Going to All Nations
03/14/10
“Going to All Nations”
Matthew 18:16-20
Preached at StPLC
March 14, 2010
The Great Commission
16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Dear Friends in Christ, Grace and Peace are yours in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Have you ever really thought about the nature of the Christian life? If not, or even if you have, I invite you to think with me about it for a few moments this morning. Christian life has a sacramental character. Through the Word, the Water, the Wine and the Bread, our lives are transformed in such a way that we see, feel and touch life in new ways. Our faith is active and we are made able to love, even the seemingly unlovable.
Again, we are continuing our emphasis on the Basics of our Lutheran Faith. Today we begin looking at the Rites and Rituals: The sacred acts of our tradition. Lutherans identify two (2) sacred acts as sacraments: the bath, which is Holy Baptism and the meal of bread and wine, Holy Communion. Today our focus is on the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.
There are 3 criteria for limiting the sacraments to two. To be considered a sacrament in the Lutheran Tradition, the event must
The prophet Isaiah writes in the 55th Chapter of OT Book which bears his name, verses 10-11: “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
We experience the Word of God as proclamation, a word given and a word received.
You may have heard these phrases: “God hates sin, but loves the sinner,” “You have been given power over death”, or, “The guilt which has bound you up and rendered your life powerless is taken away.”
The Word teaches us who we are, to whom we belong, and our destiny. The scripture is a story, the story of a people (Israel) and the story of Jesus, son of Mary, who is confessed as Son of God. In retelling the story we begin to see and find ourselves. Scripture tells the story of the Exodus and it tells the modern story, for example; of the Black-American experience just as it is described and sung in the Negro Spirituals. The Word commands that we go into the world, baptizing people in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Baptism is at the core of our Christian belief system. Practices may vary across denominations but the event is the same: In the water of cleansing God’s people are turned from the works of darkness to the light.
The people in the parish I served at the turn of the millennium became very conscious of darkness. During the Lenten season our church building was broken into. Not once but a total of three times significant material goods were taken and the Sanctuary and offices were violated, equipment was made inoperable. This was all done under the cover of the darkness of the night. The initial shock left in its wake, a deep sense of having lost our sense of safety. The one last place where we could feel safe had been taken away. In the days and weeks following the series of break-ins, several people cut to the chase and began to say things like, it was only material goods, no person was injured or lost his or her life. This really put things into perspective for us; these words were a light to brighten the days of recovery from the losses we had sustained during the most holy time of the church year.
And we prayed for the perpetrators that they too might turn from their works of darkness to the light that would illuminate their pathways. All were young males with the potential for a long life, lived either in works of darkness or in the joy of the light. It took several months but the young men were finally all rounded up. As the pastor of the church, I was given the opportunity to speak to the courts concerning an appropriate punishment for the perpetrators.
I asked the congregation one Sunday what they thought would be just punishment for the crimes these young people had committed against us and against God’s holy place. There were some who said that they should serve time in a correctional facility but one person said, “I would like to have them come, one at a time to share in a worship service with us. And I would like to see each one of them stand up, face me and all of you and tell us why he did what he did and ask God for forgiveness in the very place he tried to destroy. You see,” she continued, ‘I think having to face up to what we have done is the most difficult thing that can be asked of any human being because we always try to hide from our bad deeds.”
And so . . . that is what I asked the courts to issue—in essence an invitation to each of the young men. Four of the 5 young men did not respond, but one wrote a letter of confession, asking forgiveness for his acts and telling the congregation that he knew he could never give back what he had taken from us that night. And as he closed his letter he made a curious comment.
The young man wrote, “Something really strange has happened to me as I have been writing this letter to you. When I started writing, I felt like I was tied up with a rope around me.
Gradually, as I’ve been writing, I’ve started to feel like I’m being cut loose and I’m not all tied up.” And then he asked the million dollar question: “Is that what happens when you admit that you did something wrong and ask someone to forgive you?” Amazing discovery that young man made!
In the reading of his letter those who had been harmed by his actions sensed that this young man’s life was being transformed in such a way that he could see, feel and touch life in new ways. In that sense, out of his misdeeds came some kind of liberation. And the congregation rejoiced.
Baptism is an act of liberation through forgiveness of sin. With the death of the old self in bondage to sin, death and the devil, a new self arises to serve and glorify the Father.
Although as Lutheran’s we believe in only one Baptism for the forgiveness of sin, Martin Luther was fond of saying that he was washed anew everyday—each day is a new beginning.
Baptism is the water of adoption—as sons and daughters of God into the family of God. Christ comes as “brother” to us, in order that we might know and love the Father. And we are bound to one another in the family of God as sisters/brothers. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we are gifted for mutual service in the Body of Christ (I Corinthians 12) and empowered to do the will of God as God’s people in the world.
The shape of the Christian life is the cross of Christ.
I would like to leave you this morning with a suggestion: Each time you find yourself in the shower, with a bit of the water on the tip of your finger make the sign of the cross on your forehead and say your name aloud, then add “Child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the Cross of Christ forever.” Using your own name as a prefix to “Child of God” you are affirming your relationship with your heavenly Father.
For it is true, my sisters and brothers in Christ, you (and I) go forth to live each day, forgiven, free to become most fully what God created you to be, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
And always remember, Your GOD loves YOU with an everlasting love. Amen. So Let It!