If I were to ask you what you see when you look around the church today, what would you see? Do you see the glorious spectacles entailed in the architecture, history, how clean the sanctuary is, or do you see other people like yourself? Do you see skin color, do you see likeminded friends, fellow Christians that’s on the same journey as you to Christ, do you see good moral, bible believing, justice advocating, biblical world view, holy living moderates, sensitive to others needs and wounds type of people—or are you looking at sinners saved by grace?
When I was preparing for this message, I came across many excerpts that suggested 1/3 of all of Paul’s letters throughout the New Testament, was in direct relation to Christ and His church—meaning you and me. Their walk, their behavior, even their demise. I can’t help but to think how important His church is, while we, Christ followers, claiming to be His servants, are appearing to be so separated. Are we serving Christ together? Or are we living the Christian life to ourselves? Are we an open-door church, not realizing we cannot select whom comes walking through these doors to try and find Christ, or are we a church whose title exclaims A Only invited visitors club! I want to be clear, I am speaking more about the church, rather than a specific denomination or people. From my message in September, ‘The Reason for the Church, if we love Christ, we will love what Jesus loves and Jesus loves His church—we must be willing and obedient servants—not just loving those that love us in return. Jesus tells us in Matthew 9, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Now go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, rather than sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
In serving Christ together, do we even realize, just how important it is to come together in unity, in the likeness of Christ, as one body to both serve and be obedient? Even though we have our carnal minds and Godly spirit, there will be periods of disagreements, yet love abounds. There will be squabbles, disputes and even crisis, yet unity flourishes—all because Christ is our common denominator. In starting our journey today friends, we are going to look further into how serving Christ together makes all the difference—and as Paul brilliantly displayed in His letters, togetherness is at the heart of the Christian faith.
There is always challenges in Gods church, especially when the core fight we are upholding is in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I would rather that be the focus in His church than what the world suggests, wouldn’t you?
In our Gospel reading today in Matthew chapter 22, I’ll paraphrase here some, we see Jesus telling a parable where there was a wedding for the kings son. The king sent messengers out to invite those who were invited to attend, however those invited would not come. These same people made light of the Kings request and ultimately killed the messengers he sent—so the king was enraged, and then destroyed all who killed his messengers. So the king sent new messengers to tell others the wedding is ready, but to those originally invited, they are no longer welcomed. The king instructed the messengers to go everywhere in the streets and gather all whom they found, both good and bad, and bring them to this feast. As the king came to see these new guests, he noticed a man not wearing a wedding robe, and the king asked the question where your robe is. The man had no response, so the king ordered the man bound hand and foot and casted into total darkness, for there are many who are called, but few are chosen.
The point of this parable is really simple. The king is our God and His son is Jesus. When we are asked to take part in His wedding, the bridegroom is Christ and we, His Church is the bride. Many select to reject Gods invitation to be one with Him. Even though God opens the invitation again and again, there comes a times where even though we may come to God in body, we are truly not His servants. To participate in unity with God and His people friends, you are not only invited to attend and be part of it all, but we also need to wear the clothing of Christ, His spirit—the righteousness of Christ, accepted by grace through faith. Those without the garment or clothing, although called to be His servants, will be revealed that they are not chosen. They are doomed.
We have a savior friends, who desires unity with each of us, and each other. Gospel of John “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” We have a savior who sets out to seek, find, and save the lost period. We are to do nothing less while also being criticized by the company we keep. I remember growing up when I was told many times, if we think we don’t have many friends or people who like us, then we would just go out, do all the worldly things from alcohol to drugs, to sexual fantasies to doing evil things, and then you will have swarms of people claiming to be your friends of like minds. Then you will discover the true nature of what it means to be of God and of the world. Which do you prefer?
Serving Christ together friends, means also we might be willing to die for a really, really good person but Christ shows His love for us in that he died ONLY for the bad people of the world—meaning us! Who needs a leader when everyone is willingly walking in the same direction? Try to get a group of children to walk a straight line without deviating at all! At least one child will try to wonder away and be nosey or curious about something. Being in unity means also we are commissioned by Christ to be with those whom we may have absolutely nothing at all in common with, except for Christ alone! And if you realize something very important with Christs early ministry, did He venture this important job to just himself? His ministry began with the formation of people, a band of disciples. Paul did not go out telling others about his personal reasoning on the truth of Christ. Paul clearly stated multiple times, “The body of Christ is His physical presence in the world!” Christ himself prayed fervently in John “that they may all be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” Our togetherness, in unity, regardless of how one side of the church wants the walls painted blue and the other side tan, or the carpet to be velvet green or tiled, etc. Its about working together with Christ, in Christ and through Christ in everything we do. Amen.
