Ecclesiastes
Everything under the Sun Ecclesiastes 1 Can't Get No Satisfaction Ecclesiastes 2 A time for everything Ecclesiastes 3 Right Relationships Ecclesiastes 4 More Money More Problems Ecclesiastes 5:18-6:7 Perspective Ecclesiastes 6-7 Under Authority Ecclesiastes 8 Enjoy Your life Ecclesiastes 9 A New Heart Ecclesiastes 10 The days of your youth Ecclesiastes 11-12
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Week 4: Ch. 6-7
Hope of these chapters: To answer is being overweight a sin? What does the Bible say about gluttony? How does your social environment pay a part in how you view your weight? How can the Gospel free us from our understanding of where do we find our hope as being overweight could be a wrestle for us? How can Gospel community foster an environment that is safe and able to wrestle with these questions? How can the Gospel fuel this how we view food and weight? Key Points:
Application for Devotional:
Week 3: Ch. 5
Hope of the study of this chapter: Our holiness does not rest on the shape of our bodies, but on the acceptable sacrifice of Jesus’ broken and bruised body. The glorious truth is that our skinny, chubby, overweight, and obese bodies are all “holy and pleasing” to God because of what Christ has done. How can dieting and exercise be an extension of the Gospel and not our savior to how we would want our bodies to be like? Key points:
Application for Devotional:
Week 1: Chapter 1-2
I started Christfit/Crossfit around 2012-2013, it was in a grungy little garage with some fellow believers working out once a week, I didn't know that it would be a start of a physical and spiritual Journey. I saw Christ’s love through the people he connected with me in this ministry at that time. Before Christ impacted my view of wellness, I struggled with fitness and healthy eating, I went through periods of working out for a while to long periods of laziness and unhealthy eating. I would binge eat and then try and outwork what I ate through rigorous training whether it was exercising way too much during the week or trying to do a lot in one day. I was breaking down my body. My body would respond with things like reflux disease because of overeating unhealthy foods. My joints were hurting everywhere - knees, hip, shoulders, back , you name it. If I missed a workout I would feel shame or guilt because I thought I was getting fatter or uglier. It was so contradictory to what I do as a job working in physical therapy where I was to be teaching others how to take care of themselves better. When ChristFit ended in that garage in 2012 a guy by the name of Jordan Robinson took it over in 2013 in a small CrossFit gym in east Plano called CrossFit 972 very close to where I lived. There I began to be more than just a weekly Crossfitter with ChristFit I was convinced by the members there to commit to the gym and become a member. At the time I was only doing cycling, running, and MTB on a recreational basis to try and stay in shape I wasn't consistent and I definitely was hurting, so I thought why not add CrossFit. There I became more consistent and the coaches there helped me progress my movements correctly. It was a very humbling experience. I began to also see I could not eat unhealthy and then expect to perform and feel good. CrossFit 972 taught me a lot of good things but I also started to get caught up in my performance and what I looked like as I began to see progress. I Compared how I performed to others. In 2016 there was a weekend talk about surrendered wellness based on a book. After I bought the book, it began to open my eyes to how I was a slave to fitness. Although I was making good choices and learning a lot about how to take care of myself, I was also not viewing my wellness as God wanted me to. Through the book, Crossfit and fellow believers he has taught me a lot over the past few years. I'm excited to share this summer. God has taught me to be more disciplined, to see myself as He does, and humbled me alot. It Doesn't mean I don't still struggle with things like vanity, or shame, comparing myself to others, or shame, but i have learned to trust god more in these areas and they are less frequent Hope of the book and study: 2 Timothy 2:20-21 “In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.” Many reasons we workout are trying to look better, rather than seeing ourselves as god made us, perform better but our bodies have limits, or even live healthier longer lives even though our days are number and our bodies deteriorate, but it is all vanity at some point and we need to workout because we want to be prepared to do God’s work. Through faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the purposes of physical fitness we are to see wellness as:
Key Concepts from Chapters 1-2:
Application for Devotional:
How Do you see yourself viewing wellness apart from how God defines it? What in your spiritual aspect in your life could be better because of surrendered wellness? Self control, Identity , peace, diligence. Are you working out for the right reasons? There’s a saying, “a wise man learns from his mistakes, but a very wise man learns from the mistakes of others.”
