Tawa Baptist

A Good Question

Scripture: Mark 12:28-34

Video Link: https://youtu.be/nSDaWrGlAWE

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The most important
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

If you want to get to know someone better, then you need to ask good questions. A good question has a number of characteristics…

For example, a good question is simple and concise, not so long and complicated that the other person gets lost or has to ask you to repeat yourself.

A good question has an honest purpose. By that I mean, you have a good reason for asking the question. You’re not trying to trick or embarrass anyone. You are genuinely interested in learning what the other person thinks. 

A good question is also open-ended, one that invites more than a yes / no answer. A question that engages the other person in conversation and maybe even reveals new insights.

Today we continue our series in the gospel of Mark. This morning’s lectionary reading is Mark 12, verses 28-34. To set the scene, Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem and is now teaching in the temple courts. Hope is running high.  

Up till this point various Jewish groups have been asking Jesus bad questions. Questions designed to catch him out and embarrass him. Long, complicated questions with a dishonest purpose. Questions intended to shut Jesus down.   

But in today’s lectionary reading, an expert in the law asks Jesus a good question. From Mark 12, verse 28 we read…

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.” 32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

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

The most important:

What is the most important part of a building? Is it the roof maybe? Without a roof you would get wet. But then without walls, you wouldn’t be able to put the roof on. So are the walls the most important part?

Well, the walls and the roof are important (certainly more important than the TV or the furnishings) but I reckon the foundation is the most important part.

If the foundation isn’t right, the walls and roof are likely to fall. 

How about a yacht? What’s the most important part of a yacht? Is it the sail? Without the sail the yacht isn’t going anywhere. Or is it the rudder? Without a rudder the yacht could end up on the rocks.

Well, the sail and the rudder are important, but I reckon the yacht’s buoyancy is the most important thing. If the hull takes in water the boat will sink.

What about marriage? What’s the most important aspect of a marriage relationship? Is it having things in common? Is it sex or romance? Is it communication? Well, all those things are helpful to a healthy marriage but, in my view, the most important thing is commitment. In particular, a commitment to one another’s wellbeing.   

Circumstances change and people change throughout the course of a lifetime. Commitment to one another’s wellbeing enables the relationship to function and to flourish through those changes. Commitment is the foundation of marriage. Commitment is the buoyancy keeping a marriage afloat through the storms of life.

In verse 28 we read how one of the teachers of the law heard Jesus give some good answers to some bad questions. Unlike the Herodians and Sadducees, who were out to trap Jesus, this teacher of the law asks Jesus a good question: Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

This question is simple and concise, it has an honest purpose and it is open-ended.

There are 613 written commandments in the law of Moses, not to mention all the other regulations added by the scribes and Pharisees. With so many rules it would be difficult to see the wood for the trees.

Did one commandment stand out from the rest? Is there one law which serves as a key for interpreting all the other laws? Yes, there is.  

Jesus refers to Deuteronomy 6, verses 4-5, as the most important commandment. These verses are known as the Shema…

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

The Shema begins with a command to hear or to listen. The first duty of love is to listen. We can’t obey God unless we know what he wants. Loving God starts with listening to God. 

Interestingly the Shema (the most important, most foundational) commandment includes some theological statements about God…

Firstly, the Lord (Yahweh) is our God. This speaks to Israel’s special covenant relationship with Yahweh. In Jewish and Christian thinking, God is not some impersonal force. God is not ‘the universe’. God is a conscious being, capable of personal relationship.

The idea here is that God is committed to Israel’s wellbeing and indeed to the wellbeing of all his creation. To put it more plainly, the command to love God is prefaced by the reminder that God loves us.    

The Shema also affirms that the Lord (Yahweh) is one. This speaks to the theological belief that there is only one true God, not lots of gods. The Lord God does not have any rivals. He is not fighting to stay on top. The Lord God is all-powerful, almighty. Nothing poses any kind of threat to Israel’s God. Therefore, we can trust the Lord God. We can find security in him.

But wait there’s another layer of theological meaning here. The phrasing,

“The Lord is one”, indicates that God has integrity. God is whole, complete, not divided within himself. There is a harmony within God. The Lord is one.

For example, God’s justice is not at odds with his mercy. God’s justice is one with his mercy. When God destroys evil that is both an act of justice and mercy at the same time.  

The substance of the Shema (the most important command) is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

The Greek word for love here is agapao (or agape). Often when we (English speakers) think of love, we imagine a pleasant warm fuzzy feeling, like falling in love. However, agape love is not always accompanied by a nice feeling.

Agape love is primarily an attitude of the mind and a decision of the will.

To love someone with agape love is to make a conscious choice to act in a way that is good for that person’s wellbeing, irrespective of how we feel.

You see, feelings cannot be commanded. We don’t have much control over whether we like someone or not. Jesus isn’t telling us what we must feel. Rather Jesus is telling us how to behave in relation to God.

Sometimes agape love requires us to go against the grain of our feelings. Thinking about thisin the context of our relationship with God, agape love says, I will remain loyal to God and obey him, even when it feels like God has abandoned me or let me down.   

The Shema says, lovethe Lord your God with all your heart. In general terms the heart, in the Old Testament, represents a person’s inner life, the core of your being where loyalty resides, where desire comes from, and decisions are made. The heart speaks to what you value and where your commitment lies.

To love God with all your heart therefore is to value God above all else.

It means not splitting your loyalty between God and any other thing.

Loving God with all your heart means remaining committed to the Lord God through thick and thin, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer.

Your soul probably refers to your life force, the spark of life. Your soul is that unseen energy which animates your body. Your personality (your true self) comes from your soul. To love God with all your soul is to love God with all the energy and creativity and personality you possess.

This means being yourself with God. Not trying to be something you’re not. Accepting the way God has made you, being honest with him and enjoying him. Your soul is unique, like your fingerprints. No one can love God in quite the same way you can. No one can give God joy like you can.

Eric Liddell the Olympic sprinter said, “I believe God made me for a purpose – but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure”. For Eric Liddell, running was an expression of his soul. When Eric Liddell ran, he was loving God and this gave God pleasure, a pleasure that Eric could feel in his spirit. 

When do you feel God’s pleasure? Do you feel it when you are singing or when you are baking or when you play an instrument or work in the garden or paint a masterpiece or hang out with your grandkids?

We can’t always be doing the things we love. But whenever we can, we should spend time in our own soul, doing the things that God made us to do, the things that give God pleasure.  

The soul and the body go together. You can’t really have one without the other. A body without a soul is like a guitar without strings or a computer without software. It’s dead. Likewise, a soul without a body is like a surgeon with no hands or a pianist with no piano. The soul needs the body to express itself.

And so loving God with all your soul goes hand in hand with loving God with all your strength. On one level your strength is your physical power and stamina. But it’s more than that. Your strength is your skill and your aptitude as well.

Are you good with your hands? How might you use your practical skills to love God? Maybe by doing odd jobs for the those who are in need? 

Are you good with children? How might you use your aptitude with children to love God? Maybe by volunteering to help in Kids’ Church?

Your strength extends to the resources you possess too. Your strength might include things like your time, your money and your social connections. Therefore, to love God with all your strength means being a good steward of the time and money God has given you. Being generous with God and the poor.

Loving God then, is not just something we do on Sundays or special occasions like Christmas or Easter. Loving God is something we do everyday.

One thing we notice is that Jesus adds in loving God with all your mind as well. The original Shema doesn’t explicitly mention loving God with your mind, but it is surely implied by the terms heart, soul and strength.

Perhaps Jesus adds in loving God with your mind because he is talking with an educated man. For the teacher of the law, the mind (or one’s understanding) had special significance.

The point seems to be that God’s law is not something that can be blindly followed without thinking about it. Figuring out how to apply God’s law of love in a messy unstable world requires mental effort. It requires us to slow down and think through the implications, not just for ourselves but also for God and our neighbour.   

We probably shouldn’t make too much of the distinction between heart, soul, mind and strength. While each of these words adds an interesting layer of meaning, there’s also quite a bit of overlap between them, like a Venn diagram.

The main point here is to love God with your whole being. Love God with all that you are and all that you have. That is the first and most important commandment according to Jesus. That is the key to understanding all the other commandments.

In verse 31 of Mark 12, Jesus goes on to say: “The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.”

Loving your neighbour as yourself is another way of saying, ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’. Or treat others the way you would like to be treated. Of course, loving your neighbour as yourself implies that you take good care of yourself too, as Murray emphasised four weeks ago. 

The Greek word Jesus uses here for loving your neighbour is agape, the same word he uses for loving God. As I mentioned earlier, agape is an attitude of the mind and a decision of the will.

The Jews of the first century would have understood their neighbour to be a fellow Jew. But as Ewan reminded us, three weeks ago, Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan demonstrates that your neighbour could be anyone you meet.

Whether you know your neighbour or not, whether you like your neighbour or not, God’s command of agape love requires you to act for their wellbeing, to the extent you can. Of course, each of us comes with our own limitations. It is not always in our power to help our neighbour as much as we might want to. 

Leviticus 19 lists various practical examples of loving your neighbour…

‘Do not steal. Do not deceive one another. Do not pervert justice. Do not spread slander. Do not hate your brother in your heart. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge… but love your neighbour as yourself.’   

The teacher of the Law asks Jesus a good question: ‘What is the most important commandment?’ Jesus’ reply weaves together two commandments as one. Love God with your whole being and love your neighbour as yourself.

Jesus is making the point that love for God cannot be separated from love for your neighbour. And love for your neighbour cannot be separated from love for yourself.

It’s like the apostle John says in his first letter to the early church…  

19 We love because God first loved us. 20 If we say we love God, but hate others, we are liars. For we cannot love God, whom we have not seen, if we do not love others, whom we have seen. 21 The command that Christ has given us is this: whoever loves God must love others also.

