More Than Survivors
Embracing Exile • Sermon • Submitted
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· 55 viewsEmbracing exile, blooming where we are planted and be a light among a foreign land
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SERMON OUTLINE, SESSION 7 Chapter 7,
“More Than Survivors”
“More Than Survivors”
● ● ●
Guiding theme: People in exile still have an important mission from God.
Review of week’s past
Strangers in a Strange Time
Now You Are God’s People
This Is My Story
Holiness Takes Practice(s)
Blessing Babylon
Raising Resident Aliens
Scripture reading:
And now says the Lord, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the Lord, And My God is My strength), He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and its Holy One, To the despised One, To the One abhorred by the nation, To the Servant of rulers, “Kings will see and arise, Princes will also bow down, Because of the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You.” Thus says the Lord, “In a favorable time I have answered You, And in a day of salvation I have helped You; And I will keep You and give You for a covenant of the people, To restore the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages; Saying to those who are bound, ‘Go forth,’ To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’ Along the roads they will feed, And their pasture will be on all bare heights.
Introduction:
• Illustration: Waiting out a storm.
• Our instinct is to form a holy huddle and wait for the winds of Nebuchadnezzar to blow over, for God to redeem us, for us to get back to the land, for everything to be okay. (Lance)
• Prophetic voice instead calls us to rediscover our story and our practices, and work through our “we” confusion.
One of the things Israel failed to understand was that God did not choose them because they were wonderful people. In fact, God calls them a stiffed-necked people. It was never about who they were about about who God is! They (We) are vessels to which God intends to work through to reveal Himself to the world around us.
I have to say that I have never felt so sure about a series of sermon series as I have this year. God so impressed upon me to to the “persecution” series, then this “exile” series and next the “Teachings and Parables of Jesus.” I feel that God wanted us to see how the folks under persecution responded to that persecution. The persecution did not shut them up, it opened them up. They became missionaries to the very people who persecuted them. They acted out of love to the enemy around them. I believe the series was meant to help us to do the same where we are. We should not wait for persecution to happen to do what we have always been called to do.
Now God is revealing to us, that even though we have not had strangers invade our land and put us in prison, we do feel like exiles in our own land. It is not a new political regime moving in, but secularism. We are no longer admired and listened to, but viewed with hostile criticism. Christianity has been painted with a brush of those who bomb abortion clinics and cry out in loud voices that God is coming to judge the earth. We are not that, but the world only knows to lump us in to one category. We have become the church (c) a building housing another religion instead of THE Church (C); The people of God!
In two weeks, we will be begin studying the teachings of Jesus so we can learn to become what Jesus wanted us to become instead of what the world has shaped us to be. Later this month, Bill Smith is coming to teach a seminar helping us to see the historical events that shaped the church into what it is today; Protestant and Catholic and all those practices in between. I do not think that is by accident either. (Please let me know if you can attend).
God is working on changing us. He is tearing down the church to help teach us to be His Church, for it is only HIS CHURCH that can truly be the light to our community. That is what God was trying to teach the Israelites in exile.
• “It is not enough,” God says, to simply protect you; I want to “appoint you as light to the nations” (, CEB).
He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
As I was reading from Rev. Daniels book this week and as he discussed this idea, I remembered Nebuchadnezzar’s response when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood their ground in faith and God delivered them.
Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God. “Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.”
They had become a light among Babylon and God was revealed for who He is!
We have become accustomed to living in and viewing the world in certain ways. Embracing exile requires a transition in our missional imagination.
We have become accustomed to living in and viewing the world in certain ways. Embracing exile requires a transition in our missional imagination.
Embracing exile requires a transition in our missional imagination. We have to relinquish and repent of relying on the following: • Colonialism: Evangelism in the Western church often came from a place of power, so that as we discovered new lands and “proclaimed the gospel” within a culture, we also Westernized those cultures and often ended up abusing our power and misusing the people we encountered. • Revivalism: The assumption in a Christianized culture is that something in people’s hearts simply needs to be revived. In a post-Christian world, however, the language, the beauty, and the realities of the gospel are foreign to most people that we encounter. Four images may help us reimagine what it might look like to be a missional people in exile: 1. The Embodied Word • : “Eat this scroll” (CEB)—embodies the word. • God, who created all things, chooses to reveal himself through the people he has formed in his image. • We can’t just go to church; we have to be the church. • God’s great evangelistic strategy, maybe especially in exile, is for people to look at us and say, “Whatever that is, that’s what I want.”
We used to think...
Open the church doors, they will come.
Have a potluck, they will come.
Have an evangelist, they will come
But those things do not work anymore and too often we have tried other things that have not worked either. The church became more about changing to look like them, or to appeal to them through entertainment. I knew a church who heard that Gary Busey had become a Christian, so they invited him to their church thinking he would draw a crowd. However, they did not question Gary about his faith and beliefs. He accepted and came to speak at their church and it was a total embarrassment. He used very in appropriate language and taught things that were not right.
