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LENTEN SERIES 1998 - "In The Thick of Things!"
Overall Theme: The Season of Lent is a great time to reflect on the genius of Christian Faith. Jesus is with us in the "Thick of Things". He is there when we are tempted, when we fall on our face,and in the everyday experiences of our lives. He is present in the heights of joy and the depths of despair. The gospel stories of this Lenten season show Jesus involved in powerful "slice of life" episodes. Using the lessons, we can help our listeners open their daily lives to the presence of the One who is with us "In the Thick of Things."
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March 8, 1998 ~ Second Sunday in Lent ~ Luke 13: 31-35
A Prayer Upon Entering the Pulpit
O GOD, forasmuch as without Thee I am not
able to please Thee; mercifully grant that Thy Holy
Spirit may direct and rule my tongue and especially bless
Thy people today; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. [The Rev Charles
Boyd - Rector of Prince's Risborough - 1877]
In the Thick of Crisis!
Have you ever had one of those sleepless nights where something was facing you the next day that would not let you rest? Maybe you have had the experience of being on a dangerous road, headed for incredible difficulty and there was nothing you could do about it? Many of us have had to endure times of personal trial we simply could not avoid. No one else could do it or go through it for us.
Thirty six year old Wyatt Williams had a time like that. He was terminally ill with metastatic bone cancer. His lungs had been ravaged. In an attempt to prolong his life so that he could be with his two young boys just a little longer, he asked for a very experimental surgery on his lungs. His doctors put his chances of coming out of the surgery at about 50%. His wife, who herself had probably not slept well for months, left the hospital late at night to get some sleep before her morning watch. As she left, she said to Wyatt, "Honey, try to get some rest." Wyatt responded, "Rest might be all I have ahead of me... right now, I want to stay awake and be aware of everything ... even my pain."
In our scripture today, we gain an amazing glimpse into the inner life of Jesus' at a critical time in his life. There is a price on his head. Like Wyatt, Jesus is close to looking death square in the face. What seems to be friendly advice comes from an unlikely source, "Get out of town," the Pharisees tell him, "Herod wants to kill you!"
This would be enough to get my attention. "Someone want's to kill you!" Would that do it for you?
Chances of any one of us having to go through this particular crisis are remote. But... we will go through some dark valley sometime-- somewhere-- someday. It may be the loss of someone we love, a life threatening illness, the breakup of a relationship or loss of a job. But... the question isn't will crisis hit; it's when will crisis come and how will we handle it?
Once again the "Good News" is that Christ has been there. He is with us in "the thick of things" and very much in touch with the depth of our struggles. Not only was there a price on Jesus' head, he knew that storm clouds were gathering and he knew for certain that he was headed for a confrontation with death. How does he handle it? If you and I can get in touch with and develop the principles Jesus used to get through this toughest of times, we can put them into practice in our own lives.
So how did he do it? Between the lines of the scripture reading, there are three central principles at work in Jesus' life.
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Before we look at these principles, however, there is an issue we need to get out of the way. There is an attitude about Jesus' life that says, "Jesus was able to do all of this because he was the Son of God." Crisis, death and dying is all in a day's work for God's Son! This has the effect of dismissing his relevance for us. "Temptation, suffering and even death are a piece of cake for the Son of God... how does that help me?" If Jesus confronts death and doesn't even flinch... well, that leaves me out of the loop. He's in a league way beyond me. If Jesus endures simply because he is God's Son, what comfort is that to a poor mortal like me? The fact is however, Jesus does blink. Remember this, "Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me...?" or this, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
No, it was not because he was the Son of God that he endured, it was the principles at work in his life. To be sure, those principles worked with a degree of completeness that is hard for us. Jesus was able to maintain an absolute intimacy with God. His life was ordered around the centrality of God. Nevertheless, the principles that governed and unified his life were developed in his humanity. They were not simply an automatic result of his divinity.
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I. Jesus was inner directed and not outer directed.
Have you ever noticed how all kinds of people have great ideas for your life? You find yourself in the midst of personal anguish and it seems as though everybody in your life has an opinion. Many well meaning folk even have others who have an idea for you! "My Aunt Mary went through exactly what you are going through and she......" Or, there might be "experts" in your life who have the answer for you. Ah! Perhaps the most distressing are the, "Woulda', shoulda', coulda'" people who somehow enjoy picking at other people's wounds.
It is exactly at this time you need a strong sense of inner direction.
When the Pharisees came with the message, "Herod wants to kill you," Jesus responds with the fact that he intends to finish his work. The outer circumstances of his life were powerful and difficult. Yet, the power of his inner life was stronger. His direction came from the inner work of the Spirit of God... what the bible calls, "The still small voice."
No matter how hectic and troubled outer circumstances may be, we gain strength when we take time to develop our inner lives. The press of duties and overloaded schedules conspire to keep us from giving attention to what's inside. Take time to seek that "still small voice". Make constant conscious contact with God a part of daily living. If you trace Jesus' steps through the gospels, you will find him regularly taking time out for contact with God. And talk about a hectic, overbooked schedule. How would you like to be responsible for launching the Kingdom of God in about three years!
Here's a key. Our inner life grows and matures by disciplined development. Even a beginner can begin to make daily conversation with God a priority. Talk to God about anything and everything. It might even be, "Lord, how do you like this tie... blouse... " All that matters is that you build a sense of the presence of God in each moment. But, be sure of this... when times of crisis come and we need to call on our inner resources, only what we've developed will be available.
