Tawa Baptist

True Worship

Scripture: Micah 6:6-8

 

Title: True Worship

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Content & packaging
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

On the wall behind me is the Tawa College crest on which are written the words

–         Do justly

 

‘Do justly’ is a quote from the prophet Micah

–         Let me read to you the context of these words

–         From Micah chapter 6, verses 6-8 we read…

 

With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

 

May the Lord bless the reading of his word

 

Content & packaging:

[Hold up a packet of M&M’s]

–         Who likes M&M’s?

–         Okay – leave your hand up if you would like to come to the front to receive these M&M’s (you can bring an adult with you if you want)

–         [Choose someone (close to the front) to come to the front]

 

Now, before I give you this bag of M&M’s I want to ask you a question – it’s not a trick question:

–         Which of these two bags would you prefer?

–         This one here which is empty?

–         Or this one which is full?

–         [Let them respond]

 

The full one – good choice – here is your bag of M&M’s

 

But before you go I want to ask you one more question

–         Which of these two bags of M&M’s would you prefer?

–         This big empty bag?

–         Or this small full bag?

 

Okay – so even though the empty bag is much bigger, you would still prefer to have the smaller bag which is full

–         That would be my preference too – here’s the smaller bag for you to give to someone you like or don’t like (up to you)

–         Thanks for helping me – you can sit down now

 

The point here is that the contents of the bag are more important than the packaging

–         It doesn’t matter how big and glossy and fancy the packaging is, without any M&M’s inside it is worthless

–         Now it’s not that the packaging is necessarily bad in itself

–         We need the packaging – the packet is good for holding the M&M’s together so they don’t roll all over the floor

–         And it’s also good for letting you know what’s inside the bag

–         The packaging only becomes rubbish when the bag is empty

 

In Micah 6 the prophet asks the question…

–         Shall I come before [the Lord] with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression…?

The first four examples of ritual offerings listed here: burnt offerings, calves a year old, rams and oil, are like the packaging – they are only good if they are accompanied by the contents of the bag: justice, mercy and humility

–         The last example of sacrificing a first born child is not packaging – it is poison – never good under any circumstances.

 

Micah is saying here: God is not pleased when we offer Him an empty bag

–         God is more interested in the contents of our life than the packaging

–         There’s no point in following a whole lot of religious rituals if we don’t live our lives with justice, mercy and humility

 

These days we don’t sacrifice animals to God – Jesus put an end to that by his death on the cross

–         Generally speaking, these days our ritual offerings are things like giving money to the church and singing songs of praise

–         But all that kind of stuff is packaging – it only becomes meaningful when it holds a life of justice, mercy and humility

–         It’s not that we should stop giving financially and singing songs – those things are still important (we need the packet to hold everything together)

–         But if singing or giving money or some other religious ritual becomes a substitute for justice, mercy & humility then we’ve got a problem

 

You see, it’s not either/or – it’s both/and

–         It’s not either the packet or the M&M’s – it’s both the packet and the MM’s

–         It’s not either attending Sunday services or practicing justice & mercy the rest of the week – it’s both those things together

–         Like Jesus said in Matthew 23, when he was telling the Pharisees off:

–         You give a tenth of your spices – mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former. (It’s both/and – not either/or)

 

Worship of God needs to encompass all of life

–         Offering ourselves (as living sacrifices) by doing justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with our God is true worship – this is faith in action

–         And if we want to know what justice, mercy and humility are, we look to Jesus Christ, the author and perfector of our faith

 

Conclusion:

On the wall here is an invitation and response based on Micah 6, verse 8

What does the Lord require of you?

–         To do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God

 

Tawa Baptist

Moses & Joshua

Scriptures: Exodus 17:8-13; 33:11; 24:13; 32:17;

Numbers 11:25-29; 13:1-14:10; 27:18-20

 

Title: Moses & Joshua

 

Structure:

  • Introduction – Intergenerational relationships
  • Symbiotic relationship
  • Mentoring relationship

o   Showing and telling

o   Inviting reflection

o   Providing a catalyst

o   Investing authority

  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

On the wall here we have a picture of a pair of oxen or bullocks

–         In the old days when they wanted to train a young ox to pull a load they would yoke it with an older well-trained ox

–         The younger ox would learn what to do and how to follow directions by walking alongside the older ox [1]

–         In a way the older ox was a mentor to the younger beast

 

Today we begin a new sermon series on intergenerational relationships in the Bible

–         An intergenerational relationship is exactly what it sounds like – a relationship between two people from different generations, someone older and someone younger

–         We find a number of intergenerational relationships in the Bible

–         For example: Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth

–         The aging priest Eli and the young prophet Samuel

–         King Saul and King David

–         As well as the apostle Paul and his protégé Timothy

 

Our focus this morning though is on the relationship between Moses and Joshua

–         No disrespect to Joshua and Moses but in some ways Joshua is like the younger ox learning from Moses, the older more experienced ox, while the Lord God is the one giving the directions, leading them both

 

Symbiotic relationship:

Please turn with me to Exodus 17 – page 78 near the front of your pew Bibles

–         Joshua was Moses’ personal assistant – his aide

–         Joshua was probably about 50 to 60 years younger than Moses

–         We don’t know exactly how they met, but it seems they had chemistry – a special kind of rapport

–         We first hear about Joshua and Moses working together in the wilderness, following the Israelites’ escape from Egypt

–         From Exodus 17, verses 8-13, we read…

 

[Read Exodus 17:8-13]

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

A healthy intergenerational relationship is mutually symbiotic – or mutually beneficial, in other words

–         Symbiosis comes from a Greek word meaning “living together”

–         From a scientific point of view a symbiotic relationship is ‘the living together of unlike organisms’  [2]

 

An example of a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship, in nature, is that of the sea anemone and a clown fish (from ‘Finding Nemo’ fame)

 

The clownfish supports the life of the sea anemone by feeding on small invertebrates that otherwise have potential to harm the anemone,

–         What’s more the fecal matter (or the poos) from the clownfish provide nutrients (or dinner) to the sea anemone.

