Love where you live

During COVID some churches were right at the heart of the response. Some weren’t. Don’t tell me though that the world has no place for church. The world values what the church is meant to be about.

In the year 165, during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, a devastating epidemic swept through the Roman Empire. During the fifteen-year duration of the epidemic, a quarter to a third of the population probably died of it. No one knew how to treat the stricken. Nor did most people try. During the first plague, the famous classical physician Galen fled Rome for his country estate where he stayed until the danger subsided.

But for those who could not flee, the typical response was to try to avoid any contact with the afflicted, since it was understood that the disease was contagious. Hence, when their first symptom appeared, victims often were thrown into the streets, where the dead and dying lay in piles. People fled. The Christians stayed though. They cared for the sick, the dying, often in turn dying for themselves. The plague is arguably one of the main reasons why the empire collapsed and arguably also one of the very reasons Christianity explored. We meant what we claimed. We did not fear death.

Jeremiah 29:7 NIV

7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

I’m going to take the next 2 weeks to talk about our theme “love where you live”. We’re going to consider the golden command next week - love your neighbour, but this week we’ll look at the great commission.

Matthew 28:16–20 NIV

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Go not stay.

I spent time with at Goodnews Brighton recently on a little pioneering placement. It’s a church their pastor Neil and his wife, Jess started about 6 years ago. They started it by quitting their jobs and moving to Mouslecomb in Brighton taking their 3 small children with them. There was no church, no building, no money, no plan really. They started initially for the first year just prayer walking, walking and observing, asking God to show them what he was doing and inviting them to do. All that the church is and does is a result of the answers to this prayer.

Why would they do it? Take small children to failing schools in deprived areas? Live amongst societies rough edge. It’s a sacrificial love that’s for sure. To love even though there will be hardship and rejection, even though many won’t care of value your love. To love even though you won’t be loved back. Isn’t that what Christ did though?

They do it because they Love where they live. Christ called them to the place and told them to love it on his behalf. That’s not a unique calling though, I think we each should carry that love around for the places around us.

Fast forward six years and there’s still no conventional church - they do meet on Saturday morning with a group of around 10 people for what you’d probably call their service but its nothing like what we do here on Sunday. They do however have a community building which runs projects for the community. They run a community kitchen supporting food poverty, its something they invite the community to participate with - those eating with them are asked to cook, clean and help - it is a blurry ministry, where does church end and the world start? They have a men’s shed - a construction/rebuilding group for isolated men, developing skills and building self esteem, teaching people they are valuable and valued. Neil is also the recognised pastor of the local community pub - a remarkably transformed community space which is ran by Neil alongside others from the community including a local anarchist - they are not united by ethos but they are united by purpose, to transform their community. They have a dementia garden space designed to bring a little bit of peace for people in an urban area. The council recently tried to evict the church from their building to develop the land. The community said “no”. Not the church. The community, the church is too valuable to the community.

I was asked a good question on my first day, which I’ll ask you - “As a church, what unites us together?”. Whats the glue that binds? There are probably different ways to answer this but Neil’s answer was simple. It’s the ‘Go’ of our bible passage.

We are to ‘Go’, not ‘Stay’. To ‘Go’ is our purpose, our mission. The more I reflect on this the more I see the truth of it.

Where do you see dis-unity & division in church? Where do you see decline and decay? I think if you scratch beneath the surface much of it is rooted in the personal desires, tastes and needs of its members. “I don’t want this change as I liked it the way it was”. “We shouldn’t do that because I don’t think it would help me”. Where do minister burn out? Trying to meet the expectations of their church members.

If you come to church to have your needs met then that’s ok but let me be clear. Jesus didn’t say “stay and work on your holiness”. He didn’t say “stay and wait for me to send people to you”. Christ does meet our needs but we find our needs met when we focus on others - that’s what it means to be inline with his heart.

If we stay we become focussed on here, now, and us. If we go our focus is always on those outside. “lets do it as I think that's good for them”, “I won’t benefit from the change but I think others might”. To Go is to step outside our place, our comfortable place - by its very nature our needs become secondary as we leave them behind.