Today this will be the theme of our devotional. We can learn alot from the misadventures and shortcomings of Samson, and today we will look at a handful of accounts from the book of Judges and glean what we can about how to do life, and also how not to do it. Today I also hope that you will join me in evaluating past and current events in our lives, and reflecting on how we may be mimicking the heart of Samson - and with the end goal of not making the same mistakes as him (remember, the wise man or woman learns from the mistakes of others. 14:3 His father and mother replied, “Isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.” Mistake Samson makes: In verse 3 of chapter 4, we see Samson defying sound advice and direction from his parents, choosing what he wanted over what was probably best. Mistake you made or are making: Have you recently received advice from someone that cares about you, or someone you respect that you didn’t follow or are not following? What the Bible says about this: Proverbs 13:1 A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not respond to rebukes. Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel. 14:5 Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah Mistake Samson makes: In verse 5 of chapter 14, we see Samson defying his oath as a Nazarite; he’s not supposed to drink any fermented drink - yet he’s going to the vineyards of Timnah. Probably not a smart move if he intends on keeping this oath. Mistake you made or are making: Have you recently headed towards a place or willingly put yourself in a situation that you knew could have negative consequences? Are you currently heading towards something like this? What the Bible says about this Proverbs 7: 1 My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. 2 Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. 3 Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and to insight, “You are my relative.” 5 They will keep you from the adulterous woman, (here the “adulterous woman can be any temptation) from the wayward woman with her seductive words. 6 At the window of my house I looked down through the lattice. 7 I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who had no sense. 8 He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house 9 at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in. (notice the setting, the man is seeking out something to tempt him, and naturally temptation will find him.) 10 Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent. [SKIP] 11 (She is unruly and defiant, her feet never stay at home; 12 now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.) 13 She took hold of him and kissed him and with a brazen face she said: 14 “Today I fulfilled my vows, and I have food from my fellowship offering at home. 15 So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you! 16 I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt. 17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. 18 Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love! 19 My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey. 20 He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon.” [END SKIP] (the adulterous woman tempts him with her words) 21 With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk. (sin is always appealing but then...) 22 All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer[a] stepping into a noose[b] 23 till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life. (sin always leaves us unsatisfied and broken) [SKIP] 24 Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say. 25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. 26 Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. 27 Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death. [END SKIP] 14:10 Now his father went down to see the woman. And there Samson held a feast, as was customary for young men. 11 When the people saw him, they chose thirty men to be his companions. Mistake Samson makes: In verse 10 of chapter 14, we see Samson gathering with the literal enemy of Israel, being assigned “companions” for his wedding. Mistake you made or are making: Have you recently headed towards a person, or a group of people you knew weren’t the best for you? Are you currently heading towards something like this? What the Bible says about this: Proverbs 1 8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. 9 They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. 10 My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them. 11 If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for innocent blood, let’s ambush some harmless soul; 12 let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; 13 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; 14 cast lots with us; we will all share the loot”— (bad companions have bad ideas) 15 my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; 16 for their feet rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood. 17 How useless to spread a net where every bird can see it! 18 These men lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush only themselves! 19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it. 15:8 He attacked them viciously and slaughtered many of them. Then he went down and stayed in a cave in the rock of Etam. Mistake Samson makes: In verse 8 of chapter 15, we see Samson isolating himself (I’m making this assumption because I don’t think it's the normal move to go to a cave to sleep, unless your Bear Grylls). He is either a fugitive or has no other people he can trust, both a result of the actions that he has taken so far. Mistake you made or are making: Have you ever found yourself making a mistake, and then compounding it by running to isolation -either to avoid consequences, or because of shame, or because of sadness? Are you currently doing something like this? What the Bible says about this: Proverbs 18:1 – A man who isolates himself seeks his own desires; he rages against all wise judgment. Some people live alone because friends and families have abandoned them. Ecclesiastes 4 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 15:18 Because he was very thirsty, he cried out to the Lord, “You have given your servant this great victory. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” 19 Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived. So the spring was called En Hakkore, and it is still there in Lehi. Boss move Samson makes: In verse 18 & 19 of chapter 15, we see Samson doing something great! In need he is turning his attention to the Lord. What the Bible says about this: John 7:37-38 37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them 16:1 One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her. Mistake Samson makes: He goes to Gaza. In closing: As humans we are prone to make mistakes. We are prone to wander. We are prone to reject sound advice and instruction, we are drawn to situations that aren’t always for our best - even if we feel like it’s what is best for us at the moment. Samson’s life was a display of these things time after time, and it cost those around him, and ultimately it cost Samson his life. We as people looking back at his life can spot some of the traps he fell into, and we would do well to understand the ways we might fall into them, and how scripture informs us on what we should do. 3 Things God looks for in people he wants to choose.
