Sermon for May 12, 2013

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Acts 1:12-26, John 17:1-11      

For thousands and thousands of years, some scholars have studied the Bible by focusing on the meaning or symbolism of certain numbers. We must be very careful when studying those numbers, for it is all too easy to focus on the numbers themselves and search for so-called hidden meanings while failing to understand why God has given specific numbers for us to understand. But that’s not to say that all Biblical numbers are meaningless, for some numbers we read most certainly do have implications for our study of the Scriptures.

Take, for example, the number 40. When God sent the great flood to destroy the wicked people while preserving only Noah and his family – and preserving the life of animals and birds – Genesis 7:12 says that it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. Moses spent 40 days and 40 nights on Mt. Sinai when God gave him and us the Ten Commandments – and when the Children of Israel rebelled against the God who had led them from the slavery of Egypt, they were forced to spend 40 years wandering in the wilderness before their children could finally enter the Promised Land. Following His baptism, Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness as Satan tempted him. Last Thursday marked Christ’s ascension into heaven – an event that took place 40 days following His resurrection. What you see here is a pattern – a pattern of the number 40 representing either a period of testing, a period of preparation, or a critical period of God’s redemptive history of His people.

Another symbolic number – one that is less often used but which has great importance – is the number 12. In the Book of Genesis we learn how God chose the 12 sons of Jacob to be His covenant people. Those sons and their families – better known as the 12 Tribes of Israel – were given more than just the promise of a homeland flowing with milk and honey. More importantly, they were given the promise of being the ancestors of the Messiah, the Promised One who would lead them not only from temporary, painful human bondage, but from the deadly and eternal spiritual bondage of sin.

God did, indeed, lead the 12 Tribes to the Promised Land. This great nation that had descended from the 12 sons of Jacob now began to live – or so it seemed – in one communion as God’s faithful people. But the oneness was often tested and was sometimes shattered. In the Book of Judges we read of conflict when members of the Tribe of Dan, who were unhappy with their portion of the Promised Land, so they set out to conquer new lands for themselves. Then we read of the Tribe of Benjamin being attacked by armies of the other 11 tribes. Under King David and King Solomon the 12 Tribes seemingly were united in peace. But following Solomon’s death, the Promised Land was broken into two nations, the nations of Israel and Judah. The 12 Tribes were broken apart, never again to be unified or complete. Just as sin had corrupted all of God’s creation when Adam and Eve first defied God, sin had likewise corrupted God’s chosen people, and they would never again – never in all of recorded history – be one.

The memory of the 12 Tribes remained firmly planted in the psyche of Jacob’s descendants who still followed the true God in what was left of Israel 2,000 years ago. And it was then – 2,000 years ago, during the ministry of Jesus – that 12 again became an important number in Scripture. Although we are told that large numbers of people followed Jesus for much of His ministry, Jesus personally selected 12 men to be His Apostles. On one occasion recorded in Matthew chapter 19, when Jesus was discussing life in heaven following His second coming, He told the Apostles: “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

And yet, it was one of the 12 – Judas Iscariot – who broke the fellowship of the Apostles by betraying Jesus and killing himself. In Luke’s record of the Acts of the Apostles, the good doctor describes the earliest church in the interim between the ascension and Pentecost. The visible physical presence of Jesus in the church is gone, and the Spirit has not yet been poured out. And so the eleven and those who also followed Jesus awaited the coming of the Holy Spirit by devoting themselves to prayer and the study of Scripture. Peter leads the community.

Peter addressed the group and recited verses from two of the Psalms, including these words from Psalm 109: “Let another take his office.” The fellowship of the Apostles had been broken. The purpose of this gathering was to discuss the appointment of a replacement for Judas. The 11 Apostles felt compelled to include the larger group of ‘brothers’ to help in selecting a replacement. Luke notes 120 persons were present; indicating not only their involvement as members of the body of Christ, abut also their unity and their togetherness when decisions need to be made.

