ASCENSION SUNDAY

May the words of our mouths, and the meditations of our hearts, be always acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer.

What is happening at this time in the Gospels? Christ has risen; He has appeared to the women who had followed from Galilee and now has appeared to two of the Apostles on the Road to Emmaus, about 7 miles from Jerusalem. The whole of the Hebrew Scriptures is interpreted to them without them recognizing Him. Jesus seems prepared to move on ahead, but is pressed to stay with them and eat.

After Jesus had broken bread, their “eyes were opened”, they recognized Him and He vanished.

When the two arrived in Jerusalem, they told the Apostles and their companions what had happened. Jesus then appears among them and proves to them by displaying His wounds and eating that He is indeed the Risen Christ. Then He spoke the words of this morning’s Gospel Reading.

I should like to refer you to a paraphrase of the 47th verse of Luke 24: “and that this message of salvation should be taken from Jerusalem to all nations. There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me.” In addition, Mark 16:15, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Again, in Matthew 28:19-20, “ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”

It has been said that Jesus had to leave for the church to happen. That is, as long as he was around the disciples could not step into his place — and without that the impact of his teaching would remain local and small. So his ascension (and Pentecost) are what enabled the followers to go forth and spread the message everywhere.

This is the Great Commission. Jesus is telling us to take the Word into all the world making disciples of all men. No longer is mere baptism to be the only requirement; but the additional requirement of being trained in the obedience to fulfil the will of the Father. No longer are the disciples to be limited to Israel and the Middle East but are to go into the whole world. Perhaps, the reason for the Word being taken in procession into the midst of the congregation for the proclamation of the Gospel.

The Word is spread in the world through various means. People such as Dr. David Jeremiah are dedicated to building the local church by building up the people in the church. Others, such as Chuck Swindoll, Pat Robertson, Charles Price, have a mission to bring the dubious and unbeliever closer to The Lord through a radio and television ministry. Other men and women dedicate their lives to the service of God in Monasteries.

Where does this gang of hairy bikers fit into the great scheme of things? First, I must tell you that not all of our members are bearded. The ladies are not, nor are some of the males. Nor are all of the members hairy, several of us are rather sparse on top. Nor are all members riding two-wheel motorcycles; some are on three-wheeled machines, others are on quads. I and my chick ride a quad, actually a Nissan Pathfinder SUV. We, the Frozen Chozen, are a cross-section of peoples with a common belief.

You may remember having seen us in the Bass Tournament with Bob Secrist, on his bike, towing a canoe displaying the sign, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men”, (Matt 4:19), and last year’s 4th of July parade with the Bible displaying the sign “A library of 66 books”.

CMA is an association of Christian Motorcyclists whose mission is to change the wold, one heart at a time, by:

ñEncouraging and conducting, among motorcyclists, public worship, ministry and Christian Evangelistic Crusades, whenever and wherever possible

ñProclaiming and teaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

ñEncouraging Christian fellowship among motorcyclists.

ñImproving the image of persons engaged in motorcycling.

How do we as members of the CMA carry out this mission? We have ten ministries in which each member may elect to receive training. I should mention that a biker is not considered a member just by showing up at a chapter meeting. He or she is required to take and pass a basic training course on the aims, beliefs and operation of the CMA. Only then are they entitled to wear the patch.

Additional training is provided specialized ministries. These include:

ñ Children’s Ministry, geared toward reaching the little ones. Children’s Team members will learn what children like to do and what will keep their attention

ñ Youth Ministry, deals with the greatest commandment given by Jesus: to love God and to love others. This is specially designed for youth ages 12-18 and is the entire requirement for them to earn their colours.

ñ First Aid Team members offer basic services to rally participants on a ride for minor emergencies. An outside qualification must be presented to be a member of this team. Although I had several years experience as a St. John’s Ambulance Brigade instructor in Canada, I still had to present an up-to-date card.

ñ Mechanical Ministry Team: is designed for the person with practical knowledge of motorcycles and engines, and a servant’s heart, to use their abilities to meet the mechanical needs of motorcyclists attending the rallies or on a ride.

ñ Hospitality Ministry Team: These team members may provide popcorn, soup, snacks, water, coffee, or just good fellowship at their camp or display for the purpose of building relationships and sharing Jesus. You may recall having seen the Chapter members display at the 4th of July parades offering free cold water.

ñ Music Ministry Team: The theme of this team is "Music to reach their ears, so that the message can reach their hearts."

ñ Prison Ministry Team: CMA has developed a training program for those of you who wish to be more involved in prison ministry. One or our members, Bob Secrist attends the Local Prison weekly, not as a inmate but to minister to the male inmates; his wife, Sharron attends with him on those occasions when female inmates need a visit.

ñ Prayer Ministry Team: Many people are actively involved in a prayer ministry in their local church and chapter, but may not know other ways prayers can reach out to the lost. Part of this ministry is not only to give the basics of praying for people’s needs, but also to put prayers into practice by visiting downed bikers and others in the hospitals. One of our members, Roger Williams, leads a prayer group in his church.

ñ Woman’s Ministry Team: The specialized training required for this ministry is provided to women who are active in one-on-one ministry in the motorcycling world.

ñ Servants’ Ministry Team: Designed for people willing to be used in a variety of ways by meeting practical and physical needs at rallies.

All of this activity is carried on throughout the world. We have National organizations and chapters from Canada to South Africa. In addition to these activities in local areas, we help spread the Word in under-privileged countries. Each year, we hold our sole fund-raising event called the Run for the Son. Each year we ask for sponsors for a ride usually 150 – 200 miles. Last year, approximately 3.9 million dollars was raised by the CMA-USA. We, in our small chapter of 10, raised 1500 dollars. The money goes toward spreading the Word. For example, the CMA has provided bikes to itinerant pastors in remote parts of Africa to enable them to reach their congregations.

There are many more activities that I could mention but since I remember that a congregation’s attention varies inversely as the hardness of the pews …

Now, unto God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, be ascribed all honour, might and majesty this day and forever, AMEN