Crazy Love

 

January 17, 2021                      NOTES NOT EDITED
Crazy Love
2Samuel 6:12-23

SIS—“Crazy love” is the only “sane” response to a God’s immense majesty and absolute holiness. 

In English “crazy” means, “senseless; impractical; totally unsound, such as a crazy scheme.” Informally, the English word means, “intensely enthusiastic; passionately excited, as in, crazy about baseball.”

However you define it, “crazy,” definitely refers to something “out of the ordinary.”  I want to talk about a “crazy love” for God this morning as I see an example in our text in 2Samuel 6.  David’s response to the return of the Ark of the Covenant qualifies as “crazy love.”  It is a bit impractical, seemingly unsound (at least in the world’s eyes), and definitely intensely enthusiastic and passionately excited.  I think when we examine this text together we will see that “crazy love” is the only “sane” response to a God’s immense majesty and absolute holiness.

The longer I live, the less I am satisfied with simply “going to church”—even a great church like ours.  As I contemplate the immensity of God, I can’t help but recognize my own cosmic insignificance.  A great theologian once wrote, “No one is ever truly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God” (Sproul).

This is the point of our text.  The Ark of the Covenant was the most significant artifact in the life of the nation of Israel.  It was a gold-plated chest standing as the crown jewel of the Tabernacle, and later the Temple.  It sat alone, veiled behind a curtain in the Holy of Holies---the innermost section of the Holy Sanctuary.  In this Most Holy Place, a priest could only enter once a year, after a strict protocol assuring his righteousness before God.  Should any part of the ritual of Yom Kippur be violated, the High Priest would be struck dead.  And, nobody could go in to get him.  So, they would tie bells to his priestly garment and a rope to his foot.  If the bells stopped ringing, they would pull his dead body out.

The lid of the sacred Ark of the Covenant was place where the very Presence of God resided—God’s awesome holiness rested between two golden cherubim on the lid of the Ark, called the Mercy Seat 

It is impossible for me, or any human, to explain the power and holiness that the Ark of the Covenant represented to the people of Israel.  It was this awesome sense of the Presence of Almighty God that led to David’s “crazy” behavior when the Ark of the Covenant returned from the house of Abinadab where it had been parked for two decades.  While David’s behavior seemed crazy to some of those in the crowd that day, it becomes clear from our text that “crazy love is the only sane response to the awesome majesty and absolute holiness of Almighty God.”

Let’s read this text together:  2Samuel 6:12-23.

Our text provides us a glimpse into why “crazy love” is the only sane response to the immense majesty and absolute holiness of God.  There are three realizations that develop this theme of crazy love: It acknowledges the Imcomprehensible MAJESTY of Almighty God; it acknowledges the Absolute HOLINESS of Almighty God; and it acknowledges the Inevitable SCORN the world has for those that radically, passionately and publicly display love to Almighty God.

In order to fully appreciate our text, let’s briefly scan the history of the Ark of the Covenant, and it’s place in Jewish life.

The Ark was commissioned, along with the Tabernacle, by Yahweh as His people “exited” bondage in Egypt and entered the Wilderness on the way to the Promised land.  The Ark was instrumental in the Conquest of the Land of Canaan by Joshua.  The most important battle, the Battle of Jericho, was accomplished by the Israelites simply by blowing horns while marching around the wall carrying the Ark.  In time, the Ark would be captured by the pagan Philistines (1Sam. 4).  It was carried off to the Philistine capital of Ashdod, but the Philistines discovered they would have been better off not messing with it. The morning after the Ark was placed in the temple of the pagan temple of Dagon, the Philistines found their idol face down.  The set Dagon back up, but the next morning they found the idol decapitated.  A few days later the people of Ashdod were struck with a plague.  They moved the ark to another city in Gath (Goliath’s hometown), but every where the Ark went, the people were struck with plagues.  After seven months, the Philistines decided to send the Ark back to Israel, along with gifts of gold.  For over 70 years (some estimated as long as 100 years) the Ark had been cared for at the home of a man named, Abinadab.  That is where we pick up our story today.  The Ark’s journeys are not yet finished. As it was being moved from Abinadab’s house to Jerusalem, Uzzah, Abinadab’s son reached out to steady it on the cart and was summarily struck dead by God. This shocked everyone and for a brief time the Ark rested at the home of Obed-edom.  In Jerusalem David made a tent for the Ark.  The Ark would then be moved into the First Temple (Solomon’s).  During the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon, no mention of the Ark is made in the inventory of Temple items carried away.  Many theories have been advanced in regard to the Ark being hidden away somewhere beneath the Temple Mount.  The ancient Ethiopian church claims they have the Ark.  The Rebuilt Temple (Second Temple) makes no mention of the Ark being in the rebuilt Holy of Holies.  The same is true for the Temple at the time of Herod (Jesus).  The Holy of Holies was an empty room. 

So where is this Holiest of Holy Artifacts?  A fabrication so holy that it decapitated a pagan god and brought plagues upon pagan people who brought it disrespect?  Did it crumble into the dust of history, forgotten by God and man?  As I said, it disappeared at the time of the Babylonians. The Ethiopian Church says they have the Ark which is sequestered in a tent guarded by a monk called, “The Keeper of the Ark.”  This claim has thus been impossible to verify, for no one but the monk is allowed into the tent (copied). Contrary to the popularity of Indiana Jones, nobody has ever located this Sacred Chest. 

Archaeologist Leen Ritmeyer, who has conducted research on the Temple Mount and inside the Dome of the Rock claims to have found the spot on the Mount where the Holy of Holies was located during the First Temple period. In the precise center of that spot is a section of bedrock cut out in dimensions that may match those of the Ark as reported in Exodus. This section of the mount, incidentally, is the one from which the creation of the world began, according to midrash (T. Kedoshim, 10). Based on his findings, Ritmeyer has postulated that the Ark may be buried deep inside the Temple Mount. However, it is unlikely that any excavation will ever be allowed on the Mount by the Muslim or Israeli authorities (copied).