Peter and the other followers of Jesus understood that the full number of the twelve must be restored. It is necessary that one of the men should become one with them in their future travels. The decision would be based on the criteria established by Peter regarding this election, This successor should have at least two qualifications: (1) he must have been with Jesus and the disciples from Christ’s baptism to his ascension, and (2) he must have been witness to the resurrection, as were the other disciples. Peter determined the requirements, but the final choice was left to the Lord.

The job description is stated in two words: “ministry” and “apostolic” which grants the new disciple the full right of apostleship equal to that of the 11.

They identified two men who had been followers of Jesus from the start of His ministry. God’s choice, determined by casting lots, was Matthias. The name of the one selected was Matthias, and he was added to the number of the apostles.

While most of the decisions you and I may don’t appear to be as momentus as selecting an apostle of Christ, today we want to hear what Scripture has to say to us about making appropriate decisions. Along the way we’ll be looking at the examples of seeking counsel from God’s people and direction from God.

On this Mother’s Day, I have a several questions to ask you: How do you get along with your mother-in-law? How did you choose the mother of your children? What qualifications did you use in selecting a mate to bring to God’s altar for a promise of lifetime commitment? What qualifications would you list for the mothers whom we remember today? Good mothers and good parents do not happen by chance, but often require important decisions. Today we want to talk about making important life decisions.

The first step in making good decisions is to state or identify the problem/issue in a clear and concise statement.

For the disciples, the issue was a ‘now what? Jesus had appointed 12 disciples They were down one. They needed to find a replacement for Judas. Peter stated the agenda in a clear sentence when he said, “It is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us.”

Our difficulty in making choices and decisions is that we often deal with wishes rather than needs. We do not say what we really need. In fact, our hidden agenda does not allow us to be honest in a simple statement of need.

Jesus never wished to die. In fact, in the garden he asked his heavenly Father to remove the cup of suffering. But there was also a divine must, a divine need. In order to save humankind, Jesus needed to die for us and give his life as a ransom for many.

Second step in good decision-making is to identify possible solutions.

The disciples set certain qualifications. They had to choose someone who had been with them from the beginning, who knew all things that had taken place so that he could give the testimony of an eyewitness.

Even more important than the qualifications of an apostle was the function of an apostle—“a witness of [Christ’s] resurrection.” These qualifications were demanding, but the successor was to be part of the mission team of the apostles.

In selecting people to fill positions in the church, we may be tempted to concentrate on such things as job-related skills or a life of-the-party personality. But today’s disciple needs to be spiritually mature and committed to the Savior, as were the original disciples.

Peter did not act alone in making the decision. He asked the community of believers to review possible solutions. He depended on the Spirit to guide the community. The community asked God to lead them in their search for the right person. The church prayed as a group and acted as a group.

One of the hardest parts in making a decision is truly to seek GodÕs help and the advice of fellow Christians in choosing the best person for a particular task.

There is a world to be gained. There is a ministry that has to be done. An apostle must be sent. There is a story that has to be told. There are people who need to hear of the goodness of a resurrected Lord. Those charged with this awesome task find it gratifying when they successfully select candidates who are fit for ministry and who fulfill the ministry.

Do we decide on activities and make decisions that will further our kingdom, or further the kingdom of God? Judas made a bad decision. It was a personal decision based on frustration, disappointment, and greed. Yet Jesus died for the bad decisions of all people, beginning with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He paid for decisions that you and I regret. He died even for the sins of someone as estranged as Judas or the thief on the cross. He died to pay our debt and then arose on the third day to empower us to be his witnesses. His Spirit gives us the wisdom to make decisions to honor his name.

Decisions are never easy, be we are called on to make decisions all the time. Some are personally important, that will further our kingdom, like deciding on a spouse. But there are time when we are called on to make decisions that will further the kingdom of God by selecting people for church offices and tasks. We need to know our needs, we need to evaluate the best possible solutions, we need to involve the community, and we need to go to God in prayer.

