Disjointed Thoughts on Pain

Years ago I read a book written by C.S. Lewis called, "A Grief Observed". The book stands out amongst his other works, in my opinion, as being hard to follow and a bit disjointed. If you are not familiar with C.S. Lewis, then you are really missing out. His book, "Mere Christianity" is one of my all time favorites, as well as his more famous fantasy stories about children who are whisked away to the land of Narnia. 

Wikipedia defines "A Grief Observed" as "...a non-fiction reflection from author and theologian C.S. Lewis on the process of grieving for his wife, who died of cancer after three years of marriage. He keeps a journal throughout the months immediately following and very candidly describes his resulting anger and bewilderment at God, his observations of his impressions of life and his world without her, and his process of moving in and out of stages of grieving and remembering her. He ultimately comes to a revolutionary redefinition of his own characterization of God, and gains the ability to live gratefully for the gift of a true love as long as he was enrolled in that particular education."

Perhaps "A Grief Observed" wasn't my favorite read, because... I couldn't relate to it?

"A Grief Observed" reminds many of another famous work of Lewis',  a book he authored twenty years prior, called simply, "The Problem of Pain". That was a book that sought to provide theory behind the pain in the world. It was a book I purchased and read when first entering ministry, as I am sure many young and inspiring ministers do in order to perhaps be able to muster up a possible answer to the overwhelming amount of hurt that we are inevitably faced with in our work. "The Problem of Pain" is wonderful, because it is the writing of an immense mind on a subject that is extremely difficult to deal with in Christianity. As a matter of fact, most books out today on the subject of  "Why bad things happen to good people", are little more than Lewis' words rehashed. My point... people love what Lewis proposed, his 'theory', in "The Problem of Pain".

Then, twenty years passed. The love of Lewis' life passed away. And all of a sudden, the theories that all made sense and that everyone said a hearty "amen!" to, became super difficult to apply for Lewis. That's why "A Grief Observed" seemed so disjointed to me. Because trying to navigate through intimately painful situations, and fitting your feelings and doubts into the belief system you've always had... is tough.

I think I get "A Grief Observed" better today. 

I always admired that Lewis was so transparent about his personal wrestling with God in the book, but now it means something even more. It is a life-lesson for me. It reminds me that sometimes life is really hard. Sometimes random verses from the Bible don't help. Sometimes God seems silent. Sometimes God answers the prayers of others exactly like they desired Him to, and sometimes He doesn't do that for you. Sometimes there are just a lot of tears and no one is there to physically wipe them away. Sometimes it can seem very lonely. Sometimes the promise of a 'future hope' just doesn't cut it. 

These are all things that Lewis 'vented' about.

Do you know what's so interesting to me? Some of Lewis' greatest fans, after reading this book, thought he had lost his faith, while some of his biggest critics felt it was his most authentic writing. This is where I see the danger one encounters when seeking to be transparent... and genuine. Those who enjoy and buy into the 'theories' and the 'beliefs' often do not want to stare into the face of life's most tragic moments and then reconcile them with what they've believed. Whereas, often it is the critic who is simply looking for authenticity... proof of the reality of God. They find it hard to accept a God who rescues, saves, heals, and fights for the lost and hurting when they see so many still lost and hurting. But you know what they can relate to... and even admire? A person who readily admits that life is painful... and it doesn't make a whole lot of sense sometimes. A person who doesn't wear a false mask of joy when sorrow is gripping the depths of their soul... all behind trite phrases like, "God is good all the time! All the time God is good!"

In Lewis' "A Grief Observed" we read a man who is seriously hurting, and yes, even questioning. It's like you can feel how hard it is for him to balance what he has always known to be true about God, amidst the anguish of losing his wife to cancer. However, after the venting and the long bouts of silence, crying, and depression... we read him gradually reaccepting the theories and truths he had previously written about. He concludes that suffering is ultimately necessary... even in the lives of those who call upon the name of The Lord.

But, make no mistake, there is a huge difference in his writing after the twenty years. He no longer sounds like an 'immense mind' who has all the answers, but rather a broken vessel who has found that trusting God has much more to do with leaning on Him in the valley of the shadow of death, than clinging to the beliefs and theories we have aligned ourselves with.

I'm thankful for God. I'm grateful for the truths of His Word that are buried deep within my soul. But when my wife is in constant agony, and nothing I, or anyone else, seem to do or say is helpful... when every prayer seems to be ignored... when I'm alone in the dark and listening to her cry...

