Tawa Baptist

Appreciation

Scripture:  Luke 7:36-50 

Title: Appreciation

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Appreciation is about acknowledging value
  • Appreciation vs. depreciation – Luke 7:36-50
  • The importance of receiving and enjoying
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Today we continue our series on well-being and care of the soul, using the acronym: HEALING.

–         Each letter represents a word which, when properly applied, is life giving to the human soul…

–         Hope Energy Appreciation Lament Inter-dependence Nurture & Giving

–         A couple of Sundays ago we heard about the soul’s energy

–         Today our message focuses on appreciation

Appreciation is about acknowledging value:

Appreciation is about acknowledging value

–         We might for example appreciate the value of a sunset by taking time to sit and enjoy looking at it

–         Or if someone gives a good performance on stage or on the sports field we might acknowledge the value of that performance by standing to clap

–         Or if we lived in another part of the world, we might appreciate good service at a restaurant by tipping the waiter

–         Or if someone gives us a gift we might say ‘thank you’ as a way of acknowledging the value of the gift but also to show that we value the giver

Appreciation is about acknowledging value – it’s about saying, this is meaningful, this matters to me

–         Appreciation helps to strengthen connections with other people – it makes us feel better and it makes them feel better

 

We could say appreciation is a life giving exchange – sort of like breathing

–         With breathing we take in oxygen, then we give back carbon dioxide

–         With appreciation we receive the gift (whatever it happens to be) and then we give back thanksgiving & praise

–         And in that little exchange something changes in us so we feel more connected and less alone

Expressing gratitude demonstrates value for the relationship

–         But before we can be truly thankful we have to enjoy the gift

 

I have here a dry sponge and a bucket of water

–         Imagine that this sponge represents the human heart and the water represents something good – something of value to appreciate

–         If I squeeze this dry sponge nothing comes out because nothing has gone in – but if I immerse the sponge in the bucket it comes out dripping with water. It’s like that with expressing gratitude

–         In the same way that this sponge can’t express water unless it has been immersed in water, so too our hearts can’t express love & gratitude unless we have taken the gift in and allowed it to touch us and affect us

 

There are two parts to appreciation: enjoying the gift and expressing gratitude

–         Gratitude is the fruit of appreciation, enjoyment is the root

–         To truly value something we need to take it in and enjoy it

 

Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday this past week we were given three beautiful sunny days

–         I found myself thanking God for the gifts of sunshine and blue sky

–         I valued the sunshine because we’d had a lot of bad weather lately

–         Having said that I was also conscious that I wasn’t able to fully appreciate (or enjoy) the sunny day because I had work to do

–         So my appreciation or enjoyment of God’s gift wasn’t as complete as it might have been

–         To fully appreciate something (to properly value the gift and the giver) we need to fully receive and enjoy the gift

–         No point in only dipping the sponge half way

–         We need to take the gift in fully and allow ourselves to be touched or affected by the kindness of the giver

 

Here’s another example for you

–         In my hand is a Whittaker’s Sante bar

–         Now say I gave this chocolate bar to someone as a gift

–         They might say, ‘Thank you Will’ because that’s the polite thing to say but saying ‘thank you’ is only half of the process of appreciation

–         The other half involves removing the wrapper and taking some time to enjoy eating the chocolate

–         However, the process of appreciation isn’t totally complete until the person receiving the chocolate feels touched in their heart by the gift

–         True appreciation involves a shift or a change in the deeper parts of ourselves, like oxygen changing to carbon dioxide in our lungs or a dry sponge soaking up water

–         Gratitude is the fruit of appreciation, enjoyment is the root

 

Of course it follows that our appreciation – both our enjoyment and our gratitude – is usually proportional to our felt need

–         For example, we appreciate (or value) a glass of cold water more on a hot day when we are thirsty

–         Just as we appreciate (or value) a doctor more when we are feeling sick

–         Or we appreciate our own bed more after we’ve been travelling away

–         I could go on but you get the point, the greater our need the greater our appreciation when that need is met

 

Appreciation vs. depreciation – in Luke 7:36-50

Please turn with me to Luke 7, page 86, toward the back of your pew Bibles

–         To help us explore this concept of appreciation we are going to read a gospel story of two very different responses to Jesus

–         The woman in this story appreciates Jesus – she values him

–         While the man depreciates Jesus.

–         From Luke chapter 7, verse 36, we read…

36 A Pharisee invited Jesus to have dinner with him, and Jesus went to his house and sat down to eat. 37 In that town was a woman who lived a sinful life. She heard that Jesus was eating in the Pharisee’s house, so she brought an alabaster jar full of perfume 38 and stood behind Jesus, by his feet, crying and wetting his feet with her tears. Then she dried his feet with her hair, kissed them, and poured the perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee saw this, he said to himself, “If this man really were a prophet, he would know who this woman is who is touching him; he would know what kind of sinful life she lives!”

40 Jesus spoke up and said to him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Yes, Teacher,” he said, “tell me.”

41 “There were two men who owed money to a moneylender,” Jesus began. “One owed him five hundred silver coins, and the other owed him fifty. 42 Neither of them could pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Which one, then, will love him more?”

43 “I suppose,” answered Simon, “that it would be the one who was forgiven more.”

“You are right,” said Jesus. 44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your home, and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45 You did not welcome me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing my feet since I came. 46 You provided no olive oil for my head, but she has covered my feet with perfume. 47 I tell you, then, the great love she has shown proves that her many sins have been forgiven. But whoever has been forgiven little shows only a little love.”

48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

49 The others sitting at the table began to say to themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”

50 But Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this story for us

 

Each Sunday, when we arrive at church, we are greeted by four people at the door whose job it is to welcome us as we cross the threshold

–         These welcomers normally shake your hand, smile at you, say ‘hello’ and give you a newsletter as you pass by

–         [Put on rubber gloves]

–         Imagine for a moment that the people on the door were wearing rubber gloves like these and a face mask like this, when you arrived

–         And what if, instead of shaking your hand, they gave your hands a squirt with sanitiser – how would that make you feel?

–         Well it sends a mixed message – it says, ‘Come in, but don’t get too close.’ ‘Fill the pews but don’t make a mess’

–         It’s also a bit insulting, in that it says, ‘I’m clean and you’re dirty’

–         Most people would feel pretty depreciated to be greeted like this

 

In our reading from Luke 7 a Pharisee invites Jesus to dinner and Jesus accepts the invitation

–         However, when Jesus arrives he is not welcomed with any of the normal courtesies we might expect in ancient middle eastern culture

–         Simon does not greet Jesus with a kiss on the check, which is the equivalent of shaking his hand and saying ‘nice to see you’

–         He does not give Jesus any water to wash his feet, which is like hanging up a person’s coat for them, when they arrive, and offering them a drink

–         Nor does Simon provide any olive oil for Jesus’ head, which in Middle Eastern culture would be as rude as wearing rubber gloves & a face mask

In short Simon, the host, ignores Jesus his guest

–         Now, if you were born and raised in NZ then, like me, you probably don’t appreciate just how socially embarrassing this is to Jesus

–         Simon’s lack of hospitality is a calculated insult

–         This is not an accident, nor is Simon ignorant

–         He means to humiliate Jesus in public – to make him look small and unimportant

–         It’s sort of like being invited to a pool party and having the host ‘down-trou’ you in front of all the other guests – it shows a lack of respect for you as a person and lack of value for the relationship

–         Apparently Simon does not appreciate who Jesus is

–         In fact Simon is apathetic toward Jesus – he simply does not care and consequently he devalues Jesus

 

Although Jesus had the right to say, ‘I see I’m not welcome here’ and then leave in a huff, he doesn’t

–         Instead Jesus practices what he preaches by turning the other cheek and staying to face the man who has insulted him

 

Simon’s apathy is in direct contrast to the woman who had lived a sinful life

–         We are not told the name of this woman but Luke’s account makes it clear that she appreciates Jesus – she values him

–         In some way (we don’t know exactly how) Jesus had made a profound impression on this woman

–         Most likely she heard him give a message about how God loves & forgives sinners – which for her would be like a beautiful fine day after years of bad weather

–         Whatever form Jesus’ grace came in, the woman values and enjoys it

–         She didn’t hold Jesus at arm’s length with rubber gloves or quarantine  his message in some corner of her brain

–         She allowed her heart to be touched and deeply affected by Jesus

 

When she hears that Jesus is at Simon’s house she goes to express her gratitude taking a jar of perfume

–         Now this would have required a fair bit of courage because Simon was at the top of the social scale, a Pharisee with a really good reputation

–         And she was somewhere near the bottom, a woman with a really bad reputation

–         She was walking into the lion’s den – she was going where she didn’t belong

–         This woman’s love & gratitude for Jesus is greater than her fear

But when she sees the appalling way that Simon treats Jesus she tries to alleviate Jesus’ humiliation and compensate for Simon’s rudeness by providing what the host did not

 

In ancient Middle Eastern culture people didn’t eat sitting down at tables like we do

–         They reclined on the ground in a sort of horse shoe shape with their heads facing in and their feet sticking out

–         So the woman would have had easy access to Jesus’ feet and she would have been seen by everyone

–         The woman has some perfume with her but she doesn’t have water or a towel – and why would she? Anyone would assume that Simon had taken care of that

–         So she improvises – she uses her tears to wet Jesus’ feet and her hair to dry them

Kenneth Bailey observes just how shocking this woman’s behaviour was [1]

–         In that cultural setting women were not supposed to let their hair down in public and they weren’t supposed to touch a man

–         Yet this woman does both those things

–         It would have been more practical to use the folds of her dress to dry Jesus’ feet but she uses her hair – that’s unusual even in our culture

She is so focused on Jesus, so grateful for what Jesus has done, that she enters into Jesus’ pain of rejection in a way that is costly to her

–         The greater the cost, the greater the value, the greater the appreciation

–         Washing feet was a job reserved for the lowest of the low

–         You don’t maintain honour and avoid shame by washing feet

–         Jesus had been humiliated by Simon and the woman stood in solidarity with Jesus by not only washing his feet but kissing them as well

–         I expect she wasn’t concerned with other people’s opinions of her

–         Like they say in AA, ‘What other people think of me is none of my business’

 

Jesus would have been expected to tell the woman to stop and go to the temple to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving there

–         But Jesus doesn’t do this – he appreciates (he values) what she is doing

–         We, the reader, can see what this woman senses – that God’s presence resides in Jesus in a special way. [2]

–         Jesus is greater than the temple – so the woman has brought her fragrant offering of thanksgiving to the right person & place

 

Simon, who doesn’t yet appreciate just who Jesus is, concludes that Jesus must be a fraud, otherwise he would know who this woman was and get out his rubber gloves and foot sanitiser

Jesus spoke up and said, ‘Simon, I have something to tell you.’

–         In other words, I need to be frank & you might not like it

‘There were two men who owed money to a moneylender. One owed him 500 silver coins and the other one fifty. Neither of them could pay him back. So he cancelled the debts of both. Which one then will love him more?’

–         And Simon answers, ‘I suppose the one who was forgiven more.’

Then Jesus says, ‘You are right’ and proceeds to point out that Simon did not extend any of the normal courtesies to him while a woman with a bad reputation went beyond the norm in a generous outpouring of love

Jesus does not mean to insult Simon but he does mean to make Simon face the truth about himself – because it’s the truth that sets us free

–         The money lender in the parable represents God

–         The one who owed 500 silver coins represents the woman

–         And the one who owed only 50 coins is Simon

Jesus’ message is clear – Simon is not that different from the woman

–         Like the woman, Simon the Pharisee is also a sinner

–         He may not have sinned as much as the woman but he is still a sinner unable to repay his debt to God and in need of God’s forgiveness

–         The fact that the woman loves Jesus so obviously and so much proves that she truly appreciates (truly values) how much she has been forgiven

–         By the same token, Simon’s apathy toward Jesus (his failure to value Jesus) proves that he is not even aware of his need for forgiveness

Jesus vindicates the woman and covers her with honour saying…

–         The great love she has shown proves that her many sins have been forgiven. But whoever has been forgiven little shows only a little love

You see Jesus loves Simon too and wants to help him to appreciate the reality of his situation so that Simon will respond with gratitude to the gift of forgiveness

 

Having spoken to Simon, Jesus then talks to the woman directly saying…

–         Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.

Again we have to appreciate the culture here

–         Men & women were not supposed to talk to each other in public

–         And while the woman doesn’t say anything, Jesus does speak to her

–         But that’s not the most shocking thing

–         Forgiveness is something that God does

–         Jesus is giving this woman a divine pardon and in so doing he is claiming divine authority and painting a target on his own back

 

Appreciation is about acknowledging value

–         The woman valued the gift of Jesus’ forgiveness by expressing her gratitude in a costly way

–         And in that little exchange something changes in her so that she feels more connected and less alone

–         Simon, on the other hand, couldn’t appreciate Jesus’ forgiveness because he didn’t even realise his need for it

–         Consequently he was detached and unaffected

 

We are not told how this encounter with Jesus affected Simon

–         I would like to think that he was cut to the core and changed his mind about Jesus, but I expect that is wishful thinking on my part

–         Certainly Simon’s mates (the Pharisees) depreciated Jesus – they were instrumental in arranging Jesus’ crucifixion

 

The importance of receiving & enjoying:

In his book Flourish, Martin Seligman talks about the value of keeping a thankfulness diary

–         That is, at the end of each day, writing down three things that went well and why they went well

–         It might be that it that you saw a rare bird that day

–         Or it could be that you passed an exam

–         Or maybe you were in the right place at the right time to help someone

–         This simple technique helps to retrain one’s mind to see the good news

–         What we think about grows in our mind – why not sow positive seeds

–         And it is good advice, but to save this from becoming an empty exercise, where we just go through the motions, we need to be intentional about enjoying both the big and little gifts that come our way

–         After all, gratitude is the fruit of appreciation, enjoyment is the root

So one of the key questions relating to appreciation is: how do I enjoy things?

–         How do I fully take things in? How do I receive and value them?

–         Well, we receive by faith

–         Receiving requires us to be open and to trust

Some people have no problem with receiving & enjoying things but others (often religious types) have a hard time with it

–         Maybe we’ve been hurt in the past and our trust has been damaged so we put a bit of distance between ourselves and others – we struggle to receive because receiving makes us feel vulnerable

–         Or maybe we don’t want to be anyone’s debtor, we want to be the one in control, so we do lots of things to help the people around us without ever accepting what they might want to do for us in return – but that just makes us feel more alone

–         Or maybe we are just too proud to accept help – we want to maintain the illusion that we are the hero, that we don’t have needs, that we are better than other people

–         Or perhaps we don’t value ourselves that much – we don’t think we are worthy to receive and enjoy good things

–         Maybe we feel guilty…

o   How can I enjoy a nice meal out when others are starving?

o   How can I enjoy this promotion at work when others are being made redundant?

o   How can I enjoy this holiday when others are going without?

–         There are lots of things that get in the way of our enjoyment – whatever the reason, a failure to receive and enjoy the good things God offers will leave the sponge of our heart dry and unable to express love & gratitude

 

Just a matter of hours before his crucifixion Jesus took the place of a servant and washed his disciples’ feet

–         I imagine it was a humbling experience for everyone in the room

–         Peter, however, refused to let Jesus wash his feet

–         So Jesus said to Peter, ‘If you don’t let me wash your feet you are no longer my disciple.’ [3]

–         In other words, you have to receive this from me

–         If the sponge of your heart is not immersed in the water of my love then you will have nothing to offer

–         What good is a dry sponge – what good is a loveless heart?

 

Conclusion:

We don’t get to choose what form God’s grace comes to us in

–         It might come in the form of a beautiful day after weeks of foul weather

–         It might come in the form of someone cooking a meal for us

–         It might come in the form of being forgiven

–         It might come in the form of a word of Scripture meant just for us

–         It might come in the form of someone washing our feet or our car or our dishes or our floor

–         At some point or other God’s grace is bound to come in a form that makes us feel embarrassed, awkward and vulnerable

–         Good! We don’t get to choose what form God’s grace comes to us in

–         But we do get to choose whether we will appreciate it

May God’s grace humble us in a good way

–         May God’s grace wash away any illusions we have of being in control

–         May God’s grace get under our skin and into our heart

–         And may we enjoy it – may we savour it and appreciate it and value it for all its worth

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

1.)    What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.)    Can you think of a time in your life when you really appreciated something?

–         What happened? What were the circumstances?

