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Luke 10:1-11 When we come together in worship, we experience a joy and exhilaration that is difficult to express. As we sang together, I noticed the looks on your faces - and they told the story. Your faces showed your happiness that God loves you. As we experience the fulfillment of our faith in worship, and celebration, and service to others - it's natural to begin to ask an important question. How do we share this with others? In contemporary society, we've become downright bashful about sharing our faith with others. We want to be careful not to offend anyone else's religious sensibilities. And, more often than not, we're afraid of what others might think of us when we talk about our faith in Christ. We have a wonderful new worship opportunity here at Catalina, with some very good news to share. And we have lots of room for more people to come and share with us. So, how do we share our faith? Today's scripture passage speaks about the urgency of sharing God's love with others. Have you ever noticed that a lot of the imagery in the Bible has to do with the hunger that people have for good news? In one passage, Jesus tells his followers that he is going to make them fishers of men. That's an interesting image, isn't it? Just as the disciples were used to casting their nets out into the Sea of Galilee, Jesus is suggesting that they are to provide opportunities for people to come to know Christ's love. In today's passage, Jesus uses the imagery of the harvest. Again, he uses an image of readiness. The harvest is plentiful. It's there, waiting for you. Have you ever been involved in harvesting? As a young boy, we lived in rural Oklahoma in the middle of wheat fields. I remember riding my bike with friends out into the wheat fields about harvest time. The slender stalks were weighed down with kernels of wheat. We'd break a few off and crunch them between our teeth. We knew that it was important for the farmers to get into the fields when the crop was ripe, or else it would rot on the stalk. Jesus is telling us that the harvest is plentiful. That there are plenty of folks out there who are facing crisis, and pain, and uncertainty. He's telling us that there are people right here in Tucson who need to hear about his healing touch. But, while the harvest is plentiful, the workers are few. Pray, he says, that the Lord of the harvest will send more workers. I'd like to tell you a story about a young fellow named Eric. As a young man, he had two special gifts. He was becoming a very good preacher. The first time that he spoke, 80 people came to hear him talk about his faith. Eric was also a very good runner. He was an unorthodox sprinter, coming out of trowel-dug starting holes, Eric ran with abandon - head tilted toward the sky, knees flying up toward his chin, feet rising high from the ground. Eric faced two difficult dilemmas. First, he had to cut back his work at the mission where his family ministered in order to get ready for the Olympics. He explained it this way to his sister, Jenny. "Jenny," he said, "I believe that God made me for a purpose. But he also made me fast. And when I run, it brings him pleasure." Having qualified for the Olympic team, Eric faced his second dilemma. The qualifying round for his event, the 200 meter race, was being held on a Sunday morning. He refused to run on Sunday, saying that it wasn't proper on the Lord's day. He faced pressure, from the Prince of England to his coach, to run in the event. But he held true to his principles. On Sunday, July 6, 1924 he preached at a Paris church instead of running in the qualifying rounds. So, he wound up running in the 400 meter dash, an event that he hadn't even trained for. He had made decisions that displeased his family and his government. He drew the outside lane, the worst position for the race. The pressure was so intense that Eric's massage therapist gave him a note of encouragement just before the race. Some of you have figured out that I'm talking about Eric Liddell, the famous Scottish Olympian whose story was told in the Academy Award Winning film, Chariots of Fire. Would you like to see how all of this turned out for Eric? Let's take a look... [VIDEOTAPE] Arms thrashing, head bobbing and tilted, legs dancing, Eric Liddell ran to victory. From the beginning of the race, the outcome was never in doubt. He finished five meters ahead of the silver medallist. He also set a new world record for the 400 meter dash. Instead of facing the scorn of his family and his country for standing true to his faith, Eric Liddell now faced accolades for his victory and his convictions. He could have cashed in on his notoriety. But, within a year he left for China to serve as a missionary until the end of his life. Eric Liddell's fleshes out the teachings of this morning's scripture passage. As I read today's passage, and compared it to Eric's life, it occurred to me that: I. Sharing our Faith is as Simple as Telling Our Story The church growth experts have done a lot of research about why people attend certain churches. Their results of their studies are very interesting. They asked people why they attended or joined their church. What was the most important factor in making that decision? Well, you might guess, it's because of advertising. They saw an ad in the paper, or got a letter in the mail, or heard something on the radio. No, it's not advertising. OK, you say, then it must be the church's location. No. Turns out that rapidly growing churches often have members who drive long distances to go there. It must be the music, then. A good band and meaningful music will always draw people in, right? Music is important, but that wasn't the most important factor. Oh, I know what it is! It's the preaching. Nobody's going to go to a church unless it has a really dynamic preacher. Good sermons are an important