Jesus was teaching in one of the meeting places on the Sabbath.  There was a woman present, so twisted and bent over with arthritis that she couldn't even look up.  She had been afflicted with this for eighteen years.  When Jesus saw her, he called her over, "Woman, you're free!"  He laid hands on her and suddenly she was standing straight and tall, giving glory to God.

The meeting-place president, furious because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the congregation, "Six days have been defined as work days.  Come on one of the six if you want to be healed, but not on the seventh, the Sabbath."

But Jesus shot back, "You frauds!  Each Sabbath every one of you regularly unties your cow or donkey from its stall, leads it to water, and thinks nothing of it.  So why isn't it all right for me to untie this daughter of Abraham and lead her from the stall where Satan has had her tied these eighteen years?"

When he put it that way, his critics were left looking quite silly and red-faced.  The congregation was delighted and cheered him on.

Then he said, "How can I picture God's kingdom for you  What kind of story can I use?  It's like a pine nut that a man plans in his front yard.  It grows into a huge pine tree with thick branches, and eagles build nests in it."  He tried again, "How can I picture God's kingdom?  It's like yeast that woman works into enough dough for three loaves of bread - and waits while the dough rises."

Introduction - 2 Parables

The Parable of the Taxi Driver

Once upon a time there was a taxi driver. He routinely picked people up at the airport, and delivered them to their destinations in the city. He was an entrepreneur. He believed in strategic planning. 

One day as he was waiting at the taxi stand, a man rushed out of the airport doors and into his cab. “Where to, buddy?”, the cab driver asked. “Oh, just drive me around the block a few times, and return me to the airport terminal,” came the reply. Puzzled, the cab driver said: “What for, buddy?” “Well, the fact is that in my busy life, rushing from place to place and city to city, I find taxi rides relaxing. So just drive me around awhile, and when I feel refreshed, I can return for my next flight out of town.” Shrugging his shoulder, the cab driver did as he was told. He returned his passenger to the terminal, and was given a fat tip for his efforts.

No sooner had the man left the cab, than a woman rushed out of the terminal doors. “Where to, buddy?” (This is “inclusive language” in taxi-speak). “Oh, just drive me around the block a few times,” came the reply. Puzzled again, the driver asked: “What for, buddy?” The woman smiled. “You see, I used to live in this area, and whenever I’m in town I like to just drive around and see the old neighbourhood. It reminds me of my dear old mum.” Once again the taxi driver drove around the block a few times. He dropped the woman off at the terminal, and received a fat tip. 

Now this same thing happened over and over again. The taxi driver was not stupid. He recognized an opportunity when he saw it. He bought another taxi cab, and then another, until he had a whole fleet of taxi cabs that would pick people up at the airport, drive them around the block a few times, and then return them to the terminal. The tips were out of this world. 

Of course, the other cab drivers were not stupid either. Several other entrepreneurs also invested in more taxis, and soon there were whole fleets of taxis competing for the attention of people who enjoyed being driven around the block. As time passed, and times changed, the competition grew. Fewer and fewer people wanted to ride around the block. In order to keep going, our taxi driver did everything he could to make his taxis attractive: 

• The first thing he did was take a class in public speaking. He trained himself to give the best verbal commentary to his customers as he drove them around the block. He knew every interesting detail about the neighbourhood. He told the funniest jokes. People would leave his cab laughing. “Boy, you were great!”, they would say. “Next time I’m in town, I’ll be sure to take your cab.”

• The second thing he did was to introduce great coffee. The refreshments served in his cab were first class, the coffee fresh brewed, and he even provided juice for health conscious adults and donuts for the kids.

•  The third thing he did was the most radical. He extended his cabs, and widened his cabs, to create a huge stage. Dancing girls would entertain his guests as they drove around the old neighbourhood. Music, video, film he had the best of everything.

However, despite all his strategic planning, the number of customers continued to diminish. Fewer and fewer people got into his cab. He watched the competition slowly disappear. He sold off one cab, then another, until, finally, he was reduced to his one original taxi cab. The bottom line was that fewer and fewer people wanted to just ride around the block, and return to the place from which they started.

