There was a period since June 24th-25th where nothing could be accessed on UnashamedSermons.com – there are two reasons for this:
1. I was in Zimbabwe and didn’t notice my website(s) were down until I checked from a hotel in London, England on my way home.
2. The cause was a server failure on the part of my WebHost provider.
Note: this is a message I preached at Hope Community Church in Harare, Zimbabwe. I was there as part of a Short Term Missions team and was privileged to have an opportunity to speak while there. There is no audio for this message.
Today I’m going to talk about the most important thing there needs to be in families. It is truly a privilege for me to be able to share God’s Word with you this morning. It is incredible that I can be at home worshipping with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. And that is what we are! Through the incredible grace and mercy of God our Father we have been adopted into His family and are His children. What good news for the fatherless, the widows, the orphans and those whose earthly families have disowned or abandoned them. What good news for all people in this world who have the opportunity to know our Father in Heaven.
I am told that Hope Community Church has a theme this year of “Taking things to the Next Level” and the particular theme for this month is families. Talking about families can really be taken in so many different directions. In fact, to belong to a family can mean so many different things in different contexts:
To belong to the family of man is to belong to the human race. Every single one of us has a lineage that traces back to Adam and Eve at the very beginning of creation.
Family of Tribe
Genesis 11 records the story of the Tower of Babel and the progress of this family of man to the point where they thought that anything was possible if they put their minds to it. Indeed the author of Genesis records that,
Genesis 11:6 The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.
Then scripture records that God ended up scattering mankind over all the earth according to the different languages they spoke (as a result of their destructive attempts to build a tower reaching to heaven). This “scattering” resulted in numerous tribal families that still exist all over the world today. Some of these tribal families have formed nations and then there are still nations within which there are more than one tribe.
Another context of family is the one that that every single one of us is born into. That is the family of parents and children and our extended family – uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, grandparents, grandchildren etc. It is often characterized by the phrase “blood – related”.
Finally, there is another context in which family is referred to in scripture and that is the Family of God. The Israelite nation is the first to receive this distinctive description and they were not only a tribal family but God himself referred to them as being a part of His family. The twelve tribes of Israel descend from the twelve sons of Jacob. God Himself was often referred to in the Old Testament as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Later on in the New Testament there is the broadening of God’s family to include all those who are “adopted” into the family of God through faith in Jesus Christ, God’s Son. In Christ, we become children of God.
Matthew 12:46-50 (NIV)
46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him.
47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”
49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers.
50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
In this context then, the church is considered to be family – which is why of course we refer to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ (Will you turn to your neighbor this morning and say good morning my brother, or good morning my sister!)
Scripture has so much to say about families and I could spend a great number of messages just diving into this subject yet I do not doubt that God will fail to teach you much from His word through the leaders he has blessed you with here at Hope Community Church.
Today, however, I feel led to share a message to you concerning families that comes from one verse found in the gospel according to Luke. It is actually a verse I initially did not want to trouble with because of the fact that it is a troubling verse. Every once and a while I come across something that Jesus has said or God has seen fit to include in His word and I wish that it wasn’t there. At first glance, it appears to throw everything I think I’ve got figured out into disarray. Yet, if I truly believe that scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, correcting, rebuking, and training in righteousness (as the apostle Paul wrote to young Timothy) then I must not ignore these troubling passages I come across. Instead I must take the time to ask God what He is saying and why He said it!
Friends, I want to share an important lesson I’ve learned about reading God’s Word. When you take the time to prayerfully understand the troubling verses in the Bible it is therein that you often find the most beneficial treasures and insights that reveal a pathway to the next level in your relationship with God and your growth as a believer! And so today, I want to share with you from Luke 14:26,
26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters–yes, even his own life–he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26 (NIV)
Do you see why this verse is troubling? When I think about my family, I think about how much I love them, how much I care for them, how much I want what is best for them. When I think about what we need to know about our families, the first thing that comes to my mind is that we must love them. Yet, here Jesus speaks something that at first seems to throw all that out the door. He uses the word hate – and specifically says – if anyone comes to Him and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – even his own life – he cannot be Jesus’ disciple. Now why on earth would Jesus say that?
