Tawa Baptist

Rest

Scripture: Psalm 23:2a – He makes me lie down (also: Luke 13:10-17)

Key Idea: The Lord makes it possible for me to rest

Structure:
• Introduction
• The Lord (Jesus) makes it possible for me to rest
• Conclusion

Introduction:
This morning we continue our series on Psalm 23
– The plan is to look at one aspect of the psalm each week
– So far we have covered the first verse…
– The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want
– Today we unpack the first part of verse 2…
– He makes me lie down
– To give us some context though let’s read the whole Psalm together now

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

May the Lord illuminate His word for us

The key message of Psalm 23 (as a whole) is, the Lord is my security
– God looks after me like a shepherd looks after his sheep
– A couple of weeks ago we considered how the Lord knows our needs and provides for them – therefore I shall not want
– Today’s focus is: He makes me lie down…
– Lying down in green pastures is the picture of rest
– So the very first need the Lord takes care of for David (and for us) is rest

He makes it possible for me to rest:
On the wall here are pictures of four creatures…
– A dog, a tiger, an elephant and a dolphin
– Who can tell me what these four animals have in common?
– [Wait]
– Yes, that’s right – they can all be trained to do things, like sitting, rolling over, fetching stuff and so on

Okay, what about these two animals – what do they have in common?
– A cat and a sheep
– [Wait]
– Yes, that’s right – they can’t be trained
– A cat and a sheep might follow you but if you ask a cat to sit they will probably walk off in the other direction
– Likewise there is no telling a sheep to lie down

Aesop was an ancient Greek story teller credited with a number of fables
– One of my favourites is the fable of the wind and the sun

The Wind and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger when they saw a man coming down the road
– The Sun said, “I see a way to decide our dispute. Whichever of us can cause that traveller to take off his cloak shall be regarded as the stronger. You begin.”
– So the Sun retired behind a cloud, and the Wind began to blow as hard as it could upon the traveller.
– But the harder he blew the more closely the man wrapped his cloak around himself, till at last the Wind had to give up in despair.
– Then the Sun came out and shone in all its glory upon the traveller
– Soon the man found it too hot to walk and of his own volition freely peeled off his cloak

Verse 2 (of Psalm 23) begins with the words, ‘He makes me lie down…’
– The phrasing here, ‘He makes me…’, can give the impression that some kind of force or coercion is involved, as if God were making David do something against his will, like the wind in Aesop’s fable
– But there is no force involved here – God is more like the sun, creating an environment in which David can relax

A better way to convey the meaning is: God makes it possible for me to rest

As Kenneth Bailey observes…
– “A dog can be trained to sit and lie down. [but] Not a sheep”
– No one can force a sheep to lie down.
– Sheep will only lie down when they have had plenty to eat & drink and are feeling safe
– We are similar to sheep in this respect – if we are hungry or thirsty or feeling anxious or threatened by something we won’t be able to rest
– God not only provides time off to rest but also the environment to rest
– He takes care of our needs and concerns so we can let go enough to relax

Interestingly the very first need which David talks about God taking care of is the need for rest
– We might expect rest to come last but it comes first

About 10 years ago now a TV advertisement came out for Mallow puffs
– ‘Have you done enough for a mallow puff’
– In that ad there was a father and son mowing the lawns
– The back lawn was quite large and they only cut a small patch of it
– But it’s enough to spread out a couple of deck chairs, sit back for a break and enjoy a mallow puff

In many ways this ad goes against the grain for us kiwis
– We are not like this at all
– We find it hard to relax when the job isn’t finished
– We just want to get the job done and then we will feel like we can rest
– We see work as the star of the show and rest is just an optional extra
– In our mind rest might be the icing on the cake but it’s not the main thing

We may have this back to front
– In the Bible, rest is the foundation on which our work is built
– It’s not the icing on the cake – it’s the tin in which the cake of work is baked
– Rest supports work
– So the makers of the mallow puff ad may be on to something
– We don’t just rest from our work, we work from our rest

When rest is the foundation (or the container) supporting work, then work goes better

Neuro science would agree with this
– There are different parts to our brain
– The frontal cortex is where we do our best thinking
– While the brainstem is where our survival instinct comes from

The more stressed or anxious we feel (and therefore the less rested we are) the more our brain stem (or survival instinct) takes over
– And the more our brain stem takes over the less we are able to engage our frontal cortex
– When one is up the other is down

By the same token when our brain stem is calm & rested we have greater access to the higher reasoning powers of our frontal cortex
– The more we use our cortex, the better our decision making and so the better the quality of our work

In other words, starting with rest (as the foundation) actually helps us to work smarter

He makes me lie down means the Lord calms my brain stem, he settles me down
– The Lord God doesn’t want us to be stressed or pressured or over worked
– He wants to bring us to a place of rest, where we are not anxious about our survival
– He wants to bring us to a place of trust in Him
– From that place of trust and rest we are better able to function as God intended – better able to make choices which serve God’s purpose

The fact that rest is important to God is seen in the way God provides a Sabbath day of rest once a week

Pastor and writer, Peter Scazzero, gives a helpful definition of Biblical Sabbath
– Pete reckons there are essentially four main elements to Sabbath…
o Stop work – find your off button
o Enjoy rest – kick back and relax (feet up)
o Practice delight – do something that you really enjoy
o Contemplate God – don’t think about work, think about God’s goodness

The Sabbath is more than just a day off from paid work
– Taking a day off to catch up on chores around the house is not a Sabbath
– Sabbath is meant to be a day of enjoyment & delight – a little slice of heaven on earth, each week

For the sake of integrity I need to say that I don’t do Sabbath very well
– It’s a foreign concept to me
– I’ve been a Christian for a while now but I’m only just scratching the surface of what true Sabbath means
– Sadly I’ve majored on sacrifice at the expense of Sabbath – which is something Jesus warned against
– Yes, there is suffering involved when we follow Christ (pick up your cross and follow me) – but there is also meant to be joy & delight
– God has given us divine permission for freedom, joy and delight but we are sometimes slow to give ourselves that same permission

Interestingly, Jesus had a bit to say about rest
– In fact he seemed to intentionally perform many of his miracles on the Sabbath as a kind of sign of what God intended for humanity
– Please turn with me to Luke chapter 13 – page 98 toward the back of your pew Bibles
– Luke 13, beginning at verse 10 and continuing to verse 17…

One Sabbath Jesus was teaching in a synagogue. 11 A woman there had an evil spirit that had kept her sick for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called out to her, “Woman, you are free from your sickness!” 13 He placed his hands on her, and at once she straightened herself up and praised God.

14 The official of the synagogue was angry that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, so he spoke up and said to the people, “There are six days in which we should work; so come during those days and be healed, but not on the Sabbath!”
15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Any one of you would untie your ox or your donkey from the stall and take it out to give it water on the Sabbath. 16 Now here is this descendant of Abraham whom Satan has kept in bonds for eighteen years; should she not be released on the Sabbath?”

17 His answer made his enemies ashamed of themselves, while the people rejoiced over all the wonderful things that he did.

May the Spirit of Jesus gives us ears to hear

This is a story of a woman who could not rest for 18 long years
– For 18 years she had been without joy or delight, without genuine Sabbath

The religious leaders of that time had a whole lot of rules about what you could and couldn’t do on the Sabbath and healing people was against their man-made rules (the synagogue ruler majored on sacrifice)
– It wasn’t against God’s law though and so Jesus reminded the people of God’s purpose for the Sabbath by healing the woman
– Jesus made it possible for her to rest by releasing her from the evil spirit
– Now the woman could delight in God – now she could enjoy life again

This miracle of Jesus didn’t just set the woman free – it set everyone in the room free
– Now the people were able to enjoy the Sabbath without guilt or fear of breaking the Pharisees’ rules

Conclusion:
He makes me lie down – he makes it possible for me to rest

There are many things that might prevent us from resting
– Sometimes we stay busy to avoid the emptiness we feel inside
– We are afraid to stop because then we will have to face that emptiness
– Perhaps we can’t rest because we don’t really believe we are loved
– We think we have to be constantly achieving things in order to be accepted
– Or maybe we don’t give ourselves permission to rest – maybe we’ve majored on sacrifice at the expense of enjoying God and His creation

As I said before I’m not really qualified to preach on this subject – not from my own experience anyway
– The most I can do is point to Jesus
– Jesus came to set us free from whatever it is that might prevent us from resting

Jesus is the good shepherd – He is the one who gives us rest
– The one who calms us and settles us down so we are better able to enjoy God and live for His glory

Tawa Baptist

My Shepherd

Scripture: Psalm 23:1a

Key Idea: The Lord is my shepherd

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The Lord is my shepherd
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

In a moment we are going to read a psalm together

  • A psalm is basically a song or a poem
  • The words of the psalm will appear on the wall
  • I invite the men to read the words in plain type and the women to respond by reading the words in italics
  • From Psalm 23 we read…

 

The Lord is my shepherd,

I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside still waters,

He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness

for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

 

May the Lord illuminate His word for us

 

Today we continue our new sermon series on Psalm 23

  • The plan (God willing) is to look at one aspect of the psalm each week
  • Last week we began with the opening phrase of the psalm – perhaps the most well-known verse in the Bible: The Lord is my shepherd,
  • And so you might expect this week’s message to focus on the second part of that verse, I shall not want
  • But that will have to wait till next week because we still haven’t finished with the Lord is my shepherd

 

The Lord is my shepherd:

Last Sunday we considered the meaning of the word ‘shepherd’

  • What did King David (the author of the psalm) mean when he called the Lord God his shepherd?
  • Well, very briefly, he meant the Lord is my security
  • God looks after me like a shepherd looks after his sheep

 

This week the focus is on the Lord as my shepherd – with the emphasis on my

 

Don’t you find it interesting that thousands of people in the world suffer every day, in a whole variety of ways, and yet for the most part that suffering doesn’t really touch us or affects us?

  • It’s only when we know someone personally, when we have an attachment to them, that their suffering moves us

 

We can watch children starving on the TV news and feel sad and maybe even send some money to help them

  • But if we knew those kids personally – if they were our own children – then we wouldn’t just send money
  • We would get on a plane with some Weetbix, find them, feed them and bring them home with us
  • That’s the difference a personal connection makes
  • Personal relationship has a powerful influence on our soul

 

It is quite striking really that David says, The Lord is my shepherd – singular

  • We would expect David to say, The Lord is our shepherd – plural
  • After all, sheep normally get taken care of as part of a flock, together with other sheep – it doesn’t make sense (economically) to have one shepherd for each individual sheep
  • Not only that but in Middle Eastern culture, where this psalm was written, people are far more community minded – they are more inclined to think in terms of we as opposed to me
  • Generally speaking in the west today we are the opposite – the focus for us tends to be more on the individual

 

 

It’s not that one way is right and the other is wrong, we need to value the importance of both the community and the individual at the same time

  • There might not be an ‘i’ in ‘team’ but there is an ‘i’ in ‘community’

 

Anyway, David, who was brought up in a culture where the sense of community was so strong that the importance of the individual could be neglected, [1] he says, The Lord is my shepherd

  • In other words, I have a personal relationship with the Lord
  • I know, from my own personal experience, that God can be trusted to take care of me
  • This was something David knew to be true, not just because he read it in a book or inherited the idea from his parents or the society he grew up in, but because he lived it and owned it for myself

 

So when Goliath challenged the army of Israel, David’s default setting was, “I’m not afraid of this Philistine. The Lord is my security”

  • And when Saul was trying to kill David, David did not get scared and take matters into his own hands – David trusted the Lord with his future
  • And when the Ark of the Covenant was brought into Jerusalem, David didn’t worry about what people thought of him
  • He danced before the Lord in worship because his security was in the Lord, not in public opinion
  • David wasn’t perfect as we know, but he did trust in the Lord

 

Sometimes in science fiction movies the characters learn new skills, new languages, new ideas simply by having the information downloaded into their mind with a computer

  • So in the film The Matrix, Neo learned Kung Fu in a matter of minutes by being plugged into a computer and having software fed into his brain
  • But in the real world, that we live in, learning is a process which takes time – often years
  • David learned to put his security in the Lord the hard way – through real life experiences – not just through a download of information
  • It’s the same for us – simply listening to a sermon isn’t enough to make God your personal security

 

Bloom's Learning Taxonomy

 

In the 1950’s an educational psychologist by the name of Benjamin Bloom did some research and found there are different categories of learning – some learning happens at a deeper level than others

  • For example: memorising something so you can remember it and repeat it by rote is a superficial form of learning
  • Understanding what you remember and being able to apply it, is a deeper level of learning again

 

A person might remember that the 23rd Psalm starts with the words, The Lord is my shepherd, and still not understand what those words mean

  • If you listen carefully to the sermon you might gain some understanding and learn that The Lord is my shepherd means The Lord is my security
  • If you are really keen you might go home and analyse the psalm yourself and discover other nuggets of meaning
  • The ultimate form of learning though is doing something creative with the psalm
  • Perhaps finding a new and inventive way of teaching the psalm to a group of Flock Sunday school kids
  • Or becoming less anxious in life as you place more trust in the Lord

 

Benjamin Bloom’s classification of learning has undergone a number revisions and adaptions over the past 60 years

  • Here’s another way of looking at it…
  •  Learning Pyramid

[2]

 

This version shows the different stages of learning to integrate a new idea or a new belief into your life

 

The first stage is simply becoming aware of the new idea

  • ‘Hmm, the Lord is my security, that’s interesting. I hadn’t thought of Psalm 23 in that way before’

 

The second stage is pondering the idea, finding out more about it, getting to grips with it in your head

  • This might involve going home after the service and meditating on the psalm in light of that word security
  • You might get your Bible out and look for the word shepherd in the index and consider other passages where the shepherding metaphor is used
  • Or you might do some other form of research into security and risk

 

The third stage is valuing the idea – agreeing with it, perhaps even telling others it’s a good idea.