The Book of Judges Chapter 131 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years. 2 A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth. 3 The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. 4 Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. 5 You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” 6 Then the woman went to her husband and told him, “A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God, very awesome. I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name. 7 But he said to me, ‘You will become pregnant and have a son. Now then, drink no wine or other fermented drink and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.’” 8 Then Manoah prayed to the Lord: “Pardon your servant, Lord. I beg you to let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.” 9 God heard Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was out in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her. 10 The woman hurried to tell her husband, “He’s here! The man who appeared to me the other day!” 11 Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he said, “Are you the man who talked to my wife?” “I am,” he said. 12 So Manoah asked him, “When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule that governs the boy’s life and work?” 13 The angel of the Lord answered, “Your wife must do all that I have told her. 14 She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, nor drink any wine or other fermented drink nor eat anything unclean. She must do everything I have commanded her.” 15 Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “We would like you to stay until we prepare a young goat for you.” 16 The angel of the Lord replied, “Even though you detain me, I will not eat any of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to the Lord.” (Manoah did not realize that it was the angel of the Lord.) 17 Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?” 18 He replied, “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.[a]” 19 Then Manoah took a young goat, together with the grain offering, and sacrificed it on a rock to the Lord. And the Lord did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched: 20 As the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground. 21 When the angel of the Lord did not show himself again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized that it was the angel of the Lord. 22 “We are doomed to die!” he said to his wife. “We have seen God!” 23 But his wife answered, “If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this.” 24 The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the Lord blessed him, 25 and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol. Sampson gets a lot of the recognition. He’s the one in the children's coloring book going ape on a lion, he’s gets all the shine during dating sermons at churches, he’s the character with the prestige television like story arc. But Sampson - for all his notoriety was honestly a terrible Judge, and we learn alot from his misadventures and shortcomings, more so than his actions and example of faith. Instead, today I want to focus on a beautiful story, one I think is even more powerful than that of Sampson - and that is the one of a man of Zora, Manoah, and his wife who remains unnamed in the story. And I want to answer 1 question today: What type of people does God choose? And before I even start speaking … site a minute and think through that question.... A quick recap of the Book of Judges: 3:7 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord 3:12 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord 3:15 Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord 4:1 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord 6:1 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord 10 6 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord Finally 13:1 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord As we jump into Judges 13 and Israel is continuing their ongoing cycle of rebellion, a cry for God’s mercy, and God’s incredible display of patience. And even as the nation of Israel is in their downward spiral we see this couple display 3 important qualities of people that God seeks and God uses to fulfill his purposes. Verse 8: Then Manoah prayed to the Lord: “Pardon your servant, Lord. I beg you to let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us” Manoah and his wife may not have even understood what the calling God had on their life was fully, but we see here their response was of obedience. They sought to know what it was that the messenger wanted for them to do, and to learn how to do it. We have some evidence and examples of the life of a Nazerite, and their lives now included at least the sacrifices of habits and diets - and probably more likely included holistic dedication to a new cause for their lives. I can’t even go without dairy for a week even though I'm lactose. What type of person does God use? I firmly believe God wants to use people ready to be instructed and led to doing the good things he has in store for them. Verse 10: The woman hurried to tell her husband, “He’s here! Twice the messenger shows up, and both times Manoah’s wife drops what she is doing to go tell her husband that the messenger was there. This shows an incredible amount of hospitality, and reverence. We see several examples of an urgency in hospitality in Scripture