–         The clownfish receives the benefit of being protected from predators by the anemone’s stinging cells, to which the clownfish is immune.

–         The clownfish also emits a high pitched sound that deters butterfly fish, which would otherwise eat the anemone [3]

 

The anemone and the clown fish are unlike organisms but they support each other in a mutually symbiotic relationship

–         We need each other and we need each other to be different

 

At their best intergenerational relationships are mutually beneficial symbiotic relationships

–         We see this mutual symbiosis in Moses’ and Joshua’s relationship

 

In Exodus 17 (which we just read) the young Joshua goes into battle against the Amalekites to protect Israel at a place called Rephidim

–         Rephidim means support [4]

–         Moses, who is most likely in his 80’s at this stage, is not physically fit enough for hand to hand combat – he relies on Joshua for that

–         But Joshua and the Israelites are the under dogs in this fight

–         Israel has just spent the last few hundred years in slavery – the people are vulnerable and relatively weak

–         They need God’s help and God lends them a hand through Moses & Joshua working together

 

Moses supports Joshua and his soldiers by raising his hands in the air

–         We are not sure how this helps – but it does

–         As long as Moses’ hands stay up Israel gets the advantage – but as soon as Moses’ hands droop, the Amalekites start winning

–         In the end Joshua wins, not by his own strength but by the hand of God and Moses supporting him

 

Why did God do it this way?

–         Why not just zap the Amalekites with lightning from heaven or have the ground swallow them up, or drown them like he did the Egyptians?

–         Well, perhaps God is teaching Israel to work together symbiotically

 

Moses needed Joshua and Joshua needed Moses and they both needed God

–         By working together as they did Moses & Joshua are a living parable to Israel of how God wants the people to function as a nation

 

So that’s the first thing about Moses’ & Joshua’s intergenerational relationship – it was symbiotic or mutually beneficial, not just to each other but also to the wider community

 

Mentoring relationship:

The second thing we observe is that Moses became a mentor to Joshua

–         Now not every intergenerational relationship is necessarily a mentoring relationship but they can often develop that way

 

A mentor is a wise and trusted advisor who guides a protégé and helps them to develop their potential

–         Mentoring is more than simply teaching a particular skill set

–         Mentoring is about developing the whole person

–         Moses does at least four things in his mentoring of Joshua

 

Moses mentors Joshua…

–         By showing and telling

–         By inviting reflection

–         By providing a catalyst for change

–         And, eventually, by investing his authority in Joshua

 

Let me give you some examples from the books of Exodus and Numbers to illustrate how Moses does these things. Firstly, showing and telling…

 

Telling is when the mentor gives the protégé instructions to follow

–         (Whether the protégé follows those instructions or not is the telling part)

–         And showing is when the mentor demonstrates to the protégé by his own example

 

In Numbers 11, verse 28, we read that Joshua had been Moses’ aide (his personal assistant) since his youth

–         This means that Joshua was sort of like Moses’ first lieutenant

–         In this role, as Moses’ aide, Joshua did what Moses told him to do – just as a lower ranking officer would follow the orders of a general

–         Some religious orders require their priests & nuns to take a vow of obedience

–         Obedience is not a very popular word or discipline these days but learning to follow instructions is essential for any man or woman of God

–         That Joshua was willing to obey Moses was very telling – it demonstrates that he is capable of following God’s instructions

 

Joshua’s role as Moses’ assistant also meant he went everywhere with Moses

–         So when Moses went up the mountain to meet with God and receive the 10 commandments Joshua went with him, not all the way but far enough [5]

–         Likewise when Moses met with God in the tent of the Lord’s presence  Joshua was close at hand [6]

–         Wherever Moses went Joshua followed and so Joshua was continually exposed to Moses’ example in leadership

 

More than just showing Joshua what leaders do (the tasks of leadership), Moses was, by his presence, actually showing Joshua how to be a leader

–         Character is more caught than taught

–         We tend to become like the people we hang out with

–         As adults we need to be careful in the example we model for the young among us

–         Our children will learn more from what we show them, through our actions, than they will through what we tell them with our words

 

After nearly 40 years living and working with Moses, Joshua had perhaps one of the longest apprenticeships in history

–         But by the end of it he had a pretty good handle on what was involved in obeying God & leading the nation

–         Not only that but he had developed, and imbibed from Moses, some vital character qualities like patience and faithfulness and integrity

 

As well as showing and telling, Moses also helps Joshua to think for himself by inviting him to reflect on his experience

–         A good mentor doesn’t always spell out the answer for their protégé

–         Sometimes it may be necessary to explain things but often it is better to teach people to figure things out for themselves and let them draw their own conclusions

 

Turn with me to Numbers chapter 11, verse 25 – page 142 in your pew Bibles

–         This little story is relevant for the season of Pentecost that we are in

–         Incidentally though it also shows Moses inviting Joshua to reflect on his experience – from Numbers 11, verse 25 we read…

 

[Read Numbers 11:25-29]

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

You may remember me telling you the story of when I went to Cubs as a boy and attempted my ‘Duty to God’ badge

–         Most badges were supervised by the Cub leaders but the ‘Duty to God’ badge had to be supervised by a minister

–         There was a chaplain at my school so I approached him and asked if he would supervise me – to which he replied…

–         “You can never do your duty to God”

–         I was 10

 

The Chaplain wasn’t telling me off but nor was he willing to explain what he meant – he was inviting me to reflect on what I was doing

–         It seems I’m still reflecting on it some 36 year later

 

Joshua was loyal to Moses and was worried I suppose that the elders prophesying in the camp might undermine Moses’ authority

