Ministry Mobilisation

So we've heard from Corinthians, one Corinthians, but we're going to zip back to Mark for a little while.

So in Mark's Gospel, Jesus' first words to those around him are, The time has come, the kingdom of God has come near.

Repent and believe the good news.

Jesus himself announces it.

The kingdom is near, the time has come.

He heralds this good news for all with ears to hear.

And there's things to do.

If we pick up the unfolding story of the kingdom coming in Mark, we have this beautiful vignette, this tiny slice of life that is so easy to overlook, but played such a crucial part in a vital chapter of this monumental story of Jesus.

By the time we get to Mark 11, the disciples understand that Jesus is the Messiah, and in fact the kingdom has come.

Jesus has predicted his death three times and is now on his way to Jerusalem.

The tension between Jesus and the established leadership is reaching its climax as they plot to kill him.

And as Easter approaches for us today, the significance of it is all very real.

And this is the vignette.

As Jesus and his followers get closer to Jerusalem, he sends two of his disciples on an errand, an errand to find a donkey.

He tells them where to find it and what to say if they're questioned.

And we're told they return with this donkey, a donkey that's never been ridden before, found tied up as Jesus said.

And when they're asked by those around the donkey, what are you doing untying that donkey?

They replied as Jesus tells them to.

The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.

And remarkably, the people let them go.

Have you paid much attention to that part of the story before?

It's easy to overlook, easy not to think too closely on it because it's the next part of the story that we do remember.

The two disciples bring the donkey to Jesus.

They throw their cloaks over it.

He sits on the donkey and rides into Jerusalem.

And taking their cue from our donkey gatherers, many others throw their cloaks or palm branches on the road and they all shout, Hosanna, blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David.

Hosanna in the highest heaven.

And this is Jesus' famous entry into Jerusalem.

The moment all of his followers have been waiting for.

Triumphant, but not on a white stead as might be expected.

Instead, heralded by the people of the fields with their cloaks and palms as he rides in on a donkey.

But back to our two donkey gatherers.

It's a strange request, isn't it?

Go to this specific place where you'll find this donkey, exactly as I describe it, and these are the words to say when people there question you about it.

Say the words and it'll all be okay.

And of course it unfolds just as he says.

If we stand back and look at the process within this story, this is what we notice.

The kingdom comes, there are jobs to be done, your obedience is required, there's a beautiful synergy, and to the glory of Messiah.

There's this real understanding that the kingdoms come.

Jesus has herald the news himself.

The kingdom is near, and with that news, there are jobs to be done.

But of course, the hinge point is the one in the middle.

Your obedience is required.

The rest hangs on that.

And these two disciples, unnamed, chose obedience over awkwardness, obedience over their own ideas, obedience to honour the Lord, because he is Messiah, and we are part of his plan, not the other way around.

And he was communicating an idea about his upside down kingdom that had marked the last three years of his ministry and was about to be further communicated by his death on a cross.

And nameless as they were, imagine being them, playing their part in this moment that is God appointed, a moment that they will know for eternity.

And if they hadn't obeyed, well, Jesus would have found another way, but they would have missed out.

They would not have known the power of obedience and the role it plays in our spiritual growth, and the way the Spirit not only uses me to do a job, but the way it interacts with the Lord's bigger plan.

Their obedience and response pulls others in, and body life is experienced.

There's this beautiful synergy when we're obedient to the call, to His call.

And as those two disciples give their cloaks for Jesus to sit upon the donkey, others lay theirs down on the ground, and He enters Jerusalem.

And this moment in this story that's been unfolding for thousands of years is played out, all to the glory of Messiah.

And this moment, it's still recreated year after year as people march on Palm Sunday for the powerless.

So don't miss it.

The kingdom comes.

There are jobs to be done.

Your obedience is required.

There's a beautiful synergy, all to the glory of Messiah.

And we see this model played out time and time again throughout the Bible.

In Acts, Luke tells us that after his resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples many times over those 40 days before his ascension and spoke about the kingdom of God.

While he told them to expect the gift of the Holy Spirit, they asked if he was about to restore the kingdom of Israel.

You can see that they still didn't quite get it.

They knew that the kingdom had come, but not really yet how it was all going to play out.

So when Jesus tells them to return to Jerusalem, a dangerous place for them, to receive this gift of the Holy Spirit, so that they can be his witnesses, both there and to the ends of the earth.

We hold our breath.

Will they or won't they?

How will Peter respond this time?

But they obey.

They returned to Jerusalem and waited, as he told them.

And in that obedience comes an unimaginable synergy of people partnering with God, as some days later, the spirit did indeed come and rested on each of them.

And as onlookers questioned what was going on, Peter addressed the crowd with authority and understanding, and we're told about 3,000 were added to their number that day.

