We celebrate royalty. We celebrate it in many forms. There's the Royal Family, who are popular even among those not citizens of their country. And although they might not have the official title of king or queen, there's also pop royalty (actors, singers, etc.). However, many royal titles ascribed today and just that: titles. The title has no immediate impact on my life. I can read about them from afar, watch them on TV, even enjoy them immensely, while also moving on at any point I choose. This is a very superficial royalty.
If a member of our pop royal classes somehow loses their king- or queen-ship my and your life goes on much the same as it has. No real, lasting impact. If it's 3am, and my world is collapsing in on itself, chances are I can't call [royal person] and ask for help. If I was altogether lost, then I would probably need to look elsewhere.
Jesus is said to serve as king, but his kingship functions much differently. If Jesus is our king, then we have a changed loyalty and our lives are directly affected by his reign.
If Jesus is our king, then our loyalty is to him in such a way that he directs our lives. No longer to be driven by whatever impulse comes over us, we are to move in the same direction that Jesus moves. And this is not out of a sense of fear, as if we were following a tyrant. It's out of love. "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15) We are to do the things he, our king, says because we love him. We love him, and others, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
Also, our lives are directly affected by his reign. If you are a member of a kingdom, and for some reason lose your king, then you are, in a way, lost. As a citizen of that kingdom, there is no longer anyone to give your citizenship direction or meaning. You then are at the mercy of whoever is the next king. Jesus, as our king, rules over all powers and authorities. Everything is subject to him (Ephesians 1:22, 23). Even if the world as we know it passes away Jesus will still rule as king.
We wait on many things during this time of year. One thing we no longer need to wait on is for our king to arrive. We have someone faithful and true to whom we can be loyal. We can trust that, now that he has arrived, his reign will never be shaken. With Jesus as our king we can never be lost again.
Monday, December 8, 2014
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
He Came Down: An Advent Message
What follows is (roughly) the text from a sermon I preached this past Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent.
Presence makes a huge difference. When my wife and I got married, for many obvious reasons, it was important that I was present. Skype would not have worked that day. When it comes to our loved ones we would much rather see them face to face, rather than talk over the phone. Presence is personal and powerful. We are moving into the time of year when Christians around the world are anticipating and celebrating God's presence coming down to dwell with us. He came down, in the person of Jesus, to give us his presence.
We can even see the power of God's presence coming down in the life of Moses. Let's look at one of, if not the, most pivotal moment in Moses' life. God's presence set the tone for Moses' life. He came down, and Moses was never the same.
Exodus 3 gives the account of Moses coming to the wilderness and encountering God. Many people will remember the famous burning bush scene. In the first verse we find that Moses travels to the "west side of the wilderness." (NASB) The word for "west" could many several things, such as "far", "behind", or "after". Moses is out there. When you get to the wilderness you know you have gone a great distance. Moses is in "can't get there from here" territory. Such a contrast from one who was raised by pharaoh's daughter (see Exodus 2). Maybe you feel you are on the far side of life. Sometimes God strips us of distractions and brings us to the wilderness to meet with us. We can't know if Moses thought he was going out there to meet with God, but we know what ended up happening.
In verses 2 and 3 we come to the burning bush. Moses sees that the bush is burning, and that it is not consumed by the fire, and then decides that this is too amazing to pass by. The miracle wasn't that there was fire, or that there was a bush that was on fire. Moses had undoubtedly seen these things before. The miracle was in the bush not being consumed. This was something altogether different, as evidenced by Moses' reaction: "I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight." He wouldn't have turned aside for anything ordinary. I think there are some important principles for us to take away from this. 1. Do we have eyes to see the marvelous things of God? When I journal and ask God for help, so often I don't see how God took care of me later. I didn't have eyes to see how he came through. 2. If we encounter the marvelous things of God, do we then turn aside/change our direction, or do we continue in the way we are going? To come to an experience with God is to reach a crossroads. And reaching the crossroads necessitates a choice: do we turn towards what God is doing, or do we turn our own way? It's a good question to ask when we read the Bible. What am I going to do about it? 3. When outsiders hear of the things going on within our church are they compelled to turn aside and come see what is going on? We can't expect people to turn aside for something ordinary. Ask yourself, would you turn aside if you knew you were coming to an ordinary experience?
