Tawa Baptist

Paul & Timothy

Scripture: 1st Timothy 4:6-16

 

Title: Paul & Timothy

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Paul’s belief in Timothy
  • Paul’s guidance for Timothy
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

I have here a guitar with six strings

–         For the strings to work (to make a sound) they need to be held in tension

–         To create the tension one end of the string is firmly tied to the main body of the guitar while the other end of the string is attached to a tuning peg

–         This end is fixed – it doesn’t change

–         This end can and does change

–         With just the right amount of tension the string sounds the right note

–         If there is no tension at all then there’s no sound

–         But with too much tension the string is out of tune and at risk of breaking

 

Today we continue our series on inter-generational relationships in the Bible

–         That is, relationships between people of different ages or generations

–         The focus of this morning’s message is the mentoring relationship between the apostle Paul and his protégé Timothy

–         Mentoring relationships are a bit like guitar strings

–         With mentoring we need to hold two things in tension: belief & guidance

–         On the one hand we need to have a rock solid belief or trust in the other person – that’s like this end of the string which doesn’t change

–         At the same time we need room to make adjustments by giving & receiving guidance – that’s like this end where the string is tuned

–         Belief and guidance – two things held in tension – both needed to keep the relationship in tune

 

As a father in the faith (a mentor) to Timothy, Paul believed strongly in Timothy – he trusted him with significant responsibility and difficult tasks

–         But Paul’s trust wasn’t abdication

–         He didn’t blindly leave Timothy to his own devices

–         Rather Paul trusted his young protégé and gave him guidance

–         First let’s consider Paul’s belief in Timothy

 

Paul’s belief in Timothy:

In thinking about this idea of believing in people let me tell you a personal story

–         When I was in my late 20’s I attended a Baptist church in Tauranga

–         Little by little the leadership of the church trusted me with responsibilities

–         After a while I became a house group leader

–         Then one day the pastor asked me to preach on a Sunday morning

–         Afterwards he gave me some guidance – 54 minutes is too long for a sermon (apparently I’m not that interesting to listen to)

–         But the pastor believed in me enough to ask again and next time I followed his guidance and made the message shorter

 

My faith really grew in that church because people older than me believed in me and they cared enough to give me guidance and feedback

 

After watching me in action for a couple of years the pastor of the church told me he believed I had a call to pastoral ministry

–         Some others said the same thing around the same time so we went to Carey College to get more guidance, which is how we ended up here

 

The basic point I’m trying to make is that when you are mentoring people you need to believe in them and provide them with guidance

–         It doesn’t work to do one without the other

–         Belief & guidance go together

 

To expound that point a little more…

–         You don’t just tell people you believe in them – you show them by trusting them with real responsibility

 

This is how it was with Paul & Timothy

–         Paul demonstrated his belief in Timothy both with words of prophecy and with actions – that is, by trusting Timothy with real responsibility

 

To give you some context, Paul’s first missionary journey took him through Timothy’s home town of Lystra

–         We can’t be sure but it is possible (perhaps even likely) that Paul led Timothy to Christian faith during that visit

–         What we do know for certain is that Paul enlisted Timothy’s help on his second missionary journey. In Acts 16 we read…

 

Paul travelled on to Derbe and Lystra, where a Christian named Timothy lived. His mother, who was also a Christian, was Jewish, but his father was a Greek. All the believers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy. Paul wanted to take Timothy along with him…

 

It appears that Timothy’s mother was a Christian but his dad wasn’t

–         This meant Timothy had a difficult choice to make

–         In becoming a Christian he was aligning himself with Jesus

–         The risk was that he might alienate his father in the process

–         Nevertheless Timothy took the risk

 

It also appears Timothy had some special quality to him because all the believers spoke well of him

–         Most likely Timothy had showed promise as a preacher and had an easy personality so he got on well with people generally

 

Evidently Paul saw something in him too because he invited Timothy to accompany him on his second missionary journey

–         Paul was a clever guy – perhaps he saw Timothy’s mixed parentage (half Jewish / half Greek) as making him an ideal candidate for mission work

–         Timothy would be able to act as a bridge between Jews and Gentiles

–         In any case the fact that Paul was keen to recruit Timothy is saying something because Paul wasn’t easily impressed

 

At the end of Acts 15 we read how Paul wouldn’t take John Mark (the writer of the gospel of Mark) with him because Mark didn’t go the distance on their first mission trip

–         Essentially Paul didn’t believe in Mark but he did believe in Timothy

–         And he demonstrated that belief with words & actions – he spoke words of prophecy over Timothy and he asked Timothy to join them

–         (The words of prophecy aren’t mentioned in Acts but Paul does remind Timothy of them years later in both his letters to Timothy [1])

 

The life of a Christian missionary in the first century was pretty dangerous – there was a good chance of being whipped, thrown in prison or even killed

–         Timothy, for his part, responded to Paul’s belief in him by taking the risk and submitting to Paul’s guidance

–         Timothy was most likely in his late teens or early 20’s at this stage, which makes Paul’s belief in Timothy even more remarkable in that cultural context where the younger you were the less respect you got, generally

 

Timothy accompanied Paul & Silas to Macedonia

–         The next time we hear about Timothy is in Acts 17

–         After arriving in Berea there is trouble and Paul has to leave but Silas & Timothy stay behind in what is a hostile situation – most likely to instruct the new believers in the faith

–         By leaving Timothy in Berea Paul is demonstrating his belief in Timothy

–         Eventually Timothy & Silas catch up with Paul in Corinth

 

Over time Timothy becomes Paul’s right hand man – he is to Paul what Joshua was to Moses

–         Paul continues to show he believes in Timothy by sending the young protégé as his representative to teach and encourage some of the churches Paul had planted on his various missionary journeys

 

For example, while Paul was in Athens, he sent Timothy to the Thessalonians to establish them in their faith and encourage them through teaching & preaching [2]

–         Although the Thessalonian believers received Timothy positively the city of Thessalonica was not a friendly place

–         The young church was experiencing persecution there – but Paul had confidence in Timothy that he could handle the challenge

–         Timothy would have needed to be a calm presence, providing comfort and strength to the believers there

 

Sometime later, while Paul was establishing the church in Ephesus during his third missionary journey, he sent Timothy to the Corinthian church

–         This was also a challenging assignment for Timothy but in a different way to Thessalonica

–         The Corinthian believers had got off track by listening to false teachers and following bad theology

–         Paul sent Timothy into that situation to correct dodgy doctrine and immoral behaviour

–         Paul writes about Timothy’s purpose in his letter to the Corinthians saying…

Therefore I sent Timothy to you, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church [3]

 

Here we catch a glimpse of the closeness there is between Timothy & Paul

–         Paul loves Timothy like a son and Timothy knows Paul’s ways like a son knows a father

 

Timothy is often portrayed by preachers as a bit timid, a bit sickly and not particularly robust, always in need of encouragement

–         But there isn’t much Biblical evidence for this stereotyping of Timothy

–         In actual fact the New Testament shows us that Timothy was faithful, resilient and steadfast under pressure

–         You don’t send someone you love into difficult situations if you don’t think they can handle it

–         What’s more you don’t keep going back into hard places if you are timid

 

Paul believed in Timothy but it wasn’t blind belief – it came with guidance

 

Paul’s guidance for Timothy:

Earlier I told you a personal story of my pastor believing in me – that was when I was in my late 20’s

–         Let me tell you another personal story of something that happened when I was about 10 years younger than that – this story is a little bit different

 

So there I was, 18 and full of confidence, sitting in church with my best friend when the director for Youth For Christ (YFC) came up to my friend and asked him if he would like to be a youth leader

–         My friend wasn’t really that keen – he said he’d think about it which meant ‘probably not’

–         The funny thing was the director didn’t ask me – even though I was sitting right there beside him when he asked my friend

–         Not sure why that was – I suppose it’s because he didn’t really believe I’d be suitable – he was probably right

–         But that didn’t stop me from saying, “I’ll do it”

–         I could tell by the way he stumbled over his words that he wasn’t expecting me to volunteer like that

–         Clearly I wasn’t his first choice but he must have been desperate because he agreed to take me on, with guidance

 

Now in that little story I brought belief while the director brought the guidance

–         I believed in the mission of YFC, I believed in the director and I believed in myself, even if no one else did

–         I worked with YFC for a number of years part time and did eventually earn the director’s trust – we got on well together

–         However, a big part of earning his trust was my willingness to follow his guidance

 

Towards the end of Paul’s life, while he was in prison, he sent Timothy to the church in Ephesus, once again as his representative to sort out some issues there

–         It was while Timothy was in Ephesus that Paul wrote two personal letters to him, which we know as 1st & 2nd Timothy

–         Among other things these letters contained some guidance for Timothy

 

Please turn with me to 1st Timothy chapter 4, verse 6 – page 262 toward the back of your pew Bibles

–         This is one of those passages where Paul gives Timothy guidance 

–         By this stage Timothy has worked with Paul for something like 13 to 15 years (thereabouts)

–         Which means Timothy would have been in his late 20’s or early 30’s

–         One of the things we notice about Paul’s guidance is that isn’t coercive

–         Paul doesn’t force his way with Timothy

–         Rather he offers Timothy the benefit of his experience & example, then allows Timothy room to choose for himself

–         From 1st Timothy chapter 4, verse 6 we read…

 

6 If you give these instructions to the believers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, as you feed yourself spiritually on the words of faith and of the true teaching which you have followed. 7 But keep away from those godless legends, which are not worth telling. Keep yourself in training for a godly life. 8 Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is valuable in every way, because it promises life both for the present and for the future. 9 This is a true saying, to be completely accepted and believed. 10 We struggle and work hard, because we have placed our hope in the living God, who is the Saviour of all and especially of those who believe.

 

11 Give them these instructions and these teachings. 12 Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but be an example for the believers in your speech, your conduct, your love, faith, and purity. 13 Until I come, give your time and effort to the public reading of the Scriptures and to preaching and teaching. 14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift that is in you, which was given to you when the prophets spoke and the elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things and devote yourself to them, in order that your progress may be seen by all. 16 Watch yourself and watch your teaching. Keep on doing these things, because if you do, you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

Quite often when professional sports people are interviewed on TV prior to a big match they get asked a question which is a bit provocative or controversial and you hear them respond by saying something like…

–         “We’re not thinking about that. That’s outside of our control. We’re focusing on what we can control.”

–         The idea is, there’s no point in worrying about what other people are thinking or saying because you can’t do anything about that

–         The best you can do is control yourself and so that’s what you give your time and thought to

–         Making your tackles, reducing handling errors and giving clean passes

–         They’re the sorts of things you focus on because they are the things you can control – they’re also the sorts of things that silence your critics

 

As I said before Timothy was sent to the Ephesian church to sort out some problems there

–         False teachers had been spreading various heresies among the Ephesian believers and it was Timothy’s job to remind people of the truth

–         Paul wanted Timothy to stand for the truth

–         This meant Timothy was facing opposition from the false teachers

–         So people were thinking and saying all sorts of things that weren’t true both about God and Timothy

–         Paul’s advice (his guidance) for Timothy was don’t worry about what other people are thinking and saying – you can’t control that

–         Focus instead on what you can control

 

Don’t get caught up in pointless arguments over words and myths – instead read the Scriptures publicly and preach from them

–         Because by preaching from the Scriptures you make truth clear, giving people a pathway out of the confusion created by the false teachers

 

Don’t let people look down on you because you are younger than them but instead be an example to them

–         In other words, don’t worry about what other people think of you

–         Let your actions speak for you

–         Or as Ghandi famously said, “Be the change you want to see”

–         Because it’s your example which will silence your critics

 

As William Mounce observes…

–         “Many of the characteristics that Paul encourages Timothy to follow stand in contrast to the opponents’ characteristics

–         Timothy is to be an example in speech (the opponents are babblers)

–         Timothy is to be an example in conduct (the opponents have brought the church into disrepute)

–         Timothy is to be an example in love (which the opponents have abandoned)

–         Timothy is to be an example in faith (which the opponents have ship wrecked)

–         And Timothy is to be an example in purity (which the opponents have stained)” [4]

 

In short Paul tells Timothy to persevere in the truth because the truth will always prevail in the end, while that which is false cannot last

–         And the way to persevere in the truth is to watch yourself & watch your teaching

–         In other words, take care of your own relationship with Jesus first and practice what you preach

–         Don’t worry about what your opponents are saying or doing – it’s not your job to control them

–         Just focus on what you’re doing – keep your eye on the ball

 

It’s like when you’re driving a car – you need to be aware of other traffic but not distracted by it

–         Keep your eyes on the road – look where you’re going, otherwise you’ll go where you’re looking

–         If someone else is driving dangerously, give them a wide birth – you concentrate on driving safely

–         It’s the same principle for Timothy at Ephesus

 

So that’s a sample of Paul’s guidance for Timothy

–         In many ways its great advice for us too

 

Maybe you’re at work surrounded by people behaving badly

–         You can’t control them but you can control yourself

–         Be different from them (that’s what it means to be salt & light)

 

Or perhaps you have a husband or a wife or children or parents or friends who don’t share your belief in Jesus

–         That can be quite lonely at times

–         You might get on well enough but there is still a level of intimacy that you can’t share with them

–         Timothy understood what it was like to have a father who didn’t believe

–         We can’t control what other people think or believe

–         What we can do is pray for them, talk about Jesus and be an example in speech, conduct, love, faith & purity

 

Conclusion:

As I said last week, one of our values here at Tawa Baptist is passing on our faith to the next generation

–         We want to see others continue to walk in trust with Jesus

–         One of the ways people learn faith is by having someone show faith in them – it’s in being trusted that we learn to trust

–         It’s when we realise that God believes in us that we are able to believe in Christ

 

The other thing we do in passing on our faith is we provide guidance

–         Guidance is not coercion, it’s not force

–         Guidance is offering the benefit of our experience and example in a way that leaves the other person free to choose

–         Jesus is the source of our guidance – he’s our prime example

–         But he’s not just a historical example – Jesus continues to guide people today by giving his Spirit to those who believe

 

Let me leave you with two questions…

 

Do you know that God believes in you?

