Dog Faith (Sermon)

Matthew 10:29-31

When I first started pastoring, I met weekly with a group of pastors for prayer and fellowship. One of the most memorable meetings was the day that Pastor Hombre arrived late; he had quite a story to share and I'd like to share it with you.

The morning of our meeting, Pastor Hombre had received a phone call from a man who I'll call John. John began by explaining a little bit about himself. He was a traveling pastor/evangelist who hitchhiked his way across the country. His home church, a small congregation in a little Kansas town, would wire him funds for room and board, and any offerings he was given were wired back to the home church. Somehow, the wires had gotten crossed, and John found himself in Tuscarawas County with no money for a room. His request was a simple one, "Could your church help me pay for my room tonight?"

You have to know Pastor Hombre to know how he responded. He is a very energetic and caring person. "Sure, we'll find a place for you to stay tonight. You can stay at our house. Where are you? I'll come and pick you up." All Pastor Hombre heard over the phone was sobs. It turned out that John had called over two dozen other churches who could not afford the thirty dollars for a room, and he was calling from a church that couldn't help him, but allowed him to use a phone and the phone book to contact other churches in the area.

John was quite a sight. Other than the bloodshot eyes, he was a small, unimposing figure. He was smartly dressed, with a neatly trimmed beard and a slightly worn suit. Pastor Hombre and his wife, put John up at their house that evening, and were blessed by this quiet little man. He was so humble, yet so full of the Word of God and stories of what God was doing in the churches he had the honor of speaking at. He had been traveling for 18 years, the last 13 hitchhiking his way from one town to the next. God had impressed upon him that he was to sell whatever he could not carry with him, and the money allowed him great freedom to go wherever God called. He had preached every Sunday for nearly two years. The week prior, he had been contacted by one of the television news magazine shows that wanted to do a spot on this journeyman minister. They had heard about him a couple of times, and had finally managed to tracked him down. John was flattered by the offer, but when they shared their "vision" for the segment, he politely turned them down; they were more interested in lifting up a man than lifting up Jesus.

The next day, Pastor Hombre offered to take John wherever he needed to go. John asked to be taken to Caldwell so he could hitch a ride south to his next scheduled engagement. As they traveled down I-77, the traffic was light, and the conversation was lively. Then suddenly, Pastor Hombre saw something coming down the middle of the road. It was a stray dog. The dog looked like it was part Siberian husky and part God-only-knows-what. It was all skin and bones, and it was walking right down the middle of the two lanes.

Pastor Hombre saw it just in time to move to the edge of his lane and miss the animal. And in his Spirit, he heard God say "Stop and pick it up." Well, Hombre tried to ignore the voice, rationalizing and telling himself that his passenger needed to get to Caldwell. About five minutes later, John turned in his seat and said in his Midwestern drawl, "God's tellin' ya to pick up that dawg."

The rest of the trip down to Caldwell passed without incident. The whole way, Pastor Hombre reasoned with God. "God, I'm in the good car. What will my wife say if I stop and pick up a dirt old stray in HER good car? And God, I don't have any pets. I don't have time for one. But God..."

As Hombre reached the truck stop in Caldwell, he was struck by the worst case of nausea he had ever experienced. I'm getting the flu, he thought. I have to get home. As he drove back up the interstate, he saw something coming down the road. You guessed it. The dog had crossed over to the north lane and was walking right towards Hombre.

Still convicted that he was to pick up this dog, he pulled to the side of the road. The dog trotted over towards him as he got out of the car. The dog had no collar, and Hombre was a bit scared it would try to bite him. Instead, this battered old pooch sallied up to him with his tongue hanging out and laid his head against Hombre's leg. Well, Hombre wiped off the paws, and opened the back door. The dog jumped right in, curled up on the back seat and fell fast asleep. The amazing thing is, as Hombre got back into the car, the nausea had passed completely.

On his way back up the highway, the pastor called a vet and made an appointment for the dog. The vet's report was suprisingly good. The animal was malnourished and had several bad scars on its face. One of his ears was mostly ripped off. Despite all of this, the vet assured Hombre that all the dog needed was a bath, a good home, and some time. The dog got his shots, they left the vet. On the way home, Hombre stopped and picked up a big bag of dog food. And he asked himself two questions: How am I going to explain this to my wife? and What is God wanting to show me?

Dogs in the Bible are usually spiritual types of sinners and backsliders. Like my pastor friend, Jesus finds us wandering down the middle of life's road, disoriented, abandoned, beaten up, and in very real danger. Our Savior stops to pick us up and he cleans us up. He takes away sin's guilty stains. And He takes us the vet, where God the Father brings healing to our past. Finally, God offers us a place to call home. He wants us to live with him forever.

The analogy goes just a bit deeper, however. Let us, for a minute consider what Jesus did in the incarnation.

The story is told of a pastor who couldn't come up with a sermon. It was Saturday night, and he finally retired to his den and slumped in his chair. He looked over at his dog as if to say, "I suppose you're going to tell me what to preach tomorrow?" His dog looked up at him, and he heard the Spirit say, Would you become a dog to save him? Would you to save all the dogs in the world, knowing that some would turn tail and walk away? You would look like they do, eat what they ate, sleep where they sleep, and in every way be like them. And once you've saved them you will be stuck in that form forever. Would you? You see, that's what God did. He left heaven to become a man, he ate what we eat, slept where we sleep, and lived as we live. And he sits in heaven, with those nail scarred hands interceding for us.

In the words of Paul Harvey, "Let me tell you the rest of the story". John made it to Austin for his next engagement and as of last report is still traveling the country preaching the Gospel wherever he is asked to come. Oh, and Hombre's wife loved the dog; it still has a good home with them. I can't help but think, as we close, that if God cared so much for a stray dog, and He cares for Hombre and He watches over his servant John, how much more He also care for you and I?

If you feel that you've strayed from God's path, you can come home. If you have been beaten up, stop licking your wounds and let God tend them. If you have found the Father, if you are at home with him, then reach out and share the master's love with those who are lost around you. You see, the Gospel message is very simple, if you have a dog faith.