Tawa Baptist

Nurture

Scripture: Luke 10:25-42

Title: Nurture

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Eternal life – vv. 25-28
  • The Samaritan – vv. 29-37
  • The benefits of nurture
  • Conclusion – Mary & Martha – vv. 38-42

Introduction:

A number of the images the Bible gives us of God are images of nurture, care and protection – God is referred to as a Father, a Gardner, a Shepherd and even as a Mother Hen

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

–         Over the last couple of weeks we have looked at inter-dependence

–         This morning our focus is nurture

Nurture is about caring for & protecting others, in contrast to abuse & neglect

–         Nurture facilitates inter-dependence and the growth of healthy relationships – without nurture we wouldn’t have inter-dependence

–         Last week I compared inter-dependence to a net – open and flexible

–         Well, if inter-dependence is a net, then nurture is tying the nots that hold the net together – nurture is mending the net

In Biblical terms nurture is about loving God and loving your neighbour

–         In Luke 10 Jesus tells a parable which illustrates what it means to love God and your neighbour – from verse 25 we read…

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ ”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.

A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he had compassion on him.

He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think acted like a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

Eternal Life:

Our reading this morning begins with a question about eternal life

–         How do we inherit or receive eternal life?

–         Before we talk about that though we first need to have some idea of what eternal life is

To the First Century Jewish lawyer who asked this question eternal life was a future age or epoch in which God’s Kingdom would come in its fullness (as symbolised by the green upward arrow) – in contrast to this life now (as symbolised by the red downward curve)

–         Eternal life goes on forever whereas this life is finite – it ends in death

–         This diagram doesn’t tell the full story though

 

For Christians, eternal life is more than simply everlasting time into the future

–         For Christians – eternal life is the very life that God has

–         It is God’s own kind of life, divine life. [1]

 

In John 17 Jesus says in prayer, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

–         This tells us that eternal life is essentially a relationship with God

–         To receive eternal life then is to know God, not just in our head, but intimately, in our experience, and to have him know us personally too

–         A better image of eternal life might be the closeness between a mother and child, or the intimacy between two lovers or the bond between the dearest of friends

–         But even the closest and most functional of human relationships are only approximations – no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him  [2]

–         The point is: eternal life isn’t just about living forever, it is about enjoying a certain quality of life in relationship with God – abundant life, life with peace & joy and wholeness – Life which finds deep satisfaction & meaning through a close, loving connection with the Lord

–         We receive eternal life (we know intimacy with God) through Jesus

 

The lawyer asked Jesus about eternal life to test Jesus, maybe even trip him up

–         Jesus senses this and gets the lawyer to answer his own question

–         We inherit eternal life by loving God with our all and loving our neighbour as our self

–         Love God, love your neighbour – seems straight forward enough, except no one but Jesus has been able to do this perfectly

–         Asking us to sustain whole hearted love of God and our neighbour over a lifetime is like asking us to fly to the moon by flapping our arms

–         Without the transport Jesus offers we won’t even get off the ground

 

The Samaritan:

The lawyer is astute enough to realise that he can’t love everyone all the time but he still thinks he can love some people enough of the time – so he seeks clarification as to who his neighbour is

–         In other words, who do I need to love and who do I not need to worry about?

–         He probably expected Jesus to say, your neighbour is a fellow Jew who keeps the law and possibly even the resident alien who worships the Lord

–         Anyone who doesn’t fall into either of those categories you can ignore

 

Jesus doesn’t answer as expected though – he tells a parable which undermines the lawyer’s categories…

 

A man is walking down the hill from Jerusalem to Jericho – a notoriously dangerous 20 miles of road, with rocky outcroppings and sudden turns which provide ideal ambush spots for bandits [3]

–         Not surprisingly this man is stopped by robbers, stripped, beaten and left unconscious on the side of the road

–         Jesus doesn’t tell us the identity of the man – we don’t know if he is a Jew or a Gentile, a worshipper of Yahweh or a pagan – and the passers-by don’t know either

–         In that culture you could tell where someone was from by the clothes they wore and by their accent, but this man had been stripped naked and he couldn’t talk because he was half dead, so no way to identify him

 

A priest is walking down that road, sees the man and passes by

–         Jewish priests at that time normally served for about two weeks a year in the temple

–         Most likely this priest has just finished his duty and is on his way home, because he is headed down the hill, away from the temple in Jerusalem

–         Although the wounded stranger’s identity is ambiguous the priest has decided this man does not qualify as his neighbour

 

Next a Levite comes along, sees the man and passes by

–         Levites were assistants to the priests – they helped in the temple but had less status than the priests

–         The Levite also decides the wounded stranger does not qualify as his neighbour

 

Lastly a Samaritan comes along

–         Now, we need to remember that Samaritans and Jews hated each other

–         They were enemies – there was no nurture happening between them

–         To the Jews there was no such thing as a ‘good’ Samaritan

 

Last summer I read a novel by Anthony Doerr, called All the Light We Cannot See. It took a bit of getting into but in the end was a satisfying read

–         Set in Europe during World War 2 it tells the story of a blind girl living in Paris during the German occupation and also the story of a German orphan boy conscripted into Hitler Youth and eventually the SS

–         As the title of the book suggests there was good & bad behaviour on both sides – not all the Germans were terrible & not all the French were saints

–         There is light in everyone, only sometimes we can’t see it due to our prejudice

 

Jesus’ largely Jewish audience couldn’t see any light in the Samaritans, even though there was light there, and so what comes next in this parable is a complete shock to them – like hearing of a blind French girl receiving care and protection from an SS soldier in 1944

 

When the Samaritan sees the wounded man he has compassion on him

–         Compassion is the feeling or motivation that accompanies nurture

–         Compassion moves us to care for and protect others

 

At some risk and inconvenience to himself the Samaritan gives the wounded stranger first aid – pouring wine & olive oil on wounds was common medical practice at that time

–         Apparently the Samaritan is not concerned with abstract debates about who his neighbour is – he sees a need and responds with care

–         Stopping to help the man is risky in that the bandits may still be lurking close by and could attack him also – but the Samaritan’s love is greater than his fear

 

Then the Samaritan puts the wounded man on his donkey while he walks beside

–         In that culture the one who rides the donkey is in the place of the master, while the one who walks alongside is in the place of the servant

–         So we have here a picture of the Samaritan taking the role of a servant – sort of like Jesus took the role of a servant to save us

 

The Samaritan takes the injured man to an inn and looks after him for the night – they didn’t have hospitals in those days

–         The next morning before leaving he pays the inn keeper two denarii to look after the man

–         Two denarii would have allowed the recuperating man to stay for a number of weeks – plenty of time to get better

–         But in case it’s not enough the Samaritan guarantees to reimburse any extra costs next time he passes that way

–         If the inn keeper was unscrupulous he could easily take advantage of the Samaritan’s kindness

 

We may wonder why the Samaritan doesn’t stay longer to care for the man

–         Well, he was getting the wider community involved

–         The Samaritan doesn’t try to do everything himself, he operates in an inter-dependent way

 

I expect also the Samaritan wanted to avoid any conflict

–         There is a scene in the 1990 movie Dances with Wolves, where Kevin Costner finds a woman alone in the wilderness, bleeding

–         He uses his flag to bind her wounds and then carries her on his horse to find help

–         He comes across a tribe of Indians, the same tribe to which she belongs

–         There he is, dressed in his army uniform (looking like the enemy) carrying a badly injured member of their tribe

–         Some of the younger Indians misunderstand and attack him because it appears he caused the injuries

–         He didn’t of course – it was a case of all the light we cannot see

–         In that scene Kevin Costner is a Samaritan to the Indians

 

By taking the wounded man to an inn and staying the night the Samaritan took a risk – a bit like Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves

–         As a Samaritan in close proximity to Jerusalem he is in enemy territory and that makes him a target

–         Leaving, before his presence brought trouble, was a wise & prudent move – the Samaritan was loving his neighbour, without neglecting himself

 

Looking at the parable as a whole, the unidentified man in Jesus’ parable experiences abuse from the thieves, neglect from the clergy and generous nurture from the Samaritan

–         And he does this without any expectation of repayment – the wounded man has lost everything, he has nothing to offer in return

–         Despite their pedigree the priest and the Levite performed poorly, whereas the Samaritan had no pedigree but performed well

 

The benefits of nurture:

Now at this point you might be thinking – okay I can see how the Samaritan gives us a good example of nurture. He clearly shows practical love, care and support for the injured man

–         But while the Samaritan’s nurture was good for the man who had been beaten up, it’s difficult to see how it was good for the Samaritan himself

–         After all, the main point of this sermon series is care of our own soul

–         How does nurturing someone else, especially at great risk and expense to oneself, help the nurturer?

 

Well, nurturing others helps us in a number of ways…

–         Firstly, it makes us feel good inside – when we take care of others we feel more connected and less alone in the world.