–         He believes in you so much that he sent his only Son, in trust, that you would accept him

 

If you do know that, and you have accepted Jesus, then what guidance are you giving others by your own example?

 

Reflection questions:

 

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

 

2.)    Can you think of a time when someone believed in you?

–         How did their belief affect you? What difference did it make to you?

 

3.)    Is there someone younger (in the faith) than you that you believe in?

–         How can you demonstrate through your actions that you believe in them?

 

4.)    How did Paul demonstrate his belief in Timothy?

–         How did Timothy respond to Paul’s belief in him?

 

5.)    Putting aside the stereotype we often get of Timothy (as shy, timid, sickly, etc.) what picture does the New Testament actually give us of Timothy?

 

6.)    What do we notice about the nature of Paul’s guidance?

 

7.)    What advice (guidance) did Paul give Timothy in his letter? (from 1st Timothy 4:6-16)

–         How might we apply Paul’s advice to our own lives and situations?

 

8.)    What guidance have you found most helpful in your walk of faith?

–         What guidance are you giving others by your own example?

 

9.)    Do you know that God believes in you?

 

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/3-sep-2017-paul-timothy

[1] 1st Timothy 4:14 and 2nd Timothy 1:6

[2] 1st Thessalonians 3:1-3

[3] 1st Corinthians 4:17

[4][4] William Mounce, Word Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles, page 245.

Tawa Baptist

Elijah & Elisha

Scriptures: 1st Kings 19:19-21 & 2nd Kings 2

 

Title: Elijah & Elisha

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The call of Elisha
  • The empowerment of Elisha
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

On the wall here we have a picture of a Maori Adze (or axe)

–         The head of the axe is made out greenstone (pounamu) and the handle is made out of wood

–         The handle has carving on it which symbolises the history or whakapapa of those leaders who have carried the adze in previous generations

–         With each new generation of leadership the greenstone head is removed and a new handle is carved for the new leader

–         So the pounamu head stays the same from generation to generation, while the handle changes

–         This means there is continuity with the past but also freshness or newness with each succeeding generation

 

Today we continue our series on intergenerational relationships in the Bible

–         That is, relationships between people of different ages or generations

–         This morning’s focus is the relationship between Elijah & Elisha

–         This is a relationship in which the mantle of prophetic leadership is passed from one generation to the next, so the work of God continues

–         Elisha is like the new handle for the old pounamu axe head

–         Elisha carries the word of God as Elijah did before him and as others would after him

 

Today’s message is in two parts:

–         Firstly, the call of Elisha and then the empowerment of Elisha

 

Elisha’s call:

The call of Elisha is found in 1st Kings 19, just after Elijah’s encounter with the Lord God on Mt Horeb

–         After defeating the prophets of Baal, Elijah runs for his life into the wilderness because Jezebel wants to kill him

–         Elijah feels scared and alone – he has lost his perspective, his sense of continuity (some would say he is burnt out)

–         But God meets him, not in the fire or the wind or the earthquake but in sheer silence

–         After this Yahweh tells Elijah to go and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat to succeed him as prophet

–         By giving Elijah an apprentice the Lord is making Elijah’s work less lonely and he is giving Elijah a sense of hope & continuity

–         The Lord’s work will not die with Elijah

–         From verse 19 of 1st Kings chapter 19, we read…

 

19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”

“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”

21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.

 

On the wall here is a picture of some Korowai

–         A Korowai is a special type of Maori cloak (or mantle) woven out of flax with tassels and sometimes feathers on it

–         It can take anywhere between 4-12 months to make a Korowai by hand

–         They are a special garment to be worn on special occasions like graduations or weddings and other important ceremonies

–         Korowai are often handed down as an heirloom from one generation to the next

–         They provide a continuity or connection with the past, present and future

–         A Korowai is reflective of honour, leadership, identity, warmth, protection, skill & beauty

 

One of the intriguing things about Elisha’s call is that Elijah doesn’t actually say anything to Elisha

–         Elijah simply takes his cloak (or his mantle) and throws it over Elisha

–         Elijah’s cloak wasn’t a Korowai as such, (it may have been quite ordinary for all we know) but it was nevertheless special because Elijah wore it

–         By throwing his mantle over Elisha, Elijah was effectively bestowing honour, leadership, identity, warmth, protection and skill on Elisha

–         It was an invitation for Elisha to become his successor and Elisha understood this intuitively

 

Another thing we note is that Elijah found Elisha at work in the fields plowing

–         To give some context the land had been in drought for over 3 years and after Elijah prayed the rains came

–         This meant that farmers, like Elisha, were finally able to get out and plow the ground and sow their crops

–         Which means Elisha was being called to leave his work at a time when things were picking up again

–         It wasn’t so much that one door closed and another opened for Elisha

–         It was more like two doors opened at the same time and Elisha had to choose which one he was going to walk through

–         Was he going to be a farmer or a prophet?

 

Elisha chose to follow Elijah – but first he asked permission to kiss his parents good bye

 

Elijah granted permission saying: “What have I done to you?”

–         It is unclear what Elijah meant by this exactly

–         It could mean, ‘you are free to choose what you do’

–         But at the same time, Elijah may have his own experience in mind so he means something like, ‘In calling you to be a prophet, I’ve called you to a difficult life. You will be lonely, misunderstood and you will lack the usual securities and comforts that other people enjoy’

–         Jesus said a similar thing to those who followed him – people will hate you because of me

 

Elisha is young and willing – he’s a good keen man which is just what the older more jaded Elijah needs

–         After some difficult experiences Elijah (who is recovering from burn out) is at risk of falling into cynicism and contempt

–         Elisha is a breath of fresh air for Elijah

–         I imagine Elisha’s youthful enthusiasm and sense of hopefulness inspired Elijah to be the best version of himself that he could be, for Elisha’s sake

 

To mark his commitment in following Elijah and God’s call, Elisha sacrifices his two bulls as a fellowship offering – there’s no turning back now

–         Sometimes choosing continuity with God’s story means discontinuity with our old way of life

–         Elisha feeds the people with the meat from his oxen

–         This is symbolic of his ministry – as a prophet Elisha will sustain people with the meat of God’s word (man cannot live by bread alone)

 

When I started here at Tawa, you (the congregation) gave me a mantle of sorts – a cloak in the form of a Hurricanes rugby jersey

–         I come from the Waikato / Bay of Plenty area where the Chiefs are based

–         Had I been a Chiefs supporter I suppose I would have had to burn my chiefs jersey, sort of like Elisha burned his oxen and farming equipment

–         Luckily for me I was never a Chiefs supporter

 

After Elisha has said his goodbyes and fed the people he goes with Elijah and becomes his attendant or servant

–         Similar language is used of Joshua who became Moses’ servant centuries earlier

–         We, the reader, are meant to see the continuity woven into the Korowai of God’s salvation story

–         Elisha is to Elijah what Joshua was to Moses – someone chosen by God to carry on the Lord’s work after Elijah is gone

 

Elisha’s empowerment:

Some of the external doors of the church auditorium have been difficult to open and close, partly due to their age and partly due to all the rain we’ve had lately

–         During the week Ewan & Neville fixed the fire exit here at the front

–         One of the things they did to free the door up was replace the hinges – the old hinges were a bit rusted and seized

–         They didn’t throw the door out – they kept the door but replaced the hinges so there is continuity with the past, present and future

 

The purpose of a hinge is to allow movement and change – to create openings and endings

–         In some ways a prophet is a bit like a hinge in that they allow movement and change

–         They are anchored to the past (the door frame) and to the present (the door itself)

–         Through the words they speak God’s prophets make society aware of hinge moments in human history

–         They let people know when new doors of hope have been opened

–         They also warn people when old doors of sin & injustice are about to close in judgment

 

Of course, it is God who opens and closes the doors of history – the prophet (like the hinge) simply helps to facilitate that movement

–         If a prophet performs the function of a hinge in history then we could say, Elisha is like the new set of hinges on the old door

 

We are not told much about how Elijah mentors Elisha, as we were with Moses & Joshua

–         Presumably Elisha learned like any apprentice, by watching and doing

–         In any case the emphasis of the text isn’t on the technical aspects of mentoring – it is rather on the spiritual empowerment of Elisha

 

The next time we hear about Elijah & Elisha together is 2nd Kings chapter 2

–         After a bit of a tiki-tour through Gilgal, Bethel and Jericho, Elijah & Elisha head out into the wilderness toward the Jordan

–         They both know that Elijah is soon to be taken by God

–         When they reach the river Elijah strikes the water with his cloak, the water divides and the two of them walk across on dry ground

–         Sort of like Moses separating the Red Sea with his staff

–         Once again we find a continuity – the past, present and future are woven together into the wider cloak of the Biblical narrative

–         We pick up the story from verse 9 or 2nd Kings chapter 2…

 

9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”

“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.

10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”

 

In ancient Jewish culture the first born son inherited a double portion of the Father’s estate

–         So in asking for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, Elisha is asking to be Elijah’s legitimate heir – that is, the prophet’s successor

–         Elisha wants to carry on the prophetic work Elijah started but he needs the power of Elijah’s spirit to do that

–         And by “Elijah’s spirit” we don’t mean his human spirit we mean the Spirit of God that rests on Elijah

 

Elijah says to Elisha, “You have asked a difficult thing”

–         In other words, it’s not up to me whether you will be my successor or not

–         I can’t control what the Spirit of God does any more than I can control where the wind blows

–         The hinge doesn’t get to tell the carpenter what door it will hang on

 

From verse 11…

11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.

 

By calling Elijah his “father”, Elisha is showing deep respect and affection for his predecessor

–          “The chariots and horsemen of Israel” is another title of respect for Elijah

–          Elisha is basically saying that Elijah is the Lord’s weapon against evil

–          God’s word through Elijah was far more powerful than any army of chariots and horsemen

 

The point, not to be missed here, is that Elisha saw his master go, which means he would inherit Elijah’s spirit – the Spirit of God

–         Elisha would now become the Lord’s weapon against evil

 

Yet again we see continuity with the past, present & future

–         Elijah’s ascension foreshadows Jesus’ ascension to heaven – it is all part of the weaving of the larger Biblical narrative of salvation

–         Just as Elijah ascended to God’s presence in heaven before Elisha inherited his spirit – so too Jesus ascended to heaven before pouring out his Spirit on his disciples at Pentecost

–          So if Jesus is like Elijah then we are sort of like Elisha, empowered by Jesus’ Spirit to carry on the Lord’s work

 

Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.

 

Again we notice the Lord’s masterful weaving

–         Just as Joshua (the successor to Moses) separated the river Jordan so the people could cross over into the Promised Land, so too Elisha (the successor to Elijah) divides the waters of the Jordan on his re-entry

 

The interesting thing here is that it didn’t work the first time for Elisha

–         He has to strike the water twice and ask where God is before the river parts for him

–         Perhaps this is a reminder that the power is not in Elijah’s mantle – the cloak is not magic – the power is with the Lord God Almighty

 

In any case…

15 The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.

 

Conclusion:

The other night around our dinner table one of the kids asked what is salience?

–         I had a vague idea but wanted to make sure I had my facts straight so went to get a dictionary off the book shelf to look it up

–         Robyn laughed at me (as she usually does) and said, “Just google it”

–         Of course I ignored her and went off to find an actual dictionary while she looked up a virtual dictionary on her phone

–         Robyn has kept up with the new generation – I’m more old school

–         Not that it really matters – different approaches, same answer

 

Salience is the quality of being particularly noticeable or important

–         A salient point is one which is prominent – or sticks out like a tall poppy

 

The story of Elijah & Elisha is enigmatic – it is cloaked in mystery

–         Yes, theirs is an intergenerational relationship but so what?

–         What is the salient point of their story?

–         What’s the application for us?

 

Well, the thing that stands out most prominently to me is that God is weaving the cloak (the Korowai) of our salvation

–         One of our values as a church is passing on our faith (the Christian faith) to the next generation

–         We don’t want the church to end with us – we want to leave things in good shape for our kids and see them continue walking with Jesus

–         We want there to be a continuity between the past, present and future

–         That’s one of the reasons we encourage an intergenerational culture in the life of the church – that’s why we are having this sermon series

 

The salient point with Elijah & Elisha’s story is that God is the weaver, not Elijah & Elisha

–         Yes, Elijah was obedient to God when the Lord told him to appoint Elisha as his successor

–         And yes, Elisha was willing to submit to God’s purpose, even though he had other options

–         But really it was the Spirit of God who empowered both Elijah & Elisha and created the continuity

 

What I’m trying to say is that, even though the tide of cultural change is against us at present, we don’t need to be anxious about the future of the church

–         Yes, we have our part to play but what really counts with passing on our faith to the next generation is the power of God’s Spirit

–         Like Elijah, we don’t get to tell the Spirit what to do

–         God is the master weaver and he will draw it all together in the end

–         We are part of his larger Korowai – his cloak of salvation

–         The Lord will provide the continuity by his Spirit

 

 

Reflection Questions:

 

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

 

2.)    Why did God tell Elijah to anoint Elisha to succeed him as prophet?

–         How might Elisha help Elijah?

 

3.)    What was the significance or meaning of Elijah throwing his cloak (mantle) over Elisha?

 

4.)    Have you (like Elisha) had the experience of two doors opening at the same time and needing to make a decision about which one you will walk through?

–         Can you share your story? (E.g. What happened? How did God guide you? What and why did you decide as you did? Etc.)

 

5.)    How is Elisha similar to Joshua?

 

6.)    In what sense is a prophet like a hinge?

 

7.)    What does Elisha mean when he asks for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit?

–         Why is this a difficult thing to ask for?

 

8.)    In what ways does Elijah foreshadow Jesus?

 

9.)    What is the salient point in the story of Elijah & Elisha?

–         And what’s the application for us?

