As far as the sermon series - "Love in a Nutshell" - here is the NLT text for this Sunday...
John 3:22-36
Frankly, I don't think John the Baptist was created to do a lot of things well. He apparently didn't socialize much with his peers, he wasn't in any danger of winning any fashion awards, he ate weird food, he insulted people who lived "alternative lifestyles," and he had no sense of political posturing. Basically, he was a hermit who lived by himself in the desert. But one thing John the Baptizer did very, very well... he preached the message of God's coming kingdom, and God's coming Messiah. He didn't charm people... he just bluntly proclaimed truth to them and frightened them to listen... and respond in droves. His words cut to the heart, and caused people from all over Judea to repent and become baptized. His ministry was a runaway success. He could've had his own TBN television show! But then another teacher came on the scene - his own cousin for goodness sake! - and very quickly, the huge crowds of adoring (or at least curious) fans thinned out. All of a sudden, everyone wanted to go see the guy from Nazareth and his ragtag friends. Naturally, John's disciples wanted to know what was up.
But John was no ordinary man... and no ordinary prophet. He was self-aware, and knew that his job wasn't to build bigger and bigger crowds for God. Nope, his job was to prepare the hearts of men and women - to make crooked roads straight - to get people ready for the coming of Emmanuel.
I too want to prepare people for the coming of God in their lives. However, in striving to bring glory to God... too easily I find myself wanting a little glory of my own in the process. I don't know why really... but I find it difficult to follow John's example... his willingness to become less and less so God can become more and more. In theory, that's what I want... but in practice, often times I become more and more, so God can become less and less. Does that make sense to you?
Oh, God... please be patient with us. We're fickle... but we really do love you!
yep...it does make sense to me...i think it makes sense to everyone...in our minds, we all are the star in our own movie...even if Jesus is supposed to be God in human flesh, in our movie, according to our script He is, at most, a supporting character...just out of the spotlight...important, our central motivation, our inspiration...but still relegated to an element of character development to the star of the show...ME.
ReplyDeleteso long as we insist on playing "our own" movie, we will never, ever give Jesus preeminence...we will always be greater...He will always be lesser. i think the main mess up is not that we need to give Jesus a bigger part in our movie, rather, we are playing the wrong movie!!! if we were to shelve the movie starring ME, and permitted Jesus to show His film instead, then there could be a chance that He would become greater...
but how can we switch films? how can we be sure that we are playing the movie starring Jesus and not merely showing a skillfully rewritten film whose script still stars ME?
i think i may have at least one clue...it may have to do with creative license--the ability to corral the outcome of the film in order to put ME in the best light, to make sure that my face is the last one you see as the sun sets in the west and the music swells to a mighty crescendo and then to a satisfying resolution. maybe being sure that Jesus is showing His movie, starring HIM, means that i am NOT sure how the movie will end, or what part i will ultimately play...maybe its about being part of a storyline that is largely unknown to me...one that hurdles me headlong into life that is compelled to trust that Jesus' creativity is better than mine, that the outcome He has in mind is not only better, it is better for me...better for everyone...
what do you think? what else might be an indicator that we are bit players in a life drama in which there is only one star...JESUS...?
Yes that makes total sense and I am very much like that too. I will give God the glory on somethings but in my heart I want some also. Even when someone compliments my kids or my husband I think " hey what about me? I had something to do with that too" Wish I wasn't like that. I am in agreement with your prayer!
ReplyDeleteabsolutely......I think one of the reasons we tend to avoid letting God become "more and more" is that in order to do that we would actually have to TRUST Him and BELIEVE that He is for us. At least with me that tends to be the disconnect.
ReplyDeleteYes, we sure can be fickle...and the ability we have to self serve continues to surprise me. My own lapses in focus on Him... Jesus, daily, makes me wonder if I am going to tread water for the rest of my Christian life, or actually see the fruit.
ReplyDeleteI do know that without Him I am nothing. I marvel at God's love, an extravagant gift, and His promise and grace. Mostly, though, I marvel at His unfailing patience with me.