 

Sometimes when we are hurting or in pain we can become quite self-absorbed and our perspective gets smaller & smaller until we find ourselves locked in self-destructive thought patterns – the temptation in grief is to self-pity

–         Nurturing others, looking to the well-being of others, actually enlarges our perspective and frees our mind, lifting our thought patterns out of the rut we sometimes get ourselves into

–         Self-pity leads us to neglect our soul. Nurture, of others, saves us from self-pity

 

Nurture also sets us free from slavery to an overbearing ego

–         By ‘ego’ I mean our sense of self importance

–         Someone with an over inflated ego thinks they are more important than they are – so they might, for example, worry too much about what other people think of them when in fact no one is giving them a second thought

–         Or perhaps they jump the queue or think the speed limit doesn’t apply to them because their time matters more than other people’s time or safety

–         Perhaps the priest and the Levite thought their needs were more important than the needs of the unconscious man on the side of the road?

–         Or perhaps they were overly worried about what others might think of them?

 

Now, having given examples of an over inflated ego it needs to be said, the ego isn’t necessarily a bad thing in itself – we need an ego (in this life at least) to protect ourselves [4]

–         If we had no ego (no sense of self-worth or importance) we wouldn’t value ourselves and would let others walk all over us

–         The ego acts as a kind of hedge – it protects us

–         Without an ego we are vulnerable to abuse & neglect – we would get hurt

–         But if the hedge of our ego grows too large it cuts us off from right relationship with other people

–         Nurturing other people trims the hedge – it helps to keep our ego under control so we don’t become disconnected from the people around us

 

The second greatest commandment is to, ‘love your neighbour as you love yourself’

–         Notice that’s it’s not, ‘love your neighbour as you neglect yourself’

–         Nor is it, ‘love your neighbour half as much as you love yourself’

–         It’s, ‘love your neighbour as you love yourself’

–         In other words, you are just as important as your neighbour – no more, no less, so treat others the way you would like to be treated

–         Nurture of others regulates our ego and keeps us connected in an inter-dependent way

 

Another benefit to nurturing others is it brings us closer to God

–         As I said at the beginning of this message, God is a nurturer

–         Father, Gardener, Shepherd, Mother Hen – they are all images of nurture

–         While we can’t earn eternal life by doing good works, we can (at times) find ourselves close to God when performing practical acts of love

–         The Samaritan in Jesus’ parable actually entered into the life of God when he helped the wounded man on the side of the road

–         Caring for others is what God does – in fact some people see in the Samaritan a picture of Christ himself

–         So when we provide nurture for others we are sharing in God’s work and therefore in his eternal life

–         The good we do, in love, never dies, it is eternal – the knowledge of that should feed our soul with everlasting meaning and purpose

 

Conclusion:

The other thing to say about nurture – and this is very important – is that we can’t care for others without first taking care of our relationship with God

–         Love of God goes hand in hand with love of neighbour

–         Caring for others apart from God is like trying to water the garden with only your spit – not very effective or sustainable

–         To water the garden (or to care for others) generously and properly we must be connected to the water mains

–         It is out of the reservoir of God’s love that we find the resources to nurture others

 

Immediately after the parable of the Samaritan, we read the account of Jesus at Mary & Martha’s house

–         You know the one – Martha becomes frustrated with Mary and with the Lord because Mary sits at Jesus’ feet listening to his teaching, while Martha is run off her feet providing care and hospitality for a house full of disciples

–         But Jesus defends Mary saying, “Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken from her

–         Martha may have been providing nurture for everyone else but it was in her own strength, apart from Jesus

 

On the face things it would appear that Martha’s ego was too big – my work of doing the cooking & cleaning is more important than listening to Jesus

–         But when we dig a little deeper I wonder if in fact Martha’s ego wasn’t too big, but rather too small

–         Perhaps Martha didn’t think she was important enough to sit at Jesus’ feet and receive his teaching, like Mary and the men

–         Perhaps Martha ‘loved her neighbour as she neglected herself’ and this left her feeling resentful

–         The point is: before we can nurture others we need to spend time in Jesus’ presence, nurturing our relationship with the Lord

 

I imagine the Samaritan was ministering to the wounded man out of his own experience of God’s love for him

–         It was because the Samaritan appreciated God’s generous care for himself that he was able to be so generous in his care of someone he didn’t know

–         And it was because he was doing it for God that he didn’t need a reward

 

Personally I find Jesus’ parable of the Samaritan very challenging – it sets the bar high indeed

–         Even with an appreciation of God’s grace for us we may be forced at times to pick and choose who we help and who we walk past

–         I don’t think Jesus wants us to harbour feelings of misplaced guilt – it is not always in our power to do everything the Samaritan did

–         Sometimes we are the one naked and bleeding on the side of the road – sometimes we might be the ones in need of help

–         Other times we don’t have the wine or the bandages or the mule or the money to help

–         At those times we simply do what we can with what we have and we don’t feel bad about what we can’t do – grand gestures are not always called for

I like what Mother Teresa says…

–         Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do… but how much love we put in that action

 

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 nurture?

–         How does nurture support/facilitate inter-dependence?

–         What images of God as a nurturer do we find in the Bible?

3.)    What is eternal life?

–         How might eternal life be different from this life now (finite life)?

4.)    What would have been surprising to Jesus’ original audience about the parable he told in Luke 10:30-35?

–         Who do you identify with most in this parable?

–         Do you have a Samaritan story (of unexpected kindness)? Share it.

5.)    What stops us from seeing the light in others?

–         What helps us to see the light in others?

6.)    What is compassion?

–         What moves you to compassionate action for others?

7.)    What was risky and costly about the Samaritan’s care for the wounded man?

–         What was wise and prudent about the Samaritan’s care?

8.)    How does nurturing others benefit our own soul and well-being?

–         How is the balance between loving your neighbour and taking care of yourself going for you personally at the moment?

9.)    What does the story of Mary & Martha (in Luke 10:38-42) teach us about nurture?

 

 

[1] M.M. Thompson, Gospel of John, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, page 381.

[2] 1st Corinthians 2:9

[3] William Barclay, ‘The Gospel of Luke’, page 141.

[4] The inspiration for this train of thought came from reading Johann Hari’s book “Lost Connections”, page 238.

Tawa Baptist

Inter-dependence – Part 2

Scripture: Exodus 18:13-26; Mark 6:6b-13; Luke 19:1-10

Title: Inter-dependence – Part 2

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Moses transitioned from independence to inter-dependence
  • Jesus works inter-dependently
  • Jesus opens the door of inter-dependence for Zacchaeus
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Robyn teaches five year olds and is always on the lookout for good picture books to read to her class

–         Recently she bought a book which gives the plural nouns for various groups of animals – for example, a school of fish and a gaggle of geese

–         Many of the plurals I hadn’t heard of before – like a loveliness of ladybirds, that was new to me

–         Thought we might see if people here knew their plural nouns

–         We’ll start with something easy…

What is a group of cows called? (A herd, a drove or a team)

–         What about a group of wolves? (A pack)

–         What about a group of zebras? (A dazzle or a zeal)

–         What about a group of butterflies? (A kaleidoscope, flutter, or swarm)

–         What about a group of bacteria? (A colony)

–         What about a group of giraffes? (A tower)

–         What about a group of elephants? (A parade)

Perhaps you knew the answers to most of these but many I didn’t know, which might reflect the way NZ culture has shaped my thinking – that is, to focus on the individual rather than the group

–         None of the creatures we just looked at exist in isolation – they all function as part of a group within a wider eco system.

 

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 week we looked at inter-dependence with particular reference to Paul’s image of the body of Christ as an inter-dependent unity

Inter-dependence is about depending on one another – it is mutual reliance

–         To be inter-dependent is to function as part of a group and not in isolation

Today we explore some other Biblical examples of inter-dependence in practice, beginning with Moses – please turn with me to Exodus 18, page 79 towards the front of your pew Bibles

 

Moses transitioned from independence to inter-dependence:

Moses was famous for leading the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt and for giving the Law, including the 10 commandments

–         In Exodus 18 the Israelites are living in the wilderness when Moses receives a visit from his father-in-law Jethro. From verse 13, we read…

13 The next day Moses was settling disputes among the people, and he was kept busy from morning till night. 14 When Jethro saw everything that Moses had to do, he asked, “What is all this that you are doing for the people? Why are you doing this all alone, with people standing here from morning till night to consult you?”

15 Moses answered, “I must do this because the people come to me to learn God’s will. 16 When two people have a dispute, they come to me, and I decide which one of them is right, and I tell them God’s commands and laws.”

17 Then Jethro said, “You are not doing this right. 18 You will wear yourself out and these people as well. This is too much for you to do alone. 19 Now let me give you some good advice, and God will be with you. It is right for you to represent the people before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 You should teach them God’s commands and explain to them how they should live and what they should do. 21 But in addition, you should choose some capable men and appoint them as leaders of the people: leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They must be God-fearing men who can be trusted and who cannot be bribed. 22 Let them serve as judges for the people on a permanent basis. They can bring all the difficult cases to you, but they themselves can decide all the smaller disputes. That will make it easier for you, as they share your burden. 23 If you do this, as God commands, you will not wear yourself out, and all these people can go home with their disputes settled.”