–         But Moses doesn’t feel threatened

–         He doesn’t reprimand Joshua for his outburst, nor does he seek to explain the meaning of God sharing his Spirit

–         Instead Moses sees a teachable moment here and invites Joshua to reflect on the experience, and his response to it, by saying…

–         “…I wish that the Lord would give his Spirit to all his people…”

 

I’ll leave it with you to figure out what that could mean

 

The third thing Moses does in mentoring Joshua is he provides a catalyst for the young man

–         A catalyst is something which causes or precipitates a change in the protégé’s identity and thinking

 

Some catalysts can be quite pleasant – like when you get married, your identity and consequently your thinking changes

–         Other catalysts can feel less pleasant

–         Just as hot water is a catalyst for drawing out the flavour in a tea bag

–         So too when we find ourselves in hot water over something – this becomes a catalyst drawing out what is inside of us

 

Moses does two things to precipitate a change in Joshua’s identity and thinking:

 

Firstly, in Numbers 13 verse 16, he changes his protégé’s name (and by implication his identity) from Hoshea to Joshua

–         This name change is a relatively pleasant / feel good catalyst

–         Hoshea means salvation while Joshua means The Lord saves  [7]

–         I wonder if Moses is making the point here that it is not Joshua who will save the people – it is the Lord God who saves

–         This change in thinking would lift a huge weight off Joshua and would remind everyone (including Joshua) to put their trust in the Lord

 

Incidentally, the Greek form of the name Joshua is the same as that of the name Jesus – so Joshua points to Jesus, the ultimate successor to Moses

 

The second thing Moses does to precipitate change in Joshua is send him to the Promised Land with the other 11 spies to scout things out

–         By doing this Moses is putting Joshua into a new and unfamiliar situation

–         How will Joshua respond in a foreign culture?

–         Will this new experience draw out faith or fear?

 

Ironically Joshua doesn’t find himself in hot water until he returns to the Israelite camp in the wilderness

–         Ten of the Israeli spies give a bad report, spreading fear among the people

–         Only Caleb and Joshua respond in faith by essentially saying, “with the Lord on our side, we’ve got this”

–         Despite being under tremendous pressure Joshua & Caleb provide an unpopular minority report and the people are ready to stone them

–         But God intervenes

–         Joshua’s character proves true to his name: the Lord saves

 

You know, when a butterfly emerges from its cocoon it doesn’t just slip out easily – the butterfly has to struggle to get out

–         But the struggle is necessary to get the fluid pumping into its wings – without the struggle the butterfly wouldn’t fly

–         It wouldn’t have been easy for Moses to see Joshua in hot water with the people – but it was necessary for Joshua to go through this struggle

–         The whole experience acted as a catalyst to precipitate a deep change in Joshua – it strengthened his resolve and showed everyone what Joshua was made of

 

One of the things we notice about the butterfly’s struggle to emerge from the cocoon is that it happens in stages, not all at once

–         So in providing a catalyst, little steps are usually best

–         For example, if you are a leader in Sunday school you could develop the potential of your helper by providing the catalyst of extra responsibility

–         Don’t throw them in the deep end by making them prepare the whole lesson – rather start by asking them to organise one game or one craft activity, then gradually give them more responsibility as they are able

–         A bit of extra responsibility might feel like a struggle for them at first but they will grow into it – step by step

 

Providing a catalyst for change requires wisdom from the mentor

–         Knowing when to step in and help and when to hang back and let our children and our protégés fend for themselves – it’s not easy

 

Okay – so far we’ve seen how Moses mentored Joshua by showing & telling, by inviting reflection and by providing a catalyst

 

Now let’s consider how Moses invests his authority in Joshua

–         Investing authority is about the mentor letting go (when the time is right) and passing the baton of responsibility to the protégé

–         It’s about handing over the keys for good

 

If power is the ability to do something then authority is the license or the permission to do it

–         You may know how to drive a car but without a license you don’t have the authority to drive

–         You may be a very capable administrator but without winning an election you don’t have the authority to make decisions in public office

–         You may be able to climb through the window of a house but without a deed of ownership or a rental agreement you have no right to be there

 

Towards the end of Israel’s long sojourn in the wilderness God tells Moses he is going to die and Moses responds, not by thinking of himself, but by thinking of what is best for the nation. [8]

–         Moses knows that the people need good leadership – he doesn’t want them to be left alone like sheep without a shepherd

–         So the question is: who will become the new shepherd of Israel?

–         Who will guide and protect the fledgling nation?

 

To his credit Moses doesn’t assume anything

–         He doesn’t assume one of his sons will succeed him as leader of Israel

–         Nor does he assume that because he has been mentoring Joshua all these years that Joshua will automatically succeed him

–         Instead Moses asks God to appoint his replacement and God chooses Joshua because Joshua is capable

–         After all those years of mentoring, Moses had given Joshua the ability to lead the nation

–         But by asking God to choose his successor, Moses was giving Joshua the authority to lead – and it was a rock solid authority for no one can argue with God’s decision

 

Moses formally transfers his authority by publicly laying his hands on Joshua’s head and proclaiming Joshua as the new leader of Israel

 

Moses’ and Joshua’s mutually symbiotic relationship has come full circle

–         Joshua needed Moses to prepare him for leading Israel and Moses needed Joshua to pick up the mantle of leadership for the sake of the nation

 

Joshua went on to be a wise & courageous leader during a time of great change

–         He transitioned the nation into the Promised Land – no easy task

–         The surprising thing is that, as far as we know, Joshua didn’t mentor anyone else after him

–         And if the book of Judges is anything to go by the nation suffered for it

 

Conclusion:

Here at Tawa Baptist we are blessed with a diversity of ages – all the generations are represented

–         Not all churches are as lucky as we are in this respect

–         We want to encourage people to grow healthy relationships together – not just with people of the same age but also with people of a different generation – we need each other and we need each other to be different

 

To help people deepen their relationships we sometimes run lunches after church – like the Count Me In lunches we are having today

–         I encourage you to attend one of these lunches and get to know someone in a different age bracket to you

–         You don’t need to force the conversation but if you find a natural chemistry with someone older or younger than yourself then look for opportunities to develop the friendship

–         You might not end up in a full on mentoring relationship like Moses & Joshua but your life will probably be richer for it

 

Let me leave you with two questions…

–         Who is your Moses?

