Choir to the World

Ezekiel 34:11-16; Luke 4:36-44; Romans 10:8-17

So much of the preaching and teaching in our churches does not find the right audience. We accuse some folks of “preaching to the choir,” as a way of emphasizing the point. We announce the good news of Jesus Christ every Sunday as we meet, yet the folks who most need the message are not present. Our church programs are designed to share the gospel, yet they don’t reach those who most need to hear. Should we not be concerned? How can we hope to shift our audience from the choir to the world?

If Nazareth did not like Jesus’ refusal to usher them into the national spotlight, Capernaum likewise had its concerns with Jesus. They also wanted him for their benefit. They were rejoiced with Jesus’ display of healing and exorcism. They enjoyed Jesus’ teaching and wanted to keep him in their midst. A few days of having Jesus in Capernaum was not sufficient. They wanted to get all the blessing from him they could. We might say they were greedy for Jesus’ attention, ministry, and presence. They did not really want to share Jesus, for his going elsewhere would be to their loss.

The people urged Jesus to stay with them, but Jesus would not have it their way. He set his eyes toward the needs of the entire region. While in Capernaum, he was fully present and meeting their needs. He healed the sick, cast out demons, and preached the good news of God’s reign in their lives. At the same time, he considered the great needs in the surrounding region as well. He refused to be constrained to one town, but sought to preach God’s good news throughout the region of Judea.

Leaving early in the morning to find a solitary place for prayer, the people searched him out. It was their desire to keep Jesus with them, but Jesus had a mission to accomplish that would not allow for distraction. Happy as he was to heal their sick and minister to their needs as he preached, he would not become their puppet-on-a-string. Oh, they did not intend to keep him in a cage or tethered to a leash. In the context of Jesus’ mission, however, that would have been the effect of their request. Jesus had so much more to accomplish. He had to press on to share the news of God’s reign throughout the region. He wanted all to hear the good news of God’s love and grace.

Paul was likewise concerned that all hear the good news of God’s grace in Christ Jesus. It was Paul’s mission in life to take the gospel to the ends of the world, especially where no one else had yet proclaimed the news of salvation by faith in Christ Jesus. In Romans ten, he clarifies this central tenet of his mission and passion to share the news with the entire world.

Paul might sound somewhat confused with more than a cursory glance at Romans chapters one and ten. In both chapters, he states that all are without excuse, due to knowledge of God. In both, he states that all need to hear the gospel message as clearly offering the opportunity for salvation. At face value, it seems Paul holds two opposite positions together without recognizing the conflict. All need to hear the gospel message. All have heard. Which is it? Have they heard, or not? Did they hear without understanding? If they have heard, why all the fuss?

As Paul states the world’s need to hear, he also emphasizes the need for responding appropriately. The world had heard the essence of the good news—at least part of it. What they had not done is listened in order to turn to God in trust. Faith is not simply knowing some of the answers. Faith is not acceding to the truth of certain propositions. Faith is about trust. It is the response of bringing one’s life into relationship with the God of the gospel. This is what was missing in the world’s knowledge of God. Paul’s mission was to preach responsibly, clarifying our need to turn to God in trust.

As he preached the gospel responsibly, those who heard needed to listen responsibly as well. Faith is about hearing and doing something about what we have heard. It begins with hearing, but moves on to responding in trust. Faith is no static quantity, but a living, dynamic relationship. Faith calls us with Paul to join in his mission—the same mission of Christ Jesus—to share the good news with those who have not yet heard and responded in faith.

Ezekiel was one of the Old Testament prophets with a handle on God’s love for those outside the bounds of proper society. Ezekiel portrayed Yahweh’s desire to gather the neglected as God’s primary objective. His words come across a little harsh, as we hear that the fat and strong would find destruction, while God’s desire turns toward redeeming the lost, strayed, injured, and weak. At first glance, it would appear God cares nothing for those who are safe and secure. What is our place in God’s desire to rescue those who are still in need?

Ezekiel’s words sound like Rick Warren reminding us that worship is not about us, except that Ezekiel goes further. He would tell us that church is not about us, our desires, or our needs. Salvation itself does not even seem to be about us. From the words we read, it would seem that the whole concept of relationship with God is about others. How can that be?

We live in God’s presence, yet we are not here to grow fat and contented as one expects of sheep. We are placed in God’s care in order to get about the process of rescuing others and caring for their needs. It is as though Ezekiel were telling us that we are God sheep right up to the point of being rescued. At that moment, we are to become shepherds and sheep no longer. It is not the shepherd’s job to care for himself. Rather, it is the shepherd’s task to find the missing sheep and bring them to the good pasture and clean water. Ezekiel goes on to chide shepherds for fattening themselves rather than caring for the sheep. He reminds them of their responsibility. They are responsible for caring for others, not themselves.

Such is our task as believers and as a church. Certainly, we gather to learn and grow, but growth and learning are not an ends in themselves. We join in fellowship to strengthen each other, yet becoming strong is not the point of a life of faith. We gather to praise and worship God in this place of sanctuary, yet this also is but a means to an end.

Our essential task is not to graze, feed, grow, and become strong. That is the duty of sheep bound for the slaughterhouse. Our essential task is outside these sanctuary walls. Our preaching and teaching within these walls is for the choir, but that is not its aim. We teach and preach to the choir in order to send the choir out into the world.

Evangelism and preaching the good news of salvation is not effective inside these walls. Those who need to hear are still lost, struggling, strayed, and injured. They are the ones who must hear the good news with the opportunity to answer responsibly. What will we do with the spiritual treasure we have stored up? The world is waiting to hear with understanding. Will we send the choir into the world?

—©Copyright 2006 Christopher B. Harbin

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