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Title: True Disciples

Date: 1/1/2001

Scripture: Luke 12: 32-40

Season: Topical

Theme: The church has enough True Believers. What God wants are True Disciples.

Text | Illustrations | Worship Resources

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Luke 12:32-40

Say "Isaiah," and most people probably first think of a pro basketball player.

If we think again, what comes to mind are the comforting, promising words found throughout so many of the songs and sayings in the second half of the Isaiah scroll.

But long before this seer allows his gaze to wander forward to future hopes and promises that may await God's chosen people, the vision of this prophet is unflinchingly up close and personal on the current condition of Israel. The first book of Isaiah, usually identified as chapters 1-39, is far more in the spirit of Amos. Here he vividly addresses Israel's sins and shortcomings, spewing vitriol at her skewed spirituality and piecemeal piety. Today's First Testament text, from the very first chapter of the Isaiah scroll, wastes no time in letting Israel know what kind of mood God's in.

Just as chapters 1-12 of Isaiah are usually viewed as introductory oracles proclaimed by the prophet, chapter 1 is itself viewed as an introduction to the rest of this oracle section. Characteristic of Isaiah, there's no one theme that comes through this oracle section. Not only are warnings of judgment and promises of salvation both voiced by the prophet in these chapters, but within one text itself judgment and salvation are simultaneously extended from both hands. From the outset Isaiah's prophecies offer Israel both confrontation and condemnation of her sins, as well as an alternative path for Israel to follow.

The opening sentence read today (Isaiah 1:1) offers a formal superscription for the Isaiah scroll. Although the prophet's calling to this task as seer is not articulated until chapter 6, his authorship of these texts is declared at the outset. Isaiah's role is to relate the hazon, the vision he has received.

These words, while recorded by his hand, are understood to have been uttered by the divine voice. Furthermore, these words come clearly addressed. They are postmarked for Judah and Jerusalem and are to be delivered in the days between the reigns of Uzziah (783-742) and Hezekiah (715-687). While even within this very first oracle there's an intermingling of time periods and historical progressions (for instance, verses 7-8 describe a ravaged, desolate country, while verse 10 describes a nation with enough stability and riches to maintain an elaborate cultic system), the declaration in 1:1 that this is a hazon, a vision, gives one clear focus throughout the text.

Isaiah's purpose is not to describe Israel's history or her current behavior. Instead the hazon focuses fully on God -- first on God's anger at Israel for her behavior and bad attitudes, and then on God's offer to bring Israel back into the divine fold if Israel will return in obedience.

Leading up to today's assigned reading, verses 2-9 describe the current wretched state of the people. They're a "brood of evil doers" (verse 4) upon whom "from head to foot no spot is sound" (verse 6). Their miserable condition is so complete that "unless the Lord...had left us some survivors" they "would be like Sodom...[and]...Gomorrah" (verse 9).

As verse 10 opens, two emphases change. First, Isaiah's message from the Lord now directly addresses these miserable miscreants. Verse 10 ties into verse 9 by repeating the previous verses' geographical references and calling these woebegone ones rulers of Sodom and people of Gomorrah. Beginning in verse 10, however, the vision also changes by describing what sounds like a different time in Israel's life.

The cultic fervor depicted by verses 10-13 describes a nation with energy and resources enough to focus on cultic flourishes and flounces. The cost of such an active, excessive cultic life was extremely high -- both in terms of goods (the sacrifice of expensive animal and grain offerings) and in terms of time (for the priests and for the people who had to support the priests in their holy duties).

But as Isaiah's words begin to tear away the veil of Israel's piety, the prophet reveals this filmy covering is nothing more than a flimsy shroud covering a rotten corpse. Shockingly, the behaviors the Lord chooses to castigate are the exact same actions Israel would hold up as evidence of her continued devotion to, and obedience before, the Lord.

The first of these noble behaviors Yahweh's indictment puts on the chopping block is the practice of offering blood sacrifices and burnt offerings (verse 11). These, of course, are central to the whole cultic purpose and practice. When the mandates for cultic rites and rituals were established by the Mosaic teachings, blood/burnt offerings were the means by which Israelites who had failed to follow the moral mandates and tenants of the law could expunge their offense and reestablish themselves in right relationship with Yahweh once again. Take away this function of the cultic practices, and they essentially serve no purpose in Israel's relationship with God.

A second set of behaviors rejected by this divine diatribe are cyclical observations, such as new moons and even Sabbaths. The hazon of Isaiah reveals that Yahweh discerns these solemn assemblies being held in conjunction with iniquity (verse 13) as well as with the movements of heavenly bodies. All these fixed (or appointed) times for piety filled the Lord with revulsion and they're declared a burden (verse 14).

