Of Cracks in History

Matthew 17:22-23, 18:1-4

22 After they gathered again in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. 23 He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” And the disciples were filled with grief.

 Matt 18:1 About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

 2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. 3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Last week, traveling around Puget Sound in Washington State, I started to notice Tsunami Evacuation Route signs. I’m familiar with Hurricane Evacuation Signs but not tsunami ones. I asked what that was all about and was reminded that Seattle and all the little port villages of Puget Sound are on an earthquake fault. If the ground quakes, all those low lying towns and cities could be hit by a tsunami. 

Did you notice in the news this week that there was a 5.0 magnitude earthquake in Toronto, Canada? Quakes can happen in the most unexpected places!

Earthquakes are formed by cracks (faults) deep under the earth’s surface where the tectonic plates crack and crash against each other. When that happens, the ground quakes. Scary! 

Did you know that there are other seismic cracks that happen, even in areas where earthquakes never happen? As a matter of fact there was a seismic crack the other day. Did you notice it? It wasn’t the earth, it was history, and each day the crack is getting bigger and bigger. 

Let me explain what I mean. Sociologists have observed that we are living in a “crack in history”. On one side of the crack is the past with its old paradigms (explain paradigm) that are no longer valid, On the other side of the crack will be brand new paradigms that aren’t even formed yet.

The crack opened up sometime in the 1970’s and will probably close again in the 2020’s. During this time span radical changes will affect just about everything we considered normal and sacred just 30 years ago. 

We are living in a “crack in history” when old ways of doing things are collapsing and new ones are forming at a rapid rate. Here are some of the cultural shifts that are taking place:

1. We’re moving from a churched to an unchurched culture.

2. The definition of “truth” is changing. There seems to be no ultimate truth anymore.

3. Moral standards are in a constant state of change.

4. The illusion of wealth is disappearing.

5. Information is taking quantum leaps in development. How many of us had “I” phones or IPADS 5 years ago.

6. The definition of family is changing – leading to fragmentation in the home.

7. By 2020 one half of all Americans will be non-white and speaking a second language.

8. The male dominated world of the last 2000 years has disappeared. 

What does all this mean? It means that many of the things we held as sacred in the past are disappearing. New and strange things are taking their place and reshaping the face of the human race. It is of earthquake proportions! 

There have been other cracks in history that have radically changed life:

1. The industrial revolution – brought about mass produced products and modern medical science.

2. The printing press. The Gutenberg Bible placed the Bible into the hands of the common person. Reading became a world-wide thing.

3. The Exodus of the Hebrews out of slavery from Egypt – gave us the foundation of the Judeo-Christian laws and ethics.

4. The introduction of Christianity through Jesus and people like the disciples - Introduced to the world the concept of grace, forgiveness, and salvation that changed the whole complexion of God’s relationship with us. 

This new crack in history does offer significant challenges. Will we take the high road or the low road? The crack also opens up a window of opportunity for new forms of ministry. If the church is to survive well into the 21^st century then it must understand the new paradigm shifts and build new ministries to meet new human needs. 

A question I want to ask us today is, “Who will emerge as church leaders in this new day? Who will come forward in the church to address these new cultural shifts taking place now?”    

               How about you?

In today’s scripture Jesus responds using a new paradigm when asked about who will be the greatest in his coming Kingdom. The old way of thinking had said that it would always be the most powerful, the most connected, the ones with the greatest education, etc. 

But Jesus takes a little child and places him in front of the disciples and says, unless you become like this little child you won’t enter the Kingdom. Unless you become as humble as a child you won’t have greatness. Jesus takes one of the simplest and least powerful of all the people on earth (a child) and introduces him as the new image of greatness in the Kingdom of God. 

One of the new paradigms that will emerge, we are told, is that the value of the laity in the church will increase and the value or importance of the clergy will decrease. The laity will reclaim the primary role of ministry that had been theirs in the first and second centuries – the role that should have always been theirs.

That means that you, the laity, will have an important part to play in the future of the church. Two weeks ago we held the Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church here in Florida. Last week, Peggy and I attended portions of the Annual Conference of the Pacific Northwest Conference in Tacoma, Washington. In both, the power of the laity to move the church forward was lifted up again and again.

