Be a Place of Hope

Our Mission – Be a Place of Hope

I want to talk today about the mission of Jesus’ church but before I do, let me provide two updates. Next Sunday is Palm Sunday and Bob Russell is coming to speak. Bob served as Senior Minister at Southeast Christian Church for 40 years. Bob will ask the question, “Who is Jesus?” Watch online or invite someone to come with you. The following Sunday is Easter. We will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. This Easter we will have three identical family focused services at 8:30, 10 and 11:30AM. Registration for our Easter services will begin on March 29. On Easter I will ask the question, What difference does Easter make? What difference does it make today? What difference does it make tomorrow? Again, watch online or invite someone to come with you. Jesus encounters a man, a woman and a storm in Matthew chapter 8. We meet the man in Matthew 8:1. (Read 1-2a) 2A man with leprosy…

Leprosy comes from the word “lepo” meaning to “peel off like scales.”[i] Leprosy is a terrible skin disease which carried physical, emotional and social stigmas. I used to think that leprosy was a 1st century Bible disease, but did you know that every two minutes, someone around the world is diagnosed with leprosy.[ii] Leprosy is found twice in the OT and both times it described someone’s skin as being “white as snow.” The disease can be so bad fingers and toes will fall off. Look at this man’s hands. Lepers were required to keep a distance of 6’ feet between them and any other person. This is social distancing on steroids. When I walk into Kroger with my mask on, I don’t announce my presence. “Look out people. I’m coming in. Stay away from me and I’ll stay away from you.” This is exactly what lepers were required to do when they came near anyone. But that’s not what this man does because he believes Jesus is different. He’s hoping Jesus will change his life. Look at what happens in verse 2.

That’s not what he was supposed to say. What he should have said was “unclean! I’m unclean. Stay away from me!” He’s taking a huge risk because Jesus is a Rabbi and most Rabbis despised lepers. Dr. Mark Moore provides us a bit of Jewish history. “No one was even to salute a leper going by. If he even put his head into a place, it became unclean. No less a distance than six feet must be kept from a leper. One Rabbi boasted that he always threw stones at lepers to keep them far off, while others hid themselves or ran away.”[iii] So what does Jesus do? How does Jesus respond to him? This is Matthew 8:3. (Read)

The disease was there but now it’s gone. Jesus should have become unclean but instead this man becomes clean. This leper was transformed. The transformation continues in verse 4. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

This leper had three needs and Jesus met them all. Need #1 was physical. Jesus cured his entire body. Need #2 was emotional. He’s been isolated and rejected and Jesus touched him. No one has touched his hand for who knows how long. Need #3 was social. Jesus told him go to the temple. He wasn’t allowed to get near the temple in his condition. Then Jesus says, Go to the priest and show him how silky smooth your skin is, offer the appropriate sacrifice “which was two birds – one bird died, the other was set free.”[iv] I imagine this man never forgot what Jesus did for him.

At the bottom of a mountainside surrounded by a crowd of people – that place became a place of hope for a leper that everyone despised. Hope is the belief that the future will be better than the past because of Jesus.

Jesus first encountered a man. Now he encounters a woman. This is Matthew 8:14. (Read 14-17) All of this healing took place at Peter’s house. Disease was eliminated, infirmities lifted, sickness cast out, demon possession driven out and fever told to go away. None of these ailments or struggles were too much for Jesus. I don’t know your circumstances but your struggles are not too much for the Son of God. Hope was present at Peter’s house because Jesus was there. Hope in one word is Jesus! Paul starts off his letter to Timothy by saying this. 1 Timothy 1:1: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope… Will you make Jesus your hope?

Jesus then encounters a storm at the end of Matthew 8. This is Matthew 8:23. (Read 23-24) Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.

“Furious storm” to them means hurricane to us. That’s ironic if not funny. The twelve are dealing with hurricane force winds, but JESUS IS SLEEPING! They are freaking out but Jesus is calm. Jesus is sleeping like a baby. As best as you can on a fishing boat rocking back & forth.😊 The twelve are both surprised and ticked off. This is Matthew 8:25. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. 27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” The disciples had no hope of being saved until Jesus told this storm to be quiet. Any place can be a place of hope if Jesus is present. The bottom of a mountain side. Inside a house. Inside a boat. How about a hospital waiting room?