It is important to trace the history of the Ark to understand how significant it was—and, I believe still is—to the Jewish people.  It is in this context that David expresses what can only be described as “Crazy Love” when the Ark arrives in Jerusalem.  Now, let’s examine more closely just what “Crazy Love” really entails.

1.  First, Crazy Love acknowledges the Incomprehensible
     MAJESTY of Almighty God

Now, when it comes to describing God’s majesty, words simply are not adequate.  The word, “incomprehensible” is one attempt.  You can add, “unfathomable, impenetrable, inexplicable, inconceivable, stunning, or perplexing” and you will still not capture the essence of God’s majestic glory.  You could add, “immense, vast, enormous, immeasurable, incalculable, or colossal,” and still come up short in trying to describe God’s majesty. 

In fact, even if you could collect everything that exists in the cosmos (or ever has existed or ever will exist) and you presented this before men you would not have fully described God’s majesty.  It always brings me back to “incomprehensible, or immense.”  

The fault of people, all people including those who have been saved, can be directly correlated to a faulty or incomplete view of God.  If we truly comprehended the awesome majesty of God even for one second, it would radically alter our worship and service to Him.  We get just the ever so slight glimpse of God’s majesty in the powerful Presence of God associated with the Ark of the Covenant.  Go back a to verse 5 and see at how the Ark of God so impressed people:

⁵ David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with all kinds of fir wood instruments,  lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums,  and cymbals. 

Then, look at verses 12-15 

¹² It was reported to King David: “The Lord has blessed Obed-edom’s family and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God.” So David went and had the ark of God brought up from Obed-edom’s house to the city of David with rejoicing.  ¹³ When those carrying the ark of the Lord advanced six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.  ¹⁴ David was dancing  with all his might before the Lord wearing a linen ephod.  ¹⁵ He and the whole house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of the ram’s horn. 

When the Ark of the Covenant representing God’s majesty and power came upon the scene, an almost riotous celebration erupted.  David, the stately King of Israel, could not contain himself.  He threw off all but his undergarments and danced in the street. He cast off the royal robes of a king and danced as a commoner.

The people recognized the awesome, incomprehensible majesty of God and they could not contain themselves.  David’s view of God, and the people of Israel, was such that they could not contain themselves in His Presence.

Nothing is more overwhelming than to simply examine the “majesty” of God’s creation.  From the immensity of the cosmos to the intricacy of the quantum world of the atom, God’s majesty is on display.  This is why the Psalmist declared:  “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands.” (Psalm 19:1)

Man simply does not have the capacity to grasp the “Immensity” of the Work of God’s hands.  Scientists roughly estimate that the universe contains 100 billion galaxies, each a million-trillion miles wide! The number of stars is estimated to be over a billion-trillion. Travelling at the speed of light (186,000 m/s) we could circle the earth seven times in one second.  Travelling at the speed of light it would take over 28 billion years to reach the edge . . . and science tells us the edge is always expanding.  If our visible universe is so absolutely “incomprehensible,” how could we ever believe we could comprehend the God Who created it.

And think of the incomprehensible power of Almighty God.  According to Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, E-mc², just the energy contained in one grain of salt would power an average household for nearly half a year!  Consider also the incomprehensible majesty of God’s wisdom. 

George Church and Sri Kosuri, a bioengineer and geneticist at Harvard’s Wyss Institute have successfully stored 5.5 petabits of data — around 700 terabytes — in a single gram of DNA, smashing the previous DNA data density record by a thousand times.

That is roughly the equivalent of 1400 times the information available on a typical, full computer hard-drive on 1 gram of DNA!

The Ark of the Covenant represented the real presence of Almighty God—a God of absolutely “incomprehensible majesty!”  How is it possible that anybody experiencing God’s Incomprehensible Majesty could do anything but express “Crazy Love!”

Now, contrast that with how most church services go.  It’s a little depressing.  We seem to settle for so little.  We seem to be so content for just a hor d’oeuvre when God wants to give us a full course meal 

When you consider God’s Incomprehensible Majesty, would you not agree we need a little more “crazy love” expressed for God in our lives and in our worship?   Second, Crazy Love acknowledges

2. the absolute HOLINESS of God (6:6-11)

It is possible for a person to be awed by the incomprehensible majesty of Almighty God, but not fully acknowledge the absolute holiness of God.  This is a grievous error.  This is an eternally fatal mistake.

One of the hardest stories in all the Bible is found in 6-11:

⁶ When they came to Nacon’s threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it because the oxen had stumbled. ⁷ Then the Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah,  and God struck him dead on the spot for his irreverence,  and he died there next to the ark of God. ⁸ David was angry because of the Lord’s outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place an Outburst Against Uzzah,  [Perez Uzzah] as it is today. ⁹ David feared the Lord that day and said, “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?”

For many people it might seem like God “over-reacted” a little bit in this situation.  Uzzah meant well.  He was sincere.  He actually did a good thing to keep the Ark of the Covenant from crashing to the ground, didn’t he?  How could God punish him by striking him dead?

This story underscores the seriousness of understanding the “holiness” of God.  This text highlights the “carelessness” of mankind in regard to disobedience and sin.  People tend to have an “entitlement” mentality when it comes to God.  Many people seem to think that since God is All-loving, He has to give them a pass on their sin.  There is a common saying from Latin that has become a part of our daily communication.  The Roman historian, Seneca The Younger said, “Errare humanum est” meaning, “to err is simply human.” Later the phrase, “ignocere divinum est,” or “to forgive is divine,” came into common usage. In other words, “sin is not big deal.”