It hurts. 

Jesus wept too.  (John 11:35)

I know. 

Now however, I think He wept, not because He was upset that Laz's sisters didn't have faith, but because when you see someone you love in that much pain...it stinks.

Desperately Seeking Soothin'

We’re talking about church… what it is, what it is not. Last week we began looking at the church as not some ‘place’… or even as an ‘option’. We began to see that ‘church’ is not only a place you attend, but a thing that we ‘are’.  The church… is us. We also saw that being a disciple… a totally committed, radical follower of Jesus… means also being totally and radically committed to the local church.

That commitment starts with simply ‘being here’… but it goes beyond all that, right? It means becoming involved with other God-followers… living life with them… ministering with them, alongside them… even at times, to them.

Listen, maybe that seems a bit overwhelming to you – that idea that you are seen as a minister. Don’t let it be, it’s really just about faithfully serving the people God has placed in your life. The apostle Paul said it like this…

Galations 6:1-2 – HCSB

“Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so you also won’t be tempted. Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Ministry can sound intimidating until you understand what it really is all about. Maybe you think you could never get up in front of a group of people and preach a sermon... Maybe you think you could never lead a small group in your home… Maybe you think you could never start a ministry to the homeless in downtown Kansas City like Dave and Bonnie Smith have done with Northland Compassion... But do you know people who struggle with doing the wrong things? Do you know people who are carrying heavy burdens? If so, then your first steps toward ministry are easy: help them.

The truth is; we don’t really like getting involved in other people’s problems. We’ve got problems of our own, right? Why take on other’s junk, when we have a whole heap of junk that is our own that we already have to deal with? But the reason is simple: God calls us to help other people. He created us to function this way. And if that’s true… then your problems aren’t just your problems – ultimately, they belong to the church body that God has placed you in. You are called to encourage, challenge, and help the other Christians in your life, and they are called to do the same for you.

If you wait until all of your own issues are gone and dealt with before you start helping others, guess what? You’ll never help others. Lots of people fall into that false way of thinking… and they totally miss out on something that is really awesome and beautiful; being a part of someone else’s healing.

See, here’s the deal: We are family (…I got all my sisters with me…We are family …get up everybody and sing). The Church consists of those that are the children of God… brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. And a huge part of this whole ‘church’ thing… is to be there for each other…to care for each other.

Let me show you a real example of this in Scripture…

Genesis 4:1-12 – HCSB

Adam was intimate with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have had a male child with the Lord’s help.” Then she also gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel became a shepherd of flocks, but Cain worked the ground. In the course of time Cain presented some of the land’s produce as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also presented an offering—some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but He did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he looked despondent. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you furious? And why do you look despondent? If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s guardian?” Then He said, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground! So now you are cursed, alienated, from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood you have shed. If you work the ground, it will never again give you its yield. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”

The Bible is really awesome, and many times its message is super easy to understand… and sometimes it can be a bit more difficult. Many times understanding the context and culture of the day helps us in understanding things better. One thing that can be super important when reading the Bible, especially major portions of the Old Testament, is to understand that the exact wording that is used is often critical… and often poetical. Often, a story that was told had a pretty obvious meaning, but many times there was sort of a ‘hidden’ meaning as well… a ‘subtle’ message that would be conveyed in the ‘way’ the story was told.

For instance, often when a word is repeated over and over in a particular story, its to make a point in a subtle way. The first time we read the word "brother" in the bible (ach, in Hebrew) is when Eve gave birth to Abel after first having Cain. It says, "then she also gave birth to his brother Abel..."  (Genesis 4:2) showing that the first person in all of the Bible to be a brother to someone else is Abel, and the first person to have a brother is Cain.

Interestingly, in these first verses of Genesis chapter 4, the word brother is repeated seven times, and the middle time is in God's question, "Where is your brother Abel?" Remember… the writers in these days were very sensitive to word repetition and pattern, and to repeat a word seven times tells us something… it emphasizes its centrality to the story.

The unspoken message is that God's question, "Where is your brother Abel?" is central and very important - Abel is the first brother, and the only brother to Cain, and Cain is responsible for him. Cain's response, the first words after Abel's murder, shows that he has rejected his responsibility to his one and only brother.

