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 passed others on the way: a blind man, someone with a bandage around his head, and there was a woman carrying a child with open infected sores on its arms. As they got closer to the house, more and more people were walking beside them. Finally they got to a point where they could go on no more because of the size of the crowd. 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…

PRAY

In the gospel according to Mark we find the 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 is 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 roof is 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.

1. The pursuit of comfort

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.

2. The pursuit of pleasure

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…)

3. The pursuit of self-righteousness

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 an unmarried person asks a question like, “How far can I go and still be a virgin?”, or others ask “Have I prayed enough to look spiritual?”, “Should I 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.

What roof is in your way?
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.

CONCLUSION

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 the opportunity to be 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 God’s purpose for us – 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 this morning?

Romans 5:1-11 (NIV)

1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

INTRODUCTION

Anybody who has ever written a drivers test will remember those questions involving various road signs that a driver needs to be aware of. Road signs play an important role in ensuring the safety of our roads ? or they are supposed to anyway! There are all kinds of signs that you can find in our world. There are signs that provide directions, there are signs that advertise, there are signs that warn away, there are signs that invite in. They all share a similar function ? to inform.

Now obviously, the examples I?ve been sharing are about physical signs. Signs that are real objects made of different materials with a message on them. But there are other invisible signs present in our world too. You know, the signs that may not be posted but inform nevertheless ? a window with bars in it could mean a jail, or a very insecure owner of the building, or a high crime rate ? an animal with foam coming out of its mouth is a good notice of stay away. A human with foam coming out of its mouth?well that could mean different things to different people ? but the majority of us would be a little nervous there too wouldn?t we? People walking out of a restaurant rubbing their bellies and a content look on their faces is a good sign ? whereas people walking out of a restaurant doubled over and groaning is a bad sign? yet, it?s funny isn?t it that if you?re a fan of roller-coasters someone walking off the roller-coaster in the same way would be a good sign! How about this ones ? walking into a group of people who are having a conversation and no one makes eye contact or directs any questions to you, a sign that just screams ? “you?re not wanted”. Or on the other hand walking into a room of people and having two or three individuals come over and say, “Hi”, or, “How are you doing?” is a sign that says ? “welcome”.

So I got to thinking, what kind of signs do we have up our church?

All churches have signs. Most of these are not literal signs, but rather unwritten messages that are communicated loud and clear ? especially to people who don?t go to church.

We?ve spent the past three weeks looking at some rather foundational, doctrinal and theological things. The oneness of Trinity, what it means to be made in the Image of God, how the very first ever Christian Church lived out authentic biblical community.

Today I want to build off of those deeper concepts by getting a picture of biblical community today. Because if church is truly where no one stands alone, it would be the greatest place on earth, it would be like a “city on a hill”, it would be a place to call home! To get there, we need to take a look at our signs.

TRANSITION: I wonder what signs most non-church goers see when they look at a church?

The first sign many people see says this:

SIGN #1: When You?re Ready, We?re Here

A lot of churches believe they are really open, inviting and friendly. They say, “Our doors are always open. People are welcome to come on in. But the message is still heard as, “When you?re ready, we?re here.”

What is implied is this:

When you get cleaned up, dressed up, and ready to conform? When you?ve learned how we do stuff here, when you understand the terms we use when we talk, when you appreciate our history, when you embrace our traditions? ? when you?re ready, we?re here.

The sign isn?t as nice a sign as we think.

That was the attitude of the Pharisees ? added extra rules, through their teachings made it difficult for people to enter heaven.

Matthew 23:1-4 (NIV)

1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

When you?re ready, we?re here!

The Bible says that at the very moment when Jesus died on the cross, the great curtain in the temple that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was torn from top to bottom. God places no barriers between Him and us. Absolutely anyone can have access to Him through a relationship with His Son Jesus. But unfortunately, fair or not, to those who stay home on Sunday, churches have the reputation of reconstructing that curtain.