How often do we drop what we are doing for others? How often do we drop what we are occupied with when God shows up in our lives? I watched a hallmark movie last night, and (synopsis) there was a guy who met this girl at a Christmas festival - they hung out for 6 hours, then I guess when he needed to show up and seal the deal, he bailed on her because he had his own thing going on. 28 years later they meet each other again; there’s tension, there’s hijinks, and strangely a hashing out long overdue build up of feelings. Ultimately he’s presented with another opportunity to leave the now fully grown woman who’s holding onto the memory of their Christmas festival encounter from 3 decades ago, and this time he makes the right choice not to take the photography job in Alaska, but instead stay with the woman - and fall in love I guess? Much like the generic male actor from the Hallmark movie, I firmly believe God wants us to drop our own agendas, priorities and preferences to help others around us. And I believe if we become a people who learn to be hospitable, we will find love (just kidding - it's literally 2:21am) What type of people does God use? I firmly believe God wants to use people who drop their own agendas, priorities and preferences - so they can be vessels of relentless desire to service others. Verse 15: Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “We would like you to stay until we prepare a young goat for you.” I am not sure if this one is going to stick out, but we’ll see. I can’t stop reading this phrase , “we would like you to stay.” It’s very close to the previous hospitality idea, but yet so different. It’s as if now that the guest is there, they understand the value of them being there, and now they want to, in reverence, respond in whatever way they can. It's different from hospitality, but strangely similar. In the same hallmark movie, the guy character was so so enamored by the lover he had spurned 28 years ago. He spends a full 2 hours doing everything to get her back. Today, we don’t offer sacrifices like Manoah and his wife, but we can offer our lives. When’s the last time you thought about your life - not just your time, or resources, or skills - But yourself? - I’m talking about your emotions, and desires, your actions - as something that should be offered up on the altar for God.. What type of people does God use? I firmly believe God uses the type of people who are ready to place their own lives on the altar so God’s name can be praised. Alright - So what type of people does God use? “I beg you God to come again to teach us.” People who are ready to be instructed and led - Desperately looking to God for direction on what to do. “Hurry when you are here” People who are ready to be hospitable - Drop their own agenda for the chance to serve. “We would like you to stay until we can place something on the altar for you.” People who are willing to sacrifice - Ready to be “set apart” - there’s a Nazarite analogy or something here but, I’ll leave it alone for now.
So in summary, Jesus became the ultimate Passover lamb who bore our sins so we could escape death. He was the perfect payment, a spotless lamb, who shed his blood so that we could have eternal life with him forever. He bought our freedom and gave us a new identity in Him. May we remember God’s saving power and grace from generation to generation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!!! “Pharaoh asks an interesting question that rings throughout the entire story of the Moses; ‘who is the Lord,’ that any of us should respond to him?”Typically we read the passage and do some reflection on it, but Exodus provides a unique challenge as it is heavy on exposition! I’d like to set the stage with a quick recap of what we’ve covered so far in Exodus, then continue in chapters 5-7 by dividing them into two parts:
“Who are you, God? How should I introduce you? What’s your identity?” Crash course in philosophy of identity The definition of identity is “the relation a thing bears only to itself.” We know identity is important: - People try to steal identity, and theft is typically only done when things deemed valuable - As humans, we tend to categorize and name things to understand them - Matt Damon has looked for it three times (the 4th time didn’t count) Philosophers have struggled with the concept of personal identity for ages, trying to determine the essential property, or the special sauce that makes you, you. What is the thing that preserves our identity over the course of time; through changes of environment, circumstance, memory, personality, and even internal beliefs & motivations? We still do not know. Are you the same person your parents brought home from the hospital? Our bodies change over time. Does your consciousness make you, you? Well, we often forget things, and no one remembers their earlier years, and old age, illness and even false memories can lead us to lose grasp on who we are. While we may never figure out the nature of identity, we can acknowledge it is important to us because it is the grounds for how we relate to things, and things to other things. As relational beings - anything without an identity, we simply cannot relate to.Which takes us to Exodus 3, where God first reveals his identity to Moses: Exodus 3 13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation. Many smart people from the internet agree there is a level of complexity to the name of God, “I AM,” bit one thing is clear even without digging too deep: there is something about his identity; an infinitude, a timelessness, an absoluteness - something about his nature is not equal to anything else. And this is important because last week Steven left us with a really cool message, “If we don’t have the words, go and tell who it is sent you.” Tell about the great I AM who is above all things, like nothing else that we can know. Last week we saw that people of Israel indeed go on to believe in the message and on the messenger, Moses. Which takes us to chapter 5! A page and a half in!Moses’s initial confrontation with Pharaoh: Bricks Without Straw CHAPTER 5 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’” 2 Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.” 4 But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!” 5 Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.” 6 That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people: 7 “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. 8 But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.” 10 Then the slave drivers and the overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw. 11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.’” 12 So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. 13 The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.” 