ... what you are saying?
Is your witness as a Christian believable?
Well ... There is a way to find out:
If our country was invaded and they began to persecute the Christians and throw them in jail, would your actions alone, ... would your life alone ... prove you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt?
Are you, a believable Christian?
Thirdly, Tell only what you have heard or seen.
The Judge and the Jury are seeking direct testimony why? ... because it is the most credible.
Do not give someone else's witness.
Tell only what you have seen,... what you have experienced.
Maybe your witness is not Earth shattering, as some, ... but your life will affect others.
Tell only what you have experienced, ... what you have witnessed.
Answer Questions "Truthfully" - Be Believable and Tell only what you have experienced.
These are the attributes of a True Witness.
So ... What is God calling us... to do?
Our Lord used a very good example when He called us the Salt of the Earth ... and the Light of the World.
Have you ever been in a dark room ... when someone turns on a bright light.
Flash, ... it is like a small explosion ... and you quickly cover your eyes.
But soon your eyes become accustomed to the light .... and you can look around ... and see the beauty and the colors that surround you.
Have you ever had a cut and hand and had salt get in it?
It is painful at first, ... yet Salt from the beginning of time ... has been used to cleanse wounds ... and help in the healing process.
We as men and women of God ... must be the Salt of the Earth ... and begin to minister to the wounds of the world.
We must be the light of the world ... and guide the way for those that are in darkness.
Make a Friend, Be a Friend, Bring a Friend to Christ.
Yet Remember: Talk to God about your friend before you talk to your friend about God.
There is no denying that Christ has given us a great responsibility.
By responsibility, ... I mean, the obligation to answer ... for what we have or have not done.
The Lord called you, ... all of you, ... to entrust you ... with the mission of bringing men and women to Christ.
And we are held responsible ... if we do not fulfill that mission.
If we were doctors, ... we would feel a great responsibility ... because we would be dealing with something that could be a matter of life and death.
If we were entrusted with millions of dollars, ... we would be careful how we invested it.
As followers of Christ, ... we should feel the responsibility even more ... because what we have in our hands is more precious than a million dollars.... It is the pearl of great price worth selling all for. (Matthew 13:46)
And, we are dealing with something that could be a matter of eternal life or eternal death.
Ezekiel points out our duty clearly and our responsibility: Hear God's Word:
BIBLE "When I say to the wicked, you shall surely die; and you do not warn him or speak to warn him, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand." END (Ezekiel 3:18)
Yes, you can go home after our time together and not do a thing, ... but it will not take away this passage of scripture.
It will not relieve you of your responsibility as a Christian.
The mission of the church is great, ... and I tell you the world is not lost because there are to many pagans.
The world is lost ... because there are to few Christians with the fortitude, ... the guts, t... o live and act as followers of Christ.
The world is mainly non-Christian ... by default.
Remember you are the Salt of the Earth, the Light of the World.
What you do no matter how small it may seem ... does make a difference.
Apostolic Action makes a difference not only in your life but it also makes a difference in the Church.
You know the Church. Here is the Church. Here is the Steeple. Open the doors and see all the people.
The church that Jesus formed has no doors.
It has no steeple.
It does however have people.
People are the Church, ... you and me.
We are the People ... that constitute the church that Jesus founded.
And we need to stay in contact with brothers and sisters in Christ.
By brothers and sisters I mean fellow disciples with whom we can share our Apostolic Action.
Men and women who are striving to live the same kind of life that we are.
That is a life in Grace.
You are the Church.
It begins with You!!
Remember the church cannot fulfill its mission unless you act.
The action can be this simple:
You have heard it before: Make a Friend, Be a Friend, Bring a Friend to Christ.
We are all Apostles trying to help others to meet our friend, Jesus.
Here is a story I once read from a book titled .....One inch from the Fence...... and I commend it to you.
The title of this short discourse is called .....Kissing Frogs ".
Ever feel like a Frog? Frogs feel slow, low, ugly, puffy, drooped, pooped.
I know! One told me.
The Frog feeling comes when:
You want to be bright, but you feel dull.
You want to share, but you are selfish.
You want to be thankful, but you are resentful.
You want to be big, but you are small.
You want to care, but you are indifferent.
Yes, at one time or another, each of us has found themselves on a lily pad.
Floating down the great river of life.
Frightened and disgusted but too darn Froggish to budge.
The Rest of the Fairy Tale-
Once upon a time there was a Frog. But he was not really a Frog.
He was a Prince that looked like a Frog.
A wicked Witch had cast a spell on him and only the kiss of a beautiful young maiden could save him.
But since when do cute chicks kiss Frogs?
So there he sat, an un-kissed Prince in Frog form.
Ah, But miracles happen.
One day a beautiful maiden grabbed him and gave him a big smack.
Crash, Boom, Zap! He became.... he was a handsome Prince. You know the rest. They lived happily ever after.
The Lord defines for us what Frogs we are to kiss.
Those that are Widowed, orphaned, hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, ill or even in prison.
These are the Frogs that we are instructed to kiss.
Now here is the thing that is so tremendous about being a follower of the Christ.
There is no way that each of us individually can kiss all the Frogs that are out there in the World.