Instead, a church where no one stands alone displays a sign that says?

COME AS YOU ARE

Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Isaiah 55:1 (NIV)

1 “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

Neither of those invitations say anything about getting cleaned up, dressed up, or learned up. They just say come to me. Come as you are! I have what you?re looking for! If we do anything as a church, we should echo God?s invitation of acceptance.

Gladys Hunt once wrote: “Acceptance means you are valuable just as you are. It allows you to be the real you. You are not forced into someone else?s idea of who you are. It means your ideas are taken seriously since they reflect you. You can talk about how you feel inside, why you feel that way, and someone really cares.

Acceptance means you can try out your ideas without being shot down. You can even express heretical thoughts and discuss them with intelligent questioning. You feel safe. No one will pronounce judgment on you even though they don?t agree with you. It doesn?t mean you?ll never be corrected or shown to be wrong. It simply means it?s safe to be you and no one will destroy you out of prejudice.” (Gladys M. Hunt, quoted in Eternity magazine, October, 1969 ? as found in Swindoll?s Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, p. 3)

We?re never going to be a church that brings people out of isolation and into community until we agree together that people will find acceptance when they come as they are.

I don?t know about you but I have occasionally had conversations with different people about what we should be wearing to church. I remember in the church that I grew up in that there were some people who were really offended if a male came to church dressed in something other than dress pants, suit and tie. In one evening service I happened to be wearing some casual slacks and a sweater and boy did I ever hear it from this one lady. She said something to me that kind of stuck in my mind. Something that I?ve heard at other times in my life. She said, “Young man, you need to show respect when you come into the presence of the King.” I guess to her I wasn?t showing respect because of what I was wearing. It stuck in my mind because I got thinking. If I show respect to God by wearing a shirt and tie and dress pants to church then would I be showing disrespect to him when I kneel by my bed at night in my pajamas? I know that ladies heart was in the right place but what kind of sign was she posting in front of me?

A church that says “come as you are” doesn?t get hung up on the issue of clothes.

There are stories of people who, when they go to church for the first time, park the car and wait to see what people are wearing before they go inside. Then they?ll say, “Oh, someone dressed like me. It?s OK.”

It is sad to think that some might miss out on eternity because they didn?t know what to wear to church. But maybe it is because most churches still display a sign that says, “When you?re ready we?re here.” Friends? HPC, isn?t going to be one of those churches.

So three rules of thumb on clothes: 1) Wear what you want; 2) Let modesty prevail, and: 3) Above all don?t look at someone else and think they should dress like you. (Check out 1 Timothy 2:9 if you want more details).

If you worship God most authentically in more casual clothes, wear more casual clothes. If you worship God most authentically a little more dressed up, then wear that. A diversity of clothing styles will help hang a sign that says, “Here at Hanover Pentecostal Church, we?re just a group of people in love with Jesus. And you?re welcome here too. So come as you are.”

Non-church goers in America typically aren?t the most traditional people in the world. If someone is genuinely seeking Jesus, and we in the church add extra hoops to jump through ? such as the “right” kind of clothes, the right this or the right that ? they?re gone. Jesus didn?t have any hoops to jump through for those who came seeking Him ? he just said Come to me. Come to me, and I?ll show you truth.

I love this quote by Isaac Errett, the founder of the Christian Standard magazine. He wrote in 1872,

“To persuade men to trust and love and obey a Divine Savior, is the one great end for which we labor in preaching the gospel; assured that if men are right about Christ, Christ will bring them right about everything else. We demand no other faith, in order to baptism and church membership, than the faith of the heart in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God; nor have we any term or bond or fellowship but faith in this Divine Redeemer and obedience to Him.” (Isaac Errett, Our Position)

Did you catch what he said, “If men are right about Christ, Christ will bring them right about everything else.”

We don?t make the changes in people?s hearts. God does. It?s his church, not ours. So remember, everyone is welcome here. And with great joy we display this sign, “Come as you are!”