God is one. Human beings are made in the image of God and therefore to love God is to love people. These all go together.

In verse 32 of Mark 12, the teacher of the law responds positively to Jesus.

The lawyer asked a good question and he found common ground with Jesus.

Normally Jesus is at odds with the religious leaders. But Jesus does not prejudge this man by his experience of other religious experts. Jesus takes each person as he finds them.

More than this, Jesus leaves room for the teacher of the law to add his own insight. And what an insight it is. To love God and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.

This might seem ho hum to us, but it was a huge admission from an expert in the law. This religious leader was implying that the temple system with all its rituals and sacrifices wasn’t all that important, compared to love.

If loving God and neighbour is the foundation and framework of the building, then ritual sacrifice is like the furnishings. Just as the carpet and curtains make no difference to the structural integrity of the building, so too ritual sacrifice makes no difference to our relationship with God. Love is what really matters.

And Jesus couldn’t agree more. In fact, Jesus’ once for all sacrifice on the cross fulfills the law in this regard, doing away with the need for a temple building and ritual sacrifice. This teacher of the law is quite progressive for his time. Jesus commends the man saying, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” 

Conclusion:

One of my favourite love stories would have to be Matthew’s account of how Jesus’ parents, Mary and Joseph, got together. Jesus’ stepfather, Joseph, shows us what it means to love God and love your neighbour as yourself.

Mary was engaged to Joseph when Joseph found out Mary was pregnant.

Joseph did not know who the father was. It appeared as though Mary had committed adultery and the letter of the Law stipulated that Mary should be put to death for her crime.

Joseph had every right to feel angry, but he did not let his feelings get the better of him. Joseph took some time to love God with his mind. He considered the situation before deciding what he would do.

If Mary had cheated on him, then his love for God meant he could not marry her, for God does not condone adultery. Also, Joseph’s love for himself prevented him from marrying a woman who (it seemed) did not care for him.

But Joseph’s love for his neighbour meant he could not insist on Mary’s execution. If Mary was killed, her unborn child would die also. That would be taking an innocent life, that would be unfair. 

Because Joseph was a righteous man, he decided to divorce Mary quietly and save her from public disgrace. This would leave Mary free to marry the man who got her pregnant and two lives would be saved. In this way, Joseph obeyed God’s law of love.     

As it turned out, God let Joseph in on the secret that Mary had conceived by the Holy Spirit. Mary had been faithful after all. So Joseph went ahead and married Mary. The rest is history.

Let us pray. Gracious God, forgive us for the times we lose sight of what is most important. Help us to love you with understanding. Help us to live in our own soul and to feel your pleasure. Help us to support the wellbeing of those around us and so glorify you. Through Jesus we pray. Amen. 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. If you had the opportunity to ask one question of Jesus, what would it be?
  3. Discuss / reflect on the theological meaning(s) inherent in the statement, “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” What does this tell us about God?
  4. What is agape love? How is agape love different from romantic love? Can you think of a time in your own life when you gave or received agape love? What happened?
  5. When do you feel God’s pleasure? How do you (personally) spend time in your own soul? Why is this important?
  6. What strengths, skills or resources do you possess? How might you best use these to love God and your neighbour?
  7. Why does Jesus hold together loving God with loving your neighbour as yourself? Why can’t these commands be separated?
  8. What is significant about the teacher of the law’s response to Jesus in Mark 12:32-33? 
Tawa Baptist

Tree of Life

Scriptures: Proverbs 11:30 & 3:18 & Luke 7:1-10

Video Link: https://youtu.be/dqemajnLd6I

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Tree of life
  • Winning souls
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning, everyone.

Today we continue our sermon series in the book of Proverbs. Broadly speaking, we might think of the book of Proverbs like a sandwich. The opening and closing chapters are the bread holding together the filling of proverbial sayings in the middle. 

Chapters 1-9 offer poems extolling the value of wisdom. We have been focusing on these chapters over the past few weeks.

Chapters 10-29 contain hundreds of short sayings which serve as a guide for how the world operates. These little nuggets of wisdom tend toward generalisation and don’t explore the exceptions to the rule all that much.  

The proverbial sayings do not appear to be arranged in any sort of helpful order. It’s not like there is a nice, neat chapter on alcohol and then a chapter on sex and a chapter on money. The sayings are all mixed together. 

The book of Proverbs closes (in chapters 30-31) with the bread of more poetry.

Today we take a bite into the filling of the Proverbs sandwich, the actual wisdom sayings themselves.

Our message this morning focuses on chapter 11, verse 30, which reads…

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

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

The tree of life:

Trees are amazing. They have the power to heal and to make life better.

Trees turn carbon dioxide into oxygen, so we can breathe. The leaves of a tree also purify the air, removing toxins within a 100 metre radius. 

Trees promote biodiversity by providing a home for all sorts of wildlife including birds, insects and small animals.

Trees take care of the soil. Tree roots help to prevent erosion and they purify the water running off into streams and rivers.

Trees act as a natural air conditioner, helping to cool temperatures in urban areas. City streets are covered in tar seal which exasperates the heat. Trees shade the tar seal from the sun, thus reducing the temperature in the neighbourhood.

Walking or sitting among trees supports mental health too. Trees reduce people’s stress levels and calm anxiety. This is to say nothing of the beauty of trees. Trees are life giving in every way.

Perhaps the most obvious benefit of trees though, is the fruit they produce. Trees are a source of food for humans and animals, birds and bees.

Proverbs 11, verse 30, is a verse of two halves. The first half describes the fruit of the righteous as a tree of life.

The righteous are people who, as a matter of principle and habit, routinely do the right thing in their relationships with others. Righteousness equates to right relationship.

The fruit of the righteous refers to the words and actions of righteous people. Things like justice, honesty, mercy, kindness, faithfulness, forgiveness, humility and so on. Let me give you an example based on something that happened to me when I was at university…

Imagine you go to a cash machine to get some money out. You try to withdraw $200 but the machine doesn’t give you the cash. The money comes off your account balance as a withdrawal but there’s something wrong with the ATM, so the money doesn’t physically come out.  

The ATM is right outside an actual branch of the bank, so you go inside and stand in line for 20 minutes. Eventually you are seen and explain your story to a bank teller. The teller listens patiently only to say, “I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do.” She doesn’t believe you.

At that moment another customer walks up to the teller next to you and says, “I just withdrew $20 from the ATM outside but the machine gave me $220, so I’m returning the extra $200.” It is then clear to everyone the ATM had a hiccup and the $200 belongs to you. The teller gives you the $200, you thank the honest stranger and go on your way feeling strangely warm inside.

The person who got $220 when they only withdrew $20 could have walked away with the extra money and no one would be any the wiser. But she didn’t. She was righteous and returned the cash that did not belong to her. The fruit of her righteousness in this situation was justice and honesty.

Her justice and honesty were a tree of life to you. Not only did you have the money you needed to buy your groceries, but you also felt better about the world you live in. The fruit of this righteous woman strengthened your capacity for trust and helped you to be less anxious.

The thing about trees is they are always doing good. It’s not like they carry out random acts of kindness when it suits them. Trees do good for the environment all the time, simply by their living presence.

It’s the same with righteous people. They have a positive, life-giving effect on those around them all the time, through their presence and because that is who they are.

Sometimes we might think that to be righteous we must perform some grand gesture or carry out a heroic task of superhuman proportions. Maybe like working in a refugee camp or finding a cure for cancer or rescuing kittens from a burning building or raising lots of money for a good cause. And while they may be good things to do, righteousness is usually more routine, more ordinary than that.

Righteousness is not an isolated act. Righteousness is a state of being. Being there for your family, to support them. Being content with your husband or wife and not looking over the fence. Turning up to work, doing your best for your employer or your employees. Using your pay to put food on the table.

Righteousness is being patient when your child is having a tantrum. Righteousness is knowing when to say ‘yes’ and when to say ‘no’. Righteousness is owning your mistakes and putting things right to the extent you can. Righteousness is trusting God to make things right when you have been wronged.     

Another thing about trees is they do good silently, invisibly. Most of the time we don’t even notice the good trees are doing. Unless we consciously go out of our way to study trees, we probably take them for granted.   

Righteous people are like trees in that they don’t advertise the good they do. Most of the time we don’t even notice righteous people. Righteousness is not glamourous or attention seeking. In fact, righteousness may appear quite pedestrian or boring even.

Reflecting on your own experience for a moment; who, through their righteousness, has been a tree of life to you? [Pause]

Those of you who know your Bibles will be aware there is mention of the tree of life in Genesis. What connection (if any) is there between the tree of life in the garden of Eden and the tree of life in Proverbs? In Genesis 2 we read…

9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Adam and Eve were allowed to eat the fruit of any of the trees in the Garden of Eden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Sadly, they disobeyed God.

Consequently, Adam & Eve were expelled from Eden and not allowed access to the tree of life in case they ate the fruit and lived forever. This tells us the tree of life in Genesis represents immortality. Living forever without dying.

It might seem unkind of God to keep the tree of life from Adam and Eve, but it was a mercy. To live forever with our Sin would be terrible. The essence of Sin is alienation from God, alienation from our neighbour and alienation from ourselves.

To be alienated from yourself is to hate yourself. Some people project their self-hatred out onto others. Some people internalise it. To hate yourself is a cruel torment. To not be able to live with yourself (or anyone else) for all eternity would be a kind of living hell in which one longs to die.

It is because God did not want us to suffer in this way that he kept the tree of life from us. God was limiting our suffering. Death and resurrection are the fresh start we need to be free of sin and alienation.  

So how does the tree of life in Genesis inform our understanding of the tree of life in Proverbs? Well, the writers of Proverbs were most likely piggy backing off the tree of life imagery in Genesis.