Now we come to verse 4. I don't believe in coincidences. One area that I especially don't believe in coincidences is language. The language of Moses' response indicates his readiness to listen. This wasn't, "Yeah, I'm here, whatever." This was, "Yes, I hear you and I am ready and waiting for what you have to say." It seems as if Moses knew something important was going on here.
In verses 5 and 6 Moses is taught something of God's holiness. The place on which Moses was standing wasn't holy because there was a burning bush. It wasn't holy because of something it possessed in and of itself. The place was holy because of God himself. The physical building of a church is special because we recognize that when we gather together for worship as one, unified body of believers, that God's presence is there. It's not in bricks and mortar. If our church was built with the finest of materials, but the builders decided that it should remain empty, only something to look at, then it would seem silly wouldn't it? Notice, also, that Moses is only able to approach God on God's own terms. His holiness is such that he gets to determine the nature of our relationship. Now, on the one hand, this seems unfair. It sounds too controlling, and restrictive, doesn't it? Certainly, we would have a hard time believing in and following a God who left the relationship there. I know I would. But God doesn't leave us in this situation (Hebrews 4:16).
Next, God begins to give Moses a clearer picture of who he is. It's unclear how much Moses knew about God or what their relationship was up to this point, but it would appear that Moses needed God to clarify who was speaking to him. God says, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." Now, Moses was descended from Jacob. What God is telling Moses is that the same God whom his descendants followed is the same God who is speaking now. This adds legitimacy to what God is going to tell Moses. This isn't going to be a different revelation than what his family has known, but a fuller one. This apparently carried some weight with Moses, because look at how he reacts next: "Then Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God." Again, it would seem that Moses knew he was before God on God's on terms. If you would like to take a quick test of where you are spiritually, ask yourself how you approach God. Do you approach him casually, as if you're the one in control and God is waiting for your command? Do you approach him out of pride, acting as though you deserve to stand before God and you deserve to have your requests heard and met, and you're doing God a favor by speaking to him? Or, do you approach God with an attitude of humility? "God, thank you. Thank you for meeting with me and being present with me. Thank you for who you are. Thank you for making a way for me to approach you." How do you approach God?
Now, let's pause, in case anyone has wanted to say, "Look, Caleb, Thanksgiving was last week. We even went Black Friday shopping. We are already in December. Caleb, where is Christmas? What do Exodus, Moses, and a burning bush have to do with Christmas?" I think the answer to that is in the next few verses.
God tells Moses, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people..." God is telling Moses that the plight of his people is not hidden from him. And, what's more, although the peole were oppressedin Egypt, they ultimately didn't belong to the Egyptians. Think of some struggle that you've had. Wasn't there a time when it felt as if your struggle owned you; when it felt as if your struggle was dogging you, driving you into the ground? This is part of the nature of sin. Often it's our own sins, but it could be the sin of others. Wherever the struggle comes from the truth is the same: what's oppressing you only has as much ownership of you as you're willing to give it. You say, "But Caleb, how can this be? You don't know about the struggles I've had." And right you are. I don't know. But catch this: 400 years of slavery and oppression - consider how many people were born during that time who only knew slavery and oppression - was not enough to wrestle ownership of the Israelites away from God. "My people" he calls them. If you're weighed down by sin and circumstances, take heart in those two little words: my people. God is aware of what you're going through. He has done something about it in the past, he is doing something about it now, and he will still do something more about it in the future. This is the climax that we've been building to. He hears the cries of his people, and he does the most amazing thing: he came down.
In verse 8, God says, "So I have come down..." The God of the universe. The one true God. The holy and perfect God. God in all his power, majesty, and glory. He hears his people. He looks down from heaven and sees what is going on. With the flick of a finger, or let's be real, with the faintest of whispers, he could have blown the Egyptians right off the map and handed their kingdom over to his people. But that wasn't enough for God. Listen to what he says: "So I have come down." Such a very personal thing to say. He's saying, "I'm going to come down and take care of this myself." He knew how his people were being oppressed and driven into the ground and he came down to put an end to it himself. The very presence of God in the midst of their struggle. God heard his people and came down. And isn't that, in a way, what we are now beginning to celebrate during this time of year? God himself came down to dwell among us. Matthew 1:23 (referencing Isaiah 7:14). Immanuel. Not "God in some far of place." Not "God keeping his distance." God with us. John 1:14. Jesus gave up heaven to live among us. The next time you look around and think, "What an awful world we live in" remember: Jesus gave up heaven for this. And why? This is what really makes it good. Much more than coming down to deliver us from some earthly power or rule, Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). That's why he came down. Ultimately, that's why we celebrate Christmas. We celebrate that God himself came down, as Jesus, to put an end to, to destroy, sin and death: the ultimate oppressors.