It is mission that unites us. It is mission - being Jesus to the world - that was Jesus’ final command. A church that doesn’t Go isn’t being church. A Christian that doesn’t Go isn’t living out their faith, isn’t being the person God is calling them to be. But what do we go and do?

Making Disciples (apprentices)

So we’re called to make disciples, meaning apprentices. Jesus gathered apprentices and sent his apprentices to make apprentices. To train them to become like Jesus. Jesus who came to restore, to save, to heal, to help, to make the world better, that’s who we’re called to become.

It seemed to me that Goodnews Brighton was a little light on structures to do this. There was no Alpha group. There was no discipleship teaching course. No particular plan for those who were becoming believers. No membership process, indeed no membership at all. I asked Neil about this - what do you do about discipleship and I think his answer is worth considering. He said “We show people what Jesus looked like”. Not we tell people what Jesus said - we show people what Jesus did. We love our community by being Jesus in it not just be telling them about Jesus.

I’m going to give you two complex words. They are complementary and belong together. To have one you also need to have the other. I think many of you will know one but I suspect most of you won’t know the other. The words are Orthodoxy and Orthopraxy.

Orthodoxy is “right belief” or “right knowledge”. This one we know pretty well in church. We have the Orthodox Church. We spend time learning what the Bible says. We talk about doctrine - our beliefs. We police against Heresy - wrong belief. We value making sure that people know what correct Christian thinking is. This is important. This alone though is religion - Jesus came to show the hypocrisy of the religious. If right belief is your focus then its earning your own righteousness - your own worth, you’re really seeking after.

Orthopraxy is “right action”. It seems to me that we spend a lot of time thinking about right belief but we spend almost no time thinking about right action. We talk about what we must believe as a Christian but we don’t talk enough about what we should do as a Christian. The Bible is not so silent.

Matthew 25:41–45 NIV

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

Are we as a church modelling this discipleship or are we too sometimes too focussed on right belief and not enough on right action? The pharisee’s were really hot on right belief. Jesus didn’t have much time for them. What percentage of our time focuses on belief versus action? That’s something to ponder on.

Even me?

I met a chap through Goodnews Brighton, lets call him Pete. He told me his story. He used to be a thug (his words). He solved problems with his fists. He was an alcoholic and has spent time behind bars. Violence was his way. But through Goodnews Brighton he met Jesus. It wasn’t a quick journey, he joined the men’s shed and got to know the Church that way. He attends the Saturday gathering and is starting to teach others he knows the truth about Jesus. I’m not sure he’s all the way there - he’s still got much learning about the Bible to do. I’m not sure he quite agrees with all the doctrine that you would want him to. I’m not sure all aspects of his life are quite yet under the authority of Christ. But you know what? In my short conversation with him he was telling me about his plan to buy a large vacant house and turn it into a halfway house. He wants to teach them life skills, cooking and then to use the food to feed the homeless. He wants people to discover a community that support and love them regardless of who they are and what they’ve done. It would take an act of God for this plan to come together but perhaps that’s what will happen. You see to me that's discipleship in action. People on a journey of faith encouraging others to go on a journey of faith.

What are you thinking? If it’s - I agree - we should do something but by which you mean “we the church” or “you and Guy” then I have bad news. Jesus gave this command to all his disciples. We are all different bits of the sandwich and together we make the church Christ intends but this bit of scripture here was given to all the disciples. Not the apostles. Not the leadership. Not those who’ve been to Bible college. We’re all to Go - make the world a better place by being Jesus in it.

If you’re thinking but I can’t do this, I don’t have the skills, the confidence, the ability. I’d say you’re right! Neither did Jesus’ disciples - it required them to draw on God’s strength and provision. So shall we. How do find that strength? Simply. Jesus I see you as Lord, help me become like you. Its just a willingness to mould ourselves on him and his wants, not on us and our own.

Jesus’ takes us as we are. Failings and all. Skills and all. He simply needs us to say Jesus - take me, all of me and shape me to your work. Lord I am willing. Send me.