Empowered for Leadership

Joshua 1:1-11
Acts 2:1-4, 37-39

Happy Birthday! Today we celebrate the birthday of the Christian Church. We find the story of that birth, which follows the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, in the 2^nd chapter of Acts. This is a story of new beginnings for God's people for we find God's people empowered for leadership in the new church which is being birthed!

The story begins: "When the day of Pentecost had come, the believers were all together in one place" when God's Holy Spirit came upon them. ... Well, that's putting it too mildly ... Listen again to the way Luke describes the event: "...suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting."

It was like a tornado exploded into the building! But rather than bringing destruction, this powerful Spirit of God brought new life ... it brought the birth of the Christian Church!

We are told that every person present was touched by God's Spirit and their lives were changed.

Amazing things began to happen: Persons began speaking in languages they had not known before.

Image what it might be like in this place this morning, if during our sharing time some of you began to speak in French, in Portugese, in Korean, in Hausa, in Japanese. It could be confusing it, right? But, listen now, here is the amazing thing: those who were gathered together heard and understood each other in their native language. Now that is amazing!

Why, sometimes we have trouble understanding each other when we are speaking the same language! You are trying to share with me your point of view and I am hearing something totally different. But when we are filled with God's Spirit, there is understanding. That is amazing!

Other amazing things began to happen to these believers as well:

As we continue on to verse 37, we read that "...they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, 'Brothers, what should we do?' Peter said to them, 'Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven....'" Listen now to what happened: "So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers." What a response! Talk about church renewal ... now that is amazing!

Why, we only had 110 persons baptized in this whole district in 2002! But imagine the impact on the church and the community -- this church and this community - if we were to devote ourselves to the teachings of Jesus and the fellowship of the church. All too often we turn to our newspapers, magazines, and television to teach us about life; and our fellowship finds its focus in many places other than the church. But when God's Spirit is present we devote ourselves to Christ and the Church. Amazing!

And if we were brave enough to venture into the closing verses of the 2^nd chapter of Acts, we would find some other amazing things taking place in the Life of the Believers:

• All who believed were together and had all things in common
• they sold their possessions and goods and distributed the proceeds to those in need
• they spent much time together in the temple
• they ate together - in each others homes
• they praised God
• and day by day God added to their number those who were being saved.

Amazing things begin to happen when God's people are touched by God's Holy Spirit ... They are empowered for leadership!

A 2^nd story of new beginnings is found in the passage that was read from the Old Testament book of Joshua. This story follows the death of Moses who has brought God's people out of their captivity in Egypt, through 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, and to the brink of new life in the Promised Land. Now it is Joshua, who has been an assistant to Moses, who God calls to lead the people into the Promised Land.

This passage from the 1^st chapter of Joshua reads like God's installation message to Joshua and therefore seems most appropriate today as we prepare to install Jeremy as pastor at Lincolnshire.

God's opening words to Joshua are abrupt and even brutal - Moses is dead. The old order is passing away; things will be different now. After many years of comfortably looking to Moses for guidance, Joshua himself is now the leader. It's time to release the grip on what belongs to the past and let go.

Douglas Nason* writes that the original "daring young man on the flying trapeze" was a Frenchman named Jules Leotard. On November 12, 1859, he made circus history in Paris. Taking off from a six-foot platform, he swung out holding onto a trapeze bar. At the top of his swing he let go of the bar and floated unsupported through the air for about 15 feet. Then he reached out and grabbed onto another trapeze bar swinging toward him. The crowd went wild. No trapeze acrobat before Leotard had ever completely released a hold on the first bar before grabbing onto the second.

There is something about an installation service of a pastor in a congregation that speaks to us about our need in life to let go ... and then to reach out and grab on. Throughout our lifetime there are opportunities that await us, but they are just beyond our grasp - unreachable unless we first let go of what we now hold. We need to know when to let go, and then to reach out and grab onto something new. For congregations that may mean letting go of old loyalties and traditions so we can reach out together and begin to build new ways of being the church together.

