Noah's Lemon Face

"Sacred Profanity": Judges 6:25-27

I preached this sermon this morning for Dr. Kalas's "Theology and Practice of Preaching" class. It was a joy and a privilege.

One sacred morning some villagers awoke and came out to see up on the hill their place of worship torn down. A different kind of altar was set up. On it was roasted bull. They realized that the wood used to burn the sacrificed bull was one of their idols, an Asherah pole. One of their own had bucked the acceptable vices of culture to follow the instructions of a forgotten God. The rebel, Gideon, was the son of a tribal leader. He claimed his family was the least of the tribe of Manasseh, and he was the youngest of his father’s house. But the night before, God had called him "valiant warrior." And in Judges 6, God used him for a valiant purpose - to make the profane into something sacred. When the villagers saw the abomination on the hillside, they did not see eradication; they saw transformation. The difference may seem subtle, but their idolatry had not vanished. It had been converted into something else. Something profane had been made something sacred.

A brief story will illustrate the difference. Matt is an unusual pastor who meets potential church members by playing bar trivia in…you guessed it…a bar. He has lunch with Jeff almost every week, because Jeff is a “seeker,” someone who is searching for “something”…that can only be found in the Person of Jesus and His redeeming love. Jeff is in his mid-twenties and grew up in the church but quit going when he was about 15. Matt often opens conversation by asking, “What kind of questions about faith do you have?” Jeff usually talks about common things. But recently he asked Matt, “How do you know when it's time to let God in your life." Taken aback, Matt said, “What do you mean?" Jeff replied, “You know, I'm just afraid that if there's a time to let God in, I've missed it. I’m just afraid that now I have too many addictions and too much stuff in my life that I could never get all my stuff straight and let God in." Matt said, “Jeff, you don't have to do that." Then, Matt continued to explain how God enters into our brokenness, desiring to transform our infirmities and deliver us from our bondages.

Jeff illustrates an important problem. Many people who have grown up in the church are under the impression that they have to eradicate profanity, filth, from their life (AS IF THEY COULD ON THEIR OWN) before God will come near them, because “God is holy and can’t be in the presence of sin.” But this is not the picture painted by Judges 6. Gideon’s altar is beside the rubble that was once an altar to Baal. And it did not disappear from the story! It is the profanity after which and into which God's grace and mercy breaks in. The bull sacrificed to God was burned using an Asherah pole. The profane had been redeemed for a sacred purpose.

You might be thinking that this is a nice little sermon for people like Jeff, lost souls whose lives are filthy and out of control. We, on the other hand, are mostly people who walk with Jesus and perhaps have done so for quite some time. But the fact is Israel was God’s chosen people. Lest we think too highly of our sanctification, we remember our depravity. For, like Israel, the people of God, we feel that we too are “prone to wander…prone to leave the God [we] love.” Our lives, too, may reflect some profanity, maybe obvious, maybe subtle. So, I ask, what altars exist to other gods in our village, in our homes, in our closets, on our computers, or hidden deep in the remotest parts of the heart…perhaps even erected right beside an altar to the Lord? What profanity is God desiring to make sacred? And will you let Him? Will you pray,

“Come thou Fount of every blessing

Tune our hearts to praise Thy name

Turn our idols into altars

Making sacred what was profane”?

The Heart of God in Christ

I love having a blog, but unfortunately I find that I often don't feel like a have much to say. Preaching is one thing (finding an inspiring combination of "Scripture" and "idea"), but I haven't quite figured out how to keep the blogwheel turning. Consequently I have two major blog problems - 1) I don't post often, and when I do 2) the post is long. This post is a two-fold victory. I just posted a week ago, and this post is just short food for thought :). I hope it enriches you even in a minuscule way.


Two verses occurred to me simultaneously the other night as I was praying and I put them together to draw a conclusion I had never thought of. Now, right off hand I know that methods like these are how heresies are born but go with me for a few moments and hear out the conclusion. Then, feel free to leave tirades of appalled horror in the comment section.


