Dangerous People

Who has heard of the FBI’s most wanted list? I know that I have, but I realized that I really didn’t know that much about it other than references to the “top ten” most wanted fugitives. So like I do when I get curious about something, I headed over to the FBI website and did some investigation. Here are some interesting statistics I’ve found about this top ten most wanted fugitives list:

There have been 524 fugitives listed on this list since it’s inception on March 14, 1950. 490 of these fugitives have been apprehended or located.

162 fugitives have been captured/located as a result of citizen cooperation. In fact, the program relies heavily on the assistance of citizens and the media. Publicity is an important factor for this list.

Two fugitives were apprehended as a result of visitors on an FBI tour.

The shortest amount of time spent on the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list was two hours, by Billy Austin Bryant in 1969.

The longest amount of time spent on the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" list was over 32 years by Victor Manuel Gerena.

Nine fugitives were arrested prior to publication and release, but are still considered as officially on the list.

The oldest person to be placed on the list is 80-year-old Eugene Palmer, who was added in May of 2019.

The purpose of this list is a publicity program to publicize particularly dangerous fugitives who might not otherwise merit nationwide attention. We are called to be on the lookout for dangerous people in our world. In fact, I would argue that this tactic often works quite well as proven by the statistics above.

I find it a bit ironic that the way we feel about fugitives and extremists today is the way many (including the religious leaders in Jerusalem) felt about Christians in Acts. They were aligned to a radical cause, that of Jesus of Nazareth, determined to overthrow established powers, and willing to sacrifice themselves for the cause. Today we will visit four cities that have dangerous people living in them. As we visit these cities, I want us to note the characters in each story and how they are similar to Peter (the dangerous one) and also note that the powers mentioned in each city that are similar to the Sanhedrin and the religious authorities.

Seville

This is a summary from the story of “The Grand Inquisitor” from The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky.

The town is Seville. The time is the Spanish Inquisition. The Cardinal of Seville is the religious ruler of the city, and he rules with an iron fist. Heretics are burned daily at the stake to the glory of God and the satisfaction of the Cardinal. As Dostoyevsky tells the story, one day a stranger appears in the city square. He came softly, unobserved, but strange to say, everyone recognizes him. The people are irresistibly drawn to him. They surround him, flock to him. He moves silently in their midst with a gentle smile of infinite compassion. The sun of love burns in his heart, light power shines from his eyes. The Cardinal of Seville passes by, sees him, and recognizes the stranger. It is the Christ. He has the guards arrest him and take him to the prison of the inquisition. Later he goes down to the prison dungeon and stands there gazing at Jesus’s face. “Is it you? Why have you come here?” He charges Jesus with unsettling the people with his message of hope. The Cardinal has domesticated the people by bland religion. Their lives are ordered by his power. “Go!” the Cardinal commands, “Go and come no more, come not at all, never, never.” Then Jesus approaches the Cardinal of Seville and, in silence, kisses him on his aged, bloodless lips. The old man shudders. The power of Jesus threatens everything he possesses. The kiss has a new future in it, but the Cardinal clings to his ways.

The Cardinal is threatened by this dangerous man Jesus, the one who is and continues changing the narrative, throwing the bland church a curve ball which proves to be about the Cardinal’s own power, influence, and possessions.

Pleasantville

David and Jennifer are twins and attend the same high school. Jennifer is concerned mainly with her appearance, relationships and popularity, while David watches a lot of television, has few friends, and is socially awkward. Their mother (Jane Kaczmarek) leaves Jennifer and David alone at home while she heads out of town for a rendezvous with her boyfriend. The twins begin to fight over the use of the downstairs TV; Jennifer wants to watch an MTV concert with her date, Mark Davis, while David hopes to watch a marathon of his favorite show, Pleasantville.

Pleasantville is a black-and-white '50s sitcom, a cross between Leave It to Beaver and Father Knows Best that centers around the idyllic Parker family George (William H. Macy), his wife Betty (Joan Allen), and their two children, Bud and Mary Sue. David is an expert on every episode and wants to watch the marathon so he can win a $1,000 trivia contest. During the fight between David and Jennifer, the remote control breaks and the TV cannot be turned on manually. A mysterious TV repairman (Don Knotts) shows up uninvited, and quizzes David on Pleasantville before giving him a strange-looking, retro-styled remote control. The repairman leaves, and David and Jennifer promptly resume fighting. However, through some mechanism of the remote control, they are transported into the television, ending up in the Parkers' black and white Pleasantville living room. David tries to reason with the repairman (who communicates with him through the Parkers' TV set) but succeeds only in chasing him away. David and Jennifer must now pretend they are, respectively, Bud and Mary Sue Parker.

Jennifer is dismayed to be stranded, but she and David begin exposing the town to issues such as sex, personal freedoms, styles of art, and literature. Pleasantville soon begins changing at a rapid pace, and previously black and white objects and people begin to develop full and vibrant colors. After initially wanting to leave, David discovers a sense of belonging he lacked in the real world, so when the TV repairman returns and berates him for altering the show so much, David turns off the TV, relinquishing his ability to go home in the process. While the mayor is concerned, people in Pleasantville begin to explore hidden abilities and revel in their new freedoms.