The Parable of the Church

Once upon a time, there was a congregation trying to serve the needs of an increasingly mobile public. One day a man came to church. “Where to, buddy?”, asked the pastor. “Oh, just drive me around the Christian Year a few times, please, and return me to Advent.”  The pastor was puzzled. “What for, buddy?”, he asked. “Well, the truth is that in my busy and frantic life, rushing from place to place and task to task, I just find sitting in church to be relaxing. And besides, it does me good to see the Christian Year go by. I grew up in that neighbourhood!” So, the pastor and the church drove him around the Christian Year a few times, and accepted a hefty charitable donation.

No sooner had this man left the building, than a woman showed up at the church. The congregation greeted this newcomer joyfully. “Where to, buddy?”, asked the pastor, who was somewhat behind the times regarding appropriate inclusive language. “Oh, just drive me around the Christian Year a few times,” came the now unsurprising answer. The pastor, however, could not resist asking, “What for, buddy?”  He had even deployed a “registration card” during the service suggesting that people indicate that they came to arrange a “visit from the pastor”, or “prayers for the needy”, or maybe just to “receive offering envelopes”. Nevertheless, the real answer was much the same: “Oh, I just want to see the old neighbourhood again. I grew up in the Christian Year, and its always nice to burn the candles, and sing the old songs ...... and besides, it reminds me of my old mum, God bless her.” So the church drove her around the Christian Year a few times, and she departed leaving a hefty charitable donation.

Now, this pastor was not stupid. He recognized a good thing when he saw it. His denomination went out and built another church, and then another church ..... until they had a whole fleet of churches working in every neighbourhood of the city all doing the same thing. They all drove people around the Christian Year. And they all received hefty charitable donations.

And of course, the pastors of other churches were not stupid either. Other denominations built more churches, and deployed fleets of congregations across the city all doing the same thing. As time passed, and times changed, the competition grew. In order to survive, our pastor did everything he could do to make his church more welcoming to the public:

• The first thing he did was take continuing education courses in preaching. He trained himself to give the best verbal commentary on the Christian Year and the lectionary possible. He also told the funniest jokes. People would shake his hand at the church door.  Boy, you were great!”, they would say. “Next time I feel like going to church, I’ll be sure to come here!”

• The second thing he did was to introduce great coffee. Their refreshments were the best.  their pot luck suppers were the talk of the town. The aroma of specialty coffee and cappuccino wafted through the sanctuary.

•  The third thing he did was the most radical. His church tore out the chancel, and enlarged the facility. They brought in dancing girls, bought new choir robes, and picked up the beat.   They had the best video, film, and music in town.

Nevertheless, as the century closed, “the number of customers” in the Church diminished. Despite the best strategic planning, fewer and fewer people came to church. Denominations began closing churches, and amalgamating churches, and cutting staff. His own denomination sold one church building, and then closed another congregation ..... until it was reduced to the one church with which it started.

Finally, there came a day when the pastor was greeting the faithful before the service. A woman with several children came walking up to the door. Before the pastor could even ask, the woman said:  “Where are you going, Reverend?”  He smiled warmly. “Why, we’ll give you a ride around the Christian Year!” The woman looked puzzled. “What for, Reverend?”  The pastor handed her some coffee. “Why, you can show your children the old faith neighbourhood where you grew up ..... and you can honour the memory of your dear old mum.”  The woman looked at the pastor a long time. Finally she said, “No thanks, Reverend,” and walked away.  You see the bottom line in the 21st century is that fewer and fewer people want to just ride around the Christian Year .... and return to the front doors of the church.

Purpose-Driven People

Biblical people are always purpose-driven people. The Israelites left Egypt to go to the Promised Land, and by God!, even if it took them 40 years in the wilderness they were going to get there. Esther and Nehemiah lead the exiles back to Jerusalem, and they were going to rebuild those walls, even if they had to fight the whole Babylonian army to do it. Paul, Silas, and Priscilla were called to preach the Good News to the gentiles, and even if they had to endure imprisonments, beatings, stonings, and even the backbiting of their own church back home, by God!, they were going to preach that Gospel.