Scripture tells us that "out of the mouth the heart speaks." I am aware that this is a proverb, a truth by which we humans are to live wisely. But I believe this also sheds amazing light on God's act of speaking creation into being. He created/spoke from His own heart. (Now, if that's not flattering!) Scripture also tells us that Jesus Christ is "the Word [Which] became flesh and dwelt among us." Jesus is the "Word" of God. While human reason is limited and corrupted, it seems one could conclude from these two witnesses of Scripture that Jesus, in a sense, is God's heart made flesh (or at least the content of God's heart). He is the incarnate Son of God by Whose life of words and acts we can witness the substance of God's own heart.


So, you want to know the heart of God? Look at the Person of Jesus Christ.


Out of God's heart He SPOKE all things into being. And Jesus is not just something God spoke among all the other spoken things. He is the very Word of God Himself.

"Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place..."

Yesterday I read the daily reading in My Utmost for His Highest, a daily devotional classic by Oswald Chambers. Oswald included one snippet of a verse that really got my gears turning. The conclusion I came to in just a few seconds of reflection is the subject of this post - coming away with Jesus versus going out with Him in ministry.

One might say that the theme verse of invitation for the Christian believer is Matthew 28:16-20, what has come to be known as the Great Commission: "Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." This is an out-of-comfort-zone type of passage. When I read it I think of a lifelong response to Jesus as He says, "Let's get to work." I take a deep breath, I roll up my sleeves, and I prepare to be active, exhausted, and uncomfortable as I seek to do what Christ has commissioned me to do as His follower.

Now, of course, there is great joy, peace, and such that come from a life devoted to living in God and fulfilling His soul-satisfying work. But here's the truth: I am not one to be most energized by the passage above. I prefer the words of Mark 6:31: "Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.'" When I read this I respond, "Great! When do we get to leave? This is wonderful! How long do we get to stay with you by ourselves resting in the quiet place?" I am thankful to God that as I learn what it means to follow Him, He is also teaching me about myself and how He made me.


The pair of these verses challenges me on several different levels. First, I notice that Mark 6:31 is not a commission. Jesus does not beckon or send His followers to rest. The first passage is the commission. So, the challenge is that the Christian life isn't about just resting in Jesus, but about ministering to God's lost and broken world as we live in Him. A second observation follows this up - Mark 6:31 is an invitation Jesus gives His disciples after they have worn themselves out in Kingdom ministry. In Mark 6 leading up to this verse, Jesus had sent the disciples out to stay in people's houses, preach repentance, cast out demons, and cure the sick. And as the verse says, they didn't even have time to eat! They were busy and they were fully involved in Kingdom work. So Jesus' invitation to come away with Him and rest is a reward that comes after the fulfillment of His commission, His sending. It's a "filling up" after the demanding "drain" of outpouring ministry.


It's easy for me today to read this verse and think, 'Well that's nice for the disciples. They walked with Jesus, didn't they? So they get to hang out with Him at the end of a long day of ministry.' Some might have this thought and conclude that we are now to interpret this commission and invitation as life and death. We live doing ministry and serving Jesus and when we're done with our labor we get to die and go rest with Him. I don't think this is accurate. In fact I think it's fatally draining! I know from experience I can't last a day serving Jesus if I am not also daily walking with Him, spending time alone with Him in "the quiet place," and resting in Him. As followers of Christ we are both servant of God and child of God. As a child of God / follower of Christ (NOT just as a future pastor!) I am called to the uncomfortable, demanding, and draining task of participating in God's Kingdom work. He is redeeming this world and He uses His church to bring people back into relationship with Him by living out and proclaiming the good news of Jesus and what He is actively doing in the world. But as I dedicate myself to this work I am reminded of the importance of getting away with God alone. Even Jesus Christ had to do this, getting away alone with His heavenly Father (Mt 14:22-23, Lk 5:16, etc.). We have the opportunity to spend time alone resting with Jesus and the Father in the Holy Spirit daily in the secret place. Daily time in prayer, daily time in God's Word, daily time receiving His love and giving our love back to Him. This is the simple and classic, but biblically necessary gift that so many saints who have gone before have urged as devotional practice. We as Jesus' followers have the gift of "coming with Him by ourselves to a quiet place and getting some rest."

...From Whom All Blessings Flow

Have you ever thought about the first line of the Doxology?...Really thought about it? It says, "Praise God from Whom all blessings flow."

