WEBVTT
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Today we commemorate Matthias, chosen by God to take the place of Judas
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as the 12th apostle.
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So I I hope that you'll excuse me if I do something that I rarely, if
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ever, do, because I think it's worth our time today to learn all about
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the life and ministry of Matthias.
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So at the risk of turning this into an academic lecture, please bear
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with me for a moment while I recount the story of Matthias.
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In the first century in Judea, there was a man by the name of Matiahu,
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gift of Yahweh in Hebrew, Matheon in Greek, Matthias in English.
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This Matthias became a follower of Jesus around the time that Jesus was
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baptized by John and remained among his disciples throughout his
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ministry.
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After the death of Judas and the ascension of Jesus into heaven, the
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remaining apostles cast lots, and God chose this Matthias to take the
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place of Judas, who had committed suicide.
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There it is.
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Now you know all that there is to know about the life and ministry of
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Matthias.
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There are, of course, a great many legends about him, stories about
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his later life and death, and even several writings almost certainly
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falsely attributed to him.
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But none of these stories are certain.
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Many are contradictory, and all are probably false.
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The bottom line is that apart from the scant information in our text
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for today, we know with certainty nothing at all about Matthias.
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He was, for all the world knows or cares, a nobody.
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Our commemoration of Matthias on this day places before us then, a
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question.
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And the question is not whether Matthias was worthy of succeeding Jesus
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as an apostle.
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The question is whether you are worthy of succeeding Matthias as a
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disciple.
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One of the side effects of the vast array of communications technology
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that the 20th century spawned is that so many people feel compelled
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to compete for attention.
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Everybody wants to be somebody.
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You hear athletes blather on about their legacy as if any of the
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heroic exploits on the field of competition contribute a single thing
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that makes the world better.
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The Internet has become choked with talking heads striving to achieve
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the glorious label of influencer.
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And to that end, they constantly harass us to like and subscribe.
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Like and subscribe, like and subscribe.
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And don't forget, thumbs up.
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And everywhere you turn it seems that somebody wants everybody wants to be regarded
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as a hero, if not a superhero.
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And into this maelstrom of fame seeking, narcissistic self promotion,
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Jesus sends you to talk not about you, but about Him.
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God calls you to be like Matthias, a nobody for Jesus.
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To labor without fame, without honor, without the recognition or
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respect or reward of the world.
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Now, let me be clear.
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Being a nobody for Jesus is not the same as doing nothing.
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I'm quite sure that Matthias continued to live a faithful life,
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preached many powerful sermons, reached the lost with the love of God,
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nurtured the flock entrusted to him, counseled the weary, comforted
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the sorrowing, taught the orthodox faith.
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Cared for those in need and by his life word and deed, in every way
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proved himself worthy of being called by God to his task.
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And I pray and I believe that you will do the same.
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That's not the issue here.
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Nor is the issue how you will respond to the increasing hostility of
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our society to those who follow Jesus faithfully.
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Look, persecution sucks.
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But at least if they're persecuting you, you know they've heard your
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message.
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Our Brother John said, don't be surprised, brothers, if the world hates
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you.
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And John said that because Jesus himself said if the world hates you,
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know that it hated me before it hated you.
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If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own.
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But because you're not of the world, but I chose you out of the world,
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therefore, the world hates you.
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But I suspect that if it comes your way, you will actually handle
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persecution just fine.
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What I wonder is how you will respond to being ignored.
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Will you still devote every ounce of your talent and energy to
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preaching the good news of eternal life in Jesus Christ?
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If no one listens. Will you keep pouring out your heart and tears to
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care for those in need?
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If the world, and even, sometimes the Church, and maybe even those
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that you help don't notice or don't care. Will you continue to reflect
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the love of Jesus to those who show you only neglect, who treat you
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with ignominy, with indifference, or even with disrespect?
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If so, maybe, just maybe, you may be a worthy successor to Matthias.
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But if you doubt whether you can live up to the standard of Matthias.
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If you are the uncertain whether you have what it takes to be a nobody
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for Jesus, remember that Jesus became somebody for you.
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And the kind of somebody that Jesus became was foretold by Isaiah when
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he said in chapter 53 he was nothing to look at.
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He didn't appear worthy of our desire.
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He was held in contempt and shunned by men, a man who endured pain and
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sickness.
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And like one of those that no one looks at, he was regarded as
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contemptible, so that no one even bothered to think about him.
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Jesus loved you so much that he was willing to become that kind of
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somebody for you.
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And if, like Matthias, you find yourself forgotten or neglected by the
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world and perhaps even by the Church. Know that
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somebody has not forgotten you. That somebody knows. That somebody
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cares. That somebody remembers and treasures every word and deed that
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you do in His name. And that somebody gives you the strength to carry
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on proclaiming and sharing and living the love of Jesus for this
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rotting cesspool of a world.
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And that somebody promises to be with you until the day someday soon
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when He comes to take you to Himself and caress you with His love
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forever. In the name of Jesus
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somebody for you.
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Amen.