Saturday, November 27, 2010

Touching Base! Part 108

Where Does Grace Flow?

(This article can also we found on our website
at http://www.bethelkingston.com under the tab called "Blog")

This Touching Base is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching is discussed outside of the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build healthy community because God's Word needs to be discussed in community.

If you are sharing this TB in a group, tell everyone about a time when what you planned didn’t actually go as intended. There you were, front and center, watching what you planned for go south… evaporate into thin air:

  • Sometimes we set the agenda for our day, but never get to the first item
  • In a small group, other issues can come up that see the group set aside the agenda for the more urgent issue
  • Our long-term goals sometimes are set aside because of surprises that move us in a different direction
  • As we enter into the Christmas season, I think of Joseph and Mary, who, if they did have an agenda, certainly saw it “interrupted” for other pressing issues - like Emanuel in Mary’s womb.

Look at the text (Luke 7:36-50)
The big idea that we looked at this past Sunday was that no matter how low we sink, grace flows to that lowest part.

Read v.36-v.38
Describe this scene. Note the strong fragrance and the strong emotion. What are the indicators that her heart is wide open to Jesus? Do not miss that her brokenness is connected with sexual sin. Something many live with today. Based on your own background would you be comfortable with such emotion being demonstrated, indicating this woman’s brokenness?

Robert Coles, a psychiatrist at Harvard who devoted much of his life to working with people in the margins of society, begins each class at Harvard by quoting James Agee: “Not one of these… persons is ever quite to be duplicated, nor replaced, nor has it ever quite had precedent: but each is a new and incommunicably tender life, wounded in every breath and almost as hardly killed as easily wounded: sustaining, for a while, without defence, the enormous assaults of the universe.” (In Yancey, What Good Is God, page 79.)

Talk about what it feels like to be without defence to “the enormous assaults of the universe.”
What must she have seen in Jesus at this point that brought her to do what she did in this story?

Read v.39.
I think Simon represents some of the most difficult people to love in the whole world. Sometimes they are not “out there” but found in religious organizations. Does anybody reading this get angry at this point with Simon? Anybody feel like making him watch an eternity’s worth of Maple Leaf hockey games as a form of the eternal fires of hell?

These kinds of people can tell you what is wrong with the world but never come close to confessing what is wrong with themselves. As has been said, “it is easier to point the finger than to bend the knee.”

How do you think Simon would make this woman feel? Valued or worthless? Loved or blacklisted? Hope-filled or hopeless?

Imagine if she had tried to touch the Pharisee - what would have happened? Would he have represented one more assault of the universe… coming from the religious establishment? How many prostitutes in Kingston feel like the Church represents the assault of the universe? How many people with sexual sin or other sins would never speak to Christians, fearful of the response?

Simon’s heart is wide shut to this woman, but also to Jesus.

Read on to v.40-50
(Note: One denarius coin was worth a day’s wages)
Common hospitality included providing water for the feet – open sandals and dusty roads made for dirty feet. Oil for the dry skin on one’s head would also be a thoughtful act. A kiss was an affectionate or respectful form of greeting. Simon offers none of this - heart wide shut! I think this lack of attention to detail by Simon may indicate that the whole banquet was a trap for Jesus. In the end, Simon was the one trapped.

Some things to note
It was not the woman’s affections that saved her, but her faith (v.50). Faith was the cause of her works. See Gal. 5:6. Also note that the reason Jesus tells this man the parable is not because Simon is sinless, but to explain the woman’s actions. Strong fragrance and strong emotion are present because of a big debt reduction!

Jesus sees in her what he saw in the leper, the paralytic, the Centurion and his servant- infinite worth, value regardless of the assaults of the universe.

I love what C.S. Lewis says “ You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.”

It’s interesting that in this story we know the woman by what she did, however, we know the man by what he didn’t do. Sometimes what people don’t do speaks loudly…
… they don’t say “I am sorry”…
… they never take the initiative to call…
… they never (rarely) ask questions. When they speak, it tends to resemble… “Ok, enough about me, now what do you think about me?”…
… they never offer to help…
… they don’t let others go first…

You can know a lot about someone by what they don’t do. We know a lot about this man by what he doesn’t do. His heart is wide shut but a closed door often serves as an open window into someone’s soul.

No matter how low we sink, grace flows to that lowest part. Grace flows to this woman. She is the trophy of grace in this story. She enters weeping, she leaves in peace.

She comes in as nobody but leaves a somebody.