–         Who is your Joshua?

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/18-jun-2017-moses-joshua

[1] http://www.draftanimalpower.org/forums/topic/young-and-old/

[2] Heinrich Anton de Bary, 1879.

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbiosis

[4] Refer George Knight’s commentary on Exodus, ‘Theology as Narration’, page 122.

[5] Refer Exodus 24:13 and 32:17

[6] Refer Exodus 33:11

[7] Refer the footnote in the NIV Study Bible

[8] Refer Numbers 27:15-20

Tawa Baptist

Unity

Scripture: Psalm 133

Title: Unity

Structure:

  • Introduction – unity is diversity with order
  • The Trinity and us
  • Unity comes down from God above
  • Unity is for sharing
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

On the wall here we have a picture of a tapestry of the Lord’s Supper

–         A tapestry is a unity

–         It is not sameness which makes for unity – rather, unity is diversity with order

–         Although there are many different coloured strands they are all woven together in an ordered way to pleasing effect

–         Together the strands form a bigger picture which makes sense

 

In our house there are three women and one shower

–         One of the things that happens with this arrangement is that long strands of hair gather in the drain, causing a blockage, so that the water in the bottom of the shower rises to your ankles

–         Whenever this happens it is my job to unblock the drain, pulling all the hair out by hand – I don’t mind though, it makes me feel useful

 

The hair in the drain is the opposite of unity

–         Unlike the tapestry which has a variety of different strands woven together in an ordered way, the hair in the drain is pretty much all the same and it is clumped together in a tangled mess of soap scum

–         There is no order, no bigger picture, no meaning, no pleasantness with hair in the drain

–         Unity is diversity with order – unity is pleasing

 

This morning we return to our series on the Songs of Ascents

–         These songs were probably sung by Jewish pilgrims as they made their way to the temple in Jerusalem for various religious festivals

–         They are songs for the faithful as they gather together for worship

 

Our focus today is psalm 133

–         This song celebrates God’s gift of unity

–         From the New Revised Standard Version we read…

 

1 How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes.

3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord ordained his blessing, life forevermore.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

The Trinity and us:

One of the prominent features at the front here is the organ

–         The organ is a unity – it has a diverse range of parts & pipes put together in an ordered way to make music which is pleasing

 

The organ is a metaphor for creation – creation is a unity, a diversity of different matter put together in an ordered and pleasing way

 

Today is Trinity Sunday, when we reflect on the mystery of the triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit

–         God is a unity – a diversity of three persons who are one

 

In a limited way the organ serves as a metaphor to help us understand the Trinity’s interaction with creation

–         I say ‘in a limited way’ because I’m very cautious about using any sort of analogy for God or the Trinity

–         God is holy – which (among other things) means he is different from us and indeed different from any created thing

–         God is beyond compare so no metaphor is adequate for describing God

 

Having said that, metaphors can be helpful to help our finite human minds form some concept of our infinite God and how we might relate with Him

 

Anyway, as I was saying, if the organ represents creation then the Trinity (Father, Son & Spirit together) designed and built the organ

–         The organ is not God – creation is not God – it was just made by Him

 

God the Father is like the organist and composer of the music

–         The Father writes the music and plays it on the organ (or through creation)

 

The gospel of John tells us that God the Son (who we know as Jesus) is God’s Word – so the Son is like the music God has composed

–         Just as music is an expression or embodiment of the composer’s soul, in a similar way, Jesus is an expression or embodiment of God Himself

–         Just as the music unites the choir, so everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet, so too Jesus unites the church and indeed all of creation – Jesus shows us which notes to follow

 

If we imagine that God the Father is the organist and Jesus is the music and we (in all our diversity) are the organ pipes, then the Holy Spirit is the wind passing through the pipes, making the sound God wills through us

–         We can’t make the music on our own – in fact we only find our meaning and purpose when we let God’s will be done in our life

–         Nor do we get to hear the whole song in our lifetime – we have to wait for eternity for that

 

Now in some ways this analogy is inadequate

–         Firstly, Jesus is more than just the music (as important as that is)

–         Jesus is a real person – the one who came to redeem & repair creation

–         It’s like the organ of creation was damaged by sin and Jesus (the organ builder’s Son) came to fix it

 

Likewise the Holy Spirit is more than just the wind blowing through the pipes (as important as that is)

–         The Spirit of God is also a real person

–         If we are the organ pipes, each one of us sounding a different note, then the Spirit is like the tuner who comes to adjust us when we get out of tune

 

Of course – an organ is not a living thing with free will

–         Some parts of God’s creation always do what they are supposed to at the right time – not so us humans, we are far more difficult to work with

 

In John 15 Jesus uses the image of the vine – the vine being a living organic unity

–         The Lord says to his disciples: I am the vine, you are the branches and God the Father is the gardener

–         Following this logic we might cautiously suggest the Holy Spirit is the sap or the life flowing from within the vine to the branches

–         As branches we come in different shapes and sizes but we are united by Christ, the main trunk of the vine

–         What’s more we are sustained and made fruitful by the life giving Spirit of Jesus in us

 

Unity comes down from God above:

Returning to psalm 133

–         This song is attributed to King David and it is essentially about unity

 

Although it is short (only 3 verses) psalm 133 uses two quite different images to convey the one idea that unity is a good and pleasing gift from God

 

Verse 1 begins with David describing the experience of unity from a human perspective

–         How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity.