  • Stage 3 normally begins with great enthusiasm for the new concept
  • ‘Wow, the Lord is my security, that’s so cool. That means I don’t have to worry because God has got my back. I feel really good knowing that.’
  • What we notice here is there is often a gap between agreeing this is a good idea and acting on it
  • There’s a gap between talking about it and doing it

 

Although stage 3 (the valuing stage) often starts with great enthusiasm, it normally ends with a deep sense of conviction – a feeling of guilt & remorse

  • Eventually this new idea that we are so excited about bumps up against reality – it is tested
  • ‘The Lord is my security’ is easy to say when things are going well
  • But when we experience some kind of loss, that’s when we really discover whether the Lord is my security or not
  • I might think the Lord is my security but then I might lose my job and start to worry about how I will pay the mortgage
  • I might also lose my confidence and not try applying for other jobs
  • At that point I realise, ‘actually my job was giving me a greater sense of security than the Lord was’
  • Not a nice feeling to be humbled like that but it’s the beginning of stage 4

 

Now, losing a job is just a random example

  • We could use other examples too – like losing health, or losing a loved one, or leaving home, or a marriage break-up, or anything else that might challenge our sense of security

 

The fourth stage is when we start to apply the idea

  • We reprioritise our life so the new idea actually becomes integrated with a new lifestyle and new behaviour

 

In the case of losing my job, reprioritising so the Lord is my security, and not my work, could mean…

  • Not allowing fear to rush me into things, but pausing long enough to commit my way to God in prayer
  • Reprioritising could also mean reviewing my expenditure and setting a new budget
  • Or not measuring my worth by how many job interviews I get
  • Reminding myself that I am valued by God and was loved by Him before I was born – that is, before I had achieved anything

The final stage (at the top of the pyramid there) is when we own the new idea or belief

  • Owning it means it is properly integrated into my daily life
  • So all my decisions & actions are based on this new idea – this new belief
  • The hard work of re-prioritising is over and I have a new default setting.
  • When I own the belief that the Lord is my security, I’m not concerned about being fully employed or unemployed
  • I’m not worried whether other people think I’m a success or a failure
  • I am content with little and with much

 

Why am I telling you all this – you may be wondering

  • Well, we can’t hide behind someone else’s faith – whether that’s the faith of our parents or our spouse or the faith of one of the pastors or whoever
  • We can’t assume that simply coming to church and listening to sermons will make the Lord my security
  • If we are going to follow Jesus (the good shepherd) then each of us must integrate the practice of trusting Christ into our lives
  • Each of us must be able to say honestly: ‘The Lord is my personal security’

 

This process of learning to own something isn’t just a modern idea

  • The process may have been articulated in the 1950’s but it’s been around a lot longer
  • We see it in the gospels over and over again
  • People don’t normally get what Jesus is saying straight away
  • It takes time for God’s word to sink in
  • And even more time for it to bear fruit in our lives

 

Take Nicodemus for example [3]

  • Nic, as he was known to his friends, was an important man
  • He was a member of the Sanhedrin – sort of like a Member of Parliament
  • He was one of the leaders of the people
  • He was also a Pharisee – a learned and morally upright man
  • Highly respected and not inclined to suffer fools gladly
  • Nic was in a very secure position in his society – or so he thought

 

One day Nic became aware of a young Rabbi in his 30’s teaching the people with real wisdom and performing all sorts of miraculous deeds – healing the sick, casting out demons and making people freer in themselves

 

Nic ponders this & eventually concludes that this Jesus fellow must be from God – how else could he perform all those miraculous signs?

  • The idea that Jesus is sent from God is thrilling to Nic – he gets a bit excited by it and in his enthusiasm goes to meet Jesus
  • The problem is Nic’s Pharisee mates don’t like Jesus much and so Nic decides the most prudent thing is to visit Jesus by night – in private
  • That way no one will find out about it – after all he does have his reputation to think about
  • At this point Nic is at stage 3 of the learning process – he values the idea (in his head) but isn’t ready to change his life for it

 

Nic opens the conversation with Jesus by sharing his belief that Jesus must be from God

  • Jesus then challenges Nic to act on this new belief saying…
  • No one can see the kingdom of God without being born again
  • This confuses Nic
  • He had been born and raised a Jew, one of God’s chosen people,
  • Wasn’t he automatically accepted into God’s kingdom because he was a descendant of Abraham?
  • What does Jesus mean by being ‘born again’?

 

Jesus goes on to say, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life.”

  • In other words, ‘Nic, your security is misplaced. You think being a Jew and being a Pharisee makes you secure (safe), but it doesn’t
  • You can’t rely on the faith of Abraham to save you
  • And you can’t rely on your good deeds to save you either
  • You must have your own personal faith in the Son of God to be saved.’

 

Nic had come to Jesus like a triumphant school boy, certain he had solved a difficult problem and Jesus just seemed to be giving him more homework

  • Apparently there was a gap between what Nic said he believed about Jesus and what he was prepared to do about it

 

As time passed the hostility toward Jesus increased

  • Most of Nic’s Pharisee mates didn’t think Jesus was from God, like Nic did – they saw Jesus as a threat & wanted to arrest him
  • But Nic tried to stand up for Jesus saying…
  • “Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing”
  • The other Pharisees shouted him down though

 

Nic wasn’t ready yet to re-prioritise his life around his new found belief that Jesus was from God

  • He wasn’t prepared to completely abandon his career as a Pharisee
  • But it was a first tentative step in that direction
  • Nic was attempting to bridge the gap from stage 3 (valuing) to stage 4 (re-prioritising)

 

Eventually the Jewish leaders had their way with Jesus

  • They manipulated the Roman governor and the crowd to have Jesus crucified
  • Nic didn’t go along with it – but there was nothing he could do to stop it
  • I imagine he felt a deep sense of conviction at this point
  • I imagine he felt guilty and ashamed at what his mates had done

 

Jesus was dead and so Nic went with Joseph of Arimathea to claim Jesus’ body for burial

  • Finally Nic ‘came out’ and identified himself with the crucified Jesus
  • This was a huge risk – to show support for Christ in his death
  • Not even Jesus’ closest friends were prepared to do that
  • Nicodemus finally owned his belief that Jesus was from God
  • He made Christ his security

 

Conclusion:

Today is the first Sunday in Lent

  • Lent is the 40 days (or so) leading up to Easter
  • It is a time when we re-prioritise our life in order to follow Jesus more closely
  • Lent is about bridging the gap between stage 3 (talking about it) and stage 4 (actually doing it).

 

What idea or belief do you personally need to integrate into your life?

  • What is it you need to re-prioritise in order to follow Jesus more closely?

 

Let us pray…

[1] Kenneth Bailey, The Good Shepherd, page 38.

[2] Peter Scazzero uses this adaption of Bloom’s taxonomy in his book ‘The Emotionally Healthy Leader’ page 44

[3] Refer to John 3:1-21; John 7:50-52 & John 19:38-42

Tawa Baptist

Security

Scripture: Psalm 23:1

 

Title: Security

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The Lord is my security
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

Today we begin a new sermon series on Psalm 23

  • Some of the inspiration for this series comes from Kenneth Bailey’s book The Good Shepherd
  • The plan (God willing) is to focus on just one verse or one aspect of the Psalm each week
  • Today’s focus is the first part of verse 1: The Lord is my shepherd,
  • But, to get us into gear, let’s read the whole Psalm together, antiphonally
  • Which means I will read the words in plain type and you are invited to respond by reading the words in bold italics
  • From Psalm 23 we read…

 

The Lord is my shepherd,

I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside still waters,

He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness

for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

 

May the Lord illuminate His word for us

 

The Lord is my security:

NZ has changed a lot in the last 40 years or so

  • It seems to me we have become a more anxious society

 

When I was a kid growing up in the 70’s it was nothing to disappear for the day with my mates and not turn up again until dinner time

  • My parents didn’t worry about me or need me to text them – cell-phones weren’t invented
  • Some of the stuff we got up to was semi-dangerous I suppose by today’s standards but consequence is a great teacher
  • When I was five I walked to school 2 or 3 kilometres by myself – no worries
  • On holiday my cousins and I would walk to the beach by ourselves to go swimming & fishing – no sun block, little (if any) adult supervision
  • It wasn’t that our parents didn’t care – they did care very much – it’s just that people felt more secure, safer somehow
  • We didn’t feel the need to lock our houses or our cars during the day
  • And we didn’t have ads on TV every 10 minutes warning us to avoid some kind of danger

 

Don’t get me wrong – NZ is still a great place to live – it’s probably safer in many respects than most other parts of the world

  • It just seems that despite our advances in technology people are more anxious and less secure on the whole
  • These days there seems to be a lot more fear around
  • People are generally less trusting and less inclined to take risks
  • In fact we have a lower tolerance for risk

We try to eliminate risk in a whole variety of ways

  • Security cameras
  • Security lights
  • Security guards
  • Security alarms
  • Security clearance
  • Cyber security, anti-virus software & fire walls
  • Police checks
  • Warrant of Fitness checks and code of compliance certificates
  • Occupational safety & health procedures
  • Hazard management plans
  • Road safety messages
  • Insurance and so on

 

These things aren’t bad in themselves, they are quite sensible really – but I’m not convinced they make us any more secure – not deep down where it matters

 

Psychologically speaking security is a fundamental human need

  • We need to feel safe and secure in order to be able to function properly
  • Interestingly the Bible has quite a bit to say about security

 

As Kenneth Bailey notes, the predominant image of God found in the psalms is one of security.

  • Many psalms describe God using words like: shield, high tower, fortress, refuge, rock, stronghold or horn of salvation.
  • Psalm 18 includes many of these images…

 

I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised and I am saved from my enemies...   [1]

 

These images are understandable in an ancient Middle Eastern context where living out in the open made one very vulnerable.

  • People naturally felt a compelling need to reside in a well-fortified enclosure on the top of a hill to provide some security against Bedouin raiders or an invading army.
  • Yet overuse of such ‘homeland security’ language could produce paranoia and a siege mentality. [2]
  • And so the psalter offers other (less common) images of God which inspire security without the paranoia
  • One of those images is God as a Shepherd

 

Yes, the security God gives can be likened to something hard and unyielding like a high tower or a fortress or a rock or a shield

  • But God (and the security He offers) can also be understood in more personal, relational terms, like a shepherd

 

As New Zealanders we probably think we know all about sheep but actually the way we care for sheep is quite different from the way shepherds operate in the Middle East

  • In NZ our sheep are relatively safe
  • They are fenced in on farms and don’t normally face that many threats
  • But in Palestine sheep are far more vulnerable
  • They are literally led out into the wilderness to find pasture
  • In those trackless, fenceless open spaces the shepherd and his sheep are alone and at risk of bandits, wild animals, snakes and extreme weather
  • The shepherd and the sheep are without police protection [3]
  • It is a more dangerous environment than a NZ farm

 

The various kings of Israel throughout the Old Testament were referred to as the ‘shepherds’ of Israel

  • Why?
  • Because it was the king’s job to take care of the people – like a shepherd takes care of sheep
  • As head of the army the king was head of security for the country

 

Psalm 23 is attributed to King David

  • Before becoming the shepherd (or the king) of all Israel
  • That is, before becoming the guy in charge of security for his country, David was a shepherd of actual sheep
  • So he had a very grass roots insight into shepherding

 

 

When David writes, “The Lord is my shepherd…”

  • What he means is, The Lord God is my King
  • Yahweh is my security
  • The Lord isn’t just my security when I’m behind the well-fortified walls of Jerusalem
  • He is my security in those situations where I must leave the safety of the fortified city and journey through the wilderness, unprotected

 

In other words, as my shepherd the Lord gives me the sense of security or the confidence to step out of my comfort zone and to go into new and unfamiliar environments – wilderness places where I am not in control

 

The Lord is my security when I step out into the unknown

  • The Lord is my security when my employment is uncertain
  • The Lord is my security when my health is uncertain
  • The Lord is my security when I start a new school and I don’t know anyone
  • The Lord is my security when I leave home for the first time
  • The Lord is my security when I have to leave my homeland to settle in a new country and the language is different and the customs and different
  • The Lord is my security when I become a parent and there is no manual
  • The Lord is my security when I leave a comfortable lifestyle to follow God’s call on my life

 

Let me tell you a story – about a guy named Pete [4]

  • Pete was a fisherman
  • He wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed but he was honest
  • You always knew where you stood with him
  • Pete didn’t have a filter – he had an unfortunate tendency to speak before thinking and it got him into trouble on occasion

 

One time he was out in a boat with his mates, at night, and it was getting pretty rough

  • As a fisherman Pete was used to a bit of chop but this was different – this was scary, even for him
  • This was a wilderness experience – a situation in which they had no control over the environment

 

As they were fighting against the wind and the waves, people in the boat began to notice this figure, walking across the water

  • Seeing someone walking on water was something completely outside their experience and so they didn’t know how to interpret it
  • I’m not sure about you but when I’m faced with something new and unfamiliar I tend to think the worst – Pete & his mates were no different
  • They jumped to the conclusion that they were seeing a ghost
  • Not Casper the friendly ghost but something more sinister
  • Some kind of omen of death
  • They were hysterical

 

The figure on the water was actually Jesus

  • Pete and his mates followed Jesus wherever he went
  • Jesus taught them how to be human – that is, how to trust God
  • In an attempt to calm them down Jesus said…
  • “Courage. It is I. Do not be afraid”

 

At which point Pete spoke without thinking…

  • “Lord, if it is really you, order me to come out on the water to you.”

 

Really?