–         Why did you appreciate it so much?

3.)    How does Jesus respond to Simon’s public insult/humiliation of him?

–         Putting yourself in Jesus’ shoes, how might you have felt &/or responded?

4.)    How does the woman respond to Jesus’ grace for her?

–         What was costly and risky about her response?

5.)    How does Jesus respond to the woman’s outpouring of love?

–         Putting yourself in Jesus’ shoes, how might you have felt &/or responded?

6.)    How does appreciation grow connection and make us feel less alone?

7.)    What is the meaning of the parable in verses 41-42?

8.)    Do you struggle to receive?

–         If yes, why is that do you think?

–         How might you better enjoy God’s good gifts?

9.)    Make some time this week to really appreciate something.

(E.g. reading a good book, going out for coffee with a friend, having a soak in the bath or a walk in the bush or by the sea – whatever it is you enjoy doing.)

 

[1] Kenneth Bailey, ‘Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes’, page 248-249

[2] Ibid, page 257

[3] John 13:8

Tawa Baptist

God’s Word in the Bible

(Scroll down to read Guidelines for reading the Bible)

Key Idea: The Bible is like a bag of groceries – it holds the Word of God

 

This morning we are thinking about the Bible

–         There are many things we could say about the Bible but I’m not going to try and say everything today

–         This morning I want to focus on just one image of the Bible

–         The Bible is like a bag of groceries

–         Just as a bag of groceries holds food, so too the Bible holds the Word of God – the Word of God is like food for our soul

–         The Bible opens up a whole New World to us

 

In Matthew 4, verse 4, Jesus says: “Human beings don’t live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”

–         Which is another way of saying we don’t just need bread to survive, we also need the Word of God

–         Bread feeds our body and the Word of God feeds our soul

–         Just as food gives us strength and nourishment and comfort – it makes us feel good and keeps us healthy

–         So too the Word of God (found in the Bible) strengthens and comforts our soul, keeping our heart & mind healthy

 

Let me show you what I’ve got here in this bag of groceries

–         Here we have some vegetables – potatoes, carrots and an onion

–         Some fruit – apples, bananas and a lemon

–         As well as some bread & butter, some nuts, baked beans and chocolate

When we eat food we try to get a balance in our diet – it’s the same with reading the Bible, we need a balanced and varied diet of Scripture

–         Just as my bag of groceries contains a variety of different kinds of food, so too the Bible contains a variety of different kinds of words & books

Some of the words in the Bible are really old laws, like the 10 commandments – do not steal, do not lie, do not covet and so on

–         Sometimes reading the law is a bit like eating your vegetables – you know it’s good for you but you would rather be eating ice-cream or bacon

Other parts of the Bible contain poetry and song lyrics, like the psalms or the Song of Solomon

–         Some of the poetry is sweet to read, like eating apples or grapes

–         And other pieces of poetry are bitter or sour, like lemons or onions

–         All these different types of writing add flavour to the Bible

 

Now you can see here that some of the items of food can be eaten as they are, raw and without preparation

–         For example, apples don’t need to be cooked or peeled or anything like that – you can put this apple straight in your mouth and chew

–         But other items of food need to be prepared before you can eat them

–         For example, the potatoes need to be boiled or baked

–         And before you can eat nuts you need to remove the shell

–         Or before you eat a banana you need to peel the skin

–         Or before you eat baked beans you need to open the can & heat the beans

Reading the Bible is bit like that too

–         There are some passages in the Bible which you can simply listen to and understand without removing the skin or cooking them first

–         But there are other passages that need some preparation before they can be understood

–         The book of Revelation needs a lot of preparation before it can be understood – reading Revelation raw, without any knowledge of the rest of the Bible or without any awareness of the context in which it was written, will probably make you sick, like eating raw chicken

–         Some parts of the Bible are a bit like nuts in that you have to crack them open before you can eat them – the meaning isn’t always obvious at first

Whether food needs preparation or not, it always needs chewing before swallowing and once it has been swallowed it needs time to digest

–         It’s similar with reading the Bible – if it doesn’t make sense straight away, don’t panic and don’t give up. Take your time with it…

o   Ask God to help you understand what he is saying,

o   Chew it over in your mind,

o   Think about the context in which it was written and what the original purpose was,

o   Talk about it with other Christians, get another perspective

o   Give it time to digest – the meaning will come

 

The Bible is like a bag of groceries – it holds the Word of God

At a basic level we eat for our health, so that we don’t get sick or starve

–         But we also eat for enjoyment and comfort

–         So when you sit down to read the Bible, don’t think of it like a chore or a duty or a rule that you have to follow to try and keep God happy

–         Think of it as something you do for the well-being of your soul and for pleasure – enjoy it like you would a bowl of macaroni cheese or a piece of chocolate or whatever it is you enjoy eating

 

We’ve talked about the fruit and veges and nuts of the Bible, but the bread & butter of the Bible is stories

–         The Bible is full of stories about people and Jesus and God

–         Stories feed our soul with meaning and purpose

–         A Bible story has the power to help us to make sense of our lives

–         Some of the people in the Bible might be similar to us in some way and so we can identify with them

–         Their story is sort of like our story and so we feel close to them

–         It’s like they have faced the same sort of challenges we are facing and that makes us feel less alone, more brave

 

There’s a young girl named Sadie whose favourite Bible story is the one about David & Goliath [1]

–         Sadie likes David because David is a bit like her – he is young and small and he faced a giant

–         The story of David & Goliath helped her when someone bigger at school was mean to her

–         David gave her courage not to be afraid but to speak up for what is right and to get help from a teacher

–         Because she was like David, and God was with David, Sadie believes that God is by her side also

My question to you this morning is: what is your favourite Bible story and why?

–         What story feeds your soul and comforts you?

–         What story is similar to yours?

–         Who is it that inspires you to be brave?

 

Jesus said “I am the bread of life”

–         Which is another way of saying that Jesus is the Word of God who feeds our soul – we can find strength and comfort in Jesus. Let us pray… 

Father God, we thank you for the Bible. Help us to be nourished and comforted as we feed on your Word

–         Jesus, you are the bread of life

Father God, we pray for those who are hungry or sad. May you satisfy the needs of body & soul

–         Jesus, you are the bread of life

Father God, we pray for those affected by natural disasters in Japan, America, the Philippians and other parts of the world. Lord have mercy.

–         Jesus, you are the bread of life

Father God, we pray for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. May they be aware of your nearness and grace.

–         Jesus, you are the bread of life

Father God, we pray for those who feel scared or alone. May you give courage and friendship

–         Jesus, you are the bread of life

Father God, we pray for those who haven’t read the Bible or don’t know the true story about Jesus. Bring your Word in season

–         Jesus, you are the bread of life

Father God, we are sorry for the times when we have ignored your Word by neglecting justice & mercy. Give us strength to do what is right

–         Jesus, you are the bread of life. Amen.

 

Following are some guidelines for how we might read and understand the Bible, as well as some practical exercises that you can try…

Some guidelines for reading the Bible

Pray

Reading the Bible is part of an on-going conversation with God. Before you start, ask God to help you understand what you are reading so you can discern what is meant for you and what isn’t. Not everything you read will specifically apply to you at the time, but some things might.

 

Jesus

Jesus is the central organising principle and person of the Bible. From a Christian perspective the main point of the Bible is Jesus. He is like the hub which holds the wheel together. The Old Testament points to Jesus and the New Testament reveals Jesus. Jesus Christ is the lens through which we understand the Scriptures. He is the living Word of God, the common thread, woven through the Bible.

 

Context

Context is the key to unlocking meaning. The Bible was written thousands of years ago on the other side of the world (the Ancient Near East). Therefore to understand what a passage of Scripture is saying we need to be mindful of the historical and cultural context in which the text was written. We may approach the Bible with our own 21st Century scientific thinking but that is not necessarily how people in the ancient world thought. The questions we are asking today may not be the same as the questions the Bible seeks to answer. We have to allow the Bible to speak on its own terms.

To get a handle on the context of a particular passage of Scripture, ask yourself the following:

–         What was the situation of the person writing this piece of Scripture?

–         What was the situation of the original intended audience?

–         Is their situation similar to mine or different?

o   If it is similar, then in what way?

o   If it is quite different then perhaps this passage does not have a direct or specific application to my life at this time.

–         What was the purpose of the author in writing?

–         What meaning would the original audience have got from what was written?

You may need a Biblical commentary to answer these sorts of questions

 

Scripture interprets Scripture

This principle is closely related to context. The various books of the Bible are inter-related. The Bible has its own internal integrity. If the meaning of a particular passage or word is unclear we can often (although not always) find clarity by comparing it to another part of the Bible which talks about the same or similar things.  Ask yourself:

–         What are the verses around my chosen text saying? (That is, widen the lens of your focus to read what comes immediately before and after)

–         What do other Bible passages, which deal with a similar idea or theme, say about this?

 

Scripture interprets us

While we may think we are interpreting the Bible, we often discover the Bible is interpreting us. By which I mean, our responses / interpretations of the Bible often reveal more about the way we think, and what we value, than anything else. If we find ourselves reacting strongly against something we read, we need to ask ourselves why that is? Reading the Bible requires some self-awareness.

 

Humility

We need to approach the Bible with humility by recognising there are limits to our understanding. For example, we weren’t there at the beginning when God created the cosmos so we should be careful not to become too entrenched in our views about the age of the earth, etc. Likewise we live within the confines of time so we don’t really have suitable categories for understanding eternity. Therefore we shouldn’t claim to know the temperature of hell or the furniture of heaven.  While there are some things we know to be true and can rely on we don’t see the full picture. Only God knows the whole truth.

 

Read Scripture in conversation with other believers

Talk about your understanding (or misunderstanding) of the Bible with other Christians. Ask those you trust what they think of your interpretation or application and whether you are on the right track or not. We need the perspective that others can bring. We can get this perspective by participating in a Bible study group and/or by reading Biblical commentaries written by reputable scholars.

 

Apply what you can

True understanding comes with experience. To know something in more than an intellectual (head knowledge) sort of way we need to put it into practice. For example, to really understand the release of forgiveness we have to realise our own mistakes and receive forgiveness. We also need to forgive others. Or, to understand what it means to be ‘poor in spirit’ we have to plumb the depths and reach the end of our own resources.

 

Be patient

Give it time. We can’t expect to understand everything all at once. The Word of God is like a seed. It gets under our skin and takes root in our heart & mind, growing while we don’t notice. Jesus tells us that one of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to lead us into truth. If we read the Bible in good faith and with an open heart the Spirit will shine light as we need it.

What’s more, there are layers of meaning in Scripture. The same Scripture can mean different things to us at different points in our life, depending on our experiences or circumstances at the time. It truly is a book that goes on giving.          

 

Some practical strategies for a devotional reading of Scripture

Listen to an audio recording of one of the shorter books of the Bible

The majority experience of early Christians was to hear the Scriptures read aloud. Hearing a whole New Testament letter or a whole gospel read out loud, in one sitting, gives a different perspective than just reading one or two chapters silently in our head. If you don’t have access to an audio recording you could read the Bible aloud to yourself or take it turns to read it aloud in a small group.

 

Meditate on a verse or a brief passage about Jesus

Put aside 20-40 minutes when you can be on your own, undisturbed. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you through the Scriptures you are reading. Start reading through one of the gospels. Take your time. When you come to a particular verse or passage that stands out to you or touches you in some way, pause over it. Read it over again slowly and carefully several times. Let it sink in. When you are ready ask yourself…

–         What does this mean?

–         What is God (or Jesus) saying about himself?

–         Why am I drawn to this verse?

–         What experience in my own life does this passage put me in touch with?

–         What might God be saying to me through this verse or passage?

–         Write down your thoughts in a journal

–         After a few days come back to the verse and to what you have written in your journal.

o   Have your thoughts and feelings changed?

o   Do you have anything more to add to your journal?

o   Is there anything further you need to do – like, share this with a trusted friend or take some action?

 

Imagine yourself in the story

Read a Bible story. For example, the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15. Imagine yourself in that story. That is, imagine yourself as the younger son, then as the older son, then as the father. Ask yourself…

–         How do I feel as the younger son (or daughter) returning home?

–         How do I feel as the older son (or daughter) standing outside the party?

–         How do I feel as the father (or mother) welcoming the younger child?

–         How do I feel as the father (or mother) when the older child speaks to me with such contempt?

–         Have I ever actually been in any of these situations in real life?

–         Who do I identify with most?

–         Where is God / Jesus in this story?

–         What is the Holy Spirit revealing to me about God, or myself, or others, through this story?

 

Compare a range of translations

Choose a psalm or the beatitudes or something similar. Look up the same psalm or passage in four or five different translations. You can do this on line if you don’t have several translations to hand. Compare and contrast the different translations. Ask yourself…

–         How are they different?

–         How are they the same?

–         What different nuances, perspectives or layers of meaning do each of the translations reveal

 

Read a book of the Bible alongside a commentary

Choose a particular book of the Bible to read. For example, the gospel of John or Isaiah. Get yourself a decent commentary on that book. You can order commentaries online. (The Bible Speaks Today series is generally easy to read with solid research behind it.) Read a chapter (give or take) of the Biblical book you have chosen each day and then read what the commentary is saying about that passage. Ask yourself…

–         What difference does this make to my understanding?

–         What do I agree with?

–         What am I struggling with?

–         Does the context of the Bible passage relate to us today in anyway? How?

You could do this exercise on your own or in a small group with one or two others. If you find that an academic commentary is too difficult to understand then Scripture Union provide a range of short Bible study notes designed to support a daily rhythm of Scripture reading.  The Scripture Union notes also offer a varied diet of Scripture over time.

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

1.)    What stands out for you in reading this sermon?

2.)    In what sense is the Bible like a bag of groceries?

3.)    What are your Bible reading rhythms / habits like?

4.)    How might we get a balanced diet of Scripture?

5.)    What can we do to crack open the meaning of Scripture?

6.)    How might you know whether a particular verse or passage of Scripture is God’s Word for you personally?

–         Have you ever had the experience of God speaking to you directly through the Bible?

–         How did you know it was God? What did God say? How did you respond?

7.)    What is your favourite Bible story (or character) and why?

8.)    Try one of the devotional Bible reading exercises above.

 

[1] https://biblesociety.org.nz/discover-the-bible/the-bible-good-for-life/

Tawa Baptist

Energy Part 1 – The Body’s Energy

Scripture: 1st Kings 19:1-9

Title: Energy – Part 1

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The body’s energy
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Today we continue our series on well-being and care of the soul, using the acronym: HEALING.

–         Each letter represents a word which, when properly applied, is life giving to the human soul…

–         Hope Energy Appreciation Lament Inter-dependence Nurture & Giving

–         Last Sunday we heard about hope

–         Today our message focuses on energy

 

When we talk about energy, as it relates to people, we mean the strength, vitality or power required for activity.

–         Energy is one of the resources we need to function and get things done.

–         Depression is a state of very low energy or exhaustion.

To help us explore this subject of energy we are going to look at an episode in the life of Elijah – from 1st Kings, chapter 19

–         Elijah was one of the great prophets of Israel

–         He lived at a time in Israel’s history when it wasn’t easy to follow the Lord – in fact the queen (Jezebel) wanted Elijah dead

–         In 1st Kings 19 Elijah is on the run for his life after defeating the prophets of Baal. He is at a very low ebb – physically & emotionally exhausted

–         From verse 1 we read…

Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets [of Baal] with the sword.  So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I don’t do the same thing to you.”

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,

But [Elijah] himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep.

Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again.

The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.” He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us

 

This morning I had planned to talk about two types of energy

–         Body energy and soul energy

–         But as I got into the preparation it became evident that I wasn’t going to be able to say everything I needed to in just one sermon

–         So, rather than having one really long message, I’ve decided to break it into two messages over two Sundays – focusing on the body’s energy today and looking at the soul’s energy next week

By ‘body energy’ I mean physical things like food & sleep

–         And by ‘soul energy’ I mean things that feed our mind, emotions & spirit

–         This is not to say that the body & soul are separate or unrelated

–         To the contrary there is a close relationship between our body & soul so that what happens to our soul can affect our body and vice versa

–         Nevertheless, the soul needs different things from the body – we cannot live by bread alone

–         But as I said before we’ll look at the soul’s energy next week – this morning is about the body’s energy

 

Body energy:

Since we are talking about the body, let’s have a little game of charades

–         I’ll mime something and you need to guess what it is I’m miming

o   Mime dancing a waltz

o   Mime riding a bike

o   Mime bowling a cricket ball

 

Now there are two skills each of these activities require – would anyone like to guess what they are?