14 And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed, demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?” 19 The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.” 20 When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, 21 and they said, “May the Lord look on you and judge you! You have made us obnoxious to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.” Pharaoh asks an interesting question that rings throughout the entire story the Israelites in Egypt; “‘who is the Lord,’ that any of us should respond to him?” Pharaoh didn’t know the Lord and the result was that he felt no need to acknowledge him. And I want to emphasize the “knowing” we are talking about here: In Hebrew there are couple words for “to know” (don’t ask me right now I forgot the first)- but the second which we find in this passage is Yā·ḏa‘ - it is experiential knowing, not just a cerebral intellect. It’s the difference between telling someone who’s never had ice cream before all sorts of things about it with scientific exactness: the chemical makeup of ice cream, details about ice cream’s internal temperature, and specifics about its texture… And handing that same person a scoop of Blue Bell homemade vanilla. The first way, they would know about it… the second way they would know about ice cream. There’s something different about taking a bite. (I digress). Pharaoh would have been well versed in the divine, and probably a believer of gods, and believing in their power, but he did not know Yahweh. Instead his gods led him to a belief that people are to be used, and things were to be loved. And a belief that perhaps he was in a sense - god. We too can easily fall into this trap when we do not know God, the trap of believing people are to be used, and things are to be loved… And we too can easily fall into the trap of believing we are god - and the people and things in life should serve us. And that doesn't really work. Fortunately for this world, God isn’t about that life - He is a God of justice, and does something about it.Which takes us to part 2... Conversation with God and Abraham afterwards: God Promises Deliverance 22 Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? 23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.” CHAPTER 6 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.” 2 God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself fully known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelite's, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. 6 “Therefore, say to the Israelite's: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’” 9 Moses reported this to the Israelite's, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor. 10 Then the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country.” 12 But Moses said to the Lord, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?” [There is a genealogy, which we should never skip because they are really important, but we’re going to skip it!] 28 Now when the Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt, 29 he said to him, “I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you.”30 But Moses said to the Lord, “Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?” CHAPTER 7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. 2 You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelite's go out of his country. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, 4 he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelite's out of it.” If you are like me and are often questioning everything in the universe, you may read/listen to that and wonder, “what is God up to? Why is he not doing XYZ?” Why didn’t God just teleport the Israelite's out of Egypt? Why didn’t God just soften Pharaoh’s heart the first time? Why will God, as we see next week, send 10 plagues? Or maybe you are asking even more relevant questions: Why doesn’t God send me a husband or wife? Why doesn’t God provide me a job? Why doesn’t God take away this burden from my life? I think the answer to all of those things is found here, in Exodus. I think it’s often times in doing things (and sometimes not doing things) that we can really experience who he is - experiencing the one who is called I AM. We see in the story, God is not just wanting to reveal himself to Moses - but to Israel, and to the people of Egypt, and to Pharoah. We see the same word “yada” Wə·yā·ḏə·‘ū (Wa-yada-ew; “they shall know” or “you will know”). “Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord...” Again I think we can see it there; God wants to reveal himself so we can taste and see who he is… so we can experience him- in the highs and lows and ups and downs. And I believe ultimately he wants us not to just know he is good, but yada he is good, and respond to his presence, his identity with worship! And while sometimes that is difficult for us, I think as we trust the story, we will see that as God delivers the israelites, He delivers us as well. Matthew 6:5-15
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.[a] 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done,[b] on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread,[c] 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.[d] 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Originally, I was excited to teach on this passage. Learning to pray has been on the top of my priorities over the last couple of months. I've spent time leading a prayer group for Watermark's young adult ministry (The Porch) and have made it a point to be much quicker to run to prayer in times of anxiety, confusion, lack of direction, etc. I figured that I've got this. Hopefully, you're already seeing the problem there, but we'll come back to that. There are a plethora of resources on prayer - sermons, podcasts, audiobooks, you name it. So if I ever hit a roadblock, I'd have some backup. As I was sitting down to drop some knowledge into this devo, I quickly realized that a surplus of resources means that there were a surplus of routes this devotional could take. It also meant that there were already tons of messages that everyone has probably already heard multiple times before. How