| “Rising Above the Chaos” – John 3:1-17 – February 17, 2008
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. The man prayed for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none came. The man was exhausted but he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood for protection and a place to store his provisions. But one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived at his temporary home to find it in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened. Everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. “How could God do this to me?” he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. When they arrived he asked, “How did you know that I was here?” “We saw your smoke signal,” they replied. (from Homiletics, February 2008)
Jesus said to Nicodemus, “The wind blows where it wills.” Or, in other words, God acts on our behalf in ways that are beyond our comprehension and imagination. We like to believe that we are in control of our lives but obviously we are not.
Nicodemus was confused about Jesus and his different message about how one relates to God. He was used to a religion that was based on rules and the “law.” For Nicodemus, the idea of a spiritual rebirth was totally foreign to his religious tradition. He was taught to obey all the rules, be faithful and observe certain prescribed practices. Therefore, Nicodemus did not understand what Jesus meant after he said one must be "born again" to enter the kingdom of heaven.
When Nicodemus encountered Jesus about the phrase, "born again," Jesus told him that to be born again meant to be born "from above." In other words we must experience a time of second birth to fully become children of God. Nicodemus wanted a simple formula, one he could control. But, being "born from above,” is not that simple. It is not something we can control.
Nicodemus wanted to understand the "born again" process. He wanted a concrete formula to follow. Jesus said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." The words "from above" come from the Greek word anothen. Anothen has multiple meanings. The word means "from above," "again" and "anew."
I believe to be “born again” means to live your life as though God is in control, not you. And when the wind (or spirit) does blow, it means we allow it to move us rather than resisting it. The man’s hut was on fire and he was devastated. However, the fire that destroyed his house became the very signal that saved his life.
How hard for us it is to see that in a midst of a crisis, God is working. How hard it is for us to trust the wind that blows us off course. How difficult it is for us to cease being in control of our lives and become fully dependent upon God.
Nicodemus wanted information that would lead him to God. He was conditioned to think and therefore believe that life is all about rules, laws and following a prescribed system or process. God is not a mathematical equation or formula. God cannot be explained by some scientific reasoning. God is a mystery.
When we understand God as mystery we begin to accept the fact that we are not in control. God is like the wind, an unexplainable force, moving us in a new and different direction. I recently had the opportunity to take a week off. During my vacation I did not read the newspaper or watch the evening news. Occasionally, I would catch up on the headlines. It made me realize that we live in a society where information totally consumes us. We are conditioned to think that with more knowledge and more data we will be able to survive. Unfortunately that negates the opportunity for the wind to have any influence upon us.
That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make plans, nor does it mean we should not educate ourselves. It means we should be open to the spontaneous wonder of God’s spirit, a spirit that can be life enriching and life changing.
One thing that frustrates us in the modern day world is detours. We hate detours. We are an impatient people who don’t like to change course. Yet, detours lead us into places we have never been and force us to experience life in ways we have never known. Detours force us to interact with unknown territory, trusting that we will still arrive at our destination.
Last Saturday my wife and I visited my parents who live in Deland, Florida. My brother had arranged for us to meet a De Leon Springs State Park. There they gave tours of the Woodruff Wildlife Region. We also ate at the Sugar Mill Pancake House. My parents have lived within 45 miles of the park for the last 30 years. No one had ever heard of the place let alone visit it. We had a wonderful time and learned a lot about the history of Florida. It was a pleasant day, far from the craziness of metropolitan Orlando.
To be born again is to be blown off course, only to realize new life experiences that can be very fulfilling. Of course that requires letting go. It also means trusting that God will be with us.
We are "born again" when we put our trust in God instead of our own resources. We are "born again" when we are open to the possibility that the spirit of God can come at any moment. We are born again when instead of fearing the wind we embrace it and allow ourselves to be moved by it.
For me, more than anything, to be born again is to change. We don’t like change. We enjoy our routines, familiar patterns and comfort zones. Nicodemus could never truly know God without changing. He had to get outside his rigid system of religion and allow himself to be exposed to God’s spirit. That meant living in darkness instead of living in the light. To his credit he was willing to break away from the establishment and seek out Jesus.
To live in darkness is to resist the wind. To live in darkness is to close ourselves to the life-breathing spirit of God. To live in the light is to be open to the presence of God and be willing to go where God moves us.