TRANSITION: A second sign many non-church goers see when they look at church says this:

SIGN #2 ? You?ve Made Too Many Mistakes for Us

A lot of people think this.

“How could I ever expect to fit in with all those people? They?re not like me. They?d never understand me. Maybe they?d judge me. I guess I?m just not the church type. ”

Philip Yancey tells a story in one of his books about a person on the streets reaping the results of a series of bad choices. The person felt miserable, hopeless and alone. An acquaintance suggests she try going to a church. To which this person responded, “Church! Why would I go there? They?d only make me feel worse.”

To many the sign is clear to read, “You?ve made too many mistakes for us.” So why bother with church, they think. I?ll take my chances out here, thank you very much.

It?s said that one of the main barriers to church growth in North America is Christians. Christians who give off the impression that sinners aren?t really all that welcome at church. Sinners never seemed to feel awkward around Jesus. But they consistently do around people who claim to follow him. Why is that? Maybe it?s because we never really displayed the right sign.

A church where no one stands alone, that is a city on a hill, a place to call home displays a sign that says?

GRACE HAPPENS

Romans 5:20 (NIV)

20 The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,

In the Living Bible it reads?

The more we see of our sinfulness, the more we see God?s abounding grace forgiving us. (Romans 5:20, LB)

Philip Yancey calls grace the great last word. Grace is when you get what you don?t deserve. Like eternal life instead of punishment. Like a second chance instead of judgment. Like riches instead of a debt you could never pay. That?s grace.

And the church is one of the only places you?ll find it.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound! ? That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I?m found, was blind but now I see.

We sing it, but not everyone out there knows we believe it. They think they?ve made too many mistakes for us. Well the truth is we?ve all make mistakes. Church is a place filled with people who have messed up.

So we proudly display this sign also. “Grace happens.” Second chances are normal around here. You haven?t made too many mistakes for us.

TRANSITION: One more sign non-church goers see when they look at the church says this:

SIGN #3 ? Our Roof Isn?t Strong Enough

You know how some people think they?ve stayed away so long, they say if they showed up the roof would cave in? This is the sign they see. They say, “I swore I?d never go. If I did now the shock would be too great. I read that sign you have up ? you say so yourself ? “Our roof isn?t strong enough for you.”

In his book, The Kingdom of God is a Party, Tony Campolo tells a story about some people who very likely might have read this sign?

Campolo was attending a Christian conference in Honolulu. Since there was a six-hour time differential between Hawaii and his hometown in Pennsylvania, on his first night there Campolo experienced some confusion in his sleep pattern. He woke up about 3 o?clock in the morning and couldn?t get back to sleep. So he got up, got dressed, and left the hotel where he was staying, searching for a place to get something to eat. Eventually he found a tiny coffee shop that was open. Here is his description of what happened there:

“The guy behind the counter came over and asked me what I wanted. I told him I wanted a cup of coffee and a donut. As I sat there munching my donut and sipping my coffee at 3:30 in the morning, the door suddenly opened, swung wide, and to my discomfort in marched 8 or 9 provocatively dressed and rather boisterous prostitutes. It was a small place and they sat on either side of me. Their talk was garrulous, loud, and crude. I felt completely out of place.

I was just about to make my getaway when I heard the woman next to me say, ?You know, tomorrow is my birthday. I?m going to be 39.? Her friend responded in a rather nasty tone, ?So what do you want from me? A birthday party? What do you want? You want me to get a cake, and sing happy birthday to you??

?Come on,? the woman sitting next to me said, ?why do you have to be so mean? I?m just telling you that it?s my birthday. Why do you have to put me down? I don?t want anything from you. I mean, why should I have a birthday party? I?ve never had a birthday party in my whole life. Why should I have one now??

Campolo says, “When I heard that, I made a decision. I sat and waited until the women left, and then I called over to the guy behind the counter and asked him, ?Do they come in here every night??