If mission work is to grow larger, the laity in the field will need to lead it. If neighbors are to come to meet Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord then it will probably happen in hospitality groups or fellowship activities in the church led by the laity. If young people are to receive the transforming message of Jesus, those seeds of faith will need to be planted mostly by the laity.

The leaders of the new ministries being created for tomorrow are the people reading this blog today. How about that! The role of the pastor will be to equip the people in the pews to build ministries that lift Jesus high! You and I have the opportunity to build these new church member led programs.

But wait. Do you feel equipped? I often hear subtle statements that ring of, “Wait a minute Earl. I’m not sure I’m capable of leadership. I haven’t been to seminary. I don’t’ understand all the Bible. I don’t know church administration. How could I possible lead new ministries?”

My answer is simply this – You would do it just the same way that the disciples did, or Moses did, or the Apostle Paul did it many years ago. God took ordinary people and used them to build up an extraordinary church. Let me show you what I mean. 

Look at Peter, one of the disciples, for example. He was a common laborer the day Jesus met him. He was a fisherman. He wasn’t a community leader. He had no education beyond what we’d call 6^th grade. He was not charismatic. He was not a world traveler. He had probably never been outside the territory of Galilee much. He wasn’t well read. Many times he came across as a bit dimwitted and not fully connected to the program of Jesus. And yet God used him in a mighty way.

Church leaders don’t need to be well versed in the ways of God. They certainly don’t need to be saints or seminary graduates. Peter not only felt inadequate at times but he was inadequate – Yet he led the early Christian church through some of their most difficult days.

How did it happen? Certainly not through the wisdom, strength, or ingenuity of Peter himself. It was only through the power of God at work in him that could enable him to bring about radical change in the world like he did.

Guess what? He was just an ordinary human being like you and me. He was no greater in stature or skill then that little child that Jesus held up in front of the disciples a few years earlier. As a matter of fact Peter’s spirit was about as humble at times as that little child’s. And that was a good thing.

The one thing he did have going for him was that he had just a little more faith than fear. And that makes all the difference in the world.

Here’s another exciting story out of the early church. There is a little studied scripture from Acts 8 that can encourage us greatly today. “On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.”

Who were the scattered? The laity. People just like you. Who remained stuck in Jerusalem where their influence was limited? The Apostles, the clergy of the church. How did the Gospel of Jesus spread? By people just like you. Do you get my point?

These were ordinary people – not even a part of the designated disciples - who began to change the world in a big way. The one thing they did have going for them was that they had just a little more faith than fear. And that makes all the difference in the world – no matter what generation you are born in. 

Another story - Eight years ago I met a young college student who went to the same college as my son. She was cute, with long red hair, and maybe a little naive for her age. She was just a nice average young student who was trying to educate herself far from the home of her parents. Well, as it worked out, she and my son fell in love and five years ago she become my daughter-in-law! She is a delightful Christian who wants to make an impact for Jesus in the world. Really all she has going for her is that she has just a little more faith than fear – and therefore Jesus is using her in really cool ways. 

Another story - Last Saturday, Peggy and I sat in an auditorium with 400 other people and listened to a mature young woman give one of the best sermons I’ve ever heard. God had taken her at about the age of 14 and planted a seed of faith in her. That encounter encouraged her to become a leader in her local church and then to become a leader to young people through the United Methodist Church.

For 31 minutes this woman had the rapped attention of everyone in that room. She spoke about planting seeds in today’s children, youth, and young adults so that they could become Jesus lovers just like her. When she was finished she received a standing ovation.

That young woman was the same young college student I had met 8 years ago and who is now my daughter-in-law.  All she’s ever really needed was a little more faith than fear. And God is using her in mighty ways.

And now, what’s your story? Do you have a little more faith than fear? It doesn’t matter how old you are or how young you are. You can have an incredible impact on the world around you. This world of ours is quaking from this “crack in history”. Many are running scared and don’t know where to turn for help. Are you ready to rub your hands together, roll up your sleeves, and resolve to become a part of the solution?

During the next few days I will put on the church website ways that you can become involved – not in administration but in real ministry. Turn to “firstchurchplantcity.com” for an exciting look at our future as a church. Until then – pray!!!