We have to relinquish and repent of relying on the following:
We have to relinquish and repent of relying on the following:
We have to relinquish and repent of relying on the following:
• Colonialism: Evangelism in the Western church often came from a place of power, so that as we discovered new lands and “proclaimed the gospel” within a culture, we also Westernized those cultures and often ended up abusing our power and misusing the people we encountered.
• Colonialism: Evangelism in the Western church often came from a place of power, so that as we discovered new lands and “proclaimed the gospel” within a culture, we also Westernized those cultures and often ended up abusing our power and misusing the people we encountered.
Too many times we tried to make “mini-mes” out of them. We blurred the lines between what was “Christian” and what was “American.”
• Revivalism: The assumption in a Christianized culture is that something in people’s hearts simply needs to be revived. In a post-Christian world, however, the language, the beauty, and the realities of the gospel are foreign to most people that we encounter.
• Revivalism: The assumption in a Christianized culture is that something in people’s hearts simply needs to be revived. In a post-Christian world, however, the language, the beauty, and the realities of the gospel are foreign to most people that we encounter.
It used to be that we taught assuming that people at least had some Sunday school in their past and had some knowledge of the terms we use, the stories we tell, and a basic understanding of salvation. That is not the case anymore. People often say to me, “people do not see the need to be in church anymore,” however, I do not think it is that they do not see the need, they just have no idea what the church is or what it is about. Any knowledge they do have is colored by the attitudes of the television who make us all look like crazed fanatics!
The truth is, most often, the only people we attract are other Christians. We have had some growth here in our church over the last three years, but every new person attending already knew the Lord when they came. They are Christians who just did not have a church home. Now do not get me wrong, they needed a church home and I am glad they feel at home here. We may see more like them considering there are three churches that have or are possibly about to close their doors. We need to continue to pray for them and they are welcome to join us, however, we are not doing our job if we are not getting the good news of Jesus Christ out to the world that has never heard it. Our nation is as much as mission field as Africa, Asia, or wherever else. Maybe even more so these days.
Four images may help us reimagine what it might look like to be a missional people in exile:
Four images may help us reimagine what it might look like to be a missional people in exile:
1. The Embodied Word • : “Eat this scroll” (CEB)—embodies the word.
1. The Embodied Word • : “Eat this scroll” (CEB)—embodies the word.
2
1. The Embodied Word
1. The Embodied Word
• : “Eat this scroll” (CEB)—embodies the word.
Then He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.”
It is not enough to read the Word of God or even to know the Word of God. We are to live the Word of God. The Word of God lives through us!
I have to tell you that one of the ways I believe we have failed is that we are partakers, but not servers. We sit in the pew and learn and learn and think we are growing spiritually, but let me tell you, you always learn more by doing than be hearing. It is one thing to listen and discuss, but completely another thing to apply it! Too many come on Sundays and listen and discuss and then set what they have talked about down at the door as they leave only to pick it up again to discuss when they come to church the next time. I would much rather see people teaching Sunday school or leading children’s church than sitting in a church service or Sunday school. Do not get me wrong, somewhere we do need to hear and discuss, but our time spent listening should never be more than our time spent serving somewhere. One of the reasons Sunday night services used to be considered so important was so those serving children, youth and adults on Sunday mornings had a place to relax, listen and learn. But I will challenge that we learn far more through action than through sitting, listening and discussing. They have there place, but it should be minimal to serving.
• God, who created all things, chooses to reveal himself through the people he has formed in his image and that comes through action!
• We can’t just go to church; we have to be the Church as I said in the beginning!
At lunch last Sunday, Helen and I were talking about the campaign when we were younger where you were encouraged to have a bumper sticker that said, “I found it!” The point was to get people to ask what you had found. Mennonites are encouraged to display posters of scriptures outside their homes. Many people display posters in their offices as work. Would we really need those if we were living lives that were so very distinct that people just knew we were different?
• God’s great evangelistic strategy, maybe especially in exile, is for people to look at us and say, “Whatever that is, that’s what I want.”
Not because we are wearing yarmulkes or wearing “I found it” t-shirts, but because we daily live out lives of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
People do not come to know Christ through what we say. They wish to know God because of the way they see Him in us in all we do.
Guidance in decisions
Goodness of heart
Love and compassion for others
and yes, lack of drinking and cussing. Many the times people have said to me, “I notice you do not swear.” (The uproar of the men at Superior when the man made rude comments about me. The men respected me for treating them with respect and serving their needs.)
The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.
It is through us that God moves into the neighborhood once again.
2. An Open Table
2. An Open Table
• Part of Wesleyan-Arminian tradition is to believe God wants everyone to be saved; prevenient grace makes it possible for us to respond.