The kingdom comes.

There are jobs to be done.

Your obedience is required.

There's a beautiful synergy, all to the glory of Messiah.

At NorthernLife, we believe in this picture of body life.

The kingdom comes.

We know it has come through the life, death and resurrection of our Saviour.

On this corner, in this place, at this time, we are heralds of this news.

To each other here in our community, in here and also out there.

There's a buzz around this news, and there's work to do, jobs to be done.

Today's reading has a lot to say about the body life, lessons Paul has for the church at Corinth and for us.

So as we stand in this church and hear Jesus call to mobilize, let's take note of what Paul teaches about this body life.

Firstly, there's jobs for everyone.

Paul tells us just before the text that we heard Jack read earlier, there are different kinds of gifts, but the same spirit distributes them.

It is the same God at work and they're given for the common good.

The message version says, each person is given something to do that shows who God is, everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits.

We saw that when the two disciples fetched the donkey and when the disciples, scared as they were, lacking understanding as they did, obeyed the Lord and went down to Jerusalem, everyone benefited.

And the Messiah was glorified.

What a great encouragement.

Obey the call, use your God-given gifts for all of you, showing more about who God is, and into the deal, we benefit.

Everyone has a place, everyone's something to contribute, Paul says.

That's what we're believing.

These donkey gatherers, our two unnamed disciples, we're not told that they were donkey whisperers, that they had a special way with donkeys.

They appreciated that Jesus was there, that there were jobs to do, and they were obedient to the call.

And he says to them, this is what to say if someone asks.

He doesn't set them up to fail, he prepares them, sets them up to get the job done.

Was it challenging?

Yes, of course it was.

But he's not trying to trick them, so they work from his power, not their own.

They obey, trust and know that he is good.

They didn't have to be donkey whisperers to be chosen, but they probably did learn a bit about donkeys along the way.

More importantly, they learned about Jesus and their relationship to him.

There's a job for everyone and obedience is required.

Sitting on the sidelines is safe, but I don't think it's an easy gig.

God has designed us to need relationship in our personal lives and spiritually as well.

It's a lesson that COVID taught us more than any other.

Our spiritual walk has been designed by him to be in community, and that community is called church.

It's hard to do it alone or from the sidelines.

There's not much fruit.

Each person is given something to do that shows who God is.

Everyone gets in on it.

Everyone benefits.

The kingdom comes.

There are jobs to be done.

Your obedience is required.

There's a beautiful synergy, all to the glory of Messiah.

Diversity is strength, Paul says.

He builds the picture of the church as a body, made up of many parts, but one body, all unified by the one spirit.

I love this picture.

Not everyone's a foot, an eye, nor a hand, but all are required, equally needed and valued.

He paints this picture of diversity of the body as its strength, reminding us that we all belong, no matter what part we are.

It's a reminder that our identity is in Christ, and it's him who makes us fit for purpose.

Alone, doing life our own way, we wander, we find trouble and failure.

Together, obedient to the call of his kingdom, we are more than the sum of our parts.

The spirit breathes, and hearts and minds grow into all that he has for us.

Verse 18 says, but in fact, God had placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.

You know, I think it's such a comfort.

We're not here by chance.

We're here because he intended it that way, and we have a part to play.

He has work for us to do on this corner, and we continually seek, listen and discern that way.

What do you think that he's equipped you for?

What part has he got for you to play?

Or do you think you're not really a valuable part?

If the ear should say, because I'm not an eye, I don't belong to the body, it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.

If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be?

The eye is complex, intricate, a valuable organ.

But as I think of all the rich experiences of each person in this church, I think of each of you as equally complex, intricate, valuable and as required as anyone else.

We're fearfully and wonderfully made, the Bible tells us.

Each of us is unique.

We have histories and experiences, and the Lord promises that none of it is wasted.

He has jobs for us to do.

Remember, Paul says, he has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.

Diversity is strength, not weakness.

And he tells us that unity matters from verse 21.

The eye cannot say to the hand, I don't need you.

And the head cannot say to the feet, I don't need you.

On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.

And the parts that we think are less honourable, we treat with special honour.

God has put the body together, giving greater honour to the parts that lacked it, so there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.

If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.

If one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.

Each part serves a unique and important role.

God's Spirit is working through each one of us in a unified way.

All roles are for the building up of the church, for the common good, and his love through the Spirit compels each of us to use our role to seek and serve the wellbeing of others.

This is another counter-cultural message.

The world out there says I am the most important person.

I shall put my needs first and all else follows.

That's only feasible if you're prepared to leave a wake of pain and damage after you.

That's not relationship.

It's not community.

It's not sustainable nor life-giving.

We are each called to serve rather than be served, to lose our lives in order to gain them.