–         (And if you need a clue the answer is on the back of the newsletter)

–         That’s right – rhythm and balance

 

Two things that help to support our energy levels are rhythm & balance

–         It’s like riding a bike – to keep the bike upright and moving forward you need to maintain the rhythm of your pedalling and your balance

–         If your rhythm is disturbed then it takes more energy to pedal – and if you go too fast or too slow you risk losing your balance and falling off

 

Just as rhythm & balance are essential when riding a bike or dancing, so too our body & soul are supported by rhythm & balance

–         To put it in more practical terms, if life gets out of balance – if we work too hard or don’t keep regular rhythms of eating & sleeping then our energy levels will be depleted

 

Elijah has been on a roller coaster – his lifestyle has lacked rhythm & balance

–         Consequently, in 1st Kings 19, we find Elijah at his lowest point

–         Jezebel wants him dead and he is running in fear for his life

–         Elijah feels isolated & alone – physically & emotionally exhausted

–         He has lost perspective – unable to see anything good in the future

–         He would rather be dead than carry on so he asks God to take his life

–         This is not suicide, at least not exactly, but it’s pretty close to it

–         Elijah is asking God to euthanize him

–         I don’t think Elijah actually wants to die – otherwise why would he be running away to save his life

–         But he does appear to be in a great deal of pain or distress and simply wants that distress to end

 

You’ve got to love the honesty of the Bible – they tell the story warts and all

–         This is shocking – how did Elijah get into such a despairing state?

–         In my mind Elijah is like the Yoda of Old Testament prophets – he’s like a Jedi master

–         On one occasion Elijah raised a widow’s son from the dead

–         Everything he predicts comes true and, less than 24 hours earlier, he won a massive victory over the priests of Baal

–         One would think that someone who was as strong in faith and as close to God as Elijah was would be immune from burn out & despair

 

Well, no. Being a servant of God does not give us immunity from despair

–         Following Jesus usually involves a dark night of the soul, at some stage

–         Yes, Jesus came to give us abundant life but the road to abundant life is sometimes marked by emptiness & pain

–         When we feel down we might think that God is not happy with us or that he is absent or that our faith is somehow faulty – but that’s not true

–         Jesus said,  “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”

–         Or as Eugene Peterson puts it, “You are blessed when you feel at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule”

–         You see, our feelings are not a reliable gauge of our faith – just as our energy levels are no indicator of the status of our relationship with God

 

In a strange way Elijah’s despair actually gives us hope

–         If we find ourselves stressed out, burned out, anxious and wishing our life was over, then we can read Elijah’s story and know that we are not alone

–         Not only that but we can know that God doesn’t give up on people – so there is a way through, healing is an option

–         People matter to God – we are not a disposable item to him

–         God refuses to euthanize Elijah – he doesn’t accept Elijah’s resignation

–         God would rather restore people and continue to use them in his service, despite our weakness and imperfection

–         God’s grace was sufficient for Elijah and it is sufficient for us

 

The Lord starts the restoration process by taking care of Elijah’s physical needs

–         He sends an angel who provides food and water for the exhausted prophet – Elijah is given time to eat and rest

–         It seems so obvious that it doesn’t need to be mentioned but food & sleep are essential to sustaining our body’s energy

 

We sang that song at the beginning of the service…

–         The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning…

–         We can’t always recognise God’s mercies at the end of the day when we are tired, but after a good night’s sleep our perspective returns and we can see the good news again

 

One of the keys to good quality sleep is rhythm – going to bed and getting up at the same time every day

–         Now I know this isn’t always possible, especially when you are caring for children, but you do the best you can under the circumstances

–         And if you miss a bit of sleep you don’t worry – you know you will cope and you can catch up later

 

Another key to maintaining bodily energy and quality sleep is physical exercise

–         I remember working as a builder’s labourer during one summer holidays

–         Building means an early start and it’s physically demanding – shifting dirt, lifting wood, swinging a hammer and being on your feet all day

–         It’s also mentally demanding in that you have to think about the smartest way to get something done without causing problems for anyone else

–         Man was I tired in the evening – I slept soundly for 9 hours in a row every night – but I had the physical energy I needed during the day

 

If we sit around all day looking at a screen then we can’t expect to get to sleep easily or to stay asleep for long

–         Incidentally, on the subject of screen time, you will improve your chances of getting to sleep if you turn off your devices an hour or two before going to bed – give yourself some time to wind down at night

 

The food we eat and the time we eat also affects our sleep

–         Everyone’s metabolism is a little bit different so you’ve got to work out what the best routine is for you

–         But generally speaking we tend to function better if we have a bigger meal at breakfast or lunch and eat a bit less in the evening

–         With diet the key is balance – not overdoing (or underdoing) anything

–         Sugar and caffeine are stimulants so we don’t need too much of that stuff, especially just before bed

–         Alcohol is a depressant so if we are already feeling a bit down then having a wine or a beer or a whisky is only going to make it worse

–         Having said that, it’s okay to have the odd coffee, or chocolate bar or beer, so long as you don’t have a problem with those sort of things

–         It’s like the Proverb says: If you find honey eat as much as is good for you – too much will make you sick [1]

–         The Biblical principle is self-control – you be in charge of your appetite, not the other way round

 

Much of what I’m saying is common sense and you’ve probably heard it before but for some strange reason it still takes most of us quite a while to learn to take care of our body’s energy

 

Another thing that helps with sleep is social connection

–         A neuroscientist by the name of John Cacioppo teamed up with some anthropologists and did some research on loneliness

–         What they found is that people who are lonely tend to have poor quality sleep while people with a strong sense of social connection sleep better [2]

 

Now you might wonder, how do they know this?

–         Well, anywhere in the world where people describe being lonely, they will also experience more ‘micro-awakenings’ throughout their sleep.

–         A micro awakening is a small moment in which you rise a little from your slumber. You are not likely to remember it the next day

–         But if you’ve got one of those Apple watches it will probably tell you

–         You can get an app that monitors your sleep these days

–         Apparently if we feel isolated or alone our brain won’t let us go into full sleep mode, because sub-consciously we don’t feel safe – we think no one has got our back

 

There’s a religious community in the States called the Hutterites

–         They are sort of like the Amish – they live off the land and work and eat and worship together

–         I don’t know what their theology is like but apparently they are a really close knit community where everyone has got everybody else’s back

–         When John and his team wired up people in the Hutterite community, they found the Hutterites had barely any micro-awakenings – because they had good social connections & could relax into a deep sleep

 

This relationship between healthy social connections and good quality sleep is an example of the way our body & soul interact

 

When we look at 1st Kings 19 the text makes it clear that Elijah felt completely alone

–         Not only was he physically alone in the wilderness under a solitary broom tree – he also says to the Lord, later on in the chapter…

–         ‘…I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.’

–         Elijah had good reason to feel anxious – in his isolation he believed no one had his back

 

Twice the angel touches Elijah to wake him up and prompt him to eat

–         It seems like a pretty ordinary detail but the angel wasn’t just feeding Elijah – the angel was also helping to calm Elijah

 

A couple of weeks ago a group of us from this church went to a seminar, led by Tricia Hendry, on how to support people who experience anxiety and it was really helpful

–         One of the practical things they taught us is how to help someone when they are extremely anxious and having a panic attack

 

The first thing is to stay calm yourself and the way to calm yourself, when you are holding anxious energy, is to breathe deeply and slowly

–         Not short shallow breaths from your chest but deep slow breaths from your stomach, like this [demonstrate breathing in & out]

–         Simply doing that will control your energy and the anxious person beside you will begin to catch your calmness

 

The other thing we can do to help people in an anxious state is get them to engage their senses

–         Using our senses grounds us – it brings us back to reality

 

So our bodies have five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell

–         If someone is acutely anxious you can say to them something like, ‘Look at the bird in the tree over there.’

–         Then they stop thinking about what is making them anxious and they start thinking about the bird in the tree

–         Or, if you know them well enough, you could simply touch them on the arm like this or hold their hand

–         Physical touch can be quite powerful really – it says in a tangible way, you are not alone, I am here with you

–         The other thing you can do is sit them down and give them something to eat or drink

–         In the old days when someone was upset the remedy was to give them a cup of tea to calm them down

–         That’s practical wisdom – it actually works to do that because it engages the person’s senses of taste and smell

 

Getting back to Elijah – the prophet was afraid, for good reason, so the angel calms Elijah’s fears by engaging his senses

–         First he touches Elijah, to wake him up

–         Then he speaks to Elijah, ‘have something to eat & drink’ – that engages Elijah’s sense of hearing

–         Elijah looks at the food and water jar beside him – so he’s using his sight

–         The cake is cooking on a hot stone therefore Elijah can smell it

–         Finally he tastes it

–         Throughout this simple process Elijah is not thinking about Jezebel (who makes him feel unsafe) – he’s thinking about food which comforts him

–         Touch, hearing, sight, smell and taste – the angel calms Elijah by engaging all five senses

–         This grounds Elijah in the reality that he is alive and he’s actually okay

–         God is our creator – he made us, he knows how we function and how to make us calm

 

Conclusion:

Once the Lord has addressed Elijah’s physical needs the prophet is then able to deal with the issues in his soul which are emptying him of the energy of hope

–         The Salvation Army have a saying: ‘Soup, soap and salvation’

–         The idea is that when someone comes to them for help they first take care of the body, with a meal and a bath, then they take care of the soul, with a conversation about Jesus

–         So the application for us is that when we feel exhausted the first step is to recover our body’s energy, through food and rest – then we will have the strength to attend to the deeper needs of our soul

–         Or if we feel overly anxious the first step is to breathe deeply and engage our senses to become calm – then we are in a better position to attend to whatever is troubling our soul and causing us anxiety

 

So often our modern response is to treat the body and stop there

–         But the root of the problem isn’t normally found in the body, the root of the problem is usually found in the soul

–         The body simply bears the fruit of the problem

 

That’s enough for today though – we’ll talk about the soul’s energy next week

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

1.)    What stands out for you in reading these Scriptures and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.)    What is energy?

3.)    What are some things we can do to support our body’s energy?

–         What is one thing in particular you need to do to care for your body?

–         (E.g. better sleep routines, change in diet, etc.)

4.)     How does God care for Elijah and restore his physical energy?

5.)    What are some practical things we can do to help calm someone who is experiencing acute anxiety or a panic attack?

6.)    Why did Elijah need to attend to the needs of his body before attending to the needs of his soul?

7.)    Take some time this week to sit still and breathe deeply from your stomach – say once or twice a day for 5 or 10 minutes (or as the opportunity allows)

[1] Proverbs 25:16

[2] Johann Hari, ‘Lost Connections’, page 78ff.

Tawa Baptist

Hope

Scripture: Mark 8:31-33 & 10:46-52

Title: Hope

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Bartimaeus’ hope – Mark 10:46-52
  • Peter’s hope – Mark 8:31-33
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Earlier in the year I preached a message on well-being and care of the soul, using the acronym: HEALING.

–         Each letter represents a word which, when properly applied, is life giving to the human soul…

–         Hope Energy Appreciation Lament Inter-dependence Nurture & Giving

–         At the time I touched lightly on each word and said I would come back later to explore the ideas in more depth

–         Now that we have finished our series on Abraham we can do this

–         Today our message focuses on hope

Hope is a very popular (in) word at the moment

–         It is rightly thought to be one of the life lines for those who experience depression – we see images on TV of John Kirwan writing the word ‘hope’ in the sand on the beach

But what is hope – what does it mean?

–         Well, to hope is to want something to happen

–         Hope, therefore, is a desire or a longing that is yet to be realised

–         Hope imagines something good and believes it can happen

–         We express our hope to God in prayer

–         In the Lord’s Prayer, for example, we say to God, ‘Your will be done, your kingdom come’ – which expresses our desire, our hope for heaven on earth

–         Prayer is important because it fosters hope

–         Hope requires some measure of faith or trust as we wait for our longings and expectations to be fulfilled

 

Developing our definition further, we could say hope is the capacity or ability to handle opposition, perspective and expectation (another acronym)

–         To help us understand this dynamic of handling opposition perspective and expectation let’s read a gospel story of hope realised, from Mark 10…

 

Bartimaeus’ Hope – Mark 10:46-52

As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more,

“Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.”

Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.”

Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

Handling hope is a bit like flying a kite – you need three things…

–         A sail to catch the wind

–         A string to hold onto the kite

–         And wind to lift the kite up

 

Perspective is like the sail of the kite

–         Our perspective needs to be set at just the right angle to catch the wind and it needs a tail to keep it balanced

 

The string represents expectation – we control the kite of hope by managing our expectations

–         If we don’t have enough string (or expectation) our hope never climbs very high

–         But if we let our expectations get out of hand we risk losing hope altogether

 

The wind represents some difficulty or challenge or opposition

–         A kite rises against the wind, not with it

–         Without an opposing wind, hope doesn’t rise

 

Bartimaeus faced some winds of difficulty and opposition in his life

–         For starters he was blind, a significant obstacle in that context

–         He also faced the difficulty of living under enemy occupation

–         And, when he called out for Jesus to have mercy on him, Bartimaeus faced opposition from the crowd who tried to silence him

 

But Bartimaeus wouldn’t be silenced – he maintained the sail of his perspective that Jesus is the Son of David and the kite of his hope rose

–         That expression Son of David is code for ‘Messiah’

–         From Bartimaeus’ perspective Jesus was the true King of Israel, not Caesar

–         In naming Jesus as the Messiah, Bartimaeus was giving voice to the hopes and expectations of many of the people in the crowd

–         Perhaps the ones trying to silence him were afraid he might start a riot

 

Hope is good for the soul in that it generates its own positive energy

–         We call that energy joy

–         It’s the joy of expectation – of anticipating something good coming our way – of looking forward to our desire being realised

–         The joy or positive energy of hope is powerful – it can’t really be contained

–         That’s why hope is so important in helping to combat depression

–         Bartimaeus’ joy at hearing that Jesus was passing by only heightened his expectation of salvation, causing him to hold more tightly to the string of hope by continuing to call out for mercy

 

Okay, if hope is the expectation of something we want to happen then it logically follows that the opposite of hope is the expectation of what we don’t want to happen

–         The feeling that comes with the expectation of something bad happening can be described in a number of ways including, fear, worry or anxiety

–         Hope and anxiety are often in a wrestling match within us

–         For Bartimaeus, hope in Jesus overcame fear of the crowd and the Romans

–         But it’s not always like that for us, is it

–         We don’t want to worry, we don’t want to be anxious for anything, but sometimes (or perhaps a lot of the time) we can’t help it

–         Anxiety can be a brutal master – but Jesus is Lord, not anxiety

 

In Matthew 6 Jesus says to those who are anxious…

–         Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

–         Jesus then goes on to talk about how God clothes the lilies of the field

–         Jesus is saying here that we can find release from our anxiety when we change our perspective – when we take the focus off ourselves and our problems by looking outward to nature and to God

 

‘Look at the birds… look at the lilies of the field’ – in other words: spend time in nature, observe God’s creation, it will renew your mind

–         Being in the bush or by the sea or up a mountain grounds us – it puts us in touch with what is real and it gives our mind a break from our fears

 

But to get the most out being in nature we need to look for the ways that God is active and present in caring for his creation

–         We need to think about God as a good and loving Father who values us and wants to give us good things

–         One of the reasons we sing songs of adoration & praise to God is to restore our perspective – to remind ourselves that it doesn’t all depend on me

–         To be filled again with a sense of wonder at the largeness of God and consequently the smallness of our problems

 

Now for those of you who are struggling with significant levels of anxiety these measures (of spending time in creation and contemplating God’s care) are likely to be helpful but may not be the whole answer – there are other things that can help with anxiety as well, and we’ll touch on some of these in the coming weeks

–         Two things I’ve learned from my own experience

–         Most of my fears are never realised – most of the things I get anxious about never actually happen

–         But when bad things do happen I always seem to survive and somehow God uses that experience for good – he redeems it

–         So hold on, with God’s help you will get through this

 

Peter’s Hope – Mark 8:31-33

So far we have talked about the positive aspects of hope, but it needs to be said that hope is not always a good thing

–         If hope is about desire & expectation and we place our hope in something that is ultimately not good for us, nor good for others, then it can be destructive to the human soul

At least three times in the gospels Jesus tells his disciples how he must suffer & die before being raised from the dead

–         One of the reasons Jesus did this (I imagine) was to balance the disciples’ perspective and help them to manage their expectations

From Mark chapter 8 we read…

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Clearly Peter’s hopes and expectations for Jesus were quite different from what God had in mind

–         Perhaps Peter was wanting Jesus to be a military & political leader like David or Solomon – perhaps he was expecting Jesus to destroy the Romans

–         Certainly he wasn’t expecting Jesus to suffer & die

 

We might hear that line about Jesus referring to Peter as ‘Satan’ and feel a bit chilly, a bit uncomfortable – ouch that must of hurt Peter

–         But, if hoping amounts to coveting what others have, then it is not good for our soul and we can’t expect Jesus to bless it

–         Or, if hope amounts to wanting revenge or political advantage, then hope has become hate and we can’t expect Jesus to help us realise our desires

–         Hope can be detrimental to the soul when it is misplaced or disappointed and so we need to be careful what we hope for

–         It was kinder for Jesus to adjust Peter’s expectations, by speaking the difficult truth, than for Peter to go too far down the path of misplaced hope

 

If we widen our perspective on these verses we find an application for ourselves

–         Mark 8:31-33 provides a key for helping us to handle opposition, perspective and expectation

–         Jesus is saying here, following me is not an easy ride

–         You can expect some opposition & difficulty in this life

–         For Jesus opposition came in the form of rejection, betrayal & crucifixion

–         We probably won’t suffer as much as Jesus did, but, because of our association with Jesus, we can’t expect everyone to love us or accept us

–         There will be times when we face the dark night of the soul – when everything seems bleak and we feel like God is absent

–         The bigger perspective to hold on to is that our suffering is only temporary but the glory of heaven is forever

–         This life is just a drop in the ocean of eternity

–         Through Jesus the grief of death is followed by the joy of resurrection

–         As Laurie Guy says, “Human hope is based on divine suffering” [1]

 

In talking about hope we must acknowledge despair

–         Despair isn’t so much the opposite of hope

–         Despair is the utter loss of hope.

