How Jesus Started the Church

Isaiah 9:1-2, 6-7; 1 Corinthians 1:10-11; Matthew 4:12‑23

Bruce Calkins, Interim Pastor

Calvary Presbyterian Church

Hawthorne CA 90250

January 27, 2008

Once upon a time, the angels were looking down and watching Jesus.

            They had watched Jesus from the start.

                  They included the angels who had sung Glorias and Halleluiahs over Bethlehem.

It was scary when the so called wise men came.

            As soon as the angels heard the wise men tell Herod that a King had been born, they yelled, "No, no! Don't tell Herod!"

Gabriel said, "I've got to warn Mary and Joseph to get Jesus out of town!"

            God said, "Tell them to go to Egypt until it's safe."

                  After they got to Egypt, the angels breathed a sigh of relief.

                  One angel said, "That was a close call!"

*Of course the angels enjoyed watching Jesus take his first step.

      They cheered when he spoke his first word.

They chuckled that time when the family made the five day trip to Jerusalem and Jesus was so interested in talking with the Rabbis that he got separated from his parents.

He was grounded for that!

            Some of the angels thought the punishment was too harsh.

            Others said, "No, it'll teach him responsibility."

They watched him learn how to saw wood and drive nails.

They cringed when he smashed his thumb with a hammer.

That incident led to quite a discussion among the angels.

      Some asked, "How can the Son of God hit his own thumb with a hammer?"

            Others said, "How can God let that happen?"

One wise old angel said, "Wait a minute, don't you remember that this Holy Child set aside all his special power and knowledge so he could be just like the earth people.

            God calls it an incarnation.

Jesus has to learn things the way the earth people learn.

            He has to experience pain, or he wouldn't be like them."

The other angels nodded, but they cried when Jesus stubbed his toe or got a splinter in his finger.

But all that watching was just preparation time.

            They were really waiting for Jesus to start making a difference in the world.

Finally, angel Bob, who always spoke his mind, even when it got him in trouble, said,

"We've been watching Jesus for thirty years, in human time;

      and, frankly, not much has happened!"

But then Angel Betty said, "Look down there.

      This could be the start of something.

      He's standing in the Jordan River with John the Baptist.

            He's being baptized!"

The angel's eyes were fixed on Jesus and John.

      Then they heard these words,

            "This is my Son, the beloved.

                  In him I am well pleased!"

For the next 40 days, Jesus was alone in the wilderness.

            There were three temptations.

            The angels knew Jesus could handle those.

But, being angels, they also could almost hear what Jesus was saying to himself.

            "God, my Father, has gradually shown me who I am;

                  but I also know that, for now, I'm just a man.

                        I'm sent here to be the Messiah, the Christ.

                              I'm supposed to bring in God's Kingdom.

      But, so far, I haven't been told how!

There are no examples out there.

      Nobody's ever been a Messiah before,

            except anointed Kings like David.

And David started out as a shepherd who fought off lions and bears and giants.

            Then he was a general before he became King.

I started out as a carpenter.

            I'm not afraid, but I think - in fact I'm sure - God doesn't want the New Kingdom to come through fighting.

The only role model I have is John the Baptist;

      and Herod has just arrested him."

If the angels could hear Jesus' thoughts, they might have heard him thinking,

"I'm not afraid to be arrested if it's for the right cause and at the right time;

            but this isn't the right time.

I've just started my ministry - whatever it's going to be.

            It's probably better to leave Jerusalem for now and go up north to Galilee.

            I know the people there.

      They're more open to change and new ideas."

The angels must have given a sigh of relief as Jesus headed North.

            They knew he would be back; but, for now, Galilee was a safer place for a novice Messiah.

*Like John, Jesus preached that the Kingdom was near, and that people should center their lives on things that mattered and lasted.

Jesus also saw that John had disciples.

      He was equipping them to carry on his ministry.

So one of the first things Jesus does when he gets to Galilee is go to the lake and recruit some disciples.

John wasn't fussy about who his disciples would be, and neither was Jesus.

*I can imagine the angels cringing at Jesus' recruiting methods.

      Fishermen of all people!

            They don't know how to read.

      They're not good at giving talks or running meetings.

            Most fishermen don't even know how to swim!

Here's the question that really puzzled those angels:

            "Are these the people Jesus expects to continue his work when he's gone?

      How can they do it?!

            How can the church last more than one generation?"

*Somehow the church lasted long enough for the Apostle Paul to write letters to the churches;

            but look at the problems they were having!

                  ? all the divisions and bickering.

And again the angels must have asked:

"Are these the people Jesus expects to continue his work?

            How can they do it?

            How can the church last more than one generation?"

*Somehow the church has lasted 2000 years.

      And again the angels must ask about us:

                  "Are these the people Jesus expects to continue his work?

      How can they do it?

            How can the church last more than one generation?"

*Well 2000 years later we seem to be in the greatest world-wide revival in the history of the church.

I just heard that 50 years ago, there were only about 50,000 Christians in the Cameroon and that today, there are over one million!

            I think that's enough to surprise the angels!

And there's more.

30 years ago there were between 200K and 300K Christians in Ethiopia.

      Today, there are 15M.

*In 1949 there were 3M Catholics and 750K Protestants in China.

Today there are 35M Catholics and 16-18 M Protestants in the government recognized churches and another 50 to 60 M in the House Churches.

This movement of the Spirit is happening in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and even in Muslim countries.

200 years ago, only about 1% of all Christians lived in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

By 100 years ago it had increased from 1% to 10% of all Christians.

Today, about 66% of all Christians live in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

In Angel years, that's fast!

*Paul Pierson told me about one of the events that must have the angels standing around with the mouths open.

            One of his students was a member of the Dalit cast, the "untouchables" from India.

He was one of the rare members of that cast to get an education and come to the US.

            He had a successful career in Fresno.

                  But he felt called to serve his people.

                        He went to Fuller Seminary then back to his people, the Dalits.

There had been Presbyterian missionary work there.

What he found was a remnant of about 4,000 discouraged Presbyterians scattered over a wide area.

He started equipping men to go out to the villages with the Gospel message.

That didn't work very well; because, in that culture men couldn't talk to women.

      So they trained and sent out clergy couples.

      That worked!

In about 20 years, they've grown from 4,000 to 1.6M Presbyterians.

It's a culture that keeps women down; but whenever they have 10 elders, five are women.

                  Whenever they send 50 people for higher education 25 are female.

They're starting new churches and new presbyteries and new schools.

The Angels look on and say,

      "I guess Jesus got it right!"

*Now the angels ask,

"What is going to happen with Jesus' ministry at Hawthorne Blvd. and 136^th St.?

      Those people down there,

            can they make a difference that matters!"

Well, I say to the angels, "Just wait a few earth years,

            and be prepared for a surprise!"