Lord, your words are perfect for it has a power to revive our souls and to bring joy for our hearts. Speak to us and touch every one of us again through your living words, in Jesus name we pray.
The assigned/chosen texts for this morning service are taken from Ex. 3:1-12; 2Tim 4:1-5; and John 21:15-19.
Out of these three passages, we have 2 very important subjects that we (one) should not fail to notice – i.e.
1. The call of Moses – to set them free and lead his people. Or we can also say that – ‘the call of Moses - to interfere in the realms of his people suffering, who suffered from the dominant structure of their times.
2. And about the reinstatement of Peter by Jesus - to feed ‘the sheep of Jesus’ or to look after his church for which Jesus shed his own blood.
Therefore, by keeping these two important areas in our minds, we will try to look – the fundamental purpose of Christian calling and responsibilities in the context of modern society.’ OR In another worlds, (our main topic for this service will be) – “the basic foundation of pastoral ministry in the context of contemporary society” And this theme will further require the need to examine the present situation of our society, as well as the need to re-examine ourselves.
So, if we are going to examine ‘the present condition of our society,’ some important questions are automatically arising – such as
- What has been happened in today society?- In to what context are we living now?- As a theological students/ being a disciple of Jesus Christ, what responsibilities are we going to take-up? (& so on….).
In order to give a suitable answer to these questions, I think, we need to have a deeper insight to the present situation. and, in order to have a deeper insight to the present situation, we are going to look one of the most important remarkable explosions what we usually notice – i.e. about the occurrence of dramatic or drastic change in our society by means of information and technological revolution and by means of what they called it as ‘modernism’.
As we all know it, this revolution or change, especially in the field of technology, was basically emerged as a systemic feature in the 1970s, and later expanded throughout the 1980s in different workplaces of all kind, and furthermore this has also been deeply penetrated almost every homes and culture, through the diffusion of Internet, and different multimedia.The consequence of this rapid development and change therefore has posed several challenges in our present society.
According to some writers, these challenges includes-
- The spirit of falsehood and faithlessness
- Change in our lifestyle- Shift in value system
- Increase of violence in the society &
- Certain ideological changes (and many more)
Besides these challenges, several other consequences like – materialism, individualism, laziness, video pornography and many other things are also deeply embedded not only in the society but also in the minds of (what we called it) ‘a responsible Christians’ especially among the youths and even among several church goers.
Therefore, in this situation, certain social evils and other problems like- rape, suicide, drugs abuse, depression, demoralization and losing hope, discouragement, insecurity etc are also becoming widespread among people of all kinds especially among the youths. And due to these circumstances, it is truly to say that many youths today have been trapped and victimized under these severe conditions.
Apart from this, there are also other dreadful things that we should not fail/avoid to acknowledge – i.e. the suffering of other creatures Or the destruction of our environment and its surrounding. They have also been suffered and destroyed through various means, such as - displacement and deforestation which usually have been done in the name of development and modernism.
Therefore because of these dreadful circumstances, many people today could hear the cries and suffering of natures. They are crying helplessly as many parents today are silently crying. Not only this, different religions, different classes and different walks of life have also been faced the same problems. In general, one may say that - no one is safe and no one is spared from this terrible and dreadful situation.
Than, coming to the text/scripture –1. Exodus 3:1-12 tells us that, the people of God- Israelites too have undergone diverse forms of difficulties under the oppressive structure of Egyptian. They have suffered physical and moral dehydration. They have also suffered different forms of distress or anguish, as well as different forms of subjugation and discrimination from their opponents and from their surroundings. As a result they had begun to cry for help, freedom and peace from their suffering.
In a shortest manner, they cried to God for help, and the result we could see is – ‘the call of Moses to liberate his people. And then the consequence what we could see again is – ‘the great exodus event’ which followed by ‘the direct intervention of God’ by performing a number of miracles, and simultaneously the joyful praise and dance of Miriam and other Israelite.
