Second Sunday after the Epiphany

Second Sunday after the Epiphany (A)

January 15, 2017

Text: John 1:29-42a

            We make evangelism much more complicated than it needs to be.  This morning in our Holy Gospel we are given to see how the Word of the Lord grows.  God sends His preacher, St. John the Baptist, to point his hearers to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).  God sends His preacher to point the congregation ever and always to Jesus, the Savior, the Sacrifice for sin.  And then the hearers follow Jesus.  It was never really about John.  It is always about Jesus.  They follow Jesus and they come to the place where He is staying.  They remain with Him and hear His teaching.  And then what do they do?  Andrew goes and finds his brother, Simon Peter, and brings him to Jesus to hear for himself.  And as the text continues beyond our Holy Gospel, Jesus calls Philip, who then finds Nathanael.  And in every case, the key element of evangelism is the evangel, which is to say the Gospel, which is to say Jesus.  John preaches Jesus, and points to Jesus.  Andrew and the other disciple follow Jesus and stay with Jesus.  Andrew brings Simon to Jesus, Jesus calls Philip, Philip tells Nathanael all about Jesus.  Evangelism is simply this: It is the speaking and giving of Jesus.

            And this is vital for us to know as a mission congregation, serving a rather eclectic college town in twenty-first century America.  Mission work and evangelism are major themes of the Epiphany season, and we are a mission congregation very much concerned with evangelizing, speaking and giving Jesus.  We have no shortage of books and blogs and websites and advice from the experts about how to do evangelism.  Some of these may have their merit.  Synod and districts have their programs, though they bend over backwards to call them anything but programs.  And there are many who offer what they claim to be surefire methods of Church growth.  “Just change your style of worship.  Sing the right songs.  Say the right things.  Serve the right coffee.  Bend your message to the will of the world.  Not too much doctrine.  Don’t insist on anything.  Do not claim to know what is right and true.  And, if we’re really honest, and if you really want to grow, get rid of that cross with the dead God on it.  It’s ugly.  It’s offensive.  It’s not what people want to see.  It’s not what people want to hear.”  The very best that human wisdom can offer looks nothing like our Holy Gospel.  St. John simply points us to Jesus and proclaims: “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (v. 29; ESV).  He points to Jesus.  He speaks of Jesus.  He gives Jesus.

            That is what evangelism is.  Notice it begins with God’s man sent to preach.  John comes preaching a Baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  He comes preparing the way of the Lord.  And when the Lord comes, John decreases that the Lord may increase.  John never preaches himself.  He always denies that he is the Messiah.  I baptize with water, but one is coming after me, whose sandals I am unworthy to loose.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  John is always pointing away from himself, to Jesus.  This already teaches us something profound about evangelism and the nature of Church and ministry.  Whenever a preacher magnifies himself… whenever a preacher becomes the substance of the message and the Church revolves around the preacher’s personality, the Gospel is obscured.  The evangel is overshadowed by the man.  A wolf has appeared in sheep’s clothing.  A pastor sent by Jesus should disappear under the robes of his office.  A faithful servant of the Word is ever and always pointing to Jesus and proclaiming Him the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

            Evangelism is giving Jesus.  So it starts here where Jesus is, in the flesh, with His Word and Spirit, in the water, in the bread and wine, bestowing His death and resurrection on sinners, reconciling you to the Father.  The preacher points you to Jesus, and you are evangelized… you are Gospeled by preaching and Sacrament.  And you abide here, where Jesus is staying, in His holy Church, and He Himself teaches you His Word.  Then you go out to your home and to your community, to your vocations, your various stations in life, and you tell those in your life about Jesus, as Andrew told his brother, Peter.  You bring them to Jesus, as Andrew brought Peter.  You bring them to the place Jesus is staying.  You bring them to Church.  So they can hear for themselves and be evangelized, Gospeled, by the Lord in His preaching and Sacrament.