He answered, ?Yeah.? ?The one who was sitting right next to me, does she come in every night?? ?Yeah,? he said, ?that?s Agnes. Yeah, she comes in every night. Why do you want to know?? ?Because,? I replied, ?I heard her say that tomorrow is her birthday. What do you say we do something special for her? What do you think about throwing a birthday party for her right here in the coffee shop??

A cute kind of smile crept over that man?s chubby cheeks. ?That?s a great idea,? he said. ?I like it. That?s great. Agnes is one of those people who is really nice and kind. I don?t think anybody has ever done anything nice and kind for her.? ?Well, look,? I told him, ?if it?s okay with you, I?ll be back here tomorrow morning at 2:30. I?ll decorate the place. I?ll even get a birthday cake for her,? ?No way!? he replied. ?The birthday cake, that?s my thing. I?ll bake the birthday cake myself.?

“At two thirty the next morning,” Campolo says, “I was back at that coffee shop. I picked up some crepe paper and other decorations at the store, and made a sign of big pieces of cardboard that said ?Happy Birthday, Agnes!? I decorated that diner from one end to the other. I had it really looking great. The word must have gotten out on the street, because by 3:15 that morning every prostitute in Honolulu was in that place. There was wall-to-wall prostitutes ? and me.

At 3:30 on the dot, the door of the diner swung open and in came Agnes and her friend. I had everybody ready? When they came in we all jumped up and screamed, ?Happy Birthday, Agnes!” Then we sang to her. And you know, I?ve never seen a person so flabbergasted, so stunned, so shaken. Her mouth fell open, her knees started to buckle, her friend had to offer her arm to steady her, and I noticed she had started to cry. When the birthday cake with all the candles was carried out, that?s when she lost it. She started sobbing. Harry, the guy behind the counter, gruffly mumbled, ?Blow out the candles, Agnes, blow out the candles.? Then he handed her a knife and said, ?Cut the cake, Agnes, cut the cake.?

Agnes looked down at that cake, and without taking her eyes off it, she slowly and softly said, ?Look, Harry, is it okay with you if I, I mean, if I don?t, what I want to ask, is it okay if I keep the cake for a little while? Is it okay if we don?t eat it right away?? Harry shrugged and answered, ?Well, sure, Agnes, that?s fine. You want to keep the cake, keep the cake. Take it home if you want to.? ?Oh, could I?? she asked. Looking at me, she said, ?I just live down the street a couple of doors. I want to take the cake home, okay? I?ll be right back, honest.? She got off her stool, she picked up that cake, and she carried it out of the diner like it was the Holy Grail. She walked slowly toward the door, and we all just stood there, speechless. When the door closed behind her, there was stunned silence in the place.

Not knowing what else to do, I broke the silence by saying, ?What do you say we pray together?? Looking back on it now, it seems more than a little strange that a sociologist from eastern Pennsylvania would be leading a prayer meeting with a bunch of prostitutes in a diner in Honolulu at 3:30 in the morning. But I prayed. I prayed for Agnes. I prayed for her salvation. I prayed that her life would be changed, and that God would be good to her.

And when I finished, Harry leaned over, and with a trace of hostility in his voice, he said, ?Hey, you never told me you were a preacher! What kind of preacher are you anyway? What church do you belong to?? In one of those moments when just the right words come, I answered him quietly, ?I belong to a church that throws birthday parties for prostitutes at 3:30 in the morning.? Harry thought for a minute, and then almost sneered as he answered, ?No you don?t! There is no church like that. In fact,? he concluded, ?if there was, I?d join it.?

There?s no church like that. If there was, I?d join it.

If we really become a church where no one stands alone ? that is a city on a hill ? that is a place to call home, you?ll be surprised who shows up!

Most churches display the sign, “Our roof isn?t strong enough.”

But a church where no one stands alone has a visible sign that says?

YOU MATTER TO GOD

No matter who you are ? where you have been ? what you?ve done. The roof won?t cave in if you show up. How do we know this?