  • He had to say that?
  • Couldn’t he have said something less risky like…
  • ‘Lord, if it’s really you, tell me what’s the first thing you ever said to me’.
  • Or something else no one but the real Jesus would know
  • Instead he had to risk his life by saying, ‘order me to come out on the water’

 

Perhaps I’m being a bit tough on Pete

  • Perhaps his first instinct was good
  • Perhaps this shows he was willing to think the best in this situation

 

In any case, Jesus liked where Pete’s head was at and said…

  • ‘Sweet – do it – come to me’

 

At this point Pete had a choice – either he could step out of the safety of the boat or he could stay put

 

In his book, ‘Take the Risk’, Dr Ben Carson (a gifted surgeon) assesses the risk in any given situation using four simple questions: [5]

 

  • What is the best thing that can happen if I do this?
  • What is the worst thing that can happen if I do this?
  • What is the best thing that can happen if I don’t do it?
  • What is the worst thing that can happen if I don’t do it?

 

(In many ways this is similar logic to Pascal’s wager)

 

The best thing that could happen, if Pete stepped out of the boat to walk on the water, is that he wouldn’t sink – he would know it was Jesus and everything would be alright again

 

The worst thing that could happen, if Pete stepped out of the boat, is that he could drown and his mates in the boat could drown as well

 

The best thing that could happen, if he stayed in the boat, is that he would survive but have to live with the shame of making an offer he couldn’t follow through on

 

The worst thing that could happen, if he stayed in the boat, is that he and all his mates would still drown anyway

 

Clearly, by this best / worst analysis, not taking the risk and staying in the boat was a worse option than taking the risk and leaving the boat

 

I don’t know if Pete thought it through like this or not but in the end he made a good choice – a courageous choice

  • On some level Pete had the imagination to believe that Jesus could do this
  • He had the faith to hope for the best and so he stepped out of the boat

 

At first things went well – Pete actually did walk on water

  • But when he took his eyes off Jesus and paid more attention to the strong wind he lost his confidence – he became afraid and began to sink
  • Interesting thing, even though he was sinking Pete still hoped for the best
  • He still believed this figure standing on the waves was Jesus and he said,
  • ‘Save me Lord”
  • So Jesus reached out to grab hold of Peter

 

Now the thing about Jesus is that grace & truth go together

  • You can’t have one without the other
  • The grace of saving Peter came with words of truth
  • “How little faith you have. Why did you doubt?”

 

This seems like an unkind thing for Jesus to say

  • I mean, it was a big deal for Peter to get out of the boat
  • He put his life on the line, not just to satisfy his own curiosity but for the sake of his mates as well
  • If Peter didn’t have much faith then the other disciples had even less – no one else was prepared to take the risk
  • I imagine Jesus’ words would have stung a bit – not just Peter but everyone else in the boat too, because they had all doubted

 

Jesus wasn’t being unkind though – he was simply being real, being honest

  • The truth is their faith (plural) was small
  • No point in pretending otherwise
  • Another word for lack of faith is insecurity
  • The wound of their insecurity had to be cleansed with the antiseptic of truth

 

Conclusion:

To say ‘the Lord is my shepherd’ and really mean it is to say that our security is in Christ – that we trust him in every situation – including those times & places when we are not in control of the environment

 

Please understand me – stepping out of the boat, leaving your comfort zone is not always appropriate

  • There are times when we need a fortress, a safe place, a refuge
  • But there are other times when we are better off to take the risk
  • Learning to trust Jesus as our shepherd (our security) takes time – it’s a process
  • Fortunately for us the Lord is patient

[1] Psalm 18:1-3

[2] Kenneth Bailey, “The Good Shepherd”, page 36.

[3] Kenneth Bailey, ‘The Good Shepherd’, page 37

[4] Refer Matthew 14:22-31

[5] Ben Carson, Take the Risk, page 105.

Tawa Baptist

Light

Scripture: Matthew 5: 14-16

Title: Light

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Goodness
  • Security
  • Hope
  • Community
  • Visible
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

This morning we are talking about light

In Matthew 5 Jesus said to his disciples…

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good deeds and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate our hearts with God’s word

 

What is light?

  • And what does it mean for Jesus to say, ‘You are the light of the world’?

 

Goodness:

If you Google a definition for light you will probably get a scientific answer

  • Something like, ‘Light is a kind of energy’
  • On one level this is true – light is a kind of energy
  • In fact, these days it is considered a very environmentally friendly energy
  • Unlike other forms of energy (like coal or gas or oil), solar energy is carbon zero and therefore not harmful to the planet
  • Light is a good kind of energy

 

The people of Jesus’ day didn’t have a scientific mind-set like we do but they would still have associated light with goodness (as opposed to evil) and so there is a connection here between the ancient world and the modern world

  • When Jesus says to his followers, ‘You are the light of the world’
  • We can take it to mean, ‘You are the goodness of the world’, in the sense that you are life-giving to the world
  • You are the good energy, the positive energy, the clean energy in this world

 

In verse 16 Jesus goes on to say, “…let your light shine before others so that they may see your good deeds and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

 

To my mind our good deeds are not the light

  • The light shines on the good deeds
  • Our good deeds are a product of the light
  • Just as sunlight (or photosynthesis) gives plants the good energy they need to grow and bear fruit
  • So too the light of God’s goodness causes good deeds to spring up everywhere

 

Letting your light shine doesn’t mean showing off your good deeds

  • When people put on an act or make a show of doing good works to make themselves look good – that’s not light, that’s darkness
  • But when God’s goodness shines out of us then people will see our actions in that light and praise God

 

You see, we don’t produce the light ourselves

  • God produces the light and we are His light bearers
  • In one of his letters to the Corinthians the apostle Paul writes…

 

For God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. [1]

                                                                                                              

In other words, Jesus is the light showing us what God is like

  • To know Jesus is to know God and to know God is to know you are loved
  • God produces the light and we are His light bearers

 

So, we the followers of Christ are the bearers of light (or good energy) in this world

  • How exactly does this good energy manifest itself?
  • Well, one thing light does is to provide security

 

 

Security:

These days many people have security lights outside their homes

  • So when it is dark and someone walks up to their house a sensor is triggered and the security light goes on
  • This helps the home owner to feel safer, more secure

 

Although, Jesus’ original audience of 2000 years ago didn’t have security lights like we might, light was still a source of security to them

  • Where there is light evil cannot hide
  • Where there is light things can be seen as they are and fear cannot play on the imagination

 

And so, ‘You are the light of the world’, can mean ‘You are the security of the world.’

  • In others words, the followers of Jesus are like a warning light
  • When there is movement and change in the world we shed light on that change
  • Not all change is bad of course, some change is good
  • The point is, being the light of the world means we (the church) have a role when it comes to interpreting the events in our world
  • We have something to say about whether the change is friend or foe
  • Whether it should be welcomed or warned against

 

What we note here is that the security light is truth or wisdom

  • God’s government is different to the governments of this world
  • Most governments try to make their country secure by military might
  • The security Jesus offers is not found in armies or missiles
  • The security Jesus gives is found in the light of truth & wisdom

 

Hope:

Another function of light is to guide people

  • Traffic lights serve as a kind of guide when you drive your car
  • They tell you when to stop, when to slow down and when to go
  • They enable us to make safe passage – saving us from accidents

 

In the ancient world they didn’t have traffic lights, but they did use the light of the stars to guide them in their travels, whether on land or sea

 

The prophet Isaiah says of the servant of the Lord…

  • “I will make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth” [2]

 

‘You are the light of the world’ therefore means Jesus’ followers are the hope of the world – because we possess the knowledge of salvation

 

In the 1950’s a scientist by the name of Curt Richter took some rats and put them into a high-sided bucket of water that they couldn’t escape from and timed how long it took for the rats to drown.

  • It wasn’t long – an average of 15 minutes for the rats to give up, stop swimming, and sink.
  • He then repeated the experiment with a new group of rats and a new twist
  • In the second instance, he “rescued” the rats just after they had given up swimming, again, at around the 15 minute mark.
  • He let them dry off, he fed them some food, allowed them to recuperate
  • And then he threw them back into the bucket of water.
  • The amazing result was that these rats were then able to swim for up to 60 hours before giving up.
  • That’s a big difference – 15 minutes compared to 60 hours.

 

Curt Richter attributed the rat’s new found stamina and survival skills to “hope”

  • The experience of being saved gave the rats energy to hang on longer
  • Because they had been saved once they expected to be saved again

 

Now this little illustration could be misunderstood

  • We are not rats and God is not a scientist doing experiments on us
  • We are human beings and God is a loving Father to us
  • The point is, the experience of salvation gives us human beings hope
  • It gives us the energy not to give up but to carry on

 

The thing I find most interesting about Curt Richter’s experiment is that the rats were saved at the point of giving up

  • It was when hope had died that they were pulled out of the bucket
  • The experience of being saved after they had given up had the effect of resurrecting hope
  • And resurrected hope is far stronger than ordinary hope

 

Have you ever noticed how God’s timing is very last minute, perhaps even after we think it’s too late

  • You remember how Jesus waited four days before raising his friend Lazarus from the dead
  • He could have prevented Lazarus from dying in the first place – but he didn’t – Jesus waited until people had given up hope
  • Why – perhaps he wanted to resurrect their hope at the same time as raising Lazarus. Resurrected hope is far stronger than ordinary hope

 

What was it Jesus said?

  • Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
  • Or as Eugene Peterson puts it…
  • You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and His rule.

 

In John 8, verse 12, Jesus says of Himself…

  • “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

 

The light of life is hope

  • To walk in darkness is to have no hope

 

The followers of Jesus are the hope of the world, at least in the sense that we possess the light of the knowledge of salvation

  • Once we have experienced God’s salvation – once we have lost hope and had God resurrect it again – we become a beacon of hope to others, the light of life guiding people to God

 

If you follow Jesus then you are the light of the world

  • You are the good energy of the world
  • You are the security of the world – a security based on wisdom & truth
  • You are also the hope of the world – the light of life
  • More than all this though, you (plural) are the presence of Christ in the world

 

Community:

Earlier in the service we sang a classic church anthem…

  • “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine”
  • There is much about this song which is good and true
  • But it can also mislead us into thinking that we shine our light in isolation, as individuals

 

Straight after saying, ‘You are the light of the world’, Jesus follows with two images of light bearing: a city on a hill and a lamp in a house

  • The image of a city gives the impression of a community of lights shining in the darkness
  • While the image of a lamp in a house gives the impression of a family sharing light together

 

Yes, the light of Christ does need to shine in our heart personally

  • But Jesus does not intend for us to shine our light by ourselves, in isolation from other Christians
  • As followers of Jesus we are not a solitary candle in the wind
  • We are the light of the world together

 

So we don’t just let ‘my little light shine’ – we let our light shine as a community of faith

  • We model goodness, security and hope in our relationships with each other
  • We love one another – for by this will all men know you are Christ’s disciples

 

Visible:

Jesus uses the images of a city of lights on a hill and a lamp in a house, to encourage us to let our light shine – not to hide it

  • After all, the purpose of light is to be seen – to stand out in the darkness

 

Most evangelical preachers will say at this point that, ‘as Christians we are to be in the world but not of it’

  • We are not to assimilate ourselves to the values of this world
  • Our values and therefore our behaviour should be distinctive
  • But nor are we to isolate ourselves from the world either
  • We should mix with people while staying true to who we are

 

While all of that’s true I think Jesus had more in mind than simply our function as light bearers to the world

  • By telling us to, ‘let our light shine’, I think Jesus wanted to give us a defence against shame

 

Last Wednesday Robyn went to the College with pretty much every other teacher in Tawa to participate in a restorative practice training day

  • During one of the workshops she attended, Mark Corrigan spoke about brain development and shame

 

Mark said that shame thrives on three things:

  • Secrecy, silence and stigma
  • The way to kill shame is to break the silence
  • When you reveal your secret with someone and they show you empathy, then shame loses its power – empathy kills shame

 

While Mark Corrigan didn’t relate this to the gospel – I saw a connection with the message I was preparing for this Sunday

  • Just before Jesus tells his disciples that they are the ‘salt of the earth’ and the ‘light of the world’, he says…

 

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

 

Jesus seems to be saying here, ‘Look, people are going to try to shame you because of me. Don’t give in to that shame by hiding away’

  • Shame thrives on secrecy, silence and stigma
  • Shame can’t stand the light
  • So let your light shine
  • Don’t keep your relationship with Jesus a secret

 

Do you remember that story in the gospels of the woman who had a problem with bleeding for 12 years [3]

  • She was so ashamed she crept up behind Jesus and touched the hem of his cloak quietly, secretly, in the hope of being healed
  • And she was healed of her bleeding in that instant – but not of her feelings of shame

 

Do you remember what Jesus did next?

  • He invited her to let her light shine
  • Jesus stopped and said, ‘Who touched me? I felt power go out from me.’
  • At first the woman was silent but Jesus was patient and waited
  • Eventually she came forward & confessed to having touched Jesus’ cloak
  • And Jesus said, ‘Your faith has healed you. Go in peace.’