This is a quaint statement oft-repeated, but full of grievous error.  It represents a cavalier attitude toward sin and a careless attitude in regard to the holiness of God.  This passage highlights the danger of a careless attitude in regard to our responsibility to a Holy God 

David was careless.  The Ark should never have been placed upon the ox cart.  The Law of God was very specific in regard to the Ark’s transportation  (Exodus 25:12-14):

¹² Cast four gold rings for it and place them on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. ¹³ Make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. ¹⁴ Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry the ark with them.

There is no mention of using an “ox cart for convenience.” 

Uzzah was careless.  There was a strict admonition that nobody but a ritually clean priest in the performance of his duties could touch the Ark—under penalty of death.  No loopholes.  No amendments.  God said the penalty for violating this command would be death.  We need to be reminded often that the “penalty for disobeying God is death—physical and eternal.  Romans 6:23 says,

“The wages of sin is death”—all the years of inflation have not changed the wages of sin one iota.

Uzzah was careless in regard to God’s holiness.  He decided that God did not mean what He said.  He disobeyed a direct order of God and paid for it with His life.

Those who presume upon God’s goodness thinking God will “overlook” their sin have a rude awakening coming.  Likewise, those who believe that God’s “love” somehow trumps His “holiness” are in for a rude awakening.

This passage provides a “short course on the holiness of God.”  In verse 5 we see that holiness is the true foundation for “real happiness.”  In verses 6-7, and 13, bestows upon us a serious responsibility. Verses 10-12 show us that holy living brings tremendous blessings to our families.  In verse 17-19, we learn that holiness facilitates true fellowship with both man and God.  This entire passage is a short course on the holiness of God and the extreme importance God places upon holy living.

Make no mistake about it:  carelessness in regard to your responsibility to a Holy God has devastating consequences—often eternal consequences.  The Bible says 

^{Hebrews 10:    26} For if we deliberately sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,  ²⁷ but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire about to consume the adversaries.

Then, in verse 31 the Word reinforces the warning in regard to carelessness about God’s holiness:  ³¹ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!

People who truly come to understand that an absolutely holy God, has made provisions to deal with our sin so that we would not have to pay the penalty of eternal death, tend to be “crazy about loving God.”

Crazy Love develops when one understands the incomprehensible majesty of God, and the absolute holiness of God.   There is another realization that surfaces in reading this text in regard to “Crazy Love.”

3.  Crazy Love endures the inevitable SCORN of the world.

The prospect of the Ark being returned to Jerusalem, the City of God, caused joyous pandemonium as we read earlier.  In particular, David went a little crazy when he realized the Ark was coming home to Jerusalem which would forever seal that City as the City of God.

The Ark had been captured by the Philistines years earlier as I pointed out a few minutes ago.  For over 70 years, the Ark had been in the residence of a man called, Abinadab.  When Saul was King, he simply left it there.  Now, under David the Philistines were no longer a threat, and David wanted to return the Ark to Jerusalem, his headquarters.  I’ve mentioned the joyous celebration that was taking place over the return of the Ark, but I’m not sure we totally grasp how “crazy” this made the children of Israel—especially David. 

But, not everybody was into the celebration.  Look at verse 16:

⁶ As the ark of the Lord was entering the city of David,  Saul’s daughter Michal looked down from the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.  Then in verse 20 we read what happened when David got home:  ²⁰ When David returned home to bless his household,  Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. “How the king of Israel honored himself today!” she said. “He exposed himself today in the sight of the slave girls of his subjects like a vulgar person would expose himself.”

Let me pause a minute on those two words, “expose himself.”  Michal meant this as a derogatory remark, but I think there is an application we can make in regard to a positive aspect of our worship of Almighty God.  In order for us to truly worship God we have to “expose ourselves,” that is, we must become a little bit “vulnerable” to God before others.  Many people are too uptight to even raise hands, let alone “dance in a sheer linen ephod.” 

The word “expose” literally means to “take off, like removing a garment.”  But, there is a spiritual application here also.  To expose oneself can mean to “make oneself vulnerable.”

Worship is a matter of vulnerability—of being completely open to God; of even looking a bit “crazy” to others.  This is not something I’ve seen in many worship meetings in the U.S.  I did see it when I was a member of a church in Hawaii.  I did see this type of complete openness to God when I was ministering in a slum in Guatemala.  But, I don’t see a lot of “exposing of ourselves” in our worship services today.  

In his book, “Crazy Love,”  Francis Chan says:  “I hope [this book] affirms your desire for ‘more God’—even if you are surrounded by people who feel they have ‘enough God.’”

The fact is many people are like David’s wife, Michal.  They are offended by the openness that some people display in worship.  Michal represents one of the “enough God” type of people and David represents the “more God” type of people.  I currently find myself acting like an “enough God” person when a deeply desire to be a “more God” kind of person.  But, like many, I have inhibitions!  I don’t want people making fun of me or calling me a “Jesus Freak” or a “religious fanatic.”

Funny how being a “fanatic” is great when it has to do with NASCAR, football, or other past times—but fanaticism is out of bounds when it comes to Jesus.  We don’t want anybody to think we are “crazy in love” with Jesus.

It is interesting that when people were attacking Paul he referred to being “crazy in love” with Jesus (2Cor. 5:12):

¹² Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. ¹³ If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit (NLT)

David’s wife, Michal (who had been given to David by her father Saul when he was king) objected to David’s “foolish” (some translate this word, vulgar) activity of dancing in the streets like a commoner for all to see wearing only a thin linen ephod.  King’s did not usually dance in the street.  It was considered, undignified.