–         To despair is to lose the ability to believe that what we want could ever happen – despair is the death of desire and consequently the death of joy

–         To despair is to feel powerless – it is to think that nothing we do will make any difference

 

Despair is a terrible place to be – and when we are in despair we think it will never end, but it does end (nothing lasts)

–         It’s like the clouds of depression hang low & thick so we can’t see the sun’s rays of hope and everything is grey & gloomy

–         But just because you can’t see the sun behind the clouds doesn’t mean the sun isn’t there

–         Hold on – the clouds will pass and the sun will become visible again

 

In the same way that not all hope is good, so too not all despair is bad

–         Despair is a good thing if what we hope for is a bad thing

 

If you are in a place of despair at the moment then know that God is able to redeem the experience and use it for good

–         Despair has a way of purifying our desires

–         Despair can kill off those desires which are not Godly or life-giving, to make room for the new growth of desires that are good for our soul

–         As painful as it is there is a certain clarity that comes with despair

–         Bartimaeus saw Jesus with a clarity that others with sight didn’t have

–         I imagine despair had killed off Bartimaeus’ desire for more worldly pursuits and refined his hope in the Lord – in God’s Messiah

–         I expect that Bartimaeus wanted Jesus to restore his sight not just for the obvious reasons but more importantly so he could see Jesus for himself

 

Let me tell you a story about a young man named Jethro

–         Jethro grew up in a fairly well to do family

–         As a child Jethro didn’t really know what hope was because all his desires were taken care of – he didn’t really want for anything

–         He was, as Pink Floyd would say, ‘comfortably numb’

But all was not as it seemed on the surface

–         Jethro’s dad worked in finance and when the market crashed he wasn’t able to keep his family in the lifestyle to which they had become accustomed

–         Jethro’s dad started drinking too much – well, he had actually always drunk too much but now it was more noticeable

–         Not only that but he started gambling to try and recoup what the economic recession had consumed

–         The TAB and the pokies seemed to offer hope of redemption

–         Unfortunately, not everyone is a winner babe, and the boat, the bach, the car and eventually even the family home were sold to repay gambling debts

–         Jethro’s dad had misplaced his hope

By this stage Jethro was no longer numb – he had started to gamble with hope himself, although not in exactly the same way as his father

–         Jethro’s longing, his greatest desire, was to make his dad proud of him

–         And to this end he found himself half way through a finance degree

–         Now let me say, there is nothing wrong with doing a finance degree or working in the stock market, if that is what your passion and calling is

–         We need Christian businesspeople

–         But finance wasn’t really Jethro’s passion or calling – he was just doing it in the vain hope of winning his father’s approval

–         Sadly, it didn’t matter how many A’s Jethro got, his father kept on a downward spiral and the approval he craved from his dad never came

–         Jethro’s hope just kept being disappointed

To avoid too much student debt Jethro lived at home while studying at university and as a consequence he got to witness most of his parents’ arguments

–         In the end, when his mother had had enough, she threw his father out

–         It was a survival thing more than anything – she had to do it to save herself. No sense in being dragged down further by her husband’s problems

Jethro remembers watching his dad walk away and realising in that moment that he was never going to win his father’s approval

–         The hope that had once motivated him to succeed in business school was lost – it just emptied out of him like diarrhoea

–         For the first time in his life Jethro felt despair – the death of desire

–         There didn’t seem like much point in finishing his degree after that

The next year was extremely difficult for Jethro – he felt lost, abandoned and sad

–         Nothing gave him pleasure anymore

–         Depression is a vicious cycle – when we are in pain we tend to withdraw from people because there is too much risk in getting close – it hurts to be touched – but the more we withdraw the more isolated & lonely we feel

–         And loneliness feeds depression

–         Jethro would have self-medicated with alcohol except there was a deep anger in him that refused to be like his father

At the time Jethro thought the pain he felt would never end – but it did

–         Not overnight or all at once, but gradually, like ice thawing

Looking back Jethro could see that losing hope had purged him of his demons – despair had changed his perspective and given him clarity

–         It became clear to Jethro that putting his hope in things like making lots of money or gaining his father’s approval was wasted

Unexpectedly Jethro’s despair drew him closer to God (his heavenly Father) – the suffering of Jesus helped him to make sense of his own suffering & loss

–         Or to put it another way, suffering opened Jethro’s eyes to see who Jesus really is

New shoots of hope sprang forth

–         Jethro started to reconnect with people and he retrained as a teacher – now he finds meaning in helping others to develop their potential

–         He still has the odd dark day now and then but they are few and far between

–         For the most part Jethro is able to enjoy life again

As it turned out, Jethro’s dad came right too

–         He didn’t get back together with his wife, but he did give up the drinking and the gambling and made his peace with the family

 

Conclusion:

Each of us has a slightly different experience of hope and despair – maybe your experience is similar to Jethro’s, maybe it’s different

–         The point is, we need to place our hope in that which is worthy of us and Jesus is worthy – hope in Jesus is hope well placed.

–         Jesus doesn’t promise to give us everything we want or expect – sometimes he makes us wait – but ultimately, in him, we find abundant life

 

Let me finish with some words of hope from the book of Revelation

–         To those early Christians who faced much opposition from the Roman Empire, the apostle John gives an eternal perspective…

–         He who sits on the throne will protect them with his presence. Never again will they hunger or thirst; neither sun nor any scorching heat will burn them, because the Lamb, who is in the centre of the throne, will be their shepherd and he will guide them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

 

Questions for Discussion or Reflection:

1.)    What stands out for you in reading these Scriptures and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.)    What is hope?

3.)    In what sense is opposition or difficulty necessary for hope?

–         Can you think of other Bible verses (or stories) that show a connection between opposition/difficulty and hope? (E.g. Romans 5:1-11)

–         When has hope been most real in your own life?

4.)    What can we do to combat anxiety?

5.)    When is hope good for us?

–         When is hope bad or dangerous?

6.)    What did Jesus say to manage people’s expectations or adjust their perspective when they had misplaced hopes? (E.g. Mark 8:31-33; Matthew 5:11-12, etc.)

7.)    How might we be helpful to someone who is in despair?

–         Or, reflecting on your own experience of despair, what was most helpful to you?

8.)    Take some time this week to simply be in nature and meditate on God’s love, care & provision for you and/or those close to you.

 

[1] Laurie Guy, ‘Unlocking Revelation’, page 64.

Tawa Baptist

Baptism

Scriptures: Various

Title: Baptism

Key Idea: Baptism is like a bridge, it connects people

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Belief
  • Repentance
  • Identity
  • Discipleship
  • Grace
  • Entry
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

–         Hamilton is a city of two halves in a way – it is dissected by the Waikato River and consequently there are a number of bridges spanning the river, providing points of connection for people on either side

–         There is a flat looking bridge known as the Whitiora Bridge

–         I remember walking across that as a 7 year old when it was first opened

–         But probably my favourite bridge is the one with the humps – the Fairfield bridge

–         It’s older than the Whitiora Bridge and more interesting to look at

–         As a school boy I remember hearing stories of how someone rode the humps of the bridge on a motorbike – probably just a folk legend

On one occasion I found a 5 speed push bike in the water near the river bank underneath the Fairfield Bridge

–         I handed it in to the police and after a few months, because no one claimed it, they said I could have it. I rode that bike for years

 

This morning our message focuses on baptism

–         Baptism is a word that means to submerge or immerse

–         It is also a ritual of Christian initiation

To help us understand the meaning of baptism and what it stands for I’ve come up with the following acronym: BRIDGE:

–         Belief, Repentance, Identity, Discipleship, Grace and Entry

–         In some ways baptism is like a bridge – it connects people

–         First let us consider the belief that goes with baptism

 

Belief:

Belief in Jesus is central to Christian baptism

–         In particular belief in Jesus’ resurrection from the dead

–         And belief that Jesus is Lord

In the book of Acts the apostles preached that Jesus is the Messiah and to prove their point they spoke of how God raised Jesus from the dead

–         For example, in Acts 18, after Paul had preached about Jesus, we read that: Crispus, who was the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together with his family; many other people in Corinth heard the message, believed, and were baptised.

–         In this situation, as in others like it, belief & baptism go together

 

Sometimes we understand what something is by reference to its opposite

–         The opposite of belief is cynicism

–         Many of the Jewish religious leaders of Paul’s day were cynical about Jesus – they didn’t believe Jesus was Lord & Messiah

–         In other words, they didn’t want to submit to his authority

–         But Crispus stands against the flow by submitting to Jesus in baptism

Christians are not cynical or hard hearted (or at least they are not supposed to be)

–         Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah and that he still lives today

–         If we believe that Jesus is the Messiah of God who has conquered death then it logically follows that Jesus is Lord – that he has legitimate authority over life & death and over us

–         To be baptised is to submit oneself to the Lordship or authority of Christ

–         It is to say, “From this time forward my first allegiance is to Jesus. He is my King, I give Christ my loyalty and the keys to my heart.”

For most of us these days submitting to any sort of authority can be difficult

–         Our society places a high value on personal freedom

–         Not only that but we tend to be suspicious of those in authority

–         What we need to understand is that Jesus is no ordinary king

–         In submitting our will, our desires, our wishes & dreams to Jesus we are placing our very lives in the hands of someone who is wise and gentle and compassionate and good – someone who loves us personally and has our best interests at heart

–         We each have a choice: either we take charge of our own lives or we let Jesus be in charge

–         Jesus is a far kinder authority than we are, even to ourselves

 

Now I’m aware that not all of you come from a Baptist background – some of you may come from an Anglican or Catholic or Lutheran background where the tradition is for infants to be baptised

–         So, if belief in Jesus’ resurrection and Lordship is central to Christian baptism, how does infant baptism fit with that?

–         (Because babies aren’t able to make that choice for themselves)

–         Well, in the case of infants, it is the parents and the community of faith who believe on the child’s behalf until such time as the child is old enough to confirm their belief in Jesus for themselves

–         While we don’t practice infant baptism in this church we do accept people into membership who have been baptised as babies and later accepted Jesus as Lord & Saviour

–         We believe in a God who is generous & spacious – we don’t believe God would exclude people on a technicality like how much water was involved or when the baptism took place

 

Belief in Jesus goes hand in hand with baptism in the New Testament, as does repentance

 

Repentance:

Repentance is a change of mind which leads to a change in behaviour

–         If we truly believe that Jesus is Lord then we will be willing to make changes to our lifestyle as Jesus requires us to

–         A belief in Jesus that does not result in some kind of positive change, over time, probably isn’t genuine

 

Complacency is the enemy of repentance

–         Often it is only when we are deeply troubled that we change

The year was 1970 something – I was about 8 or 9 years old I suppose and my grandfather took me and three of my cousins to the winter show in Hamilton

–         The winter show was sort of a make shift carnival with various rides and side shows

–         You know there was a Ferris wheel and dodgems and a shooting gallery and put the ball in the clowns mouth and candy floss and so on

There was this one ride called the ‘Sizzler’

–         The Sizzler goes round and round in circles really fast

–         Any way my three cousins and I all sat in a bench seat on the Sizzler and the ride started

–         As the speed was building I noticed the safety bar had come undone

–         We tried to fix it but it wouldn’t latch properly so I yelled out for the operator to stop the ride but the operator ignored us – we were just kids

–         My grandfather could see we were in distress and he asked the operator to stop it but the operator said he couldn’t because the ride was on a timer

–         We did our best to hold on but eventually the G forces became too much and we were thrown out onto the tar seal

–         We lost a bit of skin off our hands and knees and face but we were lucky really not to have been thrown into the metal fence

–         Funny thing was, as soon as we came off the operator shut the ride down

–         Hmm, so much for it being on a timer

Repentance is about change – a change of mind that leads to a change in behaviour

–         When we are deeply troubled we want change and we want it now

–         My cousins and I wanted change on the Sizzler but the operator wouldn’t repent – It was only after he saw us come off that he became troubled enough to change

 

In Acts 2, when Peter preached to the crowd in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost he spoke about Jesus’ death & resurrection saying…

–         “People of Israel, know for sure that this Jesus, whom you crucified, is the one that God has made Lord and Messiah.”

–         When the people heard this, they were deeply troubled and said, “What shall we do?”

–         Peter said to them, “Each one of you must turn away from their sins & be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven…”

The crowd in Acts 2 were willing to repent (to change and turn away from their sins) because they felt deeply troubled at what they had done to Jesus, God’s Messiah

–         Someone once said, ‘Jesus comes to disturb those who are comfortable and to comfort those who are disturbed.’

 

It’s not just Peter who put repentance & baptism together – so did John the Baptist and the apostle Paul

In his letter to the Romans Paul writes…

–         What shall we say then? Should we continue to live in sin so that God’s grace will increase? Certainly not! We have died to sin – how then can we go on living in it? For surely you know that when we were baptised into union with Christ Jesus, we were baptised into union with his death. By our baptism then we were buried with him and shared his death in order that, just as Christ was raised from death by the glorious power of the Father, so also we might live a new life. 

Baptism with repentance gives us a fresh start, a clean slate from which to move forward

The Great Flood of Noah’s day offers an image of baptism as a fresh start

–         In a sense the whole earth was baptised in the flood and God made a fresh start with Noah and his family

–         Likewise, after 40 years wandering in the wilderness, the people of Israel went through a kind of baptism, when they passed through the River Jordan, before making a fresh start by entering the Promised Land

 

There is a danger with any sort of ritual that it can become convention, just going through the motions

–         Baptism doesn’t mean business as usual

–         Baptism usually involves being disturbed enough to repent (to change our mind & behaviour) and make a fresh start

 

Identity:

Receiving a new identity – becoming a new creation in Christ is part & parcel of the fresh start implied by baptism

Some of you here follow the Super Rugby competition which has recently finished

–         When I say the colours red & black, what team do you think of?

–         What about yellow & black, which team wears those colours?