Another interesting thing about the Bible, is that it often uses the first of a kind to represent all of that kind. For example, Adam is the first man so he becomes the representative of all mankind. With this in mind then, one of the take-home messages of this famous story is that all who are human are our brothers… and we ARE our brother's guardians. The minute we forget that, sin starts to crouch at our door and we start moving down a path toward evil that may even lead toward hatred… and murder.

What would happen if we really viewed other human beings… as our brothers… as those we were to seriously guard… and care for? Listen, I understand that this totally goes against all that our culture is shoving down our throats right now. Modern culture emphasizes materialism, and as we talked about last week… individuality, to the point of amazing self-centeredness.

“It’s all about ME” is the message of the day… to the point where materialism and consumerism prey on answering every need of ours. If we want something… we can absolutely find a way to have it. We want what we want, and we want it right now! For example, think about the biggest money-making part of the entertainment industry in our time: pornography. What exactly does pornography do? Answer: It feeds on the fleshy desires within us to use others’ bodies for our own pleasure. It’s a completely ‘selfish’ thing that brings much destruction with it. Do you know why? Because, at its very core, it devalues other human beings… it feeds that part of a person that is selfish and inwardly-focused.

Gang, only when we are reminded that other humans are our brothers, and that we must love our brothers as ourselves, will we begin to live as God wants us to. Once again… a huge part of this whole ‘discipleship’ thing… this whole ‘church’ thing… is to be there for each other…and to care for each other.

How is God asking you to stretch out of your own comfort zone… and practically show His love to someone else?

Who has God planted in your world that you can help? Who can you carry?

Galations 6:2 – HCSB

“Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Happy Birthday Mom!

Patrons Ain't - [Being the Church part 1]

Most of you know that my wife has been very sick. We continue to wait upon the Lord for wisdom on how to get her better, or simply a touch from Him. Again, I want to thank all of those who are keeping my wife and our family in your prayers. Your love, encouragement, and especially your prayers have been what is helping pull us through this difficult season. Sometimes, when a disciple is going through a difficult time, it is easier to simply back away from the walk of faith, from the call of God… take a ‘time-out’, in a sense. This week I have found myself in God’s Word, and being reminded by it of the importance of not backing down… of the importance of my own calling… to be the pastor of this wonderful body of believers.

I’ve been reading Scriptures such as…

Hebrews 13:17

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”

1 Peter 5:2-8

“Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but freely, according to God’s will; not for the money but eagerly; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. In the same way, you younger men, be subject to the elders. And all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you. Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.”

Titus 1:5-9

The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town: one who is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of wildness or rebellion. For an overseer, as God’s administrator, must be blameless, not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not addicted to wine, not a bully, not greedy for money, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled, holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it.

I don’t take lightly the extreme honor that it is to be called ‘pastor’… or the great responsibility that comes with it. Having said that, I so appreciate that this body allows me to also maintain my responsibility to my wife and family. You all have loved us immensely. The truth is, I’ve been serving the Lord, in ministry, since 1989… however, it seems that only in the past year have I truly seen what, I believe, God meant by ‘the Church’.

I think that most people have a false idea of what ‘church’ is really all about. They see it as a building… or a social club. They act as though it is an option. The truth is; it is God’s main strategy for reaching the world! Our theme this year is ‘DISCIPLE’, and I’d suggest that it’s impossible to make disciples aside from the Church of Jesus.

You see, there’s something about our culture that tends to look up to the loners… the Lone Rangers. Most of our heroes are self-sufficient, and they walk alone. Even in Christianity we see this, right? We hear Jesus’ call to take up our cross and follow Him, and we decide to follow Him regardless of what anyone else says or does. That’s awesome… but we have to be careful too. Because, while every individual needs to obey Jesus’ call to follow, we cannot follow Jesus as individuals. The proper context will always be… with others… with His Church.

We read this a few weeks ago, but remember in Matthew 28 when Jesus told us to go and make disciples, and “teach… them to observe everything I have commanded you”? Well, Jesus ‘commanded’ a lot of different things. All throughout the New Testament we’re told to do stuff for “one another”. Love one another, pray for one another, encourage one another, etc. How exactly are we supposed to do that if we’re alone? How do we do that if we’ve got no one to love, pray for, or encourage? It’s sorta impossible to “one another” yourself. Can we honestly really say that we ‘follow Jesus’, if we don’t do the stuff He commanded us?

The Church is Jesus’ idea. He created it. He’s building it (Matthew 16:18). It’s how He is going to accomplish His mission. Church isn’t a building. It isn’t a social club. It really isn’t an option.