II. Jesus was very clear about the driving force of his life.
In spite of the fact that Herod has put a price on Jesus' head, he is absolutely clear about the driving force of his life, "Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow..." Everywhere he went, Jesus brought evidence of God's love. In biblical language, that translates to... Jesus brought the Kingdom of God wherever he went. The Kingdom of God is wherever God is in charge and where God is in charge there is love, joy, and peace.
The driving force of Jesus' life was that God should be in charge -- at all times and in every place. Whether Herod or anybody else was after his life, Jesus was at peace within because where God is in charge, things are going to work according to God's will. St. Paul says it this way, "We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose" [Rom. 8:28]
It works this way. When I am clear about the love of God for me and my love for God, I am secure. God is in fact (not just in principle) the driving force of my life. However, I simply am not able to live in that mode all the time. I feel especially happy when I have periods where I live in that manner even much of the time. I can tell you that when I function with this principle in the foreground (God's love for me and my love for God), there is much more serenity in my life. No matter what is going on in the outer world.
Try this exercise when you have the opportunity to take some quiet time. Ask, "What is the driving force of my life?" Don't prejudge or even think too much about what emerges in your mind. Simply let it come and write it down. If the driving force of your life is something you wouldn't want to tell anyone else about, that's okay. You don't have to turn this sheet in to anybody. When you get the driving force of your life, what is the second most powerful force in your life? And third... keep going until there are no more answers?
When you have exhausted the list, ask, "What do I wish was the driving force of my life?" Keep the two lists in mind and simply keep it in your heart during your times of daily conscious contact with God. Trust me... it will make an impact!
III. Jesus stayed focused on the goal of his life no matter what was happening around him.
The driving force and the goal of Jesus' life are closely related. The driving force of his life was to bring the Kingdom of God to everyone around him. The basic goal is what underlies the whole Kingdom of God. Listen once again to these wistful words, " Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!"
Amazing. This is absolute, mind boggling, unconditional love. The love of God as it plays out before our very eyes in the life of Jesus is a love that persists in spite of rejection. It is still there after being scoffed at, hounded and killed! The ultimate crisis of Jesus' life, his agonizing death on a cross, could not destroy his love... his ultimate goal.
What would you say is your single most important goal in all of life? When all is said and done... when you have lived your life, done your best and come to the end of the road, what will be the goal you have reached? Crisis will come and go. Hard times will dot the road you have traveled. Sometimes, devastating experiences will press hard on your soul. But when life's Director calls out, "It's a wrap!" what will be that bottom line goal of life you have sought to achieve?
Can there be any greater goal in life than to do this one thing... to bring the amazing, unconditional love of God to someone else? This goal can revolutionize your life. It will build your inner life and when times of trial come, it will provide a solid place within. And when you have solid ground within, the outer voices that seek to direct your life will diminish. It is then you begin to discover the "still small voice of God in your inner life!"
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[ Apply It]
The three central principles that governed Jesus' life are available to you and to me. Here's a way to evaluate how they are working in our lives.
1. Would you say that you are more inner directed, or outer directed?
2. Do the exercise concerning the driving force of your life. What is actually driving your life and what do you wish were the driving force.
3. If you listed all the goals of your life, where would the goal, "Sharing God's love with others" come on that list?
May God give us the courage to build these principles into our living.
"Deep in Darkness -- Depth of the Promise"
Theme: The promises of God go to the depth of our deepest darkness. Consider using all of today's texts in weaving together a message on the "power of the promises." Use the old gospel hymn, "Standing on the Promises".
I. Consider Abraham: Abraham leaves everything that is familiar to him in answer to God's call in Genesis 12. In return, he receives God's promises, but as time goes on the promises seem to be distant memories. By the time chapter 15 rolls around, Abraham is still without children and without a homeland. Think about it; you've left everything behind and nothing has yet developed to take the place of what you once had. Then in the depth of Abraham's "terrifying darkness" God comes through with the covenant of a homeland.
II. Consider Paul: Paul, likely writing this letter from prison or at least under house arrest, finds himself surrounded by hostility from people who oppose the gospel. Like Abraham, he has left all that was familiar to him to become an advocate of Jesus Christ. So far, his reward is rejection and incarceration. He is not sure whether he will live or die. Yet, in the midst of his personal darkness, he sets his heart on the promises that come with a new citizenship. "Stand firm," he says, "Because we are expecting a Savior...!"
III. Consider Jesus: With a price on his head and a warning that he is in danger, Jesus nevertheless is wounded more by his unrequited love for Jerusalem than he is by personal danger. Finally, it will be deep in the ultimate darkness of death and defeat that Jesus (and we) discover the depth of God's promises.
Here's a key: Jesus says to Jerusalem, "I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'" May we not conclude that we too, do not clearly see Jesus nor the promises of God until we affirm the Lord? Bring the message home with this: We can never know that God's promises are all we need, until God's promises are all we have!"
After developing this message, you might use the 27th Psalm as a responsive prayer of Affirmation / Commitment. (See Prayers and readings to cut and paste)
A Call To Worship (Based on Psalm 27)
L: The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
P: When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh-- my adversaries and foes-- they shall stumble and fall.
L: Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.
P: One thing I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.
L: For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.
P: Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.
L: Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me!
P: "Come," my heart says, "seek his face!" Your face, LORD, do I seek.
All: Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!
Prayer of Dedication
O Lord God of every good gift, give us hearts to perceive You in all that we are and have. The gifts we bring to You are but the outward expression of Your life in us. We ask that day by day we would grow closer to all that You have designed us to be, and in doing so my our giving begin to change our world. Amen.
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