24 Moses took Jethro’s advice 25 and chose capable men from among all the Israelites. He appointed them as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 26 They served as judges for the people on a permanent basis, bringing the difficult cases to Moses but deciding the smaller disputes themselves.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

On the wall here we have some examples of bottle necks

–         A bottle neck is a narrow point which slows the flow of something – whether that’s liquid out of a bottle or people through a wall or traffic on the road

–         Sometimes bottle necks are good – they give us more control over things

–         Other times though bottle necks are just frustrating – like when you are driving south into Otaki or north into Pukerua Bay

 

Inter-dependence is different from independence

–         To be inter-dependent is to function in harmony with a group

–         To be independent is to rely on yourself and therefore to operate separately from the group

Independence is narrow, restrictive, unyielding and inflexible – like a bottleneck

–         By contrast inter-dependence is more open and flexible – like a net

 

Although Moses was the leader of the Israelites – he wasn’t really functioning as part of the group, at least not at first

–         Moses’ leadership style was independent and this created a bottle neck to justice

It is not surprising that Moses should operate in an independent way

–         He was raised in an Egyptian palace apart from his people

–         When he did try to help his people they rejected him and he spent the next 40 years working on his own as a shepherd in the desert

–         Moses was used to doing things in an independent way

–         Now it’s not that Moses did everything independently

–         He certainly didn’t operate independently of Yahweh – Moses worked in partnership with the Lord and with his brother Aaron

–         But somehow that didn’t translate to his leadership of the nation of Israel

When it came to settling disputes (large & small) Moses did it all himself

–         To borrow from Paul’s metaphor of the body, Moses tried to be the head, hands and feet

–         Moses’ independent approach made everyone dependent on him and dependencies are generally not healthy

–         As a consequence Moses was over worked and the people became exhausted and frustrated as they waited for days to have their case heard – justice delayed is not justice

 

Often when we are in the thick of it – head down and tail up – we lose sight of the bigger picture

–         As an outsider looking in, Jethro could see that Moses needed to delegate more and so he suggested an inter-dependent network of judges

–         This network of judges would catch any of the bigger issues for Moses to handle (with God) and all the smaller more routine things could be managed by the judges – competent people of good moral character

This was a far better system because it released both Moses and the people from an unhealthy dependency

–         It meant that justice was no longer the sole responsibility of Moses – justice was now everyone’s responsibility

–         Previously it was only Moses who had to think about God’s will

–         Now thousands of people in the community were thinking about it

–         In this way inter-dependence creates a kind of safety net

–         If you fall independently, without a safety net, the landing is painful

–         But if you fall inter-dependently, with a community of mutual reliance underneath you, the landing is not fatal

 

Of course this shift from independence to inter-dependence required Moses to listen with humility to Jethro and to trust and empower other people

–         And that’s the difficult part isn’t it – inter-dependence should make us feel safer but ironically it sometimes makes us feel more vulnerable, because we aren’t in control of other people. What if they let us down?

–         Well, inter-dependence is like a net – sometimes a fishing net rips or develops a tear. When that happens we don’t throw the net away, we mend the net – we face the truth, we forgive each other and we move on

 

Okay, Moses offers us one example of someone who transitioned from independence to inter-dependence. What about Jesus – how did he operate?

 

Jesus works inter-dependently:

Please turn with me to Mark chapter 6, verse 7 – page 53 toward the back of your pew Bibles

–         Unlike Moses, Jesus didn’t try to do everything himself

–         Jesus gathered a team of disciples (or apprentices) around him and trained them to carry on his work

–         These disciples, men & women, came from a variety of backgrounds – they were a diverse group with one thing in common: they trusted Jesus

–         From Mark chapter 6, verse 7 we read…

Then Jesus went to the villages around there, teaching the people. 7 He called the twelve disciples together and sent them out two by two. He gave them authority over the evil spirits 8 and ordered them, “Don’t take anything with you on the trip except a walking stick—no bread, no beggar’s bag, no money in your pockets. 9 Wear sandals, but don’t carry an extra shirt.” 10 He also told them, “Wherever you are welcomed, stay in the same house until you leave that place. 11 If you come to a town where people do not welcome you or will not listen to you, leave it and shake the dust off your feet. That will be a warning to them!”

12 So they went out and preached that people should turn away from their sins. 13 They drove out many demons, and rubbed olive oil on many sick people and healed them.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

On the wall here is a graph which illustrates the law of diminishing returns

–         The vertical axis measures output or return, while the horizontal axis measures input or effort

–         Up to a certain point (point number 1) you get a good return for your effort, but after that point the rate of return starts to decrease and so you get less return for your effort

For example, imagine you are contracted to pick apples, but you don’t get paid by the hour you get paid by the number of apples you pick

–         You might find that in the first half of the day you are able to pick 1000 kilos of apples

–         But as the day goes on, you get more weary and the apples get thinner on the trees and you find you can only pick 500 kilos in the second half of the day

–         Although you are putting in the same amount of time & effort your return in the second half of the day diminishes significantly

–         That’s one example of the law of diminishing returns

Eventually there comes a point when it doesn’t make sense to carry on by yourself – you need to stop and rest or change one of the other variables like getting someone to help

–         You could carry on working after 10pm but it would become counter-productive because you would be tired and grumpy the next day

–         You could go 18 months without a holiday but it would become counter-productive because you would lose perspective and joy

 

In Mark 6 Jesus doesn’t try to do everything himself – he empowers his disciples to help him in an inter-dependent way

–         First Jesus gives them authority to do the job and then he sends them out to heal people and preach repentance

–         Six teams of disciples working in multiple orchards can pick more apples than one Messiah – Jesus overcomes the law of diminishing returns

Two things Jesus recommends here to encourage inter-dependence…

–         Firstly, the disciples are to minister together in pairs

–         There were a number of reasons Jesus sent his disciples out two by two

–         For instance, 2 witnesses gives more credibility to the message than 1

–         More importantly though, having a companion guards against loneliness

–         At the end of the day we need someone to talk to and understand us

Like the philosopher says in Ecclesiastes chapter 4…

–         Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him up. But if someone is alone and falls, it’s just too bad, because there is no one to help him. If it is cold, two can sleep together and stay warm, but how can you keep warm by yourself. Two people can resist an attack that would defeat one person alone. A rope made of three cords is hard to break.

  

The other thing Jesus tells his disciples is: don’t take food or money to provide for yourself, rely on the locals to provide for you

–         Remember that inter-dependence is mutual reliance – it’s a two way street where both parties give and take

–         The disciples would give healing and deliverance and a message for salvation, while those they ministered to would give food and shelter and friendship in return

–         Now this wasn’t a hard and fast rule for all time – later on Jesus told his disciples they should be prepared and provide for themselves – but on this occasion the disciples went in vulnerability and trust

 

Jesus opens the door to inter-dependence for Zacchaeus;

We see Jesus relying on the hospitality of locals in Luke 19 – please turn with me to page 105 toward the back of your pew Bibles

–         In this passage Jesus opens the door to inter-dependence for Zacchaeus

–         From Luke 19, verses 1-10, we read…

Jesus went on into Jericho and was passing through. 2 There was a chief tax collector there named Zacchaeus, who was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was a little man and could not see Jesus because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus, who was going to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came to that place, he looked up and said to Zacchaeus, “Hurry down, Zacchaeus, because I must stay in your house today.”

6 Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed him with great joy. 7 All the people who saw it started grumbling, “This man has gone as a guest to the home of a sinner!”

8 Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Listen, sir! I will give half my belongings to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay back four times as much.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Salvation has come to this house today, for this man, also, is a descendant of Abraham. 10 The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

There was a 12 year boy who was being bullied at school

–         His parents went to his teacher to talk with him about it

–         The teacher listened and then went home to sleep on it

–         The next day he asked the boy (who was being bullied) if he would like to try out for the school cricket team – the teacher happened to be the coach. The boy was keen and joined the team

–         He wasn’t the best player on the side but he turned up to practice regularly and showed commitment to his team mates

–         Things changed for him after that – he made some friends and didn’t have to sit alone at lunchtime

–         He became less afraid and less of a target – the kids that had been giving him a hard time lost interest in him and the bullying stopped

 

Zacchaeus was alone in a crowd

–         I’m not sure if he was the bully or the one being bullied – I expect it was a bit of both

–         Zacchaeus couldn’t see Jesus because of the crowd – if people liked him or respected him they would have let him through, but Zacchaeus isn’t allowed through – he has to climb a tree to see Jesus, extremely undignified and humiliating for a man in that culture

–         People excluded Zacchaeus because they saw him as colluding with the enemy (those Roman bullies) who oppressed them with taxes

–         He was perceived as a parasite – someone who depended on the community without giving anything back

–         Zacchaeus wasn’t connected in an inter-dependent way

 

But Jesus changes that by inviting himself to stay at Zacchaeus’ house

–         Now what we need to understand is that in Middle Eastern culture hospitality is an extremely important social obligation

–         To host someone important is an honour and a privilege, like getting to meet Harry & Megan or Jacinda & Clark

