Painting

Hey all. I am not going to blog that long today seeing as I am covered in paint. We are painting the boarding house of our church this week. Will write something inspiring when I am finished or next week. Which ever comes first.

Two Posts in One Week- Unpossible

Here is this weeks sermon revised

Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines “Archetype” as follows:

: the original pattern or model of which all things of the same type are representations or copies : PROTOTYPE; also : a perfect example

This fits Peter’s journey up to a T. To give you a quick synopsis of what his journey looked like, I am going to sum it up.

He was living his life.

Jesus called him.

Stuff happens.

He calls Jesus the Christ.

More stuff happens.

Jesus disappoints Peter, so he denies him.

Even more stuff happens.

Peter gives the first Christian sermon to the first Mega-church.

This is Our Journey Up Also

I believe that this is how most of us journey up as well. We are first called by God, and we are not really sure what to do about it. We walk with Him for years, stuff happens, so to speak, before we confess Christ as Lord. After we do call Jesus Lord, more stuff happens. And you may not be there yet, but at some point God is going to disappoint you. He is going to say “No” to something you really wanted, or he is going to take something precious from you, and that is where your faith is tested and refined. Peter denies Jesus, and we do the same at some point. But then more stuff happens, and if we are sincere in our walk with God we will be able to do what Peter did.

Now I don’t mean that we are all going to give a sermon at a Mega-church, it would even be impossible to give the first sermon in history, since it already happened. What I mean is that we will be able to do what God has called us to do. Once we come to terms with our role and Gods, make our journey up complete we will have the freedom to be all that we can be.

Peter Different Than Timothy/ Ezra

Over the last few months we have looked at a few other characters in Scripture and their journey up. What makes Peter different from Ezra and Timothy, is for one, the fact that we see his entire journey up. We pick up Peter’s journey while he is fishing, a nobody on the Sea of Galilee, and we end with him writing letters to churches, as the Elder of Jerusalem. We see his triumphs and failures. We have the complete story.

Fishing

So let’s begin where Peter begins- fishing.

Turn with me to your programs. In Mark 1:16-20 we read

16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men." 18And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

Is this an isolated incident? What I mean by that is this the first time Peter has interacted with Jesus? It seems kind of odd that Peter would just follow some guy calling to him from the shore. How can we explain this though, because it seems like that is exactly what Peter does.

Turn back with me to your programs to John 1:38-42. At this point Jesus is being followed by a few of John the Baptist disciples.

38Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, "What are you seeking?" And they said to him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" 39He said to them, "Come and you will see." So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ). 42He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter⁾

Sum Up Two Stories

Are these two stories contradictory? I don’t believe so. Instead we need to read the stories together, and different view points of the same event. Here is a likely compilation:

Andrew is a disciple of John the Baptist. He is there when John tells everyone that Jesus is the Messiah. Andrew packs up and begins to follow Jesus. After a while Jesus questions Andrews actions, and after that they begin to talk. He is now sure that Jesus is the one he should be following. Exited about the discovery he heads home to tell his brother Simon (later to be called Peter).

Peter has heard this all before though. Wasn’t Andrew just following John the Baptist? But Andrew is persistent and begs to be heard. Frustrated but seeing opportunity Peter tells Andrew that he can tell him all about this Jesus while they are fishing, at least he’ll have some help today.

Andrew gets in the boat and tells Peter all he knows about Jesus. At this point Jesus knows this conversation is happening, so he conveniently makes himself available. He walks by where they are fishing and calls them. Andrew convinces his brother to go ashore and meet this Jesus. Jesus then tells him that he is John’s son and gives him the nickname Peter.

Peter’s Journey Begins

And Peter’s journey begins.

We Are All Fisherman

It may not be immediately obvious, but this is the model for our journey up. We were all lowly fisherman before we were called. When Peter was called he was no where near educated, classy, or worthy by any of the religious elites standards. So it is with us. Jesus calls us while we are not worthy to be called.

Peter Not Seeking After Jesus When Called

Notice something else about Peters call. He is out fishing. He is not seeking after religious enlightenment like his brother Andrew. Jesus, the Christ, is hanging out a few feet away, and until he calls to Peter, Peter could care less. He is wrapped up in his own affairs, taking care of the daily grind. Most of us were the same way. We were going about our lives, content to be fisherman for the next fifty years, but something happened. Jesus showed up on our shore and yelled to us to follow him. At some point we brought our boat in and began to walk with the Messiah.

We All Have an Andrew

I would wager that most of us had an Andrew as well. Someone who told us first about this Jesus. Who wouldn’t shut up about Him. Who even came fishing with us- just to get His message across. Then, when Jesus called us, we were ready. We had already heard the stories.

Peter’s Call Unique to Him

There is one more detail I want to point out before we move on- look at the way that Jesus calls Peter. It is like no other way he calls anyone else. It is unique to Peter. He first tells Peter and Andrew that he will make them fishers of men, but then he gives Peter a little more encouragement, calling him the Rock. Presumably Jesus saw that Peter needed this encouragement, and it works, Peter ends up following Jesus.

If we look at the way Jesus calls the others, though, we will see that they all get special treatment. There isn’t a special slogan that Jesus uses to convince them to be his disciples; rather he treats them all as individuals. He sees what they need, and meets them there. This is true of us as well. No one in this room shares my story of faith, or a story with anyone else for that matter. We all have our own testimonies. This is because even today, like Peter, we are all called differently.

Jump To Peter Confessing Jesus As Christ

And then, according to my outline of Peter’s life, stuff happens. We are going to get back to this period, but for now I want to jump ahead to where Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ. Turn back to your programs.

Luke 9:18-20

18 Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" 19And they answered, "John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen." 20Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered, "The Christ of God."

Remember as we read this story that a lot of stuff has happened. Peter has been walking with Jesus for quite some time before he figures out who exactly Jesus is, or at least before he says anything out loud.

My Testimony

This resonates with me personally. When I have given my testimony in the past, I traditionally put my point of conversion at 17. And that is true. At 17 I decided to give my life over to Jesus. What I don’t traditionally say is that for about a year before this moment I was relatively sure that Jesus was God. I believed that the Bible was divinely inspired; I just didn’t know what to do with that. Now part of that was that I wanted to be the punk I was at the time, but the other was just an innocent confusion. I just hadn’t put into words who I truly believed Jesus to be. But then, like Peter, he asked me, “Who do you say that I am?”

We Are All Asked This Question

And eventually he will ask all of us in this room the question, if he hasn’t already. Notice that he first asks his disciples who others say that he is, and then he asks them who they say he is. Can you hear the change in his voice as he asks these two very different questions. “Who do others say that I am?”, and “Who do you say that I am?” Hear the compassion in his voice. He wants Peter and the rest to know the right answer. He asks us the same. “Who do you say that I am?”