 

On the sixth day of creation (in Genesis 1) the Lord God saw all that he had made and it was very good

–         Creation before the fall was a perfect unity – it was diverse but at the same time ordered in such a way that was good and pleasing

 

Unity from God is not unpleasant, like tangled hair and soap scum clogging up the shower drain

–         No – unity from God is good & pleasant, like a well ordered tapestry conveying a meaningful bigger picture

–         Or like an organ playing the right notes at the right pitch at the right time

 

The implication of verse 1 is: if it’s not pleasant then it’s probably not unity as God intended it

 

In verse 2 we are given the first image of unity

–         It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes.

 

Now to us this image doesn’t seem all that pleasant

–         It actually sounds messy and inconvenient

–         If someone poured so much oil on your head that it ran down your face and onto your clothes you would probably want to jump in the shower and put your clothes in the wash

 

But in ancient Middle Eastern culture it was customary for the host to greet a guest by pouring oil on their head

–         It was a way of saying welcome, you have a special place of honour among us, we are pleased you are here

–         Oil on the head was a picture of generous hospitality – it was an expression of unity

 

We read of Jesus being anointed in this way on more than one occasion in the gospels, by women (because the men were preoccupied)

 

But the picture in verse 2 isn’t just one of hospitality – for the verse goes on to describe the anointing of Aaron, the high priest of Israel during the time of Moses

–         Aaron was anointed with a special kind of oil – one mixed with perfume

–         So the oil of unity is sacred and it has a pervasive aroma

–         Unity is a pleasant fragrance which cannot be contained and which everyone can enjoy [1]

 

Jesus is our high priest – he is the Christ or the Messiah

–         Christ and Messiah mean the same thing: anointed one

–         Jesus (the anointed one) is the head of the church and we are the members of Christ’s body

–         Although we are quite diverse in many ways we are united by Christ

–         Jesus brings order to our diversity and the oil of his Spirit is a pleasant fragrance which cannot be contained

 

The main thing to note in verses 2 & 3 of psalm 133 is that the oil of unity runs down – it descends from above, meaning that unity comes from God above

–         Unity is not manufactured by us from the ground up – it is a gift (or a blessing) bestowed by God from on high

 

We heard last week about the builders of the Tower of Babel

–         In the end their unity was revealed to be false for they were trying to manufacture it themselves from the ground up

–         That kind of forced unity never lasts

–         True unity is a blessing from God above – not a human achievement

 

Verse 3 offers a second simile for unity

–         It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion.

 

Mount Hermon is the highest mountain in Israel, found in the north near Galilee

–         Hermon is proverbial for its heavy dew

–         The mountains of Zion refer to the much smaller mountains in the south of Israel on which the city of Jerusalem was built

–         Hermon and Zion were diverse geographically speaking (they were spaced well apart) and they were quite different in height

–         Yet little Mount Zion enjoyed the same gift as grand old Hermon – they both share the same dew from heaven above

–         High and low drink the same sweet refreshment. [2]

–         Like the labourers in Jesus’ parable, at the end of the day, we are all paid the same, regardless of how many hours we worked  

Perhaps also, as King of Israel, David is reflecting on what God has done in uniting the different tribes of Israel – bringing the north and the south together

–         David sees a diverse range of people all coming together to worship God at his footstool in Jerusalem and he appreciates the harmony of it all

 

In any case, unity is a life giving blessing from God

–         Just as oil flows down from the head and just as dew comes down from above, so too unity comes down to us from God above

 

The thing is though that God often blesses us with unity in unexpected ways

–         Just last Friday night there was a power cut in Tawa – it was a complete black out

–         But it was also a blessing to our family – it was something a bit different, something fun and unexpected that brought us together

–         We lit candles, gathered close, laughed and talked because there wasn’t anything else we could do

–         It was quite a lovely time of family unity and felt like a gift from God

 

Unity is for sharing:

As well as showing us that unity comes from God above, the two images in psalm 133 also show us that unity is not designed to be contained

–         Rather, unity is for sharing

–         The pleasant fragrance of the perfumed oil on Aaron’s head and shoulders cannot be contained – the aroma is for everyone

–         Likewise the dew of Hermon falls liberally on Zion as well – it is not funnelled off somewhere exclusive – it is for high and low alike

 

Given that unity is a gift from God and given that it may come to us in unexpected ways, when it does come we need to be careful to recognise it and share it, without getting in the way – without creating a blockage

–         We need to ask ourselves how can we be a conduit for God’s gift of unity

 

In Luke 12 Jesus tells a rather sobering parable about a man whose land yielded a bumper crop

–         This blessing from God above created a problem for the farmer

–         Instead of consulting with his neighbours though he ignored his community and tried to figure out the problem on his own

–         He said to himself: ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

–         Still talking to himself he said, ‘I know, I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones to store all my grain – then I’ll be able to retire early, put my feet up and take life easy.’