So, this could become a comparable image or picture for today. As Israelite have suffered so many forms of difficulties, many people of these days have also faced the same problems, as we already pointed out earlier. This has been happened in our society, in our family, in our church and even to our love ones.Therefore because of this terrible or extremely bad occurrence - many people today started crying for help, they cried - not only because of their suffering but because they need freedom, peace, joy, and at the same time, some are respites for their soul.
In such a situation, one important questions that must come to our mind is - what kind of responsibility are we going to take up? OR Being a ‘called out’ to serve others, do we ever think that we are ‘being called’ to serve those people who are under the bondage of suffering and under the spirit of darkness.
2. Apart from what we just talk about, we can also substantiate this problems with another areas of difficulties as found in 2Tim 4: 3&4, which says- by promoting certain ideologies and implanting what they called it – “Myth’ or certain media contents (Some of us may know that many writers today called Media content- as “Myths”), many people today are driven away from ‘the truth’.
Ch4: 3&4 says - (3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.)
So, as this passage foretells us, it may possible to say that - the time has come now –the time, when we do not put up with sound doctrine and good advices, but our own desire. It is also the time, when we gather different technological devices and different media content, instead of valuing the truth.
This is definitely the real thing. And it has been happened, because (as seen 4:3&4) our ears are itching only to here our own desire. It has also been happened, because we put more value Myths than the truth.Therefore, considering to these entire occurrence in the society (as we have just presented in this particular moment), let us now try to reflect and re-examine ourselves.
First, In order to confront all these kind of situations, we can simply bring out the message of Paul which is very applicable for today context –i.e.4:1 - In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:4: 5- keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and discharge all the duties of your ministry.I think, this message will be quite relevant to our society.
Secondly, if we look the story of Moses, One important thing what we need to remember is - Whenever God has called out his/her servant, He called them out intentionally for some specific purpose. In many cases, He might call them out – to be a ruler, or to proclaim - the rathe of God, or to proclaim - his forgiveness, his love, for repentance, or to turn away from evil.
In other case, God might also called them out (his/her servant) – to help, or to liberate, to build, to heal, to restore and to reform or to bring transformation to the society or to a particular community. However, what we need to notice from this point is - whenever this specific call has occurred, it has often taken place accordingly as to what the situation demand or require.
Therefore, (brothers and sisters); as we are preparing for the ministry of God, we have something to remember – i.e. ‘The call’ we received from God and the call we response into it has also a purpose. For some of us, the purpose may be – to help, to liberate or to lead, people who are under the control of spirit of darkness. Or people who are under the bondage of suffering. Whatever the call may be, one important thing what we need to keep in our minds is – we are being called by God not only to keep silence but for a purpose and to do something.
Lastly, in order to fulfill our responsibilities and in order to face so many challenges that have been surrounded us; another important thing what we need to keep not only in our minds but into our inner most is – ‘to love God’ (as found in John 21:15-19). Because, ‘loving God’ would be one of the most important basic foundations for our ministry. In another words, or it is truly to say that – this is the most ‘essential needs’ for every Christian.
But, why it is so important, and why it is essentially necessary for every Christian? - Because ‘loving God’ is the main key that enables us to serve God, as well as to serve our own people. Loving God in reality is like a vehicle that enables us to carry out the basic principle of our ministry. In the same way, loving God is also the foundation that enables us to live in purposefully in the ministry of God.
Therefore, as Jesus reinstates Peter by asking one important question, so that Peter might sacrifices his life for him and for his people who were in the midst of difficulty and insecurity. So, let us also ask ourselves by putting the same question into our minds.i.e. - Do we really love God? OR Are we going to response the call that has come upon us to accomplish our mission?And, in order to confront this kind of situation that have been prevailed in our society, let the words of Jesus ask again to everyone of us –
“Do you love me more than this?”
This does mean, Jesus appeals ‘the centrality’ in our life. So, let us put Jesus at the central.
AMEN! (May the Lord God bless us through this message)
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