Hear the instructions God gave to Joshua for the people in verses 2 and 5, reading from the New International translation: "...Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give them .... I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses." And then the territorial boundaries are described, followed by this promise: "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Joshua was empowered for leadership to lead God's people, after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, across the Jordan River and into the Land of Promise. 40 years after the exodus from Egypt and wandering through the desert wilderness, it is not the original generation but a new generation that is ready to move into the Promised Land.

Forty years seems a long time for God's people to be wandering through the wilderness, but let's put it in perspective.

It has been a few more than 40 years now since this congregation left its Smith Street property to move here to 6404 S. Calhoun Street, on this corner lot in the Lincolnshire housing addition. As I recall the story, the decision to relocate from Smith Street coincided with the developer of this Lincolnshire addition wanting to include room for a church in this addition.

Over the past 40+ years, this congregation has had some of its members from the surrounding community but the majority of members have driven in from all parts of Fort Wayne or beyond. I'm not sure that the original dream of a church home for this Lincolnshire community has ever been met. I understand that efforts to reach out in this community have been made and that Jeremy has been a part of this effort in recent years.

I find a parallel between the Joshua story and the Lincolnshire story. I believe a key to the future of this congregation will be its ability to "cross the river" - or the street - to this land that God provides to you for your ministry. As God said to Joshua, so I repeat to you on this day, "Get ready...!"

There are within this Joshua passage three specific words of instruction that I want us all to hear on this Installation Sunday:

1) Jeremy, the words God spoke to Joshua in verse 6, are also spoken to you: "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people...." Leadership often calls for changes and change in the church is not always popular, so be strong and courageous in your leadership. I would remind all of us that the church is called to be God's agent of change in the world today, and that will require each of us to also be strong and courageous as we serve in Jesus' name.

2) A second word of instruction is found in verses 7-8: "Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go." As the church moves into new ministry opportunities, with all the inevitable change, we are encouraged to grab onto that which is firm - namely God's word to us found in the scriptures. "Meditate on it day and night...." May we be guided in all that we do by our understanding of God's word to us.

3) Finally, in verse 9, God reminds us: "Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." As God's people we may be called into the unknown, changes may be required, and we may be called to risk doing something new in Jesus' name; but remember God is with you wherever you set your foot.

Returning now to the "daring young man on the flying trapeze," Douglas Nason* writes that:

Circus history was made again, according to Nason, in Tucson, Arizona, on July 10, 1982, when 17-year-old Miguel Vasquez completed the first quadruple somersault on the flying trapeze. It was an amazing accomplishment, one that had long eluded even the greatest of acrobats. But circus people know that the true hero that day was not Miguel - the true hero was his older brother, Juan.

No flyer spinning at the speed required for a quadruple somersault could ever hope to pull out of the spin and grab on to the bar. Everything ultimately depends on having a catcher - someone who is able to grab hold of the flyer's outstretched arms, break the spin, and hold on tight. Juan was the catcher, swinging upside down on the receiving bar to catch his brother. Here is how Juan described the event:

"Hanging upside down, I am swinging toward him as he is hurtling toward me at 75 miles per hour. Now I'm reaching for him; my hands are straining toward his, his hands are straining toward mine. I have him! Our hands are locked and holding!"

This is the promise God gave to Joshua and which is given to us when we dare to let go of the past and reach out for the future to which God calls us: "I will be there to catch you. Be courageous - let go of the past! Be strong - reach out and grab onto my word and my promise. I will be there for you, to catch you and to keep you from falling."

This congregation is in the midst of change as we gather today to install Jeremy as the pastor here at Lincolnshire. In a certain sense, Jeremy becomes your "Joshua," the one who takes up the responsibilities of leadership, leading you across the Jordan and into the Promised Land! Wow, that sounds like a pretty heavy responsibility doesn't it, Jeremy? But we are reminded again on this Pentecost Sunday, that it is God who sends the Holy Spirit to empower us for leadership.

On this day of new beginnings, I pray that each of us will be open to receive this empowering Spirit and that we will move forward together into new opportunities for ministry in Jesus' name. Amen

Sermon by Herman Kauffman
Installation of Jeremy Ashworth
Lincolnshire Church of the Brethren
June 8, 2003

*Douglas Nason is a Presbyterian minister and adjunct professor of preaching and communication at Fuller School of Theology. The two circus trapeze stories are taken from an article in a Fuller publication in 2000.