–         Not only that but the host carries the reputation of the whole community on their shoulders

–         If the host doesn’t do a good job then this reflects badly on everyone else

–         The people of Jericho don’t like that Jesus has gone to Zacchaeus’ house for two reasons:

o   They don’t think Zacchaeus is worthy of the honour

o   And they are anxious that Zacchaeus will make them look bad

–         But Jesus is more concerned for well-being than reputation, both Zacchaeus’ well-being and the well-being of the whole community

 

Interestingly Jesus doesn’t need to tell Zacchaeus to repent – the grace Jesus shows in honouring Zacchaeus opens Zacchaeus’ heart in generosity

–         Zacchaeus is really responding to Jesus’ generosity

–         “I will give half my belongings to the poor and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay him back four times as much”  

–         And Jesus replies, “Salvation has come to this house today, for this man also is a descendant of Abraham”

–         In other words, Zacchaeus belongs – he is not a parasite – he is needed, with something good to offer the community of God’s people

 

As I said last week, healing, wholeness, growth – these things don’t happen in isolation, they happen in community

–         If you injure your finger the doctors don’t seek to heal the finger by separating it from the hand – no, they keep the finger attached because the finger is an inter-dependent part of the body

 

We don’t know how the community responded to Zacchaeus after Jesus’ visit but if they were smart they would have included Zacchaeus

–         Someone had to collect the taxes – better to have that person on your side than against you

 

Conclusion:

Moses and Zacchaeus were similar but different

–         They were similar in that they both operated alone – they weren’t connected to their communities in an inter-dependent way

–         But they were different in that Moses was alone because of his independence – he tried to do everything himself without help

–         Whereas Zacchaeus was alone because of his dependency on the community – he took from people without giving anything back

–         Independence and dependence are roadblocks to inter-dependence

In both cases it took a third person with an outside perspective to shine light on the problem so that the solution became obvious

–         In Moses’ case that third person was Jethro and in Zacchaeus’ case it was Jesus

 

We also notice that in both cases the solution was found in sharing power

–         Moses delegated judicial power so that others had authority to help resolve certain disputes

–         And Zacchaeus dispersed power in the form of money to the poor and to those he had cheated

–         Inter-dependence is achieved through generosity – by letting go of power & control and sharing what we have with others

 

What I like about Jethro & Jesus is the grace with which they handled the situation – they did it in such a gentle, respectful and kind way

–         Jethro didn’t force Moses’ hand

–         And Jesus didn’t force Zacchaeus’ hand either

–         At the end of day inter-dependence needs to be a free choice

–         What will we choose?

 

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 inter-dependence?

–         In what sense is inter-dependence like a net? (as opposed to a bottleneck)

3.)    What problems did Moses’ independent approach create? (both for himself and others)

4.)    How did Moses transition from independence to inter-dependence?

–         What might we need to do to become more inter-dependent?

5.)    How did Jesus overcome the law of diminishing returns in his ministry?

–         What made Jesus’ approach to mission (in Mark 6:7-13) inter-dependent?

6.)    How did Jesus open the door to inter-dependence for Zacchaeus?

–         What did Zacchaeus do to walk through that door?

7.)    How were Moses & Zacchaeus similar?

–         How were they different?

8.)    How did Jethro and Jesus approach Moses and Zacchaeus respectively?

9.)    Who do you identify with most – Moses, Zacchaeus, Jethro or Jesus? Why?

 

 

 

 

 

Tawa Baptist

Inter-dependence

Scripture: 1st Corinthians 12:12-27

Title: Inter-dependence

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Inter-dependence defined
  • 1st Corinthians 12:12-27

o   Unity with diversity

o   Equality with affection

  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

On the wall here we have a picture. Take a look.

–         Put up your hand if the first thing you noticed was a woman standing on a stage wearing a white dress and talking to a large crowd

–         Interesting, you can put your hands down.

–         Now put your hands up if you noticed the crowd first and then only later noticed the woman on stage.

This is a classic social science experiment

–         The theory goes that, generally speaking, people from a western culture tend to describe the individual on stage first, while people from an eastern culture are more inclined to see the crowd first

–         This is because western culture is usually more oriented to the individual and eastern culture is more oriented to the group [1]

Here’s another example of collective thinking vs. individual thinking

–         On the wall here we have a picture of a crowd of people at a sports match

–         Tell me, is the man I’ve circled there happy or unhappy?

–         Who thinks he’s happy?

–         Who thinks he’s not happy?

–         Some people might think he is sad or grumpy because all the people around him are clearly not happy but he’s actually celebrating because his team is winning, while all the other people around him are cross because their team is losing

One more. Is the guy with his face in his hands happy or sad?

–         Hands up if you think he’s happy

–         Who thinks he’s sad?

–         I’m not sure if he’s happy or sad because I can’t see his face

–         Most likely he’s happy because the people around him are happy

–         But it’s possible he’s sad because the others are laughing at him

–         The point is: our read of a situation will differ depending on whether we are inclined to think collectively or individually

When social scientists do this kind of experiment on children they find that kids with a more individualistic way of looking at life have no problem thinking that an individual might be feeling differently to the group around them

–         While those kids with a more collective mind-set don’t read the individual’s face – they read the collective face of the group

–         They take it for granted that everyone in the group will be feeling the same way – because ‘we’ has more influence than ‘me’

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

–         Today our message focuses on inter-dependence

 

Inter-dependence defined:

Inter-dependence is about depending on one another

–         Or said another way, inter-dependence is mutual reliance

 

Inter-dependence is different from independence

–         To be independent is to rely on yourself and therefore to operate separately from the group

–         To be inter-dependent is to function as part of a group

–         With independence comes isolation, loneliness and a loss of identity

–         But with inter-dependence we get a sense of purpose and belonging – we know who we are and where we fit

 

Inter-dependence is also different from dependence

–         Inter-dependence involves relationships of mutual exchange, where everyone gives and receives – it’s a two way street

–         Everyone needs the others and everyone has something to offer the others

–         Dependence, on the other hand, lacks mutuality – it’s a one way street

–         With dependent relationships there is an imbalance of power and therefore a greater risk of abuse

–         Conversely, with inter-dependent relationships, there is a better balance of power and greater mutual respect

 

I started today’s message by talking about how eastern cultures tend to think collectively, while western cultures are more inclined to think individually

–         There’s pros & cons with both systems

–         The problem with extreme collectivism is that you tend to get uniformity – people are forced into a mould and are not free to be themselves, supposedly for the greater good

–         At the other extreme, with individualism you tend to get freedom without responsibility or restraint and people’s relationships suffer for it

–         Inter-dependence combines the best parts of collectivism & individualism enabling people to be themselves while still valuing others – so you are more likely to get healthy, functional connections with other people

 

1st Corinthians 12:12-27

To help us explore this concept of inter-dependence our Bible reading today focuses on 1st Corinthians chapter 12

–         1st Corinthians was a letter written by the apostle Paul to Christians in first century Corinth.

–         Ancient Corinth was a little bit like modern Las Vegas or Los Angeles – it had a reputation for being morally bankrupt

–         The church in Corinth had a few problems too and Paul was writing to help them sort things out

–         Two of the problems it seems were disunity & inequality

–         The church was not functioning in a healthy inter-dependent way

–         In 1st Corinthians 12 Paul reminds the believers of God’s design for the church and their need for one another, using the metaphor of the body

–         From verses 12-27 we read…

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized with one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.  If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honour to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.  Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

When we look at how God has designed the natural world we see he has done it in an inter-dependent way

–         For example, the trees rely on the soil for stability & nourishment

–         At the same time trees feed the soil with compost and prevent erosion

–         Trees and soil are very different but they need each other

–         Bees harvest nectar from flowers and in the process they fertilise the flowers and contribute to the fruitfulness of the tree

–         Bees and trees are very different but they need each other

–         These are examples of relationships of mutual reliance

–         What we notice in nature is that one part of an eco-system relies on every other part – so the bees aren’t just relying on the trees, they are also relying on the soil to support the trees, just as the soil is relying on the bees to fertilise the trees and keep the cycle of life going

–         The human body is like an eco-system with many different parts each relying on every other part – a diverse inter-dependent unity

 

One of the problems with the church in Corinth was disunity

–         Paul seeks to address this problem by giving the Corinthian believers a positive example of how the church is supposed to function

–         The church is like the human body – a diverse inter-dependent unity

 

Unity with diversity

Paul starts with unity – he reminds the Corinthians what they share in common – primarily Christ and the Holy Spirit

–         All Christian believers share the Spirit of Jesus sort of like all human beings share the air we breathe

–         Or like all the different parts of a person’s body share the same blood type and DNA

 

The other thing the Corinthian’s share in common is their need

–         Each person has need of the others and no one person can function or serve God’s purpose apart from the others

–         Paul is essentially saying their differences are a good thing

–         The body couldn’t function without diversity – everyone is needed

–         Inter-dependence requires unity with diversity

Two things that undermine inter-dependence are inferiority and independence

Paul deals with inferiority in verses 15-16

–         In Middle Eastern culture certain parts of the body are given higher status than other parts [2]