To be reborn is to change. It might mean moving in a different direction. I could mean some sort of makeover. It could also mean a change in our perceptions about life, the way we see things, or the way we feel about someone.
Nicodemus appears in the gospel of John then fades away. We don’t know if he left the religious establishment. We don’t know if his life changed because of his encounter with Jesus. All we know is that in the next chapter Jesus begins his ministry by calling disciples. Jesus moved on, continuing to be faithful, regardless of the outcome.
One thing I have learned in ministry is that few people are directly changed because of me. In fact, most people seem to go on living their lives as if nothing has happened. I have come to accept the fact that being born again means I cannot change others. They have to be open to God’s spirit just as I have to be open to the spirit. To live in God’s light is a matter of letting the “wind blow where it will.”
Dr. Keith Wagner
"Send Me!" - Isaiah 6:1-8 - June 11, 2006
Early last week I was working on my sermon and I was interrupted. There was a workshop in the fellowship hall and they wanted the air conditioning turned on. I immediately thought to myself, "Why me?" My job is to prepare sermons, lead worship and visit the sick. The day before another group was in the building and they had questions about setting up tables. And on my day off, I happened to be in the building when a young woman came needing food.
I was lamenting over all those interruptions and thinking I should write all of them down so the Church Council could see everything I do. As a pastor I am asked to do many things that aren’t included in my job description. It’s not that I mind attending to people’s needs and being a helper, it’s the fact that no one has a clue of the myriad of things that I do just because I am here.
After reading this famous passage from Isaiah I realized that I had something in common with him. When Isaiah said, "I am lost," I realized that I am lost too. To complain about all the little interruptions and things I do for others is to be lost. Whenever you truly feel called to a position of responsibility there are going to be things you are asked to do that you did not bargain for. It makes no difference whether you are the owner of a company, a supervisor, a teacher, a parent or even a spouse, it comes with the territory.
For Isaiah to come to the conclusion that he was lost, he had to truly see himself as he was. He was a political advisor to the king. This position caused him to compromise his beliefs and values and he was feeling guilty. In other words, he had to admit his sins. "I live among people of unclean lips, yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!" On the one hand what he was doing was in conflict with what he felt he was called to do, and on the other hand he was very aware of God’s presence.
A young, ambitious pastor was called to serve a church that was struggling. His predecessor said the church was "dead." But the pastor accepted the call, because he believed that with God’s help he could bring it back to life. He was an optimist and he worked hard, visiting members, preaching enthusiastic sermons and developing outreach programs. But, the harder he tried, the more he realized his previous pastor was right.
One Sunday he made a shocking announcement to the few who had gathered for worship. He announced that since the church was "dead" he would conduct a funeral service for the church the following Sunday. The members wondered what he was trying to pull. All that week the word about the funeral service for the church became the talk of the town. People were calling each other, even those who were inactive. Some were confused and others were mad.
Sunday came and the church was full. All the members were curious about the pastor’s intentions. When they arrived they noticed an open casket sitting in a corner of the sanctuary. People were puzzled about who was in it. The pastor read scripture, said prayers and gave a very sad sermon as he lamented over the demise of the church that was "dead." After he finished his sermon he told everyone to rise and pass by the casket to pay their respects. Slowly, each one passed by, their faces assuming disconcerting expressions as each looked inside. Much to everyone’s surprise the casket was empty, except for a mirror. As each person peered inside the casket, what they saw was their own face.
If you don’t like the way things are about your church, your family, your community or your world, the first thing you have to do is take an honest look at yourself. Like Isaiah, we all need to answer the question, "Am I lost?" And, when we come to the realization that we need to seek God’s forgiveness.
In Aesop's Fables there is a story entitled, "The Brother and the Sister." A father had one son and one daughter, the former remarkable for his good looks, the latter for her extraordinary ugliness. While they were playing one day as children, they happened by chance to look together into a mirror that was placed on their mother's chair. The boy congratulated himself on his good looks; the girl grew angry, and could not bear the self-praises of her Brother, interpreting all he said (and how could she do otherwise?) into reflection on herself. She ran off to her father, to be avenged on her Brother, and spitefully accused him of having, as a boy, made use of that which belonged only to girls. The father embraced them both, and bestowing his kisses and affection impartially on each, said, "I wish you both would look into the mirror every day: you, my son, that you may not spoil your beauty by evil conduct; and you, my daughter, that you may make up for your lack of beauty by your virtues." (George Fyler Townsend)
When Isaiah truly saw himself something extraordinary happened. He was forgiven. Like the father in the story who embraced both his children, Isaiah was embraced by God. The Lord said, "Your guilt is departed and your sin is blotted out." We too will be forgiven for being lost, but that can’t happen until we are willing to admit it. Like Isaiah and the folks in the "dead" church, we must truly see ourselves.