It’s interesting to note that Jesus uses the word hate relatively few times when He spoke to the people He encountered. Hate is a rather nasty word. It is often given the definition of being the opposite of love. But really, hate is also a way of describing a preference for something over another. Hate is not the opposite of love but instead is the absence of love. The less you love something the more you hate it. This is a key to understanding Jesus’ use of this word here.
Another key to understanding this word is to look at the context in which it was used. When you read the surrounding verses of this passage you’ll discover that Jesus was speaking to a crowd that was following Him. There were many people who followed Jesus in that day. There were some in the crowd who were curious about this man who claimed to be the Son of God. There were some who did not know what was going on but just wanted be with the crowd. There were some who witnessed Jesus’ miracles and were looking for more entertainment. There were some who followed Jesus’ because they enjoyed His teaching and wanted to hear more. Then there were those who followed Jesus around because someone had dragged them along. But there were also those who followed Jesus because they loved Him and wanted to be with Him as much as possible. There were many in the crowd that day. But Jesus was speaking these words to challenge them to the next level! In essence, He is saying, “I see that you are following, but if you want to be my disciple love everything else less and love God more. Indeed Jesus communicates the same thought in Matthew 10:37-38,
“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10:37-38 NIV)
Jesus is imparting this important knowledge, that if anyone is to go to the next level in their relationship with Christ and in His effective work through them then there must be a shift in primary loyalty and love to Him. You must love God more, and everything else less. This is the path to the next level in your families. Jesus spoke to the crowd that day and He was giving them a clear choice – you can remain just a part of the crowd following me around. But if you truly wish to go to the next level then you must love me more. More than your family, more than anything else, even more than your own life.
When the word love is used. It is often interpreted by the listener as the description of an emotion. Something that is the opposite of hate. But really, love is so much more than simply an emotion. There are times where love is a choice of one thing over another. Let’s be honest now. There are times when husbands and wives don’t like each other very much. We say or do something, or forget to do something that leads our spouse to being upset and perhaps a little angry and in those times they don’t like you very much. However, that does not necessarily mean, in those times, that the husbands and wives don’t love each other. Because you see, love is more than just an emotion – it is more than simply a feeling. Love is a choice. It is saying, I prefer you over and above any other – I love you.
If this is so. How does one love God more? The feeling of love is something that we don’t choose – it chooses us. But the actions and the commitment of love is something we do choose. It is with this understanding that it possible to love God more. When we say we love God more it means that we love something else less. It means that God is the priority in our lives.
To help us understand what it means to love God more there is a beautiful story in the Old Testament involving a man named Abraham and his son Isaac. I say it is a beautiful story but it certainly doesn’t begin that way.
Abraham was old when Isaac was born, old enough to have been his grandfather, and the child became at once the delight and idol of his heart. No doubt, from the moment he first stooped to take the tiny form of his child awkwardly in his arms, he was an eager love slave of his son. Isaac was no ordinary child, he had been born miraculously to a mother and father way beyond their child-bearing years. He was a boy through whom God assured Abraham the promises He made to him would be fulfilled. He was a child of hope, a child of blessing.
God went out of His way to coment on the strength of this affection Abraham had for his son. As Abraham watched his son grow from babyhood to young manhood, the heart of the old man was knit closer and closer with the life of his son, till at last the relationship bordered on becoming dangerous. Scripture is clear that Abraham loved his family and even more so loved his son. However, at the point of this love becoming dangerous God stepped in to save both father and son from the consequences of a uncleansed love.
God went to Abraham one day and said,
2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” — Genesis 22:2 (NIV)
The writer of this sacred text does not give us a close-up of the agony that night on the slopes near Beersheba when the aged man had it out with his God, but respectful imagination may view in awe the bent form wrestling convulsively alone under the stars. Possibly not again until One greater than Abraham wrestled in the Garden of Gethsemane did such mortal pain visit a human soul. What did Abraham think of? What heart conflict battled and raged in the depths of his soul?
