Changing the Conversation

Changing the Conversation
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.’ John 1:45
The story is so simple that we miss the significance. Philip had found Jesus. We are not sure how he found Nathanael. Did he intentionally look for him? Or did he meet him by chance. Regardless we know what he did. He told his friend, “We have found the one whom Moses talked about.”
Like Simon Peter and Andrew, Philip had arrived at the same conclusion about Jesus. “We have found the Messiah.”
I listen to the conversation
of the men while we were waiting for dinner. They were all talking about food. Do you know that the best chicharon is no longer in Carcar but in Liloan? Do you know that the best siomay can be found in Tisa? Do you know that the best liempo can be found in Tres Borces Street Mabolo and it is called Liempo sa Balamban or Sugba Sugbo? I cannot add much to the conversation for I am hardly a restaurant hopper. I can say though that when Jerry took me from the airport I told him that I know a place where we can have good fish Tinola.
We enjoy telling our friends about good food.
I also listened to the conversation of the ladies. They were also talking about food. But with a slight twist. They were counting their calories. They were counting cholesterol levels. They were keen about too much oil, too little fiber. They know all about anti-oxidants and omega 3 fatty acids. Eventually the conversation turned to doctors and homeopathic medicine. Very soon they were recommending gynecologists and pediatricians.
I also listen to conversation Among Christians. Yes we talk about religion. We talk about churches, pastors, praise and worship and a lot of things in between.
But there is something in this passage that I don’t find very often in our conversation, most especially in our conversation with people of other faiths. When Philip told Nathanael, “We have found him” we cannot miss the excitement and the thrill of someone who has stumbled upon hidden treasure. In short the main topic of their conversation was Jesus. We found him.
This worries me.
Call it shyness, call it uneasiness, call it timidity. We do not share the kind of boldness and openness which these disciples had when they talked about Jesus. And I often wonder about that because I not only find it in other Christians but I even find it in myself. It is difficult for me to share my faith with others.
This worries me. Why because unless we can talk about Jesus as freely, as unashamedly, as excitedly as those first disciples of Jesus did, I am afraid that Jesus has little space in the church we are trying very hard to establish. In fact it shows even in the way describe our own congregations. We talk more about this or that pastor’s church than Jesus’ church.
Is it because to us today Jesus is only a memory?
He is an object of our study rather than the subject of our conversation. We can talk about Jesus’ teaching; talk about what he did; talk about his religion. We can analyze how Jesus was perceived by his disciples, by his enemies, by the jews and by the Romans. But we cannot talk in the same way and say with a hush, “I have found him!”
For that reason we substitute our own experience, our learning, our fellowship, our pastors, our cell groups, our mission programs, our worship experience. We can freely discuss what is wrong with our pastor, or what is missing in the program of the church. We have plenty of suggestions about how to make our worship more meaningful, our fellowship more loving, our mission program more effective. We can talk about how little or how much money we have in the church and how to raise more funds.
We can talk about anything and everything under the sun that affects our lives. We have a million things to say because this is our story. Because this is us; this is real. But Jesus? Jesus is history.
But wait a minute. What about Paul?
He wasn’t one of the 12 was he? He didn’t see the miracles of Jesus did he? He didn’t talk or sat at dinner with Jesus, wasn’t there when he instituted the Lord’s supper, wasn’t there at Calvary. Yet listen to him:
Acts 27, I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” and I said,”Who are you sir?” And the Lord replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” v 14, 15
Phil 3, I consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” v 7; “I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus, v 12;
2 Cor 5, We once knew Christ in the flesh, yet now we know him so no longer. So whoever is in Christ is a new creature, the old things have passed away; behold, all things are new, v 17
2 Tim 1, I know him whom I have believed and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day, v 12
These are not the words of someone who considers Jesus as history. Unseen, yes, but absent? No! These are the words of someone who considers Jesus Christ present in his life who has taken hold of him, and is now trying to know him more. All he could talk about was Jesus so much so that when king Agrippa listened to him, the Jewish ruler cried out, “Paul, you are mad!” That is not something you hear people call pastors and missionaries today. Unwise, pushy, uncaring, unfair. But not mad.