Peter Answers Christ

And Peter answers the Christ of God. And everything ends happily ever after right? No. What happens? Well, as I said in my outline, more stuff, and then Peter denies Christ, and then more stuff and then a sermon. I am mentioning all this here because it is important on out journey up. Peter gave the right answer to Jesus, but that doesn’t stop him from messing up later.

Expectations of A Christ Shattered

When Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, he has expectations of what that looks like, and he was wrong. When Jesus goes like a lamb to the slaughter Peter s disappointed. Jesus didn’t live up to his expectations, and so he denies him. Peter thinks that because this isn’t what he expected, this can’t be who I thought it to be. But he is wrong. Jesus was the same as when he confessed him the Christ, what was different was what a Christ would do.

God Will Shatter Your Expectations

This may not be part of your story yet, but it will be. At some point the God who we thought we knew, the plan that we thought was laid in stone, is going to throw us a curve ball. There will be a disappointment, an unexpected heartache, a surprise we don’t want. And at that moment we will have to decide to submit to this plan or be sideswiped because of it. God may even be prepping us for this radical change now, and we are just deaf to his warnings. Jesus told Peter and the disciples about the cross, and they wouldn’t listen. They wanted their messiah, not God’s Messiah, and so they couldn’t get over their expectations.

Sarah’s Miscarriage

This sort of thing has happened to me many times in my life. You have all heard about how I was a good Christian until God destroyed my expectations, and so I denied Him and revolted again. But even more recently I have had to make a similar choice, to deny him or not. Our expectations today are of a nice benevolent God, almost a buddy Jesus, or our loving Grand Dad, so when things get bad there is a real temptation to deny Jesus or get angry at God. Two years ago Sarah had a miscarriage, and we had to come to terms with this. That the ruler of the Universe, the one we worship and have devoted out lives to, decide to let us have all the pain and loss that come with such a thing. And we had to choose. God disappointed us, he shattered out expectations, do we deny him, or follow him anyway?

At some point this will happen to all of us. Maybe it isn’t as drastic as Peter actually denying Jesus, but it will be just as drastic as Peter denying Jesus.

Remember The End Of The Story

But remember the end of the story. Jesus resurrects, Peter sees this, and it all makes sense. And then he gives a sermon and takes his place as Elder of Jerusalem. And this is how it will be for us as well. Jesus didn’t disappoint and them be done with it. He disappointed because what he had planned was so much better than what Peter could have dreamed of. And once His plan was complete, he came to comfort Peter and explain his purpose. And so it can be for us if we persevere.

Back Up In Peter’s Story

That is a very happy ending indeed, but my sermon doesn’t end there. In fact I want to go back in Peter’s journey a little. There is a story that is actually the archetype of Peter’s journey up, and it is contained with in it. So turn back with me to Matthew 14:25-33

25And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out in fear. 27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."

28And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." 29He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." 31Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" 32And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

Archetype of the Archetype

I said that this is the archetype of the archetype. I should explain a little more though. What is the pattern that I said we all walk in this faith? It is a calling, and then stuff, and then a confession of Christ as Lord. And at its simplest that is all that is happening here. Peter is called onto the water by Jesus, he goes, he walks on water, and then he calls Jesus the Son of God.

Also notice he gets scared and can’t complete the task. Sort of like when he denies Jesus. He got scared and distracted then as now. It is all nice and neat.

But let’s go a little deeper.

Jesus Shows Up Unexpectedly

The first this that happens in this story is that Jesus shows up and he scares the crap out of everyone. The text says that the disciples were terrified. And who wouldn’t be. There is a guy walking on the water next to their boat. I don’t think the disciples would have been as terrified had Jesus made known it was himself all along. It seems that some of the fear that the disciples have at this point is that they don’t know it is Jesus. And why don’t they know it is Jesus- because he shows up in an unexpected way. Does this resonate with anyone, Jesus showing up in a most unexpected way?

Atheist Mother

I know Jesus showed up in my life in a most unexpected way- through my Atheist mother. My mom left the church after she graduated from college and really has a bent away from it. She had been hurt by organized religion and refused to take me to any religious event when I was young save weddings and funerals. We didn’t own one religious text when I was growing up. But in 8^th grade she sent me to a very theologically conservative Christian camp- and Jesus showed up.

Same For Us Today

For how many of us today is there a similar story. Jesus walks on water, uses atheists to show His truth, gives us a devil worshipping roommate who steals our hair and cast spells on us when we asked to be strengthened in out faith (ask my wife). And that is just the short list. I am sure that everyone in this room can give an account of Jesus showing up in an unexpected way. And the story goes on.

Peter Asks for Reassurance

Jesus says don’t worry, it’s just me. And immediately Peter says that if it is Jesus, call him out on the water too. This seems kind of a silly thing to say. I am sure that even if it wasn’t Jesus the thing walking on water could have called Peter out onto the water. But don’t we do the same thing all the time. How often in our own lives have we asked for signs. We are told clearly that what is going on is Jesus’ doing, but we still ask for a little more reassurance. And that is a little of what is going on here, but there is more too.

Peter Knows Jesus

As I already said, anyone or thing could have told Peter to walk on the water, so it seems like a strange request. There must be more going on here, and there is. Peter is confident that he can distinguish between the way Jesus is going to call him and the way another is. In John 10:27 Jesus himself says it like this, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” Those whom Jesus called can hear the call. We as Christians has this ability to hear Jesus voice and distinguish it from all the others. Peter has been called by Jesus before, and here he is sure he would know the call of his master.

Peter Walks On Water

Peter is then called out by Jesus. “Come,” he says. And then Peter walks on water. Let me say that again. And then Peter walks on water. Peter usually gets a bad wrap here, because as we will see is a second, he begins to sink. But he walks on water. How many of us can claim the same?

Able to Walk Because He Listened

And why was he able to walk on water, because he was called, and then he listened. This can be our story as well. It was safe in the boat. The ocean was, and is, a very dangerous place. Ask any fisherman today, and they will tell you that don’t leave the boat, especially at night. All you need is one large unexpected wave to throw you out of range from the boat, and you are done for. There are very large predators in the sea, humans get cold very quickly in water, and oh yeah, you can drown very easily in water. You don’t leave the boat.

Deadliest Catch

Does anyone here watch Deadliest Catch. It is a show on the Discover channel about Alaska Crap fisherman. It turns out it is one of the 5 most dangerous jobs in the world. From 1991-1996 according to the CDC website anywhere from 11-27% of the fisherman died. Why is it so dangerous? Because if you are swept overboard, the odds are that you will never be found. The first rule of Crap fishing is stay on the boat.

Peter Knew Better Than to Leave the Boat

I am sure that Peter knew better than to get out of a boat at night. But he does it anyway. And because of it he gets to walk on water. He places his trust in Jesus first, not in himself or those fishing rules. And so it must be with us. Jesus is calling all of us to get out of the boat. I don’t know how he is calling you personally, but I can say that he is calling you.