John 3:16-17 from The Message

This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn?t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.

So we proudly display a sign that says, “You matter to God.” He?s crazy about you!

CONCLUSION

What will we look like when we?re really the church God wants us to be? What will be the word on the street?

My guess is that it will be something like this?

Becky Pippert, is a Christian author from Naperville.

While doing campus ministry she met a student named Bill on a college campus in Portland, Oregon. Bill was brilliant, and always looked like he was pondering something deep. He had messy hair, and the entire time she knew him, she never saw him wear a pair of shoes. Rain, sleet or snow, Bill was always barefoot. While he was attending college, he had become a Christian.

At this time, a well-dressed, middle-class church across the street from the campus wanted to develop more of a ministry to the students. They weren?t sure how to go about it, but they tried to make them feel welcome. One day Bill decided to worship there. He walked into this church wearing his blue jeans, T-shirt and of course no shoes.

People looked a bit uncomfortable, but no one said anything. So Bill began walking down the aisle looking for a seat. The church was quite crowded that Sunday, so as he got down to the front pew and realized there were no seats, he just squatted on the carpet ? perfectly acceptable behavior at a college fellowship, but perhaps unnerving for a buttoned down church congregation. The tension in the air became so thick one could slice it.

Suddenly an elderly man began walking down the aisle toward the boy. Was he going to scold Bill? Becky?s friends who saw him approaching said they thought, You can?t blame him. He?d never guess Bill is a Christian. And his world is too distant from Bill?s to understand. You can?t blame him for what he?s going to do.

As the man kept walking slowly down the aisle, the church became utterly silent. All eyes were focused on him. You couldn?t hear anyone breathe.

When the man reached Bill, with some difficulty he lowered himself and sat down next to him on the carpet. He and Bill worshipped together on the floor that Sunday. There wasn?t a dry eye in the room. (From Out of the Saltshaker, p. 260)

A church with the right signs is pretty much like that. Come as you are ? because grace happens ? and you matter to God.

Are we a church full of people who would do what that elderly gentleman did? Are you that kind of person? Remember, all churches have signs. Only a few say what these do.

Deuteronomy 8:1-5 (NIV)

1 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. 2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.

INTRODUCTION

1 Kings 17:2-6 (NIV)

2 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: 3 “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.” 5 So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook

Last week, in the introduction to Elijah, the desert prophet, we found this unknown man from Tishbe, Gilead, standing before the king of Israel and telling him that there would be no rain falling on Israel or dew in the next few years. If you read ahead a bit you?d learn that indeed there was no rain or dew for three and a half years!

Now we know that Elijah went before King Ahab in response to the calling of God on his life and in obedience to the message God wanted him to deliver before the King of Israel. Remember that Israel was a nation that had fallen away from God and was worshipping false gods and idols as the result of compromising to the influence of the wicked queen, Jezebel. Elijah was sickened spiritually by the depravity of the nation and he made Himself available to God for whatever God would choose to do through his life. So, Elijah walked up to the palace in Samaria, stood before the King and belted out these words recorded in verse 1.

Wouldn?t it have been easier if God simply killed Ahab and Jezebel and replaced them with a Godly king and queen? If I was advising Elijah on these matters that might be what I would have told him to pray for. I mean a drought is a painful thing, no rain for 3 ? years is bad! We?re talking about little children dying, disease running rampant, everyone would be affected in a terrible way. The drought wouldn?t just be Ahab and Jezebel?s problem ? it would?ve been everyone?s problem! “Now just hold on here a bit Elijah, surely that?s not what God told you to say? I mean, why should the good people suffer along with the evil?” Isn?t that a question that a lot of us ask when looking at the world? “Why does God let bad things happen to good people? Why doesn?t God take care of the evil that?s in the world?”