could I make this devotional useful to those listening or reading? After a few days of analysis paralysis, I did what I should have done in the beginning... I gave up. Stick with me, there's still a devo to read through. Through prayer and meditation, God showed me the biggest problem standing in the way. It wasn't analysis paralysis, it was myself. I was writing this devotional, I wanted to give a good message, I wanted to say something that you had never thought of before and something that would stick with you. I was looking for a "mic drop moment", if you will. This message was not mine to give. It was God's and I was trying to take all of the credit for whatever was going to be put down on this piece of paper. After much conviction, God planted this question on my heart: "How do you die to yourself when you pray?" Here I am leading a prayer group, worried more about how many people are showing up and running to God with only my troubles and requests. My prayer life was essentially what Jesus told us NOT to do. I am the hypocrite on the street corner and I am the babbling gentile asking for everything that I want. And welcome to the devotional on prayer... In Matthew 16:25, Jesus says "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it." We're called to die to ourselves. And this should permeate every aspect of our lives. It should affect the way that we act, serve, work, and... pray. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus addresses two aspects of prayer: The context and the content. Let's start with context. As we can see in verse 5, Jesus calls out those who heave up their prayers for all to see. They position themselves in the right place at the right time and they use grandiose gestures and language to show their righteousness in order to impress others. A lot of us have the tendency to want to use public prayers as a way to show our spiritual stature to others. We use prayers to God as a soapbox to flaunt our flourishing relationship and our flex our spiritual biceps. On the flip side, we can also get self conscious about praying in front of others because we are afraid of what they'll think of use if we mess up a reference or some other part of the prayer. We put too much thought into what others are getting from our prayers to God. Prayers are not a way of getting "Atta boys" nor are they a way of growing other's opinions of you and your righteousness. Sure, both of these may happen. You may get the reputation of being the most righteous guy or girl with the most eloquently beautiful prayers, but as Jesus says, "they have received their reward". So, does this mean that all corporate prayer is a bad thing? Of course not. Like may of Jesus' other points in his sermon, its all about the motive. Are we surrendering ourselves to God in prayer? Are we praying to the people around us, or are we praying to God? Instead, Jesus tells us in verse 6, "But whenever you pray, go into your inner room, close the door, and pray to your father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you." Next up, the content of prayers. As a society, we've been conditioned to come to God with all of our requests, but very rarely are we told to pray for the sake of gratefulness or just to be in the presence of God. The problem with this is that we don't even know what we need to be praying for. And we end up angry or resentful when we don't get an answer that we want or are expecting. Paul reminds us of this in Romans 8:26 and Jesus also tells us in verse 8 "your Father knows what you need before you ask Him." James 4:3 straight up tells us that we don't receive because we ask with the wrong motives. We ask for what will best serve us and what will put us ahead. For many of us, prayer has become an "I" centered practice, when the only place that "I" should be centered is in "Him". Prayer is an action of submission to God. We're to submit to Him and yes, request and cast our anxieties on Him, as Philipians 4:6 says but we are to request WITH THANKSGIVING. Luckily, Jesus helps us with the Lord's Prayer in verses 9-13. Such a simple prayer, but one with such large implications. The first half of the prayer is addressing the greatness of God, surrendering ourselves to his will, and praying for Him to further His kingdom. We acknowledge God as our Father in Heaven. We come to Him humbly as children recognizing his vast superiority to anything we could ever imagine. We pray for Him to make His name great. We pray for His kingdom to come and for HIS will to be done. Not MY will. Not OUR will. After fully posturing ourselves submitted to His will, we come asking simply for Him to keep His promise to us - to provide, to forgive, and to deliver us. We aren't to use God as a PEZ dispenser of blessings and answers, but we do let Him know what we're going through and what we want, understanding that ultimately His will be done and dying to the notion that we know what is best for our lives and for the lives of those around us. So I want to challenge you this week. Die to yourself in your prayers. Before you pray to God about anything - whether it be a request, or a blessing over food, or a prayer for someone else - start by thanking God. Thank Him for who He is, what He has done, and what He is planning to do. Put Him front and center of your prayers. I'm sure that you'll see an improvement in your prayer life and a new closeness in your walk with God. Matthew 6:16-18
