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March 18, 2007
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Last Week of Jesus' Life on Earth
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Pastor Brian Shimer
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"Experiences of the full extent of Jesus' Love in Brazil"
John 13: 1-17, 34-35
- From the Scripture reading depicting an event in the last week of Jesus' life, you heard a scene with which you are familiar. It is the scene where he washes his disciples feet as they are gathered together in the upper room. Jesus' actions there were prompted or caused we are told by John by what he knew about himself. Since he knew His death was immanent we are told in the beginning verse, Jesus showed his disciples the full extent of the love he had for them.
The full extent of love demonstrated in washing their feet.
And in verse 3 we are told that since Jesus knew that the Father had placed all things under his power, He washed His disciples feet.
That is not a normal response to great power and authority. I don't know about you, but I know my heart, and know that with power comes the temptation to abuse it, as we have seen all too often. Great wealth is also often accompanied by great temptation to place our hopes in that wealth rather than in God and thereby pierce ourselves with many griefs (a fact that has often been discovered by the winners of the elusive and deceptive lottery dollars). So, great power brings with it the temptation to use it for myself not for others.
But Jesus was given more power and authority then we will ever know, for he was God in the flesh, and instead of lording it over his companions with this knowledge, he humbled himself, indeed humiliated himself before his disciples, even, in order to show them His love. He served them, putting himself into the lowest place among them, thus showing as John wrote, the full extent of His love.
And then Jesus invites us to imitate Him - to love like that - in how we care for those with whom we come into contact. In Matthew 5 Jesus says to love our enemies, to love the stranger, to love those who persecute us by praying for them. Jesus says that if we thus love all who observe our lives will know that we are his disciples.
- I want to continue to grow in my ability to love like that.
Not a schmaltzy love, but a deep, real, tangible expression of God's love in and through my life.
When Jesus took me to Brazil this month, I thought I would be experiencing not only more of His love for me but more examples of how we can love like He loves. I have returned so full of such experiences. My hope is that the Holy spirit would bring to your heart even one insight on how He has called you to "love like Jesus" with those He has placed around your life.
Before we turn to some pictures I want to tell you two things:
1. Lou Warkentien wants me to thank you for letting me come to Brazil. I said I would convey his thanks to all of you for sharing me with them, even though that is an awkward kind of thing for me to say of myself!
2. In our time this morning I am focusing on just a couple aspects of my time there and have a few pictures to share, however, I have 400 pictures in a slide show that will be set up to show in the family room during the potluck after church. And I would be just thrilled to share more with you than can fit into this brief time together.
- By way of a brief introduction:
I traveled from Atlanta with Lou and Fay Warkentien. They went as missionaries to Brazil in 1961 not knowing where they were to go just knowing that they were called to go there. After16 years in two locations God called them into Northeast Brazil to the community of Caruaru. They told me to move there felt like they had stepped back in time at least 50 years. But God granted them an open door of ministry in that community, where they are very well loved and well known. Lou is as well known and loved there as Billy Graham is in our own nation. And Lou and Fay have had such a huge impact for the Gospel. I met multiple people who they led to Christ and supported as they took steps into ordained ministry, many pastoring the major congregations in the area. I preached at one of these congregations which Lou had worked with for about 10 years and today is 1000 members strong and being led by a young man Lou and Fay had led to Christ and mentored in the faith during those years.
So the first witness to a life lived in love was seen in how Lou and Fay lived their lives there in Caruaru - reaching out to those who would run up to them to hug them, pray with them, counsel with them.
Currently there are two ministries through them in Caruaru.
One is the ministry of the local churches Philip, Lou and Fay's son, is now leading. 12 years ago together with Philip they were led to start a Bible Study which has grown into a congregation of nearly 300 with a building, land and a dynamic ministry. This is a young congregation with great vision. They wanted to minister to the poor of the city, so have rented a bus 4 times a week to travel to three points in the city and bring those who want to come. The result is 120 more people in every bible Study and worship time. These are the poor of the poor who come to these times of worship, and are giving themselves to Jesus. Many are illiterate, but are discovering hope.
This local congregation sponsored a daughter congregation in an outlying village because there were 60-80 people coming from there crammed into three Toyota type vans half an hour three times every week to worship. Now these folk worship in their own building in their village, have their own brazilian pastor, and are growing a ministry. I was able to bring the word twice to this congregation.
The second ministry that we have been most involved with over the years is called the Luz de Vida, Light of Life, a bible Study Correspondence course. This has been housed in a building behind what was Lou and Fay's home. For many years before that it was housed in their home. Begun and passed onto them by William Hulet who came here to pastor upon leaving Brazil in the mid 1970s, this ministry has flourished under their care and guidance.
This is a Bible study ministry where a person is not registered as a student he or she has completed the first study and had it corrected. The curriculum for this study takes them through several topical and book studies in the old and New Testament. The graduates of it have become pastors in their own rights and are now discipling others.
They have over 16,000 students enrolled in the course. They receive stacks of mail every week which they open, correct, and answer questions asked. Their goal is to return to the student what has been corrected along with the new course booklet within 24 to 48 hours of when their booklet is received. They send out hundreds of tracts, letters, and corrected course booklets. Those in the office are so committed to the students. They carefully pen responses to all the questions asked of them. When there they also share what the students have said.
All this is accomplished by 3 part time staff persons and a few other volunteers, who give their time to touch the lives of people they will not meet until heaven who need someone to help them grow in Christ. With the courses in over 90 prisons, and in places throughout Brazil, the Lord is using this to change the very environments of those places and bringing people to faith and helping them walk out this new life.
In Caruaru they have many "agents" who promote the course through their job situations. This man works at the local mall, I think and is currently mentoring more than 300 children and youth, by enrolling them in this course and overseeing their studies. He corrects all their work and comes to get new course booklets for them.
- The Light of Life correspondence course has been supported by us for over 30 years. Through it we are touching the lives of literally 10s of 1000s of people. Over the next 6 months Lou is working to build an office location for this ministry for the current building where it is housed will be used for visiting teams.
I worked in the office about 20 hours even taking a project home with me to finish. I corrected a typographical error in 1200 copies of the first course. Since they send out about 30 copies of this first course every week, they were very grateful for what I did.
They carefully keep track of all their correspondence with every student. They have kept a record of each person's conversion to Christ, and have followed up to encourage them to grow.
These two ministries are making a difference for Jesus in Brazil.
Involved here I was struck with the beauty of how God has placed into the heart of people creative ways of touching the world for Jesus. And what a privilege God has given us to participate in this ministry.
I have two dreams - one that many more of you will take some of the money you would have spent on a different car, or a new wardrobe, or a remodel, or whatever and put it aside and participate in a trip to Brazil someday to visit for yourself what God is doing through this mission. I believe one visit would so light your heart on fire for the work of God and also give you such perspective on the life you live here as to change your heart for God's glory for ever.
One visit to Brazil also would impact your heart with the people there, who are full of love for the same Jesus you love.
Another dream is that as a local church we would increase what we give to the light of Life mission. Currently we have designated the Sunday school offering from the first Sunday of each month toward this mission, but that is not a very consistent nor substantial amount. I would like to see us greatly increase this. Pray how God may want you involved in this powerful ministry to take the gospel into over 16000 homes in Brazil.
Not only is this a means of expressing God's love, but a means of experiencing the full extent of Jesus' love for us. There is nothing quite like being in a third world country for the purpose of Jesus in order to experience Jesus through the lives of these people who have so little but love Him so extravagantly.
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