Some final questions
I don’t think that the lowest point in this story that grace flows to is the woman, but Simon. Jesus demonstrates a willingness to engage with Simon. The story never reveals if Simon responded to this flow of grace. What do you think?

For me, I think I must guard my heart when it comes to wanting to slap the Simons of the world. After all, people like this today who have the Scriptures, can read about the life of Christ and see God’s amazing grace from Genesis to Revelation should know better. Do you need to guard your heart in this matter?

Finally, who are you a conduit for the grace of God to flow to these days?

In John 14:12, Jesus said “whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

Mark

If interested in joining or starting a small group contact markkotchapaw@gmail.com

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Touching Base! Part 107

Who’s On the Boat?

(This article can also we found on our website
at http://www.bethelkingston.com under the tab called "Blog")

This Touching Base is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching is discussed outside of the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build healthy community because God's Word needs to be discussed in community.

Recently, a friend and I have been reading through a book together, “The Healing Journey for Adult Children of Alcoholics” by Daryl Quick (ISBN #978-0830813285), with a view of perhaps starting a book group at a later date. Although it’s aimed at the aforementioned adult children of alcoholics, I’ve found that it could be an invaluable resource for anyone trying to understand their (perhaps broken) family, its impact on them in childhood and how this can unwittingly set up destructive patterns in all facets of adulthood – from relationships to work life.

One of Mr. Quick’s points, and perhaps the toughest to deal with, is his insistence that what happened in the past CANNOT remain buried and in fact, that is the very problem which leads to the destructive patterns later in life, since the buried hurt will find a way to manifest itself (and not usually in a positive way!), no matter what you do.

I wholeheartedly agree with the man! My analogy (and I was discussing this with a nurse friend of mine on Wednesday- she agreed with me!) is that there are times when the body is unwell, and the only thing it can do is to make you vomit to help you get rid of whatever it is that is making you sick. This is invariably followed by a “gee, I do feel a bit better.”

My point (and Mr. Quick’s) is this, though: the vomiting bit… isn’t FUN. But what it leads to, is wholeness. In order to feel well, we have to get rid of the garbage, by bringing it up to the light and letting God change us from within, so He can cart it away. This is what He does with sanctification. But this can be scary… because it hurts. It can feel like we are right in the middle of a storm we have tried very hard to hide. But it’s precisely that very “trying very hard” that’s destroying us from within. In fact there are times when our sanctification takes longer than it should, because we’re too busy arguing with God over whether or not He should be doing this. How’s that for hubris? “Pardon me, O Almighty Creator of the Universe, while I try to tell You how You should do Your business.” Now that’s insanity!

So here’s the tough question: are you in one of those storms right now? Is it a new storm, or is it perhaps something you’ve been keeping buried your entire life? Well, here’s the good news… Jesus has offered to be in the boat with you, and He already knows all about the storm, being omniscient and all. What He’s saying, though, is “Trust me.” He will never leave you nor forsake you - He may even bring other passengers onto the boat with you so you can share the ride together: friends, other family members, godly counselors, medical professionals…

We don’t have to be alone on the journey. And the result will be that God will make us into a follower of Christ who becomes truly “relationally whole”, one of the Marks of a Disciple that we’d love to see in ourselves and the whole congregation at Bethel (hint: you’ll be learning more about those in the months to come!)

You’re on the boat anyway... the question is: will you let Christ come with you?

Think about it, pray about it. And if you want to find out where you can go next, help is just a phone call (542-2990) or an e-mail (bethel@kingston.net) away.

Carmen

If interested in joining or starting a small group contact markkotchapaw@gmail.com

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Touching Base! Part 106

Mistaken Identity?

(This article can also we found on our website
at http://www.bethelkingston.com under the tab called "Blog")

This Touching Base is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching is discussed outside of the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build healthy community because God's Word needs to be discussed in community.

What does it feel like to have every square inch of your body tell you that you have been mislead? That what you thought to be true… isn’t; that who you thought was such a way… is not? Try these emotions on for size - do any of these describe what it feels like when you have been mislead? What might you add?

