SERMON: WHAT ABOUT HIM?

WHAT ABOUT HIM?
13 September 2009

I. Introduction
- turn in Bibles to John 21

18. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."
19. Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"
20. Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?")
21. When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"
22. Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."

-- for the last 25 years or so, the world has been on the brink of complete and total destruction -- and very few people have even been aware -- despite the fact that scientists and other concerned experts have been crying out and trying to get public attention to this impending environmental catastrophe, no one seems to have noticed -- probably because it involves an animal no bigger than the size of your thumbnail
-- starting around 1972, wild honeybees began to disappear -- a colony here -- a colony there -- and no one -- outside of scientists and a few beekeepers -- even really paid any attention -- I certainly didn't -- it wasn't until someone drew my attention to it did it even register that we had fewer bees in the wild than we had back in the 70s -- but now that I knew about it, I could see it
-- I remember as a kid we used to get a jar and catch the bees feeding on the azaleas around our house -- the flowers always just seemed alive with bees -- they were everywhere and you had to be careful or you would get stung -- but lately, we didn't see many bees feeding in the azaleas -- in fact, thinking about it, they were pretty rare -- you just didn't see bees anymore -- but, so what? -- it was just a bee, right?
-- but by 2006, scientists worldwide started to get concerned -- by 2006, all of the wild honeybees in the world had virtually disappeared -- they just weren't there any more -- no matter where you looked, you couldn't find them
-- and, then, in late 2006, we started seeing the same thing happen with commercial bee colonies -- complete colonies of bees -- beehives with thousands of bees went to zero almost overnight -- the bees just disappeared -- there were no piles of dead bees -- there was no indication of what might have happened -- one day, a beehive would be filled with worker bees going about their business -- and the next, the hive would be empty
-- scientists across the world began comparing notes, and found out that this was a worldwide phenomenon -- as of right now, over half of the United States has been affected by these disappearances -- now called "colony collapse disorder" or "honey bee depopulation syndrome" -- Canada, France, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Greece, Slovenia and the Netherlands all have experienced the same thing -- with some commercial beekeepers losing over 40% of their hives in one year alone -- recently, colony collapse disorder has been reported in South America and Asia -- it is truly becoming a worldwide epidemic
-- now you might be asking yourself, "So what? -- So what if bees disappear? -- What does that matter to me? -- What does one little insect have to do with me?" -- well, it turns out it has a lot to do with you
-- everyone here knows about the symbiotic relationship that bees have with plants -- plants put out showy flowers to attract bees -- the bees come and feed on the flowers -- and in the process, they get covered with pollen, which they carry to other flowers, pollinating them and helping the plants to reproduce
-- this relationship has reached the point with some plants that these species are totally and completely dependent on the presence of honey bees for their existence -- if the honey bee was to disappear, then these plants would not be able to reproduce and would eventually die out
-- a good example of this is almonds and avocados -- both of these plants are dependent on honey bees for pollination -- if the bees were to disappear, we are very likely to lose both of these plants forever -- beyond the environmental effects, can you imagine the economic disaster that would result?
-- fully one-third of the food we eat depends primarily on bees for pollination -- in addition to almonds and avocados, this includes such species as peaches, soybeans, apples, pears, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, watermelons, cantaloupes, cucumbers and strawberries
-- can you imagine south Georgia without watermelons and cantaloupes? -- that's what we're talking about here -- that's the extent of this environmental disaster that the world is facing -- and all because of one little animal no bigger than your thumbnail -- one little insect that most of us overlook in our daily lives -- but the honey bee is one little insect that has a vital part to play in agriculture and in the environment as a whole -- and if it's not there -- if it's not doing it's job -- then the world is going to suffer -- we're going to suffer
-- I think this is something that we're just now starting to really understand -- as a whole, we're just starting to grasp the importance of these little parts of the environment that we once overlooked -- when we look at nature, we've always just kind of assumed that we can do without certain animals and it won't really matter -- but now, we're finding out that if you take away one little part -- like the honey bee -- the whole ecosystem can collapse, resulting in world-wide environmental effects
-- back in the 1930s, Aldo Leopold published a series of essays in a book called "The Sand County Almanac" -- in that book, writing on the complexity of nature and how the environment is like a living organism made up of many important parts, Leopold said, "The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: "What good is it?" If the land mechanism as a whole is good, then every part is good, whether we understand it or not. If the biota, in the course of aeons, has built something we like but do not understand, then who but a fool would discard seemingly useless parts? To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering."
-- if there's anything that we know for certain from our experience with colony collapse disorder and the effect of the disappearance of honey bees worldwide, it is that every part of the environment -- no matter how small or insignificant it might seem -- has a job -- and that every part of the environment is needed