Perhaps he might have thought if only he could be allowed to die himself instead. That would have been a thousand times easier, for he was old now, and to die would have been no great ordeal for him who had walked so long with God. Besides, it would have been a last, sweet pleasure to let his failing vision rest upon the figure of his stalwart son who would live to carry on the Abrahamic line and fulfill in himself the promises of God made long before in Ur of the Chaldees.
What about the request God had made? How would Abraham slay the lad? Even if he could gain the consent of Isaac’s troubled and fearful heart, what about the promise God had made Abraham…, “it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” (Genesis 21:12, NIV).
Friends, this was Abraham’s trial by fire and he did not fail the test. While the stars still shone like sharp white points above the tent where the sleeping Isaac lay, and long before the gray dawn had begun to lighten the east, the old saint had made up his mind. He would offer his son as God had directed him to do, and then trust God to raise him from the dead. The writer of Hebrews (Hebrews 11:19) tells us that this was the solution Abraham’s troubled heart found sometime in the dark night.
Scripture tells us that Abraham woke up “early in the morning” to carry out the plan. It is incredible to see that, although Abraham was wrong as to God’s method, he had still correctly sensed the secret of His great heart. And the solution accords well with the lesson Jesus was trying to teach those following Him around. “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me…” You must love God more than anything else in your life, including your own family.
God let this pained old man go through with the journey right up to the point where He knew there would be no retreat. Just as Abraham was about to pierce the heart of His son on the altar of sacrifice with a knife sharpened for the purpose, God forbade him to lay a hand on the boy. To the wondering patriarch He now says in effect, “Its all right, Abraham. I never intended that you should actually slay the lad. I only wanted to remove him from the temple of your heart that I might reign unchallenged there. I wanted to correct the perversion that existed in your love. Now you may have the boy, sound and well. Take him and go back to your tent. Now I know that you fear God, seeing that you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
Heaven opened and a voice was heard saying to Abraham,
16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,
17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,
18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
– Genesis 22:16-18 (NIV)
The old man of God lifted his head to respond to the Voice, and stood there on the mount strong and pure and grand, a man marked out by the Lord for special treatment, a friend and favorite of the Most High. Now he was a man wholly surrendered, a man completely obedient, a man who truly loved God more and possessed nothing. Here’s the key to this story: Abraham had everything, but possessed nothing. He understood more now more than any other time that the real treasures in his life were not external but were inward and eternal. He understood that it was God who possessed Him, He belonged to God and God is the one He loves more. In that place of total surrender He had everything.
This beautiful story of Abraham and Isaac teaches us that we love God more by,
Now I have taught before and preached on other occasions in my life about the importance of including God in every part of our lives. Certainly that is valuable, but I’m sure Abraham did include God in His relationship with His son. Where Abraham erred and what God corrected was that even though Abraham included God he began to love Isaac more. God became less of a priority in His relationship with Isaac.
Friends, if your family is going to go to the next level you need to make God a priority in your family and in every part of your lives….
Because Abraham had a close relationship with God He was in a position to learn the heart of God and what it is God desired Him to do.
i. Read God’s Word
ii. Pray and hear God’s voice
You love God more when you obey His will.
While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” – Matthew 12:46-50 (NIV)
i. Testify about His goodness
ii. Praise Him for His greatness
iii. Pass on His Wisdom.
Friends, in order for anything in your life to go to the next level, in order for your families to go to the next level you must love God more. You must seek after Him with all your heart, your soul, your mind, and your strength. You must make Him a priority in every part of your life. You must learn what it is that God desires – Read His Word, Pray and hear His voice. You must carry out His wishes as you learn them. And You must celebrate His victories.
The wonderful benefit of this pursuit is that everything in your life gets carried to the next level. And this includes our families. For our families to experience the blessings and the fullness of God there must be a priority of God being first. When you love God more, your family benefits.
