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December 2005 Thoughts on Christmas, part 1 Intro...VIDEO Of Christmas scene…..
take a moment and think about any of the great court cases you’ve
ever seen on TV or in a movie. When is comes to Christmas, a lot
of people have a hard time believing many of these “crazy
ideas.” What are they? Some people just can’t by it. Let’s look to the Bible for
part of this story spelled out on the page right in front of us.
From there we’ll talk about the reliability of the scriptures. Over the next four weeks, I’ll
be taking some of the idea’s/points from this book, “The
case for Christmas” by Lee Strobel… Where do we find the biographies of Jesus? (The gospels…why are they called the gospels?...the good news that Jesus brought, the GOSPEL.) Today, we’ll take a look at the authenticity of the gospels. As Christians we have the words, stories, etc. of people who actually spent time with Jesus, day by day, seeing, learning, taking it all in. Saw him teaching, miracles, his death, rez. etc. Yet, it is really possible to be an intelligent, critically thinking person and believe that these 4 gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John? I’m here to say yes. (Without the Bible, we’re all making up our own stories..) Some specific evidence that Matthew, Mark and Luke wrote the first 3 gospels: A Christian writer named Papias, dated about 125 AD specifically named Mark and Matthew as the authors. Irenaeus, AD 180, pg. 18 We can be assured that the events they recorded are based on either direct or indirect eyewitness testimony. How come only parts of Jesus’
life were written about from each gospel? (Birth to 9 ish, 30-33) Mark devotes almost half of his gospel to this topic. In addition to the four gospels, there
is also the mysterious “Q”. Most scholars believe that Matthew and Luke incorporated some material from Q, yet Mark doesn’t. “Q” is actually just a
hypothesis. It’s mostly sayings and teachings of Jesus which
once may have formed and independent, separate document. This “Q” may have existed before Matthew and Luke. Most scholars believe that if you look at the sayings in “Q” you find that Jesus makes the same claims as in the 4 gospels. The first 3 gospels are called the
“Synoptics” (to view at the same time) “Syn”
as in synchronicity and optic as is visual, or eye. In John, Jesus uses different terminology, longer sermons, more direct claims that Jesus is one with God, that he is the way, the truth and the life. John is mostly independent of the other three gospels, he has a different perspective on Jesus. When you hear the term “son of Man” it does NOT primarily refer to Jesus’ humanity. It is a direct reference to Daniel 7:13-14
40-60 within the lifetime of various eyewitnesses of the life of Jesus, including hostile witnesses who would’ve tried to discredit the writings. The two earliest biographers of Alexander the Great (Arrian and Plutarch) were written more than 400 years after his death in 325 BC, yet historically we consider them to be trustworthy. It’s it funny how most people would never question the authenticity of Alexander the Greats life, yet the life of Jesus is continually questioned. Why? Because of the claims that Jesus made about himself. Like I always say, if Christianity wasn’t the real deal, then why is it always the hot topic? Was Jesus actually born on December
25th? (and does it really matter?) Spring is most likely. Why? Shepherds were watching their flocks by night and this is ewes born their young. AD 200, theologians concluded that Jesus was born on May 20th. Could’ve been April or March even. In AD 385 Pope Julius I declared December 25th, the birth date of Jesus. Why? Mostly to challenge the pagan celebration of the Roman god Saturnalia, known for social disorder and immorality. Whether you believe in Jesus or not, the claims he made etc. There is no doubt he lived. We base our entire calendar on his life! The virgin birth? Come on! As Christians everything doesn’t need to make complete sense...If God can create the universe, he can bring about a virgin birth. I wouldn’t want it any other way. Conclusion: Intro...VIDEO of Indiana Jones finding the Ark...What a thrill to be an archeologist and discover something you’ve searched long and hard for. Once found it confirms much of your research and proves that you weren’t a lunatic… Today, we’ll see how archeological evidence has helped to verify the claims of Jesus and the New Testament Text: Matthew 2:9-11, 16, 21-23 Luke 2:1-3 There have been hundreds of archeological finds from the first century, so how do they all fit in? One of the great books written on this subject is from John McRay’s Archeology and the New Testament. However, even he reminds us that even these important archeological finds can’t prove whether the NT is the word of God. These findings do show that the history and geography of the NT is accurate. Spiritual truths cannot be proved or disproved by archeological discoveries. What are some other ways that we see the evidence of spiritual truths in our lives? Changed lives… Archeology is really just part of the big puzzle, all the parts that come together to show us the validity of the NT...and from there the Christmas story. (A reminder again…) Why is it critical that the Christmas story be valid? What is the bigger picture here? Virgin birth = God’s son = Jesus was God = He could die for our sins = It’s the beginning of the GOSPEL message… We have better historical documentation for Jesus than for the founder of any other ancient religion. There are 39 ancient historical sources that corroborate more than 100 facts concerning Jesus’ life, teaching, crucifixion and rez. Archeology helps us retrace all the steps that lead up to an important action. I may say we had a great Christmas party last night… And so it is with Biblical archeology...“If an ancient historian’s incidental details check out to be accurate time after time, this increases our confidence in other material that the historian wrote but that cannot be as readily cross-checked.” Same with the Bible, “The credibility of any ancient document is enhanced when you excavate and find that the author was accurate in talking about a particular place or event.” Luke wrote both the book that bears his name and Acts, which together constitute about one quarter of the entire NT. Luke and Matthew are the only two gospels that provide details about the birth of Jesus. That’s all great, but did Luke get all the details right? Do archeologists prove this? Yes. Both liberal and conservative scholars believe Luke was an accurate historian. One prominent archaeologist carefully
examined Luke’s references to 32 countries, 54 cities and