–         A sports team is known by the colour of their uniform

If someone has been playing for the Crusaders and then repents and changes to the Hurricanes they don’t keep wearing their old red & black colours – they start wearing their new yellow & black colours

In his letter to the Galatians Paul writes…

–         You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

 

When we are baptised into Christ we are clothed in his colours – his identity

–         That means we are no longer defined by our past mistakes or by superficial things like our gender or our ethnicity or our occupation

–         We are defined by Christ and given a new identity as children of God

–         We become a new creation in Christ – we belong to God’s family

 

Last week I spoke about naming as an act of creation by God

–         God gave Abram the new name of Abraham

–         And he gave Jacob the new name of Israel

–         Many centuries later Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter, meaning rock

–         When the Lord changes a person’s name he is giving them a new identity

–         It is no accident that when infants are baptised they also receive their Christian names – signalling the child’s identity in Christ

 

It is not easy or popular these days (in NZ) to identify yourself as a Christian

–         The politics of identity has become complex and fraught

–         Standing in solidarity with Jesus can be uncomfortable

 

Belief, repentance, identity and discipleship…

 

Discipleship:

Baptism is a commitment to become a disciple of Jesus

–         A disciple is essentially a student or an apprentice – someone who learns from and follows the example of their master

–         And in the case of Christian baptism the master is Jesus

At the end of Matthew’s gospel, after his death & resurrection but before his ascension to heaven, Jesus says to his disciples…

–         “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…”

Baptism marks the beginning of Christian discipleship – of learning the ways of Christ

–         And it’s important to understand that baptism is a beginning

–         Baptism is not a badge that says you’ve made it – it’s not a sign that you’ve got your black belt in loving God and your neighbour

–         Or to use a Star Wars reference, baptism doesn’t make you a Jedi master, rather it makes you a Padawan – a learner or apprentice

–         So you don’t have to have it all together to get baptised – but you do need to be serious in your commitment to learn from Jesus

 

We learn how to be like Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit…

–         By reading the Scriptures; especially the gospels

–         By being in community with other believers

–         And by having a go at doing what Jesus taught

When it comes to reading the Bible we tend to get more out of it when we listen to sermons or read Bible study notes or discuss the meaning of the Scriptures with other Christians in a study group

Of course we need more than reading and sermons and Bible study

–         In the Christian life understanding comes with practice

–         For example, we learn to pray by reading what Jesus taught about prayer, and by listening to other Christians praying and by praying ourselves

–         We learn patience by not having all our prayers answered quickly but by being made to wait sometimes

–         We learn forgiveness by being part of an imperfect community of faith where we are forgiven for our mistakes & have to forgive others for theirs

When we are new to the Christian faith it is important to have a few older more mature believers we can go to for guidance or encouragement

–         And when we’ve been walking with Jesus for a while it is important to be available to those who may want a bit of support in their faith

–         Whether we’ve been on the journey for a short while or a long while we all have something to offer toward each other’s faith development

 

Baptism is like a bridge – it connects people

–         B is for Belief, R is for Repentance, I is for Identity, D is for Discipleship and G is for Grace

 

Grace:

The classic definition of God’s grace is ‘unmerited favour’

–         This means grace is something favourable or pleasant & good that God gives without us having to earn it

–         Grace goes beyond the contract – beyond the letter of the law

Imagine for example that you have an employment contract that allows you up to 5 days a year sick leave and that sick leave doesn’t accumulate beyond 5 days

–         If you get sick and need to take time off then the first 5 days of sick leave is not grace, it’s something you are entitled to under the terms of your contract – your employer is obligated to pay you that much, no one is doing you any favours

–         But if you have to take two weeks off to recuperate and your boss decides she will pay you for a second week as well, without taking your annual leave, then that is unmerited favour

–         Your boss is not obligated to pay you – she is showing you grace

 

Baptism is a ceremony that celebrates God’s grace – sort of like a wedding is the ceremony that celebrates marriage

 

God’s grace has many dimensions to it – very briefly 2 significant aspects of grace in baptism include: forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit

In preparing the way for Jesus, John the Baptist said,

–         I baptise you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire…” [1]

Then, about 3 years later, in Acts 2 at Pentecost, Peter says to the crowd…

–         “Repent and be baptised, everyone one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

–         The grace of forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit – God’s unmerited favour

Now it needs to be said that the Holy Spirit is free to move as He wishes

–         There are some in the book of Acts who receive the Spirit before being baptised in water and others who receive the Spirit after

–         In any case it is the Holy Spirit who makes our baptism effective

 

Baptism is like a bridge – it connects people

–         Belief, Repentance, Identity, Discipleship, Grace & Entry

 

Entry:

The bridge of baptism represents entry into the church universal

In Anglican churches the baptismal font is at the front door to symbolise that baptism is entry into the church

Baptism isn’t something people do in isolation – it is a ceremony that joins the one being baptised to the community of believers throughout the world and indeed throughout history

–         Baptism is something Christians share in common

–         So in being baptised we aren’t just identifying with Jesus, we are also identifying with his body, the church

–         Baptism then is about belonging to a community of Christian faith – becoming part of God’s family

In his letter to the Ephesians Paul touches on the mystery of our oneness in Christ when he writes…

–         As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.  [2]

Christian believers are connected in a profound way by Jesus, so we need to tread gently in each other’s lives – what one believer does is felt by another

 

Conclusion:

Baptism is like a bridge, but we don’t build the bridge on our own

–         Jesus, the master carpenter, does the building by His Spirit

–         We need to decide if we will cross the bridge

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

1.)    What stands out for you in reading these Scriptures and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.)    What is your experience of baptism? (E.g. Have you been baptised? If so, when and how? What led you to your baptism? Or, what keeps you from being baptised?)

3.)    What core beliefs do we affirm in baptism?

–         What does it mean to submit to Jesus’ authority?

4.)    What does true repentance look like?

–         What is the catalyst for true repentance?

5.)    In what sense do we gain a new identity at baptism?

6.)    What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ?

–         How might we work out our discipleship today?

7.)    What is grace?

–         How is God’s grace present in baptism?

8.)    Take some time this week to reflect on Ephesians 4:1-6 and our oneness with other Christian believers throughout the world and throughout history.

 

[1] Matthew 3:11

[2] Ephesians 4:1-6

Tawa Baptist

Life Goes On

Scripture: Genesis 25:1-11

Title: Life Goes On

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Creation in Genesis 1-11
  • Creation in Genesis 12-24
  • Creation in Genesis 25
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

This morning we are going to begin with a little bit of Scrabble

–         Most of you will know that with Scrabble each player gets to select 7 unknown letters from the pile and then has to do their best to use those random letters to spell a meaningful word

–         You are of course allowed to piggy back off the words on the board

On the wall here we have a word already on the board: ORDER

–         And the letters you have to work with are below that: A E O I T C N

–         I’m going to give you about 30 seconds to come up with the best word you can, see if you can use all the letters

–         You can work with those around you if you like or you can work on your own if you prefer

–         At the end of the 30 seconds I’ll invite you to share the words you’ve made with the rest of the congregation [Wait 30 seconds]

Okay, who would like to share with us the words you came up?

–         [Listen to people’s answers]

One combination that uses all the letters could look like this…

CREATION, using one of the R’s from ORDER

Over the past several months we have been working our way through a series on the life and faith of Abraham. This morning we conclude our series.

–         From Genesis chapter 25, verses 1-11, in the NIV we read…

Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah. She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan; the descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.

Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.

Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading

 

The story of Abraham isn’t just the story of one man who lived 4000 years ago in Middle East

–         Thinking more broadly than that it is the story of the genesis or beginning of the nation of Israel – it’s a creation story in other words

 

Creation in Genesis 1-11:

To gain a better understanding of the significance of this creation story we need to look at the bigger picture

–         Firstly, what do we mean by creation?

–         Well, in the book of Genesis, which reflects the thinking of people who lived in the ancient world (a very different way of thinking to us), creation was about bringing order, function and purpose to the elements

–         Sort of like Scrabble where one takes the letters they are given and arranges them in an order which makes a sensible word

Genesis 1, therefore, does not start at the material beginning of the universe when God brought the first atom into being out of nothing

–         Rather, Genesis 1 picks up the story at a point when the earth already exists in a material sense but is in chaos

–         It is formless, empty, dysfunctional and, if left to its own devices, incapable of supporting life or serving any meaningful purpose

–         At that point it is just a bunch of random letters waiting to be arranged on the Scrabble board

Genesis 1 describes how God brings order to the chaos

–         How he takes what is dysfunctional and makes it functional

–         How he takes what is empty and fills it with life

–         How he takes what is random and gives it meaning & purpose

 

In Genesis 1 the Lord’s acts of creation include separating things, naming things, assigning function & purpose to things, as well as blessing & filling things with life

For example, when it comes to separating & naming things, God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day’, and the darkness he called ‘night’.”

–         This pattern of God separating things and naming them carries on during other days of creation as well

–         Separating & naming is how God brought order to creation

 God also assigned function & purpose to things, for example…

–         The function or purpose of day & night (sun & moon) is to mark time

In addition God also blessed his creation and filled it with life

–         Let the waters teem with fish…

–         Let the land produce living creatures…

–         Be fruitful and multiply…

After God has brought order to the chaos everything functions well – it is paradise

–         God blesses Adam & Eve and gives them the function or purpose of being his image bearers and tells them to take care of his creation

–         Unfortunately Adam & Eve get it into their heads that they want to be like God and they choose independence from him by eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge

–         As a consequence the order of God’s good creation starts to unravel

–         Things go from bad to worse and eventually God’s order returns to chaos

In Genesis 6 we read…

–         The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind… from the face of the earth… for I am grieved that I have made them. But Noah found favour in the eyes of the Lord.

Basically humankind had returned God’s order, his good creation, back to chaos & so God decided to restore the order by wiping the slate clean & starting again

–         There was a great flood and everything with breath was destroyed, except for Noah and his family and the animals he preserved on the ark

–         The story of the flood is an account of judgement & death

–         But at the same time it is also an account of re-creation & new life

–         God restores order by separating Noah and his family and animals out from the chaos – preserving their lives in an ark

–         Then after the storm has passed the Lord blesses the survivors and tells them to be fruitful & multiply and fill the earth (much like he did in Genesis 1)

Unfortunately it doesn’t take long for things to get out of hand again and we end up with the Tower of Babel – another attempt by humankind to be like God, to reach the heavens and to make a name for themselves

–         God’s next move though is not to wipe everyone off the face of the earth with a flood (as he did in Noah’s day) but rather to redeem & transform his creation – to bring order to the chaos of the human heart

–         In the case of Babel, God initially restores order by separating people – he disperses the crowd, as it were, by confusing the languages

 

Creation in Genesis 12-24:

But then he calls Abraham with a view to making this one man into a great nation – a nation who will serve the Lord’s redemptive purpose by acting as priests of God to the other nations of the world

Like the creation story in Genesis 1, God creates the nation of Israel by separating, naming, assigning function & purpose as well as blessing and making fruitful

–         God separated Abraham out by calling him to leave his family and homeland to establish a new life in the Promised Land of Canaan

–         God also gave Abraham a new name – you may remember Abraham used to be called Abram

–         Previously Abraham & Sarah’s life had been defined by barrenness – by not having any children

–         But the Lord redefined their life with a promise that Abraham & Sarah would become the parents of a great nation

–         God blessed Abraham and filled Sarah with new life

–         He took the random letters of their circumstances and rearranged them in a meaningful way

–         God’s promise to bless the nations through Abraham and his descendants gave Abraham & Sarah’s lives a purpose greater than themselves

Separating, naming, assigning function & purpose, blessing and filling with life – all acts of creation

–         These acts of creation can be seen in our own lives too

–         Times when God has taken us out of a bad situation – creative separation

–         Or when we were baptised and took on the name of Christ

–         Or when we discovered a certain gift or resource we have and found a way to use that to bless others – finding our function & purpose in life

–         Or times of blessing & filling when we simply receive good things from God – like a friendship, or the birth of a child, or healing, or a holiday, or a job, or a home, or just a good night’s sleep

–         All acts of God’s good creation

 

Creation in Genesis 25:

Okay, so how does all that talk about creation relate to this morning’s reading from Genesis 25 – after all, Abraham dies?

–         Well, Abraham’s death is immersed in the language of creation

In the verses leading up to Abraham’s death notice the sons of his second wife (Keturah) are named, along with some of his grandsons too

–         And, if we were to keep reading after his death notice we would hear the naming of Abraham’s descendants through Ishmael and Isaac

–         All this naming implies a strong theme of being fruitful & multiplying

–         Abraham’s death is not tragic – by God’s grace he leaves a lasting legacy

–         Life goes on

 

Another creation motif noticeable in Genesis 25 is the action of separating

–         Separating things is often necessary for creating order

–  Cells reproduce or multiply by separating or dividing

– Separating plastics out from your general rubbish, for recycling, is a creative thing to do – it’s good for the environment

–         Or on the football field the ref restores order to the game by giving out yellow or red cards to separate players who are misbehaving

–         Or when we have dinner we generally keep the different elements of the meal separate on our plate

–         If we were to put the potatoes, green veg and meat in a blender to mix it all up, the meal wouldn’t taste so good

– {Obviously not all separation is creative or good – and union is also often necessary in the process of creation.}

Verses 5 & 6 tell us that Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.

–         These verses talk about the separation (or division) of Abraham’s estate and the separation of Isaac from his brothers

–         Abraham had at least 8 sons that we know of – but only one of them (Isaac) could inherit God’s promise

–         For the creation of the nation of Israel it was necessary for Isaac to be separated from his brothers & become the sole heir to the Promised Land

–         But the other sons didn’t miss out altogether – they received gifts from Abraham as a gesture of goodwill

Verse 11 picks up the theme of creative blessing where it says that, After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac…

–         Isaac was blessed by God (as Abraham had been blessed) not for his own benefit but for the sake of others

–         God’s purpose in blessing Abraham & Isaac was to create the nation of Israel through which the Lord would establish his order, his Kingdom on earth

 

Separating, naming, blessing & filling with life (or making fruitful) – all themes of creation, all seen in miniature in Genesis 25

–         By immersing the account of Abraham’s death in the motifs of creation the narrator of Genesis is making it clear that death is no obstacle to God’s redemptive purpose

 

Verse 7 says: Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years.

This tells us a number of things

–         We know from Genesis 12 that Abraham was 75 when God called him to leave home and embark on a journey of faith

–         Which means that by the time of his death Abraham had been following God for 100 years

–         Isaac was born when Abraham was 100, so that means Isaac was 75 when his father died

–         We know too that Isaac married Rebekah when he was 40 and that 20 years later Jacob & Esau were born

–         Therefore Jacob & Esau were 15 when their grandfather Abraham died

–         God would later change Jacob’s name to ‘Israel’ – as in the nation of Israel – once more we have the theme of naming as an act of creation

–         The point is: although Abraham didn’t see all of God’s promises fully realised in his lifetime, he did live long enough to see the nation of Israel embodied in his grandson Jacob

Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.

As Ecclesiastes tells us there is a time for everything – a time to be born and a time to die

–         Abraham died at the right time – at the end of a long and full life

Verse 9 tells us that Isaac & Ishmael buried Abraham with Sarah in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre

–         In other words, Abraham was buried in the Promised Land – a sign to future generations that God would one day give Israel the land of Canaan

–         At the end of Genesis, as Jacob lay on his death bed in Egypt, he gave instructions to be buried in Canaan with his grandparents Abraham & Sarah – such was his faith in God’s promises

 

Conclusion:

God’s purpose in redeeming creation is fulfilled in Christ

–         Jesus, that great descendant of Abraham, came to establish God’s Kingdom on earth

 

It is difficult to be a Christian in this life – we live with a tension

–         On the one hand Christ has come and in Christ we have a picture of what God’s kingdom (his new creation) looks like

–         But on the other hand God’s Kingdom is not yet fully realised on earth as it is in heaven

–         So we have this expectation or this hope of what life should be like when everything is ordered by God

–         And yet at the same time we live with the reality which often falls a long way short of the heaven on earth that God has promised us in Christ

–         Consequently we might not feel at home in this world – we might feel like exiles in our own country

In speaking of Abraham & Sarah and others like them the writer of the book of Hebrews says…

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth… Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

 Abraham died the same way he lived – in faith.

–         Abraham didn’t see the fulfilment of all of God’s promises in his life time but he did receive the deposit

–         In this way we, who believe in Christ, are like Abraham

–         We live by faith in the ‘now but not yet’ of history

–         We look forward in bitter sweet hope to Jesus’ return, when God’s Kingdom on earth will be realised in its fullness.

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

1.)    What stands out for you in reading these Scriptures and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.)    What is meant by creation in Genesis 1?

–         How is this different from a modern understanding of creation?

3.)    What does the account of creation in Genesis 1 share in common with Abraham’s story and the account of the creation of Israel?

4.)    In what sense is separating things an act of creation?

–         Can you think of examples of creative separation?

–         Why was it necessary for Isaac to be separated from his brothers?