The remedy to relieve this burden and heal this situation is provided in a terse list of emphatic imperatives (verses 16-17). The first divine directive declares that to begin the process of renewing their relationship with God, the Israelites must "wash...clean" to remove the stains of sinfulness. This washing isn't achieved through any number of ritual ablutions with water. To wash away this sinful state, Israel must utterly reverse all its previous behaviors and cease to do evil (verse 16).

But this is only half of the Lord's directive. It must be coupled with the equally emphasized imperative -- that Israel learn to do good. All the energy and activity that had been poured into the morally hollowed-out cultic ritual practices must now flow into the morally just and righteous activities that are listed in verse 17 as specific examples of doing good.

Recall that verse 10 opened this section by calling Israel to hear the word of the Lord. Well, this is it! Here it is! Verse 17 offers another no-frills, straight-ahead list that allow for no negotiations or subtleties that might water-down or dull the sharp edge of these imperatives: seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphans, plead for the widow. Of course, these words are not new directives to Israel. They only reiterate the Torah ethics that Moses presented to the people long ago. Israel has long known Yahweh's expectations; it's time to carry them out.

In verses 18-20 the tone and vocabulary of the text charges, clearly distinguishing the three verses from those both preceding and immediately following them. The language used here derives from formal legal proceedings. Let us test each other or debate or argue -- call the concerned parties to arrive at a legal understanding. Note that the initial invitation in verse 18 is a conditional statement -- to be enacted when this legal suit is appropriately settled.

The conditions that must be met in order for God to transform scarlet to snow, crimson to wool, are articulated in verse 19. Israel must be willing and obedient -- as the imperatives in verse 18 had made clear -- through its action, not simply through acquiescence. With these conditions met, all the fruits of the land, the great promise of the Lord to the people Israel, will then be their reward.

But if Israel chooses disobedience, if the people continue to refuse and rebel, then Israel will face destruction through military defeat. Indeed, she will be devoured by the sword. In today's text, Yahweh himself doesn't actively take away the land that had been given to Israel. But through their own disobedience (in this context, to refuse and rebel could mean being actively evil or idle in the face of injustice), the Israelites make themselves an easy target for other rulers and empires to sweep over them and sweep them from their land.

Dead Heads.

That name probably makes you either cringe, chuckle, or shake your head.

Boomers -- now with graying hair and growing girths -- are the most likely to chuckle. What Boomer doesn't recall the hype and hypnotism of that apparently indefatigable '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s rock band, the Grateful Dead? No band came to stand for a whole generation's growing pains like the Grateful Dead.

Boosters -- the parents of the Boomers -- are most likely, and with good reason, to cringe. They remember heated arguments with teenagers over the wild music and wilder lifestyle the Dead promoted. More than a few of the white hairs on Booster moms and dads can probably be attributed to worrying about the influence the Dead, and bands like it, were having on their children.

Busters and Millennium Kids -- you're probably shaking your heads and shrugging your shoulders over the term Dead Head. That some antique psychedelic band of doddering old fat guys could possibly inspire anyone to do anything is a mystery to you. But they did. Like the band Phish is doing for you.

Devoted Dead Heads -- fans of The Grateful Dead band -- often turned their lives upside down in order to follow the band. Dropping out of school, jobs, and families, roaming from town to town, following the concert itinerary, raking up as many events attended as possible (kind of like a bird-watcher's life list), these single-minded fans developed their own culture, dress, set of values, and lifestyle. They genuinely became a unique subgroup within late 20th-century culture. Truly they became Dead Heads.

Yet as radical as they claimed to be -- living for sex, drugs, and (primarily) rock 'n' roll -- the Dead Heads today are reduced to a kind of 21st century version of the Shakers.

You say, "What?"

How could a rigorously celibate, quiet, devoted band of religious enthusiasts who intentionally isolated themselves into remote, self-contained rural communities, have anything to do with a roving hoard of wild-eyed, wild-haired, crazed, rock fans tromping all over the country to concerts?

But look again. While the Shakers weren't devoted to a group, they were completely committed to a person: "Mother" Ann Lee. It was her visions, philosophies, predictions, and directives they followed. The Shakers lived simply, believed fervently, made great furniture -- and then died out (only a handful are left).

Their vow of total celibacy had something to do with it. But they couldn't seem to reproduce through conversions either. The problem was they believed wholeheartedly in Ann Lee, and their faith was based upon one individual and her unique message and perspective. When Mother Lee's predictions about a new millennium-birthing end-of-the-world scenario didn't pan out, and Ann Lee herself passed away, these believers had nothing left to believe in. The Shakers as a movement died out as remaining members of the small communities themselves died off.

Likewise, Dead Heads are a dying breed. While The Grateful Dead band has thousands of recorded songs, concert-cuts, and videos to offer fans, the heart of a Dead Head's belief centered in attending live concerts. It was the community at the bandstand that was the beating heart of Dead Head devotion. Without that focus, commitment fizzles, identity dissolves, solidarity slips away.