I believe there are people here today who want to go to the next level. I believe there are people here today who want to see their families go to the next level. You want to walk in the blessings of God. You want to your family to be a place of positive heritage. You desire your family to be place of security. You want your family to be a place of love and joy and peace. You want your family to be place of growth not atrophy. If that is you this morning then like Abraham did with His son Isaac you must consecrate your family to God and love God more. You must determine that no one or nothing else will take the place of priority in your heart but God. You must decide today that you will not only say Jesus is the Lord of your life and of your family but you must live the truth that He is Lord – make Him a priority in every part of your lives, Learn about His desires, Carry out His desires, and Celebrate His victories.
Amen.
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They finally made it. It had taken a while. By the time they had prepared the stretcher for their friend and gathered the necessary items for the journey the morning had nearly passed. They had hurried as fast as they could but their speed was hampered somewhat by the condition of their friend. As the four men hoisted their friend laying on the stretcher onto their shoulders each one of them could see the look of hope in his eyes. How could anyone resist that look? Indeed as they began walking each one of them was filled with their own version of that hope.They even passed others on the way, a blind man, someone with a bandage around his head, and there was a women carrying a child with no hair. The closer they got to the house the more people were walking beside them. Finally they got to a point where they could go on no more. They set down their friend on a shaded place by the steps of a porch. One of the friends got on the shoulders of another and looked over the heads to see what was happening. As he got down the man on the stretcher looked up with a questioning look.
“Sorry, I don’t know if we’re going to get in there – there’s just too many people surrounding the house. We’ll have to try and get to Jesus another day.”
The men looked at their friend on the mat and he shrugged his shoulders, “oh well, thanks guys for making the effort” Valiant words, but they could see the disappointment in his eyes. Something seized them in that moment and they looked at each other while their friend lay down on the mat. One of men peered down the alleyway behind the stretcher and noticed that there was a ladder leaning against the wall that reached the roof. He stepped out into street a bit and gauged the distance between the houses lining the street leading up to the house where the master was. He quickly gathered the rest of the men together and began pointing as he explained his plan. They nodded in agreement, it was worth a try.
Their paralytic friend was startled out of his rest as the men picked up the mat and moved toward the ladder. It wasn’t easy getting up the ladder and required some rather uncomfortable positions. There were a couple moments where the paralytic man almost slid out of his stretcher – but his friends were careful and they made it to the roof safely. One of the men pulled up the ladder and it became a makeshift bridge between the roofs of the remaining houses. As the men moved from rooftop to rooftop people in the streets began pointing and murmuring among themselves, wondering what these men were up to and what kind of predicament they were putting their friend in.
As the group of men and their paralytic friend approached their destination they began to hear the voice of the one they sought. They could hear Him speaking and teaching and the closer they got the more they began to make out what He was saying.
Then as they crossed over the improvised bridge one last time they set down their friend on the roof. The paralytic looked with love to his friends and said, “Thank you my friends, It is good that at least I can hear His voice and drink in His words.”
His friends simply smiled and said, “We’re not done yet!” Each of them took off their cloaks and their shirts and two of them began weaving them into makeshift ropes while the other two began to remove the thatch from the roof and work their way through the sturdy material. The paralytic man, propped up on an elbow began to wonder if His friends had gone mad, the owner of the house would not be happy or what if the roof of the house gave way?
The people in the house had heard the initial footsteps on the roof but many of them were simply listening too closely to the teacher to give any thought to why there might be that sound. But then, eventually their attention became distracted by the falling debris from the ceiling and the ray of light when the men on the roof poked through. By the time the hole was big enough to accommodate the stretcher the crowd below were watching with puzzled looks. The teacher was watching as well. Having stopped speaking when the first small hole appeared, he now looked, not with a puzzled gaze, like the others, but instead with expectation. He knew what these men were up to.
Then the men on the roof went to their friend on the stretcher and attached their makeshift ropes and lowered him to the feet of the teacher. Peering through the hole in the ceiling with sweat dripping from their faces and their chests heaving, they watched, hoping, waiting to see what Jesus would do. Finally they had made it. Then Jesus spoke…
In the gospel according to Mark we find a wonderful account of an incredible blessing in the life of a young man who was paralyzed. A blessing that occurred in his life because He had friends who didn’t let a crowd, or a roof get in the way of bringing their friend to Jesus. It is significant that scripture records the first action of Jesus in response to the efforts of these men is to commend them for their faith – a faith that led them to even bring down a roof to get help for their friend.