Trust Jesus More Than Boat

He knows the dangers of stepping out. He knows it is comfortable and safe in the boat. He still says “Come” anyway. The call is to trust Him more that ourselves, more than out boats, more that our rules. The only way we will ever be able to walk on water is o step out onto it, fixing out eyes on Christ. And once we do, even bigger things are in store.

This Preps Peter For Sermon

Peter later gives a sermon in Jerusalem, and thousands become Christians. I don’t believe he could have done this had he not stepped out here. The oceans of the City were much more dangerous that anything he could have seen on the Sea of Galilee. The Pharisees were more dangerous that the Great Whites of the Mediterranean. But Peter had already learned to step out and walk on the water. He knew to look to Jesus, and trust him more.

Scared After He Steps Out

But notice something else. After Peter walks on water, he gets scared. The text says he became afraid. And what made him so afraid? The wind. Now I don’t know about you, but the scariest time for me would have been the initial step. Once I had my feet firmly planted in the water, and saw that I was standing, I think I would have been alright. But that is not what happens to Peter. In the initial step he is courageous, but later, when the wind blows, he is afraid. Seems silly doesn’t it.

Wind Means More Than Wind

There are a few things going on here though. On the Sea, a strong wind can mean a large wave, or worse yet, a large storm. It was an indicator of very bad things to come. I was an omen for a sailor. Being a fisherman, Peter would have known this, and undoubtedly from some first hand experience. So it is not the wind that is scaring him, necessarily, but what the wind brings.

Environment Scares Us Too

I believe that this can happen to us more easily than we think. We step out of the boat, but then normal environmental factors change our focus. We begin to become afraid because of the wind. We worry about our standing, our money, our security. What happens is that we step out in faith, keeping our eyes on Jesus, and then we let life get in the way. We start to remember how dangerous things are. We panic. We start to sink.

We Are Distracted By Less Than The Wind

It is easy to look at Peter and say that it is ridiculous that he was distracted by a little wind, but how many of us have been distracted by so much less. Can anyone in the room say that since Jesus has called them they have moved unwaveringly toward Him? Can any of us say that we are completing with total faith the task that Jesus is calling us to right now? Or do we let the wind frighten us. How many of us, when we first became Christians had dreams of changing the world? Of converting our entire family and friends? Of sharing Christ with anyone and everyone? Any what about now?

Do we freeze at the idea of upsetting others? Do we care less because it is just not safe for our careers to tell our co-workers about the redeeming work of our Lord? Has the worry about money and health insurance got in the way of out desire to save the world, after all someone needs to worry about my bills? What is the wind that has scared us from the goal? Do we listen to the whispers of the world that hardcore shows and missions trips could be dangerous to our health, and so quiver in the night.

Peter At Least Got Out

Don’t judge Peter. At least he got out of the boat. He at least had the thrill or walk on the water. Can any of us brag more than this, or are we still in the boat?

Jesus Helps When Peter Calls

There is one more thing we need to notice about Peter’s journey at this moment. When he begins to sink he calls out to Jesus for help, and what does Jesus do? Does he step over Peter, get in the boat and say, “Sucker, should have stayed ion the boat or had more faith. I’m going to find someone else.” No. Jesus reaches down and grabs Peter, and brings him back to the boat, and the wind stops.

Peter Not Left For Dead

Peter is not left to drown. He calls out to Jesus, and Jesus saves him. And so it will be for us. Jesus called Peter out, and Jesus brings him back safely. Peter doesn’t get himself back, Jesus does. In the book of Philippians Paul says it this way”:

6And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

We Will See The End

If we follow Jesus call, and step out onto the water, he is not going to let us drown. He is going to get us safely through the whole thing. He who began a good work in you will see it through, even if we become scared and start to sink. The test was getting out of the boat. Jesus will take it from there. What he has planned for you, he will let you see. Peter was called to lead the church- to give the first sermon, to pastor the pastors, and so he did. He stepped onto the water, and Jesus saw him safely to the end.

May Not Be Safe

This is not to say that the end is safe. Peter gets crucified. But what God began in him, he finished. Because Peter saw Jesus rescue him from the sea and make the wind stop, he was able to follow him anywhere, even to the cross.

See, once Jesus grabbed hold of Peter, the wind howled no more. There was nothing left to be afraid of; Peter was in his Saviors arms.

Tangent

And then they all marvel and call Jesus God. A little tangent here. Notice they call him the Son of God here, but not until later do we read that Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ. This speaks to what I mentioned before.

Applications

What then does this say to us? If Peter’s story is the Archetype for our story, what does this bit say about our lives?

Get Out Of The Boat

The answer is simple. Get out of the boat. As I said before, I don’t know what the boat you are in is, but step out and follow Jesus. You will be able to walk on water. I know that it seems dangerous. The sea is full of troubles, but step out anyway. Jesus is calling you right now. Trust him more that anything. Look to him and you can walk on water. Step out of the boat.

Say You Walked On Water

Even if you start top sink, at least you can say you walked on water, if even for a second. It is more than the others in the vessel with you can boast of. But remember, even if you start to sink, Jesus is right there to save you. He will not let you drown.

Jesus is already out on the waves, calling you to himself. Will you follow? He wants to do great things through you, are you willing? Peter was able to lead the church because he got out of the boat- what will you do? It may seem safer, but you will never be able to say you did the impossible.

Look To Jesus

Look to Jesus. Walk on water. Know he is there if you get scared. His hand is mighty to save. He is standing right next to you throughout your endeavor, and he will bring you home safely. He who began a good work in you will see it through to completion, if you would only follow Him.

Won’t Expect Him

He will show up in a way that you don’t expect, call you to a task that seems impossible, and guide you every step of the way if you would only follow him. When that moment comes, will you stay in the boat where it is safe, of run to the arms of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

When the wind blows and you get shaken, will you call out to Him who first called you, and let His mighty hand save you, restore you, and calm your winds?

Stands On Shore

Jesus stands on the shore and asks if we would not follow Him, and He would make us fishers of men. He gives us a name and a purpose. He asks us who we say he is. And he begs us “Come.” Will you follow His call, even if it means drowning so that you can say you walked on water?

Call On All Of Us

This is a call to both the non-Christian and the Christian. Jesus doesn’t stop calling Peter once he initially follows him. He continually asks Peter to go further and further. Peter’s journey up didn’t end when he and Andrew brought their boat on shore and followed Jesus to his next stop; it ended when he hung upside down on a cross.

Will You Follow

Throughout Jesus asks him to follow. Step out onto the Water. Would you follow Him, even if it means getting out of the boat? Will you follow him even if it means drowning? Will you follow Him even if it means being swept away? He is standing on the Sea right now, waiting for one of us to step out.

