MISSING IN ACTION

Biblical Text: Psalm 107:31-32

“Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people and praise him in the assembly of the elders.”

In 1984 an action movie was released entiled Missing in Action. It’s star was an american karate champion named Chuck Norris. It is set in the context of the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue (POW = Prisoner of war*/ MIA = Missing in action*). Chuck Norris’s charcter was named Colonel Braddock, who had escaped a Vietnamese prisoner of war camp 10 years earlier, he returns to Vietnam to find American soldiers listed as missing in action during the Vietnam War. It is the first installment in the Missing in Action film series. . The film was followed by, Missing in Action 2: The Beginning (1985), and a sequel, Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988).

Now you may wonder why is the Pastor giving us a history lesson on the Missing in Action movie series?

Well on Sunday mornings some people will check the weather first. And there is nothing wrong with checking the weather. But if it’s cold, or rainy, or too hot, or too windy, they opt out of church. Or if their money is tight and the car’s gas gauge is low, they opt out. If they forgot to pick up their favorite suit from the dry cleaner, or they can’t seem to motivate themselves to slip from under those warm covers, they opt out. But that’s SOME people.

Since the COVID pandemic, that list of SOME people has grown considerably. Churches all over the country are struggling to maintain viability in the midst of a major bailout of their members. For many churches, FACEBOOK is the new and necessary sanctuary to keep in touch with the no shows. Am I being too harsh? The LORD is our Judge.

I know I’m preaching to the choir today. YOU are HERE. You are here where you belong, worshipping the LORD, “for his wonderful works to the children of men”. You have come today because your sincere heart wouldn’t let you stay home. And God welcomes your dedicated commitment to serve Him. He is pleased with your expressions of appreciation for His goodness, and His mercy toward us. So I’m asking you to take this message home with you, planted in your heart, and share it with those who are missing. You are, after all, God’s ambassadors.

It struck me how easy it is to break the habit of worship. Have you noticed that when you skip one Sunday, it follows with an urge to skip another and another? Just like it takes effort to stick with a diet, or an exercise program, it takes effort to remain faithful to worship. You have to encourage yourself.

MISSING IN ACTION

Here’s three things God expects us to do to encourage ourselves.

First, we have to congregate.

The very word congregation means ‘a gathering of people’. God wants us to gather together as often as possible. Why? To worship Him! We were created for that very purpose.

It’s not an option. It’s a mandate from the Lord. It’s the way we provoke love and good works within our Christian community (Hebrews 10:25)Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.  We MUST come together…to assemble ourselves in the same place at the same time. It’s the only way God’s plan for our lives works to its fullest.

And while we were created to worship the LORD; to acknowledge His goodness and His mercy toward us…there are additional benefits to assembling together. When we come together, we draw strength from each other. We lift each other up. I might be having a bad day, but your lifted spirits will go a long way to bringing me back to the higher plane of my Christian existence. I need you, and you need me. That’s how it works. Sure, I might be able to see you and hear you on Facebook, but I can’t feel your spirit.

In this 21st century, there is just not enough congregating going on. There’s not enough elbows linking together…not enough voices singing together…not enough knees bowing together…not enough saints praising together.

We have to congregate.

Then, we have to assimilate.

That means we must become an active part of the whole and embrace the work of spiritual growth. Tell your neighbor, “This isn’t going to be easy”. We have to integrate…to get involved; to embrace the work of the church. And that can only happen when we come together under one roof to digest the preaching and absorb the teaching.

When we assimilate, we adapt to the common goals of the congregation. We share our gifts and talents to complete the body of Christ. Those who are missing today are handicapping us. They have stripped us of their gifts and talents, but they have also hindered our connectivity. In God’s house, we ought to be collaborating, and coordinating so that we can share a like mindset when it comes to the message of the Gospel.

Our church culture is nurtured by our common expression of faith in Jesus Christ. Anyone who hangs around here long enough can’t help but feel the love of a Risen Savior. It gets on you, and in you. It penetrates and saturates. It restores and revives. It encourages and inspires. It’s when our spirits connect that we discover the depth of Christ’s love. That’s when we realize he is… healing for every wound; comfort for every sorrow; assurance for every despair; provision for every lack, and the solution for every problem.

We have to assimilate.

Then finally, we are called to articulate.

We are called to circulate and recount the Word of God among the people. We are supposed to publicize the goodness of the LORD, not just among ourselves but in our communities and with the rest of our family.

There’s not enough witnessing going on. When you’ve got the Word of God in you, you should want to share it. If you’ve link yourself with the supernatural power of an Awesome God, you should want to broadcast it.

There’s a popular theme in the realm of safety that says, “If you see something, say something”. I’d like to coin that phrase, just for a moment, in the world of witnessing.

If you’ve seen the goodness of God in the land of the living…say something.

If you’ve been to the water and you’ve been baptized…say something.

If you’ve been blessed by the best with peace and prosperity…say something.

If you’ve been knocked down, but God lifted you up…say something.

If He’s been your burden bearer and your battle ax…say something.

If He’s been your company keeper and your way maker…say something.

When was the last time you broadcast your faith to the unfaithful…and spread abroad your trust in the LORD as your Mighty Master? If you are doing your job as a witness for the Lord, it should be known outside of the church walls that you are “about your Father’s business”. There’s not enough declaring and articulating going on. You don’t have to go overseas to spread the gospel. In fact, you can start in your own home with your own family. If anybody should know that you are saved it ought to be the people that live with you. Even your dog or cat should know that there’s been a change in you!

We are called to articulate.

Covid may have chased many away…but the WORD can bring them back. We’ve got to remind them that Christ is still the light that dispels darkness. We’ve got to remind them that Christ is still heaven’s Fountain who seeks the thirsty.

This is a message for the missing. But they won’t hear it without you. Call up those members who are missing in action and remind them that there is nobody like Jesus. Tell them to stop treating Jesus like a Facebook post, or an App, or a passing tweet. He’s the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords…and He is waiting to put them back to work. We are the clay, and He is the Potter. We are the army, and He is our Captain. We are the servants, and He is our Master. Remind the missing in action that nothing in the world can compare to Christ.

His glory is greater.

His power is stronger.

His name is sweeter.

His promises are surer.

His friendship is dearer.

His foundation is firmer.

His mercy is fuller.

His Word is richer.

His burden is lighter.

His saints are happier…

And…His coming is nearer.

That’s the message for the missing in action. Tell them to come back before it’s too late. There is work to do…And Christ, the Fountain of our Joy, is waiting.

We have to congregate.

Then, we have to assimilate.

We are called to articulate.