9 Islands finding not one single mistake. SIDEBAR: What if Christianity just copied other myths? The NT deals with actual persons and historical events. Christ’s virgin birth is radically different from mythical tales. Myths tend to be stories about lurid tales of lusty gods have forced sex with women. Instead of the Incarnation, myths give us half-human, half-divine superheroes subject to the same weaknesses, sins and frustrations as we do. Here’s an example of how John
wrote of something that was later discovered through an archaeological
dig. Yes! Recently this pool has been excavated,
about 40 ft. below ground, with the 5 porticoes (colonnaded porches)
that John had described. Dinosaurs...it’s all really just guessing… Some stuff to think about: Archaeology discovered an ancient census forms that gave validity to this claim. See book, pg. 47 Nazareth? Did this little town actually
exist? Archaeologists found a list describing the priests who were relocated to Nazareth after Jerusalem fell in AD 70. Priests were no longer needed in the temple because it had been destroyed. They were sent out to other locations. There have been 1st century digs that have uncovered tombs in the vicinity of Nazareth. This helped to establish the village’s limits because we know that by Jewish law, burials had to take place outside the town proper. We know that Nazareth was a small, mostly Jewish settlement about 60 acres, with a max. population of about 480. What about the slaughter at Bethlehem? Again, this doesn’t show up in historical writings of Josephus, no archaeological support. Bethlehem was a small town, no CNN. Not that many babies in a village of 500. Herod was a bloodthirsty King. Killed members of his own family, executed lots of people who challenged him...an ancient Saddam Hussein. So the fact the he killed some babies
in Bethlehem didn’t make “national news.” Conclusion:
Thoughts on Christmas, part 3 Intro...the craziness of getting ready
for Christmas...the Lauer family photo episode We want to make sure we are focusing on the right thing this time of year...and what better place to do that than in church. We can get away with it here! As a result, we’ve been looking at The Case for Christmas (review: eyewitness, archaeology) and today, “Was Jesus really God?” Because if he wasn’t than the entire Christmas story has not punch, no meaning, no bigger picture. Police sketch...what are they trying to accomplish with these? Text: (Matthew 1:21, Luke 2:11) and John 10:22-30 What are the characteristics that
make God, God? Yet, does Jesus have these qualities? The story in John 10:22-30 gives us
insight into how people felt during the time of Jesus (as well as
today). V. 25 “I did tell you but you did not believe.” (Oh..that’s us today too…) Why this lack of belief? So in one sense, I can’t blame people for not believing. It’s a crazy story unless you are open to God’s working in your life. V. 27 Once we become one of his sheep, we can better hear and obey his voice. V. 28-29 This hearing and obedience leads to eternal life, security in the “arms of my Father.” V. 30 (And here’s the clincher…) “I and the Father are one.” It’s one of those crazy, “all or nothing” statements. Why is this so critical? (especially in light of today’s subject?) V. 31 Look at their reaction...People can be that violent today too as we propose that Christmas is about so much more than Santa, gifts, shopping, family, food, lights, etc. etc. V. 32-33… ”but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” Feedback? What are some more things that Jesus said that help to show that he is divine, actually God? … His claim that he can forgive sin. (verse for this) It’s one thing for one human to forgive another. But for me to walk up to someone and say, “You are forgiven because of me.” He also claimed to be without sin. (verse for this) definitely an attribute of God. If God truly became incarnate (Jesus/man,
yet still God) then what about the three big “O’s”?
Omniscient?…”Not even the son of man knows the hour of his return?” John 16:30 Omnipotent?….He was unable to do many miracles in his home town.. Matt. 28:18 John 1:1, ‘The Word became flesh” The Word is God...he became flesh, Jesus who is God. Hebrews 13:8 John 14:7, “If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well.” (Loosely translated: “When you look at the sketch of God from the Old Testament, you will see a likeness of me.” What was the biggest proof that Jesus
was God? (We celebrate it on Easter?) As we grapple with Christmas and the
concept of the Incarnation (how God took on flesh) it really still
is a mind-boggling concept. It is NOT the quest of Christian theology to make everything fit into a neat and tidy box. If we can box God in, then we have limited the mystery of God and our continued quest for learn more. Feedback?
November 2005 11.6.05 The externally focused church, part 1 “What is an EFC?” Intro…Endless church
conferences out there, workshops, books, seminars etc. that all
deal with healthy church life. Next Feb. I’ll be at the conference
I go to every year... Normally we don’t
talk much about taking care of those less fortunate when we list
these characteristics Text: Isaiah 58:1-3, 6-7 I’d like to spend the next few weeks asking us all to consider what an externally focused church is. (I’m reading this book….) I’d like to propose this: “Church effectiveness is not measured by what happens inside the church but rather by the impact of the people of the church on their communities.” Are we engaging our communities with truth and grace, good news and good deeds? Are we the salt that preserves, the light that shines to help transform a community? EFC defined: The dreaded “Christian bubble.” It all sounds so good, powerful worship, excellent teaching, thriving youth programs, vibrant small groups etc, etc.. But at the end of the day what is measured is the number of people and activities within the church. Good churches, good people no doubt. This is all vital, but not sufficient for a healthy, well balanced church. “Worship that is
not manifested in how we live in relationship with others may be
hollow.” Isaiah 1:13-17 It’s so easy to focus on loving and worshipping God, but what about loving our fellow man, especially those who don’t have what we do? An externally focused church is internally strong, but oriented externally. Not just “How can we do church better for the new people?” When we serve side by side in our communities, it can be more powerful than the best service we can plan. Why is that the case? (actions speak louder than words.) Let’s build bridges to our community instead of walls around ourselves. We want to do more than help individuals, we want to help change the world.