–         For example the foot is considered unclean and inferior to the right hand

–         But Paul argues the foot can’t exclude itself from the body because it feels inferior to the hand

–         The foot serves a valuable and necessary function just as the hand does

 

Sometimes we don’t like the way we are made or gifted – we might prefer to be something we are not

–         Or perhaps we don’t feel like we are as good as others – we may struggle with a lack of self esteem

–         Our value and our belonging does not depend on how we feel about ourselves – our value & belonging depends on God – it is simply given

–         Inter-dependence requires us to accept ourselves as we are (even though we are different) and to accept the difference in others

–         Someone once said, in heaven we get to be ourselves – and I would add, without feeling inferior

 

The other thing that works against unity with diversity is independence, also known as self sufficiency

–         In verse 21 Paul says: ‘The eye can’t say to the hand I don’t need you and the head can’t say to the feet I don’t need you’

–         In this scenario Paul imagines the eye and the head thinking they can do it on their own, without the hands and feet

It should be plainly obvious that the eyes and the head need the hands and the feet and vice versa – but in case it’s not, let me demonstrate

–         If I try to throw this bag of marshmallows with just my eyes and my mind, without using my hands or feet, look what happens

–         Nothing – the bag goes nowhere

–         But if my brain sends a message to my hands to throw the bag, then my eyes line up the target and my feet keep me balanced [throw the bag]

–         Head, hands, eyes and feet all working together to achieve the goal

–         The point is no one can do it on their own

Self-sufficiency (or the DIY attitude) is embedded deep in NZ culture

–         Ironically we kiwis honour people for being independent, rather than for cooperating and being inter-dependent

–         You sometimes hear stories of self-made millionaires

–         Those stories are fables – they are fiction

–         No one gets anywhere in life without the help of others

–         Those millionaires have got where they are because someone gave them an opportunity and they ran with it

–         They gathered people around them, with different skills and gifts, and worked with them to achieve their goals

–         Our goal in the church isn’t to make millions of dollars but to show the love of God, in the person of Jesus, to the world

–         We can only do that as we work together in an inter-dependent way under the guidance and energy of Jesus’ Spirit

Inter-dependence requires unity with diversity

–         And inter-dependence leads to equality with affection

 

Equality with affection

In verses 22-25 Paul talks about equality in the body

–         Now let me be clear, Paul is not suggesting that people are equal in ability or function – he’s just said they are not

–         But he is saying people are equal in value or worth and therefore we should have equal concern for each other

The other point Paul makes is that equality is not achieved by treating every part of the body the same, but by treating every part differently, according to the unique needs of that part

The ‘weaker parts’ is likely a reference to internal organs

–         Your heart & lungs are less robust than say your hands & feet, but they are indispensable none the less, so they receive special protection behind a rib cage and under skin

Likewise the ‘parts that are unpresentable’ is probably a reference to the private parts

–         Your reproductive organs are not laid bare like your face, they are covered for the sake of modesty

–         God has given greater honour to those parts that lacked it so there should be no division in the body but that its parts should have equal concern for each other  

–         Equality and honour are achieved by respecting difference and treating each part according to that part’s need

 

In Mark 10, the disciples James & John, ask Jesus if they can sit at the special places of honour in his glory (one on his left and the other on his right)

–         Apparently they are not content with the part in the body they have been given – perhaps they are a foot and they want to be an eye

–         But Jesus doesn’t make them any promises – it is God who arranges the parts of the body as he sees fit

The other disciples are naturally indignant with James & John, so, to avoid division and ill feeling among the body of disciples, Jesus explains…

–         Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.

–         Jesus wants his disciples to have equal concern & respect or one another      

 

Of course the equality between believers isn’t cold, aloof or unaffected

–         The equality of inter-dependence is warm with affection

–         For if one part [of the body] suffers, every part suffers with it and if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it 

What happens to one part of the body affects the rest

–         If you have a tooth ache or gout or appendicitis your whole body feels it – not just your tooth or your big toe or your appendix

–         Likewise, if you take an amazing catch on the cricket field you feel good all over and people praise your whole person, not just your hands

 

Conclusion:

Healing, wholeness, growth – these things don’t happen in isolation, they happen in community

–         If you injure your finger the doctors don’t seek to heal the finger by separating it from the hand – no, they keep the finger attached because the finger is an inter-dependent part of the body

 

In his book, Lost Connections, author Johann Hari tells a true story which I think illustrates well what inter-dependence looks like in action [3]

Early in the 21st Century a psychiatrist named Dr Derek Summerfield went to Cambodia to do research on the psychological effects of living with unexploded landmines – does the constant threat of stepping on a mine lead people to greater levels of anxiety and depression?

–         Dr Summerfield had to explain to the locals that depression is ‘a profound sense of sadness that you can’t shake off’

–         The Cambodians thought about this and said, ‘Yes, we do have some people like that.’

There was one farmer, for instance, whose left leg had been blown off by a land mine.

–         He went to the doctors and they fitted him with an artificial limb but he still felt constantly anxious and filled with despair

–         When they realised how despondent this man was the doctors and his neighbours sat with him and talked through his life and troubles

–         Even with his new artificial limb his old job, working in rice paddies, was just too difficult

–         He was constantly stressed and always in physical pain which made him want to give up

 

Now, in our individualistic society, that man would have been treated independently – the doctors would have prescribed him anti-depressant medication and recommended counselling

–         In an extremely collective society that man would most likely be expected to harden up and get over it – for the greater good

–         There would be little or no accommodation to his individual need

 

But the Cambodians responded in an inter-dependent way

–         What this man needed was a new job – one that allowed him to support himself and continue contributing to the community, without being stressed out and in pain all the time

–         So they bought the man a cow and he became a dairy farmer

–         This was less stressful on his body and held fewer disturbing memories

–         In the months that followed his depression went away and stayed away

The man didn’t try and solve the problem by himself – he realised his need for others

–         Nor did he exclude himself from the community because of some false notion that missing a leg made him inferior

–         The solution was found by the community working together with the man to empower him to change his life

–         Inter-dependence you see, as opposed to inferiority or independence

When I reflect on this story I marvel at the care and compassion the community showed this man

–         They valued him as an equal and allowed themselves to be affected on a personal level so they were moved to act

–         Did everyone in the community get a cow? No – of course not

–         Not everyone needed a cow – we all need something different

 

What is it you need to function in an inter-dependent way?

–         Do you need to accept who you are in Christ?

–         Do you need to accept the difference in others?

–         Do you need to resist the temptation to go it alone?

–         Do you need to do less yourself and trust others to do their part?

–         Do you need to accept help from others?

–         Do you need to be vulnerable and allow yourself to be affected by others?

–         These are not easy things – inter-dependence is not always easy, but in Christ it leads to life.

 

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 inter-dependence?

–         How is inter-dependence different from individualism?

–         How is inter-dependence different from collectivism?

–         What are the benefits of inter-dependence?

3.)    How might we identify a dependent relationship?

–         How might we break a dependency and engage with people in a more inter-dependent way?

4.)    What problems in the church might Paul have been addressing in 1st Corinthians 12?

5.)    Paul offers the body as an example of an inter-dependent unity – can you think of other examples in creation or in the Scriptures or in your own experience?

6.)    1st Corinthians 12 highlights two things which undermine inter-dependence – i.e. feelings of inferiority and a desire for independence.

–         What else might undermine inter-dependence?

–         What gets in the way of inter-dependence for you?

–         What needs to change for you to live in a more inter-dependent way?

7.)    How is ‘equality with affection’ achieved?

–         What might this require of us individually and collectively?

8.)    Do you have a story of inter-dependence similar to the Cambodian one?  Share it.

 

 

[1] Johann Hari, “Lost Connections”, page 180.

[2] Refer Kenneth Bailey’s book, ‘Paul Through Middle Eastern Eyes’, page 341.

[3] Johann Hari, “Lost Connections”, pages 159-160

Tawa Baptist

Lament

Scripture: Psalm 137

Title: Lament

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Lament seeks company
  • Lament remembers identity
  • Lament protests honestly
  • Lament vents anger
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

On the wall here we have a list of songs…

–         Small Bump by Ed Sheeran

–         I don’t want to talk about it by Crazy Horse

–         Candle in the wind by Elton John

–         I don’t like Mondays by Boomtown Rats

–         Pride (In the name of love) by U2

–         And Psalm 137 by an unknown artist

Can anyone tell me what these songs have in common? [Let people respond]

–         That’s right, they are all songs of lament

Small bump is a song about a miscarriage

–         I don’t want to talk about it was inspired by a relationship break up

–         Candle in the wind is a lament for Marilyn Munroe

–         I don’t like Mondays is about the 1979 elementary (primary) school shootings in San Diego

–         Pride (In the name of love) remembers the assassination of the Rev Martin Luther King Junior on the 4th April 1968

–         And Psalm 137 was sung by survivors of the Babylonian exile after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC

–         All these songs of lament are tied to an event in history – they remember something that actually happened

 

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

–         Today our message focuses on lament

Lament is a way of expressing the sad, bitter, angry & painful truth of what we are feeling inside – it is an articulation of grief

–         At its best lament takes a stink, yucky feeling, and does something creative with it

Last Sunday I said appreciation is about acknowledging value

–         Lament is also about acknowledging what is valuable to us

–         Lament is very close to appreciation – it’s the flip side of the same coin

–         The main difference is the circumstances

–         Appreciation has its roots in enjoyment while lament has its roots in loss

–         We wouldn’t have cause for lament if we didn’t value what we had lost

 

The Old Testament is peppered with laments – people grieving with raw honesty, pouring out their rage and sadness before God

–         Apparently God is big enough to handle it

Psalm 137 is one example of lament in the Bible. From verse 1 we read…

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?