Now there are a lot of things that stand out in this story, but today I want to ask one question that I believe the Holy Spirit would have us ask this morning. “What roofs are in your way?” I believe that God desires that every single one of us would not only know great blessing in our lives but also be agents of great blessing in other people’s lives.
Jesus himself said once, “I have come that you may have life, and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.
John 1:16 (NIV)
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3 (NIV)Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 3:9 (NIV)
The thing about God’s blessing is that scripture teaches the principle that living in God’s blessing for your own life involves God blessing others through you. That is what happened in this story.
Blessing is one of those words that can have any one of a dozen meanings depending on your perspective. Generally speaking though, when we think of blessing we think of something that is good – something that is beneficial – and something that is a realized desire.
In scripture, blessing is always connected with God. God is the source of every good blessing – his very presence is a blessing. More specifically the New Testament teaches us that the greatest blessing is life found in Jesus Christ. That’s the significance of the story this morning. What consumed the thoughts and actions of these men was getting their friend to Jesus. Jesus is the source of the blessing.
So if it is God’s desire that we experience His blessing and that He blesses others through us, what are the roofs in your way? What keeps people from living in the blessing of God? There are far too many people (some of you who are sitting here today) who are not living in God’s blessing let alone being a blessing to others.
The thickest roof that stands between man and God is the exaltation of self. That is, when the Almighty “me” is placed on a pedestal of necessity. Friends the Bible doesn’t speak against loving who you are, or loving the way God has made you, or thinking good about yourself. But the Bible does have much to say against those who worship themselves. That is they are consumed with the preservation, the pleasure, and the promotion of themselves.
Jesus, in a conversation one day with a man shared the two greatest commandments. Commandments that shatter this humanistic idolatry of self.
- two greatest commandments Love God with all your heart….
- Love your neighbor as yourself.
What stands out about the paralytic man and his friends is that the roof between them and Jesus was torn apart by a faith carried by selflessness. These men were doing what they did out of a love for their friend and were not thinking of what they could get out of it. And so they entered into the blessing of Christ.
Now I want to help you with answering the question, “what roofs are in your way?” this morning. I believe that scripture can help us answer that question. On principle, most of us will vehemently deny we worship ourselves! But then, can you confidently say you are living in the blessing of God? Can you most assuredly say that the full blessing of God is working through you. If so, then that’s awesome! Feel free to tune out and spend some time thinking about what you’re going to do after the service. I suspect, though that some of you are interested in knowing what roofs are in your way this morning.
The worship of self is exhibited in many symptoms but I’m just going to mention a few this morning.
The pursuit of comfort is illustrated by the thought, “I’ll just pass on the pain”. This pursuit is directed by the path of least resistance. Self-worshipers don’t like being uncomfortable, and will avoid any discomfort at all costs and do whatever it takes to remain in the place of comfort. Decisions and choices are made with the consideration of whether it will contribute to their comfort or will make things uncomfortable. These people don’t like feeling uncomfortable let alone being uncomfortable.
Now, don’t misunderstand me, I’m not saying that it’s wrong to want a little comfort in your life. After all, it’s nice to have a roof over our heads and food in our bellies, and clothes on our backs. It becomes a problem when an individual sees pain as an enemy and is constantly looking for ways to increase their comfort with the least amount of effort.
What does this lead to?
a. Rebellion and Disobedience
Take the example of Jonah in the Bible. God wanted to bless him and make him a blessing to the people of Nineveh. Because of the evil lifestyle and actions of the people of Nineveh, God was about to pour out the wrath of his judgment on them. But because of God’s grace and mercy He wanted to give them a chance to repent first. So, God decided to send the prophet Jonah. To this preacher God said one word, “GO”! That is a small word, but it carried with it a big blessing. But Jonah’s reply was “NO”! That is a small word, too, but it cut off the blessing.
