Acts 20:17-25                Why Should I care about the troubles of the World?

      We live in a world of so much trouble and problems.  If we regularly follow the evening news, we can easily grow depressed, discouraged, and jaded.  We can soon cease to care.  At the same time, our own lives move faster and faster in today’s hectic culture.  All of us seem to have more and more on our plate.  We struggle with our own issues and soon we can turn our backs on the problems of other people.  I just have all I can do to take care of myself.  So we are left with this question—Why should I care about the troubles of the world?

    This week, I want to start a series of sermons on Hope for a troubled world.  I hope over the next few weeks, that we can see how Jesus Christ, his message, his atoning death, and his resurrection can offer hope to a world in need.  But before we can ever break deeply into our topic, we have to answer this first question—Why should I even care?   This morning, I want to show you why you should care and why you should give your life to the mission of Christ in bringing hope to this troubled world.

      I want to look at several passages today.  The first is Acts 20:17-25.  Paul gathers the leaders of the church together for a farewell speech.  He is leaving for Jerusalem to continue his mission and he fears that there he will be arrested.  He is right.  Paul is headed for prison and death after this.  Yet, he will not turn back.  He says in vs 24—I do not account my life of any value or as precious, if only I may finish my work.   What was Paul’s work?  To bring a message of hope to a troubled world.  That was so important to him that even his life was not so important.  Paul cared so much for the world that he ceased to worry about himself. 

     I want you to hear this.  You are too worried about yourself and your own problems.  And do you know the reason you are always so overwhelmed with your own problems?  Because you are too busy looking at yourself and your own problems.  Paul knew the secret of real joy and never worrying about his own self-absorbed life.  Paul was joyfully busy with the work of God.  When you give your life over to the business of bringing hope to a troubled world, you will find your own troubles fading into the background.  The first reason you should care for the world is that caring for others will save you from yourself.  And we all need to be saved form ourselves.

     The second reason we should care for the world is that we have a message that can change the world.  Paul says in vs. 24 that he seeks to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.  Now that is a packed sentence.  To testify is to tell, to witness, to speak.  The world needs people who will speak a fresh word.  The gospel is the good news.  We need good news.  Every day, we are assaulted by bad news.  It is easy to grow jaded and weary.  Decide there is no good.  But here is good news.  What is it?  The grace of God.   We sing of Amazing Grace.  It can save a wretch like me.  Find the lost.  Cause the blind to see.  Bring us through many trials, fears, and snares.  Grace is the richness of God poured out, lavished on us, when all seemed a hopeless mess.  Here is grace.  That is good news for a troubled world. 

      Did you ever dream when you were younger of being a hero?  How would you like to do something great in your life?  When you come to the end, you could look back and say, “Yes, I helped change the world.”  That is the power we have—the good news of the grace of God.  It does not matter if you are young, eight years old, or getting on in years at 88 years old.  Age, place, education, wealth, strength, health do not matter.  What matter is willingness.  Are you willing to care?  To say “Yes” to God’s work?  If you say “Yes” to God’s work, begin to talk to other Christians about your desire to do God’s work, then the door will open for you.  We will talk more in a couple weeks about the requirements for doing God’s work, but whoever you are at whatever place in life.  The only requirement is a willing heart.  God will take care of the rest. 

     The last reason we care for the world is found in vs 22.  Why is Paul going to Jerusalem?  He says he is bound in the Spirit.  He has heard the call.  What is that call?  Look over in Matthew 28.  These are among Jesus last words to his disciples.  It is His great commission.  Jesus tells his disciples—Go into all the world and make disciples.  That was the call heard by Paul and by all who care for a troubled world.  In the UM Book of Discipline, the purpose statement for the UMC says that we exist to make disciples.      What is a disciple?  A disciple is a student or really more of an apprentice.  One who is with the master, watches the master, copies the master until he or she becomes like the master.

     These are our marching orders sending us out into a troubled world to teach them what it means to live as an apprentice of Jesus.  Let me say straight out as we enter this series that the most powerful thing we can do for a troubled world is to make disciples for Jesus, to teach people to live, act, speak, love, and give as Jesus did.   That is how we change the world.  Jesus has commanded it.  And that is the ultimate, final reason that we care for the world…Jesus has commanded it.  The reason we care for the world and seek to change it is because Jesus commanded it.

     If you are a follower of Jesus, then you are commanded by the Master to go forth and carry this hope to the world.  And if you feel no compulsion, if you feel no calling, if you feel no urge to care for the world, then you are not following Jesus.  In the gospels, there were those who were disciples, those who really followed, and then there was always the crowd.  The same is true today.  Churches are filled with true disciples and then there is the crowd.  The watchers.  The armchair players.  There are those who are engaged to change the world and then there are those who are really most engaged in themselves.  If I say to you that King Jesus has commanded you and you feel nothing, then you need to re-examine what army you are really marching in.  Those who march with Jesus obey his commands.  It is just that simple.

     We care for the world because it saves us from our own selfish selves.  We care because we have a powerful message that can change the world.  And we care because Jesus commands it.  As we enter this series this morning, today is a fine time to re-examine your commitment.  Are you ready to respond to His call?  Maybe you have no idea where you would fit in or what you would do to help, but do you have the willingness.  As we gather at the Lord’s Table today, go in prayer and tell Christ that you are willing.  Confess that you have not always followed the call.  But tell Him that today you are ready to do what He calls you to do to bring hope to a troubled world.  Amen.