HOBBS CHAPEL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH IN CAPE GIRARDEAU: FOLLOW THE LEAD OF JESUS CHRIST

The Rev. David Conley is a native of Cape Girardeau and a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University. He taught and coached at St. Vincent High School in Perryville for six years. Following two years as Director of Christian Education and Youth Ministries at First United Methodist Church in Sikeston, he attended St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City. He graduated in May, 1989, with two special awards for biblical studies. In June, 1989, he became pastor of Hobbs Chapel and Wesley United Methodist churches.

"If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 18:15-18)

The church of Jesus Christ is a response to the resurrection. But what is the nature and authority of this resurrection church? What is the nature of the church? What is the church supposed to do by nature naturally? What is the authority of the church? How does the church go about being the church?

If you want to approach those questions from a biblical viewpoint, you have to deal with the passage from Matthew because it defines for us what the nature and authority of the early church was. And, on the surface, it seems to be very straightforward.

We know what Jesus means when he tells us to treat these sinners like Gentiles and tax collectors. At least we know what that means for us. Treat them as losers, as outcasts, excommunicate them. Have no more to do with them.

Is this what the church is to do naturally? Is this the way we are to be the church? William Willimon, Professor of the Practice of Ministry at Duke University, says the key to understanding Jesus is to interpret what he says by what he does, not what we would do. We know how we would treat Gentiles and tax collectors, but how does Jesus treat them?

When Jesus comes back from the wilderness and launches his ministry, where does he start? Across the Jordan, in Galilee...Galilee of the Gentiles. One of Jesus' first healings was of the servant of a Roman soldier a Gentile. Jesus was a light to the Gentiles.

And one day, when he was on his way to supper, he stopped and called Matthew to be is disciple. Do you remember what Matthew was doing for a living when Jesus called him? He was a tax collector.

When Jesus says to treat the sinners in our midst as Gentiles and tax collectors, is he telling us to treat them as he did? Is he telling us to eat with them and talk with them and walk with them and love them?

Is this why Jesus says, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them"? Does that mean that when we, as the church, welcome the people that Jesus welcomed, when we gather the outcasts and sinners together with us, then we can be assured that Jesus is in our midst?

Perhaps the nature and authority of the church can be summed up in this way: "Do unto others, as Christ would (and already has) done unto them."