Stepping Out 3 – Evangelism: How? | Isaiah 51:1-6; Psalm 138; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:13-20

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Evangelism – Recap

Week 1

· What?

To be an evangelist is to proclaim the good news.  Because of Jesus there is a new system of justice in place.  God is King, the powers and principalities of this world are not.

Week 2

· Why?

We evangelise – spread this gospel, because it is for ALL people.  Jesus goes far out of his way to share it with the Canaanite woman, when Jesus feeds 5000 there are 12 baskets left over…

Crumbs enough for everybody.

Week 3

· How?

How do we evangelise?  How do we announce to the world around us that Jesus is King and the powers and principalities of this world are not.

The answer is a little complicated.  Jesus is often more confusing than we had hoped.

Matthew's Gospel

Up to this point…

In the section of Matthew's gospel from which we have been reading the question of Jesus' identity is shoved around… different suggestions are made by different people; as they are made they are interpreted and reinterpreted.

We look at some of them:

· Uncertainty

One response to the question of Jesus identity is a nervous uncertainty:

In chapter 11 John the Baptist's disciples come to ask Jesus, on John's behalf: "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?"

John announced Jesus' arrival, baptised him, recognised him as the Messiah, John warned that Jesus would baptise with purifying fire…  He even preached Judgment on King Herod – ending up in jail for his beliefs.

But now, in prison – threatened by death – he is starting to wonder if this Jesus is really who he thought he was.

· Condemnation

When crowds amazed at Jesus ability to cast out a demon that had kept a person mute and blind ask:  "Can this be the Son of David?"  The religious authorities respond with accusations against Jesus:

They come to the conclusion that he must be in partnership with the devil himself.  How could he be so in tune with the Spirit of God – yet so 'religiously unclean' – always associating with prostitutes and tax collectors…

To them, Jesus might be the anti Messiah (12:22-32).

· Partial Recognition

In all this there is a partial recognition of who Jesus is.

The crowds ask: "Could this be the Son of David?"

A Canaanite woman whose daughter is tormented by demons calls him Lord, Son of David.

The disciples, when they see Jesus walk on water proclaim that he 'truly' is 'the Son of God' (14:22-33).

*  *  *

And in today's scripture when Jesus asks his disciples:

"But who do you say that I am?"

Simon Peter answers on their behalf:

"You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

They get the words right – but it becomes clear just now that they still haven't quite got the idea of what they will ultimately mean..

· Uncertainty

Jesus responds to John's uncertainty with the prophecy of Isaiah:

 "…the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy."

- Isaiah 35:5-6

There are signs of God's Kingdom in the air – people are being restored to wholeness...  Jesus methods might not be what John anticipated – but he is effective.

· Condemnation

In response to Pharisees who think that Jesus may be evil; Jesus points to the fact that he does what God would do – not what the devil would do. 

He brings healing, he bears good fruit – he restores people to wholeness.  The devil would only destroy.

'wisdom is vindicated by her deeds' (11:19)

The fruit of his work is a sign of his goodness.

· Partial Recognition

In response to the Canaanite woman, the crowds, the disciples who all partially recognise who he is. 

Jesus affirms them – but ultimately challenges them to take their idea further.

*  *  *

The titles they give him, Son of David, Son of Man, Son of the Living God, Messiah (Anointed One) all refer to the belief that Jesus is the rightful heir to the throne of Israel.

A King who, in partnership with Yahweh, the living God, will bring justice to the nations on his behalf.  A King who will not only bring justice and peace to Israel, but to the whole world.

*  *  *

The people understand all of this – but they don't understand one thing:

That the world, that Israel will reject this king and his radical ideas – that he will be crucified, buried for three days – the world will think they are rid of his crazy ideas. 

But – on the third day he will rise again and his throne will be established, not on earth, but in the heavens.

Not temporarily – but for all eternity.

*  *  *

Only after all this has happened does everyone really realise who Jesus is.

Alternative Community

It's confession

But more importantly – what Jesus does when people recognise who he is, is he forms them into a community. 

Before the disciples recognised who Jesus was they were just disciples.  But when they realise that Jesus is King – Messiah – they begin to become his Kingdom.