Betrayed… Angry… Hopeless… Empty… Used… Embarrassed… Stupid… Sad…

The Text - Luke 7:18-28
Read the text and get a feel for the story. Who are the main characters?
This is a very interesting text. It is interesting because of where John is, Machaerus. I described this place on Sunday, but for now all you need to know is that it is the last place John wants to be, prison. It is also interesting because of the question John asks - “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” John was in prison because he had insulted Herod. (Read Mark 6:17-20) However, John probably believed (like the other disciples) that Jesus was going to usher in a political kingdom. Yes, he was the Lamb of God that would take away the sins of the world as John declared. Yes, He was, as John said, the Son of God, but Jesus was no political leader. He was not ushering in a political kingdom. So there John sits, not understanding how his context is consistent with who he understands Jesus to be. There is incongruity in who he believes Jesus to be and where John is currently residing, thus his question - “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”

“All these things” Note this phrase in v18.
His disciples come to him and tell him “all these things”- all that Jesus was doing - perhaps including the story of Jesus raising a widow’s son, perhaps the story of Jesus confronting the demoniacs, healing the leper, doing a “double dip” on the paralytic- healed and forgiven (that guy had a great day), the healing of the centurion’s servant… “All these things.” Was John thinking “Why doesn’t Jesus just save one of these miracles for me and get me out of here? Why should the paralytic get two miracles when I don’t even get one?”

Ever felt like God is working all around you but not in you? How come others can feel him and sense him but you can’t? How come you hear stories of God working but you don’t feel like you are in that story?

Check out John 10:41, an interesting verse describing John.

My big idea on Sunday was: God takes us to places where all we can do is trust Him because we don’t understand Him.
Is where you are these days a place that you understand what He is doing, or a place where you really need to trust him? Which one are you leaning on more these days?

Check out what Jesus says to John’s disciples, v.21-23.
It was understood in those days that the true Messiah would not proclaim himself, but would first do appropriate messianic works that would lead to public acknowledgment of his identity.
He essentially tells John - “you are not crazy!”


v23. “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me”
The Greek word translated “offended” gives us our English word “scandalize”, and it referred originally to the “bait stick” in a trap. Imagine how an animal takes the bait - gets consumed - hooked, gets caught - confined, separated from its herd. The animal cannot carry on because now it is entangled in the trap. Jesus is saying this can happen to people, instead of carrying on with Jesus they get caught by the bait stick. Notice in this text who the offender is - it is Jesus. “John was in danger of being trapped because of his concern about what Jesus was not doing.” The bait was John’s incorrect understanding of Jesus in terms of what kind of kingdom He would usher in. The challenge is for John to let it go and stay faithful to Jesus. I think Jesus is essentially saying “let go and trust me, I know what I am doing.”

Discuss the following quote by Elton Trueblood - “The deepest conviction of the Christian is that Christ was not wrong.” (in John Ortberg, Faith and Doubt)

Use some of your sanctified imagination and discuss what that small group meeting must have been like when the disciples went back to John and reported what Jesus said.

How does John’s story end? Read Matt 14:6-12.
Does this bother you that Jesus didn’t come riding in on a white horse and rescue John?
Can Jesus possibly be right while allowing John to lose his head?
This story doesn’t end with a nice little bow on the box. Instead there is a bloody head on a platter!

Final note - Read v24-28
Room will only allow me to say (this is why you need to hear the message on Sunday) that while John is questioning, Jesus is validating and affirming John’s ministry. Jesus is John’s biggest fan and does not berate him for asking the question. He does not disown him but applauds John for his ministry. It might be good for some of us reading this to know that while we may be at times going through a season of trusting but not understanding and maybe even complaining, that God in Heaven sees us as His sons and daughters. Loved, cherished, valued, affirmed and in the hands of a God who knows what He is doing and what is unfolding all around us.

Here is the prayer I think we pray
“Lord speak into my heart your truth as you did with John. And bring into my life, godly men and women who can help me process your truth. God help me to trust you when I can’t understand you. Help me to follow when the way seems uncertain.”

Here is the commitment of Jesus we must never forget, seen in Jesus words about John (v24-28). Reminds me of Paul’s words in Romans 8:37-38:
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height or depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Here is the place we will all find ourselves at different times in our lives, a place where trust leads us not understanding.

God takes us to places where all we can do is trust Him because we don’t understand Him. Is that your story these days?

Mark

If interested in joining or starting a small group contact markkotchapaw@gmail.com

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Touching Base! Part 105

Do you have great faith?
(This article can also we found on our website
at http://www.bethelkingston.com under the tab called "Blog")

This Touching Base is a useful tool for small group discussion, personal reflection or in a one-on-one conversation. We believe that if the Sunday teaching is discussed outside of the morning services, it will be an opportunity to go deeper and build healthy community because God's Word needs to be discussed in community.

