This morning we listened again to a classic sermon from the 1960’s by Paris Reidhead entitled “Ten Shekels and a Shirt”. As always, we were reduced to awed silence and tears as we were again confronted with the question, “Why do we follow and serve Jesus Christ?” Is it for our own happiness, or to do us good, or as a form of spiritual life insurance? Mr. Reidhead’s emphatic claim was that we should follow our Lord for only one reason and no other – because He is totally worthy of our love, our lives, our worship and our service. As we sat overlooking a peaceful valley in Kigali, he commented on his own experience as a missionary in the Sudan, and how confused he felt when his efforts to save the souls and ease the suffering of the Sudanese seemed to be rebuffed. As he wrestled with God, this is what he learned:
“There alone in my bedroom AS I FACED GOD HONESTLY WITH WHAT MY HEART FELT, it seemed to me I heard Him say, "Yes, will not the Judge of all the earth do right? .......... BUT, I didn't send you out there for them. I didn't send you out there for their sakes." And I heard as clearly as I've ever heard, though it wasn't with physical voice but it was the echo of truth of the ages finding its' way into an open heart. I heard God say to my heart that day something like this, "I didn't send you to Africa for the sake of the (Sudanese), I sent you to Africa for My sake. ......... I LOVE THEM!!! AND I ENDURED THE AGONIES OF HELL FOR THEM!!! I DIDN'T SEND YOU OUT THERE FOR THEM!!! I SENT YOU OUT THERE FOR ME! DO I NOT DESERVE THE REWARD OF MY SUFFERING? DON'T I DESERVE THOSE FOR WHOM I DIED?"
May this be the overwhelming motive of our hearts! We are here in Africa just as we were in Denver - simply to incarnate (show in the flesh) our God and His love, His mercy, His forgiveness, and His justice to anyone who is around us, and we can only trust that some of those that God brings across our path will be searching to know God and follow Him. If we do any good or bring any relief or leave any sustainable program or touch any lives, we do it only because this is what Jesus would have done to further demonstrate in a tangible way the kindness and love and mercy of Father God. Although our funders are focused on “results” and “outcomes”, we trust that in doing our best to leave part of ourselves here, we can show some “positive outcomes” at the same time as we incarnate God’s love and grace.
Please consider listening to this sermon – it can be downloaded at http://media.sermonindex.net/2/SID2575.mp3, or the written transcript can be found at http://www.parisreidheadbibleteachingministries.org/tenshekels.shtml. Be sure and leave time for meditation afterward – you will need it!
Cal Wilson
Kigali, Rwanda
26 December 2010
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