Biblical people were never very good strategic planners. They took to heart the proverb:

“The human mind may devise many plans,
but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established.”

Once that purpose became known, nothing would stop them from pursuing it.  Nothing. They might be delayed by unforeseen circumstances, or carried forcibly away into exile, but they never would sidetrack themselves by trivialities.

Jesus spoke constantly about being a purpose driven disciple. He commanded the 12 and the 70 to take no bag, no spare shoes, no extra coat, and no heavy cache of snacks, but just to get out there on the highway and heal people and proclaim salvation and not to let anything distract you from the cause. They did exactly that.  And the followers of Jesus multiplied.

Purpose driven discipleship lay at the core of Jesus’ message. That’s why he told the parables of the mustard seed and the “Leavened Bread”.

Here is this little, tiny mustard seed. It’s blown about by the wind, and stepped on by indifferent passers by, but by God! it will grow into the greatest of all bushes. It will. That is it’s destiny. That is it’s purpose. The seed knows this. And it will do it.

I remember walking around the back of Piccadilly coming down the Ashton Old Road the other week.  It is not the best part of our city. Everything to the side of the road was cement and rubble. But here in this one spot there was a crack in the pavement, and  a beautiful sunflower was standing three feet tall, as if to say: “I know this property is ugly. I know this pavement is hard. But by heavens!, God created me to grow into the biggest sunflower I can be, and I’m going to do it.”

Here is this bread dough just sitting there. Unappetizing, Useless. Along comes the chef who has the audacity to press into the dough the smallest amount of yeast. She says, "I know it’s a big lump of dough, and I know this is just a wee bit of yeast, but by heavens!, yeast was created to make dough rise up, and that is exactly what it will do.”

I love seeing bread made - Ian does it very well.  Occasionally I may make some bread.  It is wonderful, and mysterious, to see how just be leaving newly kneaded dough can overflow its container just by leaving it in a warm room.

To be a purpose driven church is to have absolute clarity and consensus about what is essential for yourself and our church. What is it about our church that is “to die for?” People in growing churches have a deep, shared understanding that something about their church involvement is as important to them as eating, sleeping, and working.

Lots of churches have strategic plans. And most of them are dying. Lot’s of churches have a mission statement ..... but nobody can remember it. They all have ambitious budgets which cannot be met, and dreams of world peace which cannot be achieved, and creative programs that never get implemented. Why? Because they never really identified the purpose of the Lord. God never called them to be strategic planners! God called them to uncover the one purpose in life that was “to die for”, and the proceed to risk their lives for it.

Finding Our Purpose as a Church

Over the next few weeks we are, as a church, going through a discernment process where we catch again the vision and purpose God has for our particular congregation.  In one sense the purpose of every Christian is simple: to serve God in this world and be happy with God forever in the next.  The exact way, however, in which we serve God is different for each of us and different from church to church.  One church may have a particular ministry with students, another with older people.  We have a particular, though not exclusive, ministry with what might be termed "queer" people - lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transvestites and transgendered people.  This does not mean that we are not there for heterosexuals, but it does recognise that we are rooted in one particular community even though we reach beyond it.   However, we are not the only church in Manchester which seeks to serve this community, amongst others.  A bisexual man who wanted a liberal church would be very happy in St Peter's, the University Chaplaincy or in the Anglican church of St Luke's Longsight.  A lesbian woman who wanted a High Church experience which valued and affirmed women would be very happy here with the congregation of St John Chrysostom's or indeed at Holy Innocent's Fallowfield.  I am sure that a transsexual person who wanted a middle of the road style church would be made very welcome at Christ Church, Brunswick.  So simply saying that MCC serves a particular community is not defined enough - other churches serve them too.  However, it may be that we have a particular ministry serving people who are looking for acceptance and who come from evangelical or Roman Catholic backgrounds - and these two church experiences are not as far apart as may be imagined.  The churches which hurt our people the most are those from these traditions. 