-- we can say the same thing about the church, as well -- you know, a lot of times, we tend to think of the church as an organization -- as a bunch of people who just get together once a week to sing and praise God and go home -- but, the Bible tells us that this isn't what the church is at all -- it's not an organization -- it's not a club -- it's a body -- it's one organism made up of many parts -- and if every part is not there, doing their job, then the whole body suffers -- then the whole body ceases to function
-- we're all familiar with Paul's teachings on this -- how many of you have never read or heard what Paul has to say about the church being a body -- in 1 Corinthians 12:12, Paul wrote, "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body"
-- hold your place here and flip over real quick to 1 Corinthians 12 -- let me just remind you of what Paul said here -- look at verse 15

15. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
16. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
17. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
18. But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.
19. If they were all one part, where would the body be?
20. As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

-- there's nothing here that you haven't already heard -- Paul is telling us that the church is a body made up of many parts -- and that God has put us where He wants us to be -- He has decided what our role and our function in the body is to be -- whether that's a foot or an ear or an eye
-- but, if that's the case and we all know that -- then why do we continue to compare ourselves with others? -- or, even worse, why do we continue to compare others to ourselves?

-- flip back over to John 21 and let's talk about this for a minute -- here in the last chapter of the gospel of John, we read of Jesus' final words to Peter -- Peter, as you know, was the Lord's staunchest defender during His ministry -- right up to the point where Jesus was taken prisoner by the high priest and carried off to trial -- it was then that Peter wavered and denied that he even knew who Jesus was
-- now, after Jesus had died on the cross and has risen from the dead, He comes back to Peter and restores him to fellowship again -- Jesus lets Peter know that he is important -- he is part of the body of Christ -- and he has a job to do -- "Feed my lambs," Jesus told him -- "Take care of my sheep -- Feed my sheep"
-- and now He leaves Peter with these final thoughts

-- look back at verse 18

18. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."
19. Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

-- John tells us here what Jesus meant verse 18 -- Jesus was referring to how Peter was going to die -- we know that Peter was martyred -- we know that he died for his faith -- legend has it that he was crucified in Rome upside-down at his request instead of right-side up, because he felt unworthy of dying in the same way that Jesus had died
-- but, I think verse 18 means something more, as well -- in context, I think Jesus was telling Peter that he no longer was his own man -- now, he belonged to Jesus -- in other words, when Peter was younger, he decided what he was going to do -- how he was going to dress -- where he was going to go -- but now, he's part of the body of Christ -- and Jesus was placing him in the body where He wanted him to be -- Jesus would tell him what to wear and where to go and what to do -- Jesus was, in effect, giving Peter a job -- telling him where he fit in the body of Christ

-- look back at verse 20

20. Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?")
21. When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"
22. Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."

-- as Jesus is telling Peter all of this -- as He's telling Peter what he's going to do and even how he's going to die, Peter looks back and sees John following them -- he turns to Jesus and says, "Lord, what about him?"
-- how many times have you said those same words to Jesus? -- how many times have you felt the same way as Peter -- "Lord, look at what I'm doing -- look at how I'm serving you -- I'm here every Sunday -- I lead worship -- I teach Bible study -- I go on missions -- I'm doing it all -- but look at Jim over there -- what about him? -- look at Jane -- what about her? -- they're not doing anything -- they're not helping at all"
-- when you think like this, it can lead to a lot of problems

-- it can affect our personal walk with Christ
-- depending on what you are called to do in the church, it can make you feel prideful about what you are doing for the Lord -- in other words, it can cause us to think more highly about ourselves than we ought to
-- William Morris was the head basketball coach at La Salle University from 1986 to 2001 -- one year, LaSalle was having a pretty good season and everyone was talking about them -- one morning, Coach Morris was shaving when the phone rang -- His wife answered it and called out to
him that Sports Illustrated wanted to talk to him.
-- Coach Morris was excited -- here he was, getting a call from Sports Illustrated to interview him because of what a great job he was doing with La Salle's basketball program -- he got in such a hurry to finish shaving and get to the phone that he cut himself with his razor -- so, covered with blood and shaving cream, he took off running downstairs to answer the phone -- he ended up tripping and actually fell down the stairs -- but, finally, bleeding and bruised, he made it to the phone and breathlessly said, "Hello"?
-- The voice on the other end asked, "Is this Speedy Morris"? -- "Why, yes it is -- how can I help you this morning?" -- the voice continued, "Mr. Morris, for just seventy-five cents an issue, we can give you a one-year subscription to Sports Illustrated."
-- needless to say, Coach Morris' ego deflated rather quickly -- it's not uncommon for us to find out that we're not really as important as we think we are
-- in Romans 12:3, Paul wrote, "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith."
-- just because we may be in a more visible role in the body of Christ doesn't make us any better than anyone else -- it just means that God has decided to put us there and we need to just do our job the best we can with His help

