Grace Lutheran Church Sermon Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, July 8, 2007

The Rev. Evan Gaertner
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 9) “What Do We Boast About?”
July 8, 2007 Luke 10:1-20

The internal combustion engine in a car has been around for a while. The basic design has not changed much in 100 years. But with the development and increasing popularity of hybrid, biofuel, flexfuel, and diesel engines the car industry is finding itself at a tipping point of technology.

When we looked into buying a new car last summer I was not too concerned with what engine was inside the vehicle as long as it would get me to where I was going. But while I was not concerned with the engine, Chrysler figured out a couple of years ago the benefit of marketing the Hemi engine with it massive amounts of horse power.

Toyota has hit a public relations winner with the Prius. Recently Al Gore’s son was arrested for speeding and possession of illegal drugs. One of the reasons that the story had legs was not only that it was Al Gore’s son but that this boy was caught going 100 mph in his Prius. Some people did not know the Prius could go that fast.

There are small companies being started that will transform your diesel engine to run on used vegetable oil from McDonald’s.

The biography of the engine is being rewritten. The idea of just simply getting to where you are going is getting complicated with how you get there. This complication might be good. It just might be good to think about the quality and efficiency of the car engine.

But of course I am not a mechanic nor am I going to preach today about what kind of car engine you should buy. But I do want you to think about this idea of an engine.

What is the engine that builds the kingdom of God? What gets us there? As disciples of Jesus Christ sent into this world how are we moving around?

I know some people would say that it does not matter how people got to church just as long as they are there. But I know that if we hoodwinked people into coming to church by promising some great entertainment that could rival a rock concert or Hollywood movie, people would leave disappointed and unfulfilled. And you know even if we could do the rock concert and Hollywood production quality worship service, and that was what kept people coming I would be disappointed and unfulfilled. Because I want you to think about what is the engine that moves the kingdom of God.

Jesus sent the seventy-two into every town and place where he himself was about to go. There were to go with a sense of urgency.

Whenever they entered a town and were received with peace they were told to heal the sick and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.”

Jesus said to them, “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

So they went out like lambs among the wolves and found the spirit was at work in their witness.

They returned to Jesus with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”

Jesus responds, “Yeah, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. You have the power to step on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing can hurt you.”

This is similar to what St. Paul told the Romans in chapter 8, “No in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us, For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The seventy-two that return to Jesus are amazed with the dazzling power of the God. They come back to Jesus boasting of this authority, the power, they have over even the demons. They are thrilled.

Even today it is easy to fall in love with the power to attract crowds with demonstrations of power and material blessings. TV Evangelist healers draw the crowds in with demonstrations of their power. It is easier to attract crowds boasting of prayers answered then to bring the cross to the eyes of the crowd.

Jesus does not deny the power is amazing. Jesus though does not want this power of authority and material blessings to become the engine that builds the kingdom of God. Authority and material blessing are the way the kingdoms of this world are built. Squash, squish and build. The empire grows with every victory.

But the kingdom of God has a different sort of engine. Jesus reminds us, saying, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” And Paul had finished chapter 8 in Romans by reminded us that nothing separates us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We can become so enchanted with power and authority to attract crowds, and believe the crowds are the evidence of kingdom building at work. Pastors gather together and even will ask, “How many people do you worship on a Sunday?” I used to answer that question with our average weekend attendance, “About 150.”

But then another pastor answered in a way that has given a tune-up to my engine. He was asked, “How many people do you worship at your church?” Pastor Gerike answered, “1.” The other pastor look confused and so Pastor Gerike said, “We worship the one true Lord and God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” Then he said, “Our worshipping attendance is about 175.”

We can become confused and feeling rejected if we identify the engine of growth of the kingdom of God as power, authority and material blessings. What happens when prayers are not answered in the way we expect? When God does not step in and squash the bugs of life in a way we expect we can become frustrated and disappointed. After all God has the power to change the world with a word, why does he not act for me? When we are attracted by power we want more power and to be able to use it the way we want.

We preach Jesus Christ and him crucified. We bring people to the cross to find the forgiveness of their sins. The growth of the church in the New Testament did not happen because of the miracle Jesus but because of the cross bearing, resurrection bringing Jesus.

Consider the feeding of the 5,000 and how the next day they chased Jesus around the lake for more bread. They wanted the miracle making Jesus and were not seeking the cross bearing forgiving Jesus. So Jesus reminded them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst….For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Jesus is the bread of life that feeds us for eternity. He is not the wonder bread, the one hit wonder that brings a miracle and then disappears back into the shadows. Your savior is always present.

When Jesus sends out the seventy-two he tells them to preach, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” The seventy-two have been given the authority to connect people to Jesus. The one who hears them, hears Jesus.

When we go into this world we go as witnesses to the cross, to the forgiveness of sins. It is this forgiveness that bridges the gap between us and heaven, it is by this forgiveness that we can rejoice that are names are written in heaven. It is by this forgiveness that we go into the world to vigorously make known the love of Jesus Christ.

The engine of growth in this congregation is going to be the cross of Jesus. We go as lambs in the midst of wolves confident of the shepherd who leads us.

So I call upon you to share your faith, point people to Jesus, and remember you have been given the power to connect people to the kingdom of God.

Soli Deo Gloria

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