But these words of Jesus in John 14:18 give me the desire to keep treading water..."I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you."
Great points, everyone. Yes, Steve, I am the star of my own movie... perhaps my own dynasty of films like Star Wars or Indiana Jones... the story of Jeff, starring (in alphabetical order)... I, me, and myself!!!
ReplyDeleteMy ability to deflate Jesus from my life is extraordinarily frustrating... my deep desire is to be like John the Baptizer... but he only comes out of the desert once in a great while. With troubling regularity, my Pharisee counterpart jumps into the director's chair and controls my attitudes and actions. To loosely paraphrase a great movie quote of our time, "Jesus... I don't need no stinkin' Jesus!" Well... wait a minute, I DO need Jesus, but only as my technical assistant. Arrrrgggghhhh!!!!
I'm with you Debra... it's a good thing our Lord is sooooo way patient with us. My mountain moving faith tells me I can grow in my trust and relationship with God... but my track record sometimes makes me depressed. I'm glad Jesus understands how I function deep within, rather than just on the surface. Guess we just need to keep walkin', keep prayin', keep helpin' one another, and keep believin' in the impossible! Aye, yi, yi... come Lord Jesus... save us from ourselves!
I think that the amazing thing about John is that he, from the start, took the humble servant road to the man he knew would follow him. It wasn't based on meeting Jesus, it was based purely on faith that he took a role of dressing in rags, living in the desert, and speaking a truth that he know would ultimately get him killed. He was all about preparing the way for a man he knew would not be the great and powerful king that would elevate John to a hero's status in the eyes of the world, in fact, he likely knew that he would become a martyr for a man he would only briefly meet. I would bet that John's closest thing to any human-based reward would have been when he was able to baptize Jesus and witness the spirit descend on him...
ReplyDeleteI have to battle everyday with making things that even don't seem to be about me, not about me...if that makes any sense. So often, the agenda of my life is like a boomerang constantly resting back at my feet. I certainly pray that I could have a glimmer of the faith and humility that John had to shed all self-motivation in pursuit of serving Jesus...P
when I reflect on all of our comments all I can do is say thank you Jesus for your amazing grace. The funny thing is that even in our self reflection we tend to make it all about us...its really about Him and how much He loves us in spite of ourselves. There is an incredible new song out called "How HE loves us" its amazing..one line says "drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes". what a beautiful concept...when I look in Jesus's eyes all is see is a grace that draws me in! If I focus there, He cant help but increase and me decrease.
ReplyDelete"However, in striving to bring glory to God... too easily I find myself wanting a little glory of my own in the process. I don't know why really..."
ReplyDeleteA recent article in the monthly newsletter of Portland Fellowship challenged me to ask, "Does knowing why help?
In your example the 'what' is a propensity to take the credit for doing, implementing, ministering God's grace. Some, like John, appear to not have the problem or perhaps they did at one time and they've overcome the sin. If I'm not mistaking, a staple of John's was honey and locust, and yes, he probably was driven by physical hunger. Proverbs 27:7 says, "A person who is full refuses honey, but even bitter food tastes sweet to the hungry."
So, 'why' are we motivated toward sin? For me personally, life is starving for something that I can't get, which drives my hunger for 'even bitter food' - sin. Sinful motivations vary, but more often than not, they are legitimate needs that, for one reason or another, have been starved.
It seems to me that addressing the 'why' has value. Focusing on 'what' can lead to sin management by picking this or that to keep it under control, hoping for a different outcome. This is often played out when people ask God to take the 'what' away from them. Perhaps it's better for God to lead us to discover what's really behind the 'what' and then meet them in His perfect way.
Jesus' interaction with the woman at the well, in John 4, addresses these issues. Although Jesus addresses her sinful actions, He doesn't stop there. He addresses her thirst, the very thing that drives all of us - the 'why.' What's the solution, Living Water.
More often than not, I resist the Living Water, which seems to be the answer to 'deflating' whatever propels us to think we can do it our way.