Often churches talk about their “target” audience. Boomers, Gen Xers, Millenials others? You know who our target audience should be? Those in the margins. There are nearly 400 passages in the bible that show God’s concern for orphans, widows, prisoners, aliens, homeless, poor, hungry, sick and disabled. (But that’s not glamorous…) Deut. 10:18-19, 15:10-11 Our community. Instead of being so angry with our city or politicians, can we be a blessing? We need to pray for our leaders. Maybe we could start right here at PB Middle School. Geez, we’ve been here 9 years and never really done anything for the school. How ‘bout notes of encouragement to the entire staff? I bet we could do that! By focusing on these groups, we will naturally attract new people to our church and then have the privilege to see them come to Christ and grow in their faith. How would you define critical
mass? To be externally focused means returning to the reason our church was founded!!! Hopefully you are getting
excited with me to be more externally focused as a church. If so,
here’s some practical stuff to think about. We need to see ourselves as vital to the health and well being of our community. Here in PB as well as your individual neighborhoods. Ministering to and serving others should be a normal expression of Christian living. (They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love...not by our excellent church building or fiery sermons, or huge youth groups or…) As Christians, we can grow through good instruction, but we’ll really grow in our faith when we remain involved in service to others. We will become more evangelistically effective when we focus on others. We all want to see lots of people come to Jesus, right? When we have a strong commitment to social justice and direct participation in our community, we will see church growth and people coming to Christ. Here’s a crazy idea: “Don’t go to start a church, go to serve a city. Serve them with love and if you go after the people nobody wants, you’ll end up with the people everybody wants.” Let’s dream together on what our first service project will be and monthly projects from there. We can either identify current needs in our communities and start ministries to meet those needs or partner with existing ministries or human service agencies that are already accomplishing a shared mission with the community. If Coastlands Church were to cease to exist today, would the average person in our community even notice? It was never about the donkey...The EFC is a good donkey that takes Jesus into places where he hasn’t always been welcome. It’s still about Jesus. Conclusion: Isaiah 58:1-12 "Well, here's why: "The bottom line
on your 'fast days' is profit. "If you get rid
of unfair practices,
Externally focused church, part 2 “The power of service” Luke 10:30-37 Intro…The difference between staying in a “hotel” and the Ritz-Carlton... The story in Mark 10:35-45 is so typical of our human nature...Jesus finishes his answer with such key words. “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to be come great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be a slave of all. For even the Son on Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Martin Luther ”Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness...He who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That’s a new definition of greatness...You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.” Big Picture: There is
undeniable power in service. (A small example, me and the boys mowing
our neighbors lawns…) This is such a powerful
story, one of the best from the Bible. It clearly illustrates what
typically happens when there is someone who is in need. Some obvious things the
Samaritan did right in this story: He offered practical help.
(In this case, medical help). He provided transportation.
(he put the wounded man on his donkey) He provided lodging and
companionship. The last thing he did
was offer money. (paid the innkeeper) Why are we often so hesitant
to serve? (could we really describe Coastlands as a “serving
church?”) Needs and dreams of a
city: How do we find out?…. (ask ‘em, public service,
schools, politicians, PB town council) But what if nothing happens
when we reach out and serve? Conclusion: Jeremiah 22:11-16
Externally focused church, part 3 Intro…VIDEOS of new babies...with all these new babies this year, we all know how they need to grow...but with children and adults, growing spiritually (or spiritual formation) is a different matter. “Good bible teaching
alone is not sufficient for spiritual maturity.” Text: Eph. 2:8-10 Matt. 4:4, “Man
does not live on bread alone… 1 Peter 2:2, “Spiritual
milk” It’s cute seeing a baby breastfeed, but gets a little creepy/weird when the kid is 4,5,6 The bible clearly points out that we round out our growth, grow best when we are actively involved in serving others. A well known and often used mission statement for a church is SLIDE “Win, build, send.” Sounds good on the surface. Unfortunately, most people don’t get too excited about spiritual disciplines. That doesn’t mean we abandon them all together, we just need to realize that they are only part of our spiritual formation. Even monks are really only doing 2/3 of what they could be doing… In reality, getting people involved in service is much easier than activities specifically designed to deepen their faith. Often when someone is first involved in service, they’ll come back with questions like, “Can you teach me how to pray, understand the bible, share my faith. Why, because they now see a practical need for knowing all that stuff. They want to be equipped next time they go out to serve to do more than just “random acts of kindness.” Really, there is no reason a person brand new to our church, yet still interested in checking out “the whole God-thing” can’t serve side by side with us in the community from day one. “Discipleship is not what happens inside the four walls of the church. The biggest factor in a church’s retaining people is not personal follow up or joining a small group; it is being involved from the very beginning in service to others in the community.” Erwin McMannus “We begin to grow when we take responsibility for the growth on another person.” Dr. Howard Hendricks Ministry to others is not just a potential avenue of growth but absolutely essential to our spiritual growth. People who are serving others are more likely to be satisfied with the level of their spiritual growth. It “just feels right”. Quote book, pg. 83
