Please enjoy this sermon transcript and full service video recording of our Sunday morning service from June 14, 2026. 

Sermon Transcript:

Well, to start out, I heard about this pastor who bought a new horse. He trained it to respond to praise the Lord, and that meant giddy up. And hallelujah meant woe. So every time he said praise the Lord, the horse would take off running. And when he said hallelujah, it would wouldn't be stopped. So one day he was out riding, a horse got spooked and he took off straight for a cliff going full blast. In a panic he couldn't remember what he taught his words. He said, Bless God, glory, amen. Nothing worked. At the last second he shouted, Hallelujah! And a horse came to that screeching halt. And he was so relieved, he said, Praise the Lord! There we go. This gospel lesson that we read this morning marks an important turning point. Up to this point in the story, the disciples have been mostly observers. They've witnessed many miracles. They've watched Jesus preach the Sermon on the Mount. They see them call the tax collectors and touch lepers and calm the storms. Restore the lives of those that society had just written off. So now the ministry that belonged to Jesus alone begins to become the work and the life of the disciples. The disciples were, they were ready, but they weren't sure how ready they were. Jesus looked out upon the crowds and saw the people who were harassed and helpless. They were like sheep without a shepherd. His response wasn't simply to continue the work himself. He gathered and gathers others into it. The compassion of Jesus becomes the calling of the disciples. So in their readings, they were introduced to 12 apostles, the first disciples that were called by Jesus to follow him. These twelve were the very first people that Jesus chose to represent him out in the world. It was a unique, probably an unlikely group, not the type of people that would have been expected to be called by the long-awaited Messiah. As far as we know, there weren't any religious leaders among them. The ones that we do know something about are ordinary, imperfect, not terribly impressive. The Reverend James Lawrence shares some of these thoughts. At first, there was the author of his gospel, a tax collector, which means that he works for Rome, the oppressors of Israel. Matthew was probably in the habit of cheating the very people that he's now going to go and share the gospel with. And then there's Simon the Zealot. He's a radical, one of those who can't stop talking about his political opinions. And one that we might avoid talking to. Then there's James and John. They're uneducated fishermen who are also going to teach people about the coming of the kingdom of God, which is a little strange. To make it worse, these two aspire to become the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. They want to sit on either side of Jesus, on his right hand and on his left, when he comes into his kingdom. Then there's Philip, who doesn't think that anything The good can come out of Nazareth, and certainly not the Messiah. There's Thomas, who sadly, unfairly, is best known for doubting the resurrection. He's the man behind the expression doubting Thomas. And there are others who are not mentioned, who probably are just doing their part in a quiet way. We don't really know anything about them. Then there's their leader, Simon Peter. He's definitely not quiet, and he's He's definitely not reserved. He's a bit of a loud mouth who frequently speaks before he thinks and will be chastised by Jesus a number of times. He eventually will deny knowing Jesus. But one day, he will die for Jesus. Judas Iscariot, also one of the twelve called by Jesus, the disciple will betray Jesus. In fact, that is how he's described in this reading, Judas Iscariot. the one who betrayed him. He is one of the twelve apostles sent by Jesus to represent him in the world. Twelve disciples, twelve truly unique individuals. One writer had called them misfits. Those first apostles just need a little grace though. They need a little love and they're going to turn out just fine. That's mostly true for the disciples and the apostles. A little grace, a little love. Jesus He has them. He has them next. Not the other way around. Perhaps He chose them because He saw something in them that the world didn't see. Perhaps He chose them to show the world we don't have to have it all together to be called by Jesus. At any rate, Jesus called them to be His disciples and now He's sending them out as His apostles. Why would anyone think that they would be successful in this venture? One reason and only one reason because of Jesus. He gave them authority over unclean spirits, the reading tells us, to cast them out and to cure every disease and every sickness. It doesn't matter what gifts they have or don't have. What matters is that Jesus has given them exactly what they need to accomplish the mission. They are a bridge of unique individuals created by God with a purpose, for a purpose, and with a mission. They are those who have been gifted and called to do what Jesus calls them to do. And we are unique disciples. You and me, all of us. We're a gathered community of God's beloved children. None of us are perfect. We all have our flags and we all know it. We need a savior who can see past what others might see. And that's what makes us special. We need Jesus and we know it. We are here because of Jesus. All of us have been called by Jesus and we wouldn't be here otherwise. Just like those first disciples, we've been summoned by Jesus and were named as disciples. Not only that, we also have been called his apostles remember the disciple means one that learns but the apostle means one who is sent so we've been learning from Jesus and now we're being sent the apostles are sent in this reading by the first time just like the first apostles we are now Jesus sent ones we're sent by Jesus on a mission to heal this broken world to bring hope to those who feel hopeless and to cast out evils in our world. And this world certainly needs healing and hope right now. There was a class of middle school students that was assigned the task of developing a skit to show how a Christian might bring God's love into a particular occupation. Assignments were randomly given out, One was janitor, there was a cashier, there was a doctor, a millwright, a construction