Tony Campolo likes to tell the make-believe story of a group of people touring an oil refinery.  After being shown all the complicated machinery, complex piping and having the process of petroleum distillation explained to them, someone asks the guide to show them the shipping department.  “‘Shipping department?’” the guide exclaims, “We don’t have a shipping department.”  It takes “all the petroleum energy produced in this refinery” just to keep it going (Tony Campolo, Revolution and Renewal, How Churches Are Saving Our Cities, Westminster John Knox Press, 2000, p. 73).’”  Of course, Campolo’s refinery could only exist in a make-believe world.  Any business or industry that ever forgets its dual obligation to both produce a product and effectively deliver it to the people who need it has a very short future. 

Campolo tells this story in his book, Revolution and Renewal, which is nothing short of a manual on how churches can avoid the lethal trap of becoming self-consumed and instead become agents of change, especially in the inner city.  His thesis is that churches are the only institution, unlike government or business, with the dual mission of both spiritual renewal and concern for the whole range of human need as its very reason for existence.  Campolo is one of a growing number of people calling the church, especially inner city churches, back to Jesus’ original commission to his twelve disciples.  “‘As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.  Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.  You received without payment; give without payment.  Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food (Matthew 10:7-10).’”  It’s a commission to address both the pressing needs of people’s daily lives and the spiritual illnesses that lead to social decay. 

As we come today to the fourth in a series of six sermons based on our church’s mission statement, Sharing Christ Through Caring Relationships, we focus on one of our core values, “Providing for Spiritual and Physical Needs.”  It’s a core value that we believe expresses the spirit of the first church’s healthy balance in addressing both spiritual and physical needs.  “Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common.  With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.  There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them . . . and it was distributed to each as any had need (Acts 4:32-35).”

When I was called to Cliff Temple I was asked, “What has to be done to alter the course of a church that has been in decline for over three decades?”  As honestly as I knew how I said, “I don’t know.”  These past four years and one-half years have been four of the most challenging and rewarding I’ve ever known.  I’ve grown more in my time with you than I’ve ever grown in my life.  I’ve learned the importance of focusing on our future, not our past and of focusing on what we have not what we don’t have, of what we can do, not what we can’t do.  And, the most fundamental lesson I may have learned is that being an effective outpost of the gospel in our community means keeping two things in delicate balance.  We are called to preach the gospel of Jesus about God’s eternal love for and commitment to every person.  We are also called to live out that gospel by caring for the practical daily needs of people who, by and large, tend to live very hard and oppressive lives. 

It seems to me that the early church modeled how to live out the commission of this “both-and” gospel first, by telling the good news.  Jesus said, “‘As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘the kingdom of heaven has come near.’” 

This past week the focus of my Pastor’s column was on the tragedy a couple of weeks ago when a bus carrying a church’s senior adults collided with an SUV on I-35 south of Waco and seven people died.  Specifically, I was troubled by their pastor’s comments the following Sunday when he said of those who died, “God must have needed them more than we did.”  Though I’m sure he meant well, his words distressed me.  Rationalizing senseless loss doesn’t make it less of a loss for the bereaved.  It also confuses people by asking them to trust a God who supposedly has to stage mind-numbing freeway accidents to steal people away when he needs them.  That’s not good news. 

Telling the good news doesn’t mean coming up answers to every one of life’s mysteries.  It means telling people about the Jesus who died for our sins, was raised from the dead to give his life, in quality and quantity, to anyone who wants it.  That’s the gospel.  The good news is not that trusting Jesus always makes life make sense.  Sometimes faith makes life harder because faith means trusting, not necessarily understanding.  The good news is that sin and the death it produces in all its various forms will not have the final say in our lives.  The final word in our lives won’t be our epitaph that describes the date of our physical death or what caused it.  The final word in our lives will be Jesus’ promise, “‘My sheep hear my voice.  I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish (John 10:27-28).’” 

There is no news like the good news of Jesus’ uncompromising commitment to love us, no matter what.  No news like the good news that God has come near to us in Jesus.  Whatever people need, they need to know that God loves them right where they are as they are, without exception, so much so that he has moved into their lives and wants to give them his life.  “‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’”  The gay and the straight, the liar, adulterer, thief, murderer and molester all have this one thing in common, they are loved from eternity’s beginning until eternity’s end by the God who sent his Son to die and be raised again for everyone.  Keeping the “both-and” gospel in balance means telling the good news.  It also means traveling light. 