If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.

Remember, O Lord, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. “Tear it down,” they cried, “tear it down to its foundations.” O daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us – he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks. 

May the Spirit of Jesus give us grace to face our pain and find our truth

This morning we will touch on four aspects of lament…

–         Lament seeks company

–         Lament remembers identity

–         Lament protests honestly, and

–         Lament vents anger

 

Lament seeks company:

First let’s consider how lament seeks company

–         I’d like to play you part of a song that was originally written in 1971 by the band Crazy Horse and later made famous by Rod Stewart…

“I can tell by your eyes that you’ve probably been cryin’ for ever,

And the stars in the sky don’t mean nothing to you, they’re a mirror.

I don’t want to talk about it, how you broke my heart

But if I stay here just a little bit longer, if I stay here, won’t you listen to my heart, whoa my heart.”

In this song the singer is lamenting the death of a relationship

–         He’s been dumped by his girlfriend and it hurts bad

–         He doesn’t want to talk about it because there are no words to do justice to his pain

–         But he doesn’t want to be alone either – he wants someone to sit with him and listen to his heart – he wants a witness to his suffering

–         Lament seeks company

 

Grief is the price we pay for love

–         The more we love the greater our grief when we lose the one we love

–         When we grieve alone or without being understood it is harder somehow

–         Having someone listen to our heart (to our pain) acknowledges that what we are feeling is real and it matters – it gives meaning to the loss and it affirms our inherent value as human beings

There is a certain feeling of powerlessness when we sit with those who have suffered loss

–         We want to fix things, we want to have the right words to say to make everything better – but words fail us

–         Often what the other person needs is our presence and our listening

–         Simply being there says this matters and you are important

 

In psalm 137 the singer is lamenting the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians

in 586 B.C. and the resulting exile

–         Many people were killed and most of those who survived were forcibly marched to a foreign land and detained there

–         It was a humanitarian disaster

Worse than this though the survivors probably felt like God had dumped them, rejected them, abandoned them

–         The temple, the centre of worship, the symbol of God’s presence, the very hub that held the wheel of their society together, had been destroyed

–         The people were heart broken

–         The relative shortness of the psalm, and the details they leave out, suggest they didn’t want to talk about it – there were no words to do justice to their pain

–         But they did want a witness to their suffering – what they had lost was too important to be ignored

–         Lament seeks company and lament remembers identity

 

Lament remembers identity:

Have you noticed how many people have tattoos these days – skin art has become quite popular

–         People get tattoos for a number of reasons I suppose, often as a statement of identity but also sometimes to show their commitment to the memory of someone they’ve lost

–         A tattoo is like an outward visible scar, symbolising the inner scar on the heart that no one can see

A few years ago now some friends of ours lost a child at birth and shortly after the father of the child had the face of his baby tattooed on his shoulder – like a constant reminder

–         You sometimes see people with the names and birth dates of their loved ones tattooed on their arms

–         Getting a tattoo is a pretty big commitment – tattoos are for life, unless you go through the very painful process of getting them removed

–         Now I’m not recommending getting a tattoo as a form of lament

–         But nor do I wish to make any judgement about it – I can understand why someone who has suffered significant loss might do it

–         To remember and to show their commitment to one they have lost

 

The writer of Psalm 137 says…

–         If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.

This is actually an oath of commitment to remember Jerusalem

–         As a musician, losing skill in your right hand and having your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, would mean not being able to play the harp or sing ever again – so this is a serious commitment to remember

But it’s not just the city the psalmist is remembering, it’s what the city represents – their home and their unique identity as God’s special people

–         This commitment by the exiles to remember where they have come from is a way of preserving their Jewish identity and saving themselves from cultural assimilation in a strange land

You see, when we suffer significant loss our identity is threatened

–         People who go through a divorce, for example, often have to rediscover who they are without their husband or wife, or without their mum or dad

–         Parents who lose a child may feel like they have lost a part of themselves – am I still a father or a mother if my child is dead?

–         Refugees, forced to flee their homeland and start life in a new country where the language and the customs and everything is different, often seek to preserve what they can of their culture to stop themselves from losing any more of who they are

 

Lament is like a tattoo on our heart – it involves a strong commitment to our identity, to remembering who we are, after our loss

 

Lament seeks company

–         Lament remembers identity, and

–         Lament protests honestly

 

Lament protests honestly:

The opposite of lament is denial – pretending everything is okay when it isn’t

–         Lament is a statement that things are not right with the world

–         Let’s listen to another lament now – this one is by the band U2…

“I can’t believe the news today, I can’t close my eyes and make it go away.

How long, how long must we sing this song? How long, how long?

Cause tonight, we can be as one tonight.

Broken bottles under children’s feet. Bodies strewn across the dead end street.

But I won’t heed the battle call, it puts my back up, puts my back up against the wall. Sunday bloody Sunday. Sunday bloody Sunday. Sunday bloody Sunday.

And the battles just begun, there’s many lost but tell me who has won?

The trench is dug within our hearts.

And mothers, children, brothers, sisters torn apart.

Sunday bloody Sunday, Sunday bloody Sunday.”

On the 30th January 1972, in Derry Northern Ireland, British soldiers opened fire on a crowd of unarmed civilians (men, women & children) during a peaceful protest march against internment

–         28 people were shot and 14 died

–         Many of the victims were shot while fleeing from the soldiers and some were shot while trying to help the wounded

–         The event became known as Bloody Sunday and the Bogside massacre

–         Bloody Sunday increased hostility towards the British Army and exacerbated the conflict.

–         Support for the Irish Republican Army (IRA) rose and there was a surge of recruitment into the organisation

U2 released the song, Sunday bloody Sunday in 1983, 11 years after the massacre

–         It’s a song which remembers the violence of that day and the days that followed

–         But more than just remembering, U2’s lament is a double edged protest against violence & revenge

–         “There’s many lost but tell me who has won?”

–         It is not okay that British troops opened fire on unarmed civilians

–         But it’s also not okay to respond in violence

–         Bono sings, “I won’t heed the battle call”, meaning I’m not going to sign up to the IRA. I reject a violent & destructive response

Often we think of lament as a sad song – but Sunday bloody Sunday breaks that mould with the feel of defiance

Psalm 137 is oozing defiance and protest

–         In the opening verses the psalmist describes being tormented by their Babylonian captors who are demanding they sing the happy songs of Zion (Zion is another name for Jerusalem)

–         But the Jewish exiles refused to sing, hanging their harps up on the poplar trees in protest

–         To capitulate to the Babylonians’ request would be a betrayal and a lie

–         The exiles can’t entertain their enemies with happy songs without losing integrity. A lament, like psalm 137, enables them to be honest

 

It is difficult to sing happy songs of praise in church when we just aren’t feeling the love

–         Sometimes songs of praise can help to enlarge our perspective and lift our spirits

–         Other times though we need words & music that align with the pain and distress and anger we are experiencing

–         Jesus is spacious – he is both a man of sorrows and a risen Saviour

–         With Jesus there is room for suffering and comfort, tears and joy, anger and peace, lament and appreciation, a cross and an empty tomb

–         We shouldn’t have to pretend in church and yet that’s often what we do

–         Unfortunately there don’t seem to be that many contemporary Christian laments – or at least I don’t know where to find them

–         Maybe we need to be writing and singing our own songs more

 

Lament seeks company – refusing to grieve alone

–         Lament remembers identity – refusing to forget who we are

–         Lament protests honestly – refusing to pretend it’s ok when it’s not

–         And, lament vents anger

 

Lament vents anger:

A fire place, whether it’s a coal range or a wood burner or a gas heater, needs a chimney or a flu – some device for letting the smoke & gas out

–         Without a chimney the smoke or gas would fill the room and create a toxic environment for the people inside

–         Anger is a bit like a fire – if it is allowed to get out of control it has a destructive effect

–         And if it is not vented properly it poisons everyone in the room

–         Lament is anger’s chimney – it provides a vent for our rage and allows us to breathe a little easier

 

In verse 7 the psalmist asks the Lord to remember the Edomites’ disloyalty

–         The Edomites were the descendants of Jacob’s twin brother Esau – so they were like cousins to the Israelites

–         In the book of Obadiah [1] we read how the Edomites stood aside while the Babylonians attacked Jerusalem

–         Worse than that they gloated over Judah’s misfortune and took advantage by looting the city

–         Asking the Lord to remember what the Edomites did is a polite way of asking God to punish the Edomites

But what comes next isn’t so polite – in fact it is one of the most disturbing verses in the whole Bible…

–         O daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us – he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks. 

