Sevika Sangham Day 1

September 10, 2017

Change Makers
Introduction
Good morning! First of all, I want to thank God Almighty for giving
me this opportunity to share His word with you today, as well as
Rev. Moncey Mathew Achen for allowing me to speak to you all
today.

Lets bow our heads in prayer.

Gracious, heavenly Father, we have gathered in your sanctuary to
thank you, and to bless your holy name. Thank you for giving us
another Sunday to worship you in Spirit and in truth. Thank you for
your great faithfulness, your unfailing love, and your renewed
mercies every day. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation
of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Amen.

Today the Mar Thoma church celebrates this Sunday as Sevika

Sangham Day. The Sevika Sangham would not have been possible
without the leadership of a woman by the name of Kandamma
Varghese. Born in 1876, Kandamma Kochamma was inspired by
many of her teachers who were missionaries, and after her
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husbands passing in 1906, spent much of her time in prayer with

the Lord. While praying, she received a calling to start mission
work.

In the early 20th century, women evangelists did not have any
societies or association to sponsor their work. In fact, it was a
strange sight to see a woman speak in a church, but Kandamma
was a regular preacher at churches and at road junctions and
market places. People had great respect and reverence for her and
wholeheartedly supported her and her work.

Bishop Abraham Mar Thoma was keenly aware of the importance

of women in the mission of the church, believing that every
Marthomite was an evangelist. Because of that, his vision led to the
formation of the Mar Thoma Suvishesha Sevika Sangham at
Maramon Convention in the year 1919.

You may be wondering what was the secret to Kandamma

Vargheses fruitful life? She was what we refer to as a Change
Maker. Her life was a life spent with God. She spent hours in fasting
and prayer. She attempted great things for God, beyond the scope
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of what was understood at the time. At the age of 88, she left
behind a glowing legacy of her work in Kerala. Her greatest
attribute was her ability to inspire others for Mission Work.
Kandamma did not have any theological qualifications from any
college, but her Bible knowledge and practice experience gained
throughout the years were far better than any current university
degree.
The motto of the Mar Thoma Sevika Sangham is Service and
Evangelism in the life and mission of the Mar Thoma Church.
Today, the Sevika Sangham is an active organization for women
ages 18 and above, and plays an important role in the spiritual
growth of all women. To strengthen the spiritual life within the
group, the St. Peters Sevika Sangham meets regularly at either
church or a members home for bible study, prayer, and fellowship.
In the past, our Sevika Sangham has provided remarkable services
to the Lord by providing financial support for marriage aid funds,
homes for homeless project schemes, and sponsoring students
pursuing higher education in college and beyond in India.

What It Means To Be a Change Maker

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So what does it mean to be a change maker? Throughout history,

we see moments in time where change has brought about a radical
shift in culture and ideology.

In the two weeks, we have seen how in the aftermath of now two
hurricanes, a radical shift in lifestyle has occurred in the regions of
Texas, Louisiana, and now Florida. And in these moments, we hear
stories of how people have banded together, to bring about a real
change to make a difference in their communities. Weve
witnessed the moments where otherwise normal people have
taken it upon themselves to help others in need, in many
situations, complete strangers helping each other, because it is the
right thing to do.

The same is true when it comes to Gods people. God does not
have to step down from heaven to bring about change. He uses
people like you and I if we are willing to accept His calling.
In this day and age, women are called specifically to be change
makers in todays society. Why is there a need for change? And
why are specifically women expected to be change makers?
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Even during the time of the early church, women were not given
identity and space in the social life, however, they were engaged by
their roles as change makers in both Israeli society and in the time
of earthly Jesus. The Scriptures evidence these womens stories,
who dedicated their lives to bring change in their family, society,
religion, and in the ecclesia.

There are a few characteristics of what it means to be a change

maker, as it relates to how women have created their story in
Gods redemptive history with a historical effect. Lets reflect on a
few of the readings from this Sundays lectionary, read today
during service.

1) Change Makers are not perfect, but are working towards

perfection.
Not once in the Bible will you come across an account of a person
who was perfect when they were used by God. The only person
that falls into this category was Jesus Christ.

You can love God with everything in you and still not be perfect.
Romans 8:28 tells us that we know in all things God works for the
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good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His
purpose. God doesnt turn situations around for your good
because you are perfectly sinless. He changes things for you and
causes things to work for your favor because you love Him.

The Bible is full of people who loved God, people that our great
God moved mightily in their lives, families and situations, yet they
were anything but perfect! When the Israelites in the Old
Testament sent spies into the city of Jericho and were nearly
caught, it says in the book of Joshua that God used a woman by the
name of Rahab, a prostitute, to protect Gods people from harm.
Now Rahab and her family were not a picture of what was perfect,
but her proclamation that the God of the Israelites was the true
God of heaven and earth showed how she had come to the
realization that she was not perfect, but was willing to submit her
imperfect self to a perfect, Almighty God.