The town fathers, who see the changes as eating away at the town's moral values, remain unchanged. Certain youths, such as Skip and Whitey and their friends, also remain unaffected. They resolve to do something about their increasingly distant wives and disaffected youths. Behavior similar to Nazism, as well as racial segregation and subsequent rioting similar to that of the African-American Civil Rights Movement start to occur, incited by a nude painting of Betty on the window of Bud's boss Bill Johnsons soda shop; the window is smashed with a park bench, and the soda shop is destroyed, books are burned, and anyone who is "colored" is harassed in the streets. Bud begins to grow into a strong leader, advocating resistance to the new "Pleasantville Code of Conduct", a list of regulations preventing people from visiting the library and Lovers' Lane, playing loud music, or using colorful paints. Bud/David and Bill are arrested and tried in court for violating the paint rules, but ultimately everyone in the court room changes colors and Mayor Bob leaves in horror when he is exposed as having changed as well.

Eventually, the entire town becomes colored, and the people of Pleasantville are finally introduced to the rest of the world. Televisions at the television repair shop now display full-colored images of various scenic vistas around the world, and Main Street, which had previously been a circuit that led back to its beginning again, now leads away to other towns and cities.

David and Jennifer’s actions to bring color to the monochrome town threatens everything and we see the town council (fathers) get involved to try to figure out what to do about the threat.

Jerusalem

Let’s take a look at Jerusalem. Peter and the disciples in Acts 3 and 4 are like Jesus in Seville and the kids bringing color to Pleasantville. The religious authorities are like the Grand Inquisitor and the Pleasantville town council. They try to stop the dangerous, radical thing that is happening but find themselves powerless to control the life-giving freedom the lame man experiences. Similar to Seville and Pleasantville, they tell the disciples to cease and desist. What bothers them most is the preaching of resurrection because it unsettles everything predictable and controllable.

Let’s take a look at some of the things that happened in Jerusalem in the early days of the church.

Narrate what happens in Acts 3 & 4

Acts 4 NIV

1 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4 But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand. 5 The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” 13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” 18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old. 23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “ ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.’ 27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. 32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. 36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

No wonder the religious authorities were worried and afraid! They didn’t know what to do about this power that was being displayed. They saw Peter and the disciples as a threat as more and more people surrendered their lives to this Jesus.

Green Bay

Now, let’s spend a few minutes looking at some of the ways we see resurrection power breaking out in our context, our city and our country.

The stories of people who are hearing the message of the Gospel because of the pandemic we are living in. Reaching people in ways through technology that we would never have anticipated. (All over district and country.)

Zoom - spiritual growth

Pastor Jillian’s recent connection.

Stories of serving people

Food

Clothing

Life Giving Word of God

Through the people of God, resurrection power is being unleashed. If the dead don’t stay dead and the lame don’t stay lame, then maybe the poor don’t have to stay poor and the lost don’t have to stay lost, and the rich can become generous and the powerful can serve and the sick can be made whole.

In Jesus, a radical power of resurrection is unleashed that threatens to undo everything the old powers of this world have controlled. Are we dangerous?

RITUAL

The Communion Supper, instituted by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a sacrament, which proclaims His life, His sufferings, His sacrificial death, and resurrection, and the hope of His coming again. It shows forth the Lord’s death until His return.

The Supper is a means of grace in which Christ is present by the Spirit. It is to be received in reverent appreciation and gratefulness for the work of Christ.

All those who are truly repentant, forsaking their sins, and believing in Christ for salvation are invited to participate in the death and resurrection of Christ. We come to the table that we may be renewed in life and salvation and be made one by the Spirit.

In unity with the Church, we confess our faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. And so we pray:

PRAYER OF CONFESSION AND SUPPLICATION – ENDING WITH:

Holy God,

We gather at this, your table, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who by your Spirit was anointed to preach good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, set at liberty those who are oppressed. Christ healed the sick, fed the hungry, ate with sinners, and established the new covenant for forgiveness of sins. We live in the hope of His coming again.

On the night in which He was betrayed, He took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread, gave it to His disciples, and said: “This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

Likewise, when the supper was over, He took the cup, gave thanks, gave it to His disciples, and said: “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me.” Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

And so, we gather as the Body of Christ to offer ourselves to you in praise and thanksgiving. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us and on these your gifts. Make them by the power of your Spirit to be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ, redeemed by His blood.

By your Spirit make us one in Christ, one with each other, and one in the ministry of Christ to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, let us pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

EXPLAIN ELEMENTS

The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, broken for you, preserve you blameless, unto everlasting life. Eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.

The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, shed for you, preserve you blameless unto everlasting life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.

CONCLUDING PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING AND COMMITMENT