 

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/27-aug-2017-elijah-elisha

Tawa Baptist

Jephthah and his daughter

Scripture: Judges 11

 

Title: Jephthah & his daughter

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Jephthah’s rejection
  • Jephthah’s vow
  • Jephthah’s daughter
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

On the wall here we have a picture of a piece of rock with a vein of gold running through it

–         It is the image of a precious metal mixed in common granite

–         People can be like this – a mixture of things precious and things base

 

This morning we continue our series on intergenerational relationships in the Bible – that is, relationships between people of different ages or generations

–         Most of the intergenerational relationships we’ve looked at so far have been positive – like Moses & Joshua, Naomi & Ruth and Eli & Samuel

–         Not all intergenerational relationships are so rosy though

–         Some are more a mixture of things precious and things base

 

The focus of today’s message is Jephthah and his daughter, whose name we are not told

–         Theirs is truly an intergenerational story but not in a good way

–         More in the sense of the sins of the father having a negative downstream impact on the next generation

–         Having said that the hard rock of this story is not without its veins of gold

 

Jephthah was one of the Judges (or leaders) of ancient Israel during the time between Joshua and the kings, Saul & David

–         The Israelites had moved into the Promised Land, after their 40 years in the wilderness, but they hadn’t yet subdued their enemies

 

The period of the Judges was a sad time in Israel’s history when the nation was unfaithful to the Lord (Yahweh) by worshipping the Canaanite gods

–         Generation after generation there was a repeating pattern of the people rejecting Yahweh, then being oppressed by their enemies before turning back to Yahweh for help

–         When his people repented the Lord would empower a special Judge to lead Israel against their enemies.

–         Israel would gain the victory and everything would be okay for a while until the people forgot the Lord again and began to conform to the ways of the world around them

–         Sadly with each cycle the behaviour of the next generation got worse

 

With this background we read the book of Judges knowing that the stories it contains are not an ideal to aspire to, but rather a cautionary tale of what happens when people don’t follow the ways of God

 

Jephthah came after Gideon and before Sampson

–         Like most of the Judges of that time, Jephthah was a mixture of things precious and things base

 

We will cover three parts of Jephthah’s story this morning…

–         Jephthah’s rejection, Jephthah’s vow, and Jephthah’s daughter

 

Jephthah’s rejection:

Let’s begin with Jephthah’s rejection – from Judges, chapter 11, verse 1

–         I’ll be reading from the New Revised Standard Version…

 

Now Jephthah the Gileadite, the son of a prostitute, was a mighty warrior. Gilead was the father of Jephthah. 2 Gilead’s wife also bore him sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah away, saying to him, “You shall not inherit anything in our father’s house; for you are the son of another woman.” 3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Outlaws collected around Jephthah and went raiding with him.

 

4 After a time the Ammonites made war against Israel. 5 And when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 They said to Jephthah, “Come and be our commander, so that we may fight with the Ammonites.”

 

7 But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Are you not the very ones who rejected me and drove me out of my father’s house? So why do you come to me now when you are in trouble?” 8 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “Nevertheless, we have now turned back to you, so that you may go with us and fight with the Ammonites, and become head over us, over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”

 

Who can tell me what this guy on the wall is famous for?

–         His name is Dr Thomas Midgley [Wait for people to respond]

–         That’s right – Dr Midgley was a key figure in a team of chemists who put lead in petrol and produced the first chlorofluorocarbons or CFC’s

–         Lead has been taken out of petrol now because its considered too much of a health risk and CFC’s are what caused the hole in the ozone layer

–         So Dr Midgley is famous for at least two innovations which damaged the environment on a large scale

 

There was a saying in ancient Israel

–         “The fathers eat sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge”

–         It basically means that children often have to live with the consequences of their parents’ actions

–         Thomas Midgley died in 1944 before many of us were born but the sour grapes he ate have set our teeth on edge

–         We are still living with the ill-effects of his work – the sins of our fathers

 

Jephthah paid the price for the sins of his father

–         Mr Gilead got a prostitute pregnant and Jephthah was born

–         Although Jephthah was not to blame for his father’s actions his half-brothers would not accept him and forced him to leave home

 

Two weeks ago I showed you a tripod for holding a video camera

–         For the tripod to stand on its own it needs three legs

–         With just one or two legs the tripod will fall over and the camera will be damaged

–         Three things the human soul needs to stand are identity, belonging and purpose

–         Identity, belonging & purpose go together – they give us strength & security – a sense of wholeness and well-being or shalom

 

When Jephthah’s brothers rejected him and drove him away they cut off his identity & belonging in their family so that Jephthah was forced to find these things elsewhere

–         Acceptance is the way to strengthen identity & belonging

–         Had his brothers accepted him I think Jephthah’s story would have had a very different outcome

 

Jephthah was a leader so he soon attracted other outcasts and became a force to be reckoned with

 

When Israel’s enemies threaten, the leaders of Gilead come cap in hand to ask Jephthah for help

–         Their approach is quite self-serving – they don’t really care about Jephthah, they just want to save their own necks

–         Jephthah agrees but only if they accept him as their leader

–         They have offered Jephthah purpose but he wants identity and belonging as well – he is hungry for their acceptance

–         The deal is done

 

In some ways Jephthah’s treatment at the hands of his brothers is a parable (in miniature) of Yahweh’s experience with Israel

–         Through no fault of His own the Lord is rejected by Israel and then, when Israel find themselves in trouble, they repent and ask for help

–         Israel doesn’t really care about Yahweh – they are desperate and are using the Lord for their own ends

–         Although Yahweh doesn’t need Israel’s acceptance (like Jephthah did) the Lord is still in a difficult position

–         He knows Israel is using him and will reject him again but he can’t turn his back on the people he loves

 

Once he has been made leader of the Gileadites, Jephthah approaches the king of the Ammonites (Israel’s enemies) and seeks a diplomatic solution

–         This shows wisdom and good leadership on Jephthah’s part

–         Unfortunately it doesn’t work

–         Israel is in a weaker position so the Ammonites choose war

 

In his exchange with the king of the Ammonites, Jephthah has his finest hour

–         From verse 27 of chapter 11 Jephthah says…

 

27 It is not I who have sinned against you, but you are the one who does me wrong by making war on me. Let the Lord, who is judge, decide today for the Israelites or for the Ammonites.” 28 But the king of the Ammonites did not heed the message that Jephthah sent him.

 

Although Israel is in a weaker position from a military point of view, Jephthah has the faith to say publicly that the Lord God (Yahweh) is the ultimate judge and he will decide who is right and who gets the land

–         There is real gold in what Jephthah says here but the gold soon runs out and Jephthah’s finest hour is turned to stone

 

Jephthah’s vow:

29 Then the spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh. He passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites. 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, 31 then whoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return victorious from the Ammonites, shall be the Lord’s, to be offered up by me as a burnt offering.”

 

Jephthah is making a solemn deal with the Lord

–         If God gives him victory he will kill (as a human sacrifice) the first person who comes out of his house to meet him

 

Steve Hansen has been on the telly lately advertising Arnott’s biscuits

–         The ads imagine Steve Hansen (coach of the All Blacks) riding on a motorbike through a post-apocalyptic wasteland

–         Steve then recreates the events which led to the destruction of the world

–         Essentially it involves one of the All Blacks eating someone else’s biscuits (either their Shapes or their Tim Tams)

–         Then the person who has lost their biscuits over reacts, triggering a series of misunderstandings which lead to nuclear war

–         The moral of the story is, “Never, ever lose your biscuit.”

 

To ‘lose your biscuit’ means to lose your cool or lose your perspective

–         ‘Never lose your biscuit’, therefore, means stay calm

–         Don’t be afraid, don’t stress out, don’t over react because you don’t know what disaster may come from it

 

Unfortunately Jephthah did lose his biscuit

–         In public Jephthah was full of confidence that God, the righteous judge, would give him the victory

–         But in private Jephthah was that scared little boy who had never been properly accepted – who longed to be identified with his father’s family, to be counted as belonging with his brothers

 

Jephthah had been called by men to fight the Ammonites – but God had not spoken to him yet

–         God had spoken to other leaders in the past, either through an angel (as he did with Gideon) or through a prophet (as he did with Barak)

–         But in Jephthah’s case, Yahweh had been strangely silent

 

Certainly the Lord had sent his Spirit on Jephthah enabling him to go through various towns to rally support

–         The presence of God’s Spirit on Jephthah should have given him confidence that he had God’s support – but it didn’t

–         Perhaps Jephthah wasn’t aware of the Spirit’s empowering presence – perhaps he mistakenly thought he was doing this in his own strength

–         Or maybe he was aware of God’s Spirit with him but didn’t make the connection that this implied the Lord’s support

 

Whatever the reason, on the eve of battle Jephthah was not able to stand the awful silence of God and he lost his biscuit, making a rash and unnecessary vow

 

Let me be very clear – Jephthah’s vow had nothing to do with the Spirit of God and everything to do with Jephthah’s own fear & insecurity

–         Jephthah had power from the Holy Spirit to do a particular task but having power from God is not the same thing as having a relationship with Him

–         Jephthah didn’t really have a relationship with the Lord and so he didn’t know God all that well

–         Because he had been rejected by his own family in the past, Jephthah was probably afraid the same thing might happen with God & he over reacted

–         But God is not like Jephthah’s family, the Lord is faithful

 

Jephthah’s vow was wrong on a number of counts

–         Firstly, it involved human sacrifice, which is against God’s Law

–         The Old Testament Law allowed animal sacrifice but human sacrifice was murder – it was absolutely forbidden

–         It stands to reason that Jephthah didn’t know this

 

Secondly, Jephthah’s vow was a faithless attempt to bind God

–         God is free – he won’t be placed under obligation by us, although he may of his own free choice place himself under obligation for us

–         Trying to manipulate the gods by making sacrifices is a pagan thing

–         Yahweh does not operate like that

–         The Lord operates by grace and faith

–         We don’t pay God to do things for us

–         In faith we receive from God, freely, and we respond with thankfulness

 

Jephthah mistakenly thought he could make a deal with God

–         The tragedy is that Jephthah already had the victory

–         He didn’t need to make a deal with God – he simply needed to trust God

 

As I said at the beginning of this message – the stories of the Judges are not an ideal to aspire to, they are cautionary tales, warning us of what to avoid

 

Okay – so far we’ve heard about Jephthah’s rejection as a youth and his rash vow as an adult

–         Now let’s consider the intergenerational impact on Jephthah’s daughter

 

Jephthah’s Daughter:

After winning a crushing victory over his enemies, Jephthah returns home triumphant. We pick up the story from verse 34 of Judges 11…

 

34 Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah; and there was his daughter coming out to meet him with timbrels and with dancing. She was his only child; he had no son or daughter except her. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low; you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot take back my vow.”

 

36 She said to him, “My father, if you have opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the Lord has given you vengeance against your enemies, the Ammonites.” 37 And she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: Grant me two months, so that I may go and wander on the mountains, and bewail my virginity, my companions and I.” 38 “Go,” he said and sent her away for two months. So she departed, she and her companions, and bewailed her virginity on the mountains.

 

39 At the end of two months, she returned to her father, who did with her according to the vow he had made. She had never slept with a man. So there arose an Israelite custom that 40 for four days every year the daughters of Israel would go out to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.

 

May the Spirit of God help us to know Jesus

 

When Jephthah made his vow to sacrifice the first person who came out of his house to meet him he probably had in mind one of his many servants

–         I don’t think he was expecting to kill his only daughter

–         And yet, as cruel chance would have it, she was the first to meet him when he returned home

 

The text makes it clear that she was his only child and that she was a virgin – which means that with her death Jephthah would have no descendants

–         In that culture, to die without children or descendants was a fate worse than death – this is why Jephthah tears his clothes as a sign of grief

–         In seeking to bind the Lord with a vow Jephthah has bound himself and can see no way out of it

 

We shouldn’t interpret this as Yahweh’s punishment of Jephthah

–         The Lord does not punish children for their parents’ mistakes – although children are sometimes the innocent victims of their parents sins

–         In this case Jephthah actually has the audacity to blame his daughter for his own mistake saying: “You have brought me very low; you have become the cause of great trouble to me.”

–         It was hardly her fault though – she didn’t know about his vow

 

I don’t believe God wanted any person to die or suffer for Jephthah’s vow

–         I say this because God’s Law provided a way out in situations like this

 

In Leviticus chapter 5 we read,

 

If someone makes a careless vow, no matter what it is about, he is guilty as soon as he realises what he has done. When a person is guilty, he must confess the sin, and as a penalty for the sin he must bring to the Lord a female sheep or goat as an offering. The priest shall offer the sacrifice for the man’s sin.