In reality we should be equally excited about vs. 10...we are not saved by good works, but we are saved for good works...that God has prepared in advance for us to do.” If we’re not careful, we’ll end up feeling empty if all we’re doing is doing from bible study, to seminar, to the latest Christian book hoping to fill our “purpose” with personal development or insight. Until we discover our place of ministry, we will fill incomplete. What’s the difference between bodybuilding and weight training for athletes? The bodybuilders are really just posers….the athletes are putting those muscles to good use…. Same thing with only coming to church, bible studies, small groups, seminary etc. etc. You’ll end up a poser. Put all the training to practical, good use! As a church we should be able to “Continually evaluate our work based on the life change experienced by our volunteers and those we serve in the community.” Mariners Church 2. Broaden the definition
of ministry. You are all hereby commissioned for works of great service…. “As a church we are not doing our people any favors by letting them just attend church every week, living with the illusion that they are growing. They may be learning, but they are not growing.” Eric Swanson 3. “Ministry to
others” should be a given in the core beliefs of Coastlands
Church. James 1:22, 2:14-19 Here’s the goal. On any given Sunday we should be able to randomly ask people to share great stories of how they served someone this week. What a joy to be able to see lives changes, ours mostly! Any examples today? Conclusion:
Externally focused church, part 4 “Mercy and Justice” Intro...Lots of creative names for new churches in the last 10 years or so...Jacob’s well, Solomons Porch, Mars Hill, Existence church, The Resolved... Matthew’s party...taken from Matthew 9:9-12 Vs. 9-10, so far so good, but then along come those wacky Pharisees...so big on separating themselves for anything or anyone who could possibly defile them. (As a result they didn’t get invited to many good parties…) With Jesus’ words in vs. 12, he revealed his life purpose and values. (Hosea 6:6) As Christians who are we to imitate? Christ And who did he spend most of his time with? Those in the margins, those who needed him most. Who do we tend to spend most of our time with? Christians...where’s the balance? Text: Micah 6:6-8 Mercy goes beyond pity (just to feel sorry for) or compassion (to feel sorry with). Mercy is expressed in actions. Such a huge difference… Mercy is love with hands and feet
attached, it’s the human touch we all need. Say you saw a hurt, wounded person on front of your house, then another one the next day, etc. etc. Helping them at first is mercy...going “upstream” to see where all these wounded people are coming from is justice. Justice is ongoing, helping to correct a bigger problem, going to the cause, helping to make societal changes. I’d like to propose today, that
we need to do both! Most churches equip people to know Christ and walk humbly with God. (Spiritual formation or maturation as we talked about last week.) When we seek to apply mercy and justice to those in need, then we are an externally focused church. Let’s take a look at a chart that helps us to define these three essential qualities: SLIDE Once we see a chart like this we need to decide where we fit. Ideally, we are doing all three, to various degrees. (Remember, the default setting in the Christian life is to only “Walk humbly with God.” On the surface, it seems to be so fulfilling.) I’d like us as individuals and as a church to be challenged by this verse. How can we practically be involved in all three? (With justice, in our situation with renting the school, we’ll probably need to be involved with existing agencies…) Deut. 15:11, “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.” As we are feeling the call from God to care for those less fortunate than ourselves, the challenge is to get them to the point of self-sufficiency. Tony from Set Free has told me that getting people clean and sober is only the first step in a long journey. What are the first steps you can take...like I told the kids... Alice in Wonderland: Alice is trying
to find her way out of Wonderland, comes to a fork in the road and
meets the Cheshire Cat: After this series, I’m asking us all to ask where we go from here. Cast a vision for what God is asking us to do. I would LOVE to be known in this community as a externally focused church. That people would know of us because of the way we serve others, even more than for the great worship service we offer on Sunday mornings. Don’t let these vision problems hold you back: Nearsighted/Tunnel vision: too focused on your own daily needs, head down, can’t see others. This is when the church creates a fortress/gated community mentality, going from one Christian event to the next. Farsighted: Looking too much at the future that you miss present realities. Wide eyed: Watching culture and trends and getting caught in the latest and greatest, without much thought, just following a fad. Guess what, the call the serve others has been the heart of the churches call forever! It’s always the latest and greatest thing we can be doing. Lazy eye: Great vision/ideas but lack of commitment and effort leads to mediocre results Conclusion: Mercy puts a name on those in need...Carl and Chris and the people they know on the boardwalk... Passing out food on Thanksgiving... (BTW, We’d like to do this once a month)...People thought Carl was homeless… Last person of the day, Scott Styles… Mercy sees every person as someone God loves and Jesus died for. GOSPEL Mercy is giving someone some food for today, not attacking all the problems… Mercy explains why Jesus so willingly fed the five thousand. He didn’t lecture them on how to plant wheat for a future harvest, instead he said: “I have compassion for these people...I do not want to send them away hungry.” Matthew 15:32. Let’s not get paralyzed by inaction, Jesus said, “Be merciful, just as you Father is merciful.” Luke 6:36 Story of Luke 7 from Children’s Bible Page 148 Upcoming events: Dec. 10th, Xmas parade,
17th “Hoodies”, 21st, Caroling and we’ll go from
there… FEEDBACK?