5.)    Why do you think the narrator of Genesis frames the account of Abraham’s death in the context of creation language/motifs?

6.)    In what sense could Abraham’s death be considered a good death?

7.)    Do you feel a tension in being a Christian in this world?

–         Why (or why not)?

8.)    Take some time this week to reflect on God’s acts of creation in your own life (I.e. separating, naming, assigning function & purpose, blessing & filling)

 

 

Tawa Baptist

Rebekah’s Faith

Scripture: Genesis 24:54-67 & John 4:46-54

Title: Rebekah’s Faith

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Faith is trusting without seeing
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Today we continue our series on the life & faith of Abraham

–         Last week we heard how marriage is an act of God and an act of hesed

–         Today we hear how marriage is an act of faith

–         At this point in the story Abraham’s servant has found a wife for Isaac and has almost convinced the family to agree to the marriage

–         We pick up the story from Genesis chapter 24, verse 54, in the NIV…

When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way to my master.” But her brother and her mother replied, “Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so; then you may go.”

But he said to them, “Do not detain me, now that the Lord has granted success to my journey. Send me on my way so I may go to my master.”

Then they said, “Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.” So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?”

“I will go,” she said. So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men.

And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,

“Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands;
may your offspring possess the cities of their enemies.”

Then Rebekah and her attendants got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?” “He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.

Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

Faith is trusting without seeing:

We are talking this morning about faith and in particular Rebekah’s faith

–         But what do we mean by faith?

–         Well, at a basic level, faith means believing – taking someone’s word for it, even though you may not have seen or experienced it for yourself

–         Faith means trusting without seeing

Let me illustrate…

–         I have here a can without a label on it

–         You can’t see what is in the can and there’s no label to tell you either – so you have to take my word for it that this can contains black doris plums and not nuclear waste or dog food

–         If faith is trusting without seeing then your faith would be proved by your willingness to purchase this can from me

–         I could give you this can for free but there would be little faith involved in doing that because you don’t risk losing anything

–         Besides Robyn needs these for her breakfast this week

Now you might not like black doris plums – that’s fine, the plums are just a metaphor

–         Imagine the can contains love or healing or joy or some other good thing

–         The point is: faith is trusting without seeing and our faith (our belief) is proved by our willingness to take a risk

–         Faith involves making a choice – not just an intellectual choice (in our head) but a real choice in our actions – Faith is a verb

Although Isaac & Rebekah’s marriage was arranged for them, Rebekah & Isaac still got a choice in the matter

–         When Rebekah’s family asked if she would go with Abraham’s servant she agreed

–         When you think about it Rebekah demonstrated real faith in leaving her family to travel hundreds of miles with someone she had only known for a day, in order to marry someone she has never met

–         The can of plums that she is being offered has no label on it – she simply has to take the servant’s word for it

–         Abraham’s servant didn’t have a photo of Isaac and there was no internet so Rebekah couldn’t stalk Isaac on Facebook

–         If it was one of my daughters I don’t think I’d be so quick to let her go

–         And, to be fair to Rebekah’s family, they did suggest she delay her departure – presumably to allow a cooling down period

–         But Rebekah was willing to leave – she was willing to take the risk

–         Her faith & courage is similar to that of Abraham – who also left his homeland without seeing where God was taking him

 

The children in the Flock Sunday school, this morning, are learning how Jesus healed a boy, in John 4

–         A government official, who most likely worked for Herod, came from Capernaum to Cana (a distance of about 32 km’s) to ask Jesus to heal his son – the boy was close to death

–         Now it wasn’t as easy to travel 32 km’s back then as it is today

–         What’s more, Herod was no friend of Jesus, so it took some pluck for the official to ask this favour of Christ

Jesus didn’t give the government official a very warm welcome. He said, ‘None of you will ever believe unless you see miracles & wonders’

–         There is some irony here because seeing is not believing – faith (or believing) is trusting without seeing

–         But Jesus knew the man wasn’t there as an official, he was there as a dad and Jesus understood the father/son relationship pretty well

–         So he says to the man, ‘Go, your son will live.’

The man believed Jesus’ words & went, without seeing or knowing the outcome

–         The can Jesus offered him had no label on it but he trusted Jesus that it was filled with the healing his son needed

–         On the way home his servants met him and said his son had recovered

–         When asked what time the boy regained his health they said 1pm – the same time he trusted Jesus that his son would live

–         Faith is trusting without seeing 

–         Jesus’ healing of the boy was an act of faith

Marriage also is an act of faith

–         Marriage is for the rest of your life – it’s for better or worse, it’s for richer or poorer, it’s in sickness and in health

–         In marriage we make a solemn commitment without seeing what the future holds

The significant thing with Rebekah & Isaac is: the step of faith comes before the feeling of love – love is the last thing that is mentioned

In verse 67, after Rebekah finally arrives in the Promised Land, we read that Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

In Isaac & Rebekah’s case, love comes after the step of faith in getting married

Now, in saying this I don’t mean to imply that you don’t need to get to know someone before you get married

–         With any significant decision it is important to do some due diligence

–         We need to do our homework and understand the risk

–         We heard about Rebekah’s due diligence last Sunday – Abraham’s servant made a pretty strong case for marrying Isaac

–         Faith doesn’t mean throwing caution to the wind – faith still asks us to hold on to common sense

–         It is not appropriate to trust everyone – but we can trust God

When it comes to marriage ideally we should build a good foundation of trust and honest communication beforehand

–         But Rebekah didn’t have that luxury. For her, faith came before love – just as for the official, in John 4, faith came before healing

 

Conclusion:

Faith is trusting without seeing

–         Although Rebekah’s faith is more visible in Genesis 24, Isaac’s faith shouldn’t be overlooked

–         While Rebekah showed faith by leaving home to go on a journey, Isaac demonstrated faith by waiting where he was in the land of promise

–         Isaac didn’t take matters into his own hands by looking for a wife among the local Canaanite girls – he believed in God’s promises to Abraham and waited patiently for God to provide

–         Sometimes faith requires us to step out into the unknown, like Rebekah

–         Other times faith requires us to sit still and wait, in meditation, like Isaac

–         And then there are times when faith brings us home after being on a journey, like the government official in John 4

 

Whatever faith in God (and in Jesus) may require of us we do well to remember that Rebekah, Isaac and the government official were not disappointed

–         Rebekah’s faith was rewarded with Isaac’s love

–         Isaac’s faith was rewarded with Rebekah’s comfort

–         And the official’s faith was rewarded with the restoration of his son’s life

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

1.)    What stands out for you in reading these Scriptures and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.)    What does faith mean to you?

–         How do we know our faith is real / genuine?

3.)    Rebekah (in Genesis 24) and the official (in John 4) trusted without seeing

–         Can you think of other people in the Bible who trusted God/Jesus without seeing?

–         Can you think of a time in your own life when you trusted someone (either God or another person) without seeing?  What happened? How was your faith rewarded?

4.)    In what ways was Rebekah’s act of faith similar to Abraham’s faith?

5.)    What do you think Jesus meant when he said to the government official (in John 4), “None of you will believe unless you see miracles and wonders.”?

6.)    In what sense is marriage an act of faith?

7.)    In what way did Isaac demonstrate faith?

–         How was this different from Rebekah?

8.)    Whose faith do you identify with most – Rebekah’s, Isaac’s or the government official’s?

 

 

Tawa Baptist

Marriage

Scripture: Genesis 24:28-61

Title: Marriage – Part 1

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Marriage is an act of God, serving His purpose
  • Marriage is an act of hesed, providing security
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Today we continue our series on the life & faith of Abraham

–         Last week we heard about God’s fingerprints and how the Lord led Abraham’s servant to Rebekah at a well

–         This morning Abraham’s servant arranges Isaac & Rebekah’s marriage with Rebekah’s family

–         From Genesis chapter 24, verses 28-61, in the NIV we read…

The young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things. Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he hurried out to the man at the spring. As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring.

 “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord,” he said. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.” So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet. Then food was set before him, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say.”

“Then tell us,” Laban said. So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns.

And my master made me swear an oath, and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’ “Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’

“He replied, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked faithfully, will send his angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family. You will be released from my oath if, when you go to my clan, they refuse to give her to you—then you will be released from my oath.’

“When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come. See, I am standing beside this spring. If a young woman comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,” and if she says to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,” let her be the one the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’

“Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ “She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’ So I drank, and she watered the camels also. “I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’

“She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.’

“Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms, and I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son.

 Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.” Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the Lord; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.”

When Abraham’s servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewellery and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother. Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there.

When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way to my master.” But her brother and her mother replied, “Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so; then you may go.”

But he said to them, “Do not detain me, now that the Lord has granted success to my journey. Send me on my way so I may go to my master.”

Then they said, “Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.” So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?”

“I will go,” she said. So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men.

And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,

“Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands;
may your offspring possess the cities of their enemies.”

Then Rebekah and her attendants got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

 May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

In many ways this morning’s Bible reading probably seems strange to us

–         The way people went about arranging a marriage in the ancient near east was quite different to the way we go about marriage in the west today

–         I’ve talked about the cultural differences between the ancient world and the modern west on other occasions & don’t want to repeat that now

–         If you are interested in the cultural stuff then you can read the sermon notes from the 8th July on the church website later

 

This morning our message focuses on the subject of marriage

–         This isn’t just a message for those who are married though – it has relevance for everyone, whether you are in a relationship or not

–         Today’s reading from Genesis 24 doesn’t tell us everything about marriage but it does touch on at least two very important aspects:

o   Marriage is an act of God, serving His purpose

o   And marriage is an act of hesed, providing security

–         First let’s consider marriage as an act of God

 

Marriage is an act of God, serving His purpose:

When we hear that phrase, ‘an act of God’ we tend to think of some sort of catastrophe or disaster – something going wrong outside of our control

–         For example, an earthquake or a storm is deemed an act of God

–         Acts of God aren’t just negative things though – justice, peace, healing & freedom can also be acts of God

–         In a general sense marriage is an act of God – it is his idea, his initiative, one of his positive, creative actions for our wellbeing

–         Unlike an earthquake or a storm though, which we can’t control, marriage is an act of God that we do get a say in

Those who have been following this series on Abraham will be aware of the repetition in this morning’s reading

–         When Abraham’s servant is shown hospitality by Rebekah’s family he refuses to eat until he has stated the reason for his visit

–         He tells the whole story from the beginning of chapter 24 – how Abraham sent him to find a wife for Isaac and how God answered his prayer with Rebekah

–         The main point of this retelling of events is to make it clear that God specifically wants Rebekah to marry Isaac

–         Isaac & Rebekah’s marriage is God’s initiative – it is an act of God

This is not to say that every marriage is especially arranged by God – many people get married without reference to God

–         Nor is it to say there is only one right person for you to marry in the whole world – there are any number of people that you could be compatible with and some that you will never be compatible with

–         But in Isaac & Rebekah’s case God was involved with the details

Rebekah’s brother (Laban) and her father (Bethuel) both agree that God is in this and since God is so clearly at work to join Rebekah & Isaac’s lives together, how can they object?

The fact that God is arranging Isaac & Rebekah’s marriage doesn’t mean that Rebekah has no choice in the matter

–         God gives each of us free will and he respects the choices we make

–         In verse 58 we read how Rebekah was asked, ‘Will you go with this man?’ and Rebekah said, ‘I will’

–         Interestingly, it is only after Rebekah has given her consent that she receives a blessing

–         God’s purpose is often pleasing to us, it is generally a good fit with who we are – happily Rebekah was in harmony with God’s will and prepared to marry Isaac

Marriage is an act of God, serving His purpose

–         The point I’m making here is that marriage isn’t just for the wellbeing of the couple – marriage actually serves a larger purpose in God’s plan

–         God’s purpose for Isaac & Rebekah was to keep the faith, to establish the nation of Israel and to carry God’s promises to the next generation

–         Isaac & Rebekah were part of God’s legacy for blessing the world through Christ

To those who might be looking for a partner in marriage I would say, involve God in the decision – look for his fingerprints and think about his purpose

–         Christian marriage isn’t just a commitment to mutual happiness, it’s also a commitment to each other’s usefulness in God’s kingdom

 

If you were here last Sunday you may remember the story I told about Caleb; the guy on the train who was in the right place at the right time with the right kind of presence to stop 3 drunk guys harassing a woman in her 20’s

–         A fingerprints of God moment

Caleb never actually spoke to the woman that night on the train – he didn’t know anything about her and thought he would never see her again

–         Over 2 months went past during which time Caleb had got on with the regular routines of his life – work, church, Bible study, friends

–         This was a new routine for Caleb as he hadn’t been a Christian for long

One Sunday, while in church, he thought he saw the young woman from the train sitting a few rows in front of him but he couldn’t be sure from behind – and besides what were the chances of that happening

–         It was a bit difficult to concentrate on the sermon after that

When the service had finished Caleb just sat in his pew feeling awkward

–         Probably it wasn’t her – memory can be such an unreliable thing

–         But if it was then what should he do?

–         Christian culture was still quite strange to Caleb and he wasn’t always sure what was appropriate

He was just thinking, ‘I should probably leave before she sees me’, when an elderly woman, Mrs Green, walked up and said, ‘Ah, Caleb, come and meet my grand-daughter

–         At first Caleb was relieved to be in conversation with someone safe

–         But then, to Caleb’s absolute horror, Mrs Green led him straight to the young woman from the train

–         It was definitely her – she recognised him instantly and started to blush, then quickly recovered by introducing herself as Jen

–         Caleb was too stunned to remember to introduce himself – she was even more beautiful up close and she smelled lovely

–         Fortunately Mrs Green, who was as sharp as a tack, came to his rescue and said, ‘This is Caleb. Caleb is the young man I was telling you about who came round and changed my light bulb the other week.’

–         Jen smiled, paused a moment as if remembering that night, and then said, ‘It seems you are quite the Good Samaritan’.

–         Caleb laughed nervously, unsure whether that made him weird or not

–         Jen seemed to read his face like a book and immediately put him at ease

–         ‘I’m pleased to meet you Caleb. I wanted to say thank you for what you did that night. I was really scared and you went out of your way to make me safe.’

–         ‘It was nothing really’, Caleb replied.

–         ‘Well it meant something to me’, said Jen

–         It had actually meant something to him too

–         Jen’s honesty touched Caleb’s heart and for the first time in his life he experienced emotional intimacy

 

Mrs Green could sense the connection between the two and wisely invited Caleb to join her and Jen for lunch, and Caleb accepted

–         A year later Jen & Caleb were married and four years after that they went to Carey College to train for ministry. Now they are pastoring a church

–         Each wedding anniversary they take a ride on a train and tell their kids the story of how God (and Jen’s grandma) arranged their marriage

 

Marriage is an act of God, serving His purpose

–         At its best marriage is also an act of hesed, providing security

 

Marriage is an act of hesed, providing security:

In verse 49, after having told his story, Abraham’s servant says to Rebekah’s family, Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.”

 

The word translated as ‘kindness’ there is hesed in the original Hebrew

–         It’s one of those Hebrew words that needs more than one English word to capture it’s meaning

–         Sometimes it is translated as kindness, other times as mercy or steadfast love or loyalty. Hesed is often used in connection with God’s covenant

Hesed isn’t a trifling thing – hesed is an act of real importance, it’s a big deal

–         With hesed the inferior partner depends on the kindness of the superior to meet a desperate need.