            It’s not much of a program, admittedly.  And you don’t have to spend much on books or videos to learn how to do it.  This is simply what Christians do.  Parents bring their children to Holy Baptism and the Divine Service.  They make sure the kids are in Sunday School and Catechism class.  That is evangelism.  Spouses encourage one another and hold each other accountable to be in Church and Bible study.  That is evangelism.  A friend or coworker is going through a difficult time, and you know they need Jesus.  You send them a Gospel centered note of encouragement and invite them to come to Church with you.  That is evangelism.  You visit a loved one who is sick and say a prayer for the Lord’s mercy.  You rejoice with a friend on his birthday, giving all praise to Christ.  You mourn with a wife who has lost her husband, and you console her with Christ’s resurrection victory over death.  That is evangelism.  And do not forget what St. Paul tells us about our attendance at the Divine Service: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Cor. 11:26).  Your presence in this place, receiving the gifts of Jesus, is a sermon proclaiming Christ crucified.  It is an encouragement to your pastor and your brothers and sisters in Christ.  It is a witness to the world of the Gospel truth.  The very most important evangelism you can do is be here where Jesus is, forgiving your sins and giving  you eternal life.  The very most important evangelism you can do is go to Church!

            That is what it means to follow Jesus, to be His disciple.  Be here, where He is, hearing Him.  And that is what it means to be a royal priest of God.  Point others to Jesus and tell them He is the sacrifice for their forgiveness and life.  “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”  And as you do, the Word of the Lord grows. 

            Now, I will warn you, there is no surefire method of Church growth, and that is why every Synodical program will give way to a newer and better Synodical program, which will give way to an even newer and better Synodical program, and, well, you get the point.  Every single one of these programs is exciting and bold and optimistic, and every single one of these programs fails to deliver the explosive growth we were hoping for.  Because shiny, expensive programs do not bring people to faith in Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit does that, where and when He wills, in those who hear the Gospel.  And the thing about it is, we never know what the Spirit will do when the Gospel, the evangel, is preached.  Oh, we trust that He will work in it, as He has promised.  We know the Word of the Lord will never return to Him empty (Is. 55:11).  We know that faith comes by hearing the Word of Christ (Rom. 10:17).  But we also know that this is a mystery… That we sow the Word, we witness, we invite people to Church, and we seem to get no response.  We bring up our children in Church, but they don’t all stay in the Church.  It is a tremendous heartache.  Sometimes the congregation seems to be growing, and sometimes it seems to be shrinking.  Appearances can be deceiving.  Jesus once preached a sermon about eating His flesh and drinking His blood to the thousands who ate of the five loaves and two fish.  The message was scandalous, and everyone left Him except for the Twelve.  Everyone!  Can you imagine the conversation Pastor Jesus would have to have with His district president in the LCMS?

            But He faithfully spoke the Gospel.  He evangelized.  And that is what we are called to do as the Church of God in this place.  We are not called to succeed.  Not if success is measured by posteriors in the pew or dollars in the offering plate.  But we are called preach.  Faithfully.  And the results are up to the Lord.  The Spirit takes care of that, creating faith where and when He wills in those who hear the Gospel. 

            And note how freeing that is.  It isn’t your responsibility to make anyone believe in Jesus.  You can’t save them, because you aren’t the Savior.  Jesus is.  Just go love them in the Name of Jesus and make no apologies about your faith in Jesus.  Just talk about Jesus.  Make no secret of the fact that you go to Church.  You pray.  You read the Bible and you believe it.  And make no secret of the fact that you would love to have  your family and friends and coworkers and... everyone… come to Church with you, where Jesus is, for you and for them, for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.  That’s evangelism.  It’s not that difficult.  It’s actually just a matter of being in Jesus, receiving Jesus, and giving Jesus, who fills you with Himself to overflowing.  Evangelism is, simply and finally, about Jesus.  In the Name of the Father, and of the Son (+), and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.