Genesis 50 Intro: "How old are you?" "I'm 4 and half." You're never 36 and a half, but you are 4 and a half going on 5! That's the key. You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number. "How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16." And then the greatest day of your
life happens: you become 21. Even the words sounds like a ceremony--you
BECOME 21. YES!!!! You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40… you REACH 50...and then you MAKE IT to 60...Whew! by then you've built up so much speed, you HIT 70! After that, it's a day-by-day thing. You HIT Wednesday, you get into your 80s, you HIT lunch. And it doesn't end there...into the 90's, you start going backwards: I was JUST 92. Then a strange thing happens, if you make it over 100, you become a little kid again: I'm 100 and a half!!
Big Picture: Growing old gracefully...we see this happening with Jacob and Joseph in their final years. How does this happen? By learning what God’s promises are and then leaning on them throughout the years. Text: 50:1-5 2 examples of God’s promises
being fulfilled. 1-14 (Jacob and Joseph’s lives.) We need to remember God's faithfulness to his promise of the land. Gen. 12 There is also the hope of God's people in the eventual return to the land. (Jacob and Joseph insisting on being buried there.) Jacob, in his final return to the Land of Promise, was accompanied by a large group. 50:7-9 Jacob's burial in the land of promise foretells of the time when God (Ezek. 39:25) "will bring Jacob back from captivity and will have compassion on all the people of Israel and I will be zealous for my holy name.” In other prophetic books of the bible, we see a recurring image of this promise. We see the nation of Israel return to the land along with many from among the nations. Isaiah 2:2-3, (same in Micah 4:1-5) ; Zech 8:23 Joseph trusts in God’s promises.
22-26 Like his father Jacob, Joseph wanted his bones returned to the Promised Land v. 25 It was partly the physical location of where he would be buried, but the bigger picture was again, trust in God’s promises. “Though he knew he would die and not see the time when his sons returned to the land, he nevertheless expressed clearly the hope and trust that he had in God's promise: "God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" (v. 24) Stories like these may just seem to
far and away.
Begging for forgiveness v. 16-18 Ideally people shouldn’t have to beg for forgiveness. Joseph knew his place, v. 19. A humble man used by God. Joseph wept. A good man, one who loved his brothers and wanted the best for them. How could he do this? V. 20 really is the key verse to the entire Joseph story… That’s a verse we can repeat often, use all the time, because it’s always true. It can also apply to circumstances we don’t understand. “Good luck”? Coincidence? When we are having a hard time forgiving someone, we need to remember that that really is God’s greater plan. How? Again because there is a bigger force in action here than just our selfish motives...v.21 Joseph forgiving his brothers is a sign of the future community of the sons of Israel in exile waiting their return to the Promised Land. To that same community the call went out by the prophet Isaiah, 40:1-2. Why should we forgive others? Because Christ first forgave us...GOSPEL... Behind all the events and human plans spoken of in the story of Joseph lies the unchanging plan of God. God will always remain faithful to his purposes. Throughout the story of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph we are reminded that we can continue to trust him and to believe that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28). Verses that talk about God’s
purposes and promises…. Other promises you can think of?
Genesis 49 Intro/Big picture: Two weddings, mistakes, trying to make it right. Makes me feel “old and wise” as I counsel with them...Lessons to learn from mistakes Text: 49: 8-10, 22-24 re-tell the story… Today’s story is a story of
blessing. One of looking back on mistakes and looking ahead to the
future blessings of God. Jacob looks to the future and reflects on the past with his sons as he blesses each of them. God has promised a blessing, but there are some prices to pay in the missteps along the way. V. 1 “In the days to come” refers to God's future deliverance of his chosen people. At the center of that deliverance stands a king. Let’s take a brief look at
each on of them. Those are the choices that come back to haunt you… Jacobs words in chap. 49 help to eliminate the otherwise rightful heirs to make room for Judah and Joseph at the top. Lesson learned? Sexual purity. 5-7 Simeon and Levi: Grouped together
because they were the instigators of the bloodshed against the city
of Shechem (34:25). The tribe of Simeon virtually disappears from the biblical narratives. The tribe of Levi was given the responsibility of the priesthood after they opposed the idolatry connected with the golden calf (Ex. 32:26). They were not given their own inheritance in the apportioning of the land. Lesson learned? Control your anger and wickedness has a price. 8-12 Judah Psalm 78: 67-68 Judah is described as a victorious warrior v. 8 , a lion cub v. 9 and a king, v. 10 Judah is the one who holds the "scepter" and the "ruler's staff." What Jacob is saying is that Judah will hold this status among the tribes of Israel until one comes "to whom it belongs." And who is that? Christ… Revelation 5:5, 9 V. 11 This idea of a blessing is expressed
poetically with the images of the donkey tethered to the choicest
of vines and clothing washed in vintage wine. V 12 returns to the picture of the
king of Judah. “His eyes are darker than wine and his teeth
whiter than milk.”… a picture of strength and power. Lesson learned? Be used by God in a powerful way. Jacob’s words to his remaining
sons are short. V. 29-32 Jacob’s final words Jacob's last words to his sons remind
us of the story’s major theme: God's plan to restore the original
blessing through the offspring of Abraham. Stop blaming everyone else and follow
God.