However, Elijah was faithful to what God directed Him to speak and pray for. What is remarkable is that what Elijah spoke would affect him too! Throughout history God has allowed evil to exist right along side good and worked out His purpose in spite of the existence of evil. In the midst of terrible circumstances God proves Himself most effectively to us here in the world. So even with Elijah ? God was preparing to prove Himself and ready him for a great work. But along the way there are a few surprises?

AN UNEXPECTED COMMAND “Leave here, turn eastward and hide” (v.3)

This makes me think of another occasion in the Bible where God told Abraham to take his only son to the mountain and sacrifice him…(relate story)?To say this was a surprise is a bit of an understatement!

In our text we see that Elijah goes in the boldness of the Lord and stands before the king with his proclamation of faith ? putting it all on the line for God ? and now God commands him to go hide!! Why?

Maybe for Elijah?s protection?Now, I realize that Elijah must be protected, I know that as the drought begins to get severe Ahab would begin to get irritated and would probably blame Elijah. In fact, if you read further in 1 Kings you find that Ahab sent his spies, his soldiers, his agents all over the known world looking for Elijah as the famine grew more and more severe. So yes, hiding Elijah would be good for his protection ? especially if God wanted to speak through Elijah again! But then again, God could surely protect Elijah without hiding him!! In fact, that would be a powerful way of displaying his power and might to the depraved nation ? but that was not the will of God for the moment?

Maybe so Elijah wouldn?t witness the devastation caused by the drought? and so be moved to intercede on behalf of the Israelites. Maybe God wanted to be sure that Elijah would follow through on the task set out for him.

One thing is for sure, however, that God desired to prepare Elijah for what was ahead and deepen His relationship with Elijah. For we find not only the surprising command of God to hide but also the place that God sent Elijah to hide in. A ravine is usually formed by the torrent of spring floods and this probably would have been the case with the Kerith Ravine. Kerith would most likely have referred to what scholars have said is a transient brook (or creek) that dries up during the summer. So the Kerith Ravine would have been this place that the water rushes through in the spring but dries up in the summer. Now wouldn?t that be a good place to go to with the knowledge of an oncoming drought?! Surely someplace along the wide, deep Jordan river would have been a better place? But therein lies another surprise in store for Elijah?

UNEXPECTED PROVISION “I have ordered the ravens to feed you” (v4)

Trials and tests of life are never announced ahead of time are they? Wouldn?t it be nice if God gave us a little forewarning before hard times hit? That way you could kind of brace yourself and get mentally prepared for it! I?m sure Elijah might have thought to himself, “You could have warned me that You would be sending me to hide before I went to King Ahab ? I would?ve sent supplies ahead to the Kerith Ravine and built a house?” But then God tells Elijah that he has made provision for him in the form of ravens bringing him food. Now I don?t know about you but I think that is an incredible test to depend on ravens for your food. Notice that at this point God didn?t tell Elijah what the ravens would be bringing him! How many of you have ever seen a raven picking away at road-kill while driving along the road? How many of you would like a raven as your chef? If I was in Elijah?s shoes at this point I would be saying, “Ok God, this is the thanks I get for obeying your command, ravens for chefs!!”

What is the point? The point is that God?s provision doesn?t always come in the form we would expect or like but nevertheless He still provides. Sometimes the provision God offers in the midst of testing or trial is in itself a test of dependence on Him!

Remember how God provided for the Israelites as they crossed the desert on their way to the promised land? Manna was the incredible miracle God performed morning after morning to lead the Israelites to that humbling place where they were dependent on Him. I?d like to highlight a couple of verses from the passage that was read this morning,

Deuteronomy 8:2-3 (NIV)

2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

And isn?t that the same thing God is teaching Elijah here? Elijah was being tested in his obedience to turn and go East to the Kerith Ravine ? but he was also being taught the principle of living by the word of God. For it was at God?s command, at His word, that the ravens were providing food for Elijah!

The Word of the Lord always accompanies the Will of the Lord.