As I said earlier, Israel tended to miss this. The big thing with the Pharisees was that they were “children of Abraham” therefore, they were unique and blessed by God. But God wanted them to see they were not unique, they were just the nation God chose to demonstrate through to the whole world.
• The broken body and shed blood is for people from different generations, ethnicities, cultures, tastes, political perspectives, and social standings.
I meet with a few other Nazarene pastors about once a month. At our last meeting we spoke on this and how it looked in each of our churches. Every church and every town has some challenges due to differences. In thinking about our community, the one that stands out to me is the economic differences. There is a large population of welfare aided families due to the low income housing in this area and yet we have really done nothing to reach them. Yet, many of these are totally ignorant of God or have total misconceptions of God.
One of the criticisms of the Pharisees is that Jesus did not fraternize with the righteous, but instead spent time with the sinners. These were what Pharisees would have deemed lower class.
Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
This week as I have been processing this sermon, I have been thinking about that. We have a compassionate ministry, but most often it only serves the older generation. That is not bad, there are many who need to help. However, we have a burden for children and youth. We want to reach them and grow, but in order to do so, somehow we need to breach the walls between us and those living in the low income section of our community.
• Gather around the Table of the Lord and become one body.
No matter our generations, ethnicities, cultures, tastes, political perspectives, and social standings, we need to remember and act like we are all one at the Lord’s table, because that is exactly what we are. Instead of criticizing those who live in those neighborhoods, we need to cross those boundaries and find a way of compassionately serving them. We need to stop worrying about being taken advantage of and trust God by being is Church among them.
• There is always more space at the Table, so people are constantly being invited into the body of Christ.
We never have to worry about running out of room. This is the one place where all are welcome and room is always made to allow for more.
3. Clean Hearts
3. Clean Hearts
• Holiness people believe God wants to cleanse us and make us the people he wants us to be, not just tolerate us until we get to heaven.
We recognize that there is nothing special about us or who we are. We are just as infallible as the next person, however, God has a plan to do a work in us. However, that work He does within us is not for our sake alone. Look at...
• : Sanctify my people, not for their sake, “but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations” (NIV).
“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.
Notice what Israel did…they profaned God’s holy name. That is, they treated His name in an unholy fashion, with contempt and abuse sullying God’s image among the nations. In other words, they gave God a bad reputation and God had to do damage control, not because Israel was worthy, but because God’s desire is for all to have a chance to come to Him.
Now, that does not mean that we do not try to do our best. Paul addresses this in the letter to the Romans.
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?
• The church needs to be separated and filled to be a blessing to the world.
• The church needs to be separated and filled to be a blessing to the world.
• The church needs to be separated and filled to be a blessing to the world.
That is not that we move out to Timbuktu to live our our days until the Lord’s return. It means that we need to live by a different code than the world in amongst the world in order for the world to observe and find that God loves them too. God has answers and a better way for them. But they will never learn this if we do church at church. We need...
4. Dirty Hands
4. Dirty Hands
• It is not enough to worship; we need to participate in the transformation of creation.
He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?
• New people are not just walking into our doors, so how do we reimagine what it means to be church?
• New people are not just walking into our doors, so how do we reimagine what it means to be church?
I truly believe one of the downfalls of the church in the past, is it expected to accomplish evangelism within the walls of the church. The truth is, true evangelism happens best outside the walls of the church. I believe that has always been the truth, but now this exile we live in is forcing us to see the truth. Just like persecution of the early church drove evangelism to other borders, so this exile we live is forcing us outside the walls of the church in order to take His word into our community. It was never meant to be the sole responsibility of pastors, evangelists, and missionaries to take the Good news to the world. It is the responsibility of all believers. That is what Peter meant when he said...
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
I Peter
• This is not a new church growth strategy; we do it because it is who God has formed us to be—we love because we have been loved.
• This is not a new church growth strategy; we do it because it is who God has formed us to be—we love because we have been loved.
We will never grow as we should until we get our eyes off growth and on loving others. When we truly stand up to be the People of God among our nation. Strategies only work for a little while. They are man-made and too often replace God’s mandate to just be His people. Living lives as Jesus lead; Loving the Father and in turn loving those around Him. When we truly love those around us as Jesus loved, our church will grow. Not from successful campaigns or strategies, but out of love. And people who come out of love will not trade our services in for the next best strategy because they will be here for the right reason.
Exile is not an easy time, but as we learn to embrace exile, we have an opportunity to rediscover God’s mission in us and with us and for us.
This will not be easy. It will take time on our knees in prayer. It will take concentration on God in order to hear Him. It will take being willing to get our hands dirty and I guarantee, it will not feel convenient. However, when we recognize the movement of God among us, I do guarantee there will be no regrets!
So I am closing this series, but this is an ongoing process as we continue forward. I feel it is a good time to humble ourselves before God by partaking in Communion today in recognition of all that Jesus sacrificed for us. Bow your heads with me as we prepare ourselves through prayer.
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