 

But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

 

The tragedy is this man didn’t realise he was actually quite disconnected and God was trying to bless him with the gift of unity in the form of a bumper crop

–         If only he had talked with his neighbours he might have realised how his actions would only isolate him further

–         By holding onto the grain the farmer was driving the price up

–         If he had been less greedy and sold the grain at a lower price then the rest of the community would have benefited, especially the poor

–         Everyone would have enjoyed the pleasant fragrance of God’s special anointing on his land

–         High and low alike would have been refreshed by the dew of Hermon poured out on him

–         What’s more he would have enjoyed something far better than money – he would have experienced how good and pleasant it is to dwell in unity

 

By keeping it all for himself the man (ironically) rejected God’s gift of unity

–         He became a blockage to unity and God had little choice but to remove the blockage by taking back his life

 

Jesus told some really sad stories aye. That one was real tragic. I’m more of a happy ending kind of guy so let’s imagine this parable differently

 

Once there was a farmer who worked on his land from dawn till dusk six days a week

–         God had been good to him and blessed his hard work so that he was able to pay off his mortgage about 10 years sooner than he expected

–         But these kinds of gains come at a cost

–         As a consequence of working such long hours he didn’t have time for a wife and family – his was a relatively solitary life

 

He did reserve Sundays as a day off though when he would go into town to attend church in the morning before picking up some groceries from the supermarket on the way home

–         It wasn’t that he was particularly religious – he went to church mostly for the social contact (the cuppa and chat afterwards was his favourite part)

 

As the years went by the city expanded into the countryside and it was just a matter of time before property developers started eyeing up his farmland to build new homes for a hungry suburban market

–         One such developer offered the farmer 5x what he had paid for his land

–         It was a tempting offer – with no mortgage and this sort of cash in the bank he could retire before he was 50

 

That Sunday the preacher at church spoke about the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12

–         The farmer didn’t normally care for the sermon that much but this particular week he hung on every word

–         After reflecting on Jesus’ parable he decided not to get back to the developer just yet

 

The next Sunday, over coffee after the service, the farmer mentioned to one of the bankers in the congregation that he had been approached by a developer who was wanting to buy his land and turn it into a sub-division

–         The banker asked what the developer was offering and, on hearing a figure, explained how the land would be worth a lot more than that after it had been sliced up – The farmer had guessed as much

–         The banker asked if the farmer would consider subdividing the land himself

 

The following Sunday the farmer got into a conversation with a young guy in his 20’s who was saving to buy a house – it was tough to get a deposit together these days, especially with a large student loan

–         The farmer didn’t say anything about the developer’s offer this time

–         He was all of sudden conscious of a great divide between the two of them

–         So he offered the young guy some extra work on his farm

–         The young man was grateful and proved to be pretty good at fencing

–         To his surprise the farmer found he quite enjoyed the company

–         It had been a long time since he had worked with someone, it made the job seem more pleasant somehow

 

A few more weeks went by and the developer returned with an even bigger offer – but this time the farmer said ‘no’

–         Instead he made an offer of his own – not to the developer but to the young guy and his wife

–         He sold them a parcel of his land for half what the developer was offering him – which was about a quarter of the retail rate

–         To make the deal even sweeter he had a lawyer draw up a contract saying as long as they lived in the house they could pay him back interest free over a 20 year period

 

The couple still needed to borrow from the bank to build the house but the reduced cost of the land and the less onerous repayments made getting into their own home more affordable

–         The great divide he had sensed at first, between himself and the young man, was gone – the farmer felt closer to his neighbours

 

He did the same thing for others who were struggling, gradually selling pieces of his farm at below market rates

–         It meant reducing stock numbers a bit and being a bit smarter with his pasture management but it was workable because he was freehold

 

As the farmer shared his land a tight but diverse community developed so he became less isolated and more connected

–         He no longer needed to work 12 hours a day six days a week on his own – there were always willing neighbours ready to lend him hand

–         No one defaulted on their loans – partly because he was discerning about who he helped but also because a bit of grace usually motivates people to do the right thing

 

The farmer worked till he was 65 before taking his super and he lived comfortably in his retirement till his death at age 84

 

When asked by the pastor one day why he had helped so many people the farmer replied…

–         “When I look back on it I realise it wasn’t me who did it. I was isolated and alone before God blessed me with unity. All I had to do was get out of the way so God could do His thing.”

 

Conclusion:

Unity is diversity with order

–         Unity is pleasant

–         Unity comes down to us from God above, often in unexpected ways

–         Ultimately though unity is for sharing

 

Let us pray…

–         Father God, we thank you for your gift of unity through Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit

–         Help us to recognise your blessings when they come and to be a conduit for unity by sharing your good gifts

–         We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/11-jun-2017-unity

[1] Refer Derek Kidner’s commentary on ‘Psalms 73-150’, page 489

[2] Derek Kidner, Psalms 73-150, page 489.

Tawa Baptist

The Tower of Babel

Scripture: Genesis 11:1-9 (also Acts 2:1-12)

 

Title: The Tower of Babel

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • A stairway to heaven
  • God’s judgment is salvation
  • Conclusion – Pentecost

 

Introduction:

The New Zealand short story writer, Owen Marshall, has a poem called The Divided World

–         It’s quite long so I won’t read you the whole thing but here’s a few lines,

 

The world is divided between those who blame Lucifer, and those who blame a lack of dietary fibre – between the superstitious, and the unimaginative

 

The world is divided between those who say they adore the country and never go there, and those who say they hate the city and never leave it 

 

The world is divided between those who try themselves, and those who seek a less corrupt judge.

 

The world is divided between those who are tolerant and wise, and their husbands. Between the people we always suspected, and the butlers who did it.

 

The world is divided between those who have shifted to the North Island, and those passed over for promotion;

 

Between those who face the world with a religion, and those who wish to but have only irony in its place. 

 

The world is divided between those who boast of their climate, and those who rejoice in secret that a cold wind isolates a landscape; between the few now, and the great majority on the other side.