 

Jesus didn’t do that to embarrass her

  • Jesus gave her the opportunity to rid herself of the feeling of shame by breaking the silence and letting the light of her faith shine
  • And when she did speak up Jesus demonstrated empathy and honoured her publicly by commending her for her faith
  • Empathy kills shame

 

Conclusion:

If you follow Jesus then you are the light of the world

  • You are the good energy, the security and the hope of the world
  • You are not the light on your own but through the power of God and in community with other believers – like a city of lights on a hill
  • Although some in this world will misunderstand our light and try to make us feel ashamed of it, we must let our light shine, without shame

 

Let us pray…

 

 

[1] 2 Corinthians 4:6-7

[2] Isaiah 49:6 (see also Isaiah 42:6-7)

[3] Luke 8:40-48

Tawa Baptist

Restoring Joy

Scripture: Psalm 126

 

Title: Restoring Joy

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Joy remembered, joy hoped for
  • Sowing in tears, reaping joy
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

This morning we are talking about joy

  • To help us think about joy I’d like to give you a few moments now to ask those around you: what is joy?
  • When you’ve done that for a minute or two I’ll invite you to quickly share your thoughts with the rest of us

 

[Give people a chance to discuss what joy is and then invite their feedback]

 

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on joy

  • Joy is one of those qualities that is hard to define in words
  • In many ways it has to be experienced
  • But even then the experience is complex and multi-faceted
  • Joy can be experienced differently depending on the circumstances and the person

 

Joy is both a gift (like a pleasant surprise) – and a choice or a decision we make

 

Joy can be both a positive energy (like a happy or exhilarating feeling)

  • But it can also be a settled, calm assurance (or a quiet confidence) that God is working all things out for good even though life might be difficult right now

 

Joy can be the product of hope – the anticipation of something pleasing

  • Or it can be the realisation of something good – like when a positive change is made or something lost is finally restored to us

 

Psalm 126 captures something of the complexity of joy

  • We will read this Psalm antiphonally which means I will read the lines in plain type and then you can respond by reading the lines in bold italics…

 

 

1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,     we were like those who dream.

2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,     and our tongue with shouts of joy;

then it was said among the nations,     “The Lord has done great things for them.” 3 The Lord has done great things for us,     and we rejoiced.

4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord,     like the watercourses in the Negeb.

5 May those who sow in tears     reap with shouts of joy.

6 Those who go out weeping,     bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy,     carrying their sheaves.

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

 

Joy remembered becomes joy hoped for:

For many people Christmas is a difficult time of year

  • And one of the things that makes it so difficult is the expectation that we must be happy – Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy
  • But if you have experienced a significant loss in your life then Christmas will tend to remind you of that loss – sort of amplify it

 

It’s like C.S. Lewis said…

  • “The pain I feel now is the happiness I had before. That’s the deal.”

 

Pain, grief, sadness is the price we pay for happy times we have lost

  • There is no escaping that fact

 

Although Psalm 126 is about joy, the context is one of loss and the sadness of longing for something that is no more

  • Psalm 126 is very much ‘the pain I feel now is the happiness I had before’

 

In the first three verses the psalmist looks back to a time in Israel’s past when the people had suffered loss and the Lord had restored them

  • What we notice is that the first 3 verses of Psalm 126 are all past tense…

 

1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.

  • In other words: ‘When I look back to a time when I was happy I remember it was because God restored us’
  • It was God doing great things for us that made us laugh and rejoice

 

In this picture of joy (past tense) it is God who is the source of joy

  • God did something which made us happy
  • But now that joy of restoration has gone and it’s like waking up from a happy dream to a harsh reality

 

As the exiles made their way home to Jerusalem after their captivity in Babylon it was like floating along in a pleasant dream at first

  • But when they arrived in the holy city it was like waking up to reality
  • There were weeds to be pulled, crops to sow, walls to build and a temple to restore
  • The honeymoon was over too quickly and all the work was ahead of them

 

If all we had was the first three verses we might think the psalmist was wallowing in self-pity – looking back to the good old days in a way that makes him feel depressed in the present

  • But this looking back isn’t self-pity
  • These memories contain the seeds of hope
  • God has restored our fortunes in the past and so he could do it again
  • Joy remembered becomes joy hoped for

 

We see this hope expressed in verse 4 where the memory of past joy turns into prayer…

  • Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like watercourses in the Negeb
  • In other words, ‘Surprise us with the joy of restoration Lord’

 

The word Negeb means ‘dry’ or ‘parched’ – it is the name given to the southernmost part of Judah

  • For much of the year the Negeb is a desert but then suddenly, in winter, the rains come, turning dry gullies into rivers and streams
  • Literally overnight the desert is transformed into fields of grass & flowers

 

This is a vivid image from the geography of Israel

  • The message is clear – don’t lose hope
  • God has the power to transform dry places and he can do it quickly
  • Maybe your life is miserable now but anything could happen
  • Things can & do change for the better

 

Some things in life can be scheduled and other things can’t

  • You can schedule buses and trains
  • You can schedule a holiday and shifts at work
  • You can schedule meal times and exams
  • You can schedule TV programming and your dentist appointment
  • But you can’t schedule everything

 

You can’t schedule your mid-life crisis, for example

  • There is probably a 20 year window in which it might happen but you don’t get to decide the day or the hour
  • Just like you don’t decide when you will get sick or when someone might die
  • Some things simply can’t be switched on & off like a light

 

So what about joy then – can joy be scheduled?

  • Well, the impression we get from the psalm so far is that joy is not something we have much control over – like rains in the Negeb it all depends on God and so it can’t be planned for
  • This is dangerous thinking – it leads to a victim mentality

 

Sowing in tears, reaping joy:

To help restore the balance Psalm 126 finishes with a contrasting image to the streams in the desert

 

May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy

 

There is quite a bit in this one liner

  • For starters, we can’t expect to feel happy or joyful all the time
  • Tears, sadness, grief & pain are part of life
  • In fact the image of sowing in tears suggests that sadness is a necessary prerequisite to joy

 

Tears are something which cleanse our eyes and our soul

  • When you set the table for a meal you don’t put out yesterday’s dirty dishes to eat off – you put clean plates on the table
  • Tears cleanse the plate of our soul so a fresh meal of joy can be served up

 

What I’m saying is intuitively obvious to anyone who has suffered loss

  • We can’t really enjoy something good until we have first grieved our losses – accepted them

 

Sowing and reaping is slow and arduous

  • Unlike the streams in the Negeb it doesn’t happen overnight
  • Sowing & reaping happens over the course of a year as a combination of hard work & patience on the part of the farmer as well as God causing the seed to grow
  • We might say: joy is not entirely in God’s hands, it’s in our hands too – so (like farming) it’s a partnership

 

Or as Henri Nouwen put it…

  • “Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.”

Yes there are some things in life that we don’t get to decide – some things we have little or no control over – but with joy we do have a choice

  • We can’t expect to always feel happy – there will be times when life is hard graft
  • But if we sow seeds of hope in God during those tough times, we will eventually reap a harvest of joy

 

And what does it mean to sow seeds of hope?

  • What are the difficult choices we need to make to eventually reap joy?
  • Well, sowing in tears might mean praying for someone in hope that God will save them
  • It might mean forgiving someone in hope they will come right in the end
  • Or, it might mean asking forgiveness in hope that this will lead to peace
  • It might mean saying ‘no’ when the bong is being passed around in hope that our friends will say ‘no’ too
  • It might mean saying ‘yes’ to helping someone, without hope of reward
  • Or it could mean suffering shame, insult, misunderstanding and abuse in the hope that some might find Christ

 

Conclusion:

Sowing in tears can mean a lot of things

  • Ultimately, for Jesus, it meant suffering an agonising death on the cross in hope that humanity would be reconciled to God
  • Of course, after Jesus had sowed in tears, he reaped a harvest of resurrection joy

 

Christmas is a time of joy – not painless, tearless joy – but joy on the far side of pain and grief

  • Maybe you haven’t got to the far side yet
  • Maybe you are still sowing in tears
  • That’s okay – in fact it’s more in line with the gospel than you might think: Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted
Tawa Baptist

Free to Worship

Scripture: Exodus 35-40

 

Title: Free to Worship

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Preparation for God’s coming (hope)
  • Worship from the inside out (freedom)
  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

Today we conclude our series on Moses in Exodus by looking at the final six chapters – 35 through to 40

  • In this section the people make the tabernacle in accordance with the detailed instructions Yahweh gave them in chapters 25 to 31

 

The tabernacle, you may recall, is like God’s mobile home – it is a sacred tent for God’s presence

  • The God of Israel is not aloof or detached and He is not fixed in one place
  • Yahweh wants to be present among His people – on the move with them

 

We don’t have time this morning to read all six chapters – I really just want to draw your attention to some of the main points in view, in particular…

  • Israel’s preparation for God’s coming
  • And their worship from the inside out

 

Preparation for God’s coming:

As we heard earlier, today is the first Sunday in Advent, which means we are less than a month away from Christmas

 

Tell me, what are some of the things that you have been doing (or at least need to do) to prepare for Christmas?

  • Write and send Christmas cards
  • Shop for Christmas presents
  • Put up the Christmas tree
  • Decide where you will spend Christmas
  • Buy special food
  • Attend end of year parties

 

Okay, show of hands, who really enjoys this time of year?

  • And who can’t wait for it all to be over?
  • There is much to do in preparing for Christmas – it is a busy time

 

Recently, in the last 3 months, we’ve had two new babies born in our congregation – Matthias & Pascal

  • There is quite a bit to do in preparing for the arrival of a new born baby, especially if it’s your first (as it was for Oti & Ann Na)
  • You need to set up the nursery, buy baby clothes, make arrangements for time off work, get a baby seat and maybe get a bigger car

 

At the beginning of this month Prince Charles paid a visit to Tawa College

  • I imagine there was a fair bit of preparation involved with that visit
  • Communicating to the pupils and the parents what was happening
  • Having some students ready to greet and perform for the prince
  • Liaising with police about security
  • Having some contingency plan if things didn’t quite go as expected
  • I don’t know – I guess there was lots to think of

 

There is certainly a lot to think of in preparing for a wedding

  • Organising the ceremony itself and then the reception afterwards
  • Inviting guests, buying a dress, hiring a suit, arranging flowers, working through some kind of marriage preparation course with the minister
  • Writing a speech, planning the honey moon – all sorts of details you wouldn’t imagine until you go through the process

 

Next week’s ‘19 Sleeps to Christmas’ guest service involves lots of preparation too (nearly as much as a wedding)

  • I don’t want to give too much away but there has been quite a bit of planning and work going on in the background for several weeks now
  • At this afternoon’s practice we’ll put it altogether to see how it works

 

That word Advent (on the front of your newsletters) simply means ‘coming’

  • During Advent we look back to Jesus’ first coming to earth 2000 years ago and we look forward to Christ’s second coming in glory
  • Christmas Advent is meant to be a time of preparation for the arrival of both a special event and a special person

 

When you read through Exodus chapters 35 to 40 you get a feel for the amount of preparation that went into Yahweh’s coming

 

There’s lots of detail about joining and fastening and making and then assembling the tabernacle. For example:

  • He made curtains of goats’ hair
  • He joined five curtains by themselves
  • He made the table of acacia wood… and overlaid it with pure gold
  • He cast for it four rings of gold and fastened the rings to the four corners
  • He also made the lampstand of pure gold… and so on

 

The image presented is not a static one

  • We don’t get a still photo of the completed project
  • We get a series of moving pictures, describing the process of the people’s preparation for the coming of God to dwell in their midst.
  • The community is in Advent mode.’ [1]

 

Much of the detail in chapters 35 to 40 is repetition of chapters 25 to 31

  • The main difference being that in chapters 25-31 God describes things in order of sacredness – starting with the ark in the most holy place and working His way to the outer courtyard and surrounding curtains
  • Whereas in chapters 35 to 40 we get a works report – so the order follows the practical logic of construction

 

Why the repetition? (albeit in a different order)

  • Because preparing for the Lord’s coming (His Advent) is important
  • It is not instant coffee or a microwave meal
  • It is not a Bunnings flat pack or ready-made curtains
  • Everything is unique, a one off, custom made and hand crafted

 

In the Old Testament the tabernacle isn’t just a symbol of God’s presence – it is an actual vehicle for divine presence

  • When God fills the tabernacle in Exodus 40, Moses is unable to enter

In the New Testament Jesus is the actual vehicle of God’s presence – more than just a symbol

  • As the Israelites prepared for Yahweh’s coming so we need to make room for the Christ child – we need to be ready to receive our risen Lord

 

Being prepared for Christ’s coming gets some attention in the gospels too

  • Jesus told a number of parables about being ready for his return
  • The parable of the 10 virgins – only 5 of whom kept their lamps trimmed
  • The thief in the night
  • The parable of the servants and the talents, and so on
  • This looking forward to Christ’s return is not meant to be an anxious thing – it is supposed to inspire hope – Hope is an attractive energy

 

Looking at the book of Exodus as a whole, we notice a contrast between the beginning and the end of the book

  • At the start of Exodus the people are despairing – Pharaoh is crushing their spirit under cruel slavery – they have nothing to look forward to
  • But by the end of the book Pharaoh is nowhere in sight and the people are busy preparing for the Lord’s coming – energised by hope

 

  • Despite the Pharaoh’s of this world and despite Israel’s own failure, God promises to be with His people and that promise fills the people with a sense of joyful anticipation
  • Like the joy and excitement we might feel as we anticipate getting married or as we look forward to the birth of a child or being reunited with loved ones at Christmas

 

As well as describing Israel’s preparation for God’s coming, Exodus 35 to 40 also shows us the quality and fabric of their worship – from the inside out

 

Worship from the inside out:

Aesop has a story about the sun and the wind – it’s a classic, worth repeating

 

The North Wind boasted of great strength.

  • The Sun argued that there was greater power in gentleness.
  • “We shall have a contest,” said the Sun.

 

Far below, a man travelled a winding road.

  • He was wearing a warm winter coat.
  • “As a test of strength,” said the Sun, “Let us see which of us can take the coat off of that man.”

 

“It will be quite simple for me to force him to remove his coat,” bragged the Wind.

  • The Wind blew so hard, branches broke off trees. The world was filled with dust and leaves.
  • But the harder the wind blew, the tighter the man clung to his coat.

 

Then, the Sun came out from behind a cloud, warming the air and the frosty ground.

  • The man on the road unbuttoned his coat.
  • The sun grew slowly brighter and warmer.
  • Soon the man felt so hot, he took off his coat and sat down in a shady spot.

 

“How did you do that?” said the Wind.