worker, and a politician. The students who drew the politician card were convinced there was no way they could show how a Christian could bring God's love into that occupation. Impossible, they believed. They eventually came up with a skit where two groups argued passionately over whether a platypus or an echidna, which is this binding and anteater should be the new official animal of the United States. So then enters the politician who talked with both sides and helped them to agree that both could be the official animals. That was kind of a lighthearted look at how someone might bring God's love into the task of being a politician. The point being that no matter what is our occupation, there are ways to bring the love of God God into it whether you're a tax collector or you're a fisherman or a politician you can bring God's love into your situation and into the lives that you touch it doesn't matter if we feel we can or can't because we all struggle in this way but what matters is that Jesus has decided that you should join him on this mission to bring hope and healing to the world The truth is that the followers of Jesus aren't the only ones who struggle. But what makes Christians different is that we are those who believe that we're loved by God and we believe that the Holy Spirit gives us what we need to do that. We are given what we need to share that love as God sends us out just into the world, into our communities, even within our own families. Many people in the world don't believe that the God who created them actually loves them. So they become angry, they might be cynical, they might be frustrated or sad, and they turn to any number of unhealthy choices to find what they're looking for. But what they're really looking for is the love of God, to know that God loves and cares about them, that God is with them, in every way that they need his direction, his sustaining spirit. They need to know that. And that they are uniquely told by God. So Jesus says, go to his beloved disciples. Go and bring hope and healing into our world. And he says the very same to us. So if he wants some specifics about the mission, Jesus offers them in this gospel reading. Here are a few of them. First, he says, start with the people that we know. And Jesus sent his disciples into the lost sheep in the house of Israel. So before we make disciples of all nations, we should start with the people we know. We don't have to go to the other side of the world to bring hope and healing. We start right where we are, with our family, our friends, at work, or in just gatherings that we are in, places where we are in. we share our lives and we can share the love of Christ with those with whom God sends us to next Jesus is proclaiming the good news the good news I doubt that the good news is not repent or you want to help it's more like you are beloved child of God God loves you he cares about every aspect of your life he knows He knows your beginning. He knows where you are right now and He's leading you on a journey of faith in Him. Doesn't our world need more good news? Because we have the best news of all so we can proclaim it, we can rejoice in it, and we can live it. And next Jesus says don't try to get rich doing this. Don't do this for any reason other than to bring glory to God. When we fail, Jesus says don't get discouraged that's going to happen there will be people who don't want to hear it in that case just shake the dust off our feet and keep on going try again be as wise as serpents and as gentle as does meaning we shouldn't be manipulative we shouldn't be naive not everybody wants to hear about Jesus and don't worry too much about what to say it will be given to you at the right Every time Jesus says the Holy Spirit gives us what to say, shows us how to care, shows us many little ways that we can demonstrate God's love, and people will know that there's something different about us. We shouldn't wait to go until we feel as though we have answers to every question. We should trust that God can use our fumbling words to impact another person's life. And then finally Jesus tells us to endure. The one who endures to the end will be saved, he says. Hang in there, don't get discouraged. Even when it does get discouraged, you keep praying. Keep sharing your faith in ways that God leads you. Maybe it's to bake some cookies and bring them to your neighbor and just share God's love in that way. There's so many ways we can offer to be hopeful in one way or another. if we know that someone in our lives or a neighbor needs a helping hand. We will trust that God will bring good out of our efforts. Yes, the harvest is wonderful. God says this at the beginning of the reading, but our laborers are few. Every laborer is needed. Every believer is needed. The wonderful thing about this church, people are so involved in caring for others and reaching out. I love our free will dinners. Good job. They're always so welcoming and people come from hither and yon to join us for those. They're such a blessing and there are so many other ways. People reach out with visits, with prayers. We have our prayer sharing, our prayer ministry. There are phone calls. I remember someone who was no longer with us sharing how it was so important to get out and visit people and that very wise person said that phone calls are good. Phone calls are important. That was when we still had the COVID going around. We didn't want to expose anyone to adjourn but we will continue to share God's love in a way that God allows us and leads us. We also, in our prayers for one another, the prayer ministry is so powerful. We bring the needs and the concerns to the Lord, and the Lord I have seen through our prayers has answered so many of the needs that we are aware of in this community and in the congregation. So we should also be ready as laborers to be sent out into the field. Fishermen, caps collectors, politicians, every unique person, every disciple is needed. Because the good news, the good news of Jesus Christ, of his love for us, of his love for every person, is so welcome, is so needed. The world needs to hear what we have to share. It takes all of us to proclaim the good news and to be the church of Jesus Christ. So I invite you to keep on doing what you're doing. Share that love to the glory of God. Amen. 

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