From Sampler to Sower

The coming of Epiphany also marks the beginning of second semester for our school students.  And it marks the end of Christmas break and the return of our weekly youth services.  So, here it is, our first Week in Review of 2009.

Mythbusters: Water's Edge

Weekly Teaching Series: Mythbusters: Water’s Edge

Message Title: Myth #1: It’s the motions that matter

Sermon in a Sentence: It’s time to stop going through the motions of Christianity and begin seeking God as our first priority and greatest desire.

Text(s): Deuteronomy 4:29, 1 Samuel 13, 2 Chronicles 15, Matthew 5:6, 7:7-8

Weekend Scale of Difficulty: 10 of 10; This was a lot of fun, but a lot of work.  Christmas Break was blessing and curse.  Gave us some extra time to get our Christmas set down and the Mythbusters set up, but vacation also ate up some of that extra time.  Also, a we launched a series of in-house Mythbusters episodes which added a lot to the complexity.

Mythbusters Set, for more info and higher res, click on picture.

Message Summary: This message in a nutshell was the tale of two kings, Saul (of Israel) and Asa (of Judah).  Saul became king of Israel during a time of war and unrest.  He was anointed by the prophet Samuel who gave him some pretty clear instructions: “Go to Gilgal and wait.  In seven days I will come and we will offer sacrifices.  But don’t do anything until I come and tell you what to do.”  Saul obeyed – gathering the armies of Israel to do battle with the Philistines.

When they arrived they were shocked and awed by the enemy facing them – 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers and more soldiers than they could count.  The soldiers of Israel are scared, but Saul tells them “Just wait, Samuel’s coming.”

The only problem was Samuel never came.  Seven days pass and still no Samuel.  Saul’s desperate.  All the soldiers Saul convinced to “just wait seven days” are now beginning to desert.  Soon he won’t have any army left.

So a desperate Saul takes action.  He takes it upon himself to offer the sacrifices – a major no-no because he is not a priest and he is disobeying Samuel’s instructions.  And just as he is finishing up, Samuel arrives.  (If only he’d waited just a little longer . . .)

Samuel wants to know what’s happening and Saul makes some pretty good excuses.   “I knew I couldn’t do this on my own.  I knew I needed to seek God’s help and direction.  I couldn’t afford to go into battle without God’s help . . .”

But Samuel doesn’t buy it.  And he calls Saul on it.  “If only you’d waited, God would have established your kingdom forever.  But because you sinned, God has already chosen your replacement.”

Saul fell for our first myth – it’s the motions that matter.

He had the motions down.  The problem wasn’t with the sacrifices themselves.  It was the same thing Samuel would have done if he had been there.  The problem was with the disobedience in which he went through the motions.  He apparently believe that it was going through the motions that mattered in God’s eyes.

Of course we’d never make that mistake.  In fact, we have the phrase “going through the motions” because we understand how inadequate and unacceptable such behavior is.

Except we do fall for that myth.

• We sing songs without ever considering the words.
• We’re quick to defend the Bible, but slow to read it.
• We claim concern but we never act.
• We dress in our Sunday best, and then live our weekday worst.

And worst of all, we seem to thing that God is happy with our hypocrisy.

We might claim that we know going through the motions isn’t enough, but our actions betray a different truth.

We fall for the same myth that Saul saw busted in a big way.

Which brings us to our second king, who really was the third King of the Southern Kingdom.  Asa.

In many ways, Asa was much like Saul.

• He became king in a time of military conflict.
• He knew he couldn’t do it on his own.
• He got instructions from a prophet
• He sought God, banishing idols, rebuilding the altar, offering sacrifices.

But despite the fact that like Saul he sought God by offering sacrifices, unlike with Saul, God responded by giving him peace and stability throughout his reign.  God told Saul, “You will never know peace.”  God tells Asa “There will be no more war.”

What’s the difference.  It’s found in 2 Chronicles 15:15.  “All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them.”  Note the two key words there.  Wholeheartedly.  Eagerly.  Literally “with all their heart and with all their desire.”

Unlike Saul, who just went through the motions, Asa and the people of Judah made seeking God their first priority and their greatest desire.

And God honors that kind of pursuit.  See what God promises in Deuteronomy 4:29.  Read what Jesus says about hungering and thirsting, about seeking and finding in the Sermon on the Mount.  God promises that he will honor those who seek him with all their heart and all their desire.

We ended with a challenge to stop going through the motions and make seeking for God our first priority and greatest desire.

Volunteer/Student Involvement: Had students involved heavily this week, and we’re beginning to see some added adult help as well.  Though we really need to build on this beginning.

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: We decided for the Mythbusters series we’d make our own series of Mythbusters episodes, of course with a tongue and cheek twist.  They don’t necessarily have anything to do with the messages – although next weeks might get worked in – they’re just there to set the scene and have some laughs.  Here’s this week’s episode.

Worship Set: Son of God, Holy is the Lord, Famous One, You Never Let Go

Favorite Moment: I had a blast this week before services.  I did manage to keep my resolution (#7 in particular) though with all the start up work associate with our first service in this series, I wasn’t as free before services as I want to be.  However, I did have time to hang out with teens before both services and really enjoyed the interaction.