  • “Gently, from the inside out”, said the Sun

 

Pharaoh was like the wind to Israel – forcing them against their will with threats and whips and external pressures

  • But the way of Yahweh was more like the Sun – warming Israel, wooing them gently, so they were moved of their own volition, freely, naturally, from the inside out

 

From Exodus 35, verse 4 Moses said to all the congregation of the Israelites:

This is the thing that the Lord has commanded:

Take from among you an offering to the Lord; let whoever is of a generous heart bring the Lord’s offering: gold, silver, bronze… [and so on]

 

And they came, everyone whose heart was stirred and everyone whose spirit was willing and brought the Lord’s offering to be used for the tent of meeting…

So they came, both men and women; all who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and pendants, all sorts of gold…

[and so on]

 

Willing heart – willing spirit

 

In this context the ‘heart’ stands for the inner constitution or disposition of a person – their unseen inner reality

  • While the human ‘spirit’ refers to personal energy, gusto or inner drive [2]

The point is, no one was forcing the people to provide valuables for making the tabernacle – they did it freely and willingly, from the inside out

  • God, in His grace, had moved them with the warmth of His loyal love and commitment
  • The people were so generous that they had to be asked to stop giving

 

The best things in life are simple – Chocolate is a point in case

  • Chocolate only has three ingredients – and two of those ingredients come from the same plant
  • You can add other things to the chocolate like fruit or nuts or some other kind of flavouring but essentially the chocolate itself only has 3 parts
  • Would anyone like to guess what those three ingredients are? [Wait]

 

Yes, that’s right

  • Cocoa beans (or cocoa mass), cocoa butter and sugar

 

The cocoa beans give the chocolate that dark look and bitter taste

  • The sugar is needed to balance out the bitterness
  • And the cocoa butter gives it a smooth silky texture

 

Worship is a bit like chocolate – in that it has three basic ingredients

  • Giving (as in some form of sacrifice or offering)
  • Willingness (as in a willing spirit or a generous heart)
  • And obedience (doing what God asks)

Giving is integral to worship – like cocoa beans are integral to chocolate

  • We can give all sorts of things to God – we might offer songs of praise, money, talents or our time
  • The offering we take up each Sunday isn’t just to cover the church’s expenses – It is primarily an act of worship
  • Likewise, if you volunteer your time on the music team or the property committee or the deacons board or helping with Club Intermed or Youth group or Sunday school or doing the lawns or whatever else you may do
  • Then, so long as you are doing it for the Lord, it is worship

 

We’ve already heard how the people offered their valuables to God – their gold, silver, fine linen and so forth

  • The other thing they gave was themselves – their time and talents in service to make the tabernacle

 

Those who were at Doris Lindstrom’s funeral yesterday would have heard a reading from Exodus 35, verse 30…

 

30 Then Moses said to the Israelites: See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31 he has filled him with divine spirit, with skill, intelligence, and knowledge in every kind of craft, 32 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, 33 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, in every kind of craft. 34 And he has inspired him to teach…

 

The Scriptures go on to say how others joined Bezalel, under his guidance and tuition to build the Lord’s tent and equipment

  • They offered their time and skill

 

What this means is that work is sacred when it is done as an act of worship for the Lord

  • Your work during the week can be as much an act of worship as singing songs of praise in church on a Sunday morning

As the apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians

  • Render service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not to men or women, knowing that whatever good we do, we will receive the same again from the Lord… [3]

If giving is to worship what cocoa beans are to chocolate, then willingness is like the sugar, making the giving sweet

  • Worship isn’t meant to be an empty ritual
  • Worship is not blindly going through the motions
  • Worship needs to be from the inside out – from a willing heart and with a spirit (or an energy) which really wants to express love and appreciation
  • Without willingness the giving becomes bitter drudgery & loveless duty
  • Without willingness the letting go of sacrifice doesn’t free our heart – it clenches our heart into a fist of resentment

 

Okay then – if giving is the cocoa beans and willingness is the sugar, then obedience must be the cocoa butter

 

More than the other two ingredients it is the cocoa butter which determines the quality of the chocolate

  • The cocoa butter is the most expensive of the three ingredients and so cheap chocolate tends to skimp on cocoa butter or substitute it with something else
  • Just as there is no substitute for cocoa butter in quality chocolate, so too there is no substitute for obedience in quality worship
  • Obedience is indispensable to worship

 

Exodus 35-40 never tires of stating how the divine instructions were carried out in precise detail; there are 18 references to Moses doing as God commanded [4]

  • Obedience – doing what God wants – is more important than giving to charity or anything else we might think of as ‘good works’
  • What is it the Lord says, ‘Obedience is better than sacrifice’

 

Without cocoa butter it isn’t really chocolate

  • Without obedience it isn’t really worship

 

The cross was Jesus’ ultimate test of obedience to God

  • We read about it in the accounts of Jesus’ anguished prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane
  • Not my will Father, but Your will be done

 

Giving God what He wants, willingly, that is true worship

 

Conclusion:

The book of Exodus finishes one year after the people left Egypt with the presence of God filling the tabernacle

  • Exodus means ‘exit’ or ‘leaving’ – so it’s really about movement
  • It’s about God taking Israel out of Egypt and into the wilderness
  • Out of the known and into the unknown
  • Out of forced labour under Pharaoh to willing worship of Yahweh
  • Out of slavery and into freedom
  • Out of despair and into hope

 

And it hasn’t been an easy journey for Israel or Yahweh or Moses

  • It’s been a rollercoaster of redemption, failure, forgiveness and faith
  • But through the Lord’s (& Moses’) loyal love, Israel are a new creation

 

Jesus came for our Exodus – for our redemption – to make us a new creation, free to worship the Lord – free to willingly give God what He wants

 

Let’s stand and sing about the Lord’s love and faithfulness as we prepare for communion…

 

 

[1] Terence Fretheim, Exodus, page 314

[2] Alec Motyer, BST Exodus, page 320.

[3] Ephesians 6:7-8

[4] Terence Fretheim, Exodus, page 313.

Tawa Baptist

Moses Intercedes

Scripture: Exodus 32:1-14

Title: Moses Intercedes

Key Idea: Moses intercedes for the people by asking God to be true to Himself

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Israel’s disloyalty (vv.1-6)
  • God’s anger (vv.7-10)
  • Moses’ intercession (vv.11-13)
  • Conclusion – Yahweh repents (v. 14)

Introduction:

The Christian mathematician, Blaise Pascal, famously said…

  • All human evil comes from a single cause, man’s inability to sit still in a room 

With the holidays approaching some of you may be contemplating travelling away for a break

  • Most holidays we go to see family who live about 7 hours north of here
  • When our kids were little they would sleep some of the way but invariably we had to provide some entertainment for most of the trip
  • We might listen to the Wiggles or High Five for a while but by the third or fourth time through the tape that got a bit tiresome
  • We played the classic I spy with my little eye & word association games
  • But my favourite game (and probably their least favourite) was seeing how long they could stay completely quiet and still for
  • Some attempts were more successful than others

Please turn with me to Exodus chapter 32 – page 92 in your pew Bibles

  • Today we continue our series on Moses
  • At this point in the story Moses is up Mount Sinai receiving instructions from Yahweh
  • He has been gone about 6 weeks and the people are growing impatient
  • Like passengers in the back seat of a car, all they had to do was sit still and wait quietly. Sadly, they weren’t able to do this
  • From verse 1 of Exodus 32 we read…

[Read Exodus 32:1-14]

 

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

This Scripture passage rather conveniently divides into three parts…

  • Israel’s disloyalty in verses 1-6
  • God’s anger in verses 7-10
  • And Moses’ intercession in verses 11-13

First let us consider Israel’s apostasy – their disloyalty or rejection of Yahweh

Israel’s disloyalty:

As an explanation of the quote we opened today’s sermon with, Blaise Pascal goes on to observe…

“Nothing is so insufferable to man as to be completely at rest, without passions, without business, without diversion, without study. He then feels his nothingness, his forlornness, his insufficiency, his dependence, his weakness, his emptiness.”

 

Moses has been up the mountain listening to Yahweh for about six weeks

  • All the people had to do was be still and wait, but they couldn’t manage it
  • Moses’ absence had put them in touch with their own nothingness, their insufficiency, weakness and emptiness
  • To overcome these insufferable feelings the people gathered round Aaron and took matters into their own hands, saying to Aaron…

‘We do not know what has happened to this man Moses, who led us out of Egypt; so make us gods to lead us.’

There is quite a bit wrong with this sentence

  • For starters we hear contempt in the phrase, ‘this man Moses’, as if Moses were a stranger to the people

Worse than this though there is a complete denial of God

  • The people credit Moses with leading them out of Egypt when in fact it was the Lord Almighty who led them
  • By pretending God does not exist the people are able to say, ‘make us gods to lead us.’

This request is a blatant disregard of God’s instruction not to make images or idols for worship

  • It amounts to nothing less than a rejection of Yahweh who delivered Israel from slavery – It is a betrayal of the worst kind
  • The people don’t want a God who can think and speak and act
  • They would rather have a lifeless object which they can see and touch and control

An idol isn’t necessarily a statue that people bow down to

  • It could be money in the bank, or our job, or a status symbol, like the clothes we wear or the car we drive
  • An idol is basically any mechanism or device which makes us feel like we are in control
  • By that definition a bomb or a gun could be an idol

We are not in control of course but it makes us feel more powerful, more secure if we can maintain the illusion that we are calling the shots

  • Jesus said that human beings live by faith
  • Which means we are actually more empowered, more secure, when we accept the reality that we are not in control and simply trust God

Apparently Aaron gave little resistance to the people’s demand

  • He asked for the people’s ear rings, melted them and made a gold bull
  • Then the people said, ‘Israel, this is our god, who led us out of Egypt’
  • Aaron went along with this and built an altar in front of the golden bull saying, ‘Tomorrow there will be a festival to honour the Lord (Yahweh)’

What we have here is syncretism

  • Syncretism is the combining of different, often contradictory, beliefs

In the ancient east statues of golden bulls or calves were used by pagans in the worship of Baal

  • Aaron was combining aspects of Baal worship with the worship of Yahweh, the Lord Almighty. That was syncretism
  • It was also the breaking of the third commandment not to take the Lord’s name in vain

[Set up table with water & turps and empty glass]

I have here a jug of water and a bottle of turps together with an empty glass

  • Imagine the empty glass represents the human soul
  • You only have one soul – one container
  • Worshipping the one true God – the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ – is like pouring water into our soul – it refreshes us, it is life to us
  • Idol worship is like pouring turps (or poison) into our soul – it will kill us
  • Syncretism is when someone tries to mix the water and the turps
  • Even a little bit of turps will ruin the water and make it unfit for drinking
  • It doesn’t work to worship God and Buddha at the same time
  • Just like it doesn’t work to follow Jesus and put money or career first

[Return to the pulpit]

From our vantage point in history we might look back and think, how could the Israelites do such a terrible thing?

  • But at the time the people of Israel couldn’t see that it was terrible
  • They probably thought they were doing a virtuous thing – not unlike terrorists who also think they are doing a virtuous thing
  • What’s more Israel were doing it in a democratic way – this was the collective wisdom of the majority. (So much for democracy)

We shouldn’t feel too superior to the Israelites – I’m not sure any of us is so pure in our worship of the Lord

  • That’s the thing about syncretism – we can’t always see it
  • Like turps it appears the same as water
  • Apostasy doesn’t present itself as a red devil with horns
  • It comes as an angel of light – we may think it a good thing at first

 

Verse 6 tells how the people sacrificed to the golden calf and then sat down to a feast which turned into an orgy of drinking and sex

  • Idolatry (putting ourselves in control) leads to moral chaos and the breakdown of society

So, that’s the people’s disloyalty

  • What about God’s response?
  • Well, God is angry

 

God’s anger:

My grandad had a pool table and we used to play pool together

  • Pool is basically a game of physics – it’s about the transfer of energy
  • Energy is transferred from the cue to the white ball and onto a numbered (or coloured) ball

Anger is essentially a form of energy

  • Energy is not good or bad – it’s just energy
  • When we are angry we have an intense concentration of energy in us which moves us – sort of like balls in a game of pool are moved

If anger is the white ball (on a pool table) then the numbered (or coloured) balls on the table are the different faces of anger

  • Just as a moving white ball transfers energy to the other balls on the table so too anger expresses itself in a variety of behaviours
  • Perhaps the black 8 ball represents outrage – swearing or yelling or throwing your weight around
  • But outrage isn’t the only face of anger – sometimes people hold the rage in and it becomes sadness, bitterness, resentment, cynicism, or contempt

One common face of anger is sarcasm

  • Some people think sarcasm is funny, but it’s not something I enjoy
  • Sarcasm is a form of anger
  • If you are sarcastic a lot then you have a problem with anger, underneath

God uses sarcasm with Moses in verse 7, where He says…

  • “Go back down at once, because your people, whom you led out of Egypt have sinned and rejected me
  • God is picking up on what the people said earlier about Moses leading them out of Egypt
  • God is angered by the people’s denial of Him and this angry energy is transferred into words of sarcasm – like the white ball transferring energy onto the yellow ball

The other thing to say here is that anger is never a primary emotion – even with God (perhaps especially with God) – anger is always secondary

  • Anger is energy that has been transferred from something deeper
  • The white ball on a pool table doesn’t move by itself
  • The white ball (of anger) moves because it is hit by the cue

So what does the cue in the hands of God represent?