In todays Gospel reading from the book of John, we heard about

the Samaritan woman. With confidence, the Samaritan woman
declared her faith and confidence in the coming Messiah, and
many Samaritans believed in Jesus because of her testimony.
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In the second lesson from the book of Acts, we also heard about
Lydia, who was another woman of God. The Lord opened her heart,
to respond to Pauls message. Lydia and her household were
baptized, and became believers in the Lord. She welcome Paul and
the others into her home.

In the Old Testament, we read about Ruth, who walked by faith

and not by sight. Ruth was a woman of noble character, and took a
decision of faith by staying with Naomi, and is recognized as the
great grandmother of Jesus Christ.
And later we read about another woman of faith name Esther, who
was another change maker. Risking her life, she appealed to the
King, and rescued the Jews from extreme prejudice and
persecution.

None of these individuals were perfect, but they were called. If we

wait until we are perfect, we may never do anything for God. We
will just go to the grave with all the talents, skills and potentials
God has put in us unused and untapped. What a big shame that
would be!
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God isnt searching for perfect people, Hes searching for people
who love Him, people who believe in Him and in what He says,
people who are passionate about Him. This doesnt mean that God
is indifferent to sin or that He enjoys or loves to see us sin. It simply
means that when your heart is completely yielded to God, He would
daily work on your imperfections, shaping and molding you into the
person He created you to be.

When God wants to bring about a change, He uses people. But the
people He uses arent always perfect. However, they are working
and striving towards perfection. Dont wait until you are perfect
before you start adding value, before you make a difference, before
you affect lives for God, before you become a change maker.

Which brings me to my next point:

2) Change makers recognize the need for change and believe
that change is possible.

You may recognize the need for a change in the nation, for there to
be better structure and accountability, but that doesnt necessarily
mean you believe that a change is possible. Your statements alone
show whether or not you believe a change is possible in your
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situation, family, church, or nation. A lot of people believe change is

possible but they are expecting the change to happen next year or
5, 10, 20 years from now. The kind of change they want, they don't
see it happening NOW!

Mary, the mother of God, spoke of a change that was coming when
she was pregnant with the son of God. In Luke 1:46-55, we witness
what is known as Marys song which is basically a lullaby which a
mother sings out of her overwhelming joy towards her baby.
However, her song is a song of joy, praising God for being what God
is; the God who takes the side of the poor, weak, vulnerable, and
marginalized. And she glorifies his name for fulfilling His will through
them. Here in her song, she acknowledges a new social order and
perspective on social structures, when she says, He has performed
mighty deeds with His arm; he has scattered those who are proud in
their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rules from their
thrones, but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with
good things, but has sent the rich away empty.

So its not merely a job for a mother to bear a son who is told as the
Son of God, but also because through him a new world order is going
to be proposed and acknowledged.
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2 Corinthians 6:2 tells us that NOW is the time of God's favor, NOW
is the day of salvation. What God can do, He can do NOW. He doesn't
need 5 more years to change things for you or your family. He isn't
asking us to give Him another 10 years before He can change things
in our nation because He is not limited and influenced by time or
circumstance. Change is possible. Change is possible NOW. Believe
God for a change today and He will surprise you.

The third and last point I want to mention about a change maker is
this:
3) A Change Maker is available to do something tangible that will
bring about a change.
In todays epistle reading from the book of Romans 16, we see the
tangible results of the believers, including several women, being
acknowledged by Paul in the conclusion of his letter to the Romans.
In verse 3 he acknowledges Priscilla and Aquila, fellow workers in
Christ, who risked their lives for the church. In verse 6, he
acknowledges Mary, who has worked hard for the believers in
Rome. In verse 12, he acknowledges Tryphena and Tryphosa,
women who worked hard in the Lord. These individuals were used
by God to do great things, things they never imagined they could
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do. They saw change in their lives and ministries because they were
available to do something tangible for God. A Change Maker
cannot say they want change, if they are not ready to do anything
with their time, abilities, money, or skills to affect any change.

No matter the situation of our world today, I want to encourage

you to believe that change is possible. Dont just believe it in your
head, but let it sink right down into your heart. Weve seen through
the women of the Bible how the nature of God is working through
the community to bring real changes to the social dimensions of
life. God is calling all of us, men and women, to be prepared to take
an active part in Gods redemptive history by being bold and
unafraid to cross social boundaries in order to make a difference in
todays society.
Jesus is calling each of us to put our faith in Him. Have we
done so, by putting our trust in his redemptive nature? Are we
prepared to answer Gods call to go out and make disciples of all
nations? My prayer is that we have the faith and opportunity bring
about positive changes to those around us, so that we can be a
testament on an unbelievable change in our life, our family, our
church, and our community. God bless you.