Three Lessons
Jeremiah and Matthew
We live in a world of people wrapped up in themselves, running from here to
there, trying desperately to be significant, have the cool things, to look good,
to impress! It is driving us crazy. And the world offers numerous ways for us
to deal with this craziness. Most of them tell you to help yourself. Self help
is a booming business. I did a search on Google and found 33,400,000
websites concerning “self-help”… You’d think with all this help we’d have it
together… but we don’t…
That became readily apparent to me when I got discharged from my job at Point
Loma Nazarene University on Monday. I thought I had it all together there: I
was doing a great job dealing with problems in the department, I had benefits
that really took care of my family, I had an ocean view, and finally an abrupt
goodbye.
While I was at Point Loma I started reading through the book of Jeremiah. Now
Jeremiah is not a happy book, it was written by the weeping prophet whose name
is most probably translated as “the Lord throws.” Other more comfortable
suggestions include “the Lord exalts” or “the Lord establishes”, but when you
read the book of Jeremiah… the name “the Lord throws” just fits… He was thrown
into a society that no longer had their hearts set on God and was told to tell
them that God would no longer tolerate being ignored. He wanted the hearts of
His people.
Here are word written by the prophet who cared more about the hearts of his
people than life, about truth rather than telling people what they wanted to
hear, a message about our need for repentance and utter trust in God. He didn’t
like the message of destruction, not many of us do, but he loved God in the
midst of the struggles of following Him. Read Jeremiah 5:20-31.
The problems that people, all people, have with God are not God’s problems, they
are our own. We have decided that our plans are better more desirable than
God’s; that our plans are wiser and more suited to us… later in Jeremiah the
Lord says this…
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for
you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to
give you hope and a future.”
But we ignore God’s plans when we make our own. Gilbert Chesterton said this,
“(Christianity) has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found
difficult and left untried.”
So all of us are caught up in the dilemma: our plans or God’s.
1)
Lesson #1 – You are not #1!
11:25-26 -
Matthew (11:25) At that time Jesus said, "I praise you,
Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the
wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. (11:26) Yes, Father, for
this was your good pleasure.
a)
What Jesus
says here goes against the mantra of mankind... "It's all about me, about
how I look and act! How well I get it or make people think I’ve gotten it!" So often it seems that our lives are wrapped up in getting it right... or
wrong…
b)
But Jesus'
prayer says that what he has is for the babies... the ones who look at the world
with eyes of amazement! Willing to embrace the grace and wonder of God!
i)
That's a shift
in priorities... at least for those of us who have our degrees or have worked
hard to "get it right."
(1)
It goes
against our innate valuing system, that most basic mantra of human kind:
"It's all about me!"
(a)
But most of
us, if we are honest, are insecure, are looking for a way out; we just don't
want to admit it...
(b)
We hide behind
our degrees and accomplishments, our bluster and attitudes, or the clever talk
and plans.
(2)
Or some of us
just drop out and give up on life... on others and ourselves. Our choices in
life lead us into those dark and lonely places.
ii)
But God’s plan
leads us into the warm and wonderful embrace of the God of wonder.
(1)
Yet often
times in this world we like to squirm in the arms of God… Like a toddler we see
little “goodies” that make us want to jump from His arms.
(2)
Now you may
think I just blew my argument, I used the idea that children want to jump out of
the arms of God, but think of what children chase after:
(a)
Normally it is
the good stuff that God has given us, puddles and mud and candy and stuff to
play with.
(b)
It is adults
that “wisely” squirm from God to chase after the bad stuff, addictions, power
and pleasure that quickly turns to perversion, and our own plans and our pipe
dream security.
(c)
Children love
to run around in the wonder of creation, we fight to master it.
c)
So let me
remind you of something you might have forgotten, never thought about or have
utterly rejected: You are not #1, God is!
i)
Understanding
that puts us in a right place with God no matter your circumstances.
ii)
Understanding
that allows you to love people no matter the circumstances.
iii)
Understanding
that even allows you to love yourself, no matter the circumstances.
iv)
Realizing that
God is #1 and that His plan is what matters sets you free to live with God,
people and yourself in ways that transcend the disappointments of life.
2)
Lesson #2 - It’s All About Jesus!