 

The world is divided between those who are proud, and those who have lost their self-respect and so become the most dangerous of men;

 

When we look around the world today we see a great deal of division

–         The U.K. is divided over the Brixit issue

–         The U.S. is divided over Donald Trump’s nationalism

–         Syria is divided by Assad’s regime

–         The Middle East is divided by the Israeli / Palestinian conflict

–         While East Africa is divided by war and famine

–         Closer to home, families are divided by divorce

 

Today our message focuses on the story of the Tower of Babel – this is one of the traditional readings for Pentecost

–         It speaks to a divided world

–         From Genesis 11, verses 1-9 we read…

 

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

A stairway to heaven:

In 1971 Jimmy Page and Robert Plant wrote a song called Stairway to Heaven

–         It became a rock classic & was later criticised (in the 80’s) by people who said that when you play it backwards one of the lines talks about Satan

–         If that’s true then I suggest you don’t play it backwards

–         It sounds better if you play it forwards anyway

 

The first verse goes something like this…

There’s a lady who’s sure all that glitters is gold And she’s buying a stairway to heaven. When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed With a word she can get what she came for. Ooh, ooh, and she’s buying a stairway to heaven.

 

When asked what the song was about Robert Plant said it was “about a woman getting everything she wanted all the time without giving back any thought or consideration…”  [1]

 

In other words, it’s about someone who is a bit spoilt in that they always get their own way, while taking others for granted

–         The song criticizes those who think they are entitled to special treatment because they have lots of money or because of who they know

–         This verse in particular is saying you can’t buy happiness – you can’t expect money to make life perfect, you can’t buy a stairway to heaven

–         You are not entitled to special treatment – life doesn’t owe you anything

 

Now, I’m not here to defend Led Zeppelin – I have no interest in condoning them or condemning them (and I can’t speak for the rest of the song either)

–         It’s simply an illustration to help us better understand Genesis 11

–         The people who built the Tower of Babel were a little bit like the woman in the song who thought she could buy a stairway to heaven

 

Genesis 11 is set sometime between Noah and Abraham when everyone still spoke the same language

–         Language is a great unifier – being able to reach a common understanding connects us and helps us to work together cooperatively

–         As the descendants of Noah repopulated the earth a group of them migrated east and settled on the plains of Mesopotamia where they decided to build a city with a tower reaching to the heavens

–         They were essentially trying to build a stairway to heaven

 

According to archaeologists and historians the tower of Babel was most probably an ancient ziggurat. It would have looked a bit like a pyramid with a staircase to the top. Unlike a pyramid though it wasn’t hollow inside and it wasn’t used as a tomb.

In those times people didn’t actually live in the city like we do today – the city was more of a temple complex

–         The purpose of the tower was to provide a gateway and a staircase for the gods to come down from their heavenly realm and bless the people

–         People didn’t walk up and down the staircase themselves – it was sacred space for the gods to use

–         Therefore, the ziggurat or the Tower of Babel was very much a symbol of pagan religion

 

Now when we hear the word ‘pagan’ we tend to think of someone who has no religion, when in actual fact a pagan is very religious

–         Pagans seek to placate and manipulate the gods for their own benefit

–         Pagans view the gods as having needs

–         They think, “If I take care of the gods, by making sacrifices and offerings, then they will take care of me”

–         It is a quid pro quo arrangement: you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours

–         Pagans basically think they can pay the gods off and buy their way into heaven

 

In contrast to paganism, Christians believe there is only one God and He doesn’t have needs – He is Holy – meaning (among other things) that He is morally good and He doesn’t need us to take care of Him

–         God is not short of cash or any other resource

–         He doesn’t need anyone to build him a staircase to come down from heaven and He doesn’t need anyone to feed him with offerings of food

–         In fact it is the other way around – we need God to provide for us

 

Now, because God has no needs he cannot be manipulated – He is free – and the idea of a free God who won’t be manipulated is quite scary for some

–         What might the most powerful being in the universe to do us?

 

Given that we need God to provide for our needs and given that we can’t control God then it logically follows the only way we can relate with God is by faith – by trusting in His goodness & grace to provide for us

 

Faith in God’s grace, as opposed to buying a stairway to heaven – this is what makes Christian religion different from pagan religions

 

Verse 4 of Genesis 11 reveals the pagan nature of the building project

–         The people were building a city and a staircase for the gods so they could make a name for themselves and not be scattered over the whole earth

–         They were seeking to harness the power of the gods to leave a legacy – to make themselves famous and secure

–         We need to be careful what we wish for – the people of Babel did become infamous for all the wrong reasons

 

The builders of Babel’s stairway to heaven stand in stark contrast to Abram – the wandering Aramean who doesn’t settle in one place for too long, but walks by faith, trusting in God’s promises

 

You know, sometimes paganism can creep into Christianity

–         In its most obvious form paganism is known as ‘cargo cult’ or ‘prosperity doctrine’

–         The idea that if I give a lot of money to God he will bless me with health and prosperity and my life will go well – this is false

–         God does not promise us health and prosperity – these things are not entitlements. Nor are they for sale. They are gifts, pure and simple

–         We give back to God out of gratitude for what he has already given us

–         We give without strings

–         We practice generosity because God is generous

 

Sometimes though our paganism can be more subtle

–         Maybe we live a good clean life,

–         We meet our obligations and pay our taxes,

–         We take care of our family,

–         We serve in the life of the church (perhaps sacrificially),

–         We do everything right and yet we still have this abiding feeling of resentment, simmering away just beneath the surface

–         If that’s the case for us then perhaps on some sub conscious level our paganism is at work so that we think we are being short changed and that God owes us for all we’ve done for him

–         Like the lady in the song (deep down) we think we are entitled

 

One way to counter the dormant paganism which resides in each of us is to stay in touch with our vices – be honest with ourselves about our sin

–         If we turn a blind eye to the darkness in us and if try too hard to be good all the time, it usually comes back to bite us on the bum

–         We end up thinking that our good behaviour entitles us to special treatment, so that we shouldn’t suffer injustice or misfortune

–         We are not entitled to any special treatment in this life

–         God doesn’t promise that we won’t suffer.