And this is the collective picture of the church.

If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.

If one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

It's the body life.

We're a living, interdependent, complex organism, and the health or state of one part affects the whole.

This sounds like a heavy responsibility, but in fact it's a mature, healthy, boundary-made living.

We address failings and weaknesses, sickness and sin, and equally we celebrate victories and strength, breakthroughs and milestones.

Not as individuals, but collectively.

I think one of the best pictures of a healthy church for me was the party we held to celebrate John O's 50th birthday just a few years ago, suggested, organized, run by one of our church members.

How precious to value and celebrate him like this.

And of course, there's the hard times.

This place is one where tears are regularly shared and shared.

That's body life.

We each affect the other, and we rejoice with those honored, and if one part is suffering, we suffer with them.

And finally, we are the body of Christ.

Paul tells us, what an honor this is to be part of the body of Christ.

You know, when I first started attending NorthernLife some eight or so years ago, I would be happy with myself that I got to church.

Some of you will know what I'm talking about.

And then happy when I got here on time.

And I sat in that space for a long time.

I knew that the kingdom was lived out in this place and with these people, but getting here was enough.

And then I was asked to do a Bible reading, and I had to manage myself and get up here and do that.

And then a prayer and then be part of an interview John O'Dibb with some other women on Mother's Day.

And in each step, I had to come before God and ask him for courage and obedience.

You see, I was hurting, finding a church after many years of being half in, partly because my husband Pete was so ill and then grieving after his death.

But probably partly, I found excuses, excuses that kept me from being part of what the Lord calls us to be part of, his church.

But Leanne asked me to come to their Life Hub, and those other encouragements to serve followed.

And if you'd have told me five years ago that I'd be standing here, doing this now, giving a message, I'd have said, no way.

But the Lord nurtures us.

He teaches us.

He builds us.

Puts people in our way to help, support, heal, instruct and encourage us.

And in His power and our choice to obey God, He can do more than we ever imagined.

Our donkey gatherers, they have relationship with Jesus.

He knew them.

He knew them intimately.

He gave them that job because He'd been building them for it.

When you think about your place here, what is it that God is drawing you into, building you for, nurturing you towards?

Will you feel confident doing it?

Will it feel safe?

Will it be something you can do with your eyes closed, standing on your head?

Some of it may be, but the real job He's preparing you for will challenge and stretch you as He transforms you.

When I think of Him mobilising all of this in our church, my heart is excited, because I know that if each of us is obedient, He will challenge and stretch us.

It's the way He transforms us.

And when each part belongs to the whole, it's for the common good, and we each support the other in the doing of it.

And there's this wonderful synergy between us and the Lord, and body life is experienced, all to the glory that's given to Messiah.

This has been my experience, and I hope it will be for you.

Get some skin in the game.

Share the load.

Don't wait until you're healed of your hurts to join.

It's in the joining you are healed.

Don't miss the point that it's an invitation either.

He won't force you, but you'll miss out if you don't accept.

And don't be precious about where you serve.

What you start with is probably not where you'll end up.

Be a weight bearer, not an onlooker.

Take the first step to belonging.

Say yes to something and commit to what the Lord is doing.

Ministry mobilization, our seventh strategic key to help us unlock all we believe the Lord has for us in these 18 months we've called SEE23.

It's about mobilizing our people, the Lord's church, for the work he has for us.

We believe he's bringing people with specific experiences and gifts for the special work he has for us to do at this time, in this place.

We're holding the baton given to us by those who've been on this hill for the Lord over the previous 120 years, and we're heralding the news of the kingdom.

There's jobs to be done.

He's calling.

Will you say yes?

You'll work shoulder to shoulder.

If you do, sorry, you'll gain so much more than getting the job done.

You'll work shoulder to shoulder with others who'll speak in to your life, and maybe, probably, you'll speak in to theirs.

Years shift.

Life's change.

As the Lord's Spirit moves when you're in Christian community with skin in the game, we are changed and we move closer to who we intended us to be.

This doesn't happen from the sidelines.

Jump in with baby steps or a deep dive.

It takes one step of obedience on your part, and then another and another.

And it does get easier because you can see God at work.

And the best part is for the glory of Messiah, for the things he's ordained, his work, his purposes.

So don't miss it.

The kingdom comes.

There are jobs to be done.

Your obedience is required.

There's a beautiful synergy, all to the glory of Messiah.

We are the body of Christ, and each one of us is a part of it.

Let me just pray.

Dear Lord, we just pray that your spirit will breathe on us as we contemplate your word and the call that you have for us on our lives in this place, at this time.

We just trust that there's a work that you're doing, and we look for your encouragement and your spirit to just urge us to say yes and obey.

And we ask this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

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