  • The cue represents what we might call care or love or compassion
  • It is precisely because God cares so much that He hits the white ball of His anger
  • If God didn’t care about the people He wouldn’t have been so upset
  • If God hadn’t been so attached to Israel He would have put the cue down and walked away from the game

As I understand it Buddhism is a non-violent religion

  • Jesus also taught non-violence
  • So Buddhism and Christianity appear similar (like turps & water)
  • But when you take a closer look you realise how different they are
  • Buddhism says the way to avoid violence is to not care, to not love and not form attachments
  • Because when you don’t care about anything, you don’t get angry or upset about anything and so you don’t hurt anyone

By contrast Jesus teaches us that we must care, we must form attachments

  • We shouldn’t become attached to money or material objects but we should care about our neighbour and we should love God
  • Of course this means we will inevitably get angry
  • The pool cue of care will set the white ball of our anger in motion
  • Jesus’ intention is that we use the energy of anger for good
  • Release the energy in a controlled way and in a direction which achieves a positive outcome

I think, in hindsight, that my grandad was using the game of pool to teach me lessons for life

  • He was always telling me don’t hit the ball too hard
  • Take your time, line it up right and hit the ball gently because then, even if you miss, at least it will be in place for you to sink next time
  • Hitting the ball hard just makes a mess of things

God was angry with the Israelites because He cares

  • The Good News Translation has God saying to Moses…
  • “Now don’t try to stop me. I am angry with them and I am going to destroy them. Then I will make you [Moses] and your descendants into a great nation.”

Words like this in the mouth of God are difficult for us – especially in light of events in Paris yesterday

  • We have to keep the bigger picture in mind – God’s overarching goal for humanity is, not to destroy but, to save as many as possible

The Good News Bible is usually pretty good but their translation of the opening sentence, ‘Don’t try to stop me’, is a bit misleading

  • God actually does want Moses to stop Him, why else would He tell Moses what He was thinking

A more accurate translation (like the NIV) reads…

  • “Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”

This translation makes better sense

  • The fact that God is asking to be left alone with this decision tells us at least two things…

Firstly, that God is in control of His anger

  • He is not about to react in the heat of the moment
  • God is not like David Banner, who could turn into the Incredible Hulk at any time. ‘Don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry’ – that’s not God
  • God is taking time to consider His actions – measure twice, cut once

Asking to be left alone also tells us this was not an easy matter for God

  • It’s like finding out that your husband or wife has been cheating on you
  • There is tremendous grief involved for the Lord
  • God wants time on His own to deal with His grief and anger, that’s how deeply affected He is by Israel’s rejection

Now it is important to understand that God’s grief isn’t all about Himself

  • Yes, Israel’s rejection of Him hurts but I reckon God is also grieving for the other nations of the world – for humanity generally
  • The Lord’s intention for Israel was that they be a holy people – a nation of priests who would lead the other nations of the world to God
  • By worshipping the golden calf Israel have pointed the other nations away from the Lord and over a cliff
  • Israel have made it harder for people to come to God and that grieves the Lord’s heart

God doesn’t want to destroy anyone, least of all His beloved people

  • His overarching purpose is to save as many people as possible
  • But what is He to do if Israel rejects Him?
  • He can’t force the people to love Him
  • What choice does He have but to start again with Moses?

Moses’ intercession:

Although God has asked Moses to leave Him alone with His grief and anger, Moses stands His ground and intercedes for the people and for God

With an idol, there is no dialogue – there is just the monologue of our own self talk

  • But with God there is dialogue – our prayers can influence God
  • What we say and do makes a very real difference
  • Which means that to some degree the future is open
  • God’s overall purpose is to save or redeem as many people as possible and, thankfully, we can’t change that
  • But we can influence God’s strategy for how He reaches His goal

To use the metaphor of driving a car…

  • If God is the driver and we are the passengers, and it’s His purpose to travel from Auckland to Wellington, then we can’t change His mind about the destination
  • But we can influence the route He takes in getting there, where He stops and how many people He picks up on the way, that sort of thing

It’s not like life is a movie and we are just playing the roles and reading the lines that have been written for us

  • We are not fated to a particular destiny
  • Christians don’t believe in fate
  • Christians live by faith
  • Faith is not set in stone – it’s organic, it’s interactive, it’s dynamic

When God made humanity He didn’t make us in the image of an idol – a lifeless lump of stone that can’t talk back or change anything

  • God gave us a mind to think with, freewill to choose, emotion to move us and a voice to speak
  • God made us like Himself, in His own image
  • And in doing that the Lord was sharing His power with us

Moses seems to understand this and so when God says, ‘Leave me alone…’, Moses stands his ground and talks back

  • Moses is not disrespectful to God
  • He does not minimise or condone or justify what the Israelites have done in betraying Yahweh
  • And he does not deny the truth of what God is feeling – although he does ask the Lord to put His anger aside

Moses speaks up and appeals to God’s reason, reputation and integrity

  • Moses does not appeal to human rights – he doesn’t say, ‘God, you can’t kill the people because they’ve got rights’
  • We may have rights when it comes to other human beings but when it comes to God we don’t have any rights
  • All we have grace – everything we have is a gift from God
  • Human rights don’t come into it

When we consider what Moses says to God we soon realise that Moses is actually interceding for God Himself, more than the people

  • Moses is asking God to be true to Himself

In verse 11 Moses appeals to the Lord’s reason…

  • “Why should your anger burn against your people whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?”

In other words, Lord, why destroy the people you have just saved – that doesn’t make sense. You’ve got a lot invested with these people. Don’t throw that away

 

Then in verse 12 Moses appeals to the Lord’s reputation…

  • “Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’?”

In other words, Lord, killing the Israelites now will make You look bad so that it will be harder for the other nations of the world to trust You

  • God needs to preserve His reputation if He wants to save as many people as possible

                                                                    

And in verse 13 Moses appeals to the Lord’s integrity…

  • Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever’.

In other words, remember who You are Lord. You are a God who keeps His promises.

  • If You break Your promise to Abraham You won’t be able to live with Yourself

 

Conclusion:

Interestingly the text does not record God saying anything else here

  • Moses has the last word on this occasion
  • God listened to Moses – He changed His mind and did not bring on the people the disaster he had threatened
  • The future is open

This is perhaps Moses’ finest hour

  • He saves the people from destruction by asking God to stay true to Himself

Outtakes

Moses knows all about anger

  • He knows all about caring too much
  • And he also knows the sting of rejection

Remember how Moses (as a younger man) killed the Egyptian slave driver who was beating a Hebrew slave

  • And then the next day when Moses tried to settle a dispute between two fellow Israelites, the man answered sarcastically…
  • ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?’
Tawa Baptist

God Goes Camping

Scripture: Exodus 25-31

Title: God Goes Camping

Key Idea: The tabernacle is a sacred tent through which God mediates His holy presence within Israel

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • God dwells among His people
  • God’s tent
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

On the wall here we have a picture. Can anyone tell me what this is? [Wait]

  • Yes, that’s right. A hub
  • A hub is at the centre of things – it holds everything together and gives shape and coherence to the whole, while also allowing movement
  • It isn’t just wheels which have hubs.
  • People, families & communities have hubs too

For many busy people these days the hub of their life is their smart phone – it is the central connecting point holding all the strands & loose ends together

  • For some, the hub may be their family – so being near to parents or children or grandchildren is important to them
  • For others their hub may be found at work or in the pub or their local sports club or RSA – anywhere they might connect with others
  • For those who are Christians though, Jesus and His church are the hub

This morning we continue our series on Moses by focusing on Exodus chapters 25 to 31

  • This is where God gives Moses some quite detailed instructions for the making of a tabernacle
  • The tabernacle, in the context of Exodus, is essentially a sacred tent through which God mediates His holy presence within Israel

Terence Frethiem notes that…

  • In their journey through the wilderness God gives Israel two basic institutions, the Law and the Tabernacle.
  • Both are portable
  • Both are designed to bring order to disorder
  • And both give shape to life when the centre has trouble holding
  • The Law provides an ethical shape and the Tabernacle provides a liturgical shape [1] 

Or said another way the Law and the Tabernacle were the hub of Israel’s life

  • The Law and the Tabernacle were the centre, holding the nation together and allowing movement
  • They were designed to keep Israel distinctive from the nations around them – to prevent Israel from conforming to the pattern of this world and enabling them to follow God’s pattern

God dwells among His people:

One of the distinctive things about God and His pattern is that He comes to dwell among His people

  • Yahweh is not aloof or removed like the gods of other nations – He is present with His people, living with them

Art is good for the soul

  • It helps us to reflect on our experience and find meaning in our pain
  • Art has the potential to put us in touch with beauty and goodness
  • It can inspire us, challenge us and help us to feel more connected

Normally if you want to view paintings or sculptures you would go to an art gallery – a special purpose built facility containing art works

  • Galleries are usually found in cities and so if you are a child and your parents won’t take you, or if you live out the back of nowhere, you might not ever get to see fine art

 

Some years ago a NZ couple came up with the idea of a portable art gallery called the Real Art Road Show

  • The Real Art Road Show is basically a truck which travels the country displaying art work to school kids
  • Rather than going to a gallery, the gallery comes to you

The truck opens up and school pupils walk through it

  • We had this Art Truck set up in our church car park a few years ago and kids from Tawa School came through

Why am I telling you this?

  • Well, as I said before, the tabernacle is a sacred tent through which God mediates His holy presence within Israel
  • It is basically a mobile home for Yahweh – the Lord God
  • Sort of like the concept of the Real Art Road Show truck
  • Rather than God’s presence being contained in an immovable temple or a fixed place like a mountain – God will be on the move with His people
  • Unlike the pagan religions around them, Israel’s God does not expect His people to come to Him
  • Rather, Yahweh comes to dwell among His people
  • Just as they are living in tents in the wilderness, so too the Lord will dwell in a tent with them

Seven (plus) chapters is a lot of space to devote to this subject – which indicates the tabernacle was pretty significant to God and Israel

  • Because the purpose of the tabernacle is to mediate God’s presence to the people, the Lord refers to it as ‘the tent of my presence’ or ‘the tent of meeting’. At the end of chapter 29 the Lord says to Moses…
  • “…at the entrance of the tent of my presence… I will meet my people and speak to you. There I will meet the people of Israel and the dazzling light of my presence will make the place holy…
  • …I will live among the people of Israel and I will be their God. They will know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of Egypt so that I could live among them…”

In saying that He will live among the people of Israel, God is not forcing Himself into the community

  • Israel has a choice about whether they will receive God or not
  • God could have made the tent Himself and plonked it down in the middle of the camp, but He doesn’t
  • God is respectful of human freewill
  • He entrusts the making of His mobile home to the Israelites
  • If they don’t want God living among them then they simply don’t make the tent. By making the tent Israel are accepting Yahweh’s presence

We see God’s vulnerability, in giving the people the option to reject Him, at the beginning of Exodus 25 where the Lord says to Moses…

  • “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give.”
  • God wants His people to give willingly and freely – because they love Him and value His presence with them

Now while God comes to dwell among His people, God still maintains certain boundaries

  • Boundaries are important in relationships
  • Without appropriate boundaries the wheel of community falls apart
  • God’s tent is a holy place – it is made sacred and special by His presence
  • The people need to respect God’s holiness by keeping a certain distance

Holiness in the Old Testament is a dangerous thing – like fire

  • It provides warmth and light but if you get too close it will harm you
  • It’s not like people could casually drop by for a cuppa & a chat with God
  • In more than one place in these chapters God makes it clear, ‘You can’t touch this’

Only certain people (like the priests, Aaron and his sons) were allowed to approach the tabernacle and then only in a respectful and prescribed way

  • God devotes a whole chapter to instructions for the consecration of priests
  • Just as it took God seven days to consecrate the cosmos so too it takes seven days to ordain a priest
  • God’s holiness is a serious matter

It’s interesting to me that people outside the church often have a better sense of God’s holiness than we Christians do

  • We can be a bit casual in our approach to the Lord, while those who are less familiar with God may be more cautious

I remember when Robyn and I invited my grandfather to our wedding

  • He asked where the ceremony would be held and we said in a church
  • He then replied, ‘The church would fall down if I walked into it’
  • He was joking but there is usually a kernel of truth in people’s humour
  • His point was, ‘A church building is where God is worshipped and so it is a holy place. I’m not holy. How can I approach God?’

If you think about it, God’s holiness actually lends a certain dignity & honour to humanity who are made in His image

  • In verse 2 of Exodus 28 the Lord says, “Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron, to give him dignity and honour”
  • The rest of the chapter goes on to detail what the priest’s vestments will look like

The priest represented the people before God – he was sort of like the nation in one person

  • So by dressing the priest in a special way God was basically communicating to the people that His holy presence clothed all of Israel with dignity & honour
  • They were to be different from the nations around them and did not need to be ashamed of who they were

Okay then, God comes to dwell among His people Israel

  • His dwelling with them is not to be forced but freely accepted
  • Nor is His dwelling with them to be a casual thing, for God’s presence is holy, giving dignity & honour
  • What about the tabernacle itself – what can we learn about God’s tent?