*  *  *

When Peter makes his confession "You are the Messiah, the son of the Living God" Jesus says to him:

"You are Peter, (which means rock) and on this rock I will build my church, and not even death will prevail against it."

Jesus doesn't say that Peter (the person) will be the rock on which the church is built, but he plays on his name  – Jesus is most likely speaking about the confession he makes: "You are the Messiah, son of the Living God…"

This recognition of Jesus identity is what defines us as Christians.  Messiah is Hebrew for the Greek – Christos, which means anointed.

In Acts 11:26 we read that at Antioch the believers were first called Christians… people who believe that Jesus is the Messiah.

*  *  *

In his words to Peter Jesus explains that he will build a new community of people around the recognition that he, Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

*  *  *

He also says that Peter didn't come to this conclusion by human means – but because God revealed himself to him.

· The difference it makes

In Romans 12:2 Paul encourages Christians to be different – to not be 'conformed' to the ways of this world, but to be 'transformed' because of the new life they have in Christ.

Martin Luther King, preaching on Romans chapter 12:2 says that most people:

"…are thermometers that record or register the temperature of majority opinion, not thermostats that transform and regulate the temperature of society."

Are we thermometers that simply reflect what's going on in the world around us; or thermostats that regulate the temperature.

*  *  *

Paul continues to write, describing what a community of Christians should look like:

He says we should:

'hate what is evil, and hold on to what is good.' (9)
'love one another with mutual affection' (10)
'out do each other in showing respect' (10)
'extend hospitality to strangers' (13)
'bless those who persecute us' (14)
'rejoice with those who rejoice' (15)
'weep with those who weep' (15)
'associate with the lowly' (16)
'not repay evil for evil' (17)
'live peaceably with all' (18)
'never avenge yourselves' (19)
'overcome evil with good.' (21)

*  *  *

Our belief that Jesus is the Christ means that as a community we should be positively different to those around us.

Yet we often fail to love one another, we seek our own honour, we don't like strangers, we mock those who give us a hard time – condemning them to hell, we rejoice when others weep and we weep when others rejoice. 

We would rather not have too many of the 'lowly' or 'embarrassing' around.

And we seldom leave vengeance up to God, but take it up ourselves.

*  *  *

When we fully realise and believe this gospel – that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God – then the whole paradigm of values through which we see the world is changed. 

Because everything is ultimately judged by the light of Christ.

· Our responsibility

When we are gospelised everything is transformed.  Our grocery trollies, our business decisions, our time schedules, our priorities are all changed because of our belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

· The effect

I guess, if I took a survey of the congregation most of you would not be here because of some 'reasonable argument' that you have heard for the Messiahship of Jesus Christ.

Most of you would not be here because you're afraid of what might happen if you miss church.

You probably didn't come to be here every Sunday morning  because you believed.

But you came because one day when you visited a church – voluntarily or involuntarily – you discovered a Christ centred community.

People who loved you for who you were and where you were – just because they knew that God loved them too; and if God loved them he obviously loved you.

People who had a different set of values which resonated with the Spirit of God in you – that said well this is how it is meant to be.

*  *  *

God began to work in you and you realised that maybe this Jesus was the Christ, and began to have faith in him.

I am 100% convinced that none of us fully understand this.  Those of us who think we understand the most are probably the ones who know the least.

*  *  *

But as we grow we are transformed more.  And as we are transformed more people come into contact with this community that Jesus is building.  And before we know it the whole community – the whole world is transformed by the people who simply make the confession to Jesus:

"You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God."

And on that rock, Jesus builds his community.

Conclusion

In the gospel different people respond to Jesus differently, some uncertain about who he really is.  Some condemning him as evil – some – recognising him as Messiah, but not getting the whole picture.

Jesus simply shows them with gentle words and positive actions who he is.

I believe that he calls us to do the same.  To show the world what the gospel looks like as we become a sacrament of his presence in the world.

*  *  *

When we confess that Jesus is God's anointed King – the image of God – we will begin to see the Kingdom of God in this place.

Amen.