I recently realized that I have had a stigma for a little while now about giving God credit for certain things. I am not convinced that the stigma is completely invalid or illegitimate, but I do think it might contribute to an unnecessary hesitancy towards something I could do with a little more confidence in my life of faith. I have, at particular points in my life (and some more than others), been exposed to people who seem to walk so closely with Jesus and have so much faith in the sovereignty of Almighty God that they attribute everything to Him. Where the rub comes for me is that most of the things they attribute to God involve themselves, personal little "blessings" no one else really seems to benefit from in the larger scope of God's economy. From this self-referenced confidence in God's ever active Providence in their personal life, they zoom out into the society around them and are further willing to attribute bigger things to God. Still other Christians claim God's active role in such things as helping football players score touchdowns and finding a bottle of soap in an unfamiliar store while never really saying much about God's activity in society at large or even on a global level.

In the past few years as I have gotten older, lived in a place or two other than my "hometown," and experienced things like service in Hospice with death and dying, etc., I find it hard to affirm God's active roll in things like "touchdown scoring" while at the same time admitting that there are immensely tragic things that seem to simply lack God's preventative activity. So this is the source of my stigma in question. But the other day I was singing the Doxology in my bathroom (it's true) and James 1:17 suddenly popped into my mind. James 1:17 says, "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." I know...I italicized a lot in that verse. But look - EVERY (not just some), GOOD THING (good with no apparent stipulations), comes FROM ABOVE...FROM THE FATHER. So the question: is a winning touchdown good? Is finding that obscure grocery item or making it to a movie on time good? Hmmm...

Then I do what every good student of God's Word does. I read the verse in context. I said above that "good thing" has no apparent stipulations. But, in the verses of chapter 1 before v.1:17, James is talking about circumstances and trials. His discussion is not lightweight. It is about persecution and hardship, not putting your shoes on or brushing your teeth. James makes an important point (apparently one his audience is struggling with) that we should not blame God for temptation or evil that we experience. And we should recognize that if anything good is present in our life - even if that "good" is humility brought about by extreme and trying circumstances - it is to be attributed to the source of all good Itself. For, there is nothing "good" outside of God. I think James would agree that even if something good exists in a way that seems to us to be apart from God (such as, say, a non-Christian doing a great moral service), I bet we could trace its origin back to God as the source of goodness, if for not other reason than He is the Creator of all things and nothing could exist without His Creating activity, but possibly even the fact that God can and does work through anyone and anything.

Still, I am challenged to realize that ALL good things come from the Father of lights, the God "from whom all blessings flow." Even though James deals with some pretty heavy stuff, what if I do experience a small act of kindness? Perhaps I should give God more credit for the minuscule "blessings" in my life. After all, I'm not just trying to live any random life; I am pursuing a life in Him, in the One from whom all blessings flow. Just some food for thought as we head toward a holiday that could easily just be a mundane ritual of eating too much literal food ;)...

Is God’s Spirit with/in all?

If He’s everywhere all the time, is He also “in” or “with” sinners in their unrepentant sin?

A friend of mine texted me the question above to which I had to reply in an email. My reply is below. If you have any comments, questions, or challenging push-back I would love to receive it.

1. First, we must acknowledge that there is no “spirit of God” that is not the Holy Spirit. In Scripture, the Spirit of God = the Spirit of Christ = the Holy Spirit. He is a Person who is in distinction of Personhood from the Father and the Son, but is of ONE ESSENCE with the Father and the Son in the single Godhead. 
2. There IS a place in Scripture where God is not - unholiness/sin. Holy God cannot be in the presence of that which is not holy. Perhaps, rather, that which is not holy cannot be in the presence of holy God. Reference the Holy of Holies in the Temple and look at all the regulations of that setup. It was crazy strict and specific as to who could enter when and how.
3. Third, we must not be in the business of protecting the “omni’s” (my language). We grow up hearing      that God is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, omni-everything! But, this is a simplification for our own understanding in an attempt not to LIMIT this God of ours. Because we think, of course, that would be blasphemous! He does not need our protection and we will never do justice to ALL that He is. Instead of beginning our theology from the “omni’s,” we must begin it with Scripture and move outward.
4. Does it really limit a holy God to say that His Spirit is not in the presence of an unholy sinner or further yet, within him/her? Isn’t this just consistent with His character and His holiness?
5. Last, it is important to note that though holy God cannot be in the presence of the unholy, Christ a) cameand b) died for all. This shows my theological bias as a Wesleyan. God extended grace FIRST through Christ. Christ did not only die for those He foreknew would accept Him. Grace preceded our response. Thus, Christ is the Mediator/Advocate Who died for all and is currently seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for us and our lost world. So, even though holy God cannot be in the presence of the unholy, in the Incarnation, HE CAME to that which was unholy to extend grace that ALL might have the opportunity to enter into the Holy of Holies, the presence of God, and remember, the veil was torn.

