Like the other sermons in this sabbatical series, I have reflected on this topic since this summer. I am not sure I got to the exact point I had intended, but I thought the sermon worked well. At least, I preached what I intended to preach, which is not always the case! I have never preached this text in Acts, so that was fun to explore a new text. I could have played the brewing Jerusalem Council against raising funds to send to those in need, but I did not go there. it might have been an interesting part of the sermon.
“Sabbatical snippets: Holy Infrastructure;” Acts 11: 19-30; November 17, 2024; St. Andrew Presbyterian Church;
19Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, and they spoke the word to no one except Jews. 20But among them were some men of Cyprus and Cyrene who, on coming to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists also, proclaiming the Lord Jesus. 21The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number became believers and turned to the Lord. 22News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion; 24for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord. 25Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for an entire year they met with the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christians.”
27At that time prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine over all the world; and this took place during the reign of Claudius. 29The disciples determined that according to their ability, each would send relief to the believers living in Judea; 30this they did, sending it to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
Introduction: On our sabbatical travels, my wife wife Leslie and I were greatly impressed with the National parks - I would call them national treasures.
such variety; so many incredible sites, as in places, and sights, as in incredible views and things to see.
From arches formed in the desert to the mountain ranges in the Grand Tetons to the vastness of Yellowstone, we saw so many incredible places.
As we wandered through these parks, I slowly discovered the infrastructure put into place for people like us.
we would be driving thorugh a national park, and I would think, this would be a great place for a photo, and then a lookout spot would appear for us to pull over
We would be on a hike and I would think this is getting a bit slippery and the next step would reveals chains to hold onto or cut out steps for safer passage
We would wonder which way to go on a trail, and then we would find a sign pointing us in the correct direction - that assumed, of course, we could read the sign correctly!
We would go into the Welcome Center and ask a park Ranger a question, and the ranger would always have a really good answer, plus a map they could mark up for us to take with us.
Leaving Grand Teton National Park, we saw a bunch of cars pulled off to the side of the road. So we pulled off.
there in the grassy area off the side of the road was a Black Bear. Lots of people taking photos from the distance.
Of course, I looked up and there were two park rangers walking among the crowd talking about the bear.
And, I suspect, they were there to protect us from doing something stupid.
or, perhaps noticing if the bear was going to do something that might be a threat.
One of the park guides mentioned that if you see a Ranger vehicle pulled over somewhere, pay attention, because Rangers also seem to be where something interesting or exciting was taking place.
The physical infrastructure of the parks and the people who were part of the human infrastructure were amazing.
Last week, we talked about the public witness of the church as we gather in worship each week.
This week, we reflect on the role of the church more behind the scenes, providing what we might call “holy infrastructure.”
In other words, our calling to engage the world as Christ did when Christ was engaged in ministry.
Move 1: The Acts passage we read is the first time we hear the word “Christian” on reference to the followers of Christ.
a. Jesus’ followers were initially called believers or followers - that is they believed in Jesus Christ and were his followers.
1. But as time went on, they became known as Christians.
2. in fact, the term Christians was probably first used as sort of a putdown for these followers - those followers of the guy Christ who they say rose from the dead.
b. But, the name stuck.
1. Christian
2. not Jesus followers
or Nazarethians or Nazarenes because Jesus was from Nazareth
or resurrectionists because they believed in the the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
3. they are called Christians
and we are called Christians - people whose actions individually and collectively are tied directly to how Christ acted.
c. we read and tell stories of how Jesus healed the sick,
brought hope to the hopeless
extended himself to outsiders
sought release for the captives
fed the hungry
cared for the “least of these”
1. those stories inform and shape how we act as Christians.
2. IN those stories we discover our calling we follow Christ in the world.
Move 2: The church provides “holy infrastructure,” if you will.
a. Like the lookout spot in exactly the right place
or the park ranger showing up exactly when the situation demands his or her guidance,
or the park ranger marking the map with the plan for how to find your way,
the church is at work everyday in the lives of people.
1. That is our calling - to be at work in the daily living of the world.
2. Like the God who comes in Christ to walk alongside us in our daily lives, the church walks alongside people in their struggles.
3. To be, if you will, the holy infrastructure that may not always be noticed, but is always there to support people as Christ did.
b. I had a colleague in OH who wanted to become a novelist.