Jonah didn’t go to Nineveh for two reasons – he didn’t want the Ninevites to be rescued from God’s wrath and it would mean leaving the comfort of His current life. The ironic thing about people who pursue comfort is that they don’t ever reach that place of comfort! There came a time when God conquered Jonah’s rebellious spirit, but the Lord had to send Jonah through a terrible storm, where he was tossed overboard, swallowed by a whale, lived in the belly of a whale for three days, and spit up on dry land before Jonah learned his lesson.
b. Resistance to Change
Another fruit of this pursuit is that there will be a resistance to change. Granted, not all change is good – but healthy growth always involves positive change. And change always means some degree of discomfort as we learn to adapt to that change. A common saying of the self-worshiper is, “but that’s the way it’s always been done.” What they’re really saying is, “that’s all I’m comfortable with”.
c. Indifference
Another fruit of this pursuit and one that is more social in nature is the indifference it creates towards any discomfort among our fellow man. “Well I’m okay, that’s all that matters”. Indifference can not only affect how we care for others but it also can affect our attitude towards opportunity. Opportunities to experience God’s blessing and for God’s blessing to work through you will come and go because of the indifference towards what might bring discomfort into your life.
Dig through the roof…
What roof is in your way? Is it the quest for comfort? Do you think the friends of the paralytic man would have even carried him as far as they did up that street if they were only concerned for their comfort? If comfort was their pursuit, then forget about them carrying their friend to a roof and digging through to get Him to Jesus!
But we know that they did carry their friend to Jesus because of their love for their friend and because they were not worshippers of self. Selfless people don’t see pain or discomfort as something to be avoided but instead as something that contributes to the significance and value of their end goal. Sure those men were dripping sweat and probably had raw hands and sore muscles from carrying their friend and getting Him to Jesus. Then of course there wasn’t only the physical cost of their actions but there is also the discomfort that they probably faced after when the owner of the house sent them the bill for the hole in his roof! But here’s the thing, as those guys were looking down at their friend and Jesus reaching out to Him, were they thinking it was worth it?
If we’re going to dig through the roof of the pursuit of comfort we have to realize that true comfort from this world is an illusion. Such a pursuit will lead to a hollow, meaningless, and yes even comfortless existence. True comfort is only obtained outside of this world and finds it’s source in God.
A close cousin to the pursuit of comfort is the pursuit of pleasure. Not everyone who is a worshipper of self is in pursuit of comfort. In fact there are many in the world today that practice the mantra of “no pain, no gain”. But everyone who is a worshipper of self is in pursuit of pleasure.
The pursuit of pleasure comes in a myriad of shapes and forms and manifestations but it nearly always is best expressed in the question, “What’s in it for me?” – “What do I get out of this?” The pursuit of pleasure is also one of those insidious symptoms of self-worship that isn’t always easy to spot – especially in the seemingly charitable actions of others. Yet there are many self-worshippers in our world who give money or even volunteer for a “good work” after first evaluating what they will get out of it. How many people in churches today evaluate what the church does in terms of how many people come into the church as a result of that activity? How many people in churches today ask before doing anything, “what’s in it for us?”
Again, like the pursuit of comfort, it’s not wrong to want a little pleasure in your life! But the problem is that when pleasure becomes a driving force in your life you end up cutting yourself off from the blessings of God. Instead of allowing God to grow and lead us to the good pasture of pleasure, a self-worshipper grazes on the putrid ground of rotting thrills.
Self-Worshippers get caught in a pursuit that never satisfies them. And the saddest thing? The saddest thing is that there are so many Christians caught in the consumerist mindset arising from this pursuit. A calamity that has left much of the western church with a Christianity that bears little resemblance to the church of Acts and a lifestyle that has little to offer that’s different from the world.
Demas is an illustration of this point. He was a young man who heard Paul preach one day. He was drawn by the Holy Spirit in the truth that God spoke through Paul. Every word was a challenge to this young man’s heart. In a great moment of spiritual ecstasy he cried out, “I will leave everything and go with this man in the service of Jesus Christ”. Such a great decision! There is little greater than someone who will willingly commit themselves to God and God’s work. Demas was right by Paul’s side. He was a joy and a help to him. But they journeyed to the great city, and attraction of the pleasures the world offered him blinded the eyes of Demas (2 Timothy 4:10). Demas deserted Paul and the calling God has placed on his life and cut off every blessing for himself and for others whom he might have served.