God was very specific on how He would provide for Elijah. Elijah was not to pick berries or hunt for his food, God told Elijah, you just stay put for now and I?ll take care of you. God was teaching Elijah to be more dependent on Him in preparation for the things that would follow. This was something Elijah could never learn outside of the Kerith Ravine experience.

Friends, you will never find God?s will for your life by looking to the world for answers ? the only way you will know God?s will is through His Word! Where was God?s perfect will for Elijah in this passage? It wasn?t at his home, it wasn?t in some comfortable hotel room, it was in obscurity in the midst of the wilderness at side of a brook that normally dries up in the summer. Elijah didn?t have a TV or a short-wave radio to keep him up to date on the latest happening in Samaria. We need to realize that Elijah had no one to fellowship with except God, all alone ? and this is God?s perfect will for Elijah! For there Elijah learned that God?s word always accompanies His will ? His will always accompanies His Word. Elijah learned to live by the Word of God so that the Will of God would be accomplished in his life.

God will lead us to places we don?t necessarily want to go sometimes ? or we?ll find ourselves in places that God has brought us to that we?d rather not be but it?s in the midst of those places that we can learn to live by His word so that His will can be accomplished in our lives. And friends, when you see and know the will of God working out in your life you begin to realize that there is no better place to be no matter where you are!!!

In all this was the more subtle surprise of God?s?

UNEXPECTED PROCEDURE (v.5-6)

There are too very important phrases attributed to Elijah in verse five, “?he did what the Lord had told him?” and he, “?stayed there.” The text is very plain in stating not only Elijah?s obedience in going where God told him to go but also his perseverance in staying there. Friend?s it is one thing to be obedient to the Word of God, it is yet another thing to persevere when it seems that obedience is getting you nowhere or accomplishing nothing or has no reward!

Many people will find themselves right in the middle of God?s will for their lives, which is out of their comfort zone and they don?t stay there, or they?ll try everything in their power to get out! These places are called the pruning places in life. This is where God takes our life and cuts away the parts of us that drain away spiritual life and produce nothing (or dead life).

John 15:2 (NIV)

2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

God?s will for our life is that we be more fruitful. His procedure for doing this is taking the dead parts of us that are draining us of spiritual vitality and cutting them off so that the only thing left is productive spiritual life. But this is a painful place to be, where God prunes us, and many times we will leave this place too soon and don?t allow God to finish His work in our life. It?s so easy to go back to our places of comfort and our old way of living and turn away from God.

Deuteronomy 8:5 (NIV)

5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.

As the Israelites went through the desert on their way to the promised land there were many uncomfortable places that they found themselves in but instead of persevering they began to grumble about there current situation and said they?d rather go back to Egypt where they had been in bondage and slavery! Friends when God leads you to your Kerith Ravine, don?t grumble and complain but persevere and submit to God?s procedure ? for the results will be greater than you or I could ever imagine.

CONCLUSION

Even though it occupies only a few sentences in the first part of chapter 17 Elijah?s experience at the Kerith Ravine lasted at least two and most likely three years of his life. Imagine, three years living in the wilderness ? being fed everyday bread and meat from the beaks of ravens and scavenging for water in an ever dwindling creek! In fact, verse seven tells us that the Kerith eventually dried up! I?ll leave the significance of that for when I speak next week but let me re-emphasize the lessons we learn from Elijah?s hiding place.

Our circumstances are in God?s hands:

Remember that as a believer we are not in control of our lives! Our life is in the hands of God. The problems occur when we take control and become directors of our own destiny because this conflicts with what God wants to do in and through our lives. Now friends, this does not mean that you sit back and wait for things to happen ? all I am saying is that there first of all be a recognition that Christ is our life and that He is in control of what happens; and then there be a surrender to that control with every action we take, with every attitude we have, with every thought we process. Usually its as simple as listening to the voice of the Spirit of God speaking through your conscience.

We can trust that He will provide in the midst of those circumstances:

As we persevere in tests and trials what we already are in Christ spiritually begins to explode into our day to day lives.