Once Isaiah had experienced God’s forgiveness he responded by serving God as His representative. Forgiveness was the motivation Isaiah needed to answer the call as a servant of God. "Here am I, send me," he said emphatically. He committed himself to a life of service to be a prophet to his people.
God is calling each one of us to be teachers, counselors, helpers, mentors, healers, leaders, all agents of God’s grace and love to people who are lost. Our mission field doesn’t have to be some faraway place. It can be like Isaiah, who ministered to the needs of his own people. And, like Isaiah, God wants each of us to say "Here I am;" to our church, our family, our community, and to our world. The world is full of lost souls, and God needs us to reach out to them.
Who are the lost? They are anyone who has not looked in the mirror lately. They are those who pretend, those who live under false assumptions, or those who live in denial. However, we can’t change others until we are willing to change ourselves.
I’m not a big fan of Dr. Phil, but he does have a major premise that applies to relationships that I agree with. He contends that there is nothing you can do to change your partner, your significant other, or whomever you have a relationship with. First, you have to change yourself. By acknowledging your own faults and then proceeding to make improvements in your life, those closest to you will be affected. (from Life Strategies, Phillip McGraw, Hyperion, New York, 1999)
I believe that one reason we don’t experience forgiveness in worship is because we are generally thinking of the faults and shortcomings of others. We are not looking at the mirror in the casket. Instead we see faces of others rather than our own. We can’t experience forgiveness unless we are willing to be honest about our own sinfulness.
Life as a person of faith is an adventure. We don’t know where it will take us. But, to get started we have to see those little interruptions and demands that others place upon us as opportunities for service. Life as a person of faith is a journey, not a destination. Like Isaiah, it is all about saying, "Here am I, send me." Once we make a commitment to respond to a calling, our lives will never be the same. As a result we will be drawn to places, people and experiences that will be new and different and most always beyond our wildest imaginations.
A few years ago, AT&T had a major snafu in New York City. They had a agreement with the city that, when electrical demand peaked, AT&T would switch to their backup generators. One day they did just that, but something went wrong. When they switched over, there was a power surge and it blew a number of rectifiers. Not only did that knock out the phone service in the city, it also disrupted communications for air controllers a the area airports. Thousands of flights had to be canceled. Ordinarily technicians could fix the problems quickly. However, on this occasion they did not respond. While the alarm bells rang unheard, the technicians were all attending a training session on handling an emergency.
That can also be said for our lives in the church. To be people of faith goes beyond being folks who worship on Sunday. While it is true that we come to worship for instruction, at some point we have to apply what we have learned and be god’s agents in the world. When worship becomes an end in itself, we are not answering the call. Worship is a time to strengthen and empower us but it is also a time for self-examination. True worship frees us from guilt, sets us free and sends us forth to go to people. It is not that we "go" to church, but that the church enables us to "go" to others.
Reporters and city officials gathered at a Chicago railroad station one afternoon in 1953. The person they were meeting was the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize winner. A few minutes after the train came to a stop, a giant of a man, with bushy hair and a large mustache stepped from the train. Cameras flashed and city officials approached him with hands outstretched. Various ones began telling him how honored they were to meet him. The man politely thanked them and then, looking over their heads, he asked if he could be excused for a moment. He quickly walked through the crowd that had gathered to greet him and approached an elderly, black woman who was struggling with two large suitcases. He picked up the bags and escorted the woman to a bus. After helping her aboard, he wished her a safe journey. He then returned to the well-wishers and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting." The man was Albert Schweitzer, the famous missionary doctor who spent his entire life helping the poor. In response to his action one member of the reception said, "That’s the first time I ever saw a sermon walking."
"Here I am, send me!"
Dr. Keith Wagner | |