Proverbs 11, verse 30, is not saying that the fruit of the righteous will enable people to literally live forever. It’s simply a poetic way of saying, righteousness promotes long life and well-being. Righteousness feeds the human soul and spirit with good things. Indeed, righteousness blesses the whole community.

Proverbs 3, verse 18, says that wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her. This is another way of saying the same thing: the wisdom of righteousness is life giving.    

Winning souls:

The second part of Proverbs 11, verse 30, says: and he who wins souls is wise.

If you come from an evangelical background then, for you, winning souls might equate to convincing someone to become a Christian. Getting them to pray the sinner’s prayer, ask Jesus into their heart and be baptised.  

But I don’t think that’s what the writers of Proverbs had in mind, not exactly.

A soul is a person’s life force. So, the word soul is associated with life. It’s a term that describes your essence. More than that though, the term soul refers to a whole person. As in the phrase, ‘there were 250 souls on board’, meaning there were 250 living individuals on board.

You are not just a body, with a mind. You are a soul, with a body and a mind. Your soul (your life force, your essence) animates your body and lends uniqueness to your personality. 

In the context of Proverbs 11, to win souls could mean to save someone’s life or at least have a positive and lifegiving effect on their wellbeing. It may also mean being winsome in the way you relate with others.

Both halves of verse 30 shed light on each other. If the first part of verse 30 is saying that the words and actions of a righteous person are lifegiving to those around them, then the second half is saying wise people (who are also righteous) have a positive effect on the people around them.

Looking at verse 30 from another angle, we might also say, a wise person knows that righteousness is the way to influence other people for good. When someone is treated with kindness and fairness, it affects their soul in a positive way, so they want to be kind and fair too.

A wise person wins souls by their righteous and winsome behaviour, not by fast talking or manipulation.

Let me give you two examples of people who win souls through wisdom and righteousness. The first is from the movie The Shawshank Redemption.

Andy, a righteous man, is sent to prison for a murder he did not commit. Despite suffering abuse and mistreatment, Andy petitions the authorities to send him books so he can teach other prisoners to read and write. The fruit of Andy’s righteousness is a tree of life to those around him. Andy has a lifegiving effect on his fellow inmates.

Through his wisdom and righteousness, Andy wins souls. One soul in particular is that of a fellow prisoner nicknamed Red. Red has been in Shawshank for decades and it has destroyed his capacity for hope. Red does not dare to imagine a better future because he knows that hope can drive a man insane. Hope is dangerous.

But Andy has a different perspective. Andy says, “Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”

At the end of the movie, Red is released from prison and the last thing we hear him say is, “I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope.”

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

Through his righteous friendship, Andy won Red’s soul. Andy restored Red’s capacity to hope.

As inspiring as it is, The Shawshank Redemption is a fictional story, based on a book by Stephen King. This is not to suggest the righteous who win souls are a fiction, just a nice ideal that does not exist in the real world. 

There is a true story, a gospel story, based on historical fact, which shows us what soul winning righteousness looks like. From Luke 7, verse 1 we read…

When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. 2 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” 6 So Jesus went with them.

The Roman army were the occupying force in Israel at the time of Jesus. The Roman army were the enforcers. Mostly they restricted Jewish freedom and oppressed the people.

But here we have a Roman Centurion, in charge of 100 soldiers, who is not destroying or oppressing the Jews but actually helping them by building a synagogue. The Centurion does the unexpected. He overturns our prejudice.  

This wise and righteous army officer is a tree of life to the Jewish community. Through his fairness and generosity, the Centurion has won the souls of the Jewish elders. He has earned the trust and respect of those he is there to police.  

More than that though, this Roman Centurion wins Jesus’ commendation too. Not by some grand gesture or heroic deed but by his vulnerability and faith. From verse 6 we continue our reading…

Jesus was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to Jesus: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

Jesus, who was Jewish, could not enter the home of a Gentile, like the Roman Centurion, without becoming ritually unclean. The Centurion knows this and finds a winsome way to save Jesus from this socially awkward and culturally embarrassing situation.

Here we have a greater quality of righteousness. The righteousness that comes from faith. The Centurion loves his servant, and he trusts Jesus to heal his servant from a distance.

9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Through his faith, the Centurion won the soul (or saved the life) of his servant, and he won the respect of Jesus in a winsome way. He continues to win souls even today.

Who do you identify with most in this story? The servant in need of healing? The wise Centurion? The Jewish elders who intercede? Perhaps you identify with Jesus? Or someone in the crowd following Jesus, bearing witness to it all? 

We may be reluctant to think of ourselves as the Centurion. Kiwi culture does not allow us to think too highly of ourselves. But we may not be too different from him. Like the Centurion, we too have put our faith in a Christ we have only heard of from a distance and not yet seen.

Conclusion:

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

Jesus was crucified on a cross, nailed to a tree of death. The fruit of Jesus’ righteousness, in going to the cross in love and obedience to God, is a tree of life to all those who put their faith in Christ. Indeed, Jesus’ wisdom in obeying God, even unto death, has won millions of souls down through the ages.

In a few moments we will share communion together. Communion is a time to remember the abundant life Jesus has won for us.

It is through Jesus’ death that our alienation comes to an end.

It is through Jesus’ sacrifice that our relationship with God is made right.

It is through Jesus’ love that we are set free from self-hatred.

It is through Jesus’ resurrection that our hope is restored.

May the righteousness of Jesus bear fruit in our lives. Amen.   

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading these Scriptures and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Discuss / reflect on the benefits of trees. When was the last time you planted a tree?
  • What does the fruit of the righteous refer to? Can you think of examples from the Bible or from your own experience?
  • Who, through their righteousness, is a tree of life to you? What do they do that is life giving? Give thanks to God for them. How might you be a tree of life to others?
  • Why does God restrict access to the tree of life in Genesis 3? Why is this a kindness?
  • What does Proverbs 11:30 mean by winning souls?
  • Thinking of the story of the Roman Centurion in Luke 7, who do you identify with most and why? The servant? The Centurion? The Jewish elders who intercede? Jesus? Or someone in the crowd following Jesus? 
Tawa Baptist

Completion

Scripture: 1st Thessalonians 5:23-28

Video Link: https://youtu.be/cLT84c9Vbto

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Completion of salvation
  • Affirmation of friendship
  • Conclusion – Grace

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Sometimes in the music world, you hear the term ‘unplugged’. An unplugged song is stripped down to its bones, so the sound is simpler, more acoustic. Unplugged songs often have an intimate feel.

Today we conclude our sermon series in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians by focusing on the closing verses of chapter 5. In these verses Paul gives us a stripped down acoustic summary of his letter. This is Paul unplugged. From first Thessalonians chapter 5, verses 23-28 we read…

23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us. 26 Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss. 27 I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters. 28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

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

In this passage Paul sums up the two main themes of his letter. When you strip it all down the letter has been about the completion of salvation and an affirmation of friendship.

Completion of salvation:

Transmission gully is now open. I think we can say it is complete. Complete enough to drive on anyway. We were waiting longer than we expected but with good reason. It was a massive project and it needed to be completed properly.

In verses 23-24 of Thessalonians 5, Paul pronounces a benediction or a blessing over the believers in Thessalonica. His benediction is essentially about the completion of our salvation, which has been one of the main messages of his whole letter. In the first part of verse 23 Paul says…

23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.

Paul describes God here as the God of peace. Gordon Fee reminds us that, in Paul’s writing, peace rarely refers to the well-arranged heart of the individual but rather to the life of the community, that believers live together without conflict.

Probably though, we can’t separate the inner peace of a ‘well-arranged heart’ from the relational peace of the community. I mean, it is difficult to live in peace with others if you aren’t at peace with yourself. 

In any case, God is a God of peace. Which means God is relational. Jesus came to make peace possible in all our relationships. 

Sanctify is a word which means to make holy, pure or clean. If your dishes are dirty you might sanctify them, or make them clean and holy, by putting them through the dishwasher.

Or if you get Covid you must go through a period of isolation until you have recovered and are able to be with others without passing on the virus. The isolation period is like a sanctification process.

To be sanctified through and through means being holy on the inside and the out. It’s like Jesus said: ‘Wash the inside of the cup and the outside will be clean too’.

In view of what Paul has just been saying about the God of peace, it would logically follow that being holy (or sanctified) has to do with the way we treat others; actions characterised by justice and mercy, attitudes shaped by humility and compassion.

Jesus’ stripped down, unplugged, acoustic definition of holiness is to love God, love your neighbour and love yourself.

In the second part of verse 23 Paul says…

May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  

Much ink has been spilled over what Paul means here by spirit, soul and body. But I don’t think Paul is giving a Grey’s Anatomy (medical) type description of the human person. Paul is simply using these three terms to describe a whole human being. It’s another way of saying, may God sanctify you through and through, inside and out.   

Having said that, people are still curious about what the words spirit, soul and body are referring to, so some explanation is needed.

By body Paul’s mean your physical body. The body we inhabit is given to us by God and we need to look after it. For Christians the body is sacred. It is holy and not ours to do whatever we want with. Our bodies are instruments for God’s purpose in the world.

Our body is not separate from our spirit or soul. They all go together as an integrated whole.

The term soul can have a different nuance of meaning depending on the context in which it is used. Sometimes the soul refers to the whole person, like when someone says, ‘there were 54 souls on board’.

More often though the human soul refers to the non-physical (or immaterial) aspects of a person. That is, your life force, your will, your personality, the things that can’t be studied under a microscope but which are nevertheless real and make you uniquely you. We are more than just a collection of biological cells and chemical elements.  

The human spirit can also mean different things depending on the context. Generally, though, we are probably best to think of our spirit as that part of us which connects with God. Our spirit is essentially a conduit for relating with God.