Rituals, songs, style, and sacrifice can create a committed, even crazed, band of believers. But belief limited to these outward expressions of devotion has no life of its own outside its secluded, like-believing community. You can't be a Shaker in midtown Manhattan. You can't be a Dead Head in a Mill Valley cul-de-sac. True believers must be surrounded by the object of their belief in order to keep their unique identity alive.

That's why, in today's First Testament text, God uses Isaiah to pronounce such a sound, scathing, scolding to the Israelites. The chosen people, the descendants of Mt. Sinai, the children of God, had become a bunch of believers, instead of remaining a faithful nation. They were pleased to perform all the rituals involved in the prescribed temple rites and routines. But once they stepped outside the temple mount, their unique identity was left behind.

God's indictment is harsh. The details and drama of temple worship that God had painstakingly described to Moses had now become nothing more than a burden. God moans, literally, "I am weary of bearing them" (verse 14). So disgusted is the Lord with the Israelite commitment to the trappings of belief without the fire of faith that the divine declaration is: "I will hide my eyes…Even thought you make many prayers, I will not listen" (verse 15). God rejects the spilled blood of the sacrificial animals. God wants instead the hot blood of vital, viable, disciples.

God doesn't want a nation of believers. God would rather have just one disciple. A disciple is a mobile unit, for a disciple's faith burns in his heart, fires up her feet, remains unquenched by changing circumstances or new challenges.

A disciple doesn't make ritual sacrifices; a disciple makes real sacrifices.
A disciple doesn't avoid evil; a disciple does good.
A disciple doesn't sidestep confrontation; a disciple seeks justice.
A disciple doesn't remain aloof; a disciple rescues the oppressed, defends the orphan, pleads for the widow.

A disciple also doesn't accept directions complacently.

Believers are happiest when they're doing exactly what they've been told to do. No questions asked, no hackles raised, no challenges offered. It's as though their hands and hearts have no connection.

But disciples vetch, complain, argue, and talk back. What does the word "Israel" mean? A "wrestler" with God. That's why in today's Isaiah text God gently goads Israel from its state of mindless/soulless belief into a state of active discipleship by declaring…"Come now, let us argue it out together" (verse 18). God has no use for empty-headed zombies who are content just to go through the motions. God wants spirited disciples charged with emotion, fired up with their faith and anxious to act it out.

No snug sanctimonious smirks among us today after reading this text. No thinking how far we've come from such brutal, bloody baseless beliefs as ritual animal sacrifices. Truth told? There are plenty of 21st-century churches hauling slaughtered corpses through their pristine sanctuaries every Sunday. These are the casualties from the worship wars -- a kind of guerilla action that has skirmishes suddenly springing up in what were once peaceful congregations.

One of the most common types of weaponry used in today's worship wars? Try introducing the use of Praise Music in formerly traditional worship services. The new melodies, added instruments, simple but catchy lyrics, and the standing, clapping, swaying, and hand-raising this praise music incites and encourages...it causes delight for some, despair for others. Battles erupt over whether the use of such music will save or destroy struggling churches. It seems that there's no more simple, effective way to cause maximum angst in a congregation than to mess with the music. Music directors have to use Kevlar (the fabric bulletproof vests are made from) one their spirits in order to survive from week to week.

Almost without exception, however, these worship wars are battles over slaughtered beasts. The blood that drips off the altars and choir stalls, that's splattered during meetings and committees, is nothing more than a burden to God. The Lord is weary of bearing them. These types of worship wars are battles over beliefs. They're not the domain of true disciples.

There SHOULD be worship wars going on in our churches, but not these pointless poutings. God cares deeply about our worship. There are chapters and chapters of particulars, describing every nuance of temple worship as dictated to Moses on the mount. But without the spirit of a true disciple kneeling, praying, and singing, the worship experience won't follow the worshiper OUTSIDE.

Only a disciple brings worship out the door. It doesn't matter whether or not your hands go UP, DOWN, FORWARD, or BACKWARD when you sing. What matters is if your hands go OUT to others when you stop singing. Worship experiences should lead to changed lives. Worship experiences transform believers into disciples, and disciples are God's means for transforming the world.

The church has too many true believers.

To believe that Jesus is the Son of God isn't enough. The Devil's a believer. The Bible says the demons believe...and tremble. Many of the church's true believers aren't even trembling as much as the demons.

The church doesn't need more true believers. The church has too few true disciples.

Which one will you be?

As Mike Foss, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville, Minnesotta, reminds us, Jesus did NOT say, "all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make members of all nations."

***

We are instructed to make disciples, not members, in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19)."I've often thought people treat God rather rudely. Trillions and trillions of prayers every day, asking and pleading and begging for favors. ‘Do this; give me that; I need this; I want that.' And most of this praying takes place on Sunday, his day off! It's not nice, and it's no way to treat a friend." -- George Carlin, Napalm & Silly Putty (Hyperion).