 

Jephthah had made a careless and evil vow

–         Clearly God did not require Jephthah to follow through on his vow and murder his daughter – yet that is exactly what Jephthah did

–         By carrying out his vow, Jephthah made his word more important than God’s word

–         So there was no virtue in Jephthah keeping his vow – he only made things worse

 

Most likely Jephthah was ignorant of the fact that…

–         One, human sacrifice is unacceptable to the Lord

–         And two, if you do make a rash vow, God has provided a way out

–         All Jephthah needed to do was confess that his vow was a mistake and have a priest offer an animal sacrifice in place of his daughter

–         The biggest cost would have been to Jephthah’s pride in admitting he had made a mistake

–         But there is less shame in admitting you are wrong and stopping evil than insisting you are right and fulfilling it

 

Whether he was aware of God’s law or not Jephthah didn’t need to kill her

 

This is what Jesus had to say about oaths and vows…

 

“You have heard that people were told in the past, ‘Do not break your promise, but do what you have vowed to the Lord to do.’ But now I tell you: do not use any vow when you make a promise. Do not swear by heaven, because it is God’s throne; nor by earth, because it is the resting place for his feet; not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.  Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’, be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No,’ be ‘No’. Anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”    

 

Jephthah’s vow came from the evil one

 

Thinking about our granite rock with a ribbon of gold in it – the response of Jephthah’s daughter is something very precious

–         She is far more gracious and courageous than her father

–         She doesn’t blame him for his mistake, even though he unfairly blames her – nor does she try to negotiate her way out of it

–         Instead she asks for two months to grieve with her friends in the hills

–         This is a wise move by Jephthah’s daughter – it creates a period of grace

–         Who knows what might happen in that grace period

–         Perhaps someone from the community will intervene and persuade her father to change his mind – or maybe God will intervene

 

When Abram was about to sacrifice his son Isaac, an angel of the Lord intervened to stop Abram and God provided a ram as a substitute

–         Also, when Saul made a rash vow which could have cost his son Jonathon his life, the men around Saul intervened to save Jonathon

 

Sadly there is no intervention for Jephthah’s daughter, divine or otherwise

–         No one thinks to inform Jephthah of the way out and God remains silent

–         The two months pass and Jephthah kills his only child

 

Conclusion:

When we put it altogether this is such a tragic story

–         We have Jephthah’s painful rejection as a young person

–         His unnecessary vow – made out of fear and insecurity

–         And then his failure to find redemption for his only child

 

Hebrews 11 mentions Jephthah as one of the heroes of the faith, which is surprising given his faithless vow & ignorance of God’s ways

–         The fact that he makes it in is more a testament to God’s grace than anything else – Jephthah is a cautionary tale, not an ideal to follow

–         I think his daughter is more the hero, for she reminds us of Jesus who accepted his Father’s will in going to the cross for our redemption

 

Jephthah’s daughter also reminds us of the millions of innocent children who are sacrificed in our world today, through child abuse, slavery, war or blind ambition and neglect

–         As John Hamlin puts it…

 

Jephthah sacrificed his daughter because of his own anxieties and ambitions. Today parents who have a driving ambition to achieve security, wealth or fame may, through neglect, unwittingly sacrifice the welfare of their own children. We might also look at nations whose drive for power or wealth or security is so strong that a whole generation of its youth may be lost in war, while the after effects may lead many to drugs or crime. [1]

 

We may not be that different to Jephthah

–         We may be disturbed by the reality that God seems to remain silent in the face of this child abuse

–         Perhaps we should be more concerned with our own silence

–         Humanity is more culpable than God

–         That said, God doesn’t always intervene to save those most vulnerable

–         I don’t have an adequate answer for this – I can’t see the whole picture

–         All I have is my one or two pieces of the puzzle

 

I do believe in resurrection though – that those innocents who are sacrificed (like Jephthah’s daughter) are given abundant life in heaven

–         God is just and merciful – he makes all things new in the end

 

I also believe, there is a redeemer

–         A redeemer for those who have been condemned by the sins of their parents

–         And a redeemer for those who have lost their biscuit and over reacted – causing others to suffer

–         The name of this redeemer is Jesus, God’s own Son

 

 

Let us pray…

 

–         For those children in our world today who are sacrificed or abused in various ways – for God’s healing grace and redemption

–         For those who are parents – that the sins of the parents would not be passed on to their children (this may involve asking God to forgive our own parents)

–         Forgiveness for those times when we ‘lose our biscuit’ or over react causing others grief

 

Out Takes

It is probable that Jephthah was not well acquainted with God’s law

–          He had lived much of his life as an outlaw among pagans, therefore he wasn’t exposed to a lot of teaching about God’s ways

–          But I’m not sure living in ancient Israel would have helped him that much either

–          The time of the Judges was a time when people largely ignored God’s law anyway and did whatever seemed best in their own eyes

 

 

[1] E. John Hamlin, “Judges, At Risk in the Promised Land”, page 124.

Tawa Baptist

Jesus in transition

Scripture: Luke 2:41-52

Title: Jesus in transition

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Foreshadowing
  • Identity, belonging, purpose
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Recently I had an eye exam and was told I needed transition lenses, which are sort of a modern take on bifocals

–         Switching to transition lenses is really weird – it’s a transition in itself

–         With transition lenses you have to turn your whole head to keep things in focus. It takes a bit of getting used to

 

I’m telling you this for two reasons:

–         Firstly, if I seem to be looking at you funny, don’t be offended – I’m just getting used to these new glasses

–         And secondly, it relates to this morning’s message – Jesus in transition

 

Please turn with me to Luke chapter 2, verse 41 – page 77 toward the back of your pew Bibles

 

Today we continue our series on intergenerational relationships by focusing on Jesus, as a 12 year boy, interacting with adults in the temple in Jerusalem

–         In Jewish culture of that time, a boy became responsible for keeping the Law at 13 – so 12 was an age of transition as he prepared for manhood and the responsibilities associated with the Law, also a time of viewing oneself (in relation to God and the world) differently

–         And, as we’ll hear shortly, it wasn’t only a transition for Jesus, it was a time of transition for Jesus’ parents as well

–         From Luke 2, verses 41-52 we read…

 

41 Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they went to the festival as usual. 43 When the festival was over, they started back home, but the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not know this; 44 they thought that he was with the group, so they travelled a whole day and then started looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 They did not find him, so they went back to Jerusalem looking for him. 46 On the third day they found him in the Temple, sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers. 48 His parents were astonished when they saw him, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried trying to find you.”

49 He answered them, “Why did you have to look for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand his answer.

51 So Jesus went back with them to Nazareth, where he was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom, gaining favour with God and people.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate the gospel for us

Foreshadowing:

On the wall here we have an example of foreshadowing

–         The picture of a cave man, from the past, holding a stick foreshadows present day man who holds a cell-phone

 

Foreshadowing is a literary technique where the author plants little clues at the beginning of a story to hint at what is to come later

–         Foreshadowing helps us make the transition from ignorance to meaning

–         It creates a point of reference helping us to join the dots so we can accurately interpret the story

 

Many of the characters of the Old Testament foreshadow Jesus

–         Joseph, who was betrayed by his brothers but then later saves them, foreshadows Jesus who was betrayed by his own for our salvation

–         Moses, the law giver, foreshadows Jesus who fulfils the law

–         David, the shepherd king, foreshadows Jesus the good shepherd king

–         Elisha who heals Naaman, the gentile leper, foreshadows Jesus who not only healed lepers but came that people of all nations would be cleansed

–         We could go on but you get the point: the Old Testament foreshadows Christ

 

We notice quite a bit of foreshadowing in this morning’s account of the boy Jesus in the temple

 

Luke 2, verse 41 tells us how every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival

 

The Passover remembers one of Israel’s great transitions – their exodus from slavery in Egypt

–         This little vignette of Jesus going to the Passover festival foreshadows Jesus’ death on the cross at Passover time

 

Travelling from Nazareth to Jerusalem is a journey of about 5 days each way on foot – so that’s at least 10 days on the road

–         Add to that another 8 days for the festival itself and the round trip took nearly 3 weeks – that’s a big commitment to make every year

–         Living as far away from Jerusalem as they did Mary & Joseph weren’t legally required by the Law to attend the Passover festival every year but they freely chose to do so – foregoing 3 weeks income to be there to honour the Lord

–         This shows us that Jesus’ parents, Mary & Joseph, were devout people – they were very committed to God and his law

 

With the festival over, Mary & Joseph head back to Nazareth

–         Because they were travelling in a large group with extended family & friends they didn’t realise Jesus was missing until the end of the first day

–         You can imagine their worry and anxiety – anything could have happened to their boy

 

It takes a day for them to return to Jerusalem and then on the third day they find him in the Temple

–         Here we observe a foreshadowing of the resurrection – for Jesus would be raised from the dead on the third day

 

Mary & Joseph are astonished (or surprised) to find Jesus sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions

–         How is a small town boy (a carpenter’s son) able to foot it with these heavy weight theologians from the big city?

–         It would be like losing your 12 year old child at the stadium after a test match, only to come back and find him discussing the game with Steve Hansen and Kieran Reid (the All Blacks coach & captain)

 

‘Listening & asking’ suggests humility and respect on Jesus’ part, so we shouldn’t imagine a precocious or arrogant child setting his elders straight

–         The 12 year old Jesus doesn’t know it all – rather he is hungry to learn

 

Apparently the teachers asked Jesus some questions too – not because they expected to learn something from the boy – but because questions encourage people to think for themselves – that was their teaching method

–         And all who heard Jesus were amazed at his intelligent answers

–         In other words, Jesus’ response showed a deep understanding of the Scriptures – far deeper than one would expect from a 12 year old

 

This picture of Jesus discussing theology with the teachers of the Law foreshadows Jesus’ ministry when he will amaze people with his wisdom and insight in teaching the ways of God

 

We all have foreshadowing in our lives don’t we

–         Things that happened to us in our childhood which anticipated an even deeper reality in adulthood

–         Some of that foreshadowing may have been helpful – it may have set you on a good path

–         By the same token some of it may have been detrimental – history has a nasty habit of repeating itself

–         Whatever foreshadowing you’ve had in your own life, whether good or bad, Jesus understands

–         He is able to join the dots and make sense of your life – give your life meaning

 

Identity, belonging and purpose:

I have here a tripod

–         This tripod is used to support a video camera

–         For this tripod to stand on its own it needs at least 3 legs

–         With just one or two legs someone needs to hold it, otherwise it will topple over and the camera will be broken

–         To make this tripod stable it helps if each of the legs are evenly matched

–         If one leg is shorter than the others it is more prone to tipping

 

Three things we human beings need to stand are: identity, belonging & purpose

–         Identity, belonging & purpose are like the three legs of the tripod supporting our soul

 

Identity answers the question: Who am I?

–         Belonging answers the question: Where do I fit?

–         And purpose answers the question: Why am I here?

–         Who, where and why?

 

As human beings we go through a number of transitions or changes in our life

–         And these transitions are not always easy – they may leave us feeling like a fish out of water, at least for a little while

–         The transition from the security of the womb to the outside world

–         The transition from home to kindy and then kindy to school and eventually from school (or university) to the workforce

–         The transition from childhood to adulthood – otherwise known as adolescence – this is a challenge for both teenagers and their parents

–         Some people make the transition from being single to being married or perhaps from being married to being divorced

–         Having children is one of life’s most profound transitions

–         A number of you here have made the transition from a different country and culture to come to New Zealand

–         Others have made the transition from full time paid employment to retirement

–         Grief is a kind of transition – as we come to terms with loss and adjust to a new normal

 

The point is: we go through lots of transitions in life and these are sometimes painful or difficult at the time

–         Having a good sense of identity, belonging & purpose gives us security – supporting us through times of transition and change

 

The transition Jesus was going through at 12 was not easy for Mary & Joseph

–         When Mary asks Jesus…

–         “My son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been terribly worried trying to find you.”

 

Jesus points out that they had no need for concern, saying…

–         “Why did you have to look for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be in my Father’s house?”

 

Jesus’ response here reveals a strong sense of identity, belonging & purpose.

–         Jesus identifies himself in relationship with God

–         He basically says, ‘God is my Father and I am His Son’

–         That’s identity

 

Because Jesus knows who he is (God’s Son) it then becomes clear where he belongs – in His Father’s house, that is, in the temple

–         As God’s Son, Jesus felt perfectly safe and at home in the temple

 

And as for purpose, well, ‘I had to be in the temple’

–         In other words, it was inevitable that you would find me here discussing theology with the experts – because the temple is where people learn about God and my life’s purpose is to teach people the ways of God

–         How can I teach others unless I first learn myself?

 

If you are going to be a doctor it is inevitable that you will go to medical school and hospital

–         If you are going to be a teacher it is inevitable that you will go to teachers’ college and end up in the classroom

–         If you are going to be a minister or a priest then it is inevitable that you will study the Bible and spend time in church

 

This all seems intuitively obvious to Jesus – but it’s lost on his parents

–         Mary & Joseph didn’t understand what Jesus was saying to them

–         They knew from the circumstances of his birth that he was somehow special – but they didn’t yet realise his identity as God’s Son, much less his purpose in life or where he belonged

 

Incidentally, being misunderstood by those closest to him is another foreshadowing of Jesus’ future ministry

 

Jesus is not put off by his parent’s slowness to understand though

–         He is secure in his identity, belonging and purpose

–         Jesus knows that God (his Father) understands him and that’s enough for Jesus

–         So he returns to Nazareth with Mary & Joseph and is obedient to them

 

Conclusion:

Luke 2 finishes by telling us that Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom, gaining favour with both God and man

–         That Jesus ‘grew in wisdom’ tells us that our Lord wasn’t born knowing everything – he had to learn wisdom like everyone else

–         (Although it appears he was a faster learner than you or I)

–         Even though God was his Father, this didn’t mean any short cuts for Jesus

–         He did his time, paid his dues and went through puberty as we all do

–         Jesus wasn’t just fully divine – he was also fully human

 

Sometimes we might think that being Christian somehow makes us exempt or gives us immunity from the misfortunes or hardships of life – It doesn’t

–         We are just as likely to catch a cold or have car trouble or be misunderstood or made redundant or lose a loved one, as anyone else

–         God didn’t prevent his own Son from experiencing loss and suffering and difficulty – so we shouldn’t expect special treatment either

 

Like Jesus we do have some advantages though

–         In Jesus we have a secure and level tripod for our soul

–         We find our identity, our belonging and our purpose in Christ

–         Jesus is our answer to those deeper questions of who, where and why

–         Jesus is our brother – that’s identity (we are brothers and sisters with Christ – that is who we are)

–         Through Jesus we have a place in the Kingdom of God – that’s belonging (you might not feel like you belong in this world, well we are just sojourners passing through – heaven is our home)

–         And, with the power of Christ’s Spirit in us we find our unique purpose (we are all different and that’s because we each have a special purpose)

 

Let us pray…

 

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, you are our security in an insecure world – you provide stability for our soul through times of change & transition. Whatever the foreshadowing in our own lives, may we find our identity, belonging and purpose in you.