In differentiating the functions of the body, soul and spirit, we might think of the different parts of a computer. The hardware of the computer (the keyboard, screen and circuitry) is like the physical body. The operating system and application software is sort of like the soul.

And the wifi connection is like the spirit. Without wifi, a computer can’t connect with the internet or other computers.

This analogy should not be pressed too far. I’m not suggesting people are machines. Human beings are infinitely more valuable and complex than computers. Nor am I suggesting that God is like the internet.

Another (more organic) metaphor could be that of a tree. The trunk and the branches of the tree are like the body. While the roots of the tree are like the human spirit, because the roots connect the tree to the earth, drawing water and nutrients from the soil.

The sap running through the trunk and branches, together with the fruit of the tree, are a bit like the soul. The sap contains the tree’s life force and the fruit is an expression of the tree’s personality.      

Although this metaphor is not perfect, it is helpful. We human beings receive life by putting our roots (or our spirit) down deep into the soil of God’s love. This spirit connection with God nourishes our soul and body so that we bear the fruit of love, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness and so on, to the praise of God’s glory.

But I digress. We shouldn’t get too caught up with distinctions over body, soul and spirit. Paul’s main point is the completion of our salvation. God is at work to sanctify our whole being, both as individuals and as a community of faith.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, we live in the ‘overlap’, the ‘in between’, the ‘now but not yet’. Yes, Jesus has come and he has conquered sin and death. And yes, all those who put their trust in Jesus are saved. But our salvation won’t be fully realised until Jesus returns in glory. In the meantime, we may still struggle with doubt and despair, temptation and suffering.

Paul’s prayer is that the Thessalonians (and all believers) be blameless when Christ returns.   

By ‘blameless’ I don’t think Paul means we can never make a mistake. Sanctification, becoming holy, is a process. Making mistakes is usually part any learning process. So we should not give up if we mess up. We redeem mistakes by learning from them.   

It takes time for a tree to grow and mature and produce fruit. It doesn’t happen overnight. Our job is not to try and force or contrive our own sanctification. Our job is to keep our roots in the soil of God’s love. Stay connected to Jesus and allow God’s Spirit to work in us, in his way and his time.

Paul picks up on this point when he says in verse 24…

24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.   

God is the one who calls us to trust and obey Christ. And God is faithful to his call. He is reliable and trustworthy. He always makes good on his word. While we certainly need to play our part in the process of sanctification, ultimately God is active in completing our salvation, so we do not need to be anxious.

Jesus tells a parable in Mark 4 about the growing seed, which overlaps with this idea of God’s faithfulness in completing our salvation. From verse 26 of Mark 4 we read…

26 Jesus also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

The person who scatters seed, in this parable, is the one who proclaims the gospel about Jesus. The person who scatters the seed does not make it grow. God, by his Spirit, makes the seed grow. God, by his Spirit, brings the plant to fullness and fruition, in time for the harvest. The harvest here refers to Jesus’ return in glory.

There is a certain mystery to this process. Yes, we can give the plant a helping hand. We can water it and put a stake alongside to support it. We can protect it from the wind and insects. But ultimately it is God who makes a human person grow to maturity (body, soul and spirit).

Or, thinking more like Paul, it is God who grows the community of believers (the church) to fruitfulness.           

Okay, so that covers one of the main points of Paul’s letter, the completion of our salvation. The other point is the affirmation of friendship. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians to affirm his friendship with them.

Affirmation of Friendship:

We all need friends. We all need to know we have someone on our side. We need to feel connected and not alone. Developing and maintaining good quality friendships is part of the process of our sanctification.

We need to be careful in church life not to get the cart before the horse. The horse goes first and the cart comes second. The horse, in this analogy, is our friendships. While the cart represents our programmes, the things we do in service to the community.

If we don’t take care of the horse (of friendship), then the cart (or the programme) isn’t going anywhere.  Paul was writing to take care of his friendship with the Thessalonians.

In verse 25 Paul says: 25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us.

Numerous times throughout his letter Paul addresses the Thessalonians as ‘brothers and sisters’. It is a term of affection. A term of close relationship. A term affirming the bond of their friendship. 

So what is a friend? Friends know each other, they have history. They share things in common. Friends do things together. They trust one another. They have each other’s back. Friends are loyal, through thick and thin. They care for each other and support one another. Friends give priority to their relationship. The bond of friendship is a sacred thing.    

And this is one reason why Paul asks his Thessalonian friends to pray for himself, Silas and Timothy. Prayer is an act of spirit (both our spirit and God’s Spirit). Prayer helps to create connections and maintain friendships.

The idea of affirming friendship continues in verse 26 where Paul writes…

26 Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss.

In the culture of that time people greeted each other with a kiss, much like we might greet each other with a handshake or a hug. It wasn’t a sexual thing. Rather it was a tangible, physical demonstration of friendship.

In Maori culture, people greet each other with a hongi. This is when two people press noses together. When you hongi, you inevitably share breath. You connect. It is a beautiful way of honouring the relationship with each other.

Some people don’t like to be touched and we must respect that. But there is still a place for good physical touch. If someone is anxious or up-set we show them they are not alone by holding their hand or touching their shoulder or holding them in our arms.

Conclusion:

In verse 27 Paul instructs the Thessalonians, in strong terms, to ensure his letter is read to everyone. Paul does not want anyone to be excluded. They are all his friends and they are all under God’s umbrella of salvation.

Paul’s final word though is one of grace. He says, 28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Paul signed off pretty much all his letters with a reminder of God’s grace. The word grace means gift or favour. Something done for us by God that we do not deserve and cannot do for ourselves.

C.S. Lewis was once asked, ‘What makes Christianity different from any other religion?’ And Lewis replied, ‘Why, grace of course.’

The completion of our salvation and the security of our friendship with Jesus, depends on God’s grace. Not on how we are feeling. Not on our own efforts. Not on luck or circumstances beyond our control. When you strip it all down, the Christian faith, unplugged, is pure grace.

Let us pray…

Gracious God, we thank you for the work of your Spirit in completing our salvation. We thank you too for your gift of friendship. In and through Jesus we share an eternal bond. Give us all we need to go the distance in your will and help us to take care of our friendships. Amen.   

Questions for discussion or reflection:

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Why did Paul write to the Thessalonians?
  • What does peace mean for you? What did Paul mean by peace? What are the implications for us of saying that God is a ‘God of peace’?
  • What does it mean to be ‘sanctified through and through’? How are we sanctified? E.g. What role can mistakes play in the process of our sanctification?  What role does God play in our sanctification?
  • How might we understand the terms body, soul & spirit (in the context of 1st Thessalonians 5)?  How do these three aspects of the human person interact/relate with each other?
  • Why do you think Paul wanted to affirm his friendship with the Thessalonians? What is friendship? What do friends do? Are there friendships in your life that you need to renew or affirm? How might you do this?  
  • What makes the Christian faith different from any other religion?
Tawa Baptist

Soul

Scripture: John 14:1-7

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Jesus connects the physical with the spiritual
  • Jesus is the way, the truth and the life
  • Jesus is the soul of creation
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Blood vessels are extremely important. Blood vessels include things like arteries, veins and capillaries. They transport blood cells, nutrients and oxygen throughout the human body. They also remove waste and carbon dioxide. Blood vessels connect the different parts of the body. We need blood vessels to sustain life.

Blood vessels look a bit like tree roots and they are the source of healing. For example, if you have an infection in your leg, then you need blood vessels to bring anti-bodies to the wound site to fight the infection. Without blood vessels there is no blood flow and therefore no healing and no life. Jesus is a bit like the blood vessel system for humanity.

Today we conclude our sermon series on the I am sayings of Jesus in the gospel of John. Jesus uses a number of I am statements to describe himself. These sayings tell us about Jesus’ being, his identity.

Please turn with me to John chapter 14, page 137 toward the back of your pew Bibles. Last week we heard how Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. This morning we hear how Jesus says to his disciples: I am the way, the truth and the life. The main point here is that Jesus connects us with God, the source of life. From John 14, verses 1-7 we read…

“Do not be worried and upset,” Jesus told them. “Believein God and believe also in me. 2 There are many rooms in my Father’s house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. I would not tell you this if it were not so. 3 And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am. 4 You know the way that leads to the place where I am going.”

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; so how can we know the way to get there?”

6 Jesus answered him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me. 7 Now that you have known me,” he said to them, “you will knowmy Father also, and from now on you do know him and you have seen him.”

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

Jesus connects the physical with the spiritual:

A yacht moves by harnessing the power of the wind. Which means, for a yacht to truly be called a yacht, it must have a mast and sails. The mast and sails are really the soul of the yacht because they create the harness of a meaningful connection with the wind.  Without the mast and sails the boat is just a raft, floating lifeless on the water.

In this morning’s reading from John 14, Jesus is talking with his disciples on the eve of his crucifixion and death. He has told the disciples he must die and they are distraught. They have formed a close bond with Jesus after following him all this time. They love him and now he is talking about leaving.

What will this mean for them? They have given up everything to be with Jesus. I suppose they must have felt a bit like sailors on the open sea being told they were about to lose their mast and sails. Or they may have felt like a patient in a hospital being told the blood vessels in their leg were so damaged that the blood flow had ceased and the leg would have to be amputated.

Jesus senses their distress and reassures them that his death does not spell the end. His going away will not sever the bond between them. Jesus is going to prepare a place for his disciples. Not just any old place but a room in God’s house. That means Jesus’ departure from this world is actually a good thing for his disciples because he is creating a permanent and secure connection for them with God the Father.

Jesus is talking here about the connection he creates between the physical world and the spiritual realm, through his death, resurrection and ascension to heaven.

Thomas, one of the disciples, doesn’t understand Jesus’ meaning and he is too honest to pretend otherwise. He says, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; so how can we know the way to get there?” 