Genesis 48 The importance of a blessing Intro…Asking Kelley’s dad to marry her...I wanted his blessing... Big Picture: In today’s story, once again it was the younger, not the older that got the blessing. We never know when or how God will bless us…So, we should “walk with God” as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob etc. not so much to expect a certain kind of blessing. It’s because that’s what God require. We need to leave the blessing stuff up to him, however and to whomever he pleases. Text: Genesis 48:11-16 Re-tell the story.. How many of you had a chance to read Genesis 48 this week? Thoughts? What does it mean to receive someone’s
blessing? Examples today? Ideally we get that from our parents (naturally) as we grow up. (I do my best to give my boys my attention…) We can also receive a blessing or affirmation from other important people along the way, examples? (Teachers, coaches, grandparents, bosses, friends, spouses) As we’ve seen in the previous stories of Abraham and Isaac, the blessing of the father is extremely important and passed along to the next generation. We can receive blessings from The Father today too... Since it was the younger son, Ephraim, who was blessed as the firstborn rather than the older, Manasseh (v. 19) we see that the blessing did not follow the lines of natural descent or natural right. It’s a reminder of what I said earlier. Let’s “walk with God” and leave the blessing stuff up to him. A true blessing is a gift bestowed on someone who can not claim it as a right. The same thing happens later in the
story. It seems that naturally Joseph would receive God’s
blessing as the future line that leads to Christ. What seems to make the most sense if often not God’s plan. (Let’s leave room for God to surprise us.) As important as Joseph is throughout this story, his role ends up being subordinate to that of Judah. In chapter 49, the blessing of Judah (v. 8-12) plays a dominant role in the continuing story of the promise and the blessing of God. From Judah comes the house of David, and from David comes the Messiah Matt. 1 GOSPEL Josephs two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh,
play an important role in future texts (II Samuel 2, I Kings 12)
dealing with the divided northern kingdom. Ephraim’s kingdom was ultimately was exiled and lost.
This description of God links the faith of the fathers (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob)with the later generations of God's covenant people. That’s us! Deuteronomy 30:16, The essence of the covenant relationship was that God's people were to love God and "walk in his ways" Micah 6:8 "What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" Jacob's short schooling of faith (for Joseph and his sons) gives us today a theological link connecting and identifying our faith throughout all the ages. Why was Jacob blessed over Esau? Ephraim
blessed over Manasseh? Why Judah over Joseph? Throughout these stories, the answer to that question has been the same. Receiving the blessing that God offers does not come down to our natural abilities. Instead, God’s blessing are based solely on his grace. Let’s all turn to 1 Cor. 1:25 and 3:19 Conclusion: SLIDE Isaiah 55:9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways.” Feedback/Questions?
Genesis 47 “Trusting in God’s promises.” Intro…As a parent, there is almost nothing worse than me making promise, (especially one that my kids will remember) and then not keeping it…it’s the same for all of us, parent or not Big picture: As humans we have the potential to break our promises. God never will. We find his promises all throughout the Bible. There’s a good reason to study the Bible, to discovering more of God’s promises. We need that reassurance in times of doubt. Following God’s guidelines and promises will pay-off now and in our future generations. The specifics I can’t give you. I can tell you that it will be worth it though. Text: Genesis 47:1-6 Joseph’s wisdom and willingness
to trust God resulted in his brothers and father living in the land
of safety where they would be taken care of during the famine. By now, Pharaoh had grown to trust Joseph so much that he not only welcomed his “lower class shepherd” brothers, but he put them in charge of his own livestock as well. By Joseph trusting in God’s promises, seeing past the immediate, Joseph's fortune resulted in the fortune of his brothers. “Sharing the wealth…”
Today’s story reminds us that through Joseph and Jacob, God’s promise to Abraham was now being fulfilled with the nations around them. The same thing can happen to us when we are faithful to God and are around his people. We will receive his blessings directly and indirectly. Cool deal. Look at this statement from v. 8-9,
“My years have been few and difficult” As a result Jacob, must not only die outside the Promised Land, (28) but recounts that his years were few and difficult. A sad way to have to look back on your life. What are the lessons for us today from this part of the story? (How are we living now? What will you be able to say at the end of your life if questioned? Life is beyond immediate gratification, think long-term.)
Yet because of God’s grace Jacob was able to live out his remaining years "in the good or best part of the land" (v. 11), though not the Promised Land. God will do the same thing for us, even when we make wrong choices…GOSPEL
If we’re not careful it can
be all about the money. It seems like Jacob’s story
is coming to a close... As he approached death (v. 29), Jacob did not want to be buried among the Egyptians but with his fathers (v. 30) in his own land. Makes sense. 49:29-32 In 50:25 Joseph makes his sons swear that they will carry his bones back to the Promised Land, a request carried out by the sons of Israel in Joshua 24:32. Why is this request so important to
4 generations? (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph). A key symbol of Israel's faith in the promises of God is the bones of the faithful offspring that lie buried in the Promised Land. Let’s take a look at Ezekiel
37 (red) and the prophecy of the "dry bones." In this same chapter, Ezekiel returns directly to one of the central underlying issues of the Joseph story, the rivalry between Joseph and Judah. Let’s look back to another rivalry….one between Leah, Judah's mother, and Rachel, Joseph's mother (ch. 30). This struggle is of one brother over the other has been a main theme in this story “In chapters 48 (the blessing of Joseph) and 49 (the blessing of Judah) the issue comes to a final resolution in the choice of one from the tribe of Judah who will reign over the rest of the brothers (Gen 49:8-10).” Upcoming Narnia movie...Who is Aslan? He represents the “Lion of Judah.” And remember, all this stems from God’s original promise, to bless Abraham and his future descendants. One of the reasons Jacob was so concerned about being buried in the promised land is the fulfillment of God's promises. He wanted to stay in line with that promise, probably more for his sons, than him. Today, you and I need to have faith
like Jacob in God’s promises. What are some of the “dry bones”
in our lives today?