Faith is the community of Christ gathered here in Washington, Missouri. Through Word and Sacrament, you have been witnesses of what Christ has done in this place and in your lives. We are human and we will make mistakes. We are all guilty of making decisions and judgements out of frustration, guilt, disappointment, and greed. Jesus died for the bad decisions of all people, including you and me. He paid for decisions that you and I regret. He died even for the sins of those who have caused us heartache and hurt by their decision. He paid our debt, He paid your debt, and then He rose on the third day to empower us to be his witnesses.

As a result of the Jerusalem Council the number of the twelve was restored. Everything was in readiness for the sending of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Everything was in readiness for the Apostles – the twelve – to begin following Jesus’ command to “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 observe all that I have commanded you.

After the few verses we heard earlier, we are told no more in Scripture about Matthias – he is never mentioned again. For that matter, only a few of the Apostles are actually mentioned in the final 23 books of the New Testament. All of our attention will now be focused not on this number, but to the apostolic witness to Christ and the spread of the Gospel throughout what then was most of the known world.

It is in this witness and spreading of the Gospel that we focus in on the number cited by Jesus in today’s Gospel lesson: the number one. In His prayer for the Apostles, Jesus asks: “Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”

“Even as we are one,” Jesus said. Today Christians confess oneness in creeds – statements of what we believe – in the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed – but in Jesus’ day, the oneness of the Jewish people was represented by these words from Deuteronomy chapter 6, words known as the Shema: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Even though the Shema was spoken for centuries before God’s people understood the Trinity it actually is totally consistent with everything that Jesus taught and everything that we Christians believe. Two weeks from today is Trinity Sunday, the day that we focus so specifically on our belief in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – three persons but one—and only one—God. This belief in the oneness of the Triune God – our confession that we make here and now – represents the prayer of Jesus “that they” – that we – “may be one.” 

One of my favorite Psalms is that appointed for us today; it is Psalm 133. It’s only three verses long; please open your hymnals to the front, and let’s read those words together:

1     Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!

2     It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
          on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!

3     It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
     life forevermore.

Unity … blessing … life forevermore. What beautiful words, representing the life we have – or should have – as redeemed believers in Christ. But as we look around the religious landscape of modern Christianity, we seldom see much if any unity. Instead, we see denominations based on false teachings and flawed understandings of Scripture. We see churches that deny the truth of Scripture and substitute the sinful and shortsighted opinions of mankind. In our own beloved Missouri Synod our fellowship is divided by issues including forms of worship, denial of the clear Biblical mandate for closed communion, and even – by a few – calls for the ordination of women pastors. Sometimes congregations are split into warring factions to the extent that hate and fear replace love and fellowship. As long as we draw breath on this earth, Satan will never stop trying to create division and destroy your fellowship, just as he destroyed the fellowship of the 12 Tribes and the fellowship of the 12 Apostles.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ;

I thank God every day that Faith Lutheran Church here in Washington is not beset by these false beliefs and false practices. I thank God that this congregation holds fast to the teachings of Scripture and the teachings of Scripture alone. This doesn’t mean that you may not, on occasion, disagree on some issues or details. But in matters of faith, you are one. Jesus prayed: “Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one.” Jesus continues to make that same prayer for us. And He will do so continuously until we are brought to Paradise, where we and all believers shall worship our Triune God with one voice, in unity for all eternity.

You have begun a process, a journey toward healing and making this ministry whole. His Spirit gives us the wisdom to make decisions to honor his name. The first century church has given you the model for the days and months to come—they asked God to lead them. The church prayed as a group and acted as a group. In this way they received the blessing of God upon their decision.

You are the church of Christ in Washington. Ask God to lead you. Pray as a group. Care for one anther and find unity. Then act as a group. Serve God and serve one another. God has promised that your decisions will hallow His name and serve his holy will and his kingdom, both here and for eternity.

 Prayer:

Ascended Lord, the vistas are high, the horizon is long, the landscape seems endless. From our vantage point, spreading the Gospel to all the world sounds impossible. Give us patience and perseverance, reminding us always to follow you fully in the places you have chosen for us. And keep us focused on our tasks at hand until the day when your name will echo over every hill and valley. Amen.

 with thanks and acknowledgment of Pastor Terry O’Brien