Tawa Baptist

Eli & Samuel

Scripture: 1st Samuel 3

 

Title: Eli & Samuel

 

Structure:

  • Introduction – Immersion
  • Learning by immersion (repetition & routine)
  • Spiritual direction
  • God’s ways are not our ways (grace & truth)
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

I have here a sponge and a bucket of water

–         In order for a sponge to work it needs to be wet

–         Now I could get the sponge wet by sprinkling water on it like this

–         But the best way is by immersing it in the bucket like this

 

Today we continue our sermon series on intergenerational relationships

–         An intergenerational relationship is a relationship between two people from different generations, someone older and someone younger

–         We find a number of intergenerational relationships in the Bible

–         For example: Moses & Joshua, Ruth & Naomi, Elijah & Elisha

–         As well as the apostle Paul and his protégé Timothy

 

Our focus this morning though is on the relationship between Eli & Samuel

–         For those who may not be familiar with the story, Samuel was dedicated to the Lord’s service by his mother Hannah

–         This meant that once Samuel had been weaned she left him at the temple in Shiloh to serve with Eli the chief priest

–         Hannah didn’t just sprinkle a bit of religion over her son, she immersed him totally in the Lord’s service

 

The ground of today’s message is 1st Samuel chapter 3

–         At this stage Samuel is still a boy – we are not sure exactly how old but probably no older than 12?

–         By contrast Eli is an old man, most likely old enough to be Samuel’s grandad

–         From 1st Samuel chapter 3 (in the NIV) we read…

 

3 The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.

2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

8 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel,

“Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

 

10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

11 And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”

 

15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”

Samuel answered, “Here I am.”

17 “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”

 

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

 

Learning by immersion (routine & repetition)

When it comes to learning we human beings are a little bit like a sponge

–         We tend to learn best by immersion – rather than sprinkling

–         If you think about it a child learns to walk and talk not by attending a lecture, but by being immersed in an environment where other people are walking and talking

–         In the process of listening to adult conversations and seeing other people walk the child naturally picks up what to do and then starts attempting to walk & talk themselves

–         It’s good for young children to be around older children and adults because that’s how they learn

–         If small children only ever hung out with other small children they wouldn’t learn what the next steps were, so to speak

 

Repetition and routine are an important part of the ‘learning by immersion’ process

–         It’s amazing how small children love to hear the same story over and over again and how they can play ‘peek a boo’ for what seems like hours on end without ever growing tired of it

 

G.K. Chesterton has a wonderful quote about children and repetition. He says…

 

“Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.”

 

Churches tend to accumulate traditions

–         There are certain rhythms and regularities that we follow

–         We stand for the offering because we aren’t just giving our money – we are offering ourselves to God as living sacrifices

–         We celebrate communion once a month, usually with the same words of institution for the elements

–         We give out chocolate fish each week to celebrate special occasions

–         We light candles during Advent

–         I almost always start the sermon with ‘Good morning everyone’

–         And we have combined services at Easter & Christmas and so on

 

Having traditions may seem monotonous or boring to us, as adults, but they tend to be quite exciting and full of wonder for small children

–         And they provide a sense of comfort for people in the twilight of life

–         Those traditions that we might prefer to break, in adolescence & mid-life, are actually a great vehicle for teaching our kids

–         While it’s okay to change traditions every now and then we need to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bath water

–         Most of our traditions (our repetitions) serve an important purpose

 

There would have been a lot of repetition in Samuel’s life, immersed as he was in the rhythms of the temple with its daily routines of worship & related chores

–         Opening the temple doors at the start of the day & closing them at the end

–         Filling the lamp with oil

–         Gathering wood to burn the sacrifices & cleaning up the mess afterwards

–         Whatever the details of Samuel’s day, it followed a repeating pattern and that repetition was good for Samuel – there was comfort and security in it

–         What’s more, because Samuel was young and abounding in vitality, he was able to exult in the monotony of tradition (not just endure it)

 

Now, in pointing out how Samuel was immersed in the rhythms and routines of the temple, I’m not for a minute suggesting that you should drop your children off to the church for me to look after them each day

–         I can’t see that working out very well

–         What you can do, if you have responsibility for young children, is immerse them in good routines

–         Immerse them in the stories of the Bible

–         Immerse them in your prayers

–         And immerse them in service to the Lord with you

 

You might, for example, have a little bedtime routine where you read a Bible story and then pray the Lord’s Prayer with them

–         It may be the same stories and the same prayer over and over but that doesn’t matter – repetition is an important part of spiritual formation

–         Don’t just limit it to bedtime though – take any opportunity you can find.

–         In Deuteronomy 11, while Moses is giving the people of Israel God’s Law, he instructs them saying…

 

Teach these things to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up

 

One of the things we do here at Tawa Baptist to help spiritual conversations at home is we try (as much as possible) to have the Flock Sunday school curriculum follow the sermon series

–         So the sermon you heard last week about Ruth & Boaz is what the kids are learning about in the Flock this morning

–         You may have noticed on the back of the newsletter a couple of sentences letting the congregation know what the Flock kids are learning with an invitation to talk with your kids about it later

 

Another thing you can do is bring your kids to church regularly

–         If you only come occasionally its harder to feel like you belong

–         I’m not saying this to make you feel bad if you don’t come every week – I understand that it’s not always possible to be here every Sunday

–         But come as often as you are able because by doing that you give yourself and your kids the best chance of feeling at home here

 

One of the things we do in this church is keep the children in the morning service for a good 20 minutes or so before sending them out to Sunday school

–         This is teaching by immersion

–         Children naturally pick up what to do in a worship service and feel comfortable simply by being in it

–         We still need some separate programming for the kids though because they are at a different developmental stage and have different needs

–         Besides, my sermons are too long and serious to hold a child’s attention

 

Tawa Baptist has a strong tradition of grandparents bringing their grandkids to church and Sunday school – which is fantastic, keep doing that

 

Whether they are your kids or your grandkids though the trick is to involve them in those areas of service you are involved in – let them participate

–         So if you are on door duty, get one or two of your kids to do it with you

–         Or if you are collecting the offering, get the child with you to help

–         Sometimes Ang puts instruments out at the front for the kids to use while we are singing – that’s about encouraging participation

–         And when your kids reach College age, there are opportunities for them to serve in crèche and the Flock and the music team and Club Intermed

–         Learning by immersion involves both observation and participation

 

Shona (who is on piano this morning) told me that her Dad, Frank Duncan (who used to be a minister in this church) got her involved playing piano on Sunday mornings from a young age

–         More than just playing piano though, Frank gave Shona real ownership in the service by asking her to select some of the songs

–         Participation you see

 

Returning to Samuel & Eli

–         Samuel grew up immersed in the rhythms & routines of the temple and it had a shaping effect on his soul – it formed him spiritually

–         Sort of like a rock being made smooth as it is continually washed in the surf on a beach

–         Or a piece of clay being shaped and moulded as it spins round and round on the potter’s wheel

 

Eli, for his part, did a good job involving Samuel in the tasks of the temple so that Samuel wasn’t just a spectator or a consumer but an active participant, a contributor

 

Spiritual Direction:

Samuel quite happily followed the rhythms & routines of temple life until one night God introduced a new routine

 

While he was sleeping somewhere near the vicinity of the ark (the symbol of God’s presence) Samuel was woken by a voice calling his name

–         Eli was old, overweight and almost blind – he relied on Samuel to help him with things – so Samuel naturally thought Eli was calling him

–         But when he goes to Eli the old priest says, ‘My son, I did not call you. Go back and lie down.’

 

This little pattern is repeated three times and by the third time Eli realises Samuel is hearing the word of the Lord, so Eli offers Samuel some spiritual direction – he tells the boy what to say if he hears the voice again

–         Say, ‘Speak Lord, your servant is listening’

 

Eli does well here

–         In the first instance he does well not to get frustrated with Samuel for waking him in the middle of the night

–         More than this though Eli has the presence of mind and the spiritual sensitivity to realise God is calling the boy

–         Eli’s insight is quite remarkable when we think about it

 

Remember we are told, right at the beginning of chapter 3, that ‘the word of the Lord was rare in those days’

–         Most people wouldn’t have expected God to speak at all, let alone to a servant boy. A child prophet? That was unheard of

–         Nevertheless Eli realises that God is talking to Samuel

 

Given the unexpected nature of it all, how does Eli discern this?

 

Well, it seems to me that Eli knew Samuel well

–         It wasn’t like Samuel to wake him in the night 3 times for no reason

–         Samuel wasn’t a naughty kid – he was compliant

–         Samuel wouldn’t have disturbed Eli unless he had heard a voice

 

I think also that Eli saw a potential in Samuel and he loved the boy

–         So it wasn’t difficult for Eli to imagine that God might speak to Samuel

–         In fact, given the miraculous circumstances of Samuel’s birth and Hannah’s dedication of Samuel to God’s service it logically followed that God had a special purpose for Samuel’s life

–         Eli reminds those of us who are older to see the potential in those who young and not discount their usefulness to God

 

Eli also knew enough about God’s ways to realise this is often how the Lord operates – through the unexpected and through repetition

 

When I was in my late teens / early 20’s I said I would never be a pastor

–         Then one day, some years later, four people independently of each other said to me in the space of 24 hours…

–         ‘Will, I think you should consider becoming a pastor’

–         I wasn’t expecting that – and I certainly wasn’t looking for it so I knew it didn’t come from me

–         The unexpected, unsolicited nature of the message and the repetition of it made me think, perhaps God is trying to say something to me here

 

God speaks to people in different ways

–         He spoke to Samuel directly, so that Samuel saw a vision and heard an audible voice – it was nice and clear

–         That kind of communication from God is extremely rare – it’s not like that for most people

–         We are more likely to hear from God through reading the Bible or through another person or a sermon or an alignment of our circumstances

–         As a general principle though God’s word is often unexpected (from our perspective) and it is confirmed through repetition of the message

–         God’s word is always consistent with the person of Jesus – for Jesus embodies the word of the Lord – he is God’s word in human form

 

Samuel certainly wasn’t expecting God to speak to him

–         At that point in time it was outside of his experience

–         Fortunately Eli was present to give Samuel the spiritual direction he needed

 

God’s ways are not our ways:

You know the more I read the Bible the more it occurs to me how different God and I are

–         For one thing, God is a lot younger than I am

–         He appears to be far more trusting than me – more ‘fierce & free’, willing to take incredible risks

–         I imagine God would find roller coasters and sky diving exciting & fun

–         Whereas I’m too anxious for roller coasters and too grown up for fun

–         I prefer to keep my feet on the ground by going for a quiet walk on the beach or reading a book

–         God loves the whole world in all its wildness and diversity – he is present in the world everywhere, even the dark and dangerous places

–         The reach of my love is not so great however

–         God is uncreated, unlimited and eternally young

–         In contrast I am created, very limited and growing older every day

–         God thinks big – I think small

–         He is in no hurry – I’m always busy

–         He does not need anything from anyone and certainly not from me

–         But I depend on him for my very life & breath

–         I like to be organised ahead of time, with my sermon notes written out almost verbatim and my rosters prepared 3 months in advance

–         God, on the other hand, tends to be more last minute, leaving the future open – I don’t think he uses Excel spreadsheets or rosters either

 

God and I are very different but we do share one thing in common – Jesus

 

Why am I telling you this?

–         Well, God’s ways are not our ways

–         If it was up to me I wouldn’t have risked giving a young boy like Samuel such a hard task to do – at least not straight away

–         I would have eased the boy into his work – but not God

–         The Lord throws Samuel into the deep end on his first assignment

–         The very first message God gave Samuel was one of the most difficult of Samuel’s career

–         It was a message of judgment against Eli and his family

–         Basically, God wanted Samuel to tell Eli that the sins of Eli’s unrepentant sons were so bad they could never be forgiven or atoned for

–         Not only that but Eli himself was guilty too for not restraining his sons

 

That’s a heavy message for a young boy to tell the gentle old man he loves & respects

 

Now in saying that God threw Samuel in the deep end, I’m not suggesting the Lord is reckless or careless

–         God knew what Samuel could & couldn’t handle

–         God would not have asked Samuel to do this if he thought Samuel wasn’t up for it

–         The point is: sometimes we under-estimate what children can cope with

–         We want to protect them from what seem to us to be harsh realities and difficult truths – and, at times, rightly so

–         But as adults we need wisdom to discern when it is right to shield our kids and when it is better to let them hear the truth

–         In this instance God doesn’t protect Samuel – he doesn’t wrap the boy in cotton wool

–         Instead he gives Samuel the grace he needs to cope with a difficult truth

–         Ironically, that grace comes in the form of Eli

 

Eli notices that Samuel is avoiding him – which indicates Samuel has something to hide

–         So Eli goes to Samuel and puts a little pressure on him, getting him to release the burden he is carrying by saying, ‘May God deal with you severely if you hide anything from me’

–         A good spiritual director knows when & how to squeeze a person to draw out the truth

 

With permission to speak freely, Samuel relays God’s message in its entirety & Eli accepts it without getting angry with Samuel or censoring him

–         In this way Eli makes it safe for Samuel to be completely honest in the future

–         We need to do for our kids what Eli did for Samuel – release them from the burdens they carry by making it safe for them to be honest with us

 

It is not always easy to hand over tasks to others

–         Generosity towards those who are called to replace us is a real sign of grace [1]

–         God had clearly rejected Eli’s family and chosen Samuel to be his spokesperson to Israel

–         Samuel demonstrated integrity in speaking the truth of God’s message

–         And Eli demonstrated grace in making room for Samuel

 

Conclusion:

God’s ways are not our ways – which is just as well

–         He uses an inexperienced youth and a tired old priest to work out his purposes – such an unexpected combination

 

 

[1] Mary Evans, ‘The Message of Samuel’, page 37.