-- the same goes true for those people that God has put in the less visible roles -- those people who serve behind the scenes -- those people that we don't think are important, but who play a vital part in the overall health of the church just like honey bees play a vital part in the overall health of our environment
-- Peter asked Jesus, "What about him? -- What's he going to do? -- Why isn't he doing what I'm doing?"
-- and Jesus said, "Don't worry about him -- worry about yourself -- worry about what I have called you to do -- your job is to follow Me"

-- God places us in the body of Christ where we are needed -- He puts us where He wants us -- and He gives us the talents and the tools and the resources that we need to succeed in that place
-- we should never look down on someone because they don't seem to be serving God in the way we think they should -- we should never look down on someone because their job in the church seems menial or unnecessary in our eyes -- we should never feel bad if we aren't the ones leading Bible study or preaching or teaching or doing any of the other more visible acts of service in the church
-- God has puts us where He wants us -- and if we are serving God where He has placed us -- whether that's as a janitor or a dish washer or a Sunday School teacher -- then we are just as valuable and worthy in His eyes as Billy Graham or Bishop King
-- my favorite quote from Martin Luther King, Jr talks about this -- he wrote, "If you are called to be a street sweeper, sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry -- Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.'"
-- the important thing is that we are serving God where He wants us serve -- God has called all of us to work in His body -- we all have a role to play -- some roles are visible -- some roles are less visible -- but they all are important
-- as the old saying goes, "there's not any small parts -- only small actors" -- when someone writes a play, they write every role for a reason -- Every role, regardless of stage time or number of lines, is important, otherwise it wouldn't have been written
-- what this is telling us is that in the body of Christ, there are no extras -- there are no unnecessary parts -- everyone is vital and important to the kingdom of God

-- finally, these words of Christ in response to Peter's question tells us that we are to be ourselves -- we're not to try to be anyone else
-- a lot of times in the church, we tend to fall into the trap of uniformity -- in other words, we try to make copy-cat Christians and copy-cat pastors and copy-cat churches -- we expect everyone in church to look and act just like everyone else -- we expect every pastor to look and act just like the pastor next door -- and we expect every church to look and act just like the church down the road
-- and so we tell people, "You need to be doing this or you need to be doing that -- or you should quit doing what you're doing"
-- or we look at the church down the road and say, "Look at what they are doing -- why aren't we doing that -- we need to do that, too"
-- but God made us diverse -- He made us different -- He made us different parts -- and the miracle of the church is how God puts all of us together and forms this wonderful body that is capable of doing eternal work here on earth
-- every one is not called to do everything -- every one is not called to teach Sunday School or to preach or to do a certain ministry or get involved in a certain function just because every one else is doing it
-- every church is not called to do everything -- we're not all called to minister to the homeless -- to have a massive youth program -- to send missionaries around the world -- or to run a clothes closet
-- instead, we are called to do what God tells us to do -- what I do as a follower of Christ may not be what you are called to do -- what we do as a church may not be what the church down the road is called to do -- but together -- when we are doing what God has called us to do -- we are doing kingdom work and making an eternal difference in this world

-- it all comes down to Jesus' final words to Peter in this passage -- "You must follow Me" -- our focus should be on following Christ -- on doing what He has called us to do
-- we shouldn't spend our time trying to make everyone look the same and having them do the same thing -- we shouldn't worry about whether others are doing as much for the Kingdom as we are -- and we certainly shouldn't think too highly of ourselves or that we are doing more than someone else
-- every part is needed -- every member is needed -- every church is needed

-- Peter asked Jesus, "What about him?" -- but that's not the question we need to be asking
-- the question we should be asking is, "What about me?"
-- What does Jesus want you to do for Him? -- Where is He calling you to serve today?

-- if you are not actively involved in serving God in this church in some way, then as we close in prayer, I would invite you to ask God to show you what He wants you to do -- I want to invite you to ask God to put you where He wants you to be
-- if you need advice -- if you want to talk about how you can serve God in this church -- then just let me know and I'll be glad to set up a time to meet with you and help you get plugged in

-- as we go to the Lord in prayer, just remember this -- every member should be involved in ministry -- every member should be a minister -- because every member is needed

-- let us pray