part of a growing church, but that isn't the number one reason that people join churches. Here's the answer that people give most often when asked why they started attending church. "Because someone I know invited me." That's all it takes. A simple invitation. Perhaps we share something about what our faith means to us. Listen to this account of Eric Liddell's first sermon in Scotland: "There was no lecturing, no fist thumping, no wagging or pointing a finger to stress a point, no raised voice to impress on them what he thought they should be doing. Eric told what God meant to him. He spoke of the strength he felt within himself from the sure knowledge of God's love and support." Doesn't that sound like the instructions that Jesus gave us in today's scripture passage? "When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this house.'" I believe that we are called to go out into the world sharing our faith with peace, gentleness, and calm assurance. As you watched the film clip from Chariots of Fire, did you notice the look of pure exhilaration on Eric's face as he ran? When I noticed that, it reminded me that: II. Sharing Our Faith Usually Involves our Life's Passion God gave Eric Liddell a special gift of speed. Eric told his sister Jenny that, when he ran it gave God pleasure. But it's also clear that it gave Eric a great deal of pleasure as well. We've all been given special gifts. There's something in our lives that, when we're doing it, brings an indescribable sense of peace, joy, and fulfillment. What is your gift? What is your life's passion? If you're not sure, stop and think for a few minutes about the times when you feel the most completed and fulfilled. I've discovered in the past few weeks that one of my life's passions is what I'm doing right now. Preaching. For the last few weeks, people who know me well have remarked about the grin on my face. They've noticed how happy I am in this role as associate pastor at Catalina. When I'm working on a sermon idea, or leading in worship, I experience something like Eric Liddell's sense of joy on the track. As odd as it might seem, another of my passions has to do with political life. Many of you know that I served as Community Development Director for Oro Valley. In my current role at The Primavera Foundation, I also have the opportunity to get involved in public policy discussions as they relate to poverty. Just a few weeks ago, I sat in a meeting in Washington, D.C. and experienced a wave of satisfaction about the opportunity I'd been given to serve God in that place. If you look around, you'll notice that the people who are most effective in sharing their faith have learned to do so in a way that honors their gifts from God. What are your gifts? And how might they be used to share what God has done for you? One final thought about sharing our faith. Today's scripture makes it clear that: III. Sharing our Faith Really is a Matter of Urgency When the Prince of England asked Eric Liddell to set aside his religious beliefs and run on Sunday, Eric explained that faith is not a matter of convenience or compromise. He believed that his faith in Christ demanded fidelity at all times, no matter what the consequences. Eric's missionary work in China demonstrated that he walked the talk in his ministry. He decided to share Christ in isolated, rural communities of China. He ministered pleasantly and plainly, often traveling on bicycle, braving constant fighting between Chinese warlords and the Japanese. At the beginning of WWII, Eric sent his wife and children to Canada, intending to join them. Before he could leave China, he was placed in an internment camp. In the middle of a rat infested camp, Eric taught his fellow prisoners his favorite hymn:
For Eric Liddell, death came just months before the end of the war and liberation. At the age of 43, an undiagnosed brain tumor killed him. All of Scotland mourned his memory. Why did Eric Liddell go to such great lengths to share his faith? Riding a bicycle through the war-torn countryside? Separating himself from his family? Working to spread hope in a dismal prison camp? I think that the answer is simple. It's because he felt that there was an urgent need for him to share God's love. If you take a close look at today's scripture, you'll notice that it also conveys a sense of urgency. Jesus instructs those he was sending to pack very lightly. They aren't even to take the time to stop and exchange pleasantries with fellow visitors on the road. Some Bible scholars suggest that these early messengers had a sense of urgency because they thought that the Kingdom of God was imminent. That it was going to happen in a matter of days. But the fact that it hasn't doesn't really excuse our laziness in being urgent about sharing our faith. Obviously, we believe that our faith in Christ makes a difference in our lives. I've seen it in your eyes this morning. The power, the healing, the joy of our faith is the same, no matter how long history is yet to last. We don't have to be famous, or an Olympic medal winner to make an impact on our world. And, we don't have to go to China to share our faith. There are plenty of people just outside our walls who are hungry to hear the good news that we've been singing about today. People who are brokenhearted, addicted, in despair, in poverty, in sickness. The harvest truly is plentiful. Are there few workers? Or will Jesus' prayer be answered, that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers into the harvest field. Sharing our faith is as simple as inviting someone to join us here on Sunday morning. As simple as telling others what God means to us. We do it best when we're following our life's passion. And the need is urgent. God asks only that we serve faithfully and wholeheartedly. Our prayer this morning is that God will give us strength and joyful enthusiasm for the harvest. Amen |