The blood in our body does not need to know where to go. As long as the blood remains inside the blood vessel (inside the vein or the artery) it will end up where it needs to be. It is the same with us. As long as we remain in Christ, we will end up where we need to be; with God in the heavenly realm.

And so Jesus says to Thomas (and to us), “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me.

Trying to go to God the Father without Jesus is like trying to cross the ocean in a yacht without a sail and a mast. Or it’s like a single blood cell trying to reach the heart without being in a vein. 

The way, the truth and the life:

Now those three terms, the way, the truth and the life, need a little bit of explanation.

When we hear the word way, we might think method. This is the way (or the method by which) you cook a steak. This is the way you fold a fitted sheet. Or this is the way you parent a child. Jesus does give us a method for living. Jesus does show us the way to be human. Christ shows us how to face the difficulties of this world and the limitations of our humanity, with faith.

But Jesus has more in mind than a mere method for living when he talks about being the way. Jesus is saying he is the pathway to God the Father. He is the pilot boat who guides the ship of humanity to the harbour of heaven. He is the blood vessel who carries us to the heart of the Father. He is the mast and sails who harnesses us to the wind of God’s Spirit.

Jesus is the way in the sense that he connects the physical world with the spiritual realm. Jesus connects us to God. This is what Jesus is getting at in verse 7 when he says: Now that you have known me, you will knowmy Father also, and from now on you do know him and you have seen him.”

When we hear the word truth, we tend think facts and figures and abstract philosophical statements. The sun always rises in the east. There are 1000 millilitres in a litre. A square has four sides. The Nile is the longest river in the world. Jesus is the Son of God. All these statements are true but I think Jesus meant something more when he said, ‘I am the truth’.

If you have to jump out of an aeroplane then you need a parachute and you want to know the parachute is true; that it will work and save you. Likewise, if you have to abandon ship in the middle of the ocean then you need a life boat or at least a life jacket. And you want to know the life boat is true; that it won’t sink and the life jacket will support you.

Or if you are sick and the doctor makes a diagnosis and prescribes some medicine, you want to know the qualifications hanging on the wall are true and that the doctor knows what he or she is doing.   

When Jesus said, ‘I am the truth’, he meant, ‘I am the real deal.’ Jesus is completely trustworthy and reliable. He is who he says he is and he will accomplish what he promises to do. He will return for us and bring us home to God our Father.

Remember, in this context, the disciples are upset. They are worried and anxious about the future. They don’t need cold facts or heavy doctrinal statements at this point. They need a warm commitment from Jesus, something they can hold on to. Something that will support them, like a properly functioning parachute or life jacket. They need to know that Jesus, the good doctor, is prescribing the right treatment.   

In thinking of the truth we are reminded of Pontius Pilate. When Jesus said to Pilate at his trial, “Whoever belongs to the truth listens to me”,  Pilate responded, perhaps a bit cynically, ‘And what is truth?’ Little did Pilate know that truth is not just an idea or a body of information. Truth is a living person. Jesus is the truth.    

When we hear the word life, we might think in terms of physical life only. Eating and sleeping. Working and breathing. Making a crust and getting by. But, as we have heard throughout this sermon series, when Jesus talks about life he is thinking in more comprehensive terms.

Life, in a Christian understanding, isn’t just physical. It is mental and emotional and social and spiritual as well. Life has to do with how we relate with our inner self, how we relate to others and how we relate to God. Love God, love your neighbour, love yourself. Following this way of thinking, eternal life isn’t just existing forever. Eternal life means union with God, intimacy with Him, enjoying the Father’s presence always.

Jesus is the soul of creation:

Okay, so having dissected verse 6 into three parts, what happens when we hold the way, the truth and the life together? Well, we get soul.

The word soul can mean different things in different contexts. Sometimes it refers to an individual person, their whole self, body and soul. Like when you hear people say, there were 232 souls on board.

Other times though people use the word soul to mean the life force of a person. The soul, in this sense, is what animates the body, giving it energy and vitality. In fact, the Latin word for soul is anima, from which we get animate (as in movement).

If you have ever seen a corpse it is quite clear that the soul has departed. While a dead body is physically recognizable, there is no one home so to speak. A dead body is inanimate; without a soul in other words.  

This implies that it is the soul that enables connection and relationship. It is the soul which connects the body and the spirit.  

Then there is the sense in which soul refers to a person’s true essence. Who they are at their core. Their inner self. We might say for example that someone is a kind soul or they have a gentle soul. Or, she sang with real soul. Meaning she sang from a place deep within herself that was real and authentic. She wasn’t faking it or putting on an act.  

When we hold the way, the truth and the life together, we see that Jesus is the soul of humanity. But not just humanity. Jesus is the soul of all of God’s creation.

Jesus is the life force – he animates our lives with energy and vitality. As John says at the beginning of his gospel: Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him. The Word was the source of life and this life brought light to humankind.     

Jesus is the truth – he is the real deal, 100% reliable. Jesus embodies the true essence of what it means to be human. We discover who we are at our core (we discover our true essence) through Jesus. Jesus is light to our soul.    

And Jesus is the way – more than just showing us the way, Jesus is the soul of creation, holding together the physical with the spiritual. He connects us to God in other words. Jesus makes right relationship possible.

Conclusion:

The life force (or soul) of Jesus is more powerful than death. Jesus is resurrected from the dead. So even if we feel like our energy and vitality is waning as we get older, we know Jesus has the ability to restore our soul once we have passed through the gate of death.   

Let us pray…

Lord Jesus Christ, we pray for those who have lost their way. Restore them to yourself.

Lord Jesus Christ, we pray for those who are seeking the truth. Reveal yourself to them.

Lord Jesus Christ, we pray for those who are tired of this life. Renew their connection with yourself.

Lord Jesus Christ, we pray for our own soul. Help us to remain in you.

Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection

What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?

  • Why does Jesus tell his disciples he is going to prepare a place for them? Can you imagine Jesus saying the same thing to you? How would you like to respond to Jesus?
  • What did Jesus mean when he said, ‘I am the way’?
  • What did Jesus mean when he said, ‘I am the truth’?
  • What did Jesus mean when he said, ‘I am the life’?
  • Discuss/reflect on the meaning and function of the soul.
  • What does your soul need at this time? How might you take care of your soul this week?      
Tawa Baptist

Roots of Freedom

Scripture: Ephesians 6:5-9

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Slavery then and now
  • Personhood, purpose and power
  • Onesimus and Philemon
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Last week someone gave me a book called, Church Signs Across America

  • As the title suggests it’s a book with photos of church signs, like this one
  • The sign reads: “To win in a relationship don’t keep score”

Today we continue our series in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians

  • We are at that point in Ephesians known as the household codes, where Paul talks about the various relationships in Christian homes
  • Last week we heard how wives and husbands are to relate
  • This week we focus on the relationship between slaves and masters
  • From Ephesians 6, verses 5-9 we read…

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favour when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. 9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favouritism with him.

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

Slavery then and now:

A few months ago we were on holiday in Taupo and went for a walk around the lake. In some places the tree roots had grown under the footpath and were lifting the cobbles – not quite as badly as in this picture but enough to be a trip hazard.

  • Today’s reading is like tree roots – over the centuries it has quietly lifted and broken our concrete thinking on slavery and employment relations

Now when we hear the word slavery we might think, ‘How is slavery relevant to us today? Wasn’t slavery abolished in the 19th Century?’

Well, laws were passed in the 19th Century to say that people can’t buy and sell other people anymore, but slavery still exists in the form of forced labour, child soldiers, sexual exploitation and forced marriage

  • There are estimated to be around 40,300,000 people in some form of modern slavery in the world today
  • And it’s not a problem confined to poorer countries either – there are thought to be about 15,000 people in Australia currently engaged under conditions defined as Modern Slavery, and approximately 3,000 people in New Zealand in the same situation. [1]

Although slavery still exists today, it should be noted there are a number of differences between slavery in the ancient world and slavery now

  • As many as one third of the population in Greece and Rome were slaves
  • Slaves did most of the work – without slaves nothing would get done
  • We are used to associating slaves with a particular race of people – like the African Americans of the 19th Century, picking cotton in the fields or harvesting sugar cane 
  • But slaves in the ancient world were all variety of races and served in all sorts of roles, both skilled and unskilled
  • A slave might be white or black, a doctor or a farmer or a business manager or a cook or even a prime minister
  • What’s more, many slaves in the ancient world gained their freedom after the age of 30 – so it wasn’t necessarily an all of life thing [2]
  • The treatment of slaves in the ancient world was mixed – some were treated with kindness but many were abused and mistreated

Ok, if slavery is a bad thing then why does the Bible seem to accommodate it?

  • I mean Paul doesn’t say to the masters, ‘set your slaves free’, nor does he call the slaves to revolt against their masters.
  • To the contrary Paul instructs slaves to do their best for their earthly masters and to have a good attitude about it    
  • This almost sounds like Paul is condoning slavery but actually, he’s not
  • Paul is, in fact, sowing seeds that would eventually grow into roots that would undermine slavery and set people free

The Bible makes it clear that slavery falls well short of God’s intention for humanity – it is not what the Lord wants for people

  • God is free and we are made in God’s image – slavery does not fit with being God’s image bearer  
  • Christ came to set the captives free and, as Paul says elsewhere, in Christ there is no longer slave nor free

While that sounds lovely, the reality is, we don’t live in a perfect world do we. We live in a fallen world and suffer the ill effects of sin

  • God understands this and so he meets us where we are at
  • He comes to us in the form of Jesus, a human being who we can relate with, and he says, ‘Follow me’
  • God’s word, in the Bible, addresses the realities of this world, like slavery, not to condone them but to lead us out of them
  • So when the Bible talks about slavery it’s not holding up an ideal to aspire to – rather it is providing some guidance on how to manage a less than ideal situation by providing restraint for masters and protection for slaves – sort of a first step in the right direction.