 Tabernacle - plan

God’s Tent

On the wall here is a sketch of the tabernacle together with the surrounding courtyard and equipment (it’s also on the back of your newsletters)

  • This is not to scale and it doesn’t convey anything of the beauty or fine art prescribed by God – but it does give us an overall picture

[Take my Russian dolls and set them out on a table]

 

I have here my Russian dolls to help us understand something of the layout of God’s tent

  • On other occasions I have used these Russian dolls as a metaphor for the different layers of our human self
  • Today though, I am not using these dolls to describe our personality, much less God’s personality
  • God is mystery and He can’t be reduced to a set of dolls
  • I’m simply using these Babushkas to help us understand the layout of God’s tent (His mobile home)

From verse 10 of chapter 25 God begins His instructions with a plan for making what we call the ‘Ark of the Covenant’ or the ‘Ark of the Testimony’

  • Interestingly God starts with the smallest doll
  • He begins with the core or the heart of His mobile home

At the very core of God’s tent – in the most holy place – we find His covenant with Israel

  • As we heard last week a covenant is more than just a contract
  • A covenant is a sacred agreement for attachment
  • At the very heart of God’s house is not a TV, but a reminder of His commitment to Israel’s well being
  • We might call this commitment – this covenant – loyal love

After giving the dimensions for this ark (or chest), God then says in verse 17 of Exodus 25…

  • “Make an atonement cover of pure gold…” to go over the top of the ark

Some versions of the Bible translate this verse ‘mercy seat’

  • Essentially the atonement cover or the mercy seat represents forgiveness
  • God provides a covering for Israel’s sin and that covering is forgiveness
  • Forgiveness is the second smallest doll in the tabernacle

God is so good – He does not require us to deny our imperfection

  • He provides for our imperfection and shows a willingness to re-enter the relationship with us when we fail

The most holy place is separated from the holy place by a veil or a curtain

In Luke 23, verse 45 we read that when Jesus died on the cross the curtain in the temple – the curtain into the most holy place – was torn in two

  • Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross reveals God’s forgiveness, His atonement for our sin

The next doll (or the holy place) is where we find the table with the bread of the presence and the lamp stand – bread & light

  • Perhaps bread is the strength to serve and light is the wisdom to see by
  • Strength and wisdom is found with God
  • What did Jesus say?
  • I am the light of the world. I am the bread of life

Moving out of the tent itself to the outer courtyard we find a basin for the priests to wash their hands and two altars

  • This diagram only shows one altar but Exodus describes two
  • One for burning incense, a symbol of the people’s prayers rising to heaven and the other for burning sacrifices

The main altar, for burning sacrifices, was basically like an incinerator

  • It wasn’t like a table with a top on it
  • It was open at the top with a grate part way down
  • This is where animals were offered to God

The message seems to be it is not a cheap or easy thing to come near to God

  • There is sacrifice and purity involved

The courtyard is fenced off with a curtain around the perimeter

  • There is only one entrance to the courtyard and that faces to the east – toward the sunrise
  • (What was it Jesus said? No one comes to the Father except by me. Jesus is the gate to God the Father.)
  • Verse 16 of Exodus 27 tells how there is to be a curtain made of fine linen embroidered with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, at the entrance to the courtyard

So the impression given to the people looking from the outside is one of beauty

  • The outer doll is attractive
  • Or to put it another way, God’s presence – His holiness – is beautiful
  • This stands in contrast to our society which generally tends to associate beauty with youth, novelty and permissiveness

In saying that the outer doll is attractive and beautiful and fascinating in its intricate design and detail I don’t mean that God is pimping His mobile home

  • God is not making His tent look flashy
  • If anything He is toning it down so as not to embarrass His neighbours
  • When you think about it the really precious stuff is hidden inside God’s tent where most people don’t get to see it

The metals used inside the tent are gold & silver – whereas the metal used outside is predominantly bronze

  • There may be practical reasons for this but I can’t help thinking of the poetry of it all – God is modest and often comes to us in ordinary ways
  • He doesn’t put the gold on the outside of His tent – He puts it on the inside
  • He doesn’t bring out the best wine first and then save the poorer quality wine for later – No, He saves the best till last
  • The longer we are in relationship with Him, the more we get to know Him and the deeper we go, the better it gets

When we put all that together, from the inside out we have…

  • Loyal (covenant) love at the very core of God’s tent, the smallest doll
  • Then forgiveness or mercy
  • Then light & bread or wisdom to see by and strength to serve
  • Then the outer court, a place of purity & sacrifice
  • And then the largest doll – the curtain at the entrance – humble beauty, the beauty of holiness

As I mentioned before, quite a bit of space is devoted to the Tabernacle in Exodus

  • We may wonder why there is so much detail
  • Well, later in Israel’s history Solomon would build a temple
  • In many ways the temple was modelled off the tabernacle, except the temple wasn’t portable like a tent
  • God moved into the temple but you get the sense He was uneasy with it
  • I think He preferred His mobile home

Some centuries after Solomon the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and the survivors of Israel carried off to exile in Babylon

  • While in exile they didn’t have a temple
  • But they did have the elaborate description of the tabernacle which they could read about and picture in their mind’s eye
  • What a comfort it would have been to the exiles to be reminded that God is not fixed in one place – that God is able to move with them

Conclusion:

Ultimately though, the instructions for the tabernacle point to Christ

  • Jesus is the incarnation of God – He is Emmanuel – God with us
  • In the person of Jesus God didn’t just set up a tent among His people
  • God’s Word actually became a man and lived life as one of God’s people
  • Holiness rubbed shoulders with humanity

As we read at the beginning of John’s gospel…

  • The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth

Now God lives among His people by His Spirit

  • Today the Christian Church is the tabernacle of God
  • We, the Lord’s people, are God’s mobile home, made to mediate His presence in the world
  • This is a mystery too profound to explain – the best we can do is remain present to it (present to God’s presence, among us and through us)

Let us pray…

[1] Terence Frethiem, Exodus, page 277.

Tawa Baptist

Covenant

Scripture: Exodus 24:1-11

Title: Covenant

Key Idea: A covenant is a sacred agreement for attachment

 

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Communication
  • Commitment
  • Communion
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

[Display slide 1]

 

On the wall here we have three images…

  • Some rope, a paper clip and a mother & baby having a cuddle
  • One word connects them. Can anyone tell me that word? [Wait]
  • Yes, that’s right – attachment

[Stop displaying slide 1]

This morning we are talking about covenant

  • A covenant is a sacred agreement for attachment
  • A covenant connects people – it holds relationships together

Please turn with me to Exodus chapter 24, page 85 in your pew Bibles

  • Today we continue our series on Moses
  • Last week we heard about the Decalogue – God’s 10 words in Exodus 20
  • These words of instruction are His recipe for living well
  • This week, in Exodus 24, we are still at Mt Sinai where the covenant between God & Israel is formalised. From verse 1 we read…

Read Exodus 24:1-11

 

May we be aware of God’s presence with us now

Today’s reading describes how the covenant between God & Israel was formalised

  • More than just a regular contract a covenant is a sacred agreement for attachment
  • A covenant goes above and beyond a regular contract to bind relationships together
  • There are three aspects to a covenantal agreement, each of which support attachment. They are: Communication, commitment and communion

Communication:

Cell phones – it is difficult for many of us to remember how we ever got on without them

  • They are so convenient and helpful for keeping us in contact with each other. It’s the same with the internet
  • Cell phones & internet give us a feeling of attachment
  • It’s not real attachment – it’s only virtual – but we can still get a bit anxious if someone doesn’t reply to our text or email quickly enough

Of course to be able to use a cell phone or the internet you need a network provider – whether that’s 2 Degrees or Spark or Vodafone or whatever

  • There isn’t much loyalty with network providers these days – we tend to go with whoever happens to be offering the best deal at the time
  • You might be on a contract with some company but a contract is different from a covenant
  • With a covenant both parties to the agreement have a sense of loyalty to each other
  • So a covenant is more permanent – less fickle – than a contract

As I mentioned before one of the key aspects of a covenant is communication

  • Communication supports attachment by creating a shared understanding, which in turn enables an agreement to be reached

What we see in the Bible is that God initiates the communication

  • From chapter 19 of the book of Exodus God has been communicating the terms of His offer to Moses
  • Now in verses 3-8 of Exodus 24 Moses leads the people through a ritual of communication & commitment to formalise the covenant

The ritual of communication begins with Moses telling the people all the Lord’s commands & instructions and the people respond by giving a verbal agreement

  • Then Moses puts it in writing
  • So far it is looking very much like a regular commercial contract
  • Except the way you seal a covenant is different from the way you seal a contract
  • You seal a contract by signing it – with your signature
  • But you don’t sign a covenant – you cut a covenant
  • Sealing a covenant, therefore, involves the shedding of blood

Blood is an interesting thing to use for sealing the deal

  • Unlike ink, blood is potent – it represents life
  • If you have a wound or an infection in some part of your body, it is the flow of blood which heals it – without blood flow the wound won’t heal
  • Using blood to seal the agreement gives the covenant more weight, more significance, more meaning
  • This covenant between God & Israel is a sacred agreement for life and healing

To cut this covenant, Moses gets some fit young men to sacrifice some animals

  • He takes half the blood and sets it aside in bowls
  • Then he takes the other half of the blood and throws it against the altar
  • This is messy stuff – but essentially the blood on the altar represents God’s signature – His part in cutting the deal

Before getting the people’s signature though, Moses first reads the book of the covenant to the Israelites

  • This details the terms of the agreement – both God’s promises to them and their responsibilities to God and each other

Commitment:

When you attach a trailer to a car you don’t just tie it on with rope or stick it on with masking tape – that would never hold

  • You need something strong, firm and able to take the weight, like a tow bar bolted (or welded) to the frame of your car
  • The coupling at the pointy end of the trailer is attached to the tow ball with a clasp, a bolt to hold the clasp in place and a safety chain

The genius of the tow bar and trailer arrangement is the capacity for movement

  • The attachment to the tow ball allows some pivoting from side to side so you can turn corners and back the trailer
  • If the attachment was completely rigid, allowing no movement at all, something would break or you’d never make it around a bend

The second aspect of covenant is commitment

  • A covenant commitment is firm and strong like a tow bar
  • But it’s not completely rigid
  • There is some room for movement in the commitment

After hearing God’s offer and terms read aloud the people say…

  • “We will obey the Lord and do everything that he has commanded”
  • This shows us the people entered into the agreement knowingly & freely

Then Moses took the blood in the bowls and threw it on the people

  • He said, “This is the blood that seals the covenant which the Lord made with you when he gave you these commands”
  • In other words, ‘This is your signature which seals the deal’
  • Now the people are officially attached by their commitment to Yahweh as He is attached and committed to them

One of the key differences between a covenant and a contract is the strength of the commitment

  • The commitment inherent in a covenant is far greater than the commitment stipulated in a contract
  • The strength of a contract is like masking tape compared to the strength of a covenant, which is like a tow bar

A contractual commitment tends to be limited

  • It is usually for a fixed period of time (like a lease agreement)
  • Or until one of the parties decides they want out (like an employment agreement)
  • But a covenantal commitment is more open ended – it doesn’t have an expiry date
  • A covenant is till death do us part (like with marriage)

This is not to say there is no room for movement with a covenant

  • Like a trailer on a tow ball there is capacity to turn corners and make minor adjustments
  • The point is, a covenant is stronger and more fit for purpose when it comes to carrying anything of weight or substance

The sacrifices made in verse 5 aren’t just a way of obtaining blood to seal the deal – they are also an acted out parable or a visual symbol of the commitment required by the people

  • The message is: Being in a covenant relationship with God will cost you
  • Moses is up front about that cost and so is Jesus
  • ‘Pick up your cross and follow me’, is what Christ said

The Israelites did two things in particular to remember their commitment to God’s covenant

  • The first was male circumcision – cutting the foreskin and shedding the blood of sons at eight days old
  • This was like adding your signature to the covenant in a personal way
  • The second sign of the covenant, for Israel, was keeping the Sabbath
  • Dedicating one day in seven to the Lord by stopping to rest

We Christians also do two things to remember God’s new covenant with us through Christ

  • We commit initially (and personally) by being baptised in water
  • And we remember the covenant on-going by sharing communion together

 

Communion:

Perhaps my favourite image of attachment is that of tree roots in the ground

  • Not only do the roots keep the tree firmly in place through all sorts of weather, they also draw up water & nutrients from the soil to feed the tree
  • There is an organic closeness between the roots and the soil

The third aspect of covenant present in today’s reading from Exodus is communion

  • After the ritual of communication and commitment, Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and the 70 elders of Israel went up the mountain and communed with God

Verse 10 tells us they saw God and beneath His feet was what looked like a pavement of sapphire, as blue as the sky

This verse is shrouded in mystery

  • We don’t get a description of what God looks like, God is indescribable
  • The most we get is a description of God’s footpath

God does not say anything here – He just lets the men gaze in awe and wonder

  • They saw God and then they ate and drank together
  • It is unclear whether this means the men actually ate with God or whether they simply ate with each other after seeing God
  • Either way we know they enjoyed a unique communion with the Lord, for God did not harm these leading men of Israel

Communion – this is perhaps the most important difference between a covenant and a contract

  • The primary purpose of a contract is to protect the parties from each other
  • By contrast the purpose of a covenant is not to protect but to share
  • With a contract the different parties to the agreement are trying to maintain their separateness – this is mine, this is yours
  • But with a covenant the parties are aiming for oneness – what’s mine is yours – like tree roots in the soil
  • Marriage is a covenant in which the two become one

God’s covenant with Israel at Sinai is similar to marriage in that both God and Israel are agreeing to work together (as one) for the same purpose, with each other’s well-being in mind

Conclusion:

This morning we’ve heard how a covenant is a sacred agreement for attachment

  • A covenant holds relationships together with communication, commitment and communion
  • It combines strength with movement – like a tow bar
  • And it allows closeness and sharing – like tree roots in soil

Not every agreement we enter into needs to be a covenant

  • In fact, because covenants are so demanding, we human beings can only handle 1 or 2 at a time
  • Those two being marriage and our relationship with God through Christ

Jesus came to establish a new covenant between God and humanity

  • It is a covenant in which God’s words are written on our heart so that we internalise them and obey God from the inside out
  • It is a covenant in which Jesus is sacrificed on the cross so that His blood seals the deal
  • And it is a covenant which makes communion or closeness with God and each other possible, so that we may share in God’s life

In a few minutes we will remember the new covenant made possible through Christ as we share together in the living ritual of communion

  • To help us prepare let’s stand and sing, ‘Only by grace can we enter…’
  • I ask the communion stewards to come forward at the end of the song