I don't believe that God has raised us up to offer a liberal church experience, nor to offer a High Church one or even a "middle of the road" one.  I believe that part of our purpose is to serve our community by offering an authentic, and radical, expression of Christian discipleship that is more commonly found in evangelical churches.  For years I have been frustrated at much of what MCC does around the world.  It is if many of our churches tell people, over and over again, that God loves them.  And, hard as it is sometimes, our people eventually believe this truth of the faith.  However, we are left with the question "and now what?  I know that God loves me, I know that God created me to be who I am.  Now what?"  The "what next" is what we call discipleship.  Jesus told his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations.  Becoming a disciple is a life-long process where we continually seek to follow Jesus, to model our lives and our faith around his call on us.  This is part of our purpose as a Church.  This may not be what you sense God's vision for our church is.  This week, in the devotional literature I have prepared for us, we are going, together, to look again at what our purpose is as the Church of Jesus serving our particular communities. 

The purposes of God are not revealed in a vacuum. As the proverb says, they must be “drawn out” from the “deep waters of the mind and heart.” Too many congregations approach “visioning” as if it were their task to “create” them .... and the task could be completed over a weekend retreat. They end up with a bagful of “pipe-dreams”, over which ensuing competition exhausts the church.  If there was a fault with the visioning process we engaged in four years ago, it was that it didn't give us enough time to really hear God in the excitement of dreaming of a larger church.  We said we wanted to have 150 people with us each week, and we dreamt they would give lots of money!  However, the crucial factor we missed was that whilst quantity is important, there was an aspect of quality which was missing.  The quality, in this particular instance, was around seeing the call that Jesus gives to each of us to be and to make disciples.  The quality we missed meant that all I focussed on was numbers and forgot to look at other signs of growth - growth in maturity, growth in spirituality and growth in the service of others. 

Biblical Visions

Biblical visions are never experienced through a committee.  Biblical people first create an environment to receive visions ..... a spiritual discipline that can take months of intense concentration.  Since we have moved into this new building we have been building up a sense of expectancy about the opportunities it gives us for mission.  It is easier to find than our old venue, it has a more welcoming congregation and it is much easier on our finances.  We have seen guests come and visit us and many of these come again and again.  We are now at a stage when we are ready for God to reveal a vision.   Biblical visions are not about strategic planning.  They are a peculiarly positive form of “Apocalypse Now”. 

However, in order for us to receive a Biblical vision we need to take time and spiritual discipline to create an environment ready to receive vision from God.  That means setting aside time each day to pray.  The devotionals we have at the moment are designed to help us do that and I am currently preparing another set for Advent.  I hope to have devotionals for every week of the year for next year.  This will help us grow spiritually.  Disciples talk to their master every day, not just once a week.

In order to receive a Biblical vision we need to be clear about our core values. A core value is the choice or preference you make spontaneously in daily living.  When you honk your horn and shake your fist at a commuter who cut you up on the road, you reveal your core values .... no matter what you profess in church on Sunday about caring for humanity.  And when you readily abandon your expensive groceries to run to the aid of someone who has slipped on the ice, you reveal your core values no matter how penny-pinching you may seem. We need to recognize and celebrate the core values that bind us together in positive relationship.

Next, we need clarity and consensus about our bedrock beliefs. A bedrock belief is the principle, symbol, or truth to which you habitually return in times of stress or confusion.  When you buy a lottery ticket the day after losing your job, you reveal your bedrock beliefs no matter how much you talk about grace in church.  And when you enter surgery babbling over and over again “The Lord is my Shepherd ..... The Lord is My Shepherd ...”, you reveal your bedrock beliefs ..... no matter how forgetful you are about the Christian Year.   We need to need to recognize and celebrate the bedrock beliefs which give us strength in times of stress.

Hopefully working through the devotionals this week has allowed us to individually think about our Core Values and Bedrock beliefs.  Once I get the forms back from you I can start a process of writing these up and offering a draft version of it for us to consider at our AGM.  If you haven't done this yet, please do.  If you haven't received a booklet on this, please ask me and I will get you one.