Christ church, His church, has been assigned the Godly duty to hold together through culture, economic and social bonds. As a church body, we are serving Christ together on the basis MORE than sharing a common culture or attitude. We serve Christ through all that was freely given to us. And in all of that, Christ will uphold His church to succeed that not even Hell itself will be able to destroy. Amen. And then, even with that knowing His church is full of flawed, unrealistic and angry people, Christ still demands we fulfil His commandments. Never did Christ command us, His church, to love only the lovely, loveable and loving. Never did Christ allow His disciples to waste time attempting to determine which sin was worse than others or who even knew Him more than others, in comparison. Christ comes to us as to be His church, calling us to follow Him which means he sends us out to work for Him together, not by ourselves—with the various gifts, talents and personalities. And then, we find something that no one else can fully explain, what is this bright light in your life that seems to just glow someone would say? What is in this church that keeps trying to be brilliant in its work and efforts towards a common goal? Its call serving Christ together!
In 2003, a minister and his wife were to catch a flight from New York to Dallas Texas. While waiting in line to check in the airport, it was told that there was a massive power outage throughout the area and all flights have been postponed or cancelled. Darkness was starting to cover the area of New York airport and thousands of people were scrambling around to find other options to get to their destination, but without power, their resources was limited.
So, the Pastor called his sister to ask for her help in locating a hotel for them so they hopefully can plan to travel the next day. So, the sister found them a hotel not far away which was pitch dark with no lights in sight except those of cars and taxi cabs. They arrived at their hotel that also had no power, no ac, no tv or even hot food. They were going to endure a miserable night. While looking out the window of their room, he noticed a Mariott hotel right across the street that not only had light but was full of people in the restaurant. Very inquisitive, the Pastor went down the stairs and crossed the street as he noticed the restaurant was fully open and people lined up to eat. The Pastor asked the manager, “Sir, I don’t understand. Its dark everywhere. The airport is right over there and it's dark. Our hotel is completely dark and everywhere we look is black except here, which looks like a Christmas tree. How can this be? The manger said, Its simple. When we built this hotel, we built it with a gas generator to use in case of emergencies such as this. Even though others are without power, we are opening our services to help others. The Pastor smiled and said, Amen to that, and thank you.”
You see the point friends, Even though there’s nothing happening out in the world per-say, there’s plenty going on in here, like the Mariott Hotel with a gas generator. What happens outside in the world should NOT determine whether or not we have got a lighthouse on the inside. This is our church. Christ gives His church the light needed with an endless supply of fuel to fulfill His purpose to help others, even when we think we are not making a difference!
In closing, in serving Christ together, I would like to leave you with a few things to consider in and amongst your journey in being part of Gods Holy Church. Firstly, please remember, the chief charge Jesus was accused of was the He wanted to save those whom the world thought could not or did not deserve to be saved! Gospel of Luke tells us “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” This is what the leaders of the church labeled Him as. We, His church, is to give full service to even the most less fortunate, and even help grow His church by sharing the faith and Gospel of Jesus Christ. This cannot be done without action.
Secondly, serving Christ together in His church is not an easy job. But rest assured, that the required empowerment from outside ourselves is not us, our neighbors or even the world, “All strength comes from Christ and Christ alone.”
Thirdly, in serving Christ together, we truly learn what unity means. While we are seeing right before us today, our own denomination being segregated with different dissolutions, we must stay focused on the goal and commitment to the keeping and delivering the Gospel, ‘Good News’ of Christ, whom came to save all mankind of their sins and save them forever! It takes a choice on each person’s part to make though. How easy is it to be negative? To look at the gloom and doom of a cause that does not immediately deliver us with reward? This is where faith, perseverance and good old-fashioned religion comes in. Paul tells us “Fight the good fight, stay the course, keep the faith.”
Last but certainly not least, in speaking of reward, serving Christ together is a great reward. Paul’s letter to the Colossians tells us “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, 24 knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” Who do we serve first? What is our priority? In Christ and Christ alone as His Holy church. Christ tells us in Matthew “for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44 Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or as a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not [a]take care of You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for Me, either.’ 46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
In serving the people of God by His church, Paul’s letter to the Ephesians tells us “To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” This means not matter what we think, in Christ we can do all things. “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” While we have breath, we can still serve Christ together. Amen.