Luke 4:20-21

            The Gospel reading appointed for today ended with the words, “He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him and he began by saying to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. The people in that synagogue were on the edge of their seats. They were waiting, wondering, curious, eager to hear what Jesus was going to say. What would he say? How would he say it?

He paused. He waited. He looked them in the eye and he said, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Think about that! The One whom God had promised to send, the One who would preach good news to the spiritually poor, the One who would proclaim freedom to those held captive by sin and death, the One who would give eyes of faith to the spiritually blind, the One who would proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor was where? Right in front of them! The Servant of the Lord about whom Isaiah had prophesied was sitting right in front of their eyes – the very eyes that were fastened on him.

Today is Evangelism Sunday. Today we are focusing not so much on the who or the what or the why or the when or the where of evangelism but on the how. We all know that God wants us to share Jesus with others but perhaps no one has ever told us or taught us or shown us how to do that. When everyone’s eyes are fastened on you, what will you say? How will you say it? At work, when everyone is having that religious debate and they ask you, “What do you think about all this?” What will you say? How will you say it as their eyes are fastened on you?

When the members of your family are grieving the death of a loved one and you seem to be the strong one and their eyes are fastened on you, what will you say? How will you say it? When a brother is wrestling with an addiction and losing those daily battles more often than he wins them and his eyes are fastened on you, what will you say? How will you say it? When a sister is living with her boyfriend and both of them fix their eyes on you and say, without hesitation, what’s the big deal, what will you say? How will you say it? When a good friend is overcome with guilt because he cheated on his wife and you’re the one person whom he trusted to confide in, what will you say? How will you say it?

The focus of our Evangelism Sunday this year – the focus of our Board of Evangelism this year – is to train us, to teach us what to say and how to say it as we reach out to those around us or as those around us desperately reach out to us. This morning Vicar and I are going to do some role playing to model what to say and how to say it. The purpose of doing this is to demonstrate one way that we can share what we all need to hear – a message of law and Gospel . . . it’s called God’s Great Exchange. Vicar’s name will be Mark. My name will be John. Mark is married to my sister Peggy. Mark and Peggy have three children together. All of us go to the same church but not Mark. Mark doesn’t stand in the way of that; he just wants no part of that. Mark is over at my house. We just finished watching a football game on TV. We have the place to ourselves.

Mark:      Great game. 

John:       Yeah. I can’t argue with that. I still can’t figure out what’s tougher though – seeing the Vikings do well or watching old number 4 – and I do mean old #4 – play better than he’s ever played before. 

Mark:      Don’t know why the Packers ever got rid of him. 

John:       Hey, they’re doing just fine with Aaron Rodgers and he’s got plenty of great years ahead of him in Green Bay . . . Hey, I could talk about football all day but, since we have the place to ourselves, I’d like to talk to you about something more important. 

Mark:      More important than football? More important than your Packers? I can’t wait to hear this. 

John:       Well, actually, I want to talk about you. 

Mark:      Me? What for? 

John:       Well, I’m wondering how you’re doing. 

Mark:      What are you talking about? I’m doing fine. Work is great – busy but great. I don’t get paid enough and they expect too much from me but at least I have a job – not every body can say that. 

John:         You’re right about that. I’m glad I still have my job with all the cuts being made. But that’s not what I’m talking about. I want to know how you are doing. 

Mark:      Oh, you mean at home. Things are fine. The kids are good. They’ve got way too many toys and gadgets and we put them in way too many leagues and clubs but they’re fine. Peggy’s fine. Peggy and I are fine. Oh, sure, we have our arguments. I’m not sure I’ll ever live up to her expectations but it’s a pretty good marriage – better than most . . . hey, did you hear about Barry and Debbie? 

John:       Yeah, I know they’re splitting up. We can talk about that too, I suppose, but I really want to talk about you. 

Mark:      What do you mean? 

John:       Well, Peggy comes to church. She brings the kids. They go to Sunday School. Peggy’s doing what she can to teach them about God’s Word but she doesn’t really seem to have your support. You don’t come with when they go. God doesn’t really seem to be a priority for you – at least that’s the impression you’re giving your kids. 

Mark:      Oh boy. Here we go. I see what you want to talk about. 

John:       No. Hang on a minute. This is important. 

Mark:         What, so I can make Peggy happy? So I can get her folks off my back? So I can be a hypocrite to my kids? 

John:       No. This isn’t about them; this is about you. It’s about heaven. 

Mark:         Heaven? Come on. 

John:         Mark, let me ask you this. What if you were to die tonight, are you sure that you would go to heaven? What if you found yourself standing before God and he asked you, “Why should I let you into my heave?” What would you say to him? 

Mark:      First, I’m not dying tonight or any time soon. Second, I’ll be just fine. You don’t have to worry about me and heaven. 

John:       Can I ask why? 

Mark:      Hey, I’m a good guy. You know that. I work hard – I work hard to provide for my family. I’m not stealing anything from my company. I’m a good dad. I provide all this for them – I give them more than my dad ever gave me. I’m a good husband. I may have my flaws but I’ve never cheated on anyone. I put up with your mom and all of her “great” ideas for my family. I don’t cuss – that much. I may like to have a good time but I never drive drunk and I don’t get violent. I may get angry with people but I’ve never killed anyone. Yeah, I’m a pretty good person – best brother-in-law you’ve ever had. 

John:         You’re the only brother-in-law I’ve ever had. 

Mark:         That’s reason enough for God to let me into heaven. 

John:         Funny. Let’s be serious a minute. Remember how you said that you could never live up to Peggy’s expectations? 

Mark:      Yeah. Who could? 

John:       Well, when it comes to heaven, it’s not Peggy’s expectations that you have to live up to. It’s God’s. And, believe it or not, his expectations are much higher than hers. 