I’m afraid that the pendulum has swung too far the other way in regard to most modern worship:  I think we are too dignified.   I can guarantee you that if you decide to practice “crazy love” in your relationship with Jesus two things are going to happen:  1) God is going to immensely bless your life and bless others through your life, and 2) religious people are going to criticize you.

It’s inevitable:  living a life of crazy love for Jesus and the world will give you its scorn and condemnation—especially those who are religious.  Here’s something else even more troubling:  if you catch fire with a “Crazy Love” for Jesus, the first to scorn you will likely be those in the church.

Throughout the Bible, God’s leaders (those who accepted the call to be the foot soldiers for God) have endured scorn from others.  Each time, scorn resulted in punishment.  In our passage today, Michal scorned David, and would never bear a child because of it (v23).  In Genesis, Miriam scorned Moses and Aaron.  She was struck with leprosy. Some youth scorned and made fun of Elisha the prophet.  A bear came out of the woods and ate them (*****).  Being “crazy in love” with Jesus will bring you the scorn of the world.  You need to trust that God will take care of the scorners on your behalf—you just keep dancing in the streets for Him!

I wish I had more time to really get into this message on “Crazy Love.”  There is so much I’d like to say.  Fortunately, Francis Chan has already said much of what needs to be said in that regard.  I’ve made available copies of his book in the back.  It would be a great read if you aren’t afraid of getting your “religious feelings hurt” a little bit.

Crazy love” is the only “sane” response to a God’s immense majesty and absolute holiness.

Let’s go crazy together.

 

No Buts!

 

January 10, 2021                                 NOTES NOT EDITED
No Buts! Obedience Will Cost You Everything
Luke 9:57-62

SIS: Partial obedience is disobedience that leads to disappointment—following Jesus is an all or nothing proposition.

Here are some actual excuses given to insurance companies to explain a client’s accident.  “A pedestrian hit me and went under my car. The other guy was all over the road. I had to swerve several times to hit him. As I approached the intersection, a stop sign appeared where no stop sign had ever appeared before. I was unable to avoid hitting the other car. The telephone pole was approaching fast. I attempted to swerve out of the way, but it hit the front of my car. To avoid an accident with the other car, I hit the pedestrian.

These excuses are about as silly as many that people use to avoid immediate, all-encompassing obedience to God. The only difference is, making excuses for disobedience has eternal consequences.

To experience the full impact of God’s love and grace in our life requires a full commitment to God’s control of our life.

Today, we are going to meet three people who made excuses for not obeying God.  A man with an UNCOUNTED Cost, a man with an UNBURIED Corpse, and a man with UNFORSAKEN Influences.

There is a great danger in not fully trusting God in your life.  It is amazing how many “excuses” a person can come up with to try to side-step the “costly commitment” of being a disciple of Jesus Christ.  Following Jesus costs much more than most are willing to pay.  So, they make excuses for not following Jesus fully.  There is great danger in not fully trusting the Lord with your life.  The Scripture tells us of three dangers lurking in our excuses for not following the Lord: 

⁵⁷ As they were traveling on the road someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go!” ⁵⁸ Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky  have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” ⁵⁹ Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” “Lord,” he said, “first let me go bury my father.” ⁶⁰ But He told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and spread the news of the kingdom of God.” ⁶¹ Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.” ⁶² But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

 Three men – three excuses. So typical of what we hear today in churches–“I will, but . . .” Jesus words regarding a “Yes, but” attitude cut to the quick: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”     

Wow!  That Smarts.  Jesus isn’t very tolerant of excuses If you haven’t learned already, you soon will that “a person who is good at making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”

Excuse-making places you in perilous territory. Shallow commitment is a dangerous position.  Consider 3 examples:

1.  First, the UNCOUNTED COST—True Obedience
     is not IMPULSIVE (57-58)

⁵⁷ As they were traveling on the road someone said to Him,  “I will follow You wherever You go!” ⁵⁸ Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky  have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.

Jesus was a master at thinning out the crowds. What was he thinking?  Here was an “enthusiastic volunteer” apparently willing to follow Jesus “wherever Jesus went!”  Why then was Jesus so direct and harsh?  Because Jesus knew that temporary enthusiasm is no substitute for thoughtful commitment.  Crowds always followed Jesus.  But, they could scatter as fast as they gathered as soon as the road got a little bumpy.

Over the years, I’ve seen many “discipleship dropouts,” too many in fact. I’ve seen people get caught up in the emotion of the moment, but after the shine of a stirring revival meeting or worship service wore off, so did their commitment. Jesus warns all who would follow to make an “informed consent.”  We all know what that means.  Before a surgery they always have you sign an “informed consent.”  They tell you all the things that could go wrong with the surgery and then you have to give them permission to go ahead. Nobody (unless they ar mentally ill) gets up one day and says, “You know, I think I’ll have gall bladder surgery today.” Serious matters require serious thought.  Jesus wants the same thing from his followers.  Too often, preachers present a “soft version” of the gospel, or make emotional appeals to follow Jesus.  This never lasts.  Jesus said people who jump on the discipleship train without taking great thought for how much it is going to cost—EVERYTHING!—are like seeds sown in shallow soil that sprout quickly but dry up and whither as soon as the sun hits them.  Jesus warns us:  consider how much it is going to cost you to follow me before you jump on board. 

Toward the end of His ministry on earth Jesus sharpened His messages on commitment.  On one occasion Jesus turned to his disciples and spoke of the final judgement saying:

^{Mat 25:31} “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels  ^q with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  ³² All the nations  ^t will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  ³³ He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom  prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you took care of Me; I was in prison and you visited Me.’

Jesus continued saying

{41}"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. {42} For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, {43} I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

The difference in the two groups is that the first counted the cost of commitment and participated with Jesus in the Kingdom.  The second group, on the left, were like the man in our original text who wanted to sign-up in the Army of the Lord, but had not “counted the cost.”