–         In this case Abraham’s servant is putting himself in the position of the inferior partner by asking Rebekah’s family to show kindness, loyalty or hesed to Abraham, by giving their permission for Rebekah to marry Isaac

The point is, marriage is an act of hesed

–         God intended marriage to be characterised by kindness, mercy, steadfast love and loyalty

–         The hesed of marriage isn’t a one off thing though – it’s an on-going commitment that provides security for the whole family

We note the concern for Rebekah’s welfare & security in the speech that Abraham’s servant gives…

–         In verse 35 the servant says that his master Abraham is wealthy, with the implication that Rebekah will be looked after financially

–         Then in verse 36 the servant says that Isaac was born when Sarah was very old, implying that Isaac is still young and so Rebekah will be marrying someone close to her age

–         Also in verse 36 the servant says that Isaac will inherit everything – again implying that Rebekah will be secure financially

–         In verse 37 the servant goes on to say that Abraham won’t let Isaac marry any of the local Canaanite girls – so Rebekah’s family know that Rebekah will be the only wife, she won’t have to compete with other women

–         In all these ways Abraham’s servant is reassuring Rebekah and her family that marrying Isaac is a good deal – it will mean security for her

We might think this emphasis on wealth & prospects is a bit mercenary – where’s the romance in talking about money? But in that culture practical concerns were more important than romance

–         If you were a father (or a brother) then you needed to know that your daughter (or sister) would be taken care of

 

Often at the beginning of a romantic relationship there is a kind of blindness – when we see the other person through rose tinted glasses and we kind of ignore or overlook their bad points

–         Not only that but common sense sometimes goes out the window and we have this false sense of security

–         ‘All I need is the air that I breathe to love you’, as the song goes

–         Well, air is a good start but you also need an income and a roof over your head and a community of people around you to lend you support

–         The practical stuff matters and you need to get that sorted, through good honest conversation, before you get married – that’s partly what pre-marriage counselling is about

 

Conclusion:

Marriage is an act of God, serving His purpose

–         And (Godly) marriage is an act of hesed, providing security

In many ways marriage has lost its meaning in our society today

–         Most people these days don’t think of marriage as something that God is involved in – theirs is a cord of two strands, not three

–         A lot of marriages are characterised by violence, unfaithfulness and insecurity, rather than the security created by kindness, steadfast love and loyalty that God intends

 

At its best marriage points to our relationship with Christ

–         Marriage is meant to be a living parable or a picture of the kind of the union (or relationship) Jesus wants to have with people

–         A relationship that serves a greater purpose beyond itself – God’s purpose

–         A relationship characterised by security born of hesed

When marriage is dishonoured or abused people lose the vision of what a relationship with God (through Christ) could be like

–         By the same token, when marriage is honoured and functions as God intended, people catch a glimpse of the mystery of union with Jesus

 

In a few moments we are going to share communion together

–         Communion is a sacred ritual in which Christians remember & celebrate the mystery of our union with God through Christ

–         The musicians will come now and lead us in song as we prepare our hearts

 

Questions for discussion or reflection

1.)    What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.)    What is your experience of marriage?

–         E.g. this could be the model/example you inherited from your parents’ marriage, or it might be your own experience of being married, or divorced, or widowed, or single, etc.

–         How has your experience shaped your understanding of, and attitude to, marriage?

3.)    What is the main point of the servant’s retelling of the events of chapter 24?

–         In what sense is marriage (generally) an act of God?

–         In what sense is Isaac & Rebekah’s marriage specifically an act of God?

–         If you are married, how is God involved in your marriage?

4.)    What larger purpose does marriage serve beyond the happiness of the couple?

5.)    What do we mean when we say: marriage is an act of hesed, providing security?

6.)     If you are contemplating marriage, what could you do to sort out the practicalities before you get married?

–         What might some of those practicalities be?

–         Or, if you are already married, what you would suggest an engaged couple talk about before the wedding day? (What advice would you give your kids?)

7.)    Take some time this week to reflect on how the mystery of marriage (at its best) points to the mystery of union with Christ

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/29-jul-2018-marriage

Tawa Baptist

Abraham’s Identity

Scripture: Genesis 24:1-9

Title: Abraham’s Identity 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Two worlds
  • Identity
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Someone once said,

–         “We don’t know who discovered water but we know it wasn’t a fish.”

–         The point being that a fish is born into water and lives in water all its life, so it doesn’t realise the context it is in, unless it is taken out of the water.

–         We, like the fish, are often unaware of the cultural & historical context we are born into as well.

–         It is like we are blind to our own society unless we leave it to experience another context or spend time with people from another culture

 

Today we continue our series on the life & faith of Abraham

–         Last week we heard how Abraham responded when Sarah died

–         Abraham was in touch with his soul – he wept over Sarah and purchased land as an act of hope in the face of death

–         This morning we pick up the story from the beginning of Genesis 24 – page 25 near the front of your pew Bibles

–         In this scene Abraham asks his most trusted servant to find a wife for Isaac. In listening to this story we become aware that Abraham’s cultural water was very different from our own

–         From Genesis chapter 24, verses 1-9, we read…

Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in everything he did. 2 He said to his oldest servant, who was in charge of all that he had, “Place your hand between my thighs and make a vow. 3 I want you to make a vow in the name of the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not choose a wife for my son from the people here in Canaan. 4 You must go back to the country where I was born and get a wife for my son Isaac from among my relatives.”

5 But the servant asked, “What if the young woman will not leave home to come with me to this land? Shall I send your son back to the land you came from?”

6 Abraham answered, “Make sure that you don’t send my son back there! 7 The Lord, the God of heaven, brought me from the home of my father and from the land of my relatives, and he solemnly promised me that he would give this land to my descendants. He will send his angel before you, so that you can get a wife there for my son. 8 If the young woman is not willing to come with you, you will be free from this promise. But you must not under any circumstances take my son back there.” 9 So the servant put his hand between the thighs of Abraham, his master, and made a vow to do what Abraham had asked.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

Different worlds:

I have here a piece of wood and an axe. Wood has a grain to it

–         If I try to cut this wood against the grain like this – it’s really hard work

–         [Try cutting across the grain]

–         But if I cut the wood with the grain – it’s a lot easier [Cut with the grain]

This morning’s Scripture reading is one of those passages that goes against the grain for most of us – it just seems so at odds with the values of our society and so we may struggle with it

For example, we are a relatively egalitarian society – we value equality and personal freedom (we don’t like people telling us what to do)

–         So the idea of Abraham telling his servant to choose a wife for Isaac (arranged marriage basically), is repugnant to us

Likewise, our culture is a bit lite on commitment, so the idea of Abraham binding his servant with an oath by placing his hand under his thigh (whatever that means) is really strange to us

What’s more we like to think we are inclusive and not racist or sexist or prejudice or anything else-ist – so the idea of Abraham saying, under no circumstances is my son to marry one of those Canaanite girls, is shocking to us

What we need to remember is that the Ancient Near East, the world in which Abraham lived, had a very different set of values to the world we live in

On the wall here I have a table contrasting some of the differences between the modern western world and the ancient near eastern world [1]

Modern West Ancient Near East
Equality is valued Hierarchy is valued
Assert one’s own rights Submit personal rights to the group
Strong on personal identity Strong on group identity
Primary responsibility

to develop self

 Primary responsibility

to develop group
Think of self as separate Think of self as connected
Status is achieved Status is ascribed

So, for example, while we might value equality, Abraham’s world valued hierarchy

–         Kiwi culture is quite hard on its leaders, whereas people in the ancient near east were more respectful of their elders and leaders

–         We might think that asserting our own personal rights is a good thing

–         But to people in the Ancient Near East submitting your personal rights to the group was a far better thing

–         For them submission to hierarchy provided a framework for order

–         Whereas equality and insisting on your own rights was a recipe for chaos

 

We (in the modern west) have a strong sense of personal identity, whereas people in the ancient near east had a strong sense of family and tribal identity

–         In the modern west we tend to think our primary responsibility is to ourselves and developing our own individual potential

–         But in the ancient near east the primary obligation was to others and to the development of the group

–         Isaac & Rebekah would have been more inclined to accept the marriage that was arranged for them because they knew it wasn’t about them

–         It was about what was best for the group

 

People with a modern western world view tend to think of themselves as separate from the world around them and from other people

–         Whereas people with a more ancient world view tend to think of themselves as organically connected to the physical world and to others

–         In this respect at least, Maori culture is a lot closer to the culture of the ancient near east than Pakeha culture is

–         When Maori formally introduce themselves they often say the tribe they come from, what their river & mountain is and who their ancestors are

–         That’s because they think of themselves as connected to the world around them – they see themselves as part of a group not just as an individual

 

In our modern western world, status is achieved or earned by what you do

–         But in the ancient world status was ascribed or given

–         Abraham didn’t do anything to earn or achieve God’s promise & blessing – it was simply given to him by the Lord

–         Likewise we are made in the image of God – that’s not a status we achieve by trying really hard to be good

–         That’s a status ascribed to us by God and ultimately fulfilled by Christ

A lot of us struggle with issues of identity & self-worth don’t we

–         We might not feel good enough somehow

–         Or we might feel like we must achieve something in order to prove who we are. No – you don’t.

–         You are valuable because God says so, not because of what you achieve

–         You are beautiful because God made you – not because you have rock hard abs or an hour glass body shape or whatever

Now in comparing & contrasting these two worlds I’m not saying that one is better than the other – both worlds have their pros & cons

–         The point is, Abraham lived in a completely different world from the one we live in – the cultural water (context) he swam in was different to ours

–         We need to be careful to avoid the arrogance of imposing our modern western values on Abraham

–         Ultimately, Jesus is Lord of both worlds and he comes to transform our world into God’s kingdom on earth

 

Okay, so we’ve seen how Abraham’s culture was different to ours

–         I’d like to focus now on one of the key themes in this passage: Identity

Identity:

Identity is about who we are – it’s about our being

–         Those who are in tune with their soul have a strong sense of identity

–         They know who they are and have accepted who they are

–         And consequently, they make decisions in line with their identity

Let’s take some time to understand the modern western concept of identity and consider how this might (or might not) fit with Abraham…

Identity Moratorium

–         Actively exploring options but not yet committed

 Identity Achievement

–         Have explored the options and are now committed
Identity Diffusion

–         Not exploring the options and not committed

 Identity Foreclosure

–         Have committed without exploring the options

A developmental psychologist by the name of James Marcia, came up with a theory about identity in the 1980’s

–         Marcia identified what he called four ‘statuses’ of identity

Identity Diffusion, in the red box, describes the status of an individual who doesn’t have a strong sense of identity and isn’t really exploring their options – they sort of float without being committed to anything much

–         For example, they might be unsure what they want to do for a job and not at all motivated to explore career options

–         Or they might be undecided on what they believe about God and in fact quite uninterested in seeking him – neither hot nor cold

 

Identity Foreclosure, in the grey box, describes those who have committed to a certain identity without having explored the options

–         For example, their father was a baker so when they left school they became a baker too without trying anything else

–         Or perhaps they came to church from a young age and just accepted their parents’ beliefs without question

–         There’s nothing wrong with this if you enjoy being a baker and the beliefs you’ve inherited are sound

–         But it can become a problem if the identity you commit yourself to is in conflict with your soul

–         If you are wired up to be a pastor but you spend your life selling shoes, because that’s all you know, then life will be pretty miserable for you

 

Moratorium is just another word for ‘postponement’, so Identity Moratorium, in the green box, describes those who haven’t committed to a particular identity or occupation or set of beliefs yet, but they are actively exploring their options

–         For example, they may not have settled on a career but are trying different jobs to see what fits best for them – the gap year concept

–         Or maybe they grew up going to church but have gone off the rails a bit

–         This rebellious stage doesn’t necessarily represent their settled commitment, it is just a stage

 

Identity Achievement, in the orange box, describes the status of those who have made a firm identity commitment after exploring their options   

–         For example, they may have settled on a career in medicine after having worked in the hospitality & construction industries

–         Or perhaps they grew up not going to church but have decided to follow Jesus, like C.S. Lewis who became a Christian after being an atheist

 

We’re not stuck in one status (or in one box) our whole life

–         We are able to move around the boxes

–         For example, someone may start from a place of identity foreclosure, move to identity moratorium and end up in identity achievement

–         Maybe they become a motor mechanic because their dad was a mechanic. They do that for 10 years, then realise it isn’t for them, so they explore other career options before eventually finding their fit as an accountant

 

One thing we observe about NZ society today is that we are relatively strong on exploration but not so strong on commitment

–         And what we get with that is a more fluid society

–         People are more inclined to change their identity, almost on a whim

–         It’s like we have a wardrobe of identities we choose from

–         Again there are plusses and minuses with this

–         Fluid is adaptable, water can find a way where other firmer substances can’t, but it’s difficult to build a foundation on water

So can we apply Marcia’s identity theory to Abraham?

–         Well, there is some truth in Marcia’s theory – to a certain extent it does reflect the way we think & behave in the modern west

–         But it’s not the gospel and I don’t think it’s a model we can impose on Abraham’s culture

–         Marcia’s theory is humanistic – it doesn’t take God into account

–         It assumes that human beings achieve their own identity by the choices they make – that we define ourselves in other words

–         But the Jewish / Christian belief is that we don’t define ourselves

–         God is our creator and he defines us – he gives us our identity

–         Our identity is not forced on us by God – we still get to make choices

–         We can accept God’s definition of who we are or we can reject it

Faith Identity

–         After God’s call

–         Defined by God’s promise

 

 Fulfilled Identity

–         Isaac

–         Israel

–         Jesus
Finite Identity

–         Before God’s call

–         Unpromising future

 

 Fake Identity

–         Deceiving others

–         Defined by a lie

 

On the wall here we have another set of identity statuses which fit better for Abraham

–         Finite Identity, in the red box, describes Abraham’s unpromising future before God called him.

–         Without God, Abraham’s identity would have been limited & unfulfilled

–         He would have lived & died and been forgotten – we wouldn’t know who he was

But as a result of God’s call, Abraham moved from the red to the green, from a Finite Identity to a Faith Identity

–         God gave Abraham a new identity by calling him out of his home in Mesopotamia and literally giving him a new name

–         After God’s call Abraham’s life was defined by God’s promises

–         Sarah may have been barren but her barrenness did not define them

–         God’s promise to make Sarah & Abraham the parents of a great nation is what defined them

–         God didn’t fulfil those promises straight away – for much of Abraham’s life God’s promises remained just that, promises

–         Abraham’s task was to live his life in anticipation of God’s promise

Throughout this series we have heard how God tested Abraham’s faith in a whole variety of ways

–         Sometimes Abraham passed the test and other times he switched into the grey box of Fake Identity

–         For example, Abraham deceived Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and then sometime later he misled Abimelech the king of the Philistines

–         In those situations Abraham pretended to be something he wasn’t

–         He allowed himself to be defined by a lie, rather than God’s promise

In the end God fulfilled Abraham’s identity

–         Abraham didn’t achieve his identity through some journey of self-discovery – no.

–         God fulfilled Abraham’s identity initially through the miraculous birth of Isaac and then later through the nation of Israel

–         Ultimately though God fulfilled Abraham’s identity through Jesus Christ who was descended from Abraham

 

Returning to Genesis 24 – Abraham is very clear about Isaac remaining in the land of Canaan and not marrying any of the Canaanite girls because he wants to stay true to God’s promise

–         God’s promise requires Abraham to make an ethnic distinction

–         “At this early stage, intermarriage with the people of the land would risk assimilation into those people & thus jeopardise the covenant promises” [2]

–         Or said another way, if Isaac were to marry one of the locals the special  identity of God’s chosen people would be lost

–         Isaac marrying a Canaanite girl would be like choosing a fake identity

–         Abraham’s decision, therefore, is in line with his identity as the father of God’s chosen people

It is very important for us to make decisions in line with who we are

–         If we don’t, if we do things that go against the grain of our soul and against God’s purpose, then this creates tremendous stress within us

 

The movie Hacksaw Ridge tells the true story of Private Desmond Doss, the first conscientious objector to be awarded the medal of honour

–         During World War 2 Doss volunteered as a medic in the US Army

–         As a devout Seventh Day Adventist, Desmond Doss refused to carry a firearm – he was a strict pacifist

–         Desmond didn’t believe in killing – to him that would have been like assuming a fake identity, it would have gone against the grain of his soul

–         Despite getting a terrible time in boot camp Desmond stayed true to who he was and eventually saved 75 soldiers during the battle of Okinawa

Like Desmond Doss, Abraham had a strong sense of identity – not just personal identity but group identity

–         The decision to find a wife for Isaac from among his extended family, and not among the Canaanites, was in line with God’s purpose

–         Abraham wanted his descendants to stay true to the identity God had promised them.

 

Conclusion:

Identity is a hot topic in our world today

–         Our modern western society and our media culture seem to create a pressure around identity issues, and that pressure is felt most strongly by many of our young people

Are you male or female?

–         Are you liberal or conservative?

–         Are you in a relationship or are you single?

–         Are you gay or straight?

–         Are you Maori or European, Asian or African?

–         Are you environmentally ethical or a petrol head?

–         Are you a vegetarian or a meat eater?

–         Are you Gen X or a Millennial?