Imagine singing those words in church – I think the room would fall silent

–         Some people might say, ‘Well that was the Old Testament, we live in light of the gospel of Christ’ – as if forgiveness wasn’t in the Old Testament and feelings of revenge don’t exist now

–         Others might say this is just a metaphor for something else, but the facts of history don’t really support that kind of reading

–         The Babylonians were cruel & ruthless – they didn’t show mercy for women and children or the elderly

–         The psalmist is asking God to find someone who will do to the Babylonians what the Babylonians have done to them

–         He’s not asking God to forgive them but he is leaving revenge in God’s hands

Clearly the Jewish exiles are angry with the Edomites and the Babylonians and for good reason

–         Anger is a natural and legitimate response to hurt & injustice

–         If I am cut, I bleed. If I suffer injustice, I feel angry

 

Some people deal with the fire of their anger by holding it in – it’s like the chimney of their heart is blocked

–         If you do that it will poison you and make you deeply depressed

–         There are many causes of depression and repressed anger is one of them

–         In New Zealand culture we tend to be not that good at outrage – we are more inclined to in-rage

 

Other people deal with their anger by taking it out on those around them

–         If they can’t take revenge on the person who has caused the injustice then they might kick the cat or yell at their kids or worse

–         If you do that your anger lights the fuse of other people’s anger and before you know it the whole world is on fire

 

So what are we supposed to do with our anger?

–         It’s not healthy to hold it in or to touch others with it

–         Well, the only other option I know of is venting our anger to God

–         Releasing the smoke & heat of our rage up the chimney of lament

–         This is essentially what the writer is doing in the closing verses of the psalm

Venting anger through lament is not the same as forgiveness – but it may be a necessary step in the process toward forgiveness

–         If we try to forgive big things too quickly or too cheaply we find the forgiveness doesn’t stick and resentment lingers

–         In his commentary on this verse Walter Brueggemann asks:

–         “Could it be that genuine forgiveness is possible only when there has been a genuine articulation of hatred?” [2]

–         I’m not sure – I do know there can be no real forgiveness without first facing the truth about ourselves

–         We have to give ourselves time and grace to vent our anger and take the log out of our own eye before we can truly forgive

Lament provides a vent for those nasty feelings that would otherwise choke us

 

Conclusion:

Earlier in the sermon I said that lament is close to appreciation

–         This is literally true of psalm 137

–         When we look at psalm 136 and psalm 138 we notice they are both psalms of thanksgiving

–         Psalm 137, a lament, is sandwiched between two psalms of thanksgiving

The message is clear, when it comes to lament we need to keep our perspective

–         Yes, sad, bad & ugly things happen in life, and we need to seek company in our pain so we don’t grieve alone

–         We need to remember who we are in spite of our loss

–         We need to be able to honestly protest the wrongness of it all

–         And we need to be allowed to express how we feel – to vent our anger

–         But we also need to remember that happy, good & beautiful things happen with greater frequency

–         We need to spend at least twice as much time enjoying & appreciating the good things than we do grieving & lamenting the bad

 

Many of us have had plenty of reason to lament this year, but we’ve also had a lot to be thankful for

–         Give your grief to God – tell him honestly & respectfully how you feel

–         Ask him to do something creative with your pain, but don’t wallow in sadness for too long

–         Look up, the good news is all around you.

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

2.)    Do you have a favourite song of lament?

–         What is it and why? What does it put you in touch with?

3.)    In what sense are appreciation & lament similar?

–         How are they different?

4.)    Why does lament seek company?

–         What are the benefits of not grieving alone?

–         How might we sit with and listen to those who have suffered loss and are in pain?

5.)    Why is the writer of psalm 137 so committed to remembering Jerusalem?

–         How might we remember who we are after a significant loss?

6.)    In what ways is psalm 137 oozing defiance and protest?

–         What aspect of Jesus’ experience do you identify with most – Jesus the man of sorrows or Jesus the risen and conquering King?

7.)    What three options for dealing with anger are touched on in the sermon?

–         What is your default option for dealing with anger?

–         What can we do to vent our anger in a healthy way?

 

[1] Obadiah 10-14

[2] Walter Brueggemann, ‘The Message of the Psalms’, page 77.

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 2 – The Soul’s Energy

Scripture: 1st Kings 19:10-18

Title: Energy – Part 2 (Energy for the soul)

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Treat the cause and the symptoms
  • Recovering the soul’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 the body’s energy

–         Today our message focuses on the soul’s 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 the soul’s energy we will continue looking at an episode in the life of Elijah – from 1st Kings, chapter 19

–         Elijah was one of the great prophets of Israel

–         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

–         Last Sunday we heard how an angel restored Elijah’s physical strength with food and sleep. This morning we pick up the story from verse 10…

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

Then the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place.

Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal, and all whose mouths have not kissed him.”

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

Last week I talked about the body’s energy and the importance of maintaining healthy rhythms and balance with our sleeping and eating

–         This morning our focus is the soul’s energy

–         By the soul’s 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

 

Treat the cause and the symptoms:

If we think of our whole person like a tree, then the roots are sort of like the soul, while the branches are like the body

–         Meaning or purpose is like the soil which feeds the roots of our soul and enables our whole life (body & soul) to stand

–         Just as you can’t see the roots of a tree because they are underground, so too you can’t see your soul in a physical sense, but you can see the effects of the soul – you can see the fruit in other words

–         The fruit represents the health (or sickness) of the body & soul

–         The fruit of the tree is only a symptom, not the cause

–         For example the fruit might be pain or it might be joy

–         It might be cynicism or it might be faith

–         So often when the fruit in our life is unpalatable, or not enjoyable, we treat the symptom with a pain killer, while ignoring the root or the underlying cause

 

To illustrate the importance of treating the cause, as well as the symptoms, let me give you some scenarios. Here’s the first one…

–         You are at sea in your boat and it starts to leak. Land is 5 days away and your radio is broken so you can’t call for help. What do you do? Do you..

–         A.) Ignore the leak and carry on?

–         B.) Empty the water out by hand?

–         C.) Patch the leak?

–         D.) Both B & C – patch the leak and empty the water out?

–         Yes, I reckon D is the best answer – deal with the cause (which is the hole) and the symptom (which is water in the boat)

 

Here’s another scenario…

–         You break your leg falling out of a tree – what do you do? Do you…

–         A.) Take a painkiller?

–         B.) Go to hospital to get treatment for your leg?

–         C.) Both A & B

–         D.) Harden up and climb back into the tree?

–         Yes, I reckon C is the best answer – deal with the cause (which is the broken leg) and the symptom (which is the pain)

 

One more scenario…

–         Your body breaks out in hives because you’ve been eating too many apples – what do you do? Do you…

–         A.) Eat more apples to condition your body against hives?

–         B.) Keep eating apples and take an antihistamine?

–         C.) Stop eating apples and take an antihistamine?

–         D.) Blame God for the suffering he has caused by making apples?

–         I reckon C is the best answer. If you keep eating apples while taking an antihistamine you might deal with the symptoms but you’ll never address the cause of the problem

 

Recovering the soul’s energy:

As we heard last week Elijah was in a state of abject despair – he was so down he had asked God to take away his life but God refused to euthanize Elijah

–         Instead the Lord began to restore Elijah by providing him with food and rest

–         But Elijah knows the problem runs a lot deeper than being physically tired & hungry

–         Once he has recovered his physical strength Elijah is able to address the needs of his soul (the root cause of his despair) and he does this by going on a spiritual retreat – by walking off into the wilderness to meet with God at Mount Horeb

 

Put yourself in Elijah’s shoes for a moment – 40 days on your own, walking through the wilderness – what is that doing to Elijah’s soul?

 

Well, for starters, we know that physical exercise and spending time in nature is actually good for the human soul in that it renews our perspective

–         When we are walking in the mountains or by the ocean or looking at the stars at night we are reminded that it’s not all about me

–         We are part of a something much larger than us and our problems

Of course, Elijah probably walked through nature a lot – so he wouldn’t have been as disconnected from God’s creation as a modern city dweller might be

–         So simply walking through the wilderness wasn’t going to be enough to sort out Elijah’s soul – he needed something more than that

 

The psychologist Carl Jung had a theory that we each have a number of sides to our personality – including an extroverted side and an introverted side

–         However, we usually have a preference for either one or the other – sort of like we have two hands with a preference for using either our right or our left

Introversion and extroversion is about where we get our mental or emotional energy from – it’s about what recharges us and what drains us

–         Introverts usually recharge their batteries by spending time alone or with just one or two other people

–         Going to a party where there are lots of people and lots of small talk is exhausting to an introvert

–         Extroverts are the other way inclined – they love lots of activities and lots of people around – being on their own is usually exhausting for them

–         Introverts prefer to process their thoughts internally before speaking

–         Whereas extroverts prefer to think out loud – they speak in draft

One of the things we need to do to take care of our soul is understand whether we have a preference for extroversion or introversion and make sure we manage our life in such a way that our soul gets the balance it needs

–         So, if you discover that you are an extrovert then having a job where you get to interact with other people a fair bit will be good for you

–         Whereas a job where you are alone a lot probably isn’t such a good match

–         Or if you discover that you are an introvert then after a busy week at work you will need to plan your weekend with some quiet time in it

–         Or if you are at a party and you need a break from people you might go and do the dishes – because that’s less tiring than talking

This introversion / extroversion stuff is something I’ve found to be true and helpful in my own experience

 

I asked the question before, what would it have done to Elijah’s soul to be on his own for 40 days in the wilderness?