Tawa Baptist

Ruth & Boaz

Scripture: Ruth 2

 

Title: Boaz & Ruth

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Safe Access
  • Warm Understanding
  • Community Connection
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

Earlier in the service I stood on a table and tried to give someone a hand up so they could stand on the table with me – It didn’t work

–         But when I stood on the ground and gave them a hand up from alongside, it worked much better

–         I want you to keep that picture, of a hand up from alongside, in your mind as you listen to today’s message

 

This morning we continue our sermon series on intergenerational relationships in the Bible

–         An intergenerational relationship is a relationship between two people from different generations, someone older and someone younger

–         We find a number of intergenerational relationships in the Bible

–         For example: Moses and Joshua, the aging priest Eli and the young prophet Samuel, King Saul and King David

–         As well as the apostle Paul and his protégé Timothy

 

Our focus this morning though is on the relationship between Ruth and Boaz

–         We don’t know the age difference between Boaz & Ruth, only that Boaz was somewhat older than Ruth, maybe between 10 & 25 years older

–         Setting aside the romantic attachment that developed between them, Boaz demonstrates for us a number of things that those who are older can do to come alongside those who are younger and give them a hand up

 

Boaz gives Ruth access, understanding and connection

–         We also can do these things for those who are younger than us

 

Setting the scene:

We touched on Ruth’s story 3 Sundays ago when we looked at the inter-generational friendship between Naomi and Ruth

–         But in case you missed that I’ll give you a quick overview to set the scene

 

The story takes place during the time of the Judges in ancient Israel – which is after Joshua and before Saul & David

–         In many ways it was the worst of times – when men behaved badly

–         But it brought out the best in certain people

–         There was a famine in the land and Naomi’s husband and two sons were forced to leave Bethlehem to try and find food in Moab, the land of their enemies – they were essentially refugees – displaced people

 

While they were in Moab, Naomi’s husband died and her two sons married Moabite girls: Orpah and Ruth

–         Ten years passed in Moab before Naomi’s two sons died also

–         Despite 10 years of marriage Orpah & Ruth had no children

 

When Naomi hears that God has provided food for his people in Israel, she decides to return to Bethlehem

–         Long story short – Orpah stays in Moab, while Ruth goes with Naomi saying…

 

“…Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God…”

 

Ruth wholeheartedly commits herself to Naomi, to Naomi’s people and to Naomi’s God. This was a huge leap of faith and a great act of hesed or loyalty on Ruth’s part

 

Ruth & Naomi return to Bethlehem just in time for the barley harvest

 

The Law of Moses was written with the poor and vulnerable in mind, using a hand up, not a hand out, approach

 

One of the safety nets provided by the Law was a practice called gleaning

–         With gleaning, the poor were allowed to follow behind the harvesters picking up the grain left behind

–         The harvesters were to ensure there was adequate left overs for the gleaners to pick up by not harvesting the edges of their fields and not going over the ground twice

–         Gleaning was not a ‘hand out’ because the gleaners had to work for their grain

–         Having said that, gleaning by itself wasn’t enough to lift someone out of poverty – but it did at least save people from starvation

 

So they wouldn’t starve, Ruth respectfully asks to go gleaning in the fields and, as providence would have it, she finds herself in Boaz’ field

–         I say, ‘as providence would have it’ because Boaz does three things to help Ruth:

o   He grants her safe access to his field for gleaning

o   He shows Ruth warm understanding

o   And he connects her with others in the community

–         Safe access, warm understanding and community connection

 

These three things that Boaz does for Ruth are things that we can do for those who are younger than us

 

Safe Access:

Firstly, Boaz grants Ruth safe & generous access to his field

 

When Boaz turns up to see how his harvesters are getting on he notices this young women working in his field, so he asks his foreman who this mystery gleaner is, and the foreman replies…

 

“She is the Moabitess who came back from Moab with Naomi. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters’. She went into the field and has worked steadily from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.”

 

There’s a few points to note here:

 

Firstly, the foreman doesn’t seem to know Ruth’s name – he identifies her as the ‘Moabitess from Moab’

–         In other words, she’s not one of us, she’s an outsider

–         Despite the fact that Ruth was an outsider the foreman still granted her access to glean in Boaz’ field

–         Apparently word had got around of Ruth’s hesed (or loyalty) to Naomi

 

Secondly, Ruth asks permission to glean in the field, even though the Law of Moses already says she can

–         This tells us that Ruth doesn’t come with any sense of entitlement

–         She approaches the foreman with respect and humility

 

Thirdly, the foreman says how Ruth has ‘worked steadily’

–         This indicates Ruth’s virtue

–         She’s not lazy, she’s not looking for a hand out, she’s not there to pick up a man – she’s there to provide for herself & Naomi and for this the foreman respects her

 

Boaz comes alongside Ruth and says to her…

 

“My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field… Stay here with my servant girls. Watch the field where the men are harvesting and follow along after the girls. I have told the men not to touch you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”

 

Although immigrants like Ruth (who embraced the God of Israel and his covenant) were provided for and protected under the Law, this didn’t guarantee their safety

–         The time of the Judges was a bit of a dodgey time in Israel’s history when people tended to do what was best in their own eyes

–         Consequently finding people who kept the Law was rare

–         Boaz was one of those who did keep God’s Law but he was well aware that many of his countrymen didn’t

–         Had Ruth gone to glean in another field she could have been driven away or worse, assaulted

–         That’s why Boaz encourages Ruth to stay in his field where she won’t be molested

 

Boaz is in a position of power – he is careful not to abuse his power, but rather to use it to help Ruth, to empower her by granting safe access to his field

–         Granting safe access to those young people who embrace Christ (as Ruth had embraced the God of Israel) is something we can do also

 

At a recent deacons meeting Daryl gave a devotion from the Fuller Institute’s book “Growing Young”

–         In this book we find the following true story…

 

Remember your first set of keys?

–         Stephen — who goes by “Stretch” — received his first set of keys when he was 16.

–         His town handed him a driver’s license, and his parents handed him the key to the family car.

–         Heart pounding with excitement, he climbed behind the wheel and pulled out of his driveway for the first time on his own.

–         Stretch couldn’t believe the newfound freedom and responsibility he had been given.

–         He took a step away from childhood and a step closer to adulthood.

 

As Stretch pulled onto the street and began to accelerate, he faced an important and practical question. Where should I go?

–         Within a moment he knew the answer. Over the past several years, his church had become like a second home to him. There he felt known, accepted and valued. So naturally, he headed in that direction.

 

As he drove into the parking lot, the church’s childcare was wrapping up for the day.

–         One of the coordinators who knew Stretch noticed him driving the car.

–         Given a recent shortage of childcare workers and seeing that he now had transportation, she asked if he was interested in helping after school.

 

She was only halfway through the question before Stretch knew his answer. He would get to hang out at the church, spend time with kids, and on top of it all … he would get paid. This day couldn’t get any better!

–         Until a few minutes later, when she returned from the church office and handed him a key to the church. “If you’re going to help us, there will be times when we’ll need you to lock up,” she explained.

 

Stretch was staring so intently at the key that he barely heard her words.

–         The pastor had this key.

–         His Sunday school teacher had this key.

–         Other adults who were mature — who had power — had this key.

–         But him? It was like he had been waiting on the sidelines during the big game and was now being called to step onto the playing field.

 

Life was truly as good as it could be. Until it got even better.

 

A week later, while Stretch was working in the childcare center, the youth pastor dropped by. “You know, Stretch,” he said, “if you have your license and are already at the church, would you be willing to stock the soda machine for me? The job comes with all the Mountain Dew you can drink.”

–         Key to the car. Check.

–         Key to the church. Check.

–         Key to the soda machine. Check.

–         Stretch knew he had arrived.

 

Later that night, Stretch received the final “key” that forever changed the course of his life. Standing alone in the empty church, he heard God speak to him — not audibly but distinctly.

–         “You like to be here, don’t you?” God asked.

–         “Yes, I do,” Stretch answered.

–         “Well, get comfortable, because you’re going to be here a lot.”

 

From that day on, Stretch knew that both his future and his vocation were closely tied to church ministry.

–         Leaders he deeply respected had entrusted him with access and authority by giving him keys, both literally and figuratively.

In the several decades that followed, others continued to entrust him with the keys of leadership & he’s now been a youth pastor for over 20 years [1]

 

That’s a good news story

–         The more mature adults in the church put faith in Stretch, they trusted him and gave him access

–         And Stretch, for his part, was respectful of the trust (the keys) he had been given – he didn’t take it for granted, nor did he have any sense of entitlement – he was simply grateful for the faith others showed in him

 

Keys provide access

–         Granting access is really about trusting people and empowering them

 

We let our young people (who embrace Christ) have access in a number ways

–         Sometimes literal access to the church buildings by giving keys

–         But also access to opportunities for service & leadership, through the music team or through Sunday school, Club Intermed, youth group and night church

–         The next generation may do things differently to the previous generation but that’s okay – so long as each generation holds to Christ

 

It seems to me that Daryl is very good at trusting the young people in his care by giving them access to the church and opportunities for service

–         But it’s not just Daryl – our deacons and our congregation as a whole want to continue seeing the next generation participating in church life

–         By the same token we are fortunate to have young people who (like Ruth and Stretch) are respectful and responsible with the keys we give them

 

Warm Understanding:

Not only does Boaz grant Ruth safe access to his fields, he also shows Ruth warm understanding

–         When Ruth asks Boaz why he is showing her such favour, Boaz replies…

 

“I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband – how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before… May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”

 

To which Ruth replies…

–         “…You have given me comfort and spoken kindly to your servant…”

 

Ruth’s reply indicates there is real warmth in what Boaz says here

–         He is showing her, with his words, that he understands and appreciates what she has been through and what she has given up for Naomi’s sake

–         Consequently Ruth feels comforted by his words

 

What’s more, by saying, I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law, Boaz is making it clear to Ruth that the rumour mill is positive

–         She doesn’t have to worry about how others are perceiving her

–         He’s not the only one who knows about her hesed (her loyalty) to Naomi

 

Sometimes when we are young we can feel a bit unsure of ourselves

–         We might not have worked out who we are or where we fit just yet

–         One of the things older people can give younger people is encouragement – kind words communicated warmly, not cold words of criticism

–         You don’t have to be over the top with complements or embarrass people by doing it publicly – just a few gentle words on the quiet at the right time to show you are on their side

 

Mother Teresa once said:

–         Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty

 

The thing about warmth & understanding is that it stops people from feeling alone and unwanted – it keeps their demons at bay

–         When you feel that someone really gets you, really understands you, then you feel more at peace, more at home with yourself and with others

 

The 24-7 youth work that Jo & Thomas do at Tawa College is about warmth and understanding

–         It’s about coming alongside and being present to listen so young people don’t feel alone

 

A few weeks ago I attended the Baptist Lead conference in Lower Hutt

–         One of the speakers there, Tricia Hendry, told a story of a boy who was sent to live with his gran

–         The boy began wagging school, not just once or twice, but regularly

 

When his gran found out he’d been wagging she didn’t react straight away

–         She took a deep breath and considered how to approach the situation

–         Her grandson was respectful to her at home and so it was a bit puzzling why he would do this

 

In the end the gran decided to take him out to KFC for dinner – he loved KFC

–         On the way the boy asked, ‘Why are you taking me to KFC gran?’

–         ‘Because you’ve had a rough time lately and I wanted to do something nice for you.’

–         They sat in the restaurant and ate their KFC – the grandmother didn’t say anything about the boy wagging school

 

After they’d eaten the gran drove the boy home, but she took the long way.

–         They were sitting side by side in the car, not face to face, and so the posture was not top down or confrontational, it was alongside

–         The boy asked, ‘Why are we taking the long way home?

–         And his gran replied, ‘I want to ask you a question. When you are not at school are you keeping yourself safe?’

–         The gran’s question let the boy know two things:

o   That his gran was aware he was wagging, so he didn’t need to hide or keep that secret anymore (the truth sets us free)

o   And secondly, that she cares – there’s no judgement, no threat of punishment, just warmth and a genuine desire to understand

 

The boy says, ‘Yes gran. I am looking after myself. I go to my mother’s work and sit outside her window so I can be there to help her if she needs me.’

–         You see the reason that boy was sent to live with his gran was that his father was being violent to his mother

–         The boy just wanted to protect his mum

 

What a wise gran – full of truth and grace

 

Sometimes older people think they have nothing to offer.

–         That’s not true

–         If you are older then you have experience and you can show warmth and understanding to those who are younger

–         (You can be a surrogate grand-parent)

 

Now I’m conscious there are a lot of teachers here, some of whom may have to deal with students who wag school

–         I’m not suggesting you take them all out to KFC – a teacher’s role is quite different to the role of a grandparent

–         Besides, not all kids wag for good reasons like the boy in that story

–         The point is, whether you are a teacher or a parent or a grandparent or whoever, warm understanding is usually a more helpful place to start than cold criticism

 

Tawa College is great with their restorative practice – it’s a warm understanding approach

 

Community Connection:

Okay – so far we’ve heard how Boaz gives Ruth a hand up (not a hand out) by:

–         Granting her safe access to his property

–         And by communicating with warmth and understanding

–         The other thing Boaz does for Ruth (in chapter 2) is he creates connections for her in the community

–         He does this by inviting her to eat lunch with him and his workers

 

At mealtime Boaz said to Ruth, “Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.” When she sat down with the harvesters he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over.”

 

By sharing a meal together the workers got to know Ruth a bit so that she wasn’t just the Moabitess from Moab – she wasn’t a stranger anymore

–         And by giving Ruth more than she could eat Boaz is underlining Ruth’s status as a person to be valued and accepted by others

–         Boaz is modelling for his workers how he expects them to treat Ruth, with generosity and respect

 

Sometimes you find yourself in a conversation with someone who says something like: ‘Young people these days are terrible’

–         If you do then don’t abide that – put them straight

–         Model for them a positive way to talk about young people

–         Tell them about the young people you know who are good

–         Most young people are good these days – certainly better than I was

 

A few things we do to help foster relational connections in the life of the church include: tea & coffee after the morning service, ‘Count Me In’ lunches, small group Bible studies and all-age (intergenerational) services from time to time

–         Those things in themselves don’t guarantee community connections – they are a hand up (from alongside), not a hand out

–         So some effort to talk to someone new and get to know others is still needed on our part

 

There’s heaps more we could say about creating community connections but that’s enough for today

 

Conclusion:

Boaz gives Ruth a hand up by granting her access to his field, warm understanding and community connection

–         These are things we can do also

 

Boaz points us to Jesus

–         Jesus came down from heaven and became human to be alongside us and give us a hand up

 

For those who may identify with Boaz…

–         Is there someone you can come alongside to offer a hand up?