In short, the answer to your question is, “No,” the Holy Spirit is not “everywhere,” including the heart of an unrepentant sinner.

I found my friend's reply wonderfully encouraging and wanted to include it as well:

Thank you Jonathan

I appreciate you taking the time to write such an in depth answer to my questions. It means a lot. It is so true that we can’t do God, Jesus, or the Spirit of God justice in how act, and especially not in words. That’s why He is Holy and perfect, and indescribably great. I’m thankful that God knows this and has shown His grace for us, through the sending of His only begotten Son Jesus, who died that we may have life in Him and be saved by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:8).

It is amazing to think that the Holy God of the universe has compassion on us, and He and His Son Jesus who are One, want to have a relationship with us. I’m thankful that like you said, God’s grace that leads us to repentance came first in Jesus Christ the Son of God and bridged the separation between man and God. I’m also thankful that it is God’s grace through Jesus that picks us up every time we fall down, and is continually growing and perfecting us and our love for God, Jesus, and people, and faith in Jesus Christ and God the Father. I realize more and more everyday and when I fall down that I am continually being molded to be like Christ and that this work inside me and transformation will only be complete when we get to heaven. Praise the Lord that God’s grace and faithfulness sees us through in His love back to Him our Father in Heaven.

It makes sense that a Holy God can’t be in the presence of unholiness. Praise the Lord that because of God’s grace extended through Jesus imperfect man can now enter into a relationship with God through Jesus and be continually sanctified and perfected, and saved as His child. (THE VEIL WAS TORN). Your point number five is awesome. Because of sin we were separated by God, but Jesus became our way to the Father and our Salvation, extending the grace of God to us and saving us from sin and certain death. So, even though holy God cannot be in the presence of the unholy, in the Incarnation, HE CAME to that which was unholy to extend grace that ALL might have the opportunity to enter into the Holy of Holies, the presence of God, and remember, the veil was torn – I completely agree!

Me again: I pray we would be edified in conversation about such things as God transforms us. Blessings!

Jonathan

Going Through the Motions

In C. S. Lewis' Mere Christianity he talks about "not feeling it" in regards to the Christian life with God. His basic point is that Christian discipline is a virtue of action regardless of feeling. It is obedience, not to be confused with obedience to the Law, but obedience to Christ with Whom we are to be in relationship and in Whom we are to remain even on the days we "don't feel it." Because we cannot always stay on the Mount of Transfiguration (pitching tents and hanging out as Peter desired), we must accept that most of our time will be spent in the valley. Of course, we have the Holy Spirit of God that Jesus the Son sent to be with us in the in-between time - the time after His ascension in the body but before His returning in the body at the final Resurrection Day. In summary, on a Saturday that I'm lacking motivation I'm having to remind myself that "going through the motions" has been given a bad rap by my generation of church-goers, but going through the motions is exactly what we're supposed to do when we are "not feeling it."

May we read the words on the page even when it doesn't seem like the "Word of God" that it might have yesterday (the Holy Spirit will still indwell the words to make them Word if we are obedient...and if we ask Him).

May we pray when we do not know what to say or frankly don't feel like conversing (Jesus has already been praying for us at the right hand of the Father before we begin and the Holy Spirit interprets are prayers even when they do not consist of words).

May we worship out of thanksgiving even if we are feeling other "lesser" emotions or attitudes. He has done great things for us even when other circumstances or experiences seem to take more space in our memory and attention.

And may we love Him and others in every way we know how.

So...here I go...