Mark:      I find that hard to believe. 

John:       The Bible tells us that God demands perfection. The Bible tells us that God demands that we be holy – just as he is holy. It tells us that whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. So, you may have never cheated on Peggy but do you lust at other women? You may have never killed anyone but have you ever held a hate-filled grudge? You see, the obedience that God demands of us is more than outward – it involves our actions but also our words and even our thoughts. God demands even perfect thoughts. 

Mark:      Ok, God demands a lot but he really only expects that we do are best, that we try hard. He has to see I’m trying and that has to count for something. Besides, what’s he going to do to me for one little sin? Send me to hell? 

John:         That’s what the Bible says. The wages of sin is death. The soul that sins is the one that will die. That’s eternal death. That’s hell. 

Mark:      For one sin? 

John:       One sin – and that assumes that that’s all we have is one sin. All of us have sinned and all of us fall short of the glory of God. There’s a passage in the Bible that says that there is no one who does good – not even one. 

Mark:      So you’re going to hell too, then. A lot of good God and church and religion are doing for you. 

John:       Well, yeah, that’s what I deserve but that’s not what God wanted. 

Mark:      What do you mean? 

John:       The Bible tells us that God wants all people to be saved. I know you’ve heard the passage – God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

Mark:         Eternal life. You mean heaven. 

John:       Yeah. 

Mark:         Because of Jesus. 

John:         That’s right. 

Mark:      But how? 

John:       Well God sent Jesus into the world to do two things. He sent Jesus into the world to give God what we couldn’t . . . 

Mark:      And what’s that? 

John:         Obedience. But he also came to pay the wages of our sin . . . 

Mark:         Death? 

John:         That’s right. Jesus – God’s eternal Son – came into the world as a human being to live in our place and to die in our place . . . call him our Substitute. 

Mark:      Our Substitute? 

John:       Yeah. The Bible tells us that Jesus committed no sin and no deceit was found in his mouth. The Bible tells us that God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 

Mark:      The righteousness of God? 

John:         That’s right. We weren’t righteous – or holy – on our own. But God made us holy in Jesus. In baptism God robed me and Peggy and your children in the righteousness of Jesus so that he doesn’t see our sin anymore only Jesus’ obedience. Though our sins be like scarlet they shall be white as snow. 

Mark:      Well, if all that’s true, then why did Jesus have to die?

John:       To pay God the wages of our sin. Rather than punishing us God punished Jesus in our place. 

Mark:      I suppose the Bible says that somewhere too . . . 

John:       The Old Testament does. He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him. By his wounds we are healed. 

Mark:         Sounds pretty easy. 

John:       It’s called grace. 

Mark:      So heaven has nothing to do with who I am or how I live or what I do? 

John:       That’s right. Heaven is all about who Jesus is and how he lived and what he did. 

Mark:      And that’s why you go to church? 

John:       True but more than that, that’s why I know I’m going to heaven because not only did Jesus die for me, he also rose for me. Because he lives, we also shall live. 

Mark:      And Peggy knows all this? She believes all this? 

John:       Yes she does – but, Mark, so do your children. It would mean a lot to them and it would send them an awesome message if you started to take more of an interest in what they believe and if you would take more time to find out what they believe. 

Mark: You mean go to church with them? 

John:       Yeah. I do. But even here at home. Ask them about Sunday School. Listen when Peggy tucks them into bed with a Bible story. God’s only going to reinforce what we just talked about this afternoon. 

Mark:      I suppose it can’t hurt. Thanks, John. Probably wasn’t easy for you to talk about all this but I’m glad you did. You gave me a lot to think about. 

John:       Hey, any time. Thanks for listening. I hope we can do it again. 

Mark:      I have a feeling we will. 

John:       Now help me get this place cleaned up before Carrie gets home. 

What will you say? How will you say it? It came down to law and gospel; sin and grace; who we are and what we deserve and who Jesus is and what he gave. Easier said than done, though, right? It’s one thing for vicar and me to act this out, to role play. It’s another thing to do it for real. Fear stands in the way, right. Fear of not knowing what to say, fear of how that person will react, fear of rejection, fear of being laughed at, fear of not being taken seriously, fear of causing division or driving a wedge or losing a friend or making waves in the family. What’s fear, though? Isn’t it a lack of trust? Isn’t failing to trust every promise of God that says he’ll be with us, that says he’ll give us the words to say, that says he’ll bless his Word, that says it’s not you they reject but me, that says he can do anything? Isn’t fear, isn’t a lack of trust sin? Isn’t fear, isn’t a lack of trust a violation of God’s very first commandment? (Not to mention the lack of love on our part for those whom we know are drowning in sin and unbelief. A lack of love like that breaks commandments 4-10 doesn’t it?)

The question I asked myself as I was writing that paragraph was, “What will I say at this point in the sermon when everyone’s eyes are fixed on me?” (if their eyes are not already fixed on the ground in shame and guilt). The question became, “How will I say it?” How about this: have no fear. Have no fear; God loves you. Have no fear; God is fully aware of your lack of trust and your failure to love (and mine) and he loves you (he loves me) anyway. Have no fear; God sent his Son to do two things – to live in our place and to die in our place. Have no fear; going to heaven is not about who we are or how we live or what we do; it’s about Jesus and who he is and how he lived and what he did. Have no fear; Jesus is our Substitute. Have no fear; his righteousness has been credited to us. Have no fear; God punished him in our place. Have no fear; he rose from the dead that we too may live. Have no fear about Judgment Day or about God’s question, “Why should I let you into my heaven?” Just say, “Because of Jesus.” And, finally, dear Christian, have no fear about what to say or how to say it; God will bless you and your words and his Word when that person’s eyes to whom you are witnessing are fixed on you. Amen.