11 Others

11 others stayed in the boat because they were scared. Isn’t Jesus reprimand, “O you of little faith,” just as much for them. So I ask one more time, who of you would heed Jesus call to “Come”, and step onto the water. Who among you would dream to do the impossible, and follow Jesus as you did it? Who among you will dare to leave their boat and put their entire lives in the hand of the Almighty?

What is Greatness

So lately I've been thinking about "Greatness" and what that actually means. Now before I delve into what "Greatness" is, I think it is fair to tell you that I have been thinking about it because I want to be great. I have a fire in my bones, at times. I feel like I have been created to do so much more than I am doing. I fantasize about leading huge multitudes of people, of writing best selling books, of going down ion history as an history writer, as one who made their own destiny. I read about Lincoln, and Calvin, and C.S. Lewis, and I want to do greater things than them.

When I was drinking heavily, I had these delusions of Grandeur as well. And as I study greatness, and what it means, there are a few discoveries I have made, especially pertaining to my own ambitions. It turns out that everyone who I have talked to who has struggled with some sort of chemical addiction believed themselves to be far more important that they actually are. I am sure that I thought this way too. But it is not just the addict who has delusions of Grandeur. The greatest men in history have felt this inside of them as well. Lincoln, and everyone on his cabinet felt from a relatively early age that they were destined to create history. All the great artisans and generals and leaders had this idea that they were great inside of them. So s I contemplate greatness, I am wrestling with my internal struggles. Am I just an addict who thinks too highly of himself, r am I actually destined to do great things.

This may seem extremely prideful, but I really believe that I am destined for "Greatness", so then the question arises, "What is Greatness?" And that is a very hard question indeed. When I was in College, it meant that I would write some great philosophy and be regarded in the ages, and I am not discounting this, but now I think that this is a pale reflection of what greatness could be.

Now, your ideas of greatness may vary from mine, but the men that I consider "Great", at this moment are men like Luther, and Calvin, and Erasmus, etc. Their writing dose survive the ages, but they did so much more. They revolutionized people's lives- they stored for themselves treasures in heaven. They first looked to Christ, and found their worth in Him. I am sure, however, that they had this Holy Drive to do what they were doing. Martin Luther King had a fire in him to lead the country away from segregation. he did not just have the desire to stop segregation, but to lead as well.

I would wager that most of the revolutionaries had this innate desire as well.

But back to what I think is "Greatness". What do I envision with my ambition? I see practical theology books and mega churches in my future. I don;t want a mega church just to have a big church though. I want it because I want to lead thousands to Christ. I want to start a revival the likes of which have never been seen. I want to lead people to God, and watch them thrive because of it.

Please don't get scared when I say Mega church- they are not all bad, Joel Olstein crap, some of them are thriving Acts 2 churches that follow Jesus and are reaching the lost. Many of them are blessings to the community around, and the Kingdom, as they can plant other churches and afford social programs that small churches couldn't dream of. This is the kind of church I want to lead. I want to surround myself with leaders, and train them in their skill. I want to equip people to go and make disciples, as Jesus commands all Christians, I want to be a spark that sets the world on fire.

How I do this, I dunno, but I want to. It is a fire in my bones. It is the deepest desire of my heart. I want to be great.

Second Week In a Row!!!

Hey, again this isn't a sermon, however I don't promise I wont preach- lets see where my writing takes us, shall we.

I figured that the last picture was successful, so I would post another. Anyway, I have been reading a book on church planting- Breaking the Missional Code- and it has a lot of good advice, but the editing is horrible, which detracts from the message at times. I know I am a terrible editor of my own stuff, like this blog, but I assure you that if I were to have a book published, it would be edited professionally. Anyway, the book has really got me thinking about what it means to be "missional", which is the new buzz word in church planting circles. What the word is supposed to encompass is that one is one mission, that is to say that in daily life one is always looking for ways to share the Gospel, reach out into the community, be salt and light. It is a word that means that we decide to become missionaries right here, right now, in the culture that one lives.

So what does this mean for me, and for Mercyhouse? Well, for one, it means that we are taking an honest look at what we do well, and what we don't. After this, it means deciding of it is worth the effort to practice the things we fail at, or if we should just abandon them. Now you may be asking why abandon anything, and the answer is simple- if we are bad at it, and it is not effective, it is hurting the mission rather than helping it. Now this may not seem immediately obvious, so I am going to give an example.

Last year we tried our hand at child care- and we were terrible. We advertised that we had care for kids, and then really didn't fulfil our promise. We had families come to our service, expecting something that we said we were offering, and then served them not. In hindsight it may have been better to just not offer anything. These families, if they cam, would have had realistic expectations.

This year we are keeping childcare, but we are planning on doing it right. We are working out the details now, but here are a few of the improvements we are going to make:

1. We are going to meet and escort parents to the child care room.
(Last year they kind of had to find it themselves)
2. We are cleaning up the pathway to the childcare
(it is in our basement, and king of horror movie-esque right now, that is all going to change)
3. We are going to offer pagers to parents in case there is a need of Thieu child that we can not meet.
(Last year it was a "trust us" kind of thing, and frankly, we are kind of a shabby rag tag bunch)

So that is one way we are improving and being missional. Now how is this missional? Well, the answer is that we are serving people. We are assuming that the majority of people who are going to come are unchurched, and so we are trying to think like them. What would make me feel comfortable my first time to church? is a question we are asking a lot.

It is my opinion that most people are nervous and expecting a bad time at church if they are not used to going, we are trying to alleve their fears and help them to enjoy themselves and connect with Christians who do not fit the moralistichavenofunvoterepublican mold. This is going to be accomplished many ways, and even child care is part of that. It says to young couples that we care about their needs, and that they matter. SO we are redoing our child care program.

Now, we decided to redo childcare, because we deemed it important, but we are also taking the ax to some programs that are not bearing fruit anymore, or are detracting form the mission- which is to reach the Valley for Christ. I am not really going to list the dead programs, because I want to stay positive, so here are some other things we will be adding to our Sunday Celebration that I am really exited about.

First, we have "professional" greeters. These are people with super outgoing characteristics and make people feel very comfortable very easily. They will be standing in various locations, the front door, the hospitality area, the sanctuary to usher people. They are going to have name tags, and are there to hand out programs, guide people to seats, give directions to our super hard to find men's room, and just say hi. The hope is that this will break down some of the barriers of the unchurched that they might have as they enter out place.

The last thing I am going to write about this week is our hospitality area. We do a great job at hospitality as it is, but we desire to be even better. What other church do you know of that offers free breakfast to all, and a 3 dollar lunch. I know of none around us, but we do. SO how do we make it better? One idea is that we serve people breakfast and coffee. Right no it is all just out on a table in the middle of our fellowship hall. Instead we are going to move it to the wall, make it a semicircle, and have servers behind the table, offering to pour the coffee, tea, etc. and telling people whether it is apple or banana bread. This has the added benefit of adding another human interaction for the unchurched person walking through our doors.

Anyway, more to come on this later. That's all for now.

This one's not a sermon

Hey, Sorry I have been just posting sermons, but I have been wicked busy. I have been told that people read blogs to find out about others lives, and although this idea is foreign to me, I will post a few pictures this week. I t takes forever to post pics by the way.

Anyway, things are pretty good with Sarah and myself. We are gaining more supporters for our ministry, which is great. It is just confirmation that we are really supposed to be doing this. Summer seems more laid back, but I have been giving a ton of sermons, so it is almost busier for me because I still need to work the hardcore shows and do maintenance and everything else. I still need to realize that sermon writing counts as part of my job and not kill myself those weeks, which is hard because I feel bad asking others to work the shows when I know they don't like them.

Sarah and I are also hosting next semesters leadership group at our house every Sunday night. This is such a great group. I am really refreshed teaching them because they are all hungry for what I am hungry for, a kick-ass service that will change people's lives s well as an awesome fellowship to love people and get them to know Jesus.

We have been planning the details of the service out now, and if everything goes as planned, we are going to have the most kickin' church around. The group is dedicated to sharing their lives with each other and pouring all they are into the unchurched- the group we really want to reach. I can't wait until August when we start doing the work that we are planning now.

Some of the things we have been talking about is ways to make a new comer fell at home, classes for the recently baptised, and ways to reach out into our own little sub communities and open those closest to us up to church. I am really exited about this, but as of right now, there is not much in concrete, so I am not going to get into details quite yet. I will by August though, walk you through a virtual service at MERCYhouse. Hope you like it.

Anyway, I am going to blog more often, I hope, so I will keep you up to date then.

stiil lazt with the blog

Just another sermon. Someday maybe I will blog again.

This week we are going to be looking at Timothy’s journey in- second gear to steal Dan’s analogy. Looking at Timothy’s journey in is a little different that looking at other characters in the Bible. We can only infer from Paul’s writings what is going on in Timothy’s life. Now at first this may seem like a terrible way to look at a journey in, but it is in fact a very efficient way of doing things. Other people tend to see our strengths and failures easier than we do. This is especially true of a mentor. It is the mentor’s job to do this. And since Paul is Timothy’s mentor we can be relatively sure that he knows Timothy, and where he has grown and needs to grow.

We can also be sure that Paul is giving Timothy an accurate diagnosis of where Timothy needs to grow, and where he is strong for another reason. Paul has sent Timothy to Ephesus to take it over. This is a church that Paul planted. Paul is sending Timothy to go and take care of his baby. For this reason we can be sure that Paul is going to give Timothy all the help he can. He wants Timothy to go into this church prepared, and the only way that can happen is if Timothy knows who he is, and what he can do. He needs to know what he excels in and what he needs to work on if he is to pastor the church properly.

I think we can all relate to this on some level. In school teachers would tells us what part of our papers were good and what parts needed work, or coaches in sports will tell their athletes what they are best at, and what they need to run drills on. This isn’t that foreign to us. And I think most of us, in hindsight would agree with those teachers and coaches. They knew us better that we really knew ourselves. This is also the case with Paul and Timothy.

There is something else we need to know about the church at Ephesus- it was a mess. There were divisions, false teachers, idol worship. The church was falling apart. Paul planted it, and then left. He then sends Timothy to go fix the mess.

Paul is sending Timothy, but that doesn’t mean that Timothy feels entirely ready, and that is where we pick up on his journey in. Timothy has a few skeletons in his closet, and Paul is writing to him to let him know what they are, and that he needs to get rid of them. This is not to say that the things we look at this morning are the only problems Timothy ever had, or will have, but they are the problems he had right then. We are picking up Timothy’s journey in along the way. We really never see the beginning or the end, but we can infer a lot about both where he was and where he will end up.

Like Dan told us last week, Timothy was a church kid. I don’t mean that is a bad way, although I know it is sometimes used derogatorily. All I mean is that he was raised in the church. His mother and grandmother were believers, and they passed on their knowledge and beliefs to Timothy. And Timothy became a believer too. And this is where his journey in starts. Dan told us that at some point he made his families faith his own. That process is not just part of the journey up, although it is part of that journey, it is also part of the journey in. There are questions and sacrifices that one needs to grapple with to become a believer, and this is all part of the journey in.

What I mean by that is that there are things which we must come to terms with about ourselves when we decide to follow this Jesus. First is admiting that we need a savior to begin with. This means that along our journey in we have decided that we are broken and need to be fixed. Then we must be willing to ask for help. Cry out to God about our inadequacy. And the list goes on. We can see how the journey in starts with our journey up, and it must have been so for Timothy as well.

But Timothy grew in faith and also continued on this journey in, and he did it well enough, with enough enthusiasm and determination that Paul not only notices him, but decides to disciple him, and finally gives Timothy the job of fixing his problems, like a broken church at Ephesus.

And we don’t really know much about Timothy’s journey in until he has been given a church. As I said before we know he has one, and that he has been growing in it, we know where he arrives in his journey, but not really the path he uses to get there. And so here we are, reading two letters to Timothy.

At this point Timothy is wrestling with some demons that, if he doesn’t get rid of, will affect the church he is going to pastor. Paul, then, is writing so Timothy will be ready for the task set before him. There are three main obstacles to Timothy’s effectiveness right now, and we are going to look at all three. We will not look at them in the order that Paul talks about them though. The first problem Timothy needs to get over is the root of the other two skeletons that need to be cleaned out. In fact, all of the character traits that Paul tells Timothy to journey in about play off and magnify each other.

Let’s look at one of the hurdles that Timothy has to overcome. It has to do with his age. In 2 Tim. 2:22 we read Paul telling Timothy to

22So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

I don’t think Timothy is out gallivanting about, womanizing and partying like a rock star, however Paul still tells him to flee youthful passions. From other passages in the text we know that Timothy was a striking example of faith and love and peace. So why is Paul warning him here? Part of what is going on is Paul just warning about the obvious thing that will arise. Timothy is on his own after being with Paul for so long, and Paul just wants to remind him to continue in his path. Paul is reminding Timothy that he must continue to do these things.

It is akin to when we talk to out parents on the phone. They remind us of the same things they have reminded us of before. And the reason they do it is not because they think we are stupid or deaf, but because it is really easy to fall into bad habits. So they remind us constantly of the good habits we have built up because of their guidance. It is really easy to fall into youthful passions, and Paul knows it all too well. He has seen people fall from the faith after working very hard not to. He has seen people pursue youthful passions and stop looking after their own righteousness and faith and love. He is telling Timothy, not so much to do these things, but to continue to do these things. Paul knows that if Timothy doesn’t continue to journey in about these things that he will fall away. Remember Timothy had been with Paul and other solid believers before he went to Ephesus, and now he is sort of on his own. He has been sent to fix the church so I am betting that there is not a whole lot of solid leadership. It is easy in that situation to get swept up in the problems if Timothy isn’t still looking up first, and then in.

I have lived in this town for 9 years now, and except for my freshman year of college, I have seen this struggle with all the freshman in this town. For most kids it is the first time that they have to stand on their own two feet. They are in a crazy college town with no apparent rules and no one looking over their shoulder. There is a reason that frat row, when it used to exist was always 10 times more packed the first weekend of school that any other. The kids have freedom for the first time. Most of them do some kind of journey in though, and soon there are less and less kids drinking to excess.

This is what Paul is telling Timothy he has to do. Finish his journey in. Flee youthful passions. Figure out what really matters in life, and do that. Remember, what seems great might really be unnecessary, and what seems boring, dull, and hard may be what you need to do.

But there is more about Timothy’s youthfulness. In 1Timothy 4:12 we read:

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

This letter was written to Timothy as he was going to Ephesus. It is Timothy’s pep talk, so to speak, although we will see later that it is not a pep talk at all. The reason Paul is telling Timothy this is that Timothy is clearly struggling with being so young and taking over the church. Paul even gives special instruction on how to correct older beavers in the church. From this we can infer that Timothy was walking into a situation where he was going to be much younger than some of the people he needs to correct.

It is good to respect our elders, but it was clearly getting in the way of the job that Timothy needed to get done. So Paul tells Timothy to get over it. He says to be respectful to those older, but do what God has called you to do. Timothy feels inadequate because of his age, and Paul is telling him to finish his journey in, and let that be the first thing people see, not his age. If Timothy is insecure because of his age, then so will the people he is supposed to lead. If, one the other hand, he forgets age as a qualifier, and instead focuses on what is really important, like his conduct, his faith, his purity, that those he is supposed to lead will focus on that instead. He will be able to be an example to them, and regardless of their age, they will follow him.

In 1 Timothy Paul gives a whole list of qualifications for Elders in the church. Not once does Paul mention age. He does mention faith, and love, and service, and a ton of other things though. And what Timothy needs to get over is that Paul doesn’t list age. If Paul was giving Timothy the church at Ephesus, then it is clear that Timothy had all the qualifications of an Elder. Paul is just further pointing out that his age is not a factor.

I imagine this was a big hurdle for Timothy though. Just think about being recruited to go and fix the churches in the entire city of New York. There are established elders, who are older than us, and now we are told that we have authority over them. It would be a stumbling block for anyone. Timothy needs to get over this though if he is to fix anything. He can’t be constantly questioning himself just because the person he is shepherding is older than him. So Paul says get over the age thing and do what God has called you to do.

But Timothy’s journey doesn’t end there. Paul still has a few other things to say to Timothy before he can move on in his calling. Paul tells Timothy in the first chapter of his second letter to Timothy

7for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 8Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God

The reason we are looking at these verses is that I think there is a character trait of Timothy that Paul is pointing out here. That trait is timidity, or shyness. Paul says you were not given a Spirit of Timidity in the NIV version. Paul doesn’t really waste his words, so it seems that he brought this up for a reason.

Part of this timidity probably stems from Timothy’s fear about his youth. I am far shyer in situations where I am uncomfortable than when I am at home. Part of this tendency I think is okay. It is rude and presumptuous to correct elders or jump in on conversations at a young age. On the other hand, in some situations youth doesn’t matter. Let me give an example. My uncles are all plumbing supply company presidents or vice presidents. My grandfather started a plumbing company, and all his sons followed suit. When I am telling them about my plumbing problems they know better than me what needs to be done. I have done some plumbing myself, fixed a few clogs, etc. but they are my elders. I shut my mouth, even if I know something about what they are talking about, because I shouldn’t be speaking.

However, at the same time, when I have had conversations with my Mother about Jesus, I feel I am at liberty to speak. She is not a Christian, and doesn’t know as much. When she is in the wrong about a passage or idea I have no problem correcting her, with all grace and humility. This is true not just of my mother, but of others as well. I used to go to Rao’s weekly with Martin. We had a weekly round table discussion with about 15 other Rao’s regulars. All were older and wiser than I, however when we were discussing Spiritual matters, I was not shy. And I feel that is why they respected me so much. I shut my mouth a lot when I was not to speak. When they talked about their past or how Amherst had changed, I listened, and took in their wisdom, but at the same time, I was not given a spirit of timidity, and would have been doing a disservice to them if I had not spoken of the spiritual with them.

This is what Paul is telling Timothy. By being shy, by being timid, you will be doing a disservice. That is not the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is bold. Don’t be ashamed of the Gospel, but proclaim it. Don’t be shy about spiritual matters. Get over yourself, Paul is saying.

This is something I think we need to hear more often, especially those of us who are younger. I constantly feel timid about sharing my faith, and I am on staff as a missionary! We think that we can’t share with older people because they know more, and we don’t want to share with people our age because we are embarrassed. We may not admit it, but we are. We are afraid that if they knew what we truly believed then they would not talk to us, or worse yet, they would mock and ostracize us. It is a normal human desire to fit in. Timothy wrestled with it. Why would Paul tell him not to be ashamed except that at times he was ashamed?

I want us to hear the people that Timothy is talking to. Oh, you are one of them? Isn’t Paul a criminal? I heard not even the Jews like your sect. You are a cannibal, eating the flesh of Jesus. I am going to tell Rome, and soon you too can join your friend in jail. How couldn’t Timothy be timid? It is the same for us today though. We are ashamed of this Gospel unless we are in church, where it is cool to believe this stuff. Out in the world though, it is not safe to be Christian, at least not in the Northeast, and so we are timid. But Paul doesn’t tell Timothy it is okay to be shy, and that he understands why in Ephesus Timothy could be ashamed. Instead Paul tells Timothy to get over it. Journey in, Timothy, he says. Don’t be timid, that is not of God. Get rid of your timidity and do what Jesus would have you do.

I already said that some of Timothy’s timidity most likely came from his age issues, but there is one more place where this timidity likely came from. Right before Paul’s declaration to not be ashamed or shy, he tells Timothy in 1Tim 1:6

“to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”

This text alone doesn’t give us a whole lot of insight into Timothy’s journey in, but let’s look at in with a few others.

1Tim 1:18

18This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,

1Tim 4:6

6If you put these things before the brothers,^[a] you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.

1 Tim 4:14

14Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.

1 Tim 6:20

20O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called "knowledge,"

In all these verses Paul is constantly reminding Timothy that he has been called, given a mission. Paul is reminding Timothy about the gifts that were given him, and not just here, but throughout the two letters Paul writes to Timothy. He reminds Timothy about the qualifications for Elders, and then reminds Timothy that he himself is to be the chief elder of Ephesus. From these texts we can assume that Paul is reminding Timothy of the reasons he is qualified because Timothy in fact feels unqualified. This makes sense when we also take his shyness into account as well as his concerns about his age.

It is with good reason that Timothy feels unqualified, remember. Ephesus is a mess. There are older people there teaching already, he has never really done anything like this before. He has always been with Paul and helped him do ministry, and now he is being thrown into the proverbial lions den. This is a trail by fire if there ever was one. So Timothy feels inadequate. He thinks himself not quite up to the task. And yet again we have Paul telling him to get over it. Remember this gift you have been given. This is your calling. You are ready. Paul reminds him that he gave him this job. Implied there is that he would not have done this if Paul didn’t think Timothy could handle it. The elders wouldn’t have laid hands on Timothy if they didn’t think he could handle it. Whether Timothy thought so or not he was ready. He was equipped. And now, he had to work though his fears, and go do the job that was given him.

I recently saw Transformers the movie, and there are about a million sermon illustrations in it, but here I am just going to give you one. I realize that not everyone has seen it, and I promise I am not going to ruin the movie for you. But what happens to Shai Laboef’s character is so close to what is going on here that I can’t resist to talk about it.

At one point in the movie Shai Laboef has to do something very difficult. And as he looks at the task set before him he says, “I can’t do it.” He feels like he is just a kid, and this is better left to someone more qualified. I imagine this is what Timothy is saying as he looks at Ephesus. But Shai says it to the soldier who has been looking after him. Now what does the soldier say? He tells him, “You have to do it. You’re a soldier now.” What qualified Shai is not that he was great, but that this is the task he was called to. The soldier tells him so, and then encourages him that he has all he needs, if Shai would only journey in. This is akin to what Paul is telling Timothy. He is saying that he is qualified, because he was called to this task, and Timothy just needs to finish his journey in. Stop looking at the task and thinking it impossible, and just do what is natural. Paul tells Timothy he is a soldier now, fight the good fight, he says. Go do what a soldier does.

There are two more pieces of advice that Paul gives Timothy regarding his journey in, besides the specific areas where Paul sees Timothy needs to wrestle with. Paul constantly reminds Timothy that his journey in will never be done. He says things like:

1 Tim 4:6-7

6If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;

1 Tim 4:15

15Practice these things, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress.

1 Tim 6:12

12Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

2 Tim 2:15

15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

2 Timothy 3:14

14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it

Paul says train yourself, devote yourself, practice these things, fight the good fight. All these terms have a present and future sense. Paul is reminding Timothy that he is going to always have to grapple with his flesh. He is going to have to constantly live in this faith. He must me always looking at his life; continually re-evaluating his behavior. This is a theme that we touch upon in the first advice to Timothy that we looked at. Flee from youthful passions. Remember Timothy had already clearly proved himself faithful up until that point, yet Paul gives this advice anyway. It is because this journey in is a forever thing.

That is not the last thing that Paul tells Timothy though. Remember I said that these letters weren’t pep talks. Paul is not pulling Timothy in before a big game and telling him that he can do it. I know it seems that this statement contradicts the entire sermon thus far, but I assure you, it doesn’t. It is true that Paul encourages Timothy, and reassures him about his position. It is true that Paul tells Timothy where his weaknesses are, and how to get over them. It is even true that Paul tells Timothy to get rid of his feelings of inadequacy, but I assure you, this is not a locker room pep talk.

Why not? Well what does a locker room pep talk look like? Let’s watch this clip.

The coach tells the players that they can do it. They are prepared. This is what they have been practicing for. They are better than the others. This is not what Paul tells Timothy.

Paul never says that it is because of Timothy that Timothy is qualified. It is in fact the opposite. He is qualified because he was called. We think the opposite today. We look at someone and decide if they are qualified, and then we would say that they were called. The first thing you do on a resume is list the previous experience you’ve had. You list your qualifications, and that justifies your being called to the job. It would be ridiculous if you just talked about how you felt that this is what you should do, and had no previous experience to back it up. This the opposite of what Paul is telling Timothy. Paul tells Timothy that he was called, and therefore was qualified. He was given a gift, and that is why he is qualified. But it goes even beyond this. There is a greater reason that Timothy is qualified. Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7-9

7for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 8Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

and also in 2 Timothy 2:1

1You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus,

and again in 3:17

17that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Or in 2 Tim 1:14

14By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

And also 1 Tim 1:12

12I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service,

The main reason Timothy is qualified is because he is a man if God. The number one qualification is that Jesus qualified him. God called him to this holy calling. It is by God’s grace that he will be strengthened. He is equipped because he is a man of God.

Timothy, in one sense in qualified because he was unqualified. Timothy rose to the top of a church because he first saw himself at the bottom. He knew he was a sinner saved by grace, that he was broken and needed to be fixed, and because for this he was able to be restored, able to become holy, able to find himself in Christ Jesus. Paul continually reminds Timothy that his competence is not in himself. Even his journey in is not of himself, but by his continued reliance on the grace of God.

Paul doesn’t say to Timothy that he can do it because Paul trained him, or because he was a quick learner, or any other reason, except that Jesus called him to this. Timothy, Paul says, you can do this, not because who you are, but because of whom He is. Paul reminds Timothy that he was not called because of anything he did, but because of Jesus purpose and grace. If Timothy was not saved by works, how then can he live by them? He can’t. He was saved by grace, and Paul tells him to continue to live in it. Be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, Paul says.

Paul’s own strength comes from Christ, so how could Timothy, the student be any different. Paul doesn’t even point Timothy to himself, except when he himself is pointing to Jesus. Timothy is going to be able to do all this through the Spirit that lives in him. This is no pep talk.

Paul is reminding Timothy of his journey up. The only way he is going to be able to journey in is by the assurance he has from the previous path. The only way he is going to move beyond himself to out and on is through this same Spirit. Clean out you closet, Timothy, Paul writes, but do it in the strength of Jesus. Timothy is not going to be able to do it on his own. If he tries to just will himself fixed he will fail, but until he is fixed he cannot do what he is called to. Timothy is unqualified for the task ahead of him, but he is qualified just the same.

He must remember, before all else, that it is Grace that allowed him to be saved, and grace that saves him still. If he is to present himself worthy, he must find his worth in Jesus. He will not be timid because he is resting in the Spirit, and the Spirit is not timid, but bold. He will not be puffed up and conceited because his worth will not be in himself. He will not feel inadequate because his success does not depend on his own performance. His journey in must be made of the same things that his journey up was made of- Grace and Faith. Paul tells him again and again that this is how he can do what he did, and this is how Timothy must do what is ahead of him as well.

And so it must be with us. I am speaking to both the Christian and non-Christian in the audience today. Timothy’s journey in began before he believed, and so must ours. Before I could put my faith in Christ, I not only had to figure him out, I had to figure my self out. Christianity is more than belief in God, or of Jesus. There are quite a few people who believe in God who aren’t Christians. Christianity is about first the belief that we are broken beyond repair. We first need to journey in and see ourselves for who we are. We first need to come to a place where we see we need a Savior. Now there is a journey up as well, a coming to belief in God, and Jesus, but that is not today’s sermon.

If we don’t first begin our journey in we will never get to any of the other journeys. I believe we sometimes neglect the journey in as we come to faith, but it is integral to this Faith called Christianity. If we don’t have an accurate idea of who we are, we can never have an accurate idea of who God is, and what the cross actually means. It is not the Christian idea that we are good, most of the time, and the bits we are not good Jesus died for. We must first realize we are broken beyond repair, that our normal mode is bad, and it is on rare occasions that we are truly good. Then we can approach God with the right attitude. Then we will be able to see why the Cross is so amazing and almost absurd. We must believe first that we were enemies of God, and then we can start to believe that he loves us and reconciles us to Himself anyway. This is the Good News- while we were yet SINNERS Christ died for us.

But the application doesn’t end there. Like Timothy, this is the beginning of our journey in, not the end. We have a long and sometimes painful process ahead of us. Timothy was set to become the chief elder of an entire Metropolis, and still his mentor is reminding him of places he needs to grow. If Timothy’s journey is not at an end here, we can be sure our journey has a long way to go.

But there is even more application that this. To say that our journey in is long is not enough. Paul doesn’t end there, and I think we would be remiss if that is where we ended. Paul tells Timothy how to change.

It seems like it would be impossible for me to stand up here and tell all of us where we need to change, and in some regards that is true. Partly because I don’t know all of you as well as Paul knew Timothy, and partly because it would be a very long sermon, and everyone would leave here hating me. But in another sense, I feel I can stand up here and tell all of us how we are to change. Paul points out specifics to
Timothy, but then he goes beyond them. After Paul tells Timothy the areas he needs to improve right now, he goes on to tell Timothy to continue to grow in faith. He also tells Timothy to feel qualified in the calling, not in himself. And more than this, he tells Timothy to find his worth in Jesus.

Paul reminds Timothy that it is by Jesus that he can do all these things, it is by Jesus that he has been given authority, it is by Jesus that he must live. Timothy is grossly inadequate on his own. He is a shy, young man with an inferiority complex. He could never lead an entire cities worth of churches. I am going to say it again- Timothy is grossly inadequate. And it is this inadequacy that, in a way, makes him adequate.

And so it must be with us. We are all grossly inadequate. We are inadequate at almost all we do. We will at some point let God down, our family, our friends, ourselves. If we can’t even live up to our own standards, how are we to hope to be successful by anyone else’s?

This is what Paul is communicating to Timothy. He is not qualified on his own, but then again, Timothy is not doing anything on his own. He is doing everything ion the power of God, but he Spirit that lives in him through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christians, this is the application for us. Our journey can’t end with our conversion. The more we go in, the more we must rely upon Christ. The choice to follow Him is not a one time deal; it requires of us a continual reliance upon His Grace.

Like Timothy we all have a calling. There are gifts and traits that God has imbued us with to do his work here on earth. For Timothy these culminated in his overseeing of the church at Ephesus, for us it may be a number of things. What we can be sure of however if that we are grossly under qualified. But what also we can be sure of is that Christ qualifies us anyway. It is in our inadequacy that we are made adequate. This is God’s favorite story line. He make the impossible possible. He takes the dishonorable and makes it honorable.

The application for today is run back to Jesus. He is what will make us ready. Paul tells Timothy to clean out his closet, yes, but he tells him to do it in the strength of Christ. Timothy couldn’t have done it otherwise. We can’t do it otherwise. How does Timothy get over being timid? He lets the Spirit of boldness work through him. How does Timothy get over his fear of being too young? He finds his rest in the Rock of Ages, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and End. How does Timothy rid himself of feeling inferior and unready? He looks to Jesus and finds his worth in Him.

It is through Grace that we too can clean our closets. It is by looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith that we can grow in our journey in. It is through the Spirit that we too can become adequate.

It is also through this Grace that we can journey in at all. If Timothy was to just look at how he messed up, and what he needs to do to become right, he would have been overwhelmed. He had a lot he needed to work on. It is easy to see how all his shortcomings could have crippled him, and by trying to tackle them, calling them to the surface, he could have become even more broken. It is a relatively common reaction to shut down in the face of adversity, and when this adversity comes from ourselves, it can cause a terrible downward spiral. But that is not what happens to Timothy. He goes to Ephesus, and begins the work to which he was called.

We too can have this reaction. If we are not relying on the Grace of God which we knew when we first believed, it is easy to see how we could destroy ourselves. I used to sit up at night for hours thinking about what I had done wrong that day, and how to fix it. I would stew in my inadequacy, which would just help me to accomplish less the next day. And so that night I would be up again. It was a vicious cycle with no end in sight. I saw that I could not do what I needed to do. I was inadequate in almost every aspect of my life. I would get angry with myself and resolve to change, but never could.

And then I cried out ot God. Is topped relying on myself,a nd instead know that I am going to mess up. I am inadequate to the mission that God has called me to. But that is okay. It is where I find my adequacy. God chose me, not because of what I did, but because of who he is. And it is in this grace that I can reevaluate myself and go further on in this journey in. I used to rely on my own skills and intelligence, and today instead I rely on Him. And so it must be with all of us today.

I am still inadequate to do what I have been called to do. Let none of us forget that I am a former alcoholic with an anger management problem who almost flunked out of Umass, UMASS, and have no formal theological training. Yet here I am, preaching at a conservative church on Sunday mornings, married and with a kid. Which, by the way, are just two more thing that I am inadequate at. But I am not looking to myself for my adequacy, but to Jesus.

Like Timothy, my journey in hasn’t stopped with conversion, rather it just began. I am not saying I am perfect, by any stretch. Paul was not telling Timothy that once he slew the aforementioned demons he would be good to go, but he does say it is a great place to start. He reminds Timothy that he must continue to fight the good fight. And so must we.

This journey in is never ending, but always done. What I mean by that is that we are called to continually be made more holy, but it is not us who does it. Jesus will do it for us when we finally submit ourselves to Him. Jesus already did the work, it is done, but we must still walk along the road.

So then, this is the call on all of us today. Journey in, but do it in the Grace of Christ. What we will find is a winy, young punk who has no right to take over a church at Ephesus, but we will also see a calling on our lives that we cannot deny. If we are true to this call we will see where we fall short, but we will also see the Father holding us up to reach the goal for which he has called us.

Let us Journey in. Let us find our worth in the Father, find our righteousness in Jesus, overcome our failings by accepting the Spirit who raised Christ from the dead. Let us be brutally honest about where we are, and where we need to go, and then look to Jesus to carry us there. Let us fight the good fight, guard the deposit entrusted us, present ourselves as a worker approved. But as we do this, let us find our rest in Christ, be strengthened in his Grace, and rely on Him to make us Holy.