Now you have created a climate for revelation to happen. You see God has never asked you to share your visions ..... but rather to listen for God’s vision for our church.

Only when we are sure of our values and our bedrock beliefs can we expect to receive authentic, Biblical visions.  A vision is the “song in the heart” that will motivate your every moment of living.  It is the nugget of hope, the pearl of great worth, that revitalizes you the instant it is brought back to consciousness. When the first thing you do after a long day’s work is reach for the Scotch, you reveal your vision ..... no matter what the mission statement of our church might say.  And when the first thing you do is hug your spouse, you reveal your vision ...... no matter how big an argument you had the night before.  We need to be “grasped” by a vision, and “carried away” by the purposes of God.

Conclusion

If you want to grow as a person ..... or see our church grow  ...... we must uncover our purpose and be driven by it.   It must drive us unrelentingly, spontaneously, and joyously all the time.   One congregation  I read about this week discovered their particular purpose in serving God. They came to believe God called them to “Go NOW  in love” ..... directly to the urban poor.  The greeter at the door is mentally retarded, the friendliest man you could ever meet, and literally shuffling with impatience to tell you about the benefits of a relationship with Jesus. When some newcomer tentatively comes to the door and asks “Where are you folks going, buddy?”, his handshake pulls them right on in. “Come on in,” he says, “we’ll show you.” 

As we again get excited by, caught up with and sure of God's vision and purpose for our church we will find that, again, we offer up our lives to God, in spirit and in truth as the words of our next song remind us.

Notes for the Sermon

You may find these notes helpful to follow, and complete, as Andy preaches.

Please take them home with you and look at them as you work through this week's set of devotionals.

Introduction

Andy told two parables, one about a taxi driver and one about a church, neither of whom had a clear idea about their purpose.  The parables tell of much of the modern church which is very busy doing all sorts of wonderful things but not helping the spiritually hungry public find meaning.

Purpose Driven People

Biblical people are always ________________ people.  The Israelites left Egypt with a purpose, Esther and Nehemiah led the people back to Jerusalem with a purpose.  Paul and the other apostles knew their purpose was to preach the gospel to non-Jews.  Jesus used the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast to show how we need to fulfil our God-given purpose in life. 

Purpose Driven Church

To be a purpose driven church is to have absolute _____ and _______ about what is essential for our church.  It is to understand what it is about our church that is to "die for".   All of us as individuals and as a church have a general purpose: to _____ God in this world and to be ________ with God forever in the next.  How that particular purpose of serving God is worked out differs from church to church.  We know that we have roots within a particular community: the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans community.  This does not mean that we work only within this community, but that we are rooted within it.  However, we are not the only church offering ministry within this community.  A number of liberal, "middle of the road" and "high" churches also offer a welcome to folks from these communities.  Andy believes that God calls us to offer a home and welcome to people looking from __________ and ______ ____________ backgrounds.  Andy believes that part of our purpose is to offer an authentic, and radical, expression of Christian __________ that is more commonly found in evangelical churches.

Discipleship

MCC often spends lots of energy and resources telling people that God loves them.  However, once people have realised this it often struggles to know what to do with them next.  The next step is discipleship.  Jesus calls us to be and to make _________.  This means growing in ___________, in ____________ and in ________ __ _________. 

Biblical Visions

These are never revealed to a committee, but to individuals who are sure of their core values and bedrock beliefs.  Over the last week we have been invited to contemplate our these values and beliefs through the use of the daily devotionals Andy prepared.  Having done these, we now move on, with a new set of devotionals, to contemplate our purpose and vision.  This is an exercise not to tell God our vision for the Church of Jesus, but to listen to God's vision for God's own Church in this place! 

Conclusion

If we want to grow, as people and as a church, we must uncover our purpose and be driven by it.  It must drive us unrelentingly, spontaneously, and joyously - all the time.  So that when people come along and ask "where are you folks going buddy" we can pull them in and show them a church where lives are saved and changed by Jesus.

This sermon was first preached in the Metropolitan Community Church of Manchester. Click here for further information.