There is an article I came across once by George Barna who has been researching the North American church for many decades. In the article, he describes that most Christians and non-Christians have the same values, the same wants and desires. He went on to say that many Christians believe what they want is Biblically accurate, even though what they believe is more in line with what our western culture promotes than what the Bible teaches. Here’s a couple he listed:
i. Acquisitions: Our culture defines happiness in terms of what we have: bank accounts, homes, clothes and cars. Or, happiness is defined by experiences: fine restaurants, sporting events, skiing trips, and tours of Europe.
ii. Merit-based: Our value and position depend in some measure upon our parents status and in great measure upon our accomplishments. This even happens in the church. When I was a youth pastor I would sometimes receive from well-meaning Christians the question, “So when are you going to become a real pastor?”
Dig through the roof…
What roof is in your way? Is it the pursuit of pleasure? Were the friends of the paralytic man thinking about what was in it for them when they lifted up his stretcher and carried him to the house where Jesus was? Were they really thinking about what benefit they would get when they dug through the bird crap, dirt, mud and thatch to poke a hole through the roof of the house? Here’s the thing, they weren’t doing any of this for their own pleasure and no doubt it wasn’t a very pleasurable experience! But still, they were looking to bless their friend. And in the process they were blessed too.
If we are to break through the roof of self-worship then we need to recognize the symptoms of the pursuit of pleasure and eradicate that pursuit from our life. We need to realize that healthy pleasure isn’t so much a destination as it is the result of a process. When pleasure is viewed merely as a destination it results in an unhealthy pursuit. It results in the accumulation of things or the chasing of experiences to satisfy that lust for pleasure.
When we understand that pleasure is the result of process we discover it in places we never thought of before. How many young people dream of the day they get married. They pursue the ideal mate and that romantic “happily ever after” vision promoted by the fairytales of their childhood. Then they meet the person and complete the ceremony and, well that’s it. They’ve reached the destination – but it doesn’t seem to be all that it’s cracked up to be. The pleasure in great marriages isn’t the destination, it’s the process. So many marriages are falling apart today because marriage is viewed as a destination rather than a process. If you enter marriage thinking you’ve achieved everything you need to make a great marriage work and pleasurable then you are deluded.
Now in saying this, I don’t mean that there is never pleasure in the destination. But what I am saying is that merely pursuing pleasure as a destination will result in a continual dissatisfaction.
Another important thing to remember that will help us dig through this roof is that the pleasure of this world is temporary and fleeting. Christ offers us a pleasure that is eternal and lasting. Jesus himself said,
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Matthew 6:19-20 (NIV)
What are treasures in heaven? They are the things that last beyond this world. The things that bring pleasure on an eternal scale rather than limited to the time we have here on earth.
One of the greatest of these eternal treasures is the pleasure of being a vehicle of blessing to others. In fact, God has wired us so that our greatest pleasure comes from loving and serving others. The path to being fulfilled and satisfied in life is found not in the accumulation of things and the amassing of accolades but is instead in the living out of God’s command to love your neighbor as yourself.
What roof is in your way?
(…the third symptom of those who worship themselves is…)
Self-righteousness is best exemplified in the statement, “I have my rights”. In other words that either there are good things that I deserve because of what I’ve done or by virtue of who I am or there are things that should happen to you because of what you’ve done or by virtue of who you are.
A self-righteous person is also concerned most about appearances. It doesn’t really matter what they are thinking or storing away in their hearts or their minds but they are concerned about what others are thinking about them and how they appear to those of influence and other people who “have it all together”.
The pursuit of self-righteousness is like the pursuit of pleasure in that it is often insidious in character. Nevertheless it will rear it’s ugly head in several noticeable areas.
