Sermon Tone Analysis

HEY

Intro story of status

Intro story of status

"The Era of the Narcissist," Aaron Kheriaty points out the self-absorption of our era:

Of all the amazing features of the medieval cathedrals, one feature stands out as very strange to the modern mind: We have no idea who designed and built them.

The architects and builders did not bother to sign their names on the cornerstones.

People today might ask, Why build the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Chartres if you can't take credit for it?

No lasting fame?

No immortalized human glory?

We're perplexed by the humility of these forgotten artists who labored in obscurity.

Do and disappear?

This is not how we roll in the America of the twenty-first century.

All this humility and anonymity began to change during the Enlightenment.

For example, when Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote his book Confessions in 1789 he dedicated it "to me, with the admiration I owe myself."

The book opens with these lines:

"I have entered upon a performance which is without example, whose accomplishment will have no imitator.

I mean to present my fellow-mortals with a man in all the integrity of nature; and this man shall be myself."

In contrast, the 4th century Christian thinker Augustine's Confessions (Rousseau ripped off Augustine's title) gives all glory to God, as in his opening line from the Book of Psalms: "Great thou art, and greatly to be praised."

As much as we might admire Augustine's humility, Rousseau's language sounds more familiar.

"To me, with the admiration I owe myself" is a dedication that would look right at home today on social media.

For that is how we roll in America now days.

"To me, with the admiration I owe myself."

Paul the apostle had some words to say about this phenomenon.

Yet, in his day, the social media was the stories of personal achievement that were told far and wide to draw attention to oneself and lift up the reputation.

These stories were shared via devices of their day, word of mouth, letters, and stories shared from person to person.

In our passage today Paul is speaking to the details of ones life that would bring personal admiration to himself.

Notice this list...

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phil 3.

Notice this list of bragging rights...

Phil 3.

Let’s look a little further into how he felt about these status symbols.

All these things are used to show his status, that lift him up, that were his own efforts to earn status and righteousness, things that the community of believers would look for another individual in order to know whether or not to place them up on a pedestal.

Paul calls it dung, or sewer trash

He considers all these things as sewer trash...Scubalone - literally excrement, dung, do I need to go further.

Dung that has been discarded.

Purposely removed to a location.

that’s why sewer trash is a fitting modern translation of this word.

Scubalone.

Scubalone - literally excrement, dung, do I need to go further.

Dung that has been discarded.

Purposely removed to a location.

that’s why sewer trash is a fitting modern translation of this word.

Scubalone.

Paul was willing to let go of all of those status symbols and assets in order to know Jesus.

The superior value of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord!

Because of Jesus…we are glad to lose status, human standards of praise, all the things we hold dear.

Jesus let go of his status because he wanted to get to know you and to save you.

In order for that to best happen He decided to move into the neighborhood.

He moved into a rough neighborhood that was falling apart.

The type of "neighborhood" Jesus moved into looked like this.

A succession of great empires tramped through the territory of Israel as if wiping their feet on the vaunted promised land.

After the Assyrians and Babylonians came the Persians, who were in turn defeated by Alexander the Great.

He was eventually followed by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Jews' worst villain until Hitler.

Antiochus began waging war against the Jewish religion.

He transformed the temple of God into a worship center for Zeus and proclaimed himself God incarnate.

He forced young boys to undergo reverse circumcision operations and flogged an aged priest to death for refusing to eat pork.

In one of his most notorious acts he sacrificed an unclean pig on the altar in the Most Holy Place, smearing its blood around the temple sanctuary.

A succession of great empires tramped through the territory of Israel as if wiping their feet on the vaunted promised land.

After the Assyrians and Babylonians came the Persians, who were in turn defeated by Alexander the Great.

He was eventually followed by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Jews' worst villain until Hitler.

Antiochus began waging war against the Jewish religion.

He transformed the temple of God into a worship center for Zeus and proclaimed himself God incarnate.

He forced young boys to undergo reverse circumcision operations and flogged an aged priest to death for refusing to eat pork.

In one of his most notorious acts he sacrificed an unclean pig on the altar in the Most Holy Place, smearing its blood around the temple sanctuary.

Antiochus's actions so incensed the Jews that they rose up in an armed revolt that's celebrated every year as the holiday Hanukkah.

But their victory was short-lived.

Before long, Roman legions marched into Palestine to quash the rebellion and appointed Herod, their "King of the Jews."

After the Roman conquest, nearly the entire land lay in ruins.

Herod was sickly and approaching seventy when he heard rumors of a new king born in Bethlehem, and soon howls of grief from the families of slain infants drowned out the angels' chorus of "Glory to God … and on earth peace."

First-century Israel was a conquered, cowed nation.

This, then, was the neighborhood Jesus moved into: a sinister place with a somber past and a scary future.

He transformed the neighborhood

He even cleaned up the neighborhood.

He washed feet from the filth of the streets to the gunk of sin.

Yet, the disciples were hesitant to allow such a degrading job be performed by someone they held to such a high status.

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Upon the evening of the last supper, Jesus did another remarkable, status exploding action.

In the gospel of John in chapter 13 we find the experience of Jesus breaking down social status and worldly expectations to teach yet another lesson in humility.

Peter almost wouldn’t have any of it.

Because Jesus interrupted the supper to adjust his wardrobe to take on the role of a servant.

Towel, bowl, water, feet.

Everything he needed was there.

So he began to wash the disciples feet and dried them with the towel.

As I imagine they were awestruck, thinking it was odd, but going along with it.

What could this all mean?

They were thinking.

All but Peter.

He wouldn’t have any of it.

His thoughts just pour right out of his head through his mouth and enter that upper room and now all attention is on their dialogue.

“Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

“Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Common English Bible, (Nashville, TN: Common English Bible, 2011), .

Jesus explains his purpose in washing their feet.

He explains that even though he is a teacher and master, he washed their feet to serve as an example of how they should relate to those around them.

This was just a taste of what he would do in service.

His ultimate service was his willingness to serve as a substitute sacrifice for the sins we would commit.

For we weren’t born yet.

He was willing to be a sacrifice to cover our mistakes.

To free us from the wages of sin.