If you remember in first Corinthians ... that we are all members of one body ... and All have a particular function to serve.
If you think of the physical body it is ridiculous to think of a toe that sees, ... or a knee that tastes ... or an arm that walks.
So it is with the body of Christ.
Each of us is called to be a particular part of that body and expected to function in that role.
The Lord does not expect us to fill a role...... that we are not ... equipped for.
By the same token, ... the Lord does not expect us to sit around apathetically ... doing nothing.
Remember what Jesus said in Matthew :
Then the King will answer with these words,
"I assure you that whatever you fail to do to the humblest of my brothers, you fail to do to me" (Matthew 24:25)
Our mission then as men and women of Christ.... is to go out to find our own particular kind of Frog,........And kiss it.
(Pause)
Beloved....., it is not easy out there on the Field of Life. When we feel like giving up we must push on. We must persevere.
To help us persevere, we need at times to plant a stake.
A stake that we can hold on to that declares: Yes, that's where God touched me --- that's where God used me.
Early in my walk I was able to plant a stake on a Faith Alive weekend.
Faith Alive is an organization that sends a group of men, women and youth to a church to share their relationship with their Lord.
But, the weekend does far more than that, it helps the congregation to really begin communicating with each other.
During these weekends, there is a program not only for adults but for youth and for small children.
I had been involved with Faith Alive for approximately two years working with Adults; when some Friends, who were Children Coordinators called me.
They had both come down with the flu and they asked me if I would lead the Children's program next week in NY.
Believe me, the last thing I wanted to do as a single young man was to be with a bunch of little children.
But I agreed go.
I contacted a friend of mine to see if she would join me in this great adventure, which she did.
This Faith Alive happened to be at a Congregational Church in Lancaster NY, which is near Buffalo.
The 3 hour drive gave us plenty of time to panic before we got there.
When we arrived we were not disappointed at all.
There they were about 15 little Children ranging in age between 5 and 12 years old.
I do not remember ever having that much energy when I was a Child.
We had a wonderful time together.
We sang, we cut out snowflakes to show how God makes each of us different and special.
We talked about how much Jesus loves us and watches over us.
During the whole weekend the love of Christ is brought into focus Through a story called .....Warm Fuzzies ".
You see, Warm Fuzzies may look like a Fuzzy ball of yarn, but it really is a symbol of Gods Love.
Near the end of the weekend the Children tell the Warm Fuzzy story to the whole Congregation and pass out literally hundreds of warm fuzzies.
It is a very touching moment, not only for the Children, but for the Adults as well.
We got together with the children one more time to say goodbye.
But, God had something else in mind.
The Children wanted to know how to get Jesus into their hearts.
I did not remember that happening very often with the Adults.
I guess that is why Christ says to come as little Children.
Well, the manual clearly states........Do not have a prayer circle with little children they will not stay still ".
But, it still sounded like a good idea to me so we had a prayer circle anyway.
I turned down the lights and we sat in a circle on the floor.
As I took the hand of the little girl next to me,....... I felt the presence and power of Christ in a way I had never experienced before.
We prayed a short prayer of repentance together and I know that Jesus touched everyone of those little Children.
I will also tell you, I wasn't working with Adults anymore.
The story did not end there.
Two years latter I was on a Faith Alive weekend in Michigan, working with Children of course.
A lady from the Congregational church in Lancaster NY happened to be part of the team.
She came over to me and said: ......Jeff, do you remember the little girl from our church with the learning disability"
Yes, I remember .......well, she had to go into the Hospital to have a heart operation, you know what she asked her mommy? .......Mommy, ......if I die will you bury me with my warm fuzzy?"
Well, that little girl from Lancaster NY did die in the hospital.
And in her casket she held her warm fuzzy, a symbol of Gods Love. (Pause)
We must Persevere; We must fight the good fight.
We must move off the sideline and become Christian men and women of Action.
Whenever I feel like giving up, I look back at that stake that is planted in Lancaster NY and I remember that little girl.
And, I can say, My Lord used me there.... My Lord touched me there.... And if I persevere He will use me again.
I planted a stake that says, .......I will never give in to this World. I am in the World but not of it."
We must fight the good fight. We must finish the race.
Remember you are the Salt of the Earth, the Light of the World.
What you do no matter how small it may seem does make a difference. (Pause)
And Beloved, Please Remember the Frogs
It is the follower of Jesus, you and me that can see the worth of kissing, rather than squashing Frogs.
It is through Jesus that we are empowered to be Frog Kissers.
But, Remember, Jesus can not kiss Frogs,....... without your Lips.
Amen and Amen!
Help: I retired in November 2017 and am attempting to supplement my income by sharing on Sermoncentral. If this Message has been helpful to you, please consider a nominal gift: Send to The Rev. Jeff Smead 11725 Regent Park Drive Chardon Ohio 44024. Blessed To Be A Blessing.
Dear Reader: So I can better help you, if this Homily was not helpful and you rated it low, Please let me know what it lacked or why it was not helpful. You can search by contributor Smead. (Constructive Criticism is very helpful) and contact me there. Blessings Always. Jeff