***

Since The Hunger Site's inception in 1999, supporters from 193 countries have given over 224 million cups of food to the hungry just by making their free, daily click on The Hunger Site! That just goes to show that every click adds up. Why not challenge your congregation to click and give food every day -- it's free to click and only takes a moment. Visit The Hunger Site to make your daily click today.

Don't forget to visit http://www.donateaphone.com/ when you're ready to discard your old cell phone. This is an organization that takes old cell phones, recycles them by programming them to dial 911 only, and puts them in the hands of victims of domestic violence. Also check out http://www.peaceforall.com//.

***

Bartholomew is the spiritual leader of the world's 300 million Orthodox Christians. Known as "The Green Patriarch," Bartholomew made this public declaration: "To commit a crime against the natural world…is a sin."

How many of us are trying to be disciples in our relationships with people but not with nature?

***

Ted Williams once told reporters: "All I want out of life is when I walk down the street, folks will say, ‘There goes the greatest hitter who ever lived.' "

As you walk down the street of life, may your greatest identity not be the greatest hitter who ever lived, or the greatest banker who ever lived, or the greatest computer programmer who ever lived, or the greatest lawyer who ever lived, but the greatest human who ever lived -- an extraordinary specimen of the human spirit.

***

Directions on a package of Wash Away Your Sins bubble bath, created by a Pittsfield, Massachusetts, company called Blue Q:

Kneel before thy tub.
Reflect upon wrongdoing.
Run warm bath.
Pour in enough bubble bath to equal your sins (double the amount you estimated).
Submerge thyself in blessed bubbles.
Soak
Arise cleansed from sin and ready to do it again

-- Prism

Call to Worship
Leader: In the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord,
People: made straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Leader: The glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
People: and all flesh shall see it together. -- (Isaiah 40:3, 5)

Litany of Confession

One in five adolescent girls endure either sexual or physical violence while dating. (Journal of the American Medical Association)
Lord, have mercy.

Two-thirds of death penalty cases are overturned on appeal. (Columbia University School of Law study, as reported in David Koekema, "Should Killers Be Killed?" Banner)
Lord, have mercy

According to the latest census, fully one-third of all babies born in USAmerica are born out of wedlock.
Lord, have mercy.

Only one-third of churches polled have a person to answer the phone, and as many as 40 percent of the 4,000 churches polled never provided access to a human at all. (quoted in Pastor's Weekly Briefing)
Lord, have mercy.

More marriages are ended today by divorce than by death.
Lord, have mercy.

The percentage of born-again Christians who have been divorced is two points higher than the national average.
Lord, have mercy.

Benediction

L: Lord, you now have set your servant free,
P: to go in peace as you have promised.
L: For my eyes have seen the light
P: that you prepared for all the world to see,
L: a light to enlighten the whole world,
P: and to bring glory to your people.

-- Nunc dimittus, The Canticle of Simeon

Worship Music

Devote your music this morning to a sampling of praise music. Here are some of the most popular praise choruses of the past twenty years:

"Only by Grace"
"In the Water"
"Poured Out and Broken"
"Amazing Love"
"Awesome God"
"Step by Step"
"Give Thanks"
"My God Reigns"
"Glorious God"
"All Things Work for Good"
"Oh, How He Loves You and Me"
"Make My Life a Candle"
"I Love You Lord"
"Sanctuary"
"There's a Song"
"Heal Me, O Lord"
"Leave Your Heart With Me"
"More Precious Than Silver"

Play the Neil Diamond song first performed by The Monkees: "I'm a Believer." Sing it again using the words "I'm a disciple."

Music Resources

Hymns

Lord God, Your Love Has Called Us Here
We Meet You, O Christ
God Will Take Care of you
Out of the Depths I Cry to You
Give to the Winds Thy Fears
Saranam (traditional Pakistani, trans. D. T. Niles; Punjabi melody)
Praise Songs

Arise Shine
No Eye Has Seen
I See the Lord
The Light of Life
Leave It There
As the Deer

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comments

Name5 | Create Date | Comment |
Dirk Ray | 7/12/2006 9:48:59 PM | I would like to share Len's prayer "A Radical Confession of Faith," with my Sunday School class, can anyone help me. |
Dirk Ray | 7/12/2006 9:48:46 PM | I would like to share Len's prayer "A Radical Confession of Faith," with my Sunday School class, can anyone help me. |
gelson | 6/2/2006 9:29:17 PM | I thought I never w'd find some of the 7000 that do not bow down their kness in front at baal, but I believe that I found one today. |
faith | 1/25/2006 9:05:26 PM | I like it! Faith |
Jonathan Forsythe | 6/26/2005 3:54:35 PM | Excellent Sermon exegesis and illustrations |

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