–         As if any of those man-made categories matter in the light of eternity

 

We are not God – it is not in our power to define ourselves

–         We are not defined by what we look like or how clever we are

–         We are not defined by our parents or our past

–         We are not defined by our achievements or our mistakes

–         We are not defined by our reputation or what others think of us

–         We are not defined by our job or what we own

–         We are not defined by our fears or our feelings

–         We are defined by God, our creator, we are made in his image

God calls us out of a finite identity into a faith identity

–         He calls us to put our trust in Jesus

–         Jesus embodies the promises of God

–         Jesus shows us what God’s image looks like

–         It is through Jesus that God fulfils his purpose and our identity

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul writes…

–         You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. [3]

We need to live in tune with our soul – we need to discover who we are in Christ and live in a way that is consistent with that identity, as Abraham did

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

1.)    What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.)    What aspects of Genesis 24:1-9 go against the grain of our modern western culture?

3.)    Compare & contrast some of the main differences between the modern western world and the ancient near east

–         In what ways might some non-western cultures today be quite close to Abraham’s ancient near eastern culture?

4.)    Discuss / reflect on James Marcia’s four identity statuses

–         Does Marcia’s theory fit with your experience? In what way?

–         How does Marcia’s theory fall short of Christian belief?

5.)    Discuss / reflect on Abraham’s four identity statuses

–         How did God give Abraham & Sarah a new identity?

6.)    Why did Abraham insist that Isaac not marry a Canaanite girl?

7.)    What is our God given identity?

–         How does God fulfil our identity?

8.)    Take some time this week to meditate on Galatians 3:26-29

 

[1] Refer John Walton’s NIVAC on Genesis, pages 25-26

[2] John Walton, NIVAC Genesis, page 529

[3] Galatians 3:26-29

Tawa Baptist

With God

Scripture: Genesis 21:22-34

Title: With God

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • God is with Abraham
  • Dispute resolution – grace & truth
  • The everlasting God
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

When I was a boy my Dad was digging in our vegetable garden at home and he unearthed a Maori adze – a greenstone axe head

–         It was a very special find – quite unexpected

–         After that, I went digging too for hidden treasure, but alas I found nothing

–         It’s funny isn’t it – we could easily go to a museum, to look at an adze, but that is never as cool as finding one yourself in your own back yard

Today we pick up our sermon series on the life & faith of Abraham

–         This has been a rather interrupted series for various reasons but that’s okay – we are getting there

–         Abraham’s journey of faith can be described as two steps forward, one step back, with some sideways steps thrown in for good measure

–         Both this week’s story and next week’s represent forward steps

–         Today’s instalment focuses on Genesis 21, verses 22-34, where Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, makes a treaty with Abraham

–         At first glance this story seems a bit vanilla, a bit ordinary, just a backyard vegetable garden, nothing interesting here

–         I don’t want to talk it up too much but as I dug beneath the surface of this passage I found a couple of hidden treasures. From the NIV we read…

22 At that time Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do. 23 Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.” 24 Abraham said, “I swear it.”

25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimelek’s servants had seized.  But Abimelek said, “I don’t know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today.”

So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek, and the two men made a treaty. Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, and Abimelek asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?”

He replied, “Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness that I dug this well.” So that place was called Beersheba, because the two men swore an oath there.

After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces returned to the land of the Philistines. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time.

 May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

Three things happen in this little vignette:

  • – Abimelech approaches Abraham to make a treaty with him
  • – Abraham accepts this treaty and in the process settles a dispute
  • – And thirdly, Abraham worships the Lord, the Everlasting God.

 

God is with Abraham:

It is easier to chop wood with the grain

  • – Toast tastes better with butter
  • – We see things with the lights on
  • – Conversation goes smoother with food
  • – Perspective returns with rest
  • – Love grows with trust
  • – Grief fades with time
  • – Memory forms with repetition
  • – Truth finds a way in with grace
  • – Paint sticks with sanding
  • – Peace is sustained with justice
  • – Life finds meaning with God

With – it’s a versatile word and its one of those hidden treasures I was alluding to earlier

 

In verse 22 Abimelech and his general, Phicol, come to Abraham to make a peace treaty with him

  • – If you think about it, this is quite remarkable really
  • – Normally, with peace treaties, the party in the weaker position approaches the one in the stronger position
  • – Outwardly Abimelech appears to be in a stronger position than Abraham
  • – Abraham is a wandering shepherd – he doesn’t have a fortress or an army like Abimelech does and so we wouldn’t ordinarily expect Abimelech to approach Abraham, cap in hand, yet that’s what happens.
  • – Why then does Abimelech feel the need to do this?

Well, Abimelech gives his reason in verse 22 when he says to Abraham…

  • – “God is with you in everything you do”
  • – What does it mean that God is with Abraham

To be with someone is to be alongside them

  • – Not above them, forcing them to do things against their will
  • – And not below them, to be used like a human tool
  • – But beside them, freely acting in their interests and for their well being
  • – God is with Abraham, as a friend, standing in solidarity with him,

I’ve come up with a little acronym which outlines some of the characteristics we would expect to find when we are in a relationship with someone

  • – W is for wellbeing, I is for intimacy, T is for trust and H is for help

You know someone is with you when they are committed to your wellbeing

  • – When they share themselves intimately with you
  • – When they trust you
  • – And when they provide you with help
  • – Likewise you know you are truly with someone when you are committed to their wellbeing, even if there is nothing in it for you
  • – When you are able to be emotionally intimate with them,
  • – When you trust them deeply
  • – And when you are ready to help them should they need it

God’s ideal for marriage is that husband & wife be truly with one another

  • – Marriage is a commitment to mutual wellbeing, intimacy, trust and help

 

God was with Abraham and he wants to be with us

  • – One of the names of Jesus is Immanuel – which means ‘God with us’
  • – Jesus is, God with us
  • – In John 14 Jesus says to his disciples: I will ask the Father and he will send you another Counsellor to be with you forever
  • – The Counsellor Jesus is talking about here is the Holy Spirit or the Paraclete – that is, one who comes alongside to be with us

 

Returning to Genesis, how does Abimelech know that God is with Abraham?           

Some people might argue that Abraham’s wealth is evidence that God is with him – but I don’t think that’s it

  • – Yes, some people like Abraham do become wealthy because God blesses them, in that way, but wealth in itself is no indicator that God is with you
  • – People can become rich for a whole lot of reasons including being ruthless or working hard and making sacrifices or simply being in the right place at the right time
  • – By the same token, poverty or loss is no indicator of God’s absence
  • – The Scriptures tell us that God is near to the poor, the widow, the orphan, the refugee, and the broken hearted – they hold a special place in his heart

So the question remains: how then did Abimelech know that God was with Abraham?

  • – You may remember, in Genesis 20, how Abraham deceived Abimelech by saying that Sarah was his sister, all the while leaving out the part about her being his wife
  • – Abimelech unwittingly took Sarah into his harem but before he slept with her the Lord confronted Abimelech in a dream and told him to return Sarah to her husband, Abraham
  • – When he had done this Abraham prayed for Abimelech and the Lord healed Abimelech, his wife and the women in his household, so they could have children
  • – So that was one obvious sign, to Abimelech, that God was with Abraham

After this, Sarah became pregnant to Abraham and gave birth to Isaac

  • – Sarah was 90 years old when that happened
  • – Given that Sarah had gone past the age of menopause this was a miracle comparable to that of resurrection
  • – Sarah’s pregnancy at 90 and Isaac’s birth were another clear sign, to Abimelech, that God was with Abraham in a life-giving way

Consequently Abimelech makes a treaty with Abraham in order to align himself with Abraham’s God who holds the power of life & death

  • – Abimelech is looking for some insurance – a hedge against spiritual risk
  • – He doesn’t want to get on the wrong side of Abraham or his God
  • – Abimelech wants Abraham to deal honestly with him and to treat him with kindness

The Hebrew word translated as kindness here is hesed

–         We don’t really have one single word in English for hesed

–         It is a Jewish term which is sometimes translated as kindness, sometimes as mercy and other times as steadfast love or loyal (covenant) love

–         Hesed isn’t just an abstract concept though – it is an action, something tangible that one does for someone else’s well-being

Katherine Sakenfeld, who did her PhD on this subject, outlines the three main criteria of hesed… [1]

–         Firstly, the action is essential to the survival or the basic wellbeing of the recipient – so it’s not something you do to entertain a whim or a fancy

–         Secondly, the needed action is one that only the person doing the hesed is in a position to provide – given the circumstances no one else can do it

–         And thirdly, hesed takes place in the context of an existing relationship

 

Abimelech wants Abraham to make a solemn commitment to always treat him and his descendants with hesed – and Abraham quickly agrees

–         It appears Abimelech’s treaty provided Abraham with the opportunity to sort out a problem – a dispute over watering rights

–         And Abraham’s creative solution to this dispute un-earths another hidden treasure

 

Dispute resolution – grace & truth

Abraham had dug a well of water and Abimelech’s servants had seized it

–         Water wells were vitally important in that part of the world

–         Rain fall was seasonal – it wasn’t all year round – so wells were essential to the survival of people and animals alike

 

Abimelech wanted peace with Abraham but without justice there can be no peace – peace is sustained with justice

–         Therefore Abraham sought justice over the well

–         What’s interesting here is the way Abraham resolves this dispute – with truth and grace

–         Abraham doesn’t sweep the issue under the carpet – he doesn’t fudge the truth or pretend there is no problem

–         Rather he addresses the issue by speaking the truth

 

I imagine this was an awkward moment, especially for Abimelech

–         The Philistine king has just given a speech about how he has treated Abraham with ‘kindness’ or hesed and now he is learning that in actual fact his servants have done nothing of the sort

–         The servants have embarrassed Abimelech and the king is quick to plead ignorance, as he had done when God confronted him about Sarah

 

What happens next is quite unexpected – like finding a hidden treasure in a vegetable garden

–         Normally the one who has been wronged – in this case Abraham – would be owed some compensation

–         When Abimelech returned Sarah to Abraham he gave Abraham 1000 pieces of silver by way of vindicating Sarah and compensating her

–         But in this situation Abraham doesn’t seek compensation for himself

–         He does the opposite – he compensates Abimelech by giving him 7 sheep

–         Abimelech is confused by this act of grace – he asks what does this mean

–         And Abraham explains that by accepting these sheep you are acknowledging the well is mine

Truth and grace you see

–         By taking Abraham’s well Abimelech’s servants had done an injustice to Abraham and brought shame on their master

–         To save face Abimelech might feel it necessary to punish his servants

–         But Abraham comes to the rescue of the men who seized his well by providing compensation on their behalf

–         In this way Abraham has preserved Abimelech’s honour and shielded the servants from punishment

–         Touched by Abraham’s act of grace, Abimelech and his servants will now stay away from Abraham’s well

Abraham’s act of grace toward his enemies is at the same time an act of hesed

 

Let me tell you a story…

–         Once there was a police officer who worked in a small town

–         This police officer had a son called Ned

–         Ned tended to get picked on at school because it was a small town and everyone knew who his Dad was

–         Ned responded to the treatment he got by becoming a bit of a rebel – he felt a strong urge to prove to everyone that he wasn’t like his dad

One day, to show how tough he was and how little he cared for the rules Ned stole an orange Mark 2, Ford Escort – and took it for a joy ride. He was 16 and still on his restricted.

The Escort was in mint condition – it was owned by a retired guy called Jim

–         Jim had plenty of time on his hands and had lovingly restored the car, partly because he liked that sort of thing but also because the car used to belong to his late wife and so he felt a sentimental attachment to it

–         It didn’t take much for Jim to figure out who had stolen his car – a neighbour saw Ned driving away in it

–         Jim didn’t react in the heat of the moment – he gave it a few days and thought about what he would do

–         On the one hand he didn’t want to ruin the boy’s life with a criminal record or a bad reputation but on the other hand there still needed to be some kind of consequence

–         Without justice there is no peace, for the victim or the perpetrator

In the end Jim called the policeman and asked him to come over to his house

–         Jim explained the situation, how Ned had been seen stealing his car four days ago

–         What Jim wanted was restoration – both for himself and Ned

–         If Ned was willing to admit what he had done and return the car, Jim would drop the matter

–         He just wanted his car back and for Ned to unburden his conscience

The policeman went home and confronted his son about it

–         Sure enough Ned knew where the Escort was, abandoned not far out of town in an old quarry

–         The car had a few more k’s on the clock and it needed a clean but apart from that it was okay

When Ned and his father returned the Escort to Jim they found him working on an old Cortina in his garage

–         Shame faced and embarrassed Ned made his apology and asked if there was anything he could do to make it up to Jim

–         Jim listened and said, ‘Yes, since you seem to like driving so much I bought this old Cortina for you. You can help me restore it.’

Ned was deeply touched by Jim’s act of grace and for the next six months they worked on the car together, after school and in the weekends

–         Ned stayed out of trouble and learned some skills at the same time

–         With a project to keep his mind occupied he didn’t worry so much about what others thought of him

–         In more than one way Jim put Ned on a life-giving path

 

It’s amazing what an act of hesed can do – the power of grace & truth, you see

 

Okay, so far we’ve heard how God was with Abraham

–         We’ve also heard how Abraham resolved a dispute in a creative way – with an act of hesed and in a spirit of truth & grace

–         Our passage this morning concludes with Abraham worshipping the Everlasting God

 

The Everlasting God:

At our church forum last November we had a time of prayer

  • – Just prior to that meeting one of our church members shared a vision they had seen of a giant cactus growing in this auditorium
  • – We are not entirely sure what the meaning of the vision is but we discussed it at the meeting and one of the things that came out was the resilience of the cactus plant
  • – Cacti have a number of good qualities including the ability to survive in very arid and desolate environments

 

In Genesis 21, verse 33, we read that Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and there he called upon the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God

Tamarisk trees have a deep-ranging root system which searches out water and enables the tree to survive in very dry conditions

  • – The fruit is a capsule with numerous seeds
  • – There are many varieties of tamarisk – some can grow as tall as 18 metres
  • – Tamarisks are valued for their ability to withstand drought and salty soil [2]
  • – They are a hardy tree often planted for shelter or feed
  • – The tamarisk is similar to a cactus plant in that it is resilient in harsh environments but it is perhaps even more versatile in that it provides a good wind break in the desert and its leaves can be eaten by livestock

 

Elsewhere in Genesis Abraham is noted as building an altar and calling on the name of the Lord – here he plants a tree and calls on the name of the Lord

  • – In this context planting a tree is like building an altar – it serves as a living memorial to the Everlasting God
  • – It’s a way saying: God is in this place, even a desolate dry place like Beersheba

Abraham probably chose to plant a tamarisk because it suited the environment but I can’t help noticing how Abraham is a bit like the tamarisk tree

  • – Through years of waiting in barrenness God has grown Abraham & Sarah’s faith strong & deep, like the root system of a tamarisk tree
  • – Abraham, who is now over a 100 years old, has moved from place to place in obedience to God’s call and he has shown resilience, prospering in even the harshest of environments
  • – Perhaps too the tamarisk tree is a parable for the nation of Israel
  • – Through Abraham, God was making a nation that would be resilient and life-giving – a source of shelter and sustenance to those who find themselves in the wilderness

 

Conclusion:

Sometimes our journey of faith can take us to barren, desolate, dry places

  • – Abraham’s story is similar to our story – it reminds us that God can still be found in the places we least expect

 

Let us pray…

  • – Everlasting God, resilient God, life-giving, hesed making God. God of grace & truth, justice & peace – be with us we ask
  • – May we be aware of your loving commitment to our well-being, in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in
  • – Help us to discover you in unexpected places
  • – Fill us with your Spirit of grace & truth that we may settle our disputes and reconcile our differences in ways that are creative & life-giving
  • – May we be open to receive the help you provide, and ready to pass on your help where there is a need
  • – May we grow in our intimacy & trust with you and each other
  • – Through Jesus we pray, Amen.

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

1.)    What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.)    What does it mean that God was with Abraham?

–         How might we know that God is with us?

–         How is Jesus present with us today?

3.)    What is hesed? (E.g. what sorts of words begin to describe hesed, what three conditions need to be met for an act of hesed?)

–         Can you think of a time in your own life when you have been the recipient of hesed? What happened?

–         Is there someone you can do hesed for?

4.)    How did Abraham handle the dispute over the well?

–         What was unusual / creative about Abraham’s approach?

5.)    What is the significance of Abraham planting a tamarisk tree?

6.)    Discuss / reflect on the acronym W.I.T.H. (Well-being, Intimacy, Trust, Help)

–         Who do you need to be with this week, this month, this year?

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/10-june-2018-with-god

[1] Katherine Doob-Sakenfeld, Ruth, page 24

[2] https://www.britannica.com/plant/tamarisk