It’s remarkable how people’s attitudes change

  • For many years we accepted lead in petrol as normal and even necessary until we realised that lead is toxic and now we wouldn’t dream of using it
  • Same thing with plastic supermarket bags – for years we used plastic bags without a second thought to what happened to them when we threw them away, but now we’ve banned single use plastic bags

The ancient world, that Paul lived in, did not see slavery as an evil thing like we do today

  • For them slavery was simply accepted as a normal and necessary part of the economic system – sort of like we accept having a mortgage as normal and necessary to buying a house – or like we used to accept leaded petrol and plastic bags. 

It would have been foolish for Paul to advocate revolt against slavery

  • The early church was not politically powerful – they were in no position to dictate to the rest of society how people should live
  • The church needed to be moderate in its approach to show the Roman authorities they posed no threat to the peace of the empire
  • Consequently, slavery and other social issues were not Paul’s main focus – he and the other apostles were simply trying to get the message of the gospel out there and establish Christian faith communities 
  • Paul’s approach was wise – he sowed seeds of thought that would eventually grow to undermine and break up slavery
  • You see, slavery isn’t the underlying problem – slavery is just a symptom
  • Paul sought to address the deeper more fundamental issues – in particular: personhood, purpose and power.

Personhood, purpose and power:

On the wall here is a picture of a drill

  • A drill is a tool, it helps a tradie to do their job quicker and easier
  • A drill is a slave to the person operating it
  • It is in your interests to take care of your drill because if the drill breaks the job will be held up and you’ll have to buy another one
  • But you don’t treat your drill with same respect you would a person
  • Slaves tend to be treated like drills – they are not usually acknowledged as people in their own right
  • Slaves are seen as tools for getting things done, for making life easier or for making money

So the first seed Paul sows in these verses is the seed of personhood

  • Paul has just addressed wives & husbands and children & parents, now he addresses slaves, as people, alongside their masters.
  • Given the historical and cultural context in which slaves were thought of and treated as living tools (and not as human beings) it is remarkable that Paul addresses them at all
  • By including slaves in this way Paul is acknowledging their personhood and giving them dignity  
  • It indicates that slaves were accepted members of the Christian community and that Paul regards them as responsible people (like their masters) to whom he can make a moral appeal. [3]

Taking this thought further, Paul gave honour to the role of a slave by identifying himself as a slave of Christ.  

When we look at verses 5-8 of Ephesians 6 we notice that Paul keeps referring to Jesus

  • Verse 5, slaves obey your earthly masters… as you would obey Christ
  • Verse 6, obey them… like slaves of Christ
  • Verse 7, Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men
  • Paul is saying here a person is not defined by their job or their master
  • A person is defined by Christ
  • What’s more, our value and identity as persons do not derive from our social standing or our circumstances but from Christ.

Paul gives slaves the dignity of personhood – and when we see other people as persons (not as tools) we start to value them better.

Another underlying issue Paul addresses in these verses is that of purpose or motivation in a slave’s work and life  

Albert Camus, the famous existentialist writer once said, ‘Without work all life goes rotten. But when work is soulless life stifles and dies.’

  • Albert Camus was talking about purpose or motivation in working
  • For your work to have soul you need to have a good purpose, an intrinsic motivation in doing it
  • You need to feel your work fits with the values you carry in your heart
  • You need to have a sense that you are fulfilling a higher calling
  • Without a good purpose, without an intrinsic motivation, work becomes soulless and life stifles and dies

A few weeks ago I told you about my misspent youth studying business management. It wasn’t a total loss though. There was one case study, from the course on organisational behaviour, which I found meaningful…

  • In the 1920’s researchers carried out some tests on factory workers in America
  • The test involved changing the level of lighting in the factory to see if workers’ productivity was effected
  • As they gradually increased the lighting the workers produced more
  • The researchers thought they might be on to something until they dimmed the lights and found that workers’ productivity continued to increase – which was puzzling and counter intuitive
  • When the illumination studies finished and the researchers left the factory, workers’ productivity slumped
  • Apparently the level of lighting had nothing to do with the workers’ productivity – it was the presence of the researchers themselves that was effecting productivity. Why was that?
  • Some say the workers were more motivated because of the interest being shown in them by the researchers
  • Going a bit deeper though, I think there was more to it than simply being observed – I wonder if the presence of important people doing important stuff gave the workers a greater sense of purpose in what they were doing
  • I wonder if the researchers’ presence gave soul to the workers’ jobs
  • With the researchers there the factory workers weren’t just assembling radios on a production line – they were in fact serving a higher calling; they were part of something bigger and more lasting.
  • Whatever the reason, it became known as the Hawthorne Effect

In verse 6, of Ephesians 6, Paul addresses the deeper issue that we all face in our work, whether we are paid or volunteer, and that’s the issue of purpose

  • What is your ‘why’ for working?
  • What is it that gives your work soul so that life thrives?
  • Paul makes it clear that the purpose (or motivation) for obeying earthly masters is not just to win their favour, when their eye is on you, but to do the will of God from your heart
  • Paul is advocating for an intrinsic motivation
  • Your manager may not always show an interest in you
  • Your boss may not always appreciate your work but God does and his interest in your work, his appraisal of you, means more than your boss’

God sees the good we do in secret and he rewards us

  • But that reward is not necessarily measured in dollars
  • The reward God gives is that of a meaningful purpose
  • God makes our work serve a higher calling – he has the power to give our work soul, so that life thrives.

Personhood, purpose and power

  • The slave / master (employee / employer) relationship is traditionally a top down relationship – it involves the use of power

In verse 9 Paul says: And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favouritism with him.

  • This is a reminder to both slaves and masters that power ultimately rests with God
  • God may delegate his power to certain people for a time but that power is only ever on loan from God – it always returns to him

Do not threaten them, means don’t try to control people with fear – use encouragement – the carrot is usually better than the stick    

And the instruction for masters to treat their slaves in the same way, is a reminder of the mutual submission that Paul described in chapter 5, verse 21

  • If slaves are to serve their masters as if they were serving Christ and masters are to do the same for their slaves, then we have a relationship in which the master is using their power for the well-being of their slave
  • In fact, the master / slave relationship is transformed so that the slave becomes family

Paul was a wise man – he didn’t try to change the legislation or rebel against the authorities – he addressed the underlying issues of slavery by restoring to slaves (and masters) a sense of personhood, purpose and the right use of power.

Philemon & Onesimus:  

Reading Ephesians 6 I am reminded of Paul’s letter to Philemon

  • Philemon was a Christian, someone Paul had led to the Lord
  • Philemon owned a slave called Onesimus
  • It appears Onesimus may have stolen from Philemon and run away
  • This was pretty serious stuff back in the day – Philemon could’ve had Onesimus killed for that sort of behaviour
  • But, in God’s providence, Onesimus found his way to Paul who was a prisoner in Rome at the time
  • Paul led Onesimus to the Lord and then went about reconciling him to Philemon
  • Let me read to you some of Paul’s letter to Philemon
  • Notice how Paul presents Onesimus as a valued person (not as a tool)
  • And how he persuades Philemon to use his power to show mercy and forgiveness
  • Paul reminds Philemon that to win in a relationship we don’t keep score
  • From verse 8 of Philemon we read…

Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10 that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

12 I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. 13 I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favour you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. 15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.

17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. 20 I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

We don’t know what the outcome was in this situation

  • We do know that if Paul had his way then Philemon would have taken Onesimus back, not as a slave, but as a brother.
  • The letter to Philemon shows us God’s intention to abolish slavery  

Conclusion:

Thankfully, most of us are unfamiliar with slavery, although in working for wages or a salary or having to pay off a mortgage we do have some idea of what it feels like to have someone own our time 

  • What Paul says in Ephesians about slaves and their masters can be applied to the employee / employer relationship  
  • Workers are not tools; they are persons of dignity to be valued
  • Likewise, employers are people too – so employees shouldn’t try to stick it to the man
  • Give your best – work for your boss as if you were working for Christ and God will reward you
  • Whatever our station in life, our purpose is to do God’s will
  • Any power we have is temporary and needs to be used in a way that pleases God.      

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. Why did Paul instruct slaves to obey their masters (rather than rebel)?
  3. In what ways was ancient slavery different from modern slavery? In what ways are they the same?
  4. What deeper underlying issues does Paul address in Ephesians 6:5-9?
  5. Where does your personal sense of identity (or personhood) and value come from?
  6. What is your ‘why’ for working? What gives soul to your work?
  7. How are masters/employers to use their power? 
  8. How might Paul’s instructions to slaves and masters be applied today in employee / employer relationships?
  9. Take some time to read and reflect on Paul’s letter to Philemon this week. What does this letter reveal to us?  

[1] https://www.onestaff.co.nz/blog/modern-slavery-in-new-zealand-addressing-a-widespread-issue/

[2] Klyne Snodgrass, NIVAC ‘Ephesians’, page 327

[3] John Stott, Ephesians, page 252. 