 

And for those who identify more with Ruth…

–         What can you do to help yourself?

 

Let us pray…

[1] https://www.nae.net/unlock-keychain-leadership/

Tawa Baptist

But Who Do You Say I Am?

BUT WHO DO YOU SAY I AM? (Sermon Notes – by Mrs Karen Brassett)

 

Good morning

 

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Karen. Those of you who do know me may be wondering why I am up here and, believe me, I am wondering that too! When Will first mentioned writing a sermon I just laughed and forgot about it – I thought he was joking. A few days later, however, he followed up on the idea and assured me that he had actually been quite serious. As I have never done anything like this before I hope you will bear with me.

 

Today we are going to look at Matthew 16:13-23.

I am using the New Living Translation and the words should appear on the wall.

 

From Matthew 16 we read:

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

20 Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

21 From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.

22 But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

 

May the Holy Spirit use this reading to speak to our hearts and teach us more about Jesus.

 

Jesus headed north with his disciples, to the region of Caesarea Philippi.

  • It is generally thought that he did this to take a bit of a break from the crowds, so that he could spend more time teaching the disciples and trying to prepare them for what was to come.
  • A lot has been happening in the two preceding chapters. Chapter 14 includes the feeding of the crowd of five thousand men, plus an undisclosed number of women and children, followed by Jesus walking on the water and calling Peter to come to him. In chapter 15 Jesus encounters a Canaanite woman and rewards her faith, in the face of some quite harsh rejection, by releasing her daughter from demon possession. He heals many more people besides in both chapters, and also feeds another crowd, this time of four thousand. It certainly seems like some time out would have been beneficial.
  • The setting chosen for this passage is a very significant one, for both religious and cultural reasons, but I would like to leave that to one side this morning and focus on the personal significance of what is happening.

 

In the context of all these things that the disciples have recently witnessed, Jesus asks them two questions as they are walking along the road. The first question is rather safe and neutral:

13“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

 

The disciples are able to report back what they have been hearing from the crowds.

14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

 

These answers show that the crowds recognise Jesus as someone special. They are placing him in the category of “Prophet” which was a very high honour. But this is still a human category and falls far short of the truth.

 

Jesus then asks a second question which is anything but safe and neutral. This question is direct and very personal:

15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

 

Every time I read this an image comes to mind of the whole group suddenly going very quiet, probably even coming to a sudden stop in the middle of the road. This time only one of them gives an answer.

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

 

At this point it looks like Peter has got it.

  • He has listened to Jesus teaching for several years now
  • He has witnessed miracles and healings
  • He has even had his own personal experience of walking on water.

 

The response Peter gets from Jesus certainly makes it seem like he has got it right:

17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

 

This is pretty mind blowing stuff!

 

Stop and try to imagine for a minute how this must have felt for Peter. He had just put himself way out there and declared that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. That in itself would have been an intense experience. But Jesus then responds by changing his name (Simon is now Peter, “the Rock”), and bestowing unimaginable authority on him. That has got to be more than anyone can get their head around in just a few minutes, and so it proves to be.

 

In the next verse Jesus predicts his death for the first time.

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

 

Poor Peter! This really is too much!! He has just made a really courageous declaration, been rewarded with an amazing affirmation and the apparent appointment to a really important position, and now Jesus is talking about dying. Not only does it not seem right that the Messiah, the Son of God, will die, but he is talking about being tortured and murdered by the religious leaders.

 

Peter decides he needs to set Jesus straight.

22 But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!”

 

This time Jesus’ response is very different.

23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not God’s.”

Peter goes from number one supporter to dangerous enemy in the blink of an eye.

 

Two things stand out here for me.

Firstly, I have to admit to feeling rather sorry for Peter.

  • A lot of very intense and significant stuff has just happened in a short space of time.
  • He has just had some huge future responsibilities and expectations described to him.
  • Before he has had time to even try to process what they might mean he is confronted with yet another major announcement.

He responds with his typical impetuous enthusiasm, steps in to start trying to live up to his new job description, and runs head first into a brick wall. Ouch!

 

So let’s have a look at what just happened.

  • Jesus asked his disciples a question.
  • Peter answered him. In fact Peter not only answered the question, he gave the perfect answer.

Surely that should have been the end of it – ten out of ten for you Peter.

The answer Peter gave Jesus was honest and genuine. What happened next, though, brings me to my second point:

Jesus’ question is not static.

He was not just seeking information or setting a test to see which of the disciples would pass. Peter gave a great answer, and he believed what he said, but his subsequent actions show that he did not really understand his answer, or who Jesus really is.

 

How did Peter end up on such a roller coaster ride?

  • He had been following Jesus for several years by this time, living closely together with him, and learning daily from his teaching.
  • He had witnessed countless healings and other miracles, including several people being brought back to life, and he really believed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God.
  • So why could he not accept Jesus’ predictions of what was about to happen next?

 

It is easy for us to look back from 2000 years after the Resurrection and ask why Peter did not understand the significance of these things. We probably like to think that, with all that evidence, and having such a close relationship with Jesus, we would have been able to see things more clearly. Surely we would have understood when he talked about having to die and be raised from the dead.

 

But would we?

 

Peter accepts, I believe whole-heartedly, that Jesus is the Messiah, but his concept of what that means is shaped by the Jewish teachings he has been raised with from birth. These present the Messiah as a person sent by God to restore Israel, and bring peace to the earth, by ruling as a human king. In spite of all the time he has spent with Jesus, and all the new teachings he has heard, he has still not been able to make the transition from the strong historical traditions he has grown up with to the radically different concept of an eternal, heavenly kingdom which begins on earth.

 

Here I would like to swap sides in the conversation for a moment. It is easy for us to imagine how confused and hurt Peter must have felt in all this – but what about Jesus? Have you ever stopped to think how Jesus must have been feeling at this point?

 

The words Jesus uses to denounce Peter hark back to his response to Satan during his temptation in the wilderness. One of the temptations Jesus was offered was all the kingdoms of the world if he would only kneel down and worship Satan.

 

In effect Peter is now trying to get Jesus to accept the very same thing, earthly kingship and power. This is, after all, the Jewish interpretation of the Messiah. It is his human expectation of what should happen.

 

I imagine the temptation must have seemed so much stronger to Jesus this time because it was being offered by a friend in the guise of support and acclamation, rather than by his obvious enemy. I am absolutely certain that it must have been incredibly painful for him.

 

Jesus was on a very similar roller coaster to the one Peter was riding.

 

When we look at this passage we can imagine, and probably identify with, the range of feelings and reactions that Peter and the other disciples might have had. But how often do we try to put ourselves in Jesus’ place, to imagine the significance these interactions had for him?

 

Although they had been on the same journey over the last few years, Jesus would have experienced it from a very different perspective.

  • Only Jesus understood the importance and true meaning of what he had been sent to do.
  • Only Jesus knew how crucial it was that the disciples should start to understand his teachings before he left them
  • Only Jesus understood the significance of Peter’s declaration.

 

When Peter made his declaration, Jesus must have been elated, and probably also a bit relieved. Here was the evidence that all his work was bearing fruit. He knew that Peter was to be the one who would lead the infant Christian community and now, as he prepared to face the events ahead of him in Jerusalem, he had some reassurance that Peter was nearly ready.

“You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you.”

 

How hard would it have been for him then, to have to turn around and say:

“You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not God’s.”

 

For me these two statements help explain how Peter could get everything so right and then so wrong. His first answer was described as a revelation from God. He ran into trouble when he turned from that revelation and fell back on his human thinking and experience.

 

They also highlight for me something that caught my attention recently when I was reading the second chapter of John. Verses 23-25 say:

 

23 Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. 24 But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. 25 No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart.

 

Jesus may have experienced a similar high and low but, unlike Peter, he did not experience confusion or disbelief.

25 No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart.

 

While he may have been excited by Peter’s declaration, and deeply hurt by the temptation Peter put in front of him, Jesus was not caught by surprise. He knew Peter better than Peter knew himself. He knew that Peter was going to stumble, and even that he would desert him. He knew what was in Peter’s heart, and he knew that he did not yet understand what his answer meant.

 

This brings me back to the point I made earlier, that the question Jesus asked is not static.

15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

 

You see Jesus still asks this same question today. He asks each one of us, and we need to think about this carefully. It is not a question that you can answer and leave.

 

But who do you say I am?

 

Like Peter, we can give the perfect answer, and we can believe it. But do we understand what our answer means?

 

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

 

The truth is that our understanding of what our answer means can change with each significant experience we have in life.

  • It is influenced by where we are in our spiritual journey.
  • It is influenced by what is going on in our lives right now, and by what has gone before.
  • It also has a big influence on how we live our lives, on the decisions and choices we make.

 

This is why Jesus’ question is just as important for us today as it was for the disciples when he asked them. Who we say Jesus is, how deeply we believe it, and what we understand that to mean, directly determine how we choose to live.

  • As we get older we grow
  • As we live we experience so many different things
  • As we experience different things we learn
  • As we learn we gain knowledge and, hopefully, increased understanding.

 

“for he knew what was in each person’s heart.”

 

We need to remember that Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves. Today he continues to ask each one of us the same question he asked Peter and the other disciples. He asks because he knows that our answers are not important for HIM, they are important for US.

 

“But who do YOU say I am?”

 

I want to leave you with these two questions this morning:

  • What is your answer for Jesus?
  • What does your answer mean for you?
Tawa Baptist

Naomi & Ruth

Scripture: Ruth 1 & 3

 

Title: Naomi & Ruth

 

Structure:

  • Introduction – unlikely friendship
  • Ruth 1 – Naomi & Ruth’s hesed
  • Ruth 3 – Ruth & Boaz’ hesed
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

On the wall here we have a picture of a bird nestled on the belly of a cat

–         This is an unlikely pairing – normally we would expect cats to hunt and kill birds, not give refuge to them

 

Today we continue our sermon series on intergenerational relationships in the Bible

–         An intergenerational relationship is a relationship between two people from different generations, someone older and someone younger

–         We find a number of intergenerational relationships in the Bible

–         For example: Moses and Joshua, who we heard about two weeks ago

–         The aging priest Eli and the young prophet Samuel

–         King Saul and King David

–         As well as the apostle Paul and his protégé Timothy

 

Our focus this morning though is on the relationship between Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth

–         Naomi & Ruth’s friendship was as unlikely as that of a cat and a bird

–         They were years apart in age

–         They were from a different ethnic & cultural background – Naomi from Israel and Ruth from Moab

–         They had grown up with a different religion

–         Their nations had been at war (off and on) for many years

–         And, they were mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, which is often (but not always) a relationship fraught with tension or at least distance

 

Despite all these differences though there was real warmth and commitment in their relationship

–         It wasn’t a mentoring relationship as such (like Moses & Joshua)

–         It was more of a mutually caring intergenerational friendship – with both of them looking out for one another’s interests

 

The name Ruth means ‘friend’ or ‘companion’

–         And the name Naomi means ‘sweetness’ or ‘pleasantness’

–         Although they are an unlikely pairing, Naomi and Ruth characterise the ideal inter-generational relationship – one of friendship & companioning, sweetness & pleasantness

 

We don’t have time to cover all four chapters of Ruth this morning

–         I will be focusing mainly on chapters 1 & 3

 

Ruth 1 – Naomi & Ruth’s Hesed:

The story is set during the time of the Judges in ancient Israel – which is after Joshua and before Saul & David

–         In many ways it was the worst of times – but it brought out the best in certain people

–         There was a famine in the land and Naomi’s husband and two sons were forced to leave Bethlehem to try and find food in Moab, the land of their enemies – they were essentially refugees – displaced people

 

While they were in Moab, Naomi’s husband died and her two sons married Moabite girls: Orpah and Ruth. Neither Orpah nor Ruth had any children

 

Ten years passed in Moab before Naomi’s two sons died also

–         There are no words to describe the profoundness of Naomi’s loss

 

When she hears that God has provided food for his people in Israel, Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem with her two daughters-in-law

–         Not long into the journey home Naomi releases Orpah and Ruth from their obligation to her, saying:

 

“Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”

 

There weren’t many options for single women in the Ancient Near East – it was a tough world

Although Naomi has suffered the worst kind of loss imaginable, and could well do with the comfort and support of Orpah & Ruth, she puts aside her own need and releases her daughters-in-law

–         Naomi knows she can’t provide for them herself and, having already been married, it will be hard enough for Ruth & Orpah to find another husband among their own people let alone among the men of Israel

–         Going back to Moab is Orpah & Ruth’s best bet, even though it means more loss for Naomi

 

That word ‘kindness’ is hesed in the original Hebrew

–         We don’t really have one single word in English for hesed

–         It is a Jewish term which is sometimes translated as kindness, sometimes as mercy and other times as steadfast love or loyal (covenant) love

–         Hesed isn’t just an abstract concept though – it is an action, something tangible that you do for someone else’s well-being

 

Both Orpah and Ruth had shown hesed to their late husbands, while they were alive, and to Naomi – now Naomi wants to return the favour

 

Katherine Sakenfeld, who did her PhD on this subject, outlines the three main criteria of hesed… [1]

–         Firstly, the action is essential to the survival or the basic wellbeing of the recipient – so it’s not something you do to entertain a whim or a fancy

–         Secondly, the needed action is one that only the person doing the hesed is in a position to provide – given the circumstances no one else can do it

–         And thirdly, hesed takes place in the context of an existing relationship

 

Now an act of hesed can be a relatively small thing or it can be a really big thing

–         Let me give you some examples of hesed – one which is relatively simple and two which are more significant:

 

Imagine you are tucked up in bed one cold winter’s night, enjoying a nice sleep when your cell-phone goes off – you sit up and answer it

–         It’s someone you know from work – what could they want at 2 o’clock in the morning?