The first example of shallow commitment we face in our text is the example of  the “uncounted cost” – temporary enthusiasm without lasting commitment.   True obedience is not impulsive, but informed.

Nobody should consider becoming a Christian unless you are willing to follow Christ fully—including persecution and perhaps death.  Christianity is not for “sissies.”  The cost of commitment is high.

There is great danger in the UNCOUNTED COST.

2.  Second, the example of the UNBURIED CORPSE—Obedience that is not IMMEDIATE is often EVASIVE (59-60)

Again, Jesus confronts a prospective disciple. This time the disciple agrees to follow Jesus after he takes care of some personal business.  Again, the words of the Lord are sharp and to the point.  Jesus declares:

Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

At first blush, the words of Jesus seem heartless and cruel.  Some scholars have attempted to soften the Lord’s words by suggesting that this was merely a “smokescreen”–an empty excuse.  Some Biblical commentators suggest that the man’s father was neither dead, nor near death. 

But, the Scripture says what it means and means what it says.  Jesus was well aware of the local customs.  Jesus knew that it was a religious and social duty of the son to provide burial services for his father.  In fact, burying your father, according to Jewish law, took precedent over studying the law, killing the Passover sacrifice, or fulfilling the rite of circumcision.  Jesus knew the importance of this man’s worldly obligations.  Yet, Jesus said what He said, anyway.

The man was being evasive and trying to look for an excuse, not accept the responsibility for an honorable duty.  We know this because we know the Jewish burial practices of that day.  They described in detail in ancient writings.  The man’s father was either not dead, or had been dead for a while.  The Jews buried their dead on the day they died.  If the man’s father had died, he wouldn’t have been out and about talking with Jesus—or anyone else.  Then, there was a seven-day morning period.  The body would be buried in what was called the “first burial.”  A year later, the tomb would be reopened and the bones collected into a “bone box” or ossuary and another burial service was held. Was the man trying to “evade Christ’s call upon his life” for a year?  Excuses are simply an attempt to evade difficult decision.  The Unburied Corpse excuse is simply an attempt to evade God’s call to duty.

The whole point of the passage is simply this: To experience the full impact of God’s love and grace in our life our obedience must be immediate. Delayed obedience is disobedience 

Service to God must be our “top priority.” To follow Jesus requires a radical change in allegiance. Following Jesus may even cost us the companionship of friends or family.

One writer sums up these two verses very well.  “Obligations due to the world must yield to those due God.” V. Doren

The words of Jesus reveal the man’s dilemma. “Let the dead bury the dead.” That is, “let others deal with the mundane matters of the day.  You have a higher calling.  So few people ever experience that higher calling to a deeper life.

Jesus recognized the battle that was raging inside this prospective disciple.  The man wanted to follow Jesus, but he didn’t want to give up the life to which he had become accustomed.  He want it all: the things of God and the things of the world.  Sadly, no one can have both.

As William Barclay points out, “The man had stirrings in his heart to get out of his spiritually dead surroundings” but because he hesitated, he never escapes.

Did you know that psychologists have identified clinically what many of us have learned through experience?  If we have a feeling or stirring to do something and we do not act upon it at that time, we most likely will never act on it at all.

For example, how many times have you felt the desire to write someone a letter, send a card, or make a phone call to give them encouragement.  We put it off until tomorrow, and more often than not, we never do it at all.  Psychologists say that when we do this the emotion of the moment becomes a substitute for the action itself.

Jesus very pointedly suggested to the man, and to you and I, that we either act upon the stirring in our heart today and make a full, unreserved break from our past lives, or perhaps we never will.  If we do not make a complete break with the world, we will forever carry around the unburied corpse of our past.

An UNCOUNTED COST and an UNBURIED CORPSE are evidence of a dangerous, shallow commitment to Christ.  We’ve met a man who was IMPULSIVE.  We met a man who was EVASIVE.  Both were disqualified for Christian Discipleship.  Now we meet a man who is INDECISIVE

3.  Third example of delayed obedience, the UNFORSAKEN INFLUENCES—INDECISION (61-62)

⁶¹ Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house.” ⁶² But Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

This man never really commits to following Jesus. He is trying to live with one foot on the dock of the world and one foot in the boat of disciple ship.  That will get you wet every time!  In another place Jesus described this type of person as a “garden full of weeds.” 

¹⁸ [Many are like seed] sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, ¹⁹ but the worries of this age,  the seduction  ^b of wealth,  and the desires  for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful (Mark 4:18-19).

This is the biggest, most devastating “but” all the buts used as excuses for anything less that absolute, all-consuming obedience to God. Churches are literally filled up with people who have “unforsaken influences.”  They really want to go ahead with God but they keep looking back over their shoulder at what they are leaving behind:  all the shiny stuff the world has to offer.  When you look at the field they are plowing for Jesus it looks like it was plowed by a “drunken sailor using a blind donkey.”  The furrows are as crooked as Lombard Street in San Francisco. 

There’s a cliché that says, “You can’t be a little bit pregnant.”  You either is or you ain’t. Well, you can’t be a little bit obedient to Christ.  You either is or you ain’t.  Either you are dead to your old life, or you are not.  Eliminating UNFORSAKEN INFLUENCES is a matter of crucifying your “Old Man (or Woman).”  Paul said it like this: 

When your “Old Man” is dead—he has no more influence over him.  Now, sometimes the “Old Man” is like the villain in a horror story—you know Jason—you have to kill him a couple of times before he stays dead.

If we do not “crucify our old, sinful nature” we will constantly be like a leaf blowing in the wind.  INDECISION will characterize our commitment to Christ.  Our allegiance will be divided.  The Bible calls this, “being double-minded.”  Listen to James 1:5-8:

⁵ Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.  ⁶ But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways.

