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Tropical Sands Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Disciples & Friends Ever since His resurrection, there have been people who wanted to ride Jesus' coattails. There were cults who wanted to say that Jesus came from the real God, not the imperfect God who created this planet, and that He was not really human. There were thieves who just wanted to make a buck by saying they had a manuscript written by Judas, or Thomas, or Phillip. So there were more than 30 gospels and plenty of other writings circulating in the church during its first 200 years. They were all carefully considered, their sources were investigated, and many of them were rejected as frauds, because that's what they were. This was done by the early Christians, who were much closer to the sources of information, good and bad, and in a better position than we are to decide what was authentic and what was not. In the end, more than 30 gospels were narrowed to just four that could be trusted. Those four are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. And they don't agree perfectly on the facts, but the early church fathers did not dare change them, so they preserved every word. And so they have been passed on to us today, warts and all, with all of their questions and contradictions in tact. Even the frauds were preserved, they just weren't included in the Bible. But we want to think that something was hidden from us, so we're drawn to The Da Vinci Code, The Gospel of Judas, a course in miracles, the Aquarian Gospel of Jesus Christ, and a thousand other books that pretend to reveal some secret about Jesus. I challenge you to read these other sources, but part of the bargain is that you read the Bible as well, because that is also a source of information -- and most scholars agree it is the best source. If you don't read the Bible, then don't bother with those other sources, either, because those other sources have been reconsidered and rejected for centuries. Jesus said there is nothing secret that will not be revealed. He revealed it all to His disciples, knowing that they would pass it along to us. And in today's scripture, we learn why He revealed everything: To make us not servants, but friends and partners. Let's hear the word of the LORD: My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you. The greatest love a person can have for his friends is to give his life for them. And you are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because a servant does not know what his master is doing. Instead, I call you friends, because I have told you everything I heard from my Father. You did not choose me; I chose you and appointed you to go and bear much fruit, the kind of fruit that endures. And so the Father will give you whatever you ask of him in my name. This, then is what I command you: love one another. -- John 15:12-17(GNB) Why are we so resistant to the concept of being friends with Jesus? Some of us are more than happy to worship Him, or even to see ourselves as His servants, but we just don't see ourselves as actual friends of Jesus. Today, let me challenge you to be His friend. Consider the difference between friends and servants. Some say Tonto was a friend to the Lone Ranger, others say he was a servant. Everyone agrees Tonto played second fiddle to the Lone Ranger. The story is told of how the Lone Ranger met his end. One day, the Lone Ranger and Tonto were surrounded by Cherokee warriors. The Lone Ranger turned to Tonto and said, "Looks like we're surrounded." Tonto turned to the Lone Ranger and said, "What do you mean we, PaleFace?" If that story were true, then we might say that Tonto was a servant, and not a friend. In another place, Jesus talks about the Good Shepherd vs the Hired Hand. The Hired Hand runs when the wolf attacks the flock, but the Good Shepherd stays to defend the flock. The Hired Hand was a servant, but the Good Shepherd was a friend. So we have to ask ourselves, are we friends of Jesus, or just servants? Do we know what He wants and pursue it without being asked, or are we servants sitting around waiting for orders? Jesus says that He has revealed everything the Father told Him, and those who pay attention are friends, and not servants. We are His friends, He says, if we obey His commandments. And His commandment is this: Love One Another. It's an important distinction. At some time in our lives, many of us have been certain that God wanted us to do something, and we didn't dare avoid it. Like a good servant, we did as we were told. But usually, we sit around waiting for a sign or a miracle, because if God wants us to do something all He has to do is say so. That means most of the time, we sit around and do nothing. We know what to do when someone asks us to do Christian service and we don't really want to. "Well, I'll pray about it." Like it's OK to disobey God if we pray about it and He doesn't respond in some obvious way. We're just good servants, and we're waiting for orders. Jesus said feed the poor, so let's pray about it. He said visit the sick; let's pray about it. Today, let me challenge all of us to become more than just good servants. Our challenge is to become friends. There is a wonderful contemporary Christian song that says, "If we are the Body, why aren't His arms reaching? Why aren't His hands healing? Why aren't His words teaching? If we are the Body, why aren't His feet going? Why is His love not showing them there is a way?" Our challenge is not to answer those questions, but to make them irrelevant. Christ is the head of the church, but He has already left us clear instructions. They are right here, in the Bible. Those other Gospels will tell you all sorts of wierd things about Jesus, things you wouldn't want to believe unless you just wanted to discredit Jesus. But by and large they don't say anything about how we should treat one another. Christ is the vine, and we are the branches. What does it mean to be cut off from the vine? If we ignore His instructions, are we cut off from the vine? If we fail to pray, are we cut off from the vine? If we disobey His commands are we cut off from the vine? Yes, yes and yes. Now I don't want to be misunderstood here today. This church deserves a lot of praise for its obedience to Christ, and I have tried to be generous with that praise. Believe it or not, I am not just here for a paycheck; I'm here because this is the best, most loving church I've ever attended. But some of you say that you want a sermon that challenges you, and to you I say, this is your lucky day. You see, there are still people out there who don't know if this church thing is such a good idea. They've heard that church folk can be a pretty cliquish bunch, and they pass through here to see if it's true. They've heard that church folk talk a good story, but when it comes time to deliver, they just stick to themselves. Believe it or not, there are still people passing through our church who still wonder if we want them here. There are people who are still trying to decide if they fit in here. They still wonder if some of us even know who they are. So you want a challenge? Here's our challenge. Let's do what Jesus wants us to do even before He gives us a sign or speaks from the clouds. Let's find someone we don't know and get to know them. Let's find someone who feels like a newcomer and try to make them feel like an old timer. Or maybe there are old timers who feel like they're out of the loop. Let's try to get them back in the loop! Let's find someone who feels like a stranger and try to make them feel like family. In so many parables, the master leaves people in charge, goes away and comes back to catch them doing good or not. They all say that we are not supposed to wait for specific instructions; instead, we are supposed to be about the master's business, minute by minute. Let's show the world that the people at Tropical Sands Christian Church are friends of Jesus, and not just servants. Let's show the world that He doesn't just talk to us from time to time, but that He lives in us, minute by minute, so we are always about His business. What would we say if Jesus turned to us and said, "Looks like we're surrounded!" Will we say, "What do you mean we?" Or will we say, "I'm on it, Jesus. I got your back." You may have heard the thumbnail guide for evangelism: "Find a friend, be a friend, bring a friend to Christ." I think it's all covered if we just say, "Be a friend to Christ." Joel Tucker Tropical Sands Christian Church May 21, 2006