What does it lead to?
a. Unforgiveness
When offended the self-righteous will grab a hold of that offense, claim it, and nurture it. The offense will grow into bitterness and it becomes an inalienable “right” that they feel this way towards the one who offended them. In this climate of hurt and malicious feelings it is no wonder that forgiveness is far from their mind. This lack of forgiveness will always be a barrier to receiving and passing on blessing from God.
b. Critical Spirit
The pursuit of self-righteousness will also lead to a critical spirit.
A learned man said to D.L. Moody one day, “You made 38 grammatical errors in your sermon today.” Moody replied, “I am quite sure that I must have made even more than that. I have not had the educational advantages that you have had, but I am trying to use all that I have for the glory of God, are you?” (illustration quoted in “Barriers to Blessing” by Ed Wood)
I wonder how much the man got out of Moody’s sermon that day? The man who looks for only the mistakes of others finds little in life with which to enrich himself.
In their critical way, the self-righteous often judge men by what they have seen, when really and truly no one knows another’s heart. We throw self-righteous robes around us, we flash our critical eyes upon others and say, “Thank God, I’m not like these other men.” Yet, we do not know the things that are deep down in their hearts.
Why did Jesus first say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven”? Do you really think that’s why his friends went through all that effort to bring him to Jesus? To simply hear that his “sins” are forgiven? I don’t want to minimize the importance of those very words being spoken. For indeed Jesus, does have the authority to speak them and there is a necessity for every single one of us to hear those words. But I believe that Jesus chose those words to be the first out of His mouth because He wanted to call out the self-righteous arrogance in that room – the self-righteous arrogance that would be appalled at the actions of those who dug through the roof and even more so at the way in which this teaching was interrupted; the self-righteous arrogance producing the judgement that this paralytic was responsible for his own condition by his sins – let alone the indignation that Jesus would could forgive them! The self-worshipers in that room were so wrapped up in their self-righteousness that they missed out on the blessing of God’s righteousness in that room that day. Instead of leaving blessed they left condemned.
c. looking for the line of least responsibility and culpability
When looking at their relationship to the world around them, the self-righteous are always looking for the line of least responsibility and culpability. That is, what is the minimum I need to do to keep up appearances and make it. You can apply this to any situation but it is terribly sad when so many Christians live like this. When they ask questions like, “How far can I go and still be a virgin?”, “Have I prayed enough to look spiritual?”, “Do I have to tithe off my gross income or my net income?”. The Pharisees and Sadducees in Jesus’ day became experts at drawing the line. The thing is, no matter where you draw the line, God sees right through to your heart. And your heart is what matters to God.
My heart aches, when I think of how much of God’s blessing we miss out on because we draw a line of minimum responsibility and effort. When instead, we should be looking at the limitless gifts God has already given us – gifts equipping us to pass on His blessing to others in fulfilling the greatest commandments: Love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind – and to love your neighbor as yourself.
In some ways, the actions of those men taking friend to Jesus is a prelude to the very action of Christ in bringing the lost to his Father. Imagine, God Himself, in Christ choosing to leave the comfort and limitless pleasure of His eternal throne to take on the humble mantle of humanity. Not only that but what was the roof Jesus broke through? Jesus dug through the roof of sin which kept a poor and crippled world from the presence of the Father.
In the ultimate pain of the cross and the ridicule of the very men and women he came to save – in the pain of being rejected by those who called Him master and friend, Jesus clawed his way through that roof and in doing so granted every single one of us access to the great blessings of the Father. Through Him we are blessed and Him through us is a blessing to others.
This thought brings new meaning to the passage in Hebrews,
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)
What was the joy set before Him? I believe it was the same joy set before the men hanging over the edge of the tattered and broken roof, gazing upon their friend who they loved, receiving healing and forgiveness from the lips of the master.
What roof is in your way? Have you detected any self-worship in your life this morning? Have you become aware of the pursuit of comfort, the pursuit of pleasure, or the pursuit of self-righteousness in your life? I invite you to allow the Holy Spirit to help you break through that roof this morning.
As a church, if we are going to fulfill this vision God has given us to be a City on a Hill – then there are a few roofs that are going to be torn down along the way. There are times where God may ask us to do things that don’t seem to bring any benefit – but it is the doing that matters.
What roof is in your way?