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+24%3A1-11&version=GNT

Tawa Baptist

Ten Words

Scripture: Exodus 20:1-17

Title: Ten Words

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • God’s love comes first – relationship, freedom & grace (v.2)
  • Loving God – loyalty & jealousy (vv.3-7)
  • Sabbath holds it all together – creation not chaos (vv. 8-11)
  • Loving neighbour – community not competition (vv. 12-17)
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Whenever I cook I like to follow a recipe

  • Without the instructions I’m cooking blind and don’t know if the outcome will taste any good
  • But with the recipe I don’t worry
  • The recipe gives me confidence that we will eat well that night

Please turn with me to Exodus chapter 20, page 80 in your pew Bibles

  • Today we resume our series on Moses
  • By this stage in their journey Israel are 3 months out of Egypt, camped at the foot of Mt Sinai
  • Moses is acting as an intermediary between God and the people, communicating God’s words to the Israelites
  • In this morning’s reading God gives Moses a recipe for life
  • These are God’s instructions for living well
  • From Exodus chapter 20, verse 1, we read…

Read Exodus 20:1-17

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this reading for us

This recipe or list of instructions, in Exodus 20, has been summarised as ‘love God and love your neighbour’

  • And while that’s a pretty good summary it doesn’t actually start with our love – it begins with God’s love
  • Before we can love God, or anyone else, we must first accept God’s love for us – if we miss out that step all our efforts will come to nothing

God’s love comes first – relationship, freedom & grace (v.2)

The thing with following a recipe, or any other set of instructions, is that you have to follow all of it

  • If you leave out any part of the recipe then it doesn’t taste right
  • For example, you might be making a brownie and you see the list of ingredients includes 100 grams of butter
  • You think to yourself – that’s easy – I’ll just measure out 100 grams and throw it in the bowl with the sugar and the flour
  • Then you can’t understand why the ingredients don’t combine well
  • So you go back to read the recipe again (properly this time) and you see that you were supposed to melt the butter first

It’s the same with flat pack furniture

  • You might think you can take a short cut here or there but if you miss out any steps along the way or get those steps in the wrong order, you have to start again

This recipe or list of instructions that God gives Moses in Exodus 20 is commonly referred to as the ‘10 Commandments’

  • It would be more accurate though to call this the ‘10 Words’ or the Decalogue (deca meaning 10 and logue meaning word)

Verse 1 reads, ‘God spoke and these were his words.’

  • The original Hebrew text doesn’t even mention the term ‘commandment’ in this passage

Anyway in verse 2, Yahweh says to Moses…

  • “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, where you were slaves.”

Clearly this is not a commandment – it is a statement of fact

  • God is essentially saying, ‘Israel, I love you. Remember that, because my love is how it all begins’
  • Consequently, in Jewish tradition, the Decalogue (or the 10 words) begins with verse 2

Unfortunately our Protestant tradition overlooks verse 2 altogether

  • Our tradition begins with verse 3, ‘Worship no God but me’.
  • By not paying attention to vs. 2 we Protestants have messed up the recipe
  • We’ve forgotten the first & most important ingredient – God’s love for us

So let’s get it right then – let’s pay attention to the whole recipe and start with God’s first word in verse 2 – because this is where God makes it plain what His intention is in giving the Law

Yahweh begins, “I am the Lord your God”

  • This is a statement of personal relationship
  • As Terence Fretheim observes: The address is to the individual ‘you’ and not to Israel generally – which lifts up the importance of internal motivation rather than corporate pressure or external coercion [1]
  • In other words, God’s instructions should be understood relationally and personally
  • God does not intend for our obedience to be forced from the outside but wants us to obey Him freely and willingly from the inside, because we know He loves us and we love Him in return

We have speed limits on our roads

  • Those limits are put there for our well-being, our safety
  • We might obey the speed limit for external reasons – because we don’t want to get snapped by a speed camera and fined
  • Or we might obey the speed limit for internal reasons – because we care about the people travelling in our vehicle
  • They say a man never drives more carefully than when he has his new born baby in the car. Why? Because he loves his child
  • As a father he isn’t worried about speed cameras – he just wants to protect his child
  • God’s words, His instructions or His recipe, are given in love
  • And He means for us to keep His words out of love for Him – not out of fear of punishment

God goes on to say, in verse 2 …

  • I brought you out of Egypt where you were slaves
  • The message is clear – God’s intention for Israel is that they be free
  • The Law is not to be understood as another form of bondage
  • The Law is to be understood as a recipe for freedom

When God says…

  • Do not commit murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal and so on, He isn’t taking away their freedom
  • He is indicating how they can more fully enter into their freedom
  • The Law is not a whip and God is not a slave driver
  • The Law is a gift and God is a redeemer

The other thing we should note here is that grace comes first, before the giving of the Law

  • God saved Israel before they had done anything to deserve it, that’s grace
  • Grace is the horse and obedience is the cart
  • The horse of grace pulls the cart of obedience
  • We mustn’t get the cart before the horse

So, God frames His Law in terms of personal relationship, freedom and grace

  • God gives the Law for our well-being
  • The Law is intended as an expression of God’s love for us

 

The first step in God’s recipe then is recognising His love for us

  • The second step is about us loving Him
  • Loving God means being loyal to Him

 

Loving God – loyalty & jealousy (vv.3-7)

In verse 3 the Lord says, ‘Worship no God but me’

  • Then He goes on to explain in verses 4 & 5, this means you don’t make any sort of graven image and you don’t bow down to any idol

Basically God wants our exclusive loyalty

  • He tolerates no rivals (as the Good News Bible puts it)
  • It’s not that God is insecure or feels threatened by the competition
  • Rather, there is no competition
  • There are no other gods beside Yahweh and therefore we would be wasting our time if we worshipped anything else

More literal translations of verse 5 have the Lord saying, ‘I am a jealous God’

  • We tend to think of jealousy as a negative thing – like envy
  • And while jealousy can have that nuance in today’s modern English use-age, it never has that meaning in relation to God – God is not envious

The word jealousy originates from the Latin word zelosus – from which we get the word zealous  [2]

  • Jealousy, in relation to God, has to do with His zealousness for our well being

I didn’t really begin to understand the concept of God’s jealousy until I became a parent

  • You know when your child is vulnerable or threatened or at risk in some way and you experience this incredible urge from within to protect them
  • That energy, that irrepressible instinct to protect, that’s jealousy in the positive sense of the word

There is a movie which came out in 2008 starring Liam Neeson, called Taken

  • I haven’t seen the movie because, as a father of two girls, I don’t find that kind of thing entertaining
  • Basically the daughter of an ex CIA agent is kidnapped and the father (Liam Neeson) goes after the kidnappers to get his girl back
  • The father is jealous for his daughter – he is fiercely protective of her and will not rest until she is safe

God is jealous in the sense that He is fiercely protective of those in His care – those who belong to Him

  • He is jealous in the sense that He will leave no stone unturned to find us and restore us to Himself

Pharaoh inflamed the Lord’s jealousy by his mistreatment of the Hebrew people and Egypt suffered terribly as a consequence

We see the lengths that God would go to, in His jealous love for us, in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross

God’s jealousy, then, is essentially His protective instinct for us

  • Like a parent’s protective instinct with their child
  • God doesn’t want us to bow down to anything else because that would be bad for us and He wants to protect us from what is bad
  • It’s really quite cool that in loving God we are doing ourselves a favour

In the same way that God is jealous for our well-being – we too need to be jealous for God’s reputation

  • And so in verse 7 The Lord says, ‘Do not use my name for evil purposes’
  • Or, ‘Do not take the Lord’s name in vain’

To take the Lord’s name in vain is to say, ‘You must do what I say because God has told me this’, when in fact God has not told you that

To take the Lord’s name in vain is to claim you are doing God’s work by blowing yourself up in a crowd or flying a passenger plane into a high rise

To take the Lord’s name in vain is to say, ‘I’m a Christian’ and then live the lifestyle of a pagan

God is jealous for us and we need to be jealous for Him

  • Loyalty and jealousy – that is what it means to love God

Sabbath holds it all together – creation not chaos (vv.8-11)

When you make a cake you need a binding ingredient – something (like an egg for example) that holds the mixture together

At the centre of God’s recipe is the instruction to dedicate one day in seven, a Sabbath to the Lord for resting

  • The Sabbath is the binding ingredient in God’s recipe for living well
  • It holds together God’s love for us with our love for God & our neighbour
  • Or to change the metaphor: The Sabbath instruction is a major intersection connecting the main arterial routes within God’s Law

We observe a Sabbath for ourselves, for our neighbour and for the sake of creation

Jesus said, ‘Man was not made for the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for man’

  • Before anything else the Sabbath reminds us of God’s love for us
  • The Sabbath is a gift from God for our well-being
  • By resting, our body is restored and our mind is released from the knots it gets itself into
  • Rest prevents work from becoming an idol and therefore helps us to remain loyal to God

If you are baking bread then normally part of the process involves allowing the dough time to rest before you put it in the oven

  • Or when you cook a choice piece of meat – you don’t cut it as soon as it leaves the pan – you let it rest for a few minutes first

If we are going to enjoy life and get the most out of it then we need to factor in times of regular rest

Not only is it good for us when we observe a Sabbath, it is good for others also – it makes us easier to live with

In verse 10 the Lord says the Sabbath is for everyone, including your children, your manservants & maidservants, your animals and the foreigners living in your country

  • This instruction was way ahead of its time
  • In other cultures the men in charge might be allowed a day off while everyone else had to keep working
  • In Israel though, there was to be Sabbath equality

At its heart, Sabbath rest is really about creation. In verse 11 God says…

  • “In six days I, the Lord, made the earth, the sky, the sea, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That is why I, the Lord, blessed the Sabbath and made it holy.”

There is a relationship between the physical order and the moral order

  • When Adam sinned against God in the garden, the land was cursed
  • When we make production and consumption and money more important than God, then the environment suffers
  • But when we keep God’s moral order we preserve the physical order
  • Observing Sabbath rest is a creative act which keeps the forces of chaos at bay

The first step in God’s recipe is recognising His love for us

  • The second step is us loving God – being loyal to Him & jealous for His reputation
  • The key ingredient which holds it all together is Sabbath rest
  • Sabbath connects loving God with loving our neighbour

Loving neighbour – community not competition (vv. 12-17)

To love our neighbour is to be beside them and have their back – to be committed to their well-being as God is committed to our well-being

Verses 12-17, of Exodus 20, spell out what loving our neighbour looks like…

  • Honour your father and mother
  • Do not kill
  • Do not commit adultery
  • Do not steal
  • Do not accuse anyone falsely
  • Do not covet

These instructions are about living in community, as opposed to living in competition

  • Community requires cooperation – competition leads to isolation
  • Community sees connections and how to strengthen those connections
  • Competition sees people either as tools to be used or as a threat to be eliminated
  • In community we have each other’s back – we don’t worry about ourselves – we think about the person next to us
  • Therefore we have a sense of security in community
  • But in competition there is only anxiety

When we look at these ‘love thy neighbour’ instructions we notice that at least two of them relate directly to family life

  • Honouring parents and not committing adultery
  • Parents and husband or wife are our nearest neighbours
  • To follow these two instructions is to maintain family life which in turn strengthens the wider community

Honouring parents is an intentionally broad expression which may mean different things depending on the circumstances and stages of life

  • When we are young it could mean obeying our parents, but it won’t always mean that
  • As our parents get older and less able, honouring them might mean taking care of their physical needs

‘Do not kill’, is a tricky one – particularly in light of some other aspects of Old Testament Law where God seems to condone killing

  • For this reason some translators prefer to say, ‘Do not commit murder’
  • But this is problematic also
  • Perhaps it is good that the Hebrew word for kill (rasah) is a little vague in its definition, because this forces us to continually reflect on the meaning of the commandment, particularly in light of issues like war, euthanasia, suicide, self-defence and abortion
  • I like what Terence Fretheim says here: “The basis of the command is that all life belongs to God. The divine intention in creation is that no life be taken. Life is thus not for human beings to do with as they will; they are not God.” [3]

We are not to steal, because work is a gift from God and when someone steals they show contempt for other people’s work

  • Stealing, in the original context, could also be a life and death matter, depending on what was stolen and how poor the victim was

‘Do not accuse anyone falsely’, was originally a reference to not giving a false testimony in legal proceedings – don’t pervert justice in other words

  • But it could also mean don’t gossip or speak slanderous or deceptive words about anybody
  • We need to have each other’s backs in our conversations and guard one another’s reputations – this builds trust

Covetousness has to do with misplaced desire, envy, lust & greed and this last instruction is mostly concerned with a person’s inner life – the inclinations of the heart and the habits of the mind

  • The thing with coveting is that other people can’t usually tell when we are doing it – but God knows, because God looks on the heart
  • If we avoid coveting other people’s stuff then we will probably avoid breaking the previous five ‘love thy neighbour’ instructions

Conclusion:

There’s a lot more we could say about God’s recipe in Exodus 20 – in particular the way Jesus modified it and extended its meaning in His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 – but that’s enough for today

The main thing to take away is that the Decalogue (God’s 10 Words of instruction) are a recipe for living well

The first step in the recipe is recognising God’s love for us

  • Grace comes before the Law
  • But even the Law itself is an expression of God’s grace
  • God gives His instructions so we can be free

The second step is us loving God

  • That means being loyal to Him & jealous for His reputation

The key ingredient which holds it all together is Sabbath rest

  • Sabbath is a creative act in that it keeps the forces of chaos at bay and connects loving God with loving our neighbour

To love our neighbour is to have their back – to stand beside them in commitment to their well-being as God is committed to our well being

  • Loving our neighbour requires a community attitude, in contrast to a competitive attitude

Let us pray…

[1] Terence Fretheim, Exodus, page 222

[2] http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/jealous

[3] Terence Fretheim, Exodus, page 233.