Here in our text Jesus describes the INDECIVIVE man with UNFORSAKEN worldly INFLUENCES as being “unfit for the Kingdom of God!” (v.62).  OUCH!  Indecisive disciples are like “unsalty salt.”  Jesus said “unsalty salt” is ““no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men.” (Mat. 5:13).

“Trampled under the feet!” Did you know that salt never stops be salt?  Salt is a chemical compound that is not affected by age. It is salt, whether for a day or an age. It loses its savor only by dilution with chemical elements that are foreign to its nature (copied).

The man became unfit for the kingdom by allowing “Unforsaken Influences” to distract him for full obedience to Christ.  Reflect upon that warning by Jesus:  “unfit for the kingdom!”  How many church-goers will be declared “unfit for heaven” because they never completely stepped out of the world and into the ark of God’s grace?

So many “so-called” Christian are not experiencing the full impact of

a relationship with they follow their promise of obedience with a “Big But.”  I’ll follow you Jesus, “but not when it gets hard.” Another says, “I’ll follow you Jesus, but not today.”  Still another says, “I’ll follow you Jesus, but keeps going back to the life of worldliness.”  Some all these “buts” up and Jesus declares, “You are not fit for the kingdom of God.”  (v62).

Obedience to Christ is the most costly pursuit in this world—it literally will cost you everything, even perhaps your life. 

Partial obedience is not good enough.  Delayed obedience is not good enough.  It’s all or nothing.  It’s heaven or hell.  Either you are in the boat or you are in the deep.  To be “almost saved” is to be totally lost.

Discipleship is costly, but a shallow commitment is deadly. Jesus shows us this through the example of the UNCOUNTED COST, the UNBURIED CORPSE, and the UNFORSAKEN FELLOWSHIPS.

So many people are “close” to a full commitment to the Lord.

They have stirrings in their hearts.  So many are “almost persuaded.”

To be Almost Persuaded means entirely lost. It doesn’t matter if you miss heaven by an inch or by a mile, you miss it by eternity. One of the greatest hymn-writers and soloists in the 19^th Century was a man by the name of Philip Bliss.  History records that in the 1870's sinners by the thousands walked the sawdust trail in revival meetings to give their lives to Christ as Philip Bliss sang his songs.  One of his famous hymns, familiar to many of us, Bliss wrote while waiting in a station for a train.  He wrote:

“Almost persuaded” // now to receive;

Almost persuaded” // Christ to receive;

Seems now some soul to say, // “Go, Spirit, go Thy way,

“Some more convenient day, // On thee I’ll call.”

Bliss took his lyrics from Acts 26:28 when Paul stood before King Agrippa, greatgrandson of Herod, being tried for crimes against the state.  Agrippa said sarcastically to Paul, “Almost thou persaudest me to be a Christian.”  Upon that statement of missed opportunity, Bliss built his great hymn while waiting for a train.

Only a short time later while travelling Bliss and his wife were in a train accident returning home to Chicago.  Bliss tore away the debris of the burning twisted wreckage to free himself.  Not finding his wife, he tore his way back in only to die with her at her side.  We never know when some “calamity” may snatch us from this world.  We must be ready.  We must be fully persuaded to be fully saved.  Almost Persuaded will leave us entirely lost.

When it comes to “obedience,” there can be “No Buts!”

Nazareth By Way of Egypt

 

January 3, 2021             NOTES NOT EDITED
Nazareth, By Way of Egypt: God’s Detours Are Not Dead Ends!
Mat. 2:12-23

 SIS—In times of chaos and challenge we can be certain God is still at work in our lives to protect us from harm and prepare us for ministry.

An axiom in mathematics says, “the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.” (Archimedes).  Well, that might work out in mathematics but if 2020 has shown us anything, that axiom does always represent life.  On the journey of our corporate happiness as a nation, 2020 was a “huge detour.”  People don’t like detours.  The take us out of our way.  They hinder our travel.  At least that’s how a detour looks at first glance.  But, what if we looked at detours as a “solution” to our problems rather than a problem?  In fact, that’s exactly what a “detour” is:  a way around an obstacle before us.  Today, we are going to examine a detour in the life of Jesus Christ.  My message is titled:  “Nazareth, By Way of Egypt: God’s Detours Are Not Dead Ends.”  We will learn three important lessons about the Egyptian Detour in the life of our Lord.  ❶God Always Has A Plan.  ❷Things Often Get Worse Before They Get Better.  ❸God Uses Divine Detours to Prepare Us for Greater Ministry

First, lets read of the Lord’s travel to Nazareth By Way of Egypt

❶ God has a Plan (12-15)

Let’s examine first the issue of “dreams” which were a significant element in the birth narrative of Jesus.  Joseph had 4 dreams.  There are only 21 dreams identified in the Bible (not counting visions in the prophets which is something different). Joseph had 20 percent of all the dreams recorded in the Bible.  That makes this a significant part of the birth narrative of the Lord.

 If God as spoken through His Word, first the O.T. and now both Old and New, and He has, why the need to speak in “dreams.”  The idea of divine inspiration coming via dreams has been problematic for philosophers throughout time in both religious and non-religious settings.  Homer, the Classical Poet, said dreams came through two gates.  Good dreams through two gates.  Good dreams came through Ivory Gates and deceitful dreams came through Gates of Horn.