16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. As we continue the sermon on the mount we land on the subject of fasting. But before we get to what Jesus is talking about, it's important to know that his teaching of fasting is tied with two other topics that we’ve gone over the past few weeks, giving and prayer - And Jesus is in the final stretch of making a compelling argument about how we should go about living these three things out. I’m going to call out 2 really important points: First, Jesus opens with this: “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.” Jesus continually returns to the theme of “being seen” - using phrases like “announcing with trumpets” and “noticed by others” in his teaching in chapter 6. Remember this - this is key! Second, Jesus specifically uses the word “hypocrite” in his teaching in the beginning of chapter 6. Examples: “when you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites” Understanding why he does these two things is paramount to understanding the point he is trying to make. The word hypokritai in Greek transliterates to “hypocrites” in our English language - but that word isn’t quite what Jesus is getting at. When we use the word hypocrite today, we mean to say someone who says one thing, and does another. But the word “hypokritai” more accurately means actor, or stage performer. Again, Jesus continually goes back to this idea of “being seen” All of these things are uniquely tied with the idea of performance or acting that others may witness you and acknowledge you doing. The pharisees were not hypocrites in the sense that they were saying one thing and doing another. In fact, the pharisees were sticklers of the law, looking to obey it to the very letter. The problem for the pharisees was their religious piety was largely a show. And their actions were not changing their hearts and moving them to generosity or compassion. You see, you can say one thing, and do it as well - but if you're doing it just to be seen, you are an actor, you’re an hypokritais. And Jesus told them, much like actors, their reward was being noticed for a moment, and their prize was being acknowledged by peers. When doing so Jesus is critiquing the “why,” and the reason that they were doing things as problematic. This is on brand with all of the teaching that Jesus has been doing so far in the sermon on the mount: it’s about the heart of what you are doing that is important. Whether its hate, or lust, or making promises - the posture of the heart is what is important to God. You can almost go back through the sermon on the mount and replace Jesus’s sayings with, “You’ve heard it’s been said this, but it’s the heart that matters.” In fact, at a quick glance the first half of the sermon on the mount was an interpretation of the law, and the second half shift in chapter 6 is now how you live it Now let's get back to the matter at hand, fasting! So in preparing for this devotional I thought the best thing I could do so I was able to speak with some sort of experience was to fast myself, and I sought out to learn what it looked like to fast. Disclaimer: I in no way am claiming to have some sort of secret or key to fasting, nor am I hoping that you’ll think greater of me because of my fast. Quite frankly my fasting experience was sorta sad, and slightly comical. Anywho, I’d like to share my experience in doing it. *Side note* I’d like to make the argument that Jesus doesn’t necessarily want us to hide our fasting… but this devo would be too long. Fasting experience: I love food. Food is an important part of my day, every day (probably too much so). When I get hungry, I turn into a different person as well. So naturally I decided to fast from food. My “goal” was to fast for 24 hours - *side note* I think setting this goal was sorta problematic (I’ll explain in a second). And while I fasted for a day, I really feel like my discovery came in the last few hours of my fast. And this is what I found, those last hours were really difficult. I started to get a headache, and I tried to push through and I couldn't. I distinctly remember being in a meeting and the room started to spin and I sorta felt nauseous. At that moment I tapped out, and finally grabbed some animal crackers. This wasn’t a glamorous experience - but I took away something from it. When I neared the end of my fast and I started *feeling* the physical effects of not having food, I became *aware* of my weakness. And in those moments I started to understand in a tangible way my *need.* Not my need for God necessarily, but just my need. And I think that was the point. I mentioned earlier that my “goal” was to fast for 24 hours. I think even that mentality was wrong - for me. I live in a world of metrics, and roadmaps, and estimates, and kpis and milestones. Alot of my life is often about measuring performance and meeting expectations. Often times when I do things, it's about a transactions. Fasting cannot be transactional. When we enter fasting (or prayer), if we have in mind we are inputting something, therefore perhaps God will return or output something I think we’ve missed the point. The real treasure of fasting (and prayer!) is that we get to be with the God of the universe. That is the goal and that is the prize. And I truly believe once we practice this, and believe this, our relationship with God dramatically changes. As I wrap up my once again very long devo [#longforms not dead] I’d like to take a quick jump back to the old testament at a really cool passage about fasting, and hopefully we can take away some more application: Isaiah 58:2-12 2 For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. 3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. 4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. 5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? 6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. 9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, 10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. 11 The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. 12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. I think God is telling us that “fasting” isn’t about what we are giving up, or how we look, or even what we do per se. “Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast,” I think God is telling us that “fasting” is about something more beautiful, something more beneficial to us and the people around us. It’s when we become less, and God becomes more. It's about our interests being replaced with God’s interests, and our interests become less interesting. And that’s when we are ready to be used by God in the greatest of ways. “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free”... Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. |
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