(11:27) "All
things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the
Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son
chooses to reveal him. (See also Colossians 1:16-17,in Him all things hold
together!)
a)
It’s not about me, about us getting it, doing it right, pasting on the
smiles and looking cool!!! All things are Christ’s… He’s in control of ALL
THINGS!
i)
Lesson #1 is handed to Jesus. Jesus is #1. He and the Father are one.
ii)
When we look around at this world we see people fighting for control.
(1)
Control of other people,
(2)
Control of more and more stuff.
(3)
And control of people.
(4)
None of this works because, WE ARE NOT IN CONTROL! Knowing that does two
things:
(a)
First it allows you to let go of all the striving after things and
control over situations. You can be content because in a sense you have no
other way to be content unless picking a fight with God is your idea of
contentment.
(b)
And second, this sense of contentment allows us to realize an incredible
thing about Jesus. Jesus, the Risen Christ, living and present right here and
now, accepts you as you are and not as you think you should be.
(c)
The grace of Christ accepts us and moves us forward.
b)
Jesus knows us and he knows the answer! He knows because He and the
Father are one… they are in perfect relationship with each other… They are ONE!
i)
And this oneness all comes together here…
(1)
God is Jesus, so Jesus can give Real Life to us!
(2)
He has the power and the desire…
c)
It’s not about me getting it! It’s about me being given it…
i)
It’s all about Jesus! And letting Him become priority #1.
ii)
He has all things under control… be content in Him!
3)
Lesson #3 – Contentment and Real Life Come only through Christ… (11:28)
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
a)
So often we think our lives are all about resolutions, plans and
implementing decisions! About being successful or making people think we are!
i)
It’s a horrible thing we do to ourselves… chasing after the stuff that
will never make us really happy
ii)
Are you tired, weary and hungry... is there a part of you that is saying,
'”Is this all there is?
iii)
It isn't an easy life that Christ offers us, it is real life,
life that led to the cross, pain and agony, and even loneliness that bought and
paid our way into a relationship with God... He doesn’t say, “get it all
together, and once you’ve reached the minimum requirements, you can come…”
b)
He simply
says, “Come to me…”
i)
I know you’re tired, you’re weary and burdened… come to Jesus
(1)
But that’s so hard; we have so much invested in ourselves!
(2)
This week I lost a job that I thought would give me all that I needed and
more, God had some different ideas. I was busy “Coming to security… coming to
Point Loma… that if I had stayed there I think I would have become content in
something much less real than the contentment Christ offers.
(3)
Jesus says, “I will give you rest…real
rest for your souls... eternal rest!
(a)
Not a vacation type of rest, but continual rest,
(b)
Even in the midst of disappointment and trials…
c)
And then live a life of active contentment.
(11:29) Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in
heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (11:30) For my yoke is easy and my
burden is light."
i)
For this to work you really need to buy into all of these lessons, to buy
deeply into them. Not because you have to, but because they are true.
ii)
Some like to say that this truth is hard… well that’s because they live a
me-oriented life, a life that places Christ out of the picture or in the corner;
and who believe that contentment is always around the next corner.
iii)
Truth is the easiest way in the long run. Sure we can escape it for a
moment or two, but lies and delusions always catch up to us.
(1)
When we trust in the truth of the cross and Christ’s actions then we are
caught up in the reckless abandon of God.
(a)
We know that God is in charge not us, so we can be reckless in following
Him.
(b)
We know that life is all about Jesus and what He did, so we live grace in
the midst of our humanity.
(2)
And we can find contentment in our lives that are often a strange journey
filled with twists and turns… some of which feel utterly overwhelming… but are
made straight by Christ.
iv)
Now you don’t
have to understand it all now, that’s a corollary to lesson #1, You are not #1,
you simply have to realize that it IS all about Jesus, that He knows the plans
He has for you and that contentment is found only in Him.
(1)
So will you let
go of the stranglehold you have on your life and follow and learn from Christ,
(2)
I dare you to
get caught up in the solid and yet reckless abandon of the love of God through
Jesus Christ!
Contact Information
- HighlandsCC Telephone
- 619-667-4337
- FAX
- 619-667-4337
- Postal address
- P.O. Box 1954, Spring Valley, CA 91979
- Electronic mail
- General Information:
alan@highlandscc.net
Webmaster:
alan@highlandscc.net