There have only been 21 identified “dreams” in 1,189 chapters in the Bible.  This makes them “rare” but that does not mean “dreams” are insignificant.  Incredibly, of the 21 times dreams are mentioned in the Bible, 4 are in regard to Joseph, the care-taker of Jesus Christ.  Joseph knew the written Word of God which was the Old Testament.  The Bible calls him a “devout and righteous man” (Mt. 1:19).  Yet, God supplemented His guidance of Joseph with dreams.  This is problematic for many evangelical theologians who believe that the “canon”—God speaking to man—has been closed.  Evangelicals rightly reject any “extra-Biblical” material as untrustworthy and unauthoritative. 

Yet, Joseph alone received four dreams.  The Bible also quotes Joel (2:28) the prophet by saying, “And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams” Acts 2:17 (modified by Peter).

 As I mentioned before, even pagan poets like Homer were skeptical of “divine revelation via dreams.”  We should be also today, but that doesn’t rule them out completely.  Always keep in mind that there are only 21 dreams recorded in 1, 189 chapters in the Bible.  That’s instructive.  There can never be any “new doctrine” created by a dream.  In fact, nothing in Joseph’s dreams involved doctrine at all.  The best way I can evaluate “dreams” are: as “special accents in our lives to draw us to listen carefully—very carefully—to God.” Notice that after each of Joseph’s four dreams, they are connected and anchored in a text from God’s Holy Word.  When dreams lead to heresy as they do Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, Christian Scientists, Seventh Day Adventists, and a plethora of false cults, such dreams, and dreamers, should be soundly rejected. 

Now, as I said, Joseph’s dreams are always tied to prophecies concerning God’s plan for Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  Nothing was happening—indeed nothing ever happens—that is not according to God’s eternal plan.  Note verses 15, 18, 23.  All these speak of God’s foreordained, prophetic plan.  At first glance, the entire birth story of Jesus looks chaotic and without any plan.  Remember, Joseph was a carpenter and worked according to precise measurements and blueprints.  Having his “bride to be turn up pregnant” was not according to “the plan”—at least not Joseph’s plan.  Not having a reservation in Bethlehem having to spend the night of the Lord’s birth with animals in a stable, was not according to “the plan”—at least not Joseph and Mary’s plan.  Having to flee with a young child to Egypt because a wicked ruler wanted to kill him was certainly not according to “the plan”—at least not Joseph’s plan.  What seem chaotic and without any discernable plan, was happening EXACTLY according to God’s plan.  Each dream pointed Joseph back to God’s eternal plan prophetically declared centuries, even millennia before. 

God is sovereign and He always has a plan for His people—a plan for you.  One of my Scripture memory verses (among many others) reminds us of this fact:  Jeremiah 29:11.   “For I know the plans I have for you” —this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11, HCSB) 

 When Job’s life fell apart and literally disintegrated before his eyes God reminded Job:  Job 42:2.  “I know that You can do anything and no plan of Yours can be thwarted.” (HCSB) 

The detours in our lives are not “dead ends” because God always has a plan.  Now, there is another important lesson we must learn about detours.  Even though God always has a plan, often 

❷ things often get worse before they get better.

Is there any among us who has not come to the realization that life can get very bad, very fast?  Look at verses 16-18:

“Then Herod, when he saw that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the male children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men. Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be consoled, because they were no more.”

The CSB captures the character of Herod in the words, “flew into a rage.” Herod is one of the most despicable people ever to be born. Think of the vilest term to describe a human being (using that term loosely in regard to Herod the Great), multiply it by 1000 and you have almost described Herod. Most people know Herod the Great as the villain in the Christmas story who murdered all the babies two years old and younger in Bethlehem.  Herod’s murderous bent in life began decades before Bethlehem’s slaughter.  In an interview with famed historian, Dr. David Maier, Herod is described like this:  “[Herod is a] paranoid tyrant who ended up killing three of his sons on suspicion of treason, putting to death his favorite wife (of his ten wives!), killing one of his mothers-in-law, drowning a high priest, and killing several uncles and a couple of cousins. They also talk about Herod’s plot to kill a stadium of Jewish leaders.” Murder was his primary political strategy.

As tragic as Herod’s brutal murder of innocents in Bethlehem was, it was not as large a scale as one might imagine.  The Eastern Orthodox Church places the number of babies killed at 14,000 and Syrian tradition puts the number at 64,000.  Both of these are exaggerations.  At the time of Jesus Bethlehem was a very small town of only about 300 people.  The number of two years old or younger boys would have been 7 to maybe a dozen (Paul Maier).  We know from Josephus, an ancient Jewish historian, that only a few years earlier (7BC) Herod had 300 military leaders killed because Herod suspected the “might” be planning something against him.  Josephus does not record the death of the babies of Bethlehem.  There are perhaps many reasons for this.  For one, even though the murder of one innocent is a horrible tragedy, the fact was, Josephus wrote for a Greco-Roman audience and infant deaths, especially of Jews, would not even raise an editorial eyebrow. 

Consider for example the fact that an innocent baby is slaughtered in the U.S. every 96 seconds and it doesn’t make the news, and that’s about 61 million plus since Roe v. Wade made abortion legal in 1973.

God is pro-life.  He would have made mention of Herod’s slaughter if it had been but one child.  Matthew, in characteristic style, pulls a verse from the prophet Jeremiah to highlight this horrible tragedy (Jer. 31:15; Mt. 2:18).  God put the Holy Family into a detour to protect Jesus from this horrible man Herod.

 Herod died in 4BC.  Verse 19 says, “After Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Get up! Take the child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, because those who sought the child’s life are dead.”

Notice Scripture calls Jesus, “the child,” not “your” child because Joseph is not the father, and the birth story of Jesus always emphasize the identity of Jesus as God’s Son, the Son of God. Notice also “child” is mentioned before mother.  Again, this is to highlight the divinity of Jesus as opposed to the humanity of Joseph AND Mary.

Remember, “often things get worse—sometimes much worse—before they get better!”  Look at verses 21-22, “So he got up, took the child and His mother, and entered the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee.”