Genesis 46 “Things you want to see happen at a Family reunion.” How many of you had a family reunion this summer? Any crazy stories? In Gen. 46 we are finally getting
to see Joseph’s family reunite. ...Happen at a family reunion (or
church gathering to reflect and look ahead..) V. 2-3...God tells us not to be afraid (to go down to Egypt) or for us to follow him this year. Why should we not be afraid? V. 5-7... The whole family got together.
September 2005 Genesis 44-45 “Things undeserved.” Intro…These current hurricanes
are causing a lot of trouble. Imagine if they blew through town
and nothing happened...that would be an undeserved blessing. Big Picture: As Christians, our existence is based on the fact that we got what we don’t deserve, God’s grace, love and mercy. Because of sin... Text: 45:4-8a Catch up from last week... Chap. 44 The test of the Silver cup.
Again, Joseph wanted to see the intention of his brothers hearts… It wasn’t really about grain, silver or a silver cup it was about a change in attitude a show of repentance a “metanoia”. And it’s slowly starting to happen. (v. 14) Re-emphasizes Joseph’s earlier dreams, 37:7-9. At this point, his brother were still feeling guilty. Everywhere they turned, they were reminded of their mistreatment of their brother Joseph. This part of the story reminds us that we live a world in where justice does ultimately prevail and where "evil" will not go unnoticed or unpunished. v 13 Interesting how their response was exactly the same as their father's response when he heard their report of the loss of Joseph (37:34). The grief they had caused their father had returned on their own heads. In essence, they were trapped. And this is where we find ourselves without Christ, trapped. In need of a savior. In need of a miracle. In need of something grand that is undeserved. So while it had looked like Joseph was working a slow revenge upon his brothers, we can now see that his purpose was not revenge but repentance. And often that’s how God deals with us. There can be a “test” or situation that causes us to look to God. Kinda the “rock bottom” event in our lives. Often there is a key event that allows us to see God. And from there the key is if we will allow God room in our hearts. In Joseph’s brothers life it
was the test of the silver cup that turned them to repentance. Look at v 33 What is this a foretelling of? What Christ would come to do for us. (Judah is making amends here from 37:26) GOSPEL
He had to convince his terrified brothers that it was really him, that everything was going to be ok. He goes on to remind them of God’s greater purpose, a huge theme throughout the entire Joseph story. This story is such clear evidence of God’s providence. Thoughts on God’s providence?
Easy to understand? Hard? Confusing? It’s like the brothers had one the lottery, v. 21-23 A prime example of “things undeserved.” There is no way his brothers deserved such grace, love and royal treatment. And guess what, neither do we! Through Joseph’s tests of his brothers they were finally coming to an awareness of their guilt and were now ready to acknowledge it. Their utter frustration was expressed in their repetition of the question, "What can we say?" 44:16. We too can receive God’s goodness
and grand plan for our lives. First we’ve got to get in step
with his plans. That’s what Joseph’s brothers finally
did, they were humbled and sought forgiveness. Since Joseph could
now see the repentance in their hearts, he said, Joseph is a “Christ figure” here. There is a process we need to go through also to come to Christ. Humility, admit a need of a savior (Joseph for them, Jesus for us) Repent of wrong doing, take action (follow God’s laws)….THEN receive the blessings. “Oh the rewards of following
Christ. We get to live in the land of plenty. (Just like Joseph’s
brothers.) Joseph tells his brothers to hurry
home, tell your father etc.. But with a caution, v.24! “The picture of Joseph is a
picture of restoration--not just the restoration of the good fortune
of Jacob but, as a picture, the restoration of the blessing that
was promised through the offspring of Jacob.” Just as Joseph finally reveals his identity and his brothers have a choice to make, When the identity of Christ become evident to you, there is a choice to make also. Conclusion: So often we treat God this way, like
a slot machine…
Genesis 43 Intro…Kelley feeling like a “celebrity” and then apologizing for not letting me touch her tummy… When we mess up with someone, do something wrong to them, it’s a great thing when we recognize the error of our ways. It’s an even greater thing when that person is able to forgive us. Big Picture: Today’s story of Joseph and his brothers is one of one party having to “kiss up” and the other party doing the right thing by forgiving and treating them with kindness. Wouldn’t it be great if we could run the world like this...? Text: Re-tell the story and read 43:
24-31
Catch up from last week…
The mess up They have to go back to Egypt and
“beg” for more food. Judah reminds his father of Joseph’s words: (v. 3-5) “Bring back your brother Benjamin with you, or you can forget about seeing my face and getting anymore food.” V. 6 Poor Israel (Jacob) “Why did you bring this trouble on me?” When we mess up it always affects so many other people. His sons try do defend their actions, “How were we to know?” Again, they have no clue as to the bigger picture here. That’s the challenge for us. Can we look past our immediate crisis to see a bigger picture? Finally, Judah basically says, “Trust me on this one dad, we need to do this to survive. I’ll be personally responsible for this, my life is on the line.” In light of the mess the brothers have gotten the family into, they now have to resort to bribes and groveling to get what they need. V. 11 “If you must then…” Bring along some of our best products of the land, a little balm, honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. These were specialty items not common in Egypt. In light of the famine, they were even more rare. Double the amount of silver (money) to pay him back. Even take Benjamin with you. It stinks when we get ourselves into a situation like this, huh? (Just do whatever..) We even end up begging of God, (v. 14) “May God almighty grant you mercy…” Israel ends it with, (v. 14b) “I
am bereaved, I am bereaved.” How sad. Well, that’s what God specializes in: Mercy. Often he deals out that mercy through merciful humans, Joseph in this story.