Tawa Baptist

Fullness

Scripture: Ephesians 3:14-21

Title: Fullness

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Paul’s prayer for fullness
  • Strength for your inner being
  • Knowing Christ’s love
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

I have here a dry sponge [hold up the sponge] all rigid and hard

  • For this sponge to be useful it needs to be wet
  • I could sprinkle a few drops of water on top so that its damp in places but that’s not really going to work for wiping down a table
  • To carry out its purpose this sponge needs to be filled with water
  • [soak the sponge in a bucket of water]
  • When water has passed through every pore the sponge is no longer hard but becomes flexible and able to serve its purpose

This morning we continue our series in Ephesians by focusing on chapter 3, verses 14-21. This is Paul’s prayer for his readers

  • From the New Revised Standard Version we read…

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

Paul’s prayer for fullness:

Prayer isn’t just words we might say. The 19th Century hymn writer James Montgomery wrote…

Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,
Unuttered or expressed,
The motion of a hidden fire
That trembles in the breast. [1]

This tells us that prayer has to do with true intention or desire

    • Sometimes that desire is expressed in words and other times it burns in our heart like a hidden fire
  • We might not always have the right words when we pray but that doesn’t matter so much to God because His Spirit understands the unseen intention of our heart

In verse 14, of Ephesians 3, Paul writes, “I bow my knees before the Father…”

    • Most Jews of Paul’s day stood up to pray, so the act of kneeling to pray is unusual; it demonstrates Paul’s earnest intention, his heartfelt desire
  • The richness and beauty of Paul’s language in Ephesians 3 suggests he is trying to find words to do justice to his hidden fire
  • Paul’s prayer is that his readers (people like us) would be filled with all the fullness of God
  • In other words, Paul wants us to be filled with the Spirit of Christ – not just a few drops on top of the sponge of our soul but completely saturated so our inner being expands to become flexible and useful in God’s hand
  • For that to happen though our inner being needs to be strengthened

 

Strength for your inner being:

In one hand here I have a plastic bag and in the other a hot water bottle

  • If I was to fill both of these with boiling water, which one would you put in your bed to warm up the sheets? [Wait]
  • I would put the hot water bottle in – I wouldn’t risk using the plastic bag because the plastic bag isn’t really strong enough

 

These are a couple of cardboard boxes and this is a wooden chair

  • What do you think will happen if I sit on the card board boxes?
  • Let’s find out [sit on the box]
  • Now what happens when I sit on the chair? [sit on the chair]
  • The card board boxes weren’t strong enough to support my weight but the wooden chair was – no surprises there

 

Okay, one more – If you are planning to stay in the same place for a while then chances are you will live in a house

  • But if you are just passing through or visiting a place on holiday then you might camp in a tent
  • A tent is okay for temporary accommodation but it’s not as strong or as warm as a house – houses are generally more permanent

In verses 16 & 17, of Ephesians 3, Paul writes: I pray… that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through God’s Spirit and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.

As I said earlier, Paul’s prayer (his deep desire) is that we (his readers) be filled with all the fullness of God, but for that to happen our inner being needs to be strengthened 

God fills our inner being (our soul) like hot water fills a hot water bottle, so that we radiate his warmth to others

  • Without the strengthening of the Holy Spirit our inner being is like the plastic bag; it’s not suitable for holding the hot water of God’s fullness

 

Our inner being (our heart – the core of ourselves where desires are born and decisions are made) is a bit like a chair or, better still, a throne

  • Without the strengthening of the Holy Spirit our heart is like a cardboard box; it’s not strong enough to hold the weight of Christ the King

Our inner being is like a dwelling place; through Christ, God fills us like a family fills a house

  • For you Bible nerds out there, there are two words in Greek for dwelling
  • paroikeo, which means to inhabit a place temporarily as a stranger
  • And katoikeo, which means to settle down permanently – to make that place your home [2]
  • The word that is used, in verse 17, for Christ dwelling in us is katoikeo
  • Without the strengthening of the Holy Spirit our inner being is like a tent; it’s okay as a temporary measure but Jesus isn’t just passing through
  • Christ intends to take up residence in us permanently
  • God wants to make his home in us – pretty amazing aye

As you can see there, at the end of verse 17, Paul uses two other images of strengthening – being rooted and grounded in love.

  • Being rooted in love makes us think of a tree
  • Just as a tree gets its strength from being rooted in the soil, so too our inner being gets it stability and nourishment from being deeply rooted in God’s love
  • Being grounded in love makes us think of a building
  • Just as a house gets its strength from a firm foundation, so too our inner being gets its security and resilience from remaining in God’s love

You may be wondering, ‘what does it mean to be rooted and grounded in love?’

  • Well, in John 15 Jesus says, “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love… This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you…”
  • We remain in Christ’s love by loving one another

Some of you may have noticed Paul’s reference to the Trinity in Ephesians 3 – God the Father, Son & Holy Spirit

  • In receiving the Holy Spirit, we are receiving Christ and in receiving Christ we are receiving the fullness of God

 

Okay, so Paul’s prayer is that we (his readers) be filled with all the fullness of God and for that to happen our inner being needs to be strengthened

  • But there is something else we need in order to be filled with the fullness of God and that is the knowledge of Christ’s love
  • It seems we come to know Christ’s love incrementally, in stages

Knowing Christ’s love:

In verses 18-19, of Ephesians 3, Paul writes…

I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

In these verses Paul seems to be talking about the dimensions of Christ’s divine love, which are beyond measure

  • Sometimes (perhaps most of the time) our thinking is too small where God is concerned
  • We have a tendency to put God in a box because it’s too overwhelming or too scary otherwise
  • As well as being strengthened, our inner being (our thinking) needs to be expanded or enlarged to receive the fullness of God
  • Knowing Christ’s love enlarges our inner being to make room for God
  • Sort of like water enlarges a sponge or like warm air inflates a balloon or baking powder expands cookie dough

How then do we know Christ’s love?

  • Well, Paul touches on two ways in verse 18: by the Holy Spirit and through the church

The ‘power to comprehend’ is likely a reference to the Holy Spirit

  • The Spirit of Jesus is a Spirit of love and truth
  • Jesus said His Spirit would lead us into truth
  • So we comprehend Christ’s love by the power of God’s Spirit, just like we understand the Scriptures by the illumination of God’s Spirit

The Holy Spirit gives us a lens through which to interpret the events of our lives

  • Two people may have exactly the same experience and yet see that experience in a completely different way because one has the power to comprehend and the other doesn’t
  • When the people of Israel were in the desert, Moses sent 12 spies into the Promised Land to check the place out
  • Ten of the spies returned saying the people are giants and we can’t possibly take them on
  • Those 10 spies had a pretty small idea of God – either they didn’t really believe that God loved them or they thought God was pretty weak
  • But two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, returned excited, believing that God wanted to give them victory
  • While all 12 spies had the same experience, only Joshua and Caleb had the power to comprehend that God loved them and was bigger than the people of the land

Let me give another example of how the Spirit helps us to comprehend Christ’s love. This is a personal example and I’m reluctant to share it because it makes me feel vulnerable so please don’t make me regret it

  • Last week we were away from Tawa on holiday and for some reason or other I was feeling grumpy so I poured out my heart to God
  • Things build up over time and the holidays are often the only opportunity I have to do any house-keeping on my soul
  • Anyway I was honest with God about how I felt and my feelings were not pretty – I was quite sour with God
  • Afterwards I felt a bit bad for being so honest with the Lord
  • God is incredibly good to me, He is so kind and gracious
  • I want to always give God my best but sometimes he gets my worst – my pain and my anger; and that’s not fair because he doesn’t deserve that
  • But in that moment, of feeling bad for being sour, I sensed God’s Spirit saying to me that he likes both my sweetness and my sourness
  • Just like I enjoy sugar and lemon on my pancakes
  • You need the sourness of the lemon to cut the sweetness of the sugar

Normally I would hide the fact that I can be sour sometimes but I take the risk of sharing this with you because I think that most of us (perhaps all of us) unconsciously think that there are parts of ourselves which are unacceptable to God and which God cannot love

  • We don’t like that part of ourselves so how can God like it?
  • God’s love is far more spacious and generous than we imagine
  • God’s love is great enough to swallow our sourness and kiss our ugliness
  • It’s God’s Spirit who reveals this truth to our inner being
  • I can tell you that God accepts you but you won’t be convinced until God’s Spirit touches that part of you
  • I believe this is one of the things Paul is praying for when he says, ‘may you have the power to comprehend Christ’s love.’

 

The next thing we note, in verse 18, is that knowing Christ’s love happens ‘with all the saints’

  • ‘Saints’ is just another word for other Christian believers – the church
  • A saint isn’t an especially good Christian in this context
  • In Paul’s thinking, all those who believe in Jesus are saints, no matter where they are in their journey of faith
  • The point is, we need other Christians (or the church) to enlarge and deepen our knowledge of Christ’s love

For example, when you look at the church, through the lens of God’s Spirit, you see the wide range of different people who follow Jesus and you start to get an idea of the breadth of God’s love

  • You realise that God doesn’t just love people like me – he loves all sorts of different kinds of people
  • You only have to look around this room – Tawa Baptist is made up of people of every age group, from many different cultures and countries and with a whole variety of denominational and theological backgrounds
  • God’s love is big enough to embrace humanity in all its diversity

Now anyone who has managed to remain in the church for more than a few years will realise how imperfect the church is. People get hurt in churches

  • Usually it’s not intentional or malicious but either way it’s only a matter of time before someone ruffles your feathers or offends you or takes you for granted or even wounds you deeply and you are faced with a choice: either forgive them or leave in a huff
  • It is in the act of forgiving the hurt that we begin to know Christ’s love in forgiving us
  • The paradox is we wouldn’t have known that aspect of Christ’s love unless we had been hurt ourselves

Of course, we learn about Christ’s love in more positive ways too

  • Not long after I became a Christian my parents divorced – I was in my early teens at that stage
  • In the years that followed I experienced the love of Christ through one or two men in the church who took the time to come alongside me and be there for me, to listen and give me support
  • The time they spent with me showed me I was cared for and valued
  • Looking back, I may not have experienced that aspect of Christ’s love unless my parents had split up

We come to know Christ’s love, therefore, through the Holy Spirit, through other Christian believers and through our own suffering

  • You see, there are two sides to love – there’s joy and there’s pain, there’s comfort and there’s grief
  • The truth is we can’t know Christ’s love without some degree of suffering
  • And so we come back to our need for Christ who redeems our suffering
  • By His Spirit, God takes the imperfect circumstances of our lives and uses them to renovate our soul – to strengthen and enlarge our inner being so that the fullness of God fills us

Conclusion:

We do well to remember that it is God who renovates our inner being

  • We can’t enlarge or strengthen ourselves any more than a plastic bag could change itself into a hot water bottle or a cardboard box could change itself into a chair or a tent could change itself into a house
  • As Paul says in verses 20-21, of Ephesians 3, the glory goes to God, who is able to accomplish abundantly more than all we can ask or imagine…

 

  • Paul’s confidence was in God

Having said that, we still need to cooperate with God’s Spirit at work in us

  • We still need to pay attention to our inner being
  • We need to spend time in prayer and study of the Scriptures
  • We need to guard our thoughts and weigh our desires
  • We need to be intentional about listening for God and discerning His will
  • There is a healthy balance to find here of course – we don’t want to become so focused on our inner life that we forget to love our neighbour
  • By the same token, we don’t want to become so caught up in serving others that we neglect our own soul

How is the sponge of your inner being?