–         To be sustainable our good behaviour needs to be born out of gratitude for God’s grace, not out of fear of calamity

 

The elder brother, in the parable of the prodigal son, shows us the ugly face of paganism when he refuses to come in and celebrate his younger brother’s return

–         The elder son thinks his long service and good behaviour entitles him to certain benefits which his reckless undeserving brother is now enjoying

–         He resents the Father’s grace toward the younger son

 

In the parable of the labourers we see an attitude of entitlement (and paganism) by those who worked all day and were paid the same as those who worked less time

 

These are negative examples – let me give you a more positive one…

–         You may remember Steve Askin, the helicopter pilot who died while fighting fires in Canterbury earlier this year

–         Well Steve’s dad is a Baptist pastor – Paul Askin

–         I shared a ride from the airport to a pastors’ conference with Paul Askin a few years ago – he’s a genuine soul

 

Anyway, after his son Steve had died fighting the fire, Paul was interviewed by the news media and he said…

–         ‘I got to spend 38 years with Steve’

–         What struck me here is that Paul said this with gratitude

–         Although he had suffered a terrible loss Paul was thankful for the time he had been given with his son

–         He didn’t deny his loss but nor did he deny the gift of Steve’s life

 

Paul is an outstanding pastor – he has served God faithfully for many years

–         If anyone might deserve a break its him

–         But Paul didn’t think his service to the Lord entitled him to special benefits – despite the pain he was in there was no resentment

 

Now I’m not saying it’s bad to feel angry when we suffer loss

–         Resentment is not always a sign of paganism

–         Grief is an unpredictable critter and we all handle our grief in different ways the best we can

–         All I’m saying is: in that moment, when Paul was at his most vulnerable, I saw Christ who didn’t think he was entitled to special favours because he was God’s Son but rather accepted the cross he was given

 

God’s judgment is salvation:

In verse 5 the Lord comes down to see the not yet completed city and tower

–         Clearly the Lord didn’t need the people to build him a stairway – he was quite capable of managing the journey to earth without their help

 

The fact that God came down to investigate shows us that God is fair & just

–         He doesn’t react rashly or flippantly – the Lord’s response is measured and considered – taking into account the facts

 

When God sees what they are doing he says to the heavenly council (which is presumably the other members of the Trinity and the angels in heaven)…

 

“If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

 

God can see the people have embarked on a bad path – one which would ultimately be destructive to the builders’ themselves and to others

–         So God intervenes to prevent a disaster

 

Now we might ask ourselves, ‘What is the offense here? Why does God deem it necessary to intervene?’

–         Well, it’s not that cities or towers or other forms of technology are bad and it’s not that working together is bad either

–         Nor is it bad to want to leave a legacy

–         As we heard last week God chose a city (Jerusalem) as a dwelling for his footstool – the Ark

–         Not only that but he promised to make David’s name great and give David an everlasting legacy

 

Most likely the problem is with the people’s perception of God – their pagan theology sucks [2]

–         They have seriously misunderstood God by thinking he has needs and can be manipulated like a man

–         Paganism is fundamentally bad because it is based on a lie and eventually leads to all sorts of evil including human sacrifice

–         As a consequence God prevents them from doing further harm by taking away the key to their success – he confuses their language

 

Imagine for a moment that you’ve had some friends over to watch the rugby

–         Although you have been a responsible host one of your mates has had a bit too much to drink

–         You invite him to stay for the night but he refuses. So you offer to drive him home yourself but he won’t let you do that either

–         In the end you have no choice but to take his keys off him and wait for him to pass out on your living room floor

–         He isn’t too happy with you but that’s better than letting him drive drunk at the risk of causing an accident

 

By deeming your mate unfit to drive and taking his keys away you have passed judgment on him – but it’s a merciful judgment – a judgment which saves him

 

By confusing the languages God was taking the keys away from the builders and passing judgment on them – but it was a merciful judgment

–         In fact God’s judgment (in this context) is also His salvation

 

By scattering the people over all the earth the Lord was actually giving them a second chance – He wasn’t destroying them

–         But nor was he enabling their fantasy – he wasn’t colluding with their lie

–         He was putting them in a position of vulnerability where they would have a better chance of learning to trust Him

 

Verse 9 explains why the abandoned building site was called “Babel”

–         Babel is a parody on the Akkadian word Babilu from which we get the name Babylon – meaning ‘gate of god’ [3]

–         I say that Babel is a parody of Babilu because Babel is the Hebrew word for confusion and as providence would have it Babel also sounds very close to the English word babble

 

Babylon (or Babel as the Jews called it) was of course a city of exile for the Hebrew people – so you could imagine the delight the Jewish exiles had in reading this story of Babel – the city of their enemies

–         The narrator of Genesis is essentially criticising Babylonian theology

–         He’s basically saying, you think that Babylon is the ‘gate of the gods’ but you are confused – completely deluded in fact.

–         You can’t build or buy a stairway to heaven.

–         Right relationship with God is by faith, not manipulation.

 

Conclusion:

Today we celebrate Pentecost and the gift of God’s Spirit

–         At Pentecost we catch a glimpse of God’s plan of salvation for the world

–         The Holy Spirit translates the truth about Jesus for us

–         Not only that but the Holy Spirit resides in our hearts

–         And when the Spirit of Jesus is in our heart we don’t need to build a stairway to heaven because God is right there inside us already

–         Like an antidote to our hidden paganism the Spirit gently shows us our vices (He convicts us of our sin) and reassures us of God’s grace & forgiveness

 

When we look at what happened next (after Acts 2) we find that Jesus’ followers didn’t gather in Jerusalem for long

–         Rather God scattered the believers outward from Jerusalem to Samaria and to the ends of the earth,

–         And as they went the believers spread the good news of salvation by faith in Jesus

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/4-jun-2017-the-tower-of-babylon

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stairway_to_Heaven

[2] Refer John Walton’s (NIVAC) on Genesis, pages 371-377 and 379-382.

[3] Refer Bruce Waltke’s commentary on Genesis, page 181.