Now, I know that won't sell many Hallmark cards: "Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Merry Christmas!" But folks, isn't that what we need? We desperately need him to come down and change us from the inside out. If he doesn't, we'll destroy each other and then when no one is left, we'll destroy ourselves. We don't need more finger pointing, or gloating, or pride, or selfishness, or hate. We need him to come down and put an end to sin, which is driving us into the ground.
To be sure, it is good and healthy to remember and recognize that Jesus was once a baby. But I really believe that truly anticipating Christmas and celebrating it means remembering why he became a baby in the first place. He came down to Moses, and Moses was never the same. And as for me, I am an example and a testimony that he came down, and saved a sinner. I'll never be the same. He came down, and we'll never be the same.
Presence makes a huge difference. When my wife and I got married, for many obvious reasons, it was important that I was present. Skype would not have worked that day. When it comes to our loved ones we would much rather see them face to face, rather than talk over the phone. Presence is personal and powerful. We are moving into the time of year when Christians around the world are anticipating and celebrating God's presence coming down to dwell with us. He came down, in the person of Jesus, to give us his presence.
We can even see the power of God's presence coming down in the life of Moses. Let's look at one of, if not the, most pivotal moment in Moses' life. God's presence set the tone for Moses' life. He came down, and Moses was never the same.
Exodus 3 gives the account of Moses coming to the wilderness and encountering God. Many people will remember the famous burning bush scene. In the first verse we find that Moses travels to the "west side of the wilderness." (NASB) The word for "west" could many several things, such as "far", "behind", or "after". Moses is out there. When you get to the wilderness you know you have gone a great distance. Moses is in "can't get there from here" territory. Such a contrast from one who was raised by pharaoh's daughter (see Exodus 2). Maybe you feel you are on the far side of life. Sometimes God strips us of distractions and brings us to the wilderness to meet with us. We can't know if Moses thought he was going out there to meet with God, but we know what ended up happening.
In verses 2 and 3 we come to the burning bush. Moses sees that the bush is burning, and that it is not consumed by the fire, and then decides that this is too amazing to pass by. The miracle wasn't that there was fire, or that there was a bush that was on fire. Moses had undoubtedly seen these things before. The miracle was in the bush not being consumed. This was something altogether different, as evidenced by Moses' reaction: "I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight." He wouldn't have turned aside for anything ordinary. I think there are some important principles for us to take away from this. 1. Do we have eyes to see the marvelous things of God? When I journal and ask God for help, so often I don't see how God took care of me later. I didn't have eyes to see how he came through. 2. If we encounter the marvelous things of God, do we then turn aside/change our direction, or do we continue in the way we are going? To come to an experience with God is to reach a crossroads. And reaching the crossroads necessitates a choice: do we turn towards what God is doing, or do we turn our own way? It's a good question to ask when we read the Bible. What am I going to do about it? 3. When outsiders hear of the things going on within our church are they compelled to turn aside and come see what is going on? We can't expect people to turn aside for something ordinary. Ask yourself, would you turn aside if you knew you were coming to an ordinary experience?
Now we come to verse 4. I don't believe in coincidences. One area that I especially don't believe in coincidences is language. The language of Moses' response indicates his readiness to listen. This wasn't, "Yeah, I'm here, whatever." This was, "Yes, I hear you and I am ready and waiting for what you have to say." It seems as if Moses knew something important was going on here.
In verses 5 and 6 Moses is taught something of God's holiness. The place on which Moses was standing wasn't holy because there was a burning bush. It wasn't holy because of something it possessed in and of itself. The place was holy because of God himself. The physical building of a church is special because we recognize that when we gather together for worship as one, unified body of believers, that God's presence is there. It's not in bricks and mortar. If our church was built with the finest of materials, but the builders decided that it should remain empty, only something to look at, then it would seem silly wouldn't it? Notice, also, that Moses is only able to approach God on God's own terms. His holiness is such that he gets to determine the nature of our relationship. Now, on the one hand, this seems unfair. It sounds too controlling, and restrictive, doesn't it? Certainly, we would have a hard time believing in and following a God who left the relationship there. I know I would. But God doesn't leave us in this situation (Hebrews 4:16).