Sometimes a person who has the wrong idea about what ‘the Church’ really is, will approach it as though it were simply a place to “go”… like it’s just a building.

When they say, “I’m going to church” what they mean, many times, is that they are going to go and put in some time at a specific building… and sorta do their religious duty for the week. They approach church like they would a restaurant or a store. They’re there to ‘get something out of it’… or to ‘fulfill some type of obligation’. They are basically… patrons.

The dictionary defines ‘Patron’ as, “a person who is a customer, client, or paying guest, especially a regular one, of a store, hotel, or the like.”

Doesn’t that sound like how a lot of folks view their relationship with ‘church’?

I’d suggest that God never called any of us to simply be ‘patrons’. He’s calling us... to be a ‘part’.

In the New Testament, at one point, 3,000 people all of a sudden gave their lives to Christ. It was awesome! These were people who lived all over the region, and were only in town for a particular feast, when God’s Holy Spirit totally blew them away. Can you imagine that many people finding Jesus all at once? They were hungry to learn more and to grow in their faith!

We’re told that they actually started living communally [not that everyone is supposed to live in communes today, but at that time, because they had come from so many different places that were so far away – without cars and trains and planes to travel back and forth to the big city – they would bunk together and share their stuff]. Why?

Because they were hungry to learn and grow in their new-found faith. Check it out…

Acts 2:42 – HCSB

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers.”

This was Church! This was a group of people who devoted themselves to eating together, praying together, and the ‘apostles teaching’. They weren’t just dabbling in God’s Word… they were devouring it! They wanted more and more! The devoted themselves to ‘the fellowship’. The Greek word for ‘fellowship’ is ‘koinonia’, which means ‘communion,’ or ‘communication’.

In most of today’s Christian culture, a common approach to studying the Bible is to have a quiet time where we isolate ourselves in solitary study. I do this… and I love it, to be honest…but there is more!

In Jesus' community-oriented culture, they had a very different approach. From Jesus' time until today, students in Jewish religious schools have always studied in pairs - discussing, arguing and grappling with the text together. When one doesn't understand, the other explains, and together they think of possible interpretations and other Bible texts that help in understanding.

I found a well-known saying, “If you want to truly study the Scriptures you should get yourself a teacher (rabbi) and get yourself a friend (haver)." (Pirke Avot 1:3). The word haver (hah-VAIR) is loosely translated "friend", but more specifically refers to a partner in studying God's Word. Anyone who has been a part of a good Bible study group knows that the bonds between haverim are often deep and strong. By spending time discussing God's Word and praying for each other's burdens, people quickly become very close. The testimonies of how their lives are impacted by their studying reinforces what they are reading in the Bible, giving real-life examples to inspire one another.

Listen, I’m not saying that we can’t hear God speak to us when we are alone… sitting next to a river, or taking a hike in the mountains, or even watching a great sermon preached on TV. 

However, sometimes we need to realize that God's Spirit often speaks best through other people. God desires that we live in community and love Him together -- not turn inward, ignore others, and only seek Him when we’re alone. 

The rabbis of Jesus' time had a fascinating way of describing this. They said, "When two sit together and exchange words of Torah, then the Divine Presence dwells with them.” (Pirke Avot 2:3) Does that sound familiar to you? It should. It seems that Jesus wanted to reinforce this to His own followers, telling them that for eternity, His Spirit would be with them in their assembling as a body too. He said, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them” (Matt 18:20).

God cares about the way we love each other and the way we pursue His mission. The church is a group of messed up, but totally redeemed people that live and serve together in such a way that their lives and communities are transformed. What matters is our interaction with the people God has placed in our lives. If we are not connected with other Christians, serving and being served, challenging and being challenged, then we are not living as He desires, and the Church is not functioning as He intended.

I truly think the Bible makes it clear that being a disciple and making disciples involves committing our lives to a local church where we are joined together with other believers to grow in the likeness of Jesus and to express the love of Christ to the world around us.

Hebrews 10:24-25

“And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

Gang, I need you. I’m not sure where I’d be right now without my Church family. I’m truly grateful for you… and for the greater body of Christ that we are a part of.

There is so much about the Church… what God desires of it… what it can and should be… that we don’t have time for today. So, we’ll be taking a look at what it means to ‘be the Church’ for the next few weeks… because it’s important. We’ll spend more time thinking about ‘bearing each other’s burdens’ and so much more.

