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So
Philip went down the road from Jerusalem to Gaza.
Wow, if that doesn’t carry powerful
imagery. I don’t know what all it could have meant for Luke or
Philip, but I know what it means for us. The road from
Jerusalem to Gaza is probably the most critical road in the
world—the road which symbolizes all the tensions and conflict
of our world; the road most needed and hardest to travel; the
road on which the future of the world seems to hang; the road
which symbolizes the difficult path to peace in our world
today.
Luke says it was a “desert road” and,
unfortunately, it still is. Desert…and deserted. It is a hard
road to travel, but it is the path to reconciliation, to
justice, to peace.
And there he met an Ethiopian.
It’s quite amazing, really, this African
tourist, a black government official, making the journey into
the Middle East. In many ways, this encounter between Philip
and the Ethiopian symbolizes our world today, where boundaries
are blurring, cultures are clashing, and the world is becoming
“flat” as many of the old walls come crashing down. This first
encounter with an Ethiopian traveler is literally the first
moment of the Gospel crossing the color line, crossing the
racial and ethnic barriers, the melding of the nations.
He was obviously powerful, a world
traveler, intelligent, the treasurer of the Queen of
Ethiopians…
But he also knew nothing about the
faith.
You can’t help but wonder what drew him
into this distant part of the world, crossing into Israel. But
Luke says he came to worship. He came seeking. He came
searching for something to believe in, something to worship,
some faith that would make sense in his life.
And if the road from Jerusalem to Gaza
symbolizes the tensions of our world and the encounter with
Philip represents the crossing of cultures and racial
barriers, perhaps in terms of faith this Ethiopian official
represents a large number of people in our world today: well
educated, wealthy, politically powerful and curious, with no
knowledge of Jesus Christ. Perhaps he represents most of the
people you and I meet every day on the road and along the
way—good people, successful people, but totally lacking in
faith.
There is a story that comes from the year
of the Atlanta Olympics. You know that collecting pins from
the various teams and sponsors is a big deal in the Olympic
community. Well, the story goes that a visiting athlete went
into an Atlanta jewelry shop hoping to add to his collection.
And in the shop there was a glass display case full of
crosses. Some were on chains, some in gold or silver, some
with jewels or artistically painted. The sales clerk began
showing him the various crosses, and when she came to one with
a crucifix, the Body of Christ, she lifted it up and said,
“Oh, look. Here’s one with a little athlete on it”…totally
oblivious to the message of the cross.
Pollster George Gallup identifies the
deeper problem. The number one problem in churches today is
biblical illiteracy. We don’t even know our own story, while
outside the church, the Gospel is a mystery, completely
unknown, so people are seeking and questioning, reading and
searching for something to give life meaning, without really
knowing the story of Christ.
I believe this road from Jerusalem to
Gaza, this encounter of breaking down barriers, this man in
his searching but unknowing, represent the world in which we
do ministry today.
Well, Luke says Philip “joins himself to
him.” He sits with him and travels with him on the quest of
faith. He listens to his questions and honors his doubts,
until finally the man asks the question. And at that point, it
says “Philip opened his mouth,” which is to suggest he had
been keeping his mouth shut until then! And when the man
asked, then he said, “Let me tell you about Jesus.”
That’s the kind of evangelism the world
needs today. The world has had its fill of hard-nosed,
hard-edged, hard-driving preachers. What it needs are winsome
witnesses, caring listeners who sit long enough to hear the
doubts and struggles of others, and in loving humility share
the story of Jesus.
In this kind of a day in this kind of
a world, there is an urgent need for this kind of a church…
-
a church which cares about the
brokenness of the world, about the road from Jerusalem to
Gaza, and witnesses to the paths of peace
-
a truly inclusive church with open
doors, where even an Ethiopian traveler would find a welcome
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a church where people can ask
questions, wrestle with the biblical text, and through the
loving hands of fellow travelers, find the way to faith
The world needs this kind of a church…this
church.
As you all know, Will LaPorte has been in
our prayers every Sunday since he was born— premature, only 1
½ pounds—last March. He is up to 12 pounds now, and his family
is trying to relocate to Louisiana in order to be closer to
family, though the cost of relocating Will will be incredible.
I want share with you a letter from Will’s father, Greg,
expressing their appreciation for the support and ministry of
this congregation. Greg writes:
Church for me had been an unyielding series
of lectures and ceremony designed to remind me that I was
not like Christ and not worthy of his love. History
changed the day I walked into FUMC. On that Sunday, I saw a
large, enthusiastic church deeply engaged in hearing from Dr.
Ritter about a Christ who came to be among all of us,
to include all of us and to save all of us.
Here, in my forties, I learned that I am worthy of God’s love,
His Kingdom and His grace. In fact, it is by this grace that I
am saved.
Church at FUMC went beyond the message.
There were services in various worship styles, there were
warm, friendly people greeting me, there were programs to
reach out to the community, there was music unlike any that I
had ever heard before, there were small groups…and did I
mention the friendly people? Church became people. WOW! I
really wanted to be a part of this. I mean, I thought about
the experience on days other than Sunday…very strange.
After the initial excitement, I settled on
Sunday Night Alive, and I tell you that I am really glad I
did. At Sunday Night Alive, I felt, for the first time, the
very real presence of God. I see it in Joe’s hands when he is
lost in music. I see it in Jeff’s smile when he is drawing us
into prayer. And I see it on the faces of the people of the
congregation. I have felt this presence in the prayers and
outreach for our son, Will. I must say that it is all so
overwhelming.
Times are hard right now, harder than they
have ever been. I don’t know what the future holds, but you
have taught me what I mean to Christ and what His church can
mean in my life. Because of you, I am changed in ways that
cannot be undone. Thank you all, and may God continue to bless
this church.
Well, when the Ethiopian heard the story,
he responded, “What is to keep me from accepting Christ right
here and now? What’s to stop me from becoming a believer?
What’s to prevent me from being baptized and giving my life to
Christ today? Why not now?”
And that is the question I want to
lift out of the story and lift up before us today: WHY NOT
NOW?
In a world which is focused on the path
from Jerusalem to Gaza, a world desperately in need of the
word and work of the Prince of Peace…
Why not now?
In a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic,
multi-racial world which desperately needs to see an inclusive
community of faith where old barriers are broken down and
diverse people can journey together…
Why not now?
And in a day when men and women are
biblically illiterate, desperately in need of a church which
will listen to their questions and join them in their quest
until they find their way to Christ…
Why not now?
The words
for the day are the words of urgency: “Why not now?”
The time for the church is NOW.
The time for our witness and worship is
now.
The time for our mission outreach and
service is now.
The time for faithful stewardship to carry
the Gospel of Christ across the street and around the world is
now.
Cymbal players amaze me.
I particularly love the Michigan drum
line…crashing brass, rolling somersaults, incredible force and
rhythm. But there is also the cymbal player in the symphony
orchestra. You can watch him, most of the time sitting out
pages of music—probably reading his New York Times, for all we
know—until the moment when the conductor gives the cue. And at
exactly the right moment…crash! Someone once said to a cymbal
player, “Really, that doesn’t look so hard. What do you
really need to know to play the cymbals?” And he responded,
“You are right. You really don’t have to know much. The only
thing you need to know is…WHEN!”
There is only one thing you need to
know today…that’s “When”…and “When” is “NOW!”
If you are going to commit your life to
Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, do it now. If you are
going to pledge yourself to faithful stewardship through your
tithes and offerings, do it now. If you are going to listen
for God’s call in your life to some form of service, offering
your time and talent in the work of Christ, do it now.
The time is now.
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