Next, God begins to give Moses a clearer picture of who he is. It's unclear how much Moses knew about God or what their relationship was up to this point, but it would appear that Moses needed God to clarify who was speaking to him. God says, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." Now, Moses was descended from Jacob. What God is telling Moses is that the same God whom his descendants followed is the same God who is speaking now. This adds legitimacy to what God is going to tell Moses. This isn't going to be a different revelation than what his family has known, but a fuller one. This apparently carried some weight with Moses, because look at how he reacts next: "Then Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God." Again, it would seem that Moses knew he was before God on God's on terms. If you would like to take a quick test of where you are spiritually, ask yourself how you approach God. Do you approach him casually, as if you're the one in control and God is waiting for your command? Do you approach him out of pride, acting as though you deserve to stand before God and you deserve to have your requests heard and met, and you're doing God a favor by speaking to him? Or, do you approach God with an attitude of humility? "God, thank you. Thank you for meeting with me and being present with me. Thank you for who you are. Thank you for making a way for me to approach you." How do you approach God?
Now, let's pause, in case anyone has wanted to say, "Look, Caleb, Thanksgiving was last week. We even went Black Friday shopping. We are already in December. Caleb, where is Christmas? What do Exodus, Moses, and a burning bush have to do with Christmas?" I think the answer to that is in the next few verses.
God tells Moses, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people..." God is telling Moses that the plight of his people is not hidden from him. And, what's more, although the peole were oppressedin Egypt, they ultimately didn't belong to the Egyptians. Think of some struggle that you've had. Wasn't there a time when it felt as if your struggle owned you; when it felt as if your struggle was dogging you, driving you into the ground? This is part of the nature of sin. Often it's our own sins, but it could be the sin of others. Wherever the struggle comes from the truth is the same: what's oppressing you only has as much ownership of you as you're willing to give it. You say, "But Caleb, how can this be? You don't know about the struggles I've had." And right you are. I don't know. But catch this: 400 years of slavery and oppression - consider how many people were born during that time who only knew slavery and oppression - was not enough to wrestle ownership of the Israelites away from God. "My people" he calls them. If you're weighed down by sin and circumstances, take heart in those two little words: my people. God is aware of what you're going through. He has done something about it in the past, he is doing something about it now, and he will still do something more about it in the future. This is the climax that we've been building to. He hears the cries of his people, and he does the most amazing thing: he came down.
In verse 8, God says, "So I have come down..." The God of the universe. The one true God. The holy and perfect God. God in all his power, majesty, and glory. He hears his people. He looks down from heaven and sees what is going on. With the flick of a finger, or let's be real, with the faintest of whispers, he could have blown the Egyptians right off the map and handed their kingdom over to his people. But that wasn't enough for God. Listen to what he says: "So I have come down." Such a very personal thing to say. He's saying, "I'm going to come down and take care of this myself." He knew how his people were being oppressed and driven into the ground and he came down to put an end to it himself. The very presence of God in the midst of their struggle. God heard his people and came down. And isn't that, in a way, what we are now beginning to celebrate during this time of year? God himself came down to dwell among us. Matthew 1:23 (referencing Isaiah 7:14). Immanuel. Not "God in some far of place." Not "God keeping his distance." God with us. John 1:14. Jesus gave up heaven to live among us. The next time you look around and think, "What an awful world we live in" remember: Jesus gave up heaven for this. And why? This is what really makes it good. Much more than coming down to deliver us from some earthly power or rule, Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). That's why he came down. Ultimately, that's why we celebrate Christmas. We celebrate that God himself came down, as Jesus, to put an end to, to destroy, sin and death: the ultimate oppressors.
Now, I know that won't sell many Hallmark cards: "Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Merry Christmas!" But folks, isn't that what we need? We desperately need him to come down and change us from the inside out. If he doesn't, we'll destroy each other and then when no one is left, we'll destroy ourselves. We don't need more finger pointing, or gloating, or pride, or selfishness, or hate. We need him to come down and put an end to sin, which is driving us into the ground.
To be sure, it is good and healthy to remember and recognize that Jesus was once a baby. But I really believe that truly anticipating Christmas and celebrating it means remembering why he became a baby in the first place. He came down to Moses, and Moses was never the same. And as for me, I am an example and a testimony that he came down, and saved a sinner. I'll never be the same. He came down, and we'll never be the same.
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