What Really Matters

Scripture readings: Acts 1:4-10 and Romans 10:9-15

ACTS 1:4-10 NIV
4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.

ROMANS 10:9-15 NIV
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

"What Really Matters"

I suspect that those on their deathbed, or those who have the privilege of saying "goodbye" to loved ones before their passing, don't waste their final breath. As a result, last words are something we generally place importance on. When Jesus left the Twelve, he left them with final words that charged them to start small and grow, spreading the Good News to all. This, we know, is often referred to as the Great Commission. Not only can we find it in Matthew 28, but we also find it further iterated in the very first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, addressed to "Theophilus," when St. Luke details the beginning days of the Christian Church. Jesus assures the Twelve that He is not leaving them alone, as they will receive power in order to witness to the world.

As Christians with both feet planted firmly in this broken world, we struggle with things that distract us and frankly, we need an advocate and helper to keep us focused on Christ. We struggle by tending to drift toward complexity: adding more to our to-do lists, getting distracted by materialism and unfinished projects we accumulate, fixating on wounds to our egos, focusing on our "side quests" so hard we forget the main mission. The Holy Spirit helps us keep it simple.

And that's what I aim to remind you of today, hopefully fully in alignment with the Holy Spirit: the main mission. Jesus sums up the whole Law in a two-part commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength; and, Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:35-40; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:27). And His last words? The Great Commission and the assurance of the Holy Spirit to come.

You and I have the same commandment and mission. St. Paul writes in Romans 10:10, "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." Of course, we know that the heart and mouth are symbolic here--the heart does not literally believe, it pumps blood. Likewise, the mouth is a symbol of our outward expression, what we say or profess. You and I both profess and believe we are followers of Christ. It starts within us, as part of us. But it doesn't end there.

Our faith is one with feet. "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Paul quotes from Isaiah 52:7. Just like the Twelve, we are to take the Law of Love and the Good News to all who need it, essentially anyone who is missing out on not calling on Jesus as Lord. And, we don't do this out of our own will and volition, but as assisted by the holy power of the Spirit.

Sigma Alpha Omega is not an evangelical organization per se, nor is our mission statement synonymous to the Great Commission; but, make no mistake, we are disciples of Jesus Christ, aiming to be "one in Christ through Unity in Sisterhood" in order to encourage one another in our pursuit of Jesus so that we can fulfill the mission He has given each of us, both as individuals and collectively as His own.

So, this year, as we set out to plan events and Bible studies or navigate the inevitable obstacles of living out life as a Christ-centered sisterhood locally and nationally, remember, "We love because He first loved us," (1 John 4:19) and now we must love one another so well so that we can love the lost even more. So that they can know the true love of God. Because, that's what really matters. And, thank you, Jesus, we don't do it alone.

DISCUSSION / PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
1) Why might Jesus have told the disciples to start in Jerusalem, then Judea, then the ends of the earth?
2) Why might Jesus have abstained from giving the Holy Spirit then and there upon his ascension?
3) Look at the context and scripture references of Romans 10:9-15. What does Paul mean when he writes "be saved"? How has our modern interpretation of this phrase harmed or helped us reach others with the Good News?
4) How important is living out the Great Commission to you on a daily basis? What often stops us from "being witnesses" of Christ to our local, regional, and global points of influence?
5) Read 2 Corinthians 5:11-21. How does this passage relate to Acts 1:4-10 and Romans 10:9-15? What does this passage reveal about our identity in Christ?