Before COVID-19 came along, I used to make hospital calls. And it wasn’t just me, it’s a team of people, going to various hospitals located in Central Ohio. The goal of a hospital call is to be Jesus. To represent Jesus by comforting a person or a family mainly by praying to God on their behalf. No one wants to be in a hospital. Someone is there because they are sick or in need of surgery. About 15 years ago I drove down to Riverside Hospital. I wanted to check on a family. A man was facing a serious surgery. I make my way to Riverside Hospital. I park my car and then walk to the family waiting area. It doesn’t take long before I spot the family. This man’s wife was present, his brother and maybe three or four other family members. When I arrived surgery had already begun. But the surgery was supposed to last several hours so I knew the family would be present and I was hoping to see this man following surgery. I sat and chatted with the family for about 15 minutes and then all of a sudden the surgeon showed up, but it had only been maybe 45 minutes since the surgery began.

The doctor looked at this man’s wife and family and said come with me. She said – this is my minister, can he come too? I’ve never had a doctor say this before. He looked right at me and said, “I’m so glad you’re here.” We all walk into this private room. There are maybe six of us total including the doctor. Once we were in the room the doctor explained the situation. He started the surgery hoping to stop this man’s pain, but what he discovered was that cancer was everywhere. It just wasn’t in his stomach. It was in his pancreas and his kidneys. So he just stopped the surgery and said they would have to do chemo and radiation. He made it clear that this situation was bad. He then looked at me and left.

I took that woman’s hand and I said, “I’m so sorry.” And she dropped to one knee and started to cry. I said to her. “Please let me pray for you and your husband.” She nodded her head yes. So I started to pray for her and when I did her family put their arms around her. We became this little ball of humanity. Everyone’s weeping. I prayed for God to do a miracle in her husband’s body. I asked God to give her peace and to give her hope. At that very moment that tiny private room at Riverside Hospital became a place of hope as we called out to God for his mercy.

The mission of the Westerville Christian Church is to create places where all people can find hope in Jesus Christ.

Hope in Jesus can be found anywhere. The bottom of a mountain side. Inside a house. Inside a boat. Inside a private room at Riverside Hospital.

OK, Greg. So what? What’s the big deal? The big deal is this. Many people are hopeless. Here’s my challenge for us all today. Let your life become a place of hope. A place where people can see Jesus. A place where people can find Jesus.

Remember, any place can be a place of hope if Jesus is present. Here are a few examples. How about what you post on Social Media? Is there hope in what you post? Can Jesus be seen and felt in your words or is there condemnation? Your small group? The sideline of your kid’s sport’s activities? How about where you work? You could be in a meeting, at a job site or on a Zoom call and you can see that someone is hurting. It’s a co-worker, a friend. They are troubled and you enter their world by asking them – “Are you okay? What’s wrong? How can I help you?”

How about in your home with your family? People can laugh there, cry there, and ask questions there. Your family can admit their doubts, weaknesses. Perfection isn’t a requirement. They can be vulnerable. Your home is place of hope because forgiveness is actually encouraged and practiced.

Here’s a crazy idea. How about your backyard or your neighborhood becoming a place of hope? (Becky Medley – 5:09) Totally tubular? I haven’t heard that phrase in a long time! Here’s another one. “That’s gnarly.” Gnarly can mean bizarre or fantastic. Becky’s challenge is a gnarly idea. Your neighborhood, could become the place where some child or adult meets Jesus Christ for the first time. Your backyard could be the place where Jesus becomes their Lord and Savior. Let the Holy Spirit use you!

People everywhere are tapping out. People are lonely, frustrated, addicted, and hopeless. They need Jesus. But for them to see Jesus – they need you!

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[i] Mark E. Moore, The Chronological Life of Christ, 130

[ii] https://www.leprosy.org/leprosy-photos/

[iii] Mark E. Moore, The Chronological Life of Christ, 131

[iv] John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary,1135