Today, I pray that none of us would settle for being spectators…  or patrons only… but that we’d see that being totally committed followers of Jesus also means being totally committed to the local church. It’s something that is not only good for us and will help us in being radical disciples, but also help us reach this world with the tremendous love of Jesus Christ.

For What It's Worth

Today we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of one of Jesus’ more famous parables… and my personal favorite. Last week I shared that this parable, which has three distinct parts, is often thought to be three separate parables when in reality it is a singular parable that Jesus is telling. The first part, we talked about last week: the lost sheep. The second part, we’ll dig into tonight: the lost coin. The third part, we’ll get to later: the lost/prodigal son. These three parts are like three stanzas to a singular song, or three acts of a singular play. They are three… in one… and therefore are a pretty cool picture of our God, Who is also Three in One. The Shepherd who goes searching for the lost sheep, we saw last time is a beautiful picture of the Son, Jesus. Today we will look at the second aspect of this parable, and the second Person of the Trinity; the Holy Spirit.

Luke 15:8-10 – HCSB

“Or what woman who has 10 silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she finds it, she calls her women friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the silver coin I lost!’ I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”

Jesus is a master story-teller. When He spoke, everyone listened. He had a way of engaging His audience and speaking on the exact level where they were at. He’s just used an example of a Shepherd and a lost sheep, which many of the men in the crowd would have been able to relate to. Even if they weren’t currently shepherds, they had all dealt with them, or perhaps as a teenager had worked as a shepherd during the summers (that was a joke… albeit a baaaaaaad one).

Now Jesus uses a second example, this time He will engage another segment of His audience: the women. He paints this word-picture of a woman frantically looking for a coin she has lost. You get this sense of sheer panic, as she lights a lamp, sweeps the entire house, moves furniture, does whatever she can to find this one, single coin.

He’s brilliant. He knows how to make His point so well, and how to use illustrations that will capture His audiences’ attention, but also drive home the point that God is drastically different than many of the Jews had previously perceived Him to be. You see, God doesn’t merely tolerate sinners and let them go their own way. He seeks to rescue them. And He doesn’t give up when they don’t respond to Him. He keeps up the pursuit!

This was big-time contrary to most of the Israelites’ view of Jehovah the Lawgiver. No Pharisee had ever dreamed of a God like that. A great Jewish scholar has admitted that this is the one absolutely new thing which Jesus taught men about God – that God actually sought and searched for men passionately. Most Jews of that time would have probably agreed that if a man came crawling home to God in shame and sorrow, kneeling before God praying that He’d have pity on them, God would probably give it; but most would never have conceived of a God who went out to search for sinners.

The reason this woman is such an awesome example of this truth is because Jesus’ illustration would have seriously hit home with all the women in the crowd. You see, in Hebrew households  of the time, when a woman was first married she’d drill holes in coins and string them together onto a silver chain into a fancy headdress. She’d then wear them across her forehead as a public announcement of her marriage… much like an engagement ring or wedding ring is worn today.

Because it sometimes took years to save these coins, losing one would be similar to losing the diamond out of your wedding ring – a loss not only because of the monetary value, but because of the sentimental value. As a matter of fact, the headdress was unique to each woman and it was so undeniably hers that it couldn’t even be taken from her to pay off a debt.

My point is that it is not like this is just some coin… even though it was probably worth a man’s full day’s wage. This coin didn’t just represent ten percent of her income that she had lost. It was something very, very precious to her! This woman is willing to go all out, and really search for this thing… because it was precious.

Back then, to light a lamp at night was an expensive thing to do as well. You needed oil and wicks to light lamps. Common folks did their best to get stuff done during the daylight hours, if the things they needed to get done required light. Their homes were pretty dark. They’d build their homes with basically one single window, approximately 18 inches in diameter, and the window would face a courtyard. Many times that courtyard would have a fire going that would be a source of light for the multiple homes built close together facing it. So lamps weren’t used, unless it was really necessary… or you were rich.

But this woman lights up a lamp, and she begins to ‘sweep the house’. She’s frantic… she’s in a panic… she’s seriously missing this coin. I mean, she HAS to find it! As Jesus describes all this, trust me… although it doesn’t sound like such a big deal to us, to the ladies in His audience that day… they ‘got it’.

And what’s really amazing is that Jesus is using this drastic example to explain… God. This is radically different than anything they had been previously thinking.

I really believe that this isn’t just a great picture of God… but more specifically, the woman in the story is an incredