THE DELIVERANCE OF A SON: The Rise of a Lion
I. God uses time to bring about spiritual formation (James 1:2-4)
A. Judah 20 years Gen 38:1-42:1
1) Marked by baggage; Judah: Others ~ favoritism & Own ~ bad decisions
2) Filled with suffering
“Your trials are tailor made”
“God will not greatly use a man or woman who He does not first take through the
wilderness” [Biblical examples?]
3) Fraught with failure
“Failure is neither final nor fatal”
B. God is a God of the long road
1) We like immediacy [Example: the phone company]
“Not necessarily where we are going, but who we are becoming”
[Where are areas in your life that God has taken time to work?]
2) “God is looking for average men and women who are willing to go the distance in whom
He can accomplish great things”
II. God uses adverse circumstances to bring about spiritual formation (Matt 16:24-25)
A. Often unexpected Gen 42:1-3; 6-17
Timing ~ Bad; Circumstances ~ Unimaginable
B. Can be tied to past failure Gen 42:18-22; 23-28 (leaving for Seminary & car)
“Secrets on earth are open scandal in heaven”
1) Often the mundane [Example: dad running]
2) Can be the clutch shot when the game holds in the balance – Michael Jordan
Background: Gen 42:36-38; 43:1-10 – Reuben v. Judah
Background: Josephs 2nd encounter; Brother’s return (faithful men); A moral declaration
We Must Excel at the Mundane!
C. Can involves sacrifice
Gen 44:14-17
Notes:
Confession - ambiguous
16) Triple Question – heightens the intensity of helplessness, the superlative (e.g. Holy, Holy, Holy)
16) God’s justice – not bad luck
16) Common Fate – faithful heart – if one stays they all stay
16) Saving their neck - “servants” and “slaves;” Joseph - couples
17) God’s judgment to Benjamin ~ “leave the thief, go in peace”
[Have there been instances in your life where you have had to make clutch decisions that have altered the spiritual course of your life? (Example – dating Katherine; going to Seminary)]
“This is one of the manliest, most straightforward speeches ever delivered by any man. For depth of feeling and sincerity of purpose it stands unexcelled.”
– Skinner, Exposition of Genesis, 1086.
Gen 44:18 - 34
Notes:
18) servant (singular)
19) Judah reads his accusers mind: moves from moral to personal
20) “lad”
27) father’s sentiment (quotes) “my wife” ~ not Judah’s mother
29) Irony – Judah has lost two sons; He now has the opportunity to lose a second brother and second son of Jacob
30) shifts from “we” to “I”
31-32) not just an obligation, but a deep concern
33-34) begs to be sacrificed for a brother who is more loved then himself
We Must Stand in the Moment!
Judah, the slave trader, the forsaker of covenant, the impulsive adulterer, the calloused judge who has felt the pain of a Father who has lost two sons and tasted the shame of the confessor, the man who has been broken by failure in a moment becomes a man of honor, taking a stand in the worst possible circumstances He stakes His life to principle and demonstrates the valor of a leader who rises to the full measure of love through self sacrifice to protect an innocent brother and a helpless father.
III. God uses Availability Gen 49:1-7
A. Reuben’s tryst (Gen 35:22 ~ Bilhah) - pride (Jam 4:6)
B. Simeon and Levi violence (Gen 34:24-31 ~ Shechem and Dinah) – (Gen 6:11, 13)
C. Judah’s oracle Gen 49:8-11 - 2nd longest only to Joseph’s
1) Gifted by Grace (Jude 24-25)
2) Granted according to Giftedness
3) Given to the Available
We Must Take Our Spiritual Formation Seriously!
Notes:
8) Word play: “Judah . . . praise . . . your hand” Yehuda . . . yoduka . . . yadeka
8) “father’s sons” not “mothers sons”
9) lion – “The lion, one of the largest and strongest carnivores poses threat not only to animals but also to humankind (1 Kings 13:24; 20:36; 2 Kings 17:25; Mic. 5:8)
10) 2 Sam 7:16
10) Shiloh = 1) until Shiloh comes, 2) the cultic center during the time of Judges, 3) “until he comes to whom tribute belongs” ~ tribute to him (David à Christ)
11) 1) donkey – ride of a chief; 2) vine symbol of fertility, joy, peace, and prosperity; 3) tie to the vine – incredible wealth; 4) wash in wine – incredible prosperity; 5) blood of grapes – metaphor of a conqueror
12) “sparkling;” “milk” – builds strong bones and teeth (“Got milk?”)
Time, Adverse Circumstances, and Availability
Excel in the mundane
Stand in the moment
Be available: TAKE YOUR SPIRITUAL FORMATION SERIOUSLY!
Exegetical: God took 20 years to build character into Judah’s life through the tools of suffering and sacrifice which ensured Jacob’s blessing of Judah. Theological: God is the author of spiritual formation. Homiletical: God uses time, sacrifice, and individuals who take their spiritual formation seriously to build character. HP: Take your spiritual formation seriously!
Image: Michael waiting for God to provide a job and wondering if God will use him – job hunting, Judah, blogging, and part time work
Need: To see that God is working in our lives
Subject: What does God uses to bring about spiritual formation in our lives
Preview: Look at the life of Judah and examine three things that God uses bring about spiritual formation
Text: Genesis 38-44 & 49
8/23/09 - FBD Young Marrieds Sunday School Class
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
List Making: Bane or Blessing - Part 1
I have a confession to make . . . (deep sigh)! I am a list maker, it is my bane. I wake up every morning with a list of things that I want to accomplish that day and if they don't get done, well that's a bad day. I go to bed every night thinking about the list of things that I will do tomorrow, I'm told that is what highly successful people do . . . or neurotic you may be thinking. To some list making is strange to others quite normal.
I walk through life compiling lists: books to read, things to do before I die, topics for sermons, ideas to implement within a church, stories that will preach, movies that I would recommend, names for our second child that will be born any day now . . . well I have just done it, there is a portion of my list on lists. I know what you are thinking, "I feel sorry for this guys wife, they probably go out for dinner and talk through lists." It's not far from the truth, but she loves me anyway and I have a sinking suspicion that she married me for my lists. She doesn't live by lists, I think they feel restrictive to her . . . yet she will be the first to admit that she needs the structure and order that my lists bring to our life together. My bane, her blessing . . . when I am not driving her crazy
I walk through life compiling lists: books to read, things to do before I die, topics for sermons, ideas to implement within a church, stories that will preach, movies that I would recommend, names for our second child that will be born any day now . . . well I have just done it, there is a portion of my list on lists. I know what you are thinking, "I feel sorry for this guys wife, they probably go out for dinner and talk through lists." It's not far from the truth, but she loves me anyway and I have a sinking suspicion that she married me for my lists. She doesn't live by lists, I think they feel restrictive to her . . . yet she will be the first to admit that she needs the structure and order that my lists bring to our life together. My bane, her blessing . . . when I am not driving her crazy
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
A Creepy Bride: Part 3
We'll just say the figure had several zeros and could pay my first years salary as a pastor. He then shared that this was the point when his tithe (Southern Baptist for 10%) went else where. Now I was discouraged, expensive bathrooms and moving tithes. "A Church you can Believe in." Good motto, creepy story.
I have been in church all my life. As a kid my dad sat on elder boards where men used profanity to give weight to their position (fortunately aside from this fact, he never shared many of his battle stories). I've heard horror stories of my peers who were deacons (some stories are so unbelievable they're comical). I have listened aghast to godly saints while they have gossiped to me about the stumblings and shortcomings of their leaders. I have set under the tutalige of the brightest minds within academic Christianity, many of which were previously pastors, and have seen them in fits of passion hurl pieces of chalk across the room to show their disgust of churches that have chewed up and spit out their pastors. "The Bride of Christ . . ." Nice title, creepy bride!
Like my five creepy movies, I have trouble getting these creepy stories out of my head! Yet maybe it depends on your context. Ephesians 5:25-27 states,
"Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also love the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glofy, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless."
The church consists of Christians, fallen sinners redeemed by God's grace. It should not surprise us to see warts, bunions, scars, and blemmishs. We are the problem . . . we are the church. Yet, it seems that we expect perfection (on this side of eternity) from the church and because of this we are really creeped out. That's bad theology! Where does scripture ever say that we're to put this type of expectation on the church or this degree of hope in man?
It doesn't! In fact our theology supports just the opposite, we are sinners saved by grace.
So how are we to respond when we freak? Toward those within the church we are called to love one another (John 13:34-35). Interestingly we are never commanded to love the church as an entity or body. That job is left up to the God-man, Christ himself (Eph 5:25)!
We are commanded to "hold fast to the confession of our hope" and to "not forsake our own assembling together" (Heb 10:23, 25). While we are to have fellowship with the believers that God places in our lives, which requires trust, we are never called to put the expectation of perfection or to entrust the confidence of our hope to these individuals. It is only when our hope resides safely in the perfection of Christ and His ability to perfect his bride.
The writer of the Hebrews declares "the LORD is my helper, I will not be afraid (of warts, bunions, scars, and blemmishs). What will man do to me . . . Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb 13:6, 8). Armed with this hope, we can overcome any crepetivity and be part of what on this side of eternity can be a really creepy bride!
I have been in church all my life. As a kid my dad sat on elder boards where men used profanity to give weight to their position (fortunately aside from this fact, he never shared many of his battle stories). I've heard horror stories of my peers who were deacons (some stories are so unbelievable they're comical). I have listened aghast to godly saints while they have gossiped to me about the stumblings and shortcomings of their leaders. I have set under the tutalige of the brightest minds within academic Christianity, many of which were previously pastors, and have seen them in fits of passion hurl pieces of chalk across the room to show their disgust of churches that have chewed up and spit out their pastors. "The Bride of Christ . . ." Nice title, creepy bride!
Like my five creepy movies, I have trouble getting these creepy stories out of my head! Yet maybe it depends on your context. Ephesians 5:25-27 states,
"Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also love the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glofy, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless."
The church consists of Christians, fallen sinners redeemed by God's grace. It should not surprise us to see warts, bunions, scars, and blemmishs. We are the problem . . . we are the church. Yet, it seems that we expect perfection (on this side of eternity) from the church and because of this we are really creeped out. That's bad theology! Where does scripture ever say that we're to put this type of expectation on the church or this degree of hope in man?
It doesn't! In fact our theology supports just the opposite, we are sinners saved by grace.
So how are we to respond when we freak? Toward those within the church we are called to love one another (John 13:34-35). Interestingly we are never commanded to love the church as an entity or body. That job is left up to the God-man, Christ himself (Eph 5:25)!
We are commanded to "hold fast to the confession of our hope" and to "not forsake our own assembling together" (Heb 10:23, 25). While we are to have fellowship with the believers that God places in our lives, which requires trust, we are never called to put the expectation of perfection or to entrust the confidence of our hope to these individuals. It is only when our hope resides safely in the perfection of Christ and His ability to perfect his bride.
The writer of the Hebrews declares "the LORD is my helper, I will not be afraid (of warts, bunions, scars, and blemmishs). What will man do to me . . . Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb 13:6, 8). Armed with this hope, we can overcome any crepetivity and be part of what on this side of eternity can be a really creepy bride!
Monday, August 17, 2009
A Creepy Bride: Part 2
This weekend, I added number five to the creepy movie list. We were in the mood for a movie, but it seemed that there wasn't anything worth renting. We then took a recommendation; as I said, we were desperate. The movie was a kids movie with a PG rating . . . how bad could it be? The popcorn was popped, the m&m's divided, and the lights were low when we loaded, Coraline. The movie was not that intense, but the crepetivity of this movie shot through the roof when you took into account that it was directed toward kids. ("Crepetivity" is an adjective for creepy, made up by yours truly.)
As I went to church this morning, "crepetivity" was on my mind.
I thought about the story related to us on Friday night at a young marrieds gathering, where a friend of ours had been trying to get her young daughter into her car seat after a full day of work and day care when she was honked at by a church member who asked her to move out of the way so that they could get into the parking spot next to her. She complied, and moved out of the way so the car could pull in. The spot was tight and after the car was parked our friend and the driver who had just parked the car realized that the young mother would not be able to open the door to fasten in her child or get back into the car. Upon realizing this, the Wednesday night church goer suggested that she crawl over the seat. Our church's motto is "A Church you can Believe in." Good motto, creepy story.
The choir was now in full tilt as I watched the late comers, shuffle in. I noticed an older lady moving up the stairs to my left. I sit in the balcony with a small contingency of young marrieds at the early service. I have met this woman once during the obligatory Baptist meet-n-greet each service. When I met her she had informed me that she used to sit down on the floor until someone informed her that she was in the "wrong" pew. She told me that she had decided that she would never get in anyone's way again. She was so offended and bitter that she now sits in the nose bleed section of the balcony all by herself. I am not sure which is more disturbing: territorial pew sitters or bitter old women in the balcony. "A Church you can Believe in." Good motto, creepy story.
Sunday school was packed as usual. As we left small group I struck up a conversation with a friend over my job hunt and the fact that I had been "dinged" for a position at our church. I commented that it was probably for the better as the individuals on staff were all very gracious, but somehow the work environment is tenuous and even cut-throat [future post: the megachurch]. As we were comparing notes, he commented that he loved our church, but had been turned off by the price tag of a bathroom which had been installed for one of the executive staff members, to the tune of well...
As I went to church this morning, "crepetivity" was on my mind.
I thought about the story related to us on Friday night at a young marrieds gathering, where a friend of ours had been trying to get her young daughter into her car seat after a full day of work and day care when she was honked at by a church member who asked her to move out of the way so that they could get into the parking spot next to her. She complied, and moved out of the way so the car could pull in. The spot was tight and after the car was parked our friend and the driver who had just parked the car realized that the young mother would not be able to open the door to fasten in her child or get back into the car. Upon realizing this, the Wednesday night church goer suggested that she crawl over the seat. Our church's motto is "A Church you can Believe in." Good motto, creepy story.
The choir was now in full tilt as I watched the late comers, shuffle in. I noticed an older lady moving up the stairs to my left. I sit in the balcony with a small contingency of young marrieds at the early service. I have met this woman once during the obligatory Baptist meet-n-greet each service. When I met her she had informed me that she used to sit down on the floor until someone informed her that she was in the "wrong" pew. She told me that she had decided that she would never get in anyone's way again. She was so offended and bitter that she now sits in the nose bleed section of the balcony all by herself. I am not sure which is more disturbing: territorial pew sitters or bitter old women in the balcony. "A Church you can Believe in." Good motto, creepy story.
Sunday school was packed as usual. As we left small group I struck up a conversation with a friend over my job hunt and the fact that I had been "dinged" for a position at our church. I commented that it was probably for the better as the individuals on staff were all very gracious, but somehow the work environment is tenuous and even cut-throat [future post: the megachurch]. As we were comparing notes, he commented that he loved our church, but had been turned off by the price tag of a bathroom which had been installed for one of the executive staff members, to the tune of well...
Sunday, August 16, 2009
A Creepy Bride: Part 1
While I have never desired to watch a horror movie and have proudly never seen Freddie or any of the "Scary Movie" saga, and I while I enjoy intense movies, Dead Man Walking (would not recommend) or Schindler's List (recommend with provisos), I have never quite figured out what to do with creepy movies. I find that they make their way into my subconscious and then set up shop from which they flit through my mind. You are thinking, "duh, creepy . . . that's the fun of it!" I guess it depends on your context.
This last week, I added to my creepy movie repetior (of which four come to my mind, though I'll throw in a fifth for my wife). The only creepy movie that I can remember from my younger years is Wait until Dark with Audry Hepburn (recommend!) and Psycho (recommend!). Hey don't laugh, my parents didn't let me watch the Wizard of Oz (recommend) until I was older because they thought the flying monkeys would scare me. To their credit, I was a very sensitive child and prone to have nightmares -- and the monkeys would have scared me!
The next creepy movie that I can recall was M. Night Shyamalan's (creepy name) The Village. Now I'm told this movie isn't that bad as far as creepy goes, but remember I am kind of a novice with these things and it should be noted that the nightmares that I had as a child always involved being chased by wolves. I think that this came from listening to a "Peter and the Wolf" sound track on my record player...
My wife teased me when I had to check all of the closets, tubs, and behind the doors after we watched The Village. I was freaked! I got my chuckles when we watched a 1940s movie called Marnie. The story line is about an evil little girl that manipulates, maims, burns, and kills. It didn't phase me, because it didn't seem real enough, but apparently the inner workings of my wife's mind resonated (related?) a little too closely to this manipulative little girl. For the next week, I would walk into the room, saying, "Maarnieee . . . Maarniee," in my best evil, high pitch, squeaky, little girl voice. She begged me to stop and finally I did, though the temptation in me is growing to run into the other room and see if it still bothers her...
This last week, I added to my creepy movie repetior (of which four come to my mind, though I'll throw in a fifth for my wife). The only creepy movie that I can remember from my younger years is Wait until Dark with Audry Hepburn (recommend!) and Psycho (recommend!). Hey don't laugh, my parents didn't let me watch the Wizard of Oz (recommend) until I was older because they thought the flying monkeys would scare me. To their credit, I was a very sensitive child and prone to have nightmares -- and the monkeys would have scared me!
The next creepy movie that I can recall was M. Night Shyamalan's (creepy name) The Village. Now I'm told this movie isn't that bad as far as creepy goes, but remember I am kind of a novice with these things and it should be noted that the nightmares that I had as a child always involved being chased by wolves. I think that this came from listening to a "Peter and the Wolf" sound track on my record player...
My wife teased me when I had to check all of the closets, tubs, and behind the doors after we watched The Village. I was freaked! I got my chuckles when we watched a 1940s movie called Marnie. The story line is about an evil little girl that manipulates, maims, burns, and kills. It didn't phase me, because it didn't seem real enough, but apparently the inner workings of my wife's mind resonated (related?) a little too closely to this manipulative little girl. For the next week, I would walk into the room, saying, "Maarnieee . . . Maarniee," in my best evil, high pitch, squeaky, little girl voice. She begged me to stop and finally I did, though the temptation in me is growing to run into the other room and see if it still bothers her...
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Gone in 60 seconds
A mist in the pulpit causes a fog in the pew.
This phrase came to mind today as I returned home from interviewing a young couple for a unique incarnational ministry which seeks to impact urban dwellers with the gospel of Christ. The couples who apply for this ministry, while predominately younger, are the future hope of our present day evangelical churches. They have a functioning relationship with Christ and they desire to reach out to those around them. While many profess a relationship with Christ, the willingness demonstrated by these valiant few to put shoe leather on their faith and serve, causes them to rise to the top as the creme of the crop within Christianity. There is only one problem: most struggle to be able to articulate the gospel.
Half way through my interview as I sat across from my perspective applicants, I paused and then said, "OK, I need you both to tell me the gospel. I am not asking you to role play with me as I am already saved. Take all the time you want, but please feel free to be brief, we only have a half hour left in the interview. You can share the Four Spiritual Laws, the Romans road, the Bridge Illustration, one verse evangelism, whatever you feel comfortable with, I just need both of you to articulate the gospel. Who would like to go first?"
The first applicant began; he talked about sin. "Good," I thought to myself. "This is a good place to start." But then I began to have trouble following him. A couple minutes later we were talking about Christ. "Good," I thought again, "Here maybe now we were going to get the gospel." He continued on for another minute. Finally, I broke in and asked, "so what do I need to do to be saved?" I had heard "sin," "Jesus." "your life will change," "repent," but I had not heard what it took to become a follower of Christ. I thanked the applicant and then turned to the second.
The second applicant paused and gathered herself, possibly nervous as she had seen her fellow applicant struggle in a prolonged attempt. My money was on her, she would fair better. I know from personal experience that women can take what a man is blundering about and articulate it concisely and clearly in one or two pithy sentences. For a minute or two it seemed though my premonition was to hold true, but as the gospel plane continued to ascend, I began to realize somewhere between "the God-man," "repent," and "no works for salvation," that the plane was going to have trouble landing. I stepped in, "What must I do to be saved," I asked? And then she nailed it! "Confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart..." Well almost nailed it because at this point she trailed off. I smiled and thanked the applicant.
I was not upset as a matter of fact, I was proud of this young couple. They had tried admirably and come really close. I was not surprised that they had struggled, it may have been nerves but my guess is that no one has ever asked them to articulate the gospel in 60 seconds. They have heard it. They have thought about it. They have accepted it. But no one had ever challenged them to briefly articulate it!
I thanked them both again and then I said, "The essence of the gospel is that man has sinned and fallen short of God's standards thereby breaking his relationship with God; but God loved us and sent His perfect Son, Jesus to die and pay the penalty for the sins of the whole world. If we accept Christ's payment for our sins through his death and resurrection, by this alone can we have a saving and whole relationship with God." I looked up at them and sheepishly grinned. She said, "Wow, I didn't expect that to be so awkward, and I didn't know the gospel could be stated so briefly." He said, "That was hard."
They were a neat couple. Both have been involved in full-time ministry. Both are in seminary. One has a masters in theology. Both struggled to articulate the gospel.
Sadly, this is not an isolated incident, instead it is a prevalent problem in these interviews and probably challenging for anyone who has not taken the time to sit down and attempt to articulate the gospel. As I drove home, I wondered, "Is there a mist in our churches which has left its members in a fog? Can the average Muslim or Hindu articulate their faith?" If Christians can't articulate their faith in 60 seconds you would think that a faith so little invested in would be gone in 60 seconds.
As I pondered, I took comfort in the fact that both of these followers of Christ had come to know their Savior through the impact of the Church. Someone is clearly communicating the gospel. I also realized that if it had not been for someone in my own life who challenged me to take 15 minutes to write out the gospel so that it could be articulated in under 60 seconds, I too would struggle to give the gospel clearly. Can you articulate the gospel in 60 seconds?
Resources: http://www.acts111.org/
Exercise: Write out the gospel in five sentences or less
This phrase came to mind today as I returned home from interviewing a young couple for a unique incarnational ministry which seeks to impact urban dwellers with the gospel of Christ. The couples who apply for this ministry, while predominately younger, are the future hope of our present day evangelical churches. They have a functioning relationship with Christ and they desire to reach out to those around them. While many profess a relationship with Christ, the willingness demonstrated by these valiant few to put shoe leather on their faith and serve, causes them to rise to the top as the creme of the crop within Christianity. There is only one problem: most struggle to be able to articulate the gospel.
Half way through my interview as I sat across from my perspective applicants, I paused and then said, "OK, I need you both to tell me the gospel. I am not asking you to role play with me as I am already saved. Take all the time you want, but please feel free to be brief, we only have a half hour left in the interview. You can share the Four Spiritual Laws, the Romans road, the Bridge Illustration, one verse evangelism, whatever you feel comfortable with, I just need both of you to articulate the gospel. Who would like to go first?"
The first applicant began; he talked about sin. "Good," I thought to myself. "This is a good place to start." But then I began to have trouble following him. A couple minutes later we were talking about Christ. "Good," I thought again, "Here maybe now we were going to get the gospel." He continued on for another minute. Finally, I broke in and asked, "so what do I need to do to be saved?" I had heard "sin," "Jesus." "your life will change," "repent," but I had not heard what it took to become a follower of Christ. I thanked the applicant and then turned to the second.
The second applicant paused and gathered herself, possibly nervous as she had seen her fellow applicant struggle in a prolonged attempt. My money was on her, she would fair better. I know from personal experience that women can take what a man is blundering about and articulate it concisely and clearly in one or two pithy sentences. For a minute or two it seemed though my premonition was to hold true, but as the gospel plane continued to ascend, I began to realize somewhere between "the God-man," "repent," and "no works for salvation," that the plane was going to have trouble landing. I stepped in, "What must I do to be saved," I asked? And then she nailed it! "Confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart..." Well almost nailed it because at this point she trailed off. I smiled and thanked the applicant.
I was not upset as a matter of fact, I was proud of this young couple. They had tried admirably and come really close. I was not surprised that they had struggled, it may have been nerves but my guess is that no one has ever asked them to articulate the gospel in 60 seconds. They have heard it. They have thought about it. They have accepted it. But no one had ever challenged them to briefly articulate it!
I thanked them both again and then I said, "The essence of the gospel is that man has sinned and fallen short of God's standards thereby breaking his relationship with God; but God loved us and sent His perfect Son, Jesus to die and pay the penalty for the sins of the whole world. If we accept Christ's payment for our sins through his death and resurrection, by this alone can we have a saving and whole relationship with God." I looked up at them and sheepishly grinned. She said, "Wow, I didn't expect that to be so awkward, and I didn't know the gospel could be stated so briefly." He said, "That was hard."
They were a neat couple. Both have been involved in full-time ministry. Both are in seminary. One has a masters in theology. Both struggled to articulate the gospel.
Sadly, this is not an isolated incident, instead it is a prevalent problem in these interviews and probably challenging for anyone who has not taken the time to sit down and attempt to articulate the gospel. As I drove home, I wondered, "Is there a mist in our churches which has left its members in a fog? Can the average Muslim or Hindu articulate their faith?" If Christians can't articulate their faith in 60 seconds you would think that a faith so little invested in would be gone in 60 seconds.
As I pondered, I took comfort in the fact that both of these followers of Christ had come to know their Savior through the impact of the Church. Someone is clearly communicating the gospel. I also realized that if it had not been for someone in my own life who challenged me to take 15 minutes to write out the gospel so that it could be articulated in under 60 seconds, I too would struggle to give the gospel clearly. Can you articulate the gospel in 60 seconds?
Resources: http://www.acts111.org/
Exercise: Write out the gospel in five sentences or less
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
A View from the Zoo: part 4
Note: read first A View from the Zoo: Part 1, 2, and 3
Andy's surgery went well and in the end I received an extension on my thesis and was permitted to walk at commencement, but would have to graduate in the Summer. Tutoring wrapped up and commencement came and went. May flew by as I concentrated on sending out thank you's to those who had partnered with us through prayer and financial support over the last four years. In my weaker moments, I wondered if their prayers had diminished with the advent of my graduation. Until the last several weeks of seminary, we had experienced a hedge of protection and tranquility that would be hard to explain apart from the prayers of those who had partnered with us. But God answers prayers in His own ways!
I sent more thank you's to those who had very generously lavished graduation gifts upon me. In the midst of the storm in April through the present, God has continued to demonstrate His faithfulness and provision toward us in a myriad of ways. In May, He provided a short vacation and clothes for Luke through our Sunday School class. In June, He provided income through tutoring. In July, He allowed us to sell our car and buy a van, my thesis passed, and we took two trips to San Antonio, without Luke (Thanks, Aunt Suz!).
I had planned to have a job in April. This was then pushed back to May. The two week before the beginning of August found me encouraged with several churches nibbling and two phone interviews. This time it was a church in Canada and a church in Iowa. I was 1 of 4 being considered out of 93 applicants in Canada and 1 of 3 being considered out of 24 applicants in Iowa. They both seemed to be a good fit. I had been diligent in my job hunt and the fruits of my labor were beginning to show. August was about to arrive and my prospects of lining up employment before the end of the summer were plausible. The day we left for San Antonio, the church in Canada sent the "ding" e-mail. Ding = "God bless, but you are not the chosen one." Now we are willing to relocate to Canada if God wills, but to shift from 1,000 miles south of Indianapolis to 1,000 miles north of Indianapolis would be a challenge. I consoled myself by thinking that Iowa was in the mid-west and that I would never be in danger of picking up the terminology, "Eh?" That weekend, I whisked Katherine away to San Antonio to celebrate her and four years of being in Texas. August had now arrived.
This last Wednesday found us at the zoo. I'm still not sure whose bright idea it was for a 22 month old, an 8 month preggo, and an unemployed seminarian to go to the zoo in 105 degree weather, but it was a small victory. That afternoon, I got the call from the church in Iowa. I was not the chosen one. It was a blow! Katherine's tears spoke for us both. I am the one who is supposed to be the wordsmith, but my wife often is the more concise. "I am just tired of waiting!"
"Yep," I thought to myself as I trudged down to get the mail, "I think God's finally got me where He wants me. It's His sweet spot, I've been there before. I can taste it! It scares me to death and thrills me at the same time. It must be like an astronaut floating in space, it's amazing and terrifying at the same time. He has pushed me to the edge of my envelope . . . I wonder how far out into the deep he will take me . . . He won't take me too far, will He? No, He won't take me anywhere He is not. I wonder how I will respond . . . He won't give me more than I can bear, will He? No, He's promised not to do that. Is this what faith looks like for me?"
I reaching into the mail box while these questions assaulted my mind. I quickly noticed what appeared to be "real" mail as my wife calls it. The note was addressed to me. It was from Daniel. A dear friend of K and mine from Purdue days. [Daniel is a true Rennaisance man, but I revere him because of his prowess on the organ. I know that churches by the day are getting rid of these glorious instruments, but it is a mistake! Any instrument that can produce enough force to be felt in your chest wall while making melodies that can bring you to tears is a singularly powerful weapon in the arsenal of worship! So I am biased and I want Daniel to be my organist some day.]
I quote,
"I just wanted to drop a line to say 'congratulations!' and also send this little 'graduation booster [$].' It's been such a joy to follow you guys during simenary and keep getting your updates! Be encouraged now as you wait for the next step along the journey and don't forget God's promises for your good and His glory even amidst the depressing days where things aren't going as you'd like. Keep in touch my friends! You are loved and appreciated! God's grace on the next step! Daniel"
Parking at the zoo, $5; Admission to the zoo on half price admission day, $6 a seminary education so that I can be "dinged," $40,000; God's timing in all areas of my life, priceless!
Sola de gloria
Andy's surgery went well and in the end I received an extension on my thesis and was permitted to walk at commencement, but would have to graduate in the Summer. Tutoring wrapped up and commencement came and went. May flew by as I concentrated on sending out thank you's to those who had partnered with us through prayer and financial support over the last four years. In my weaker moments, I wondered if their prayers had diminished with the advent of my graduation. Until the last several weeks of seminary, we had experienced a hedge of protection and tranquility that would be hard to explain apart from the prayers of those who had partnered with us. But God answers prayers in His own ways!
I sent more thank you's to those who had very generously lavished graduation gifts upon me. In the midst of the storm in April through the present, God has continued to demonstrate His faithfulness and provision toward us in a myriad of ways. In May, He provided a short vacation and clothes for Luke through our Sunday School class. In June, He provided income through tutoring. In July, He allowed us to sell our car and buy a van, my thesis passed, and we took two trips to San Antonio, without Luke (Thanks, Aunt Suz!).
I had planned to have a job in April. This was then pushed back to May. The two week before the beginning of August found me encouraged with several churches nibbling and two phone interviews. This time it was a church in Canada and a church in Iowa. I was 1 of 4 being considered out of 93 applicants in Canada and 1 of 3 being considered out of 24 applicants in Iowa. They both seemed to be a good fit. I had been diligent in my job hunt and the fruits of my labor were beginning to show. August was about to arrive and my prospects of lining up employment before the end of the summer were plausible. The day we left for San Antonio, the church in Canada sent the "ding" e-mail. Ding = "God bless, but you are not the chosen one." Now we are willing to relocate to Canada if God wills, but to shift from 1,000 miles south of Indianapolis to 1,000 miles north of Indianapolis would be a challenge. I consoled myself by thinking that Iowa was in the mid-west and that I would never be in danger of picking up the terminology, "Eh?" That weekend, I whisked Katherine away to San Antonio to celebrate her and four years of being in Texas. August had now arrived.
This last Wednesday found us at the zoo. I'm still not sure whose bright idea it was for a 22 month old, an 8 month preggo, and an unemployed seminarian to go to the zoo in 105 degree weather, but it was a small victory. That afternoon, I got the call from the church in Iowa. I was not the chosen one. It was a blow! Katherine's tears spoke for us both. I am the one who is supposed to be the wordsmith, but my wife often is the more concise. "I am just tired of waiting!"
"Yep," I thought to myself as I trudged down to get the mail, "I think God's finally got me where He wants me. It's His sweet spot, I've been there before. I can taste it! It scares me to death and thrills me at the same time. It must be like an astronaut floating in space, it's amazing and terrifying at the same time. He has pushed me to the edge of my envelope . . . I wonder how far out into the deep he will take me . . . He won't take me too far, will He? No, He won't take me anywhere He is not. I wonder how I will respond . . . He won't give me more than I can bear, will He? No, He's promised not to do that. Is this what faith looks like for me?"
I reaching into the mail box while these questions assaulted my mind. I quickly noticed what appeared to be "real" mail as my wife calls it. The note was addressed to me. It was from Daniel. A dear friend of K and mine from Purdue days. [Daniel is a true Rennaisance man, but I revere him because of his prowess on the organ. I know that churches by the day are getting rid of these glorious instruments, but it is a mistake! Any instrument that can produce enough force to be felt in your chest wall while making melodies that can bring you to tears is a singularly powerful weapon in the arsenal of worship! So I am biased and I want Daniel to be my organist some day.]
I quote,
"I just wanted to drop a line to say 'congratulations!' and also send this little 'graduation booster [$].' It's been such a joy to follow you guys during simenary and keep getting your updates! Be encouraged now as you wait for the next step along the journey and don't forget God's promises for your good and His glory even amidst the depressing days where things aren't going as you'd like. Keep in touch my friends! You are loved and appreciated! God's grace on the next step! Daniel"
Parking at the zoo, $5; Admission to the zoo on half price admission day, $6 a seminary education so that I can be "dinged," $40,000; God's timing in all areas of my life, priceless!
Sola de gloria
Monday, August 10, 2009
A View from the Zoo: part 3
Note: read first A View from the Zoo: parts 1 and 2
April was the month of terrible Tuesdays. I had three of them and frankly I have a hard time remembering their exact order as the entire month runs together. A little background first, Aprils like Decembers are stressful for the seminarian. It is cruel, but seminary dictates that you you work hard all semester and then in the final month everything comes due! Being a statistics tutor at SMU, April is doubly a tense month because all of my students are stressed. My best students are stressed because they are fighting for an A and my less motivated students are now motivated and stressed because of fear.
I once had a conversation with my "tutoring" boss about what motivates people. I as the budding theologian declared that love is the greatest motivator. My boss who is a "realist" like myself, shook his head with a smirk and told me that the greatest motivator was fear. Looking back we were both right. Either way even as a seasoned tutor I would find myself struggling to not take on the stress of my students while at the same time continually having to assure myself that their failure was not mine. To compound all this academic stress I had not lined up a job yet and the reality was that the "profession" (sorry Piper!) that I would be entering boasts an average shelf life of five years. If you didn't know the average pastor lasts less than five years at his first church! Yet, stress is nothing new. It's part of life and I think its one of the greatest tools of seminary (possibly grad school). The question is can you learn to find balance and handle the stress in a God honoring way? [Note to self - blog on high cholesterol and stress].
Tuesday, I'll get there . . . a little more background first. My schedule on Tuesdays and Thursdays my last semester were amazing (remember I have a dry sense of humor which should be applied to the use of this word)! I would leave at 6:40am. Arrive in the school parking lot at 7pm. Spend 30 minutes talking with the Lord. Classes from 7:45am - 10:40am. Work from 11-6pm and then if I was lucky we would have a CARES event or some type of meeting which would have me coming home at 9pm. The rest of my time was spent doing homework, writing a thesis, preparing Sunday school lessons, and oh yes, my social life which amounted to an hour with a fellow seminarian and a second hour with my supervisor for my internship at church . . . I was logging 6 days a week . . . and K was just as busy. On Sundays we napped like zombies!
The first Tuesday, I got the call while having my "quiet time." My friend Andy, the father of the little girl Caden who had passed away in September, had had a seizure and had been taken to the hospital. I prayed! While at work that morning, I was informed that a massive tumor had been found on his front lobe. The doctors were concerned, surgery was scheduled for Friday. He is in his early 30s!
The second Tuesday, I got the call while I was at work. My thesis readers had decided to not pass my thesis, a years worth of labor for not. I would not be graduating. I was not sure if I would be able to walk at graduation and for all I knew this would prolong our time in Dallas. I called my parents who had just bought their plane tickets to Dallas to share the news.
The third Tuesday, well I think it was actually a Friday, but it might as well have been a Tuesday. I got the call from K to call my dad, after 10 years of working for Abbott Labs, he was now unemployed.
April was the month of terrible Tuesdays. I had three of them and frankly I have a hard time remembering their exact order as the entire month runs together. A little background first, Aprils like Decembers are stressful for the seminarian. It is cruel, but seminary dictates that you you work hard all semester and then in the final month everything comes due! Being a statistics tutor at SMU, April is doubly a tense month because all of my students are stressed. My best students are stressed because they are fighting for an A and my less motivated students are now motivated and stressed because of fear.
I once had a conversation with my "tutoring" boss about what motivates people. I as the budding theologian declared that love is the greatest motivator. My boss who is a "realist" like myself, shook his head with a smirk and told me that the greatest motivator was fear. Looking back we were both right. Either way even as a seasoned tutor I would find myself struggling to not take on the stress of my students while at the same time continually having to assure myself that their failure was not mine. To compound all this academic stress I had not lined up a job yet and the reality was that the "profession" (sorry Piper!) that I would be entering boasts an average shelf life of five years. If you didn't know the average pastor lasts less than five years at his first church! Yet, stress is nothing new. It's part of life and I think its one of the greatest tools of seminary (possibly grad school). The question is can you learn to find balance and handle the stress in a God honoring way? [Note to self - blog on high cholesterol and stress].
Tuesday, I'll get there . . . a little more background first. My schedule on Tuesdays and Thursdays my last semester were amazing (remember I have a dry sense of humor which should be applied to the use of this word)! I would leave at 6:40am. Arrive in the school parking lot at 7pm. Spend 30 minutes talking with the Lord. Classes from 7:45am - 10:40am. Work from 11-6pm and then if I was lucky we would have a CARES event or some type of meeting which would have me coming home at 9pm. The rest of my time was spent doing homework, writing a thesis, preparing Sunday school lessons, and oh yes, my social life which amounted to an hour with a fellow seminarian and a second hour with my supervisor for my internship at church . . . I was logging 6 days a week . . . and K was just as busy. On Sundays we napped like zombies!
The first Tuesday, I got the call while having my "quiet time." My friend Andy, the father of the little girl Caden who had passed away in September, had had a seizure and had been taken to the hospital. I prayed! While at work that morning, I was informed that a massive tumor had been found on his front lobe. The doctors were concerned, surgery was scheduled for Friday. He is in his early 30s!
The second Tuesday, I got the call while I was at work. My thesis readers had decided to not pass my thesis, a years worth of labor for not. I would not be graduating. I was not sure if I would be able to walk at graduation and for all I knew this would prolong our time in Dallas. I called my parents who had just bought their plane tickets to Dallas to share the news.
The third Tuesday, well I think it was actually a Friday, but it might as well have been a Tuesday. I got the call from K to call my dad, after 10 years of working for Abbott Labs, he was now unemployed.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
A View from the Zoo: part 2
Note: read first A View from the Zoo: part 1
Not that God attacks His own, for I believe that this would be bad theology, but I'm enjoying the metaphor.
Looking back, God began his offensive into my life before I even had a chance to brace myself. He achieved this through several stunning blows into the lives of those around me. The first was the death of acquaintance by cancer - he was young and left behind a wife and three children. A month later a close friend of my father's and a role model to me passed away leaving behind his wife and four college age children. At the end of July as I celebrated the marriage of loved friend from college, cancer struck again and took home my mentor and good friend from college, Bob VanZante. While these passings formed ever narrowing concentric circles around my life, a direct hit was achieved in September when I received an agonizing phone call from one of my closest friends that his beautiful little girl had died suddenly - she was not even a year old.
Seminary is an unconcerned mistress and time does not pause. December came quick and at this point I began to brace. But school progressed, academically I excelled, and I even scheduled an important meeting with a perspective employer during Christmas break. Exciting news arrived two days before Christmas, we found out we were pregnant! It was planned, but I still felt the sharp teeth of responsibility biting down a little tighter as I rolled out of bed the next morning.
My final semester was my lightest, apart from wrapping up my thesis. During this time God continued to bountifully provided through Apartment Life, our faithful donors, and my part time job tutoring. Mid February I began job hunting in earnest. I had a several nibbles a church in MI as an Adult Education Director, a church in IA as a Young Marrieds Pastor, and a church in PA which stood me up for a phone interview. Don't mention this to my wife she is still a little miffed!
Then a month before graduation, I was out flanked and the center of my line threatened to crumble.
[You will have to pardon all of the military metaphor. I have been reading Churchill's History of the English Speaking People and am currently concluding his account of the American Civil War. Probably shouldn't read this right before I go to bed as I think it's effecting my writing.]
The Uncaging of an Unloved Son - Part 2
THE DESCENT OF A SON: The Taming of Tamar
The brothers Judah and Joseph share similar baggage - they both come from a family that plays favorites.
The brothers Judah and Joseph share similar abilities - they are both leaders, who think on their feet.
While I admire the character of Joseph I struggle to relate to him. He is pristine and above board. While at times Joseph finds himself down on his luck, the writer of Genesis declares that the "Lord was with Joseph." Theologians argue over Joseph's attitude portrayed as a youth mainly because scripture does not focus here instead it looks at God's providence (explained well as God's hand in the glove of history) in the history of Abraham's line and over geopolitical politics. Joseph comes across like a piece of Teflon to which no flaw or evil will stick. Cool, but I don't relate.
I find in the character of Judah companionship. In Judah I see my own flaws and failures. Judah is a "round" character not a "flat" character like his brother Joseph. Judah makes his entrance onto the pages of scripture as an unloved and unprotected son, his name means "Yahweh will be praised," and we first notice him when he convinces his brothers to sell their father's favorite brother into slavery. A hater of his brother, with little care for his father, a profiteer, a leader among his brothers, this guy is real and raw!
In Genesis 38 we see the character of Judah explode onto the scene. While many commentators have debated the necessity or point of this chapter. It should be seen as a crucial foil (or contrast) leading up to Genesis 39 (see "... went down" in 38 and 39) with great irony and contrast connecting it to the previous Jacob narrative. It also contains an important lesson for those who will take the time ponder.
I. Judah's Lack of Faith (vv. 1-5) ~ Oops - Ps 1:1-3
A. Bad company - Prov 13:20
B. Despised God's Word
God's promise to: Abraham - Gen 12, 15, 17:18; Isaac - Gen 26:1-6; Jacob - Gen 35:9-12
C. Lack of Love - John 13:34-35
Joseph, Jacob, Hirah (saw, took, went-in), and Tamar
D. Fear - Prov 29:25
II. The Consequence of Judah's Lack of Faith - Suffering (vv. 6-11) ~ Ugh - Ps 1:4-6
A. Two Sons Die
[Irony - Judah takes a son and looses two. Feels the pain of His Father!]
Er ~ sin unto death? (1 Jn 5:16); Onan ~ no love for his brother, like father like son
B. A Daughter-in-Law Abused
III. God's Faithfulness through Tamar (vv. 12-25) ~ Oh - Is 55:8-9
A. A Credit Card Lost
[Contrast - Joseph flees; Jacob's deception]
1. Judah's lack of character ~ impulsive - 1 Cor 10:13
2. Judah's arogance ~ save face
3. Judah hypocracy ~ judges while knowing no shame - Matt 18:15-16
IV. The consequence of God's faithfulness - character (v. 26) ~ Ahh - Rom 8:28-30; Is 43:25
A. Judah comes clean
B. Judah does right
V. The consequence of God's faithfulness - blessing (v. 27-30) ~ Yippee - Jude 24-25
A. Tamar heroen; Perez - Ruth 4:18-22
B. God is not done with Judah
Judah had little if any faith and was a failure as a brother, son, husband, father, father-in-law...he was slavetrader, who kept bad company, spurned God's promises, he had no self control, was self-preserving, self-centered, judgemental, a hypocrit . . . then God stepped in!
Our lives are like Judah's
- habitual sin in our lives
- gaping holes in our character: anger, fear, lust, pride
- baggage from our past
- bad decisions -financially, as parents
- struggles in our marriages, with our kids, disfunction with our parents
- lack of faith in the midst of adverse circumstances ~ Is 43:25
Do our failures and lack of faith negate God's faithfulness? No! ~ 2 Tim 2:13
Our failures are no match for God's faithfulness!
He forgives our sin, he builds character, and he blesses!
As His children God is in the process of conforming you to His image ~ Rom 8:28-30
Are you letting God build charcter? or is He having to use extra-ordinary methods?
Why should I live by faith if God will build character in my life any way . . . you want a life like Judah's?
What part can we play in our faith . . . do everything that Judah didn't do:
1. Pick wise friends
2. Make God's word a priority
3. Love others
4. Do what you know to be right even in the face of adversity
5. Flee Temptation
6. Be quick to acknowledge your sin
Exegetical: ~ Ps 106:8
Judah's lack of faith which brought great consequences did not hinder God's ability to build character into His chosen people or jeopardize God's faithful in light of His promises of blessing
Theological: ~ 2 Tim 2:13
Man's lack of faith does not comprimise God's faithfulness
Homiletical: ~ Phil 1:6 ~ 2 Cor 12:9
Our failures are no match for God's faithfulness
STUDY NOTES
Genesis 38:1-5
1) “departed” – lit. went down (note: connective to chapter 39)
Leaves his brothers for company of a Canaanite (Prov 13:2) – Bad Decision #1
2) progression – “saw,” “took,” “went in” = no relationship ~ consumer
Spurns his families covenant; Abraham and Isaacs example – Bad Decision #2
Note: where is Jacob’s influence?
Genesis 38:6-8
Further Study: Levirate Marriage (Deut 25:5-6; Ruth 4:5, 10, 17)
Genesis 38:9-11
6) Tamar ~ “Palm Tree”
7) Psalm 1:6b
8) Levirate Marriage
9) Used her ~ consumer “like father like son”
Marriage between a man and his brother’s wife forbidden (Lev 18:16, 20:21)
Masturbation v coitus interruptus
11) Judah as her Father-in-law has control; Tamar can’t marry or move on
Further Study: Lineage (Gen 2:24, Matt 19:5, Eph 5:31)
Judah has now felt the pain of losing a son; He has felt the pain of his father
à Pain is a the tool that God uses to mark the mature (James 1:2-4)
à Fear immobilizes, Faith empowers (Josh 1:9)
Gensis 38:12-26
15-17) Goat ~ impulsive (pure avarice, lust)
18) Seal and your cord/Staff – the equivalent of leaving your credit card in a brothel
20-22) “Harlot” = whore: “Cult Prostitute” = escort
23) Save face
24) “Harlot” = whore ~ my honor
Prostitutes were stoned at the city gates and in some cases their bodies were
burned
25) “Please examine and see;” paralleled to Jacob in 37:31
Goat and personal article; paralleled to Jacob in 37:32
B) Bred Character
26) Judah learns to stake oneself for principal ~ takes it on the chin
No Incest
The brothers Judah and Joseph share similar baggage - they both come from a family that plays favorites.
The brothers Judah and Joseph share similar abilities - they are both leaders, who think on their feet.
While I admire the character of Joseph I struggle to relate to him. He is pristine and above board. While at times Joseph finds himself down on his luck, the writer of Genesis declares that the "Lord was with Joseph." Theologians argue over Joseph's attitude portrayed as a youth mainly because scripture does not focus here instead it looks at God's providence (explained well as God's hand in the glove of history) in the history of Abraham's line and over geopolitical politics. Joseph comes across like a piece of Teflon to which no flaw or evil will stick. Cool, but I don't relate.
I find in the character of Judah companionship. In Judah I see my own flaws and failures. Judah is a "round" character not a "flat" character like his brother Joseph. Judah makes his entrance onto the pages of scripture as an unloved and unprotected son, his name means "Yahweh will be praised," and we first notice him when he convinces his brothers to sell their father's favorite brother into slavery. A hater of his brother, with little care for his father, a profiteer, a leader among his brothers, this guy is real and raw!
In Genesis 38 we see the character of Judah explode onto the scene. While many commentators have debated the necessity or point of this chapter. It should be seen as a crucial foil (or contrast) leading up to Genesis 39 (see "... went down" in 38 and 39) with great irony and contrast connecting it to the previous Jacob narrative. It also contains an important lesson for those who will take the time ponder.
I. Judah's Lack of Faith (vv. 1-5) ~ Oops - Ps 1:1-3
A. Bad company - Prov 13:20
B. Despised God's Word
God's promise to: Abraham - Gen 12, 15, 17:18; Isaac - Gen 26:1-6; Jacob - Gen 35:9-12
C. Lack of Love - John 13:34-35
Joseph, Jacob, Hirah (saw, took, went-in), and Tamar
D. Fear - Prov 29:25
II. The Consequence of Judah's Lack of Faith - Suffering (vv. 6-11) ~ Ugh - Ps 1:4-6
A. Two Sons Die
[Irony - Judah takes a son and looses two. Feels the pain of His Father!]
Er ~ sin unto death? (1 Jn 5:16); Onan ~ no love for his brother, like father like son
B. A Daughter-in-Law Abused
III. God's Faithfulness through Tamar (vv. 12-25) ~ Oh - Is 55:8-9
A. A Credit Card Lost
[Contrast - Joseph flees; Jacob's deception]
1. Judah's lack of character ~ impulsive - 1 Cor 10:13
2. Judah's arogance ~ save face
3. Judah hypocracy ~ judges while knowing no shame - Matt 18:15-16
IV. The consequence of God's faithfulness - character (v. 26) ~ Ahh - Rom 8:28-30; Is 43:25
A. Judah comes clean
B. Judah does right
V. The consequence of God's faithfulness - blessing (v. 27-30) ~ Yippee - Jude 24-25
A. Tamar heroen; Perez - Ruth 4:18-22
B. God is not done with Judah
Judah had little if any faith and was a failure as a brother, son, husband, father, father-in-law...he was slavetrader, who kept bad company, spurned God's promises, he had no self control, was self-preserving, self-centered, judgemental, a hypocrit . . . then God stepped in!
Our lives are like Judah's
- habitual sin in our lives
- gaping holes in our character: anger, fear, lust, pride
- baggage from our past
- bad decisions -financially, as parents
- struggles in our marriages, with our kids, disfunction with our parents
- lack of faith in the midst of adverse circumstances ~ Is 43:25
Do our failures and lack of faith negate God's faithfulness? No! ~ 2 Tim 2:13
Our failures are no match for God's faithfulness!
He forgives our sin, he builds character, and he blesses!
As His children God is in the process of conforming you to His image ~ Rom 8:28-30
Are you letting God build charcter? or is He having to use extra-ordinary methods?
Why should I live by faith if God will build character in my life any way . . . you want a life like Judah's?
What part can we play in our faith . . . do everything that Judah didn't do:
1. Pick wise friends
2. Make God's word a priority
3. Love others
4. Do what you know to be right even in the face of adversity
5. Flee Temptation
6. Be quick to acknowledge your sin
Exegetical: ~ Ps 106:8
Judah's lack of faith which brought great consequences did not hinder God's ability to build character into His chosen people or jeopardize God's faithful in light of His promises of blessing
Theological: ~ 2 Tim 2:13
Man's lack of faith does not comprimise God's faithfulness
Homiletical: ~ Phil 1:6 ~ 2 Cor 12:9
Our failures are no match for God's faithfulness
STUDY NOTES
Genesis 38:1-5
1) “departed” – lit. went down (note: connective to chapter 39)
Leaves his brothers for company of a Canaanite (Prov 13:2) – Bad Decision #1
2) progression – “saw,” “took,” “went in” = no relationship ~ consumer
Spurns his families covenant; Abraham and Isaacs example – Bad Decision #2
Note: where is Jacob’s influence?
Genesis 38:6-8
Further Study: Levirate Marriage (Deut 25:5-6; Ruth 4:5, 10, 17)
Genesis 38:9-11
6) Tamar ~ “Palm Tree”
7) Psalm 1:6b
8) Levirate Marriage
9) Used her ~ consumer “like father like son”
Marriage between a man and his brother’s wife forbidden (Lev 18:16, 20:21)
Masturbation v coitus interruptus
11) Judah as her Father-in-law has control; Tamar can’t marry or move on
Further Study: Lineage (Gen 2:24, Matt 19:5, Eph 5:31)
Judah has now felt the pain of losing a son; He has felt the pain of his father
à Pain is a the tool that God uses to mark the mature (James 1:2-4)
à Fear immobilizes, Faith empowers (Josh 1:9)
Gensis 38:12-26
15-17) Goat ~ impulsive (pure avarice, lust)
18) Seal and your cord/Staff – the equivalent of leaving your credit card in a brothel
20-22) “Harlot” = whore: “Cult Prostitute” = escort
23) Save face
24) “Harlot” = whore ~ my honor
Prostitutes were stoned at the city gates and in some cases their bodies were
burned
25) “Please examine and see;” paralleled to Jacob in 37:31
Goat and personal article; paralleled to Jacob in 37:32
B) Bred Character
26) Judah learns to stake oneself for principal ~ takes it on the chin
No Incest
Saturday, August 8, 2009
A View from the Zoo: part 1
One of my favorite books is called A View from the Zoo. I recommend it to anyone who is struggling with their devotional life or going through a dark season of life. The content of the book is straight forward and simple, far from the tomes that I had to read in seminary, with contents that bring home the nitty gritty of life. Each vignette in the book talks about a trial or adversity that plays out within the inter workings of everyday zoo life, but the stories always end with a view of God's faithfulness steadily unfolding behind the scenes.
While this book was one of my childhood favorites, it came to my mind this week for two reasons. The first was our second trip to the Fort Worth zoo. Wednesday K took the day off and I took a break from job hunting. We went on half-price admission day, imagine that!
Luke lasted through the primates, probably because we had kept telling him all week that we were going to leave him with the "howler" monkeys. For you who have never been to the Fort Worth zoo, the primates are the first exhibit. This was actually an improvement from the year before when we weren't even sure that he noticed the animals. Free advice, never take a one year old to the zoo! K, being 37 weeks pregnant, lasted to the pachyderms, the second exhibit. Here the reader should be reminded that this is not a name for my wife, but the technical term for elephants and there should be no association between the two. I lasted to the lions and at this point the 105 degree heat combined with the Jack-Daniels bbq sunflower seeds had us heading for civilization.
Fortunately, the trip was declared a marvelous success by all. As we road home I thanked God for this small victory. It was needed! The second reason that I thought of A View from the Zoo is because it has been three months since I jumped out of the crucible of seminary into the fire of life and I have been thinking a lot about God's sovereignty. Physically, I had been gearing up for this transition from seminary since last September when I had begun to think about graduation in May. This was followed by the compolation of my resume, philosophies of ministries, and strategizing about job hunting (Nov-Jan) and then by the job hunt (Feb). Mentally, I had braced myself. Not for God's directive (calling) or even his provision (though a continual temptation) as my confidence in these areas has grown over the last four and a half years, but instead I was bracing myself for God's timing. God knows me better than I know myself, and we we both know that I enjoy control. Hence the bracing! In a positive light control is known as structure, order, predictability, consistency, etc. . . in the negative control is my own perceived divine right to rule over the affairs and circumstances of my life, how American!
The majority of time and situations in my life I have felt like I have control (merely a feeling!), but then there has been the minority of times which have consistently traversed my life...being a "late bloomer," being turned down for an RA position twice, dating K, watching my hairline recede, unemployment early on during marriage, the close of the door to dental school, heading to seminary, trying to get pregnant. In all of these citations I have seen God work for the good, but in the midst of the fray, I have never enjoy the timing. Well, it has been four years and it felt to me that God had been long over do. God's consistently refuses to operate on my time table in major life events. I should share at this point that I do want God to work in my life and I don't want to run (pointless) or wrestle (think Jacob) because I have done both and been completely miserable. I hope that I have matured from my past encounters with the Almighty. Yet, the time was ripe and launching from seminary was definitely a major life event and we all know that I still had more to learn about waiting, like learning to enjoy God's timing, so I scrambled to brace myself for the impending onslaught.
As always I was not able to pick the field of battle or foresee His plan of attack...
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Making Memories
Romance movies often contain the often predictable scene where the male character, who is himself way too predictable and usually independently wealthy, whisks away his true love to the big city or some exotic place...while this feat is plausible the part where the lady's bag is packed and prepared down to the matching shoes for the evening dress is not. I tried. It is impossible! Hey, if you know me, you know that I'm a details guy, but there is nothing more challenging then packing your wife's bag when she is eight months pregnant. I did manage to completely surprise her though and steal her away for a weekend to San Antonio (without the little man in tow).
I have found that we were given good advice when we were told to intentionally take time to get away (at least three or four times a year) to make memories. So to celebrate the anniversary of our fourth year in Texas, to get a break from job hunting, and to get some time before the baby's arrival, I made reservations at the Omni Mansion del Rio (balcony rooms on the river).
Highlights of the trip included a pit stop in Austin to grab dinner at Fazolies. The one blight on Dallas is that there are no Fazolies in Dallas and therefore every chance we get we make it a point to eat at Fazolies. We were so giddy about it that K kept asking me, "does this make you as happy as it does me." And I declared that I preferred Fazolies to the Olive Garden! Ok, so we were being irrational. You will have noticed that I use the word "pit" in conjunction with Austin. It was intentional. I am still a little miffed at Austin traffic. We caught rush hour traffic on both sides of the city coming and going.
Upon our arrival at the hotel, we found a complimentary beverage next to the $6 bottled water which I forbade K to touch, a note from the concierge, and the room had been turned down. So what does a couple who has been married for almost six years do when they happen upon such a romantic setting, that's right...we went and got dessert.
The rest of our time was delightful and included a morning self-guided tour of the four additional missions to the Alamo which run along the San Antonio River valley. Built in the 17 century these are some of the oldest structures that I have seen in North America. The only thing that may out date these would be the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde, CO. We then took in a movie, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. The Mrs. likes her popcorn as we skipped lunch in favor of this snack. For dinner we dined on a balcony over-looking the river walk at a quaint restaurant, Zuni's, where K had shrimp and I, the land lover, had a burger. Yes, my tastes are not quite as refined, but truth be known, I was really craving a steak...ahh, the things we sacrifice for those we love...she wanted fish!
Our day ended watching CSI. Sad, I know, but when you don't have tv or the time to watch tv you find that you get rather excited about the mundane. Though when you don't watch much tv and then take in a show like CSI, you do not have mundane dreams!
Aside from being alone with my bride, I enjoyed the balcony, not having to make my own bed, the beauty of the river walk, the five bars of soap that were given to me by the maid with whom I was chatty, the terrycloth bathrobes, the great deal that I got on the room ($80 for a $240 room) and the free complimentary coffee which was delivered to our door each morning.
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