  • Is it filled with the fullness of God, wet through and flexible in His hand?
  • Or is it dry and hard and in need of refreshment?

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

  • Why do you think this stood out to you?

2.) Discuss / reflect on James Montgomery’s thought that, Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire, unuttered or expressed.

  • Are you aware of your soul’s sincere desire?
  • To what extent do the words you pray reflect your soul’s sincere desire?

3.) What was Paul’s sincere desire for his readers?

  • What does it mean to be filled with all the fullness of God?

4.) What do you think Paul means by our ‘inner being’?

  • How is our inner being strengthened and enlarged?

5.) How do we come to know Christ’s love?

  • Can you think of a time when the Holy Spirit has given you power to comprehend Christ’s love for you?
  • Can you think of a time when you have experienced some aspect of Christ’s love from other Christian believers?
  • What role does suffering have to play in the process of knowing Christ’s love?

6.) How is the sponge of your inner being?

  • Is it filled with the fullness of God, wet through and flexible in His hand?
  • Or is it dry and hard and in need of refreshment?

 

[1] John Stott’s commentary on Ephesians provided the inspiration for this illustration on prayer

[2] John Stott, The Message of Ephesians, page 135-136.

Tawa Baptist

Inter-dependence

Scripture: 1st Corinthians 12:12-27

Title: Inter-dependence

Structure:

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

o   Unity with diversity

o   Equality with affection

  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

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

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

–         Interesting, you can put your hands down.

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

This is a classic social science experiment

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

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

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

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

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

–         Who thinks he’s happy?

–         Who thinks he’s not happy?

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

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

–         Hands up if you think he’s happy

–         Who thinks he’s sad?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–         Hope Energy Appreciation Lament Inter-dependence Nurture & Giving

–         Today our message focuses on inter-dependence

 

Inter-dependence defined:

Inter-dependence is about depending on one another

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

 

Inter-dependence is different from independence

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

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

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

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

 

Inter-dependence is also different from dependence

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

–         There’s pros & cons with both systems

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

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

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

 

1st Corinthians 12:12-27

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

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

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

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

–         Two of the problems it seems were disunity & inequality

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

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

–         From verses 12-27 we read…

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

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

–         These are examples of relationships of mutual reliance

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

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

 

One of the problems with the church in Corinth was disunity

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

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

 

Unity with diversity

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

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

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

 

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

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

–         Paul is essentially saying their differences are a good thing

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

–         Inter-dependence requires unity with diversity

Two things that undermine inter-dependence are inferiority and independence

Paul deals with inferiority in verses 15-16

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

–         Nothing – the bag goes nowhere

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

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

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

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

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

–         You sometimes hear stories of self-made millionaires

–         Those stories are fables – they are fiction

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

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

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

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

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

Inter-dependence requires unity with diversity

–         And inter-dependence leads to equality with affection

 

Equality with affection

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

–         The equality of inter-dependence is warm with affection

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

What happens to one part of the body affects the rest

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

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

 

Conclusion:

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

But the Cambodians responded in an inter-dependent way

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

–         Do you need to accept the difference in others?

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

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

–         Do you need to accept help from others?

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

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

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

2.)    What is inter-dependence?

–         How is inter-dependence different from individualism?

–         How is inter-dependence different from collectivism?

–         What are the benefits of inter-dependence?

3.)    How might we identify a dependent relationship?

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

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

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

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

–         What else might undermine inter-dependence?

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

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

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

–         What might this require of us individually and collectively?

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

 

 

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

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

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

Tawa Baptist

God’s Word in the Bible

(Scroll down to read Guidelines for reading the Bible)

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

 

This morning we are thinking about the Bible

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

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

–         The Bible is like a bag of groceries

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

–         The Bible opens up a whole New World to us

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

–         Some fruit – apples, bananas and a lemon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reading the Bible is bit like that too

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

o   Chew it over in your mind,

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

o   Talk about it with other Christians, get another perspective

o   Give it time to digest – the meaning will come

 

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

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

–         But we also eat for enjoyment and comfort

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

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

 

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

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

–         Stories feed our soul with meaning and purpose

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

–         What story feeds your soul and comforts you?

–         What story is similar to yours?

–         Who is it that inspires you to be brave?

 

Jesus said “I am the bread of life”

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

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

–         Jesus, you are the bread of life

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

–         Jesus, you are the bread of life

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

–         Jesus, you are the bread of life

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

–         Jesus, you are the bread of life

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

–         Jesus, you are the bread of life

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

–         Jesus, you are the bread of life

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

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

 

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

Some guidelines for reading the Bible

Pray

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

 

Jesus

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

 

Context

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

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

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

–         What was the situation of the original intended audience?

–         Is their situation similar to mine or different?

o   If it is similar, then in what way?

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

–         What was the purpose of the author in writing?

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

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

 

Scripture interprets Scripture

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

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

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

 

Scripture interprets us

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

 

Humility

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

 

Read Scripture in conversation with other believers

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

 

Apply what you can

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

 

Be patient

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

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

 

Some practical strategies for a devotional reading of Scripture

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

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

 

Meditate on a verse or a brief passage about Jesus

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

–         What does this mean?

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

–         Why am I drawn to this verse?

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

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

–         Write down your thoughts in a journal

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

o   Have your thoughts and feelings changed?

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

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

 

Imagine yourself in the story

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

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

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

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

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

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

–         Who do I identify with most?

–         Where is God / Jesus in this story?

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

 

Compare a range of translations

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

–         How are they different?

–         How are they the same?

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

 

Read a book of the Bible alongside a commentary

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

–         What difference does this make to my understanding?

–         What do I agree with?

–         What am I struggling with?

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

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

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

Tawa Baptist

Energy Part 2 – The Soul’s Energy

Scripture: 1st Kings 19:10-18

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

Structure:

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

Introduction:

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

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

–         Hope Energy Appreciation Lament Inter-dependence Nurture & Giving

–         Last Sunday we heard about the body’s energy

–         Today our message focuses on the soul’s energy

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

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

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

To help us explore this subject of the soul’s energy we will continue looking at an episode in the life of Elijah – from 1st Kings, chapter 19

–         Elijah was one of the great prophets of Israel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–         This morning our focus is the soul’s energy

–         By the soul’s energy I mean things that feed our mind, emotions & spirit

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

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

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

 

Treat the cause and the symptoms:

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

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

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

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

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

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

–         It might be cynicism or it might be faith

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

 

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

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

–         A.) Ignore the leak and carry on?

–         B.) Empty the water out by hand?

–         C.) Patch the leak?

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

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

 

Here’s another scenario…

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

–         A.) Take a painkiller?

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

–         C.) Both A & B

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

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

 

One more scenario…

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Recovering the soul’s energy:

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

–         Introverts prefer to process their thoughts internally before speaking

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–         Adults are always right therefore I must be wrong

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

–         It is true the authorities are trying to kill Elijah

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

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

–         He has put all his eggs in one basket

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–         No wonder he wants it to end

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

–         So that’s what God gives him

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

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

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

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

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

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

–         No – the Lord comes to Elijah in sheer silence

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

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

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

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

–         In vulnerability and innocence

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–         God has the last word

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

 

Conclusion:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

What story are you telling yourself?

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

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

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

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

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

–         It is one in which everything depends on you?

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

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

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

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

–         What energises you?

–         What drains you?

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

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

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

–         How might we be a safe listener?

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

–         How might we affirm what is true?

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

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

–         How does God give Elijah a new story?

7.)    What story are you telling yourself?

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

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

–         What is God saying to you in these verses?

 

Tawa Baptist

Energy Part 1 – The Body’s Energy

Scripture: 1st Kings 19:1-9

Title: Energy – Part 1

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The body’s energy
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

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

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

–         Hope Energy Appreciation Lament Inter-dependence Nurture & Giving

–         Last Sunday we heard about hope

–         Today our message focuses on energy

 

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

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

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

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

–         Elijah was one of the great prophets of Israel

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

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

–         From verse 1 we read…

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

–         Body energy and soul energy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Body energy:

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

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

o   Mime dancing a waltz

o   Mime riding a bike

o   Mime bowling a cricket ball

 

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

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

–         That’s right – rhythm and balance

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

–         Elijah feels isolated & alone – physically & emotionally exhausted

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

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

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

–         Elijah is asking God to euthanize him

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

We sang that song at the beginning of the service…

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

Another thing that helps with sleep is social connection

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

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

 

Now you might wonder, how do they know this?

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

–         First he touches Elijah, to wake him up

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

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

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

–         Finally he tastes it

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

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

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

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

 

Conclusion:

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

–         The body simply bears the fruit of the problem

 

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

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

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

2.)    What is energy?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[1] Proverbs 25:16

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