May 28th

Left Behind

Acts 1:1-11



I was raised in a religious tradition that is big on the rapture—the second coming of Jesus Christ. I remember sermon after sermon about the events leading up to the second coming, as well as the truly scary cosmic shakeup that involved things like stars falling from the sky and the moon turning into blood. The worst thing that could possibly happen to a person was to witness these events, to see others being literally taken up into the heavens to meet Jesus, while your feet were still firmly planted on the ground. In other words, the worst possible fate for a person was to be left behind.

Now I had been listening to these teachings since I was about 6 years old, and there were times when they plagued my dreams. Sometimes I was on the guest list for the Rapture; sometimes I wasn’t. I specifically remember one incident when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I walked out into our front yard one beautiful evening in western Kentucky, looked up into the sky, and there it was—a huge, beautiful bright reddish-orange harvest moon! Of course, in my young mind, the moon was turning to blood—and my feet were still firmly planted on the ground. Not a good sign!

I rushed back into the house and took a quick inventory. My Dad was sitting in the living room watching T.V. Of course, since my Dad smoked, drank, and went to church only once a year on Easter, I wasn’t surprised that he was still around. Then I saw my older sister. Now she played the piano at church, was baptized, and had spoken in tongues! But, maybe she had backslidden and not told anybody.

But then I saw my Mom and thought there was no way God would leave Mom behind. I looked outside again and didn’t see a lot of folks rising up in the sky, either. So I began to think maybe there was a little more to this story than I was being told. Looking back now, it seems that maybe I was right.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that the fear of being left behind has completely disappeared from our minds. A few years ago, a couple of men by the names of LaHaye and Jenkins began writing a series of books about the second coming, the events that follow the second coming, as well as the final battle between good and evil. Most people know these books as the “Left Behind” series. These books are like the “DaVinci Code” in that they combine some truth, some speculation, and a lot of imagination that make for some very interesting reading. They are, however, on the totally opposite end of the theological spectrum.

A big part of the message of the “Left Behind” series seems to be that in the end, there is no worse fate than being left behind. But, while I am definitely no expert on this series, it seems that there was still a lot of work left to do in the world for folks who were left behind after the rapture. Could it be that sometimes being left behind is actually part of God’s plan somehow?

Well, it certainly seems that way from our passage in Acts today. In today’s reading, we see the resurrected Jesus speaking to the apostles about the kingdom of God, and instructing them to wait for the promise of God’s Holy Spirit in Jerusalem. The power of the Holy Spirit would then give them the strength to be witnesses to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. As Jesus said this to them, scripture tells us that Jesus was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. There they were, mouths hanging open, looking up into the sky, feet still firmly planted on the ground.

The apostles, you see, were left behind.

Now can you imagine how the apostles must have felt? Think about it. They had left everything to follow Jesus for the past 3 years. Then, just when things seem to be taking off, Jesus is crucified. Now what? But then, Jesus is resurrected from the dead! This has to be it! Now, Jesus will establish God’s kingdom on earth. That has to be the meaning of these teachings for the past 40 days!
So, they ask the question, “Is this it? Is now the time?” Jesus basically tells them that God’s timing is none of their business, to go to Jerusalem and wait for the promise of God’s Holy Spirit, then be witnesses to Jesus’ life and teachings to the end of the earth. And then Jesus leaves—just like that! Then, to add insult to injury, two guys in white robes show up and say, “What are you looking at? Jesus is gone.”

So Jesus is gone, and here we are—left behind. Now what?

Well, according to verse 8 of today’s reading, if we call ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to be witnesses to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. Well, that’s easy enough. We just grab our industrial sized Bibles, go out and start whacking people over their heads with them, right? We just tell folks if they don’t straighten up and fly right, they won’t be flying at all in the end. I call this method of witnessing, “Fly or Fry” witnessing.

This method of witnessing can be quite effective, too. We can scare people into behaving as we think they should behave by threatening them with eternal damnation. Hey! It certainly kept me in line for many years. The problem with this method, however, is that it tends to develop what I call “Bystander Christians.” These are the folks who stand around gazing into Heaven trying to figure out exactly when Jesus is coming back, while doing their best to make sure all those sinners out there don’t contaminate them somehow. In the meantime, God’s good creation—the creation that God told us to take care of-- is going to Hell all around us.

I think what we forget sometimes is that while there is an eternal dominion of God that will be realized one day, Jesus also told the disciples that the kingdom of God was within them. Think about it. Jesus spent a lot of his time teaching the disciples how to live in the present—how to love, heal, and change the lives of those around them through the power of his Spirit. What that means for us is becoming co-creators with the Holy Spirit in the here and now, witnessing to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ by loving, healing, and changing the lives of others around us through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. But where do we start?

Well, I mentioned being “co-creators” with the Holy Spirit. We tend to be most creative when we are passionate about a project or issue. For instance, people who are passionate about cooking are always finding new way and creative ways to take simplest food and make it mouthwatering. If you have ever tasted Don Schifke’s chicken and dumplings, then you know what I mean. Passionate artists can take materials many of us would toss in the garbage, and create works of art that are both beautiful and amazing! If any of you here know Bob Yates, then you know exactly what I am talking about.

So, take a look at the community around you. What is your passion? Does your heart break when you hear stories of child abuse? Then volunteer at CASA, and become an advocate for children. Do you see people sweltering in the Corpus Christi heat with no homes to shelter them? Then volunteer at Metro Ministries, the Salvation Army, or the Good Samaritan, where people are sheltered every day. Is feeding the hungry your passion? Then volunteer at our Food Pantry here at MCC of Corpus Christi!

Is HIV/AIDS your passion? Maybe you have heard that funding for HIV/AIDS services is being reduced—and trust me, it is. Or, maybe you have already heard that Corpus Christi’s South Texas Interfaith Council is closing at the end of June. Then maybe the Congregational Care Team of MCC of Corpus Christi can step up to fill at least part of the void sure to be left by the closing of this wonderful agency. And guess what? You can be part of that team!

You see, through the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, we already have the vision of what God’s kingdom on earth should look like. It is a dominion of peace, equality, and love. It is a place where resources are shared. It is a place where all people are valued, and none are left behind to needlessly suffer. It is a place where God is worshipped, communities are built, and hope is offered to all people. It is a place where, by their words and the example of their lives, people motivate faith, create unity, communicate the good news, challenge injustice, and celebrate God’s unconditional love!

Folks, do you have any idea what we have here? We may not be a huge group; but we have some strong backs, sharp minds, and a whole lot of love to share! Through Jesus Christ’s saving work in our lives, we have a message of hope! We have a message that can save lives! The challenge for us is, how are we going to focus our God-given gifts and resources to share that message with a community that so desperately needs to hear it—so that no one is needlessly left behind?

I challenge us today to put on those thinking caps. Then let’s sit down and talk.

God bless you, and amen.