So off they go, back to Egypt. (v.
15) What is going to happen when they get to Egypt and back into their “brothers” presence? For all they knew he could just be a ruthless governor showing no mercy. V. 23 “No worries” say the steward, “Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks.” A reminder of who is really in charge here, overseeing this whole mess. Let’s not abuse our position of authority or power when we have the chance to forgive someone. With Kelley I could’ve…..If we recognize they will be coming to us asking forgiveness, let’s be ready to be used by God as a vehicle of mercy. What a privilege! Joseph recognizes his brothers (plus
Benjamin) and prepares a fest. v. 16-17 v. 33-34! It wasn’t quite the time for Joseph to revel his identity to his brothers. Proper etiquette wouldn’t allow Joseph to eat with his brothers, v. 32 He was following the laws of the Egyptian caste system. Egyptians considered themselves highly intelligent and sophisticated. Shepherds and nomads (like Joseph’s brothers) were uncultured, vulgar, unrefined.
This story of Joseph is an example of how we humans get to be the “mercy vessels”. They had come expecting to be made into servants, but it was they who were being served (vv. 31-32). When we gladly offer forgiveness and mercy, it’s usually a reversal of what is expected. What a nice turn of events. Conclusion: Feedback/insights/thoughts?
Genesis 42 The Human touch Intro…Well, here we are week
two of the Katrina disaster. (I’m guessing Katrina will not
be a popular name with new parents…) Notice all the stickers on the back of cars showing off how many are in their family? The power of family love. In today’s story of Joseph, we learn about the power of brotherly love. Hopefully you experienced that growing up and still have it today. If not, you may find it in a new “family.” Connecting with other humans is essential to who we are, how we were created. For some of us, that comes from our family of origin. Some of us through marriage and kids. Some of us, a new set of friends or a church family. As we grow in our relationship to Christ our new family becomes our church family. For some it may need to replace our “dysfunctional” family or origin, for others we now have both. Re-tell the story.. Text: Gen. 42:18-24 In today’s story we see a power
example of how when someone is used by God, love can win out. When it’s critical though, when it comes down to loving his family or rejecting them, he chooses love. Ideally, we can do that with our family too. However, it’s only through the power of God that that is possible. Again, you may end up forming a “new family” today that replaces your family of origin if it’s just too messed up to reconcile.
So, 10 of the twelve sons went (Jacob already lost one son, Joseph) and he didn’t want to lose anymore. He sent all but Benjamin (son of my right hand or favored). He was Joseph’s only full brother and as far as Jacob new, the only surviving son of his favorite with, Rachel. Benjamin was Jacobs youngest son and a child of his old age. Sometimes God asks us to give up the things we hold most dear and trust him...happened with Jacob here...is currently happening with the hurricane victims… V. 6 By now Joseph had become governor,
overseeing the food distribution. Grain was so valuable because it could be dried and stored much longer than vegetables, milk or meat. So valuable, that it was actually used as money when needed. You know what is even more valuable than grain, food and water? Jesus. There needs to be a balance of practical/tangible help and spiritual help right now, as well as then. GOSPEL Now, why would he speak harshly to
them? V. 7 I’m sure he was wondering, “Are my brothers still scheming and evil or have they changed? Hmm, let’s put them through a few tests to find out.” So that’s just what he did. First test: Accusing them of being spies, v. 9-12 Second test: “You can’t leave this place until your youngest brother comes here.” 14-17 (He wanted to be certain that his brothers had not killed Benjamin like they had tried to do with him.) So, he locks them all up in prison for 3 days Third test: v. 18-19 (a modification of the second test): Leave one brother here in prison and the rest of you go get your youngest brother. V. 21 Finally they ‘fess up.
I’m sure that is what Joseph wanted to hear. Some kind of remorse. V. 23 He turned away and wept, the emotion and love of family overtook him. A pivotal part of story! No wonder the brothers' come to the conclusion that their present distress had been caused by the distress that they had brought on Joseph (vv. 21-22). Back to the power of family, human relationships, hurt, pain, guilt etc. Now we can see that Joseph's plans were not about revenge for how his brothers once treated him; rather they were to show how, in God's world, the "guilt" of the brothers came back on them and called for justice. There’s the “God conscience” working best! The money in the sacks...v. 25-26 (v. 28). "What is this that God has done to us?" We know that it was Joseph who put the money in their sacks, but the brothers didn’t know it was God behind it all and through it all was working out his purposes (50:20-21). That “God conscience” is a good thing to have developed. It’ll save you, convict you, you can’t hide... Joseph reminds his brothers of the ultimate purpose behind these events (45:7). V. 29-The brothers finally make it
back home, tell their father of Joseph’s plan and of course,
Jacob is skeptical. Once again, Ruben steps up and wants to do the right thing. He offers both his sons lives if he does not bring back Benjamin. Jacob holds his ground, v. 38 So many vivid and powerful images
of the importance of family, the bond that ideally should exist.
VIDEO clip The importance of staying
connected as humans…
Genesis 41 Letting God use you Intro…college is starting right now, all these youngsters hoping to make a difference in the world... They don't remember when "cut and paste" involved scissors Heart-lung transplants
have always been possible. Car stereos have always
rivaled home component systems. They do not remember "a
kinder and gentler nation." |