–         Well, they’ve been out on the town, it’s freezing cold, they’re wearing a cocktail dress and they’ve lost their jacket and their purse

–         It’s too far, too dangerous and too cold for them to walk home

–         And without money or a card they can’t pay for a taxi so they are asking you for a ride – no one else is returning their calls

–         It’s a bit of an inconvenience for you but you are a kind hearted person

–         What’s more you couldn’t live with yourself if you did nothing and some harm came to them

–         So you put on some clothes, get in your car, drive to where they are and take them home

 

That is an act of hesed – a simple act of kindness or mercy

–         Getting them to a warm & safe place is essential to their well-being

–         Under the circumstances there is no one else available to help them

–         And you have an existing relationship with them

 

Okay, that’s a relatively small act of hesed – now a more significant or demanding example…

 

Imagine a good friend of yours gets sick and they need a kidney transplant but no donor can be found

–         You care for your friend deeply and want to help them

–         So you go and get yourself checked out to see if you are a match and as providence would have it you are

–         You donate one of your kidney’s to your friend and they live

 

That is an act of hesed – but the meaning of hesed in that situation goes beyond simple kindness – it is really a sacrificial act of mercy & loyal love

–         The action of donating a kidney is essential to your friend’s basic survival

–         It is something that, under the circumstances, only you can do

–         And it’s done in the context of an existing relationship with your friend

 

Another example…

–         This time imagine a slightly different scenario with your good friend

–         Imagine they are sick but there is nothing the doctors can do for them

–         Your friend is going to die and, because your friend has no family members able to do it, she asks you to take care of her 2 year child

–         So you agree to adopt the child and raise her as your own

 

That is an act of hesed – an act which demonstrates both kindness & loyal love

–         Although you can’t save your friend’s life you are still doing something huge for their well-being (and the well-being of their child)

–         You are giving them peace of mind in their last days by providing security for their daughter

–         No one else is going to love that child like you will – without you the child would most likely end up lost in the system

–         And you are doing this in the context of an existing positive relationship with your friend

 

Returning to Ruth & Naomi: by releasing her daughters-in-law Naomi is performing an act of hesed for them

–         It meets all three criteria

–         Her action in releasing them from further obligation is for their wellbeing

–         It is an action that only Naomi can perform – no one else can do it

–         And Naomi has an existing positive relationship with Ruth & Orpah

 

Orpah takes a bit of convincing but in the end she accepts Naomi’s advice and returns to Moab

–         Ruth, on the other hand, insists on staying with Naomi saying:

 

“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried…”

 

Ruth commits herself to Naomi, to Naomi’s people and to Naomi’s God

–         And this commitment isn’t just until Naomi dies – it is until Ruth dies

–         Ruth will be buried where Naomi is buried

–         If you think about it Ruth was essentially saying goodbye to her family and her homeland for good

 

This was huge – Ruth was making this commitment at great risk to herself

–         She didn’t know whether Naomi’s people would accept her or not

–         Abraham, that great father of the faith, stepped out into the unknown but only after God called him and made a promise to him

–         Ruth’s faith was even greater than Abraham’s

–         Ruth steps out into the unknown without any word from God and what’s more she does so without the wealth and backing that Abram had

 

The apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians:

–         The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love

–         Ruth takes a massive leap of faith out of her love for Naomi

 

Ruth knows that her own chances of survival are better if she returns to Moab but she also knows that Naomi’s chances of survival are better if she (Ruth) goes to Israel and takes care of Naomi

–         By releasing Ruth from further obligation, Naomi had performed hesed for her daughter-in-law

–         Ruth responds by going above and beyond, doing an even greater act of hesed for Naomi

–         Ruth is performing an action essential to Naomi’s well-being & survival

–         No one else is available to take care of Naomi – her husband and sons are dead and Orpah has gone back to Moab

–         Furthermore Ruth is doing this hesed in the context of an existing positive relationship with Naomi

–         Ruth’s hesed ticks all the boxes

 

What we note here is that both Naomi’s & Ruth’s acts of hesed are done freely and out of genuine love and concern for one another’s well-being – not out of grudging duty or obligation

 

When Naomi returns to Bethlehem (her home town) she is greeted by the people there but she says to them:

–         “Don’t call me Naomi (which means sweetness), call me Mara (which means bitterness) because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full but the Lord has brought me back empty…”

 

Naomi has been emptied by her loss

–         She has nothing to show for her life and nothing to look forward to

–         She is alive physically but (inside) her sense of hope has died

 

One of the things that young people can give us is hope – a sense that life doesn’t end with us (that the future holds something good)

–         The young don’t usually realise they are doing this though

–         By the same token those of us who are older may also miss the hope the young have to offer

 

Ruth embodies hope, only Naomi can’t see it straight away – she is blinded by her grief

–         But nor does Ruth realise it – she is simply getting on with it, making sure they don’t starve

 

Ruth 3 – Ruth & Boaz’ Hesed:

Ruth goes out to glean in the fields – picking up the left-overs after the harvesters have been through – and in the process she meets Boaz, a wealthy and influential citizen of Bethlehem

–         As providence would have it Boaz is a good match for Ruth – by which I mean he is related to Naomi’s late husband, he is able to provide for Ruth and they seem to like each other

–         When Naomi hears of Boaz her hope (embodied by Ruth) is kindled

 

After some months have passed Naomi comes up with a plan to find some security for them both by getting Boaz to marry Ruth

–         Not only would this provide Ruth & Naomi with financial security and protection, it could also provide an heir for Ruth’s late husband

 

You see the Law of Moses provided for widows through something called levirate marriage [2]

–         ‘The levirate law provided that when a man died without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child by her to preserve the lineage of the man who had died.’ [3]

–         Keeping the family line going was a really big deal in ancient culture

 

Under normal circumstances Naomi might approach Boaz herself and ask if he would help them out by marrying Ruth (sort of like an arranged marriage), but these weren’t normal circumstances

–         Ruth was a Moabite – a foreigner

–         Furthermore, Boaz wasn’t Ruth’s brother-in-law, although he was a near relative of Naomi’s late husband

–         So the law of levirate marriage was not an exact fit in this situation

–         If Naomi approached Boaz he might easily say ‘no’

–         But if Ruth dolled herself up and got close to him at night, well he might find it more difficult to say ‘no’.

 

Naomi said to Ruth…

–         “Wash and perfume yourself and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down… go and uncover his feet and lie down too. He will tell you what to do.”

 

It was a risky plan

–         What if Ruth was seen by someone else, sneaking into bed with Boaz?

–         What if Boaz took advantage of Ruth? (Everyone would believe Boaz – no one would believe Ruth)

–         Or what if he thought she was a bit loose and rejected her?

–         Ruth was putting her reputation on the line in a culture where reputation was everything

–         But that’s one of the great things about young people – they are often more ready to take risks than those of us who are older and feel like we have something to lose

 

Ruth does what Naomi says – well, sort of

–         She gets under the blankets with Boaz while he is asleep

–         There is no hanky panky but when he wakes up in the middle of the night to find another person there he doesn’t tell her what to do

–         He is startled – it is dark and he can’t see, so he asks a question…

–         “Who are you?”  To which Ruth replies…

 

“I am your servant Ruth. Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer”

 

This is a poetic way of saying ‘marry me’

–         Ruth doesn’t wait for Boaz to tell her what to do – she tells Boaz what she wants

–         Some men might be put off by that sort of forthrightness but not Boaz

–         He responds positively to Ruth saying…

 

“The Lord bless you, my daughter. This kindness [this hesed] is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor…”

 

There’s that word, hesed, again

–         Ruth’s first act of hesed was to promise to go with Naomi wherever she might go – to be Naomi’s companion till the end of her days

–         Now Ruth’s second act of hesed is to marry within the family

 

In thinking of the three criteria for hesed…

–         Ruth is doing something essential for the well-being of others – seeking an heir for her late husband and a grandson for Naomi

–         This is something no one else can do – Naomi has no other children

–         And it is done in the context of existing relationships

 

If Ruth had gone after a younger man who wasn’t related to Naomi, then Ruth’s first born would not be considered Naomi’s grandchild, nor would he carry on her late husband’s name (and as I’ve already mentioned, carrying on the family line was massive in ancient Hebrew culture)

 

Boaz is impressed by Ruth’s noble character – he loves her hesed

–         And, after a little plot twist, he reciprocates the hesed by redeeming Naomi’s land and marrying Ruth. Ruth gave birth to a son, Obed.

–         Obed became the father of Jesse and Jesse the father of king David

–         This really is an intergenerational story where people of all ages are valued and cared for – each with a vital role to play

 

Conclusion:

Ruth & Naomi provide an ideal to inspire our own intergenerational relationships

–         I’m not saying we all need to make the same level of commitment as Ruth did with Naomi – but we do well to look for opportunities to demonstrate hesed where it is in our power to do so

 

In Micah 6, verse 8 – the passage of Scripture we looked at last week – the prophet says:

–         And what does the Lord require of you? To do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

–         The original Hebrew word, translated there as ‘mercy’, is actually hesed

–         So the Lord God Almighty requires us to love hesed

–         That is to enjoy performing acts of hesed, when it is in our power to do so, and to value or cherish the acts of hesed we witness or receive

–         Together Ruth, Naomi and Boaz show us what it means to ‘love hesed’

 

Some times our acts of hesed will be relatively small, like picking someone up in town in the middle of the night

–         Other times we may be asked to consider a far bigger act of hesed – one which can only be done once and can’t be repeated

–         If you donate a kidney to your friend you can’t donate one to anyone else

–         Likewise, Ruth’s hesed for Naomi prevented her from taking care of her own parents (presumably there were others in Ruth’s family who could do that)

 

My intention here is not to load you up with some impossible burden

–         It is not always in our power to do hesed – no matter how much we may want to

–         If you are not a match then you can’t donate your kidney to save your friend

–         What you can do though is walk with your friend through the process – be their companion so they don’t have to go through it alone

 

Who can you do hesed for – whether younger or older?

–         Who can you companion – through good times and bad?

 

[Jesus performed acts of hesed (kindness, mercy & loyal love) throughout his ministry as he healed the sick and forgave the guilty and delivered people from evil. His ultimate act of hesed though we remember now in the breaking of bread and the sharing of the cup. Through his death on the cross Jesus did something for us that no one else could do – he reconciled us to God…]

 

https://soundcloud.com/tawabaptist/2-july-2017-naomi-ruth

[1] Katherine Doob-Sakenfeld, Ruth, page 24

[2] Deuteronomy 25:5-10

[3] Katherine Sakenfeld, ‘Just Wives’, page 36.

Tawa Baptist

True Worship

Scripture: Micah 6:6-8

 

Title: True Worship

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Content & packaging
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

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

–         Do justly

 

‘Do justly’ is a quote from the prophet Micah

–         Let me read to you the context of these words

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

 

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

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

 

May the Lord bless the reading of his word

 

Content & packaging:

[Hold up a packet of M&M’s]

–         Who likes M&M’s?

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

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

 

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

–         Which of these two bags would you prefer?

–         This one here which is empty?

–         Or this one which is full?

–         [Let them respond]

 

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

 

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

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

–         This big empty bag?

–         Or this small full bag?

 

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

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

–         Thanks for helping me – you can sit down now

 

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

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

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

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

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

–         The packaging only becomes rubbish when the bag is empty

 

In Micah 6 the prophet asks the question…

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

Worship of God needs to encompass all of life

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

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

 

Conclusion:

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

What does the Lord require of you?

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

 

Tawa Baptist

Moses & Joshua

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

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

 

Title: Moses & Joshua

 

Structure:

  • Introduction – Intergenerational relationships
  • Symbiotic relationship
  • Mentoring relationship

o   Showing and telling

o   Inviting reflection

o   Providing a catalyst

o   Investing authority

  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

–         We find a number of intergenerational relationships in the Bible

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

–         The aging priest Eli and the young prophet Samuel

–         King Saul and King David

–         As well as the apostle Paul and his protégé Timothy

 

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

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

 

Symbiotic relationship:

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

–         Joshua was Moses’ personal assistant – his aide

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

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

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

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

 

[Read Exodus 17:8-13]

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

At their best intergenerational relationships are mutually beneficial symbiotic relationships

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

 

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

–         Rephidim means support [4]

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

Why did God do it this way?

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

Mentoring relationship:

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

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

 

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

–         Mentoring is more than simply teaching a particular skill set

–         Mentoring is about developing the whole person

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

 

Moses mentors Joshua…

–         By showing and telling

–         By inviting reflection

–         By providing a catalyst for change

–         And, eventually, by investing his authority in Joshua

 

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

 

Telling is when the mentor gives the protégé instructions to follow

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

–         Character is more caught than taught

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

[Read Numbers 11:25-29]

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

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

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

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

–         “You can never do your duty to God”

–         I was 10

 

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

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

 

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

–         But Moses doesn’t feel threatened

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

–         Other catalysts can feel less pleasant

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

–         How will Joshua respond in a foreign culture?

–         Will this new experience draw out faith or fear?

 

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

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

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

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

–         But God intervenes

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

Providing a catalyst for change requires wisdom from the mentor

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

 

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

 

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

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

–         It’s about handing over the keys for good

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

–         Who will guide and protect the fledgling nation?

 

To his credit Moses doesn’t assume anything

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

Conclusion:

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

Let me leave you with two questions…

–         Who is your Moses?

–         Who is your Joshua?

 

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

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

[2] Heinrich Anton de Bary, 1879.

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

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

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

[6] Refer Exodus 33:11

[7] Refer the footnote in the NIV Study Bible

[8] Refer Numbers 27:15-20