“Faith” - the state of certainty with regard to belief

Have you ever thought about how some have great faith, others little faith, still others no faith at all?
Have you ever wondered how it was acquired by some or why it was rejected by others?
How two kids can grow up in the exact home, one walks with God, and the other walks away from God?
How two people can attend the same small group, one matures, the other plateaus?
How two people can walk through similar difficult situations, one person’s faith is strengthened, and the other’s weakened.

What kind of faith do you have today? “Great” faith, “growing” faith, “doubting” faith, “staggering” faith, “convenient” faith, “parental” faith (the kind of faith that someone hasn’t really thought out for themselves, the kind that rides along on the shirt tails of the parents)…? We sometimes search to find it, fight to keep it, study to deepen it, pray to God to sustain it - Faith!

Note in our text today (Luke 7:1-10) in v.9 Jesus has nothing but high praise for this man’s faith. As a group, talk about what you think Jesus would say about your faith. Also be sure to explain why!

The Text

Read through the text. Identify the key characters and their roles in this story. Do we know anything about how the Centurion came to possess such great faith? What is the issue that causes the Centurion to want to seek out Christ? Do you have any issues that are drawing you closer to God these days?

On Sunday, I talked about why the Centurion sent Jewish elders, and then some friends, to Jesus. In part it was an expression of this man’s tremendous respect for Christ and his deep awareness of who he was as a Gentile. His home was considered unclean by Jews and he was labelled as a pagan. However, as a Centurion he would have ruled over 100 soldiers:
“A centurion had many duties besides maintaining discipline among the ranks. He had to oversee executions for capital offenses (Mt 27:54; Mk 15:39, 44, 45; Lk 23:47). He was responsible for his troops at all times, whether they were Roman citizens or recruited mercenary soldiers. The position of centurion was prestigious and high paying; those who reached that rank usually made a career of it.” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible

For a man of such high rank the words he speaks are quite amazing - “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.” (v.6b) For a man with such a big title he did not have a big head, but he did have a big heart for God. I think it is this man’s contrition that draws Jesus to him. His contrition is like a welcome mat laid out for Jesus to enter into this man’s “home”. As a group, examine his words (v.6b-8) and talk about what kind of heart this reveals. What do his words reveal about the issue of authority?

As a group, talk about the connection of contrition and self awareness in drawing close to God. Read the following and discuss (Quotes taken from Scazzero, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, page 65).
  • Augustine wrote in his Confessions, in A.D. 400, “How can you draw close to God when you are far from your own self?” He prayed: “ rant, Lord, that I may know myself that I may know thee.”
  • Meister Eckhart, a Dominican writer from the thirteenth century, wrote, “No one can know God who does not first know himself.”
  • St. Teresa of Avila wrote in The Way of Perfection: “Almost all problems in the spiritual life stem from a lack of self-knowledge.”

How self-aware is this Centurion?

I think the combination of contrition and power seen in the Centurion is a rare combination that we often don’t see today. We would expect the leper or paralytic to be humble, but a Roman Centurion? Talk about how success, titles, the seduction of climbing higher in our profession can actually sabotage one’s relationship with God. I think that our success can sometimes make us like a fortress where we do not want people to see our weak side. Weakness or limitations run contrary to our title, to our position and role, thus confessing them or acknowledging them is out of the question.

My big idea this past Sunday was great faith recognizes ultimate authority. This man of authority recognizes authority that goes far beyond him, and thus he yields to it.

How is this statement not very culturally friendly? What I am getting at here is that in our post-modern culture authority begins and ends with man. To recognize a greater Authority beyond oneself that needs to be yielded to is often seen as an insult to the senses.

One of the things we are reminded of by this story is that regardless of titles and accomplishments you will someday come up against some kind of “sick servant” scenario that you cannot solve, you cannot fix, you cannot resolve. You have the questions, but you don’t have the answers. You have the problem but you don’t have the solution. You have the headache but you don’t have the pill.

What tangible examples illustrate you recognizing ultimate authority these days in your life? Note that recognition of that ultimate authority is seen in the centurion’s words - “But say the word…” He realized Jesus words were authoritative. Are you reading and heeding the words of God?

Last word - What might have happened if Jesus said “No. Let death take your servant.”

At times the greatest test of recognizing/yielding to authority is when the answer is “no” when we want it to be “yes”, “stop” when we want it to be “go”, “wait” when we want it to happen yesterday.

I think it is interesting in this story that God is at work in the heart of a military man. Take time as a group this week to pray for the military. There are men and women in our military who need to recognize ultimate authority.

Mark

If interested in joining or starting a small group contact markkotchapaw@gmail.com