As her time in a church was nearing its end and retirement approached, she began working on her first novel.
She was still joining with us for the monthly Presbyterian minister lunches (bet you wished you could have been at those), when she became part of a small group of other other aspiring authors.
They shared ideas, brainstormed together, read each others' work.
she would regale us with stories from those author gatherings.
her first novel followed a character who is a female Presbyterian minister in a small town in KS, who solved mysteries, which was an early part of her ministry experience.
One day she was telling me that most of the other writers did not go to church.
She said in some ways it was helpful because she realized that some of the things she was weaving into the story needed more explanation - the other authors did not know much about what her main character did - things like communion; or stewardship; or Session meetings; or mission committee work; or mission projects.
She had to explain the role of the church and how its ministers and members acted.
c. The world around us moves on, and the church’s mission continues, whether others recognize it or understand it.
1. our calling is to follow Christ and minister as he would.
2. There is still a public aspect of witnessing to Jesus Christ, but there is also the critical role of providing the infrastructure of care and concern for all of God’s people.
3. Our own Book of Order, which governs how we live and act as the body of Christ reminds us that
4. one of our founding principles is that The mission of God gives shape to the church (F-1.01)
Here how that is described: The good news of the Gospel is that the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - creates, redeems, sustains, rules, and transforms all things and all people. This one living God, the Scriptures say, liberated the people of Israel from oppression and covenanted to be their God. By the power of the Spirit, this one living God is incarnate in Jesus Christ, who came to live in the world, die for the world, and be raised again to new life.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ announces the nearness of God’s kingdom, bringing good news to all who are impoverished, sight to all who are blind, freedom to all who are oppressed, and proclaiming the Lord’s favor upon all creation. The mission of God in Christ gives shape and substance to the life and work of the Church. In Christ, the Church participates in God’s mission for the transformation of creation and humanity by proclaiming to all people the good news of God’s love, offering to all people the grace of God at font and table, and calling all people to discipleship in Christ.
move 3: Let’s go back for a moment to the story from Acts.
a. We hear a conversation about the different churches and leaders and the use of the term Christian, Agabus stands up and shares a prophesy - famine is coming.
1. Immediately, the church acts and takes up a special offering to care those who will be impacted by the famine. Fascinating, powerful immediately, one of the prophets stands up and predicts a famine
2. the stuff about the church leadership and the church development is interesting, but the power in the story is found in how the church acts.
A need arises.
the church responds.
3. This is commendable by itself, but it will soon be contrasted by the actions of King Herod in Chapter 12.
4. King Herod, we discover, cares very little about those suffering from famine, but is mostly concerned with his grasp on power.
5. But there is the early church, in the background, living out its calling by reaching out the hungry.
6. The church is defining itself as being there to support people in need, just as Christ did.
b. The recent presidential election has garnered lots of our attention.
1. Some are ecstatic about the results and the changes coming into play;
some are grieving the election results and concerned about the changes happening.
2. And in the midst of our divided nation, the work of the church continues, often in the background.
3. the church continues to show up where people are hurting or in need because
Natural disasters do not know political seasons;
grief at the death of loved ones happens regardless of how an election goes.
homelessness and hunger may be impacted by governmental policies, but history tells us that the vulnerable will be around regardless of which party is in office.
Wars still rage around the world and the call for peacemakers and reconciliation grows.
people still need to know the life-saving, life-giving good news of Jesus Christ continues regardless of which political party is in power.
4. The Pastors’ Class is looking at the Study Catechism. Questions and answers about all sorts of theological things.
this morning, one of the questions was: Who are the needy?
the answer: The hungry need bread, the homeless need a roof, the oppressed need justice, and the lonely need fellowship. At the same time—on another and deeper level—the hopeless need hope, sinners need forgiveness, and the world needs the gospel. On this level no one is excluded, and all the needy are one. Our mission as the church is to bring hope to a desperate world by declaring God’s undying love—as one beggar tells another where to find bread.
5. The church’s call to show up and minister continues because the needy of the world are still out there.
How do we know there are still people in need? Because we know the needs we have ourselves.
the church is made up of us, the people who lay claim to be Christians,
who go into the world to serve as Christ would by reaching out to those in need.
Conclusion: As the resurrected Christ prepares to ascend to heaven, he gathers the remaining disciples and Jesus gave them their marching orders - go and be his people in the world.
So they did.
And so we do.