There’s an old adage describing the connection between a child and a parent that says, “The nut doesn’t fall far from the tree!” Archelaus was the son of Herod and was as much a murderous monster as his father.  There’s another adage that describes a worsening situation.  It says, “Out of the frying pan and into the fire.”  That’s the situation Joseph found himself in:  from Herod the frying pan to Archelaus the fire!

How about one more cliché? I’m sure you’ve heard the old, “I have some good news and I have some bad news.”  Well, here’s what happened one day when the Doctor entered a patient’s room.  The Doctor said, “Mr. Jones, I have some bad news, and I have some very bad news.”  Mr. Jones sighed and said, “OK, what’s the bad news?”  The Doctor replied clinically, “You have only one day to live.”  Mr. Jones gulped and asked, “Well, what’s the very bad news, Doc?”  The Doctor sort of hung his head and said, “I’m sorry, I forgot to tell you yesterday!”

We all know this lesson too well, “things often get worse before they get better.”  Life is just hard.  So hard sometimes that even a great day of golf can take a bad detour.  Fred came home from a day of golf and his wife said, “Fred, you are home late and you look totally exhausted.  What happened.  Fred said, “It was a horrible day at the golf course.”  Fred went on to explain, “Everything was going fine," he said. "Then Harry had a heart attack and died on the 10th tee." Fred’s wife’s eyes got big and she shrieked, "That's just awful!"  Fred replied, "You're not kidding. For the last nine holes it was the same routine: hit the ball, drag Harry, hit the ball, drag Harry."

If we are going to maintain our trust in God when life takes a detour, we need to realize:  1.  God always has a plan; and 2. Often things get worse before they get better.  There’s a third lesson we need to learn.

❸God Uses Divine Detours To Prepare Us For Greater Ministry

Look at verse 23:  “Then he went and settled in a town called Nazareth to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, that He will be called a Nazarene.” 

All throughout the birth narrative of Jesus, God has directed Joseph according to a Biblical prophesy accented by a dream.  In  22-23 we see that same pattern, but something is a little different.  There is no specific text tied to the prophesy Matthew refers to.  The prophesy of which Matthew speaks seems to be a word-play on the name of the town of Nazareth.

This is most probably an allusion to the “branch prophecies” referring to the Messiah in the O.T., such as Isaiah 11:1.  “Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.”  The word “branch” and the word “Nazareth” share the same Hebrew consonantal root: nzr (נָצַר). All Hebrew words are built on three consonants called the root.  So, consistent with the other “dream accented prophecies” of Joseph, Matthew does the same thing with the reference to a reference to the “branch (nzr) prophecies of the Messiah in the O.T.  Notice Matthew refers to “prophets, plural” rather than a specific prophesy. (See also Isa. 4:2; Jer. 23:5; 33:15).

Another nzr root word (same consonants, different vowels) is, “natsar” (nazar, ts=our z). This means to “watch, keep, or guard” which is a significant theme in the birth story of Jesus.  In Nazareth Jesus would grow (branch) and be guarded until His inauguration into public ministry 26-30 years later. 

It is significant for us to realize that Jesus prepared nearly three decades for 3 years of ministry.  Jesus did not despise the time God sequestered Him away building the Lord’s spiritual strength.  God did this for Moses who spent 40 years tending and leading sheep for his father-in-law before spending 40 years tending and leading God’s sheep in the desert. 

Here’s what one Bible student observed about the life of Paul:  It’s insanely fascinating that Luke, the author of Acts, spends only 16 verses (Acts 9:19-30; 11:25-26, 30; 12:25) describing the first 14 years of Paul’s work in ministry after his conversion and then spends 16 chapters detailing the next 10 years of his life (https://john.do/st-paul-and-14-years-of-preparation).

Benjamin Franklin said, ““By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” The older I get the more I realize that everything I’ve ever done has been to prepare me for what I do next!  Every twist and turn in the detours of life have been God preparing me for what lies ahead.  We only see Jesus at his birth and babyhood, and again when He stayed behind at the Temple on one family pilgrimage to Jerusalem when He was twelve. Here’s how the Bible sums up the life of Jesus in Nazareth—about 26 to 30 years: 

“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.” (Luke 2:52)

There simply is “no substitute” for preparation if you want to be successful in ministry—and, by success I mean that you will one day hear the Lord say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!” (Mt. 25:23).

The best intentions are no substitute for great preparation.  The story I am about to tell is so shocking it will certainly sound like it is made up simply to make a point. It is not. The news story ran in the Orlando Sentinel on April 5, 1988, and also the L.A. Times.  Ivan Lester Macquire was a 35 years old veteran parachutist and camera man.  He was making his third jump of the day, one of over 800 jumps. The camera equipment was bulky and heavy on his back.  Here’s what one person reported:  He (Macquire) had jumped from a plane along with numerous other skydivers and filmed the group as they fell and opened their parachutes. On the film shown on the telecast, as the final skydiver opened his chute, the picture went berserk. The announcer reported that the cameraman had fallen to his death, having jumped out of the plane without his parachute. It wasn’t until he reached for the absent ripcord that he realized he was freefalling without a parachute.” I am sure you know what happened next after a jump from 10,000 feet with no parachute.

This tragically proves the point that “preparation for ministry is absolutely essential.” God protected Jesus and prepared Him for almost three decades to complete a three-year ministry.

Never despise the detours in life but look for the lessons God is teaching you and listen for His voice to tell you your next step. 

Jesus and His family arrived at their destination, Nazareth, via a detour through Egypt.  God’s detours are not dead ends.  ❶God always has a plan;  ❷Things often get worse before they get better;  and ❸God uses the detours of our lives to prepare us for greater ministry.