–         Well, it probably depends on whether he was an extrovert or an introvert

–         I don’t know if Jung’s theory applied in the ancient world but if it did then I suspect Elijah was an introvert and the time alone (after the conflict with the priests of Baal) would have been what his soul needed

–         Too much time on the front line facing your enemies is exhausting for anyone, whether you’re introverted or extroverted – Elijah needed some respite from the battle, which his spiritual retreat would have provided

–         Time alone would have also given Elijah opportunity to process his thoughts, internally, so he knew what he wanted to say to God

–         However, too much time alone isn’t good for your soul either, even if you are an introvert – everyone needs social connection and community

 

When he finally reaches Horeb Elijah finds a cave to shelter in for the night and God gets him talking (presumably Elijah hadn’t talked to anyone for 40 days)

–         God asks Elijah, ‘What are you doing here?’ and when Elijah speaks, the Lord listens patiently

–         To some degree listening releases people from the burdens & pain they carry and in this way helps to restore energy to the soul

–         Listening well is a fine art – it requires both grace & truth

–         On the one hand Elijah needed God to listen in a way that made him feel safe – without judgement or criticism

–         At the same time he also needed God to gently challenge what is false

You see, each of us is telling ourselves a story – we are playing a script over and over in our mind to help make sense of our lives

–         It’s like breathing – we usually do it without thinking about it

–         The story we tell ourselves is like the soil in which we are planted – it feeds our soul with meaning & purpose

–         We need to be careful that the story we are telling ourselves is true

–         If we tell ourselves things that are not true then the roots of our soul are feeding on what is false and the tree of our life becomes sick

For example, when a child is mistreated by the adults in their life they will often tell themselves that it is their fault – that they somehow deserved this

–         No one else would say it was their fault, but that’s the story they tell themselves to help make sense of what has happened to them

–         Adults are supposed to care for me but they haven’t in this situation

–         Adults are always right therefore I must be wrong

When the child grows up they usually carry that story into adulthood

–         They think they are responsible for all the bad things that happen to them

–         They develop a sense that they are not worth much and they don’t take care of themselves very well

–         Not everyone who is mistreated responds in this way but many do

 

So what story is Elijah telling himself? In verse 10 Elijah says to the Lord…

“I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

On the face of it, it would appear that what Elijah is telling himself is true

–         It is true the authorities are trying to kill Elijah

–         And it’s true that Elijah has been very zealous for the Lord

–         He has dedicated his whole life to serving the God of hosts

–         He has put all his eggs in one basket

–         He doesn’t have a plan B or a retirement fund

However, when we dig beneath the surface we see that much of the story Elijah is telling himself is not true

–         The sub text to Elijah’s story goes like this…

–         ‘I am alone in this task – it all depends on me and I have failed

–         My mission was to turn the hearts of the people back to God

–         To make people aware of their sin and lead them to repentance

–         But no one has heeded my call, therefore my life’s work has been for nothing – my life is meaningless

–         Because it all depends on me and because I have failed, Israel has no future and I have no future – so there’s no point in carrying on’

–         This is the story that Elijah’s soul has been feeding on for months, maybe years – no wonder the fruit of his life is pain & despair

–         No wonder he wants it to end

What Elijah needs is a new story – one that is true and good for his soul

–         So that’s what God gives him

Elijah’s story excludes God – Elijah’s story imagines that evil has won and that God is powerless to do anything about it

–         Consequently God reminds Elijah of his power & presence. From vs 11…

Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.

The wind, the earthquake and the fire are all powerful forms of energy

–         In the past God had made his presence manifest to his servants through earthquake, wind & fire – but not this time

–         God does not come to Elijah in force as we might expect

–         No – the Lord comes to Elijah in sheer silence

–         God’s presence, in verse 12, can also be translated as a gentle whisper or a still small voice – I guess God’s presence can’t be easily defined

Perhaps the point is: Elijah had expected God to behave in a certain way but when the Lord didn’t behave as Elijah expected Elijah lost hope

–         However, just because God doesn’t turn up in the way we expect doesn’t mean he is absent or powerless

–         No one expected the Son of God to turn up as a baby born in a manger and yet that is how God chose to reveal his presence to humankind

–         In vulnerability and innocence

 

Now you would think after that incredible display of God’s power & presence the problem’s with Elijah’s soul and story would all be sorted

–         But that was not the case – Elijah is not changed by the presence of God

–         When the Lord asks Elijah a second time, ‘What are you doing here?’

–         Elijah answers exactly as he did before – he is still telling himself the same story: that he is alone and that it all depends on him and he has failed so there’s no future for him, no point in carrying on

Sometimes God’s presence is not enough – sometimes we need human presence as well

–         In Genesis 2 when Adam was alone in the Garden of Eden, the Lord God said, “It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”  

 

To help Elijah realise he is not alone and it doesn’t all depend on him the Lord instructs Elijah to anoint two kings (Hazael & Jehu) and an apprentice prophet (Elisha) to carry on his work

–         Jehu will deal with the bad guys that escape the sword of Hazael and Elisha will mop up the ones who escape the sword of Jehu

–         In other words, Elijah it’s not over yet, your enemies won’t win in the end

–         Nor does it all depend on you – my purpose will be achieved through a team effort.

–         Therefore you have not failed in your mission – you are vindicated

–         Your life has not been a waste. Your work is meaningful

–         What’s more, you are not a victim – you are a survivor

Finally the Lord says to Elijah, there are 7,000 others who have remained faithful to me. In other words, Elijah you are not alone as you suppose

–         God has the last word

–         Elijah now has a new story to tell himself, one that is true

 

Conclusion:

You know, when I think about the way God restored Elijah’s energy I’m aware that the Lord used a number of different strategies

–         He didn’t just give Elijah a pill and send him on his way

First the Lord gave Elijah food and rest – to restore his physical energy

–         Then the Lord restored Elijah’s soul by giving him time apart from his enemies – too much conflict is bad for the soul

–         Next the Lord listened to Elijah – in order to hear the story Elijah was telling himself, sort of like counselling I suppose

–         Then the Lord gave Elijah a new story, one that was true and life giving to his soul

–         God did this by revealing his power & presence to Elijah

–         And by showing him a future in which all of Elijah’s enemies were removed and he was not alone

–         The work continued with Elisha and a faithful remnant of 7000 souls

 

What story are you telling yourself?

–         Is it one in which you are a victim and God is powerless to do anything?

–         Is it one in which you end up alone because you think no one likes you?

–         Is it one in which the bad stuff that happens is always your fault – that you don’t deserve to be treated with respect?

–         Is it one in which you will only be accepted if you pretend to be someone you are not?

–         Is it one in which there is no redemption, no forgiveness, no future if you fail or make a mistake?

–         It is one in which everything depends on you?

–         They are just some of the false story lines (lies) we tell ourselves

–         We have to tell ourselves the truth – our soul depends on it

 

Two things you can do to weigh your story to see if you are telling yourself the truth or not

–         The first thing is: read the Bible on your own and in conversation with other Christians and as you read ask God to reveal the truth he wants you to know and to dismantle the lies you have come to believe

–         The second thing is: Find a good counsellor – someone who will listen to you with grace & truth – someone you feel safe with, who will gently challenge what is false in your story and affirm what is true

Jesus said, it’s the truth that sets us free

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

2.)    Where does the soul’s energy come from? (What feeds your soul?)

3.)    What do you think 40 days alone, walking through the wilderness, would do to Elijah’s soul?

4.)    Would you say you were an extrovert or an introvert?

–         What energises you?

–         What drains you?

–         Is your life organised in a way that gives your soul the balance it needs?

–         If not, what might need to change for that to happen?

5.)    What does it mean to listen well (with grace & truth)?

–         How might we be a safe listener?

–         When listening to others how might we gently challenge what is false?

–         How might we affirm what is true?

6.)    What is the underlying cause of Elijah’s despair?

–         (That is: What is wrong with the story he is telling himself?)

–         How does God give Elijah a new story?

7.)    What story are you telling yourself?

–         How might you verify what is true in your story and identify what is false?

8.)    Take some time this week to reflect on the meaning of verses 11-12, in its various translations. (E.g. sheer silence, still small voice, gentle whisper…)

–         What is God saying to you in these verses?

 

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