Brothers and sisters, we have committed ourselves to 3 things: to gather, to build up, to send out. In short, to build Immanuel Fellowship.
But what kind of fellowship? We can build a fellowship built upon the memory of Jesus. But it would not be the fellowship of Jesus. It will be our fellowship, our church, but not the church of Jesus. It will be one pastor’s church, the product of his charisma or his preaching, or his goodness, but it will not be the church of Jesus. We can build a church built around the program of the Assemblies of God, and I love the AoG, the doctrines of the AoG, but it will not be the church of Jesus.
The only way for IF to be the church of Jesus is if He, like Paul says, possesses it, if he is the Lord of it, if he is exalted in it; but most of all—if he is the topic of conversation in it.
Jesus said, “I will build my church.” He did not mean around his memory. Then that is not the way to do it. It will be in the passive, “My church will be built.” Others will do the building after he is gone.
You like Saul may think you are doing Jesus a favor, when you may be persecuting him. You may think you are helping his church when you are hurting him. You can be well meaning but when you do things only in the memory of Jesus you may be pulling down what Jesus is building. How? By speaking, acting, deciding, as though Jesus isn’t here with us, now.
He is building his church now. In other words the question we have to answer is what is the relationship between what Jesus is gathering and building and sending has to do with what we are gathering and building and sending. The only way to do that is for us to go to Jesus and ask him. Talk it over with him. Not act as though he was not around.
Conclusion
And that my friends, is what will change our conversation. Two things are involved, then.
1. Let’s talk to Jesus.
a. First of all let’s talk to him about our own selves. Thank him. But tell him what your cares are. Tell him what worries you about yourself, your family. Before you tell Jesus about others, tell him first about yourself. Habits you don’t want to enslave you. The unkind words that you utter and you are now ashamed of. Tell him about your fear of witnessing and standing up for him.
b. Let’s tell him about our church, our Immanuel Fellowship. Chances are the things you find in yourself you can also find in others. Thank Jesus for the fellowship you enjoyed with your brothers and sister in him. This time you will not talk to Jesus to accuse them because you too need the same forgiveness. Talk to him about your leaders. The pastors and the elders. Again, chances are they too are struggling with the very same things that you struggle with.
c. Let’s talk to Jesus about our friends who do not follow him. Share with him the miseries they share with you. Ask him to strengthen you and make you a good witness for his sake and for their sake. Once you have talked to Jesus about your friends and loved ones you will want to report to him what you have done.
d. Let’s talk to Jesus about our city and about our country, Before you talk to him about the bad politicians first ask him to show you what you as one person can do to show appreciation that you live in this country. Then tell him about the bad politicians and bout our friends and loved ones, our neighbors. Let’s talk to him about our city and our country and what is destroying us. We can’t always have a people power to solve the persistent problem of corruption. Cory Aquino is no longer with us. Let’s talk to Jesus.
2. Let’s talk about Jesus
a. Before you talk to your friends and loved ones about Jesus first listen to their conversation. When you are a good listener, people will know that you care for them and will open their hearts to you. Maybe the talk is about their health. Maybe you can suggest praying with them. People loved to be prayed for. They hate a lecture. Wait for them to ask you questions about your faith. When that time comes then they are willing to listen because you also listened. You have earned their trust. Then you can speak with boldness..
b. Finally let’s talk about Jesus to each other.
i. Let us see Jesus in each other. If Jesus is working in my life, he must also be working in yours. So we have to trust the work of Jesus in building up the life of our fellow believers. Don’t usurp the role of Jesus in the life of others. That way you are setting yourself up as their Savior.
ii. Let’s testify what Jesus is doing in our lives. In every way possible let us exalt Jesus in our conversation.
It’s time for changing the conversation. Let’s talk about Jesus. Let’s build this church. After all this is his body.