Jesus warned his disciples not to burden themselves with more than they needed, just for the day.  The first Christians divested

themselves of their earthly possessions in order to meet each other’s needs.  Their lifestyle poses a very piercing question.  How much can we keep for ourselves without keeping from others what they need?  Travel light, Jesus said.  Where do we start with that?

I’ve fallen in love with bird watching.  Never dreamed I’d do that.  But, since I’ve lately acquired a taste for Zocor and Prilosec, I’ve decided that maybe it’s a midlife kind of thing.  I’ve bought a book and keep a pair of binoculars close by because the birds just out my north window keep winging their way into my heart.  Several weeks ago I began noticing that every morning about sunrise starlings by the tens of thousands were flying southeast over my roof and then, just before dusk, flying back where they come from.  It’s absolutely fascinating.  I had to ask Mary Neel Green what was up with the birds.  She had a simple answer.  They have a place to sleep at night.  They also have a field to feed in.  Every morning they get up and commute, just like I do, except with a lot less anxiety and without any insurance in case they wreck, which they never do.  They go to where God has provided their daily seed.  At night, they go home and sleep.  They travel light, with only the food they can carry in their stomachs and the feathers on their backs.  Call me an over-emotional idealist if you wish.  But, if we’re having trouble with the idea of traveling lighter, Jesus would ask us to consider the commuter birds.  “They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they (Matthew 6:26)?’” 

We spend so much time worrying and gathering and storing up for a day that may never come.  Has the stock market impact on our retirement accounts not taught us that, no matter how hard we save, economic thieves can break in and steal?  Traveling light is not just about not overburdening the arches of our sore feet, it’s about not keeping so much to ourselves for another day that may never come that we can’t be a resource for those who need a hand when they’re broke and hungry right now or who need this moment from us because they’re lonely, sick and in prison.  It’s about being literally and genuinely obedient to Jesus’ command, “‘You received without payment; give without payment.’” 

Let me make this very practical.  If you’re looking for a place to get started with this kind of giving think about this.  If every member of this church just readjusted their lifestyle and started tithing, just tithing, we’d be able to so fully support Mission: Oak Cliff that they would never have to request grant money from outside agencies.  We wouldn’t have to dip into investment funds in order to keep our buildings in repair and could use them instead for programs that more directly impact the lives of people.  We’d even have a resource of funds to help people, even our own members, in times of personal financial crisis instead of referring them to government or social agencies for help.  That was the way of the ancient church.  It could be our way, too, if everyone just adjusted their lifestyle and tithed.  And, if you can’t start with a tithe, would you be willing to start with something?  Anything?  If we all gave more we might be surprised how God would multiply our gifts. 

Another practical opportunity for doing this kind of giving is through our newly forming Ministry Teams.  Roger Pickett reported the other night at Deacons’ meeting that we now have thirty Ministry Teams in place with over one hundred seventy people involved and forty-one deacons supporting those teams.  Some of the Ministry Teams have taken up work already being done.  Some have started totally new ministries.  Ministry Teams are nothing more than a way of streamlining creativity and giving more people opportunities to serve in practical, hands-on kinds of ministries.  One of the most encouraging things is how many of our Ministry Teams are directed toward helping our church get more connected to our community.    Of getting more of what we “produce” delivered to those who need it. 

Keeping the “both-and” gospel in balance means telling the good news and traveling light.  It also means trusting God.

Jesus told the disciples that they couldn’t guarantee the outcome of giving.  They could only be responsible for telling the good news and giving whatever power they had to help lift the burden of oppressed people as they went.  Some would receive their gift, others would not.  Keep moving toward those, he told them, who seem interested in what you have to give.  Those who reject God’s offer of life will answer to God.  Whatever the day of judgment will mean for any of us is something for God and God alone to know.  Ours is to give whatever we’ve been given, as freely as we’ve received, and trust God with the results. 

We have charted a new course at Cliff Temple.  A course meant to help us keep the “both-and” of the gospel in good balance.  This is the one lesson I’ve already learned.  Being faithful doesn’t mean charting a certain course because we can already know for sure how it will turn out.  Being faithful doesn’t mean only doing those things that absolutely guarantee success and that absolutely guarantee everyone’s favor all the time no matter what.  Being faithful means telling the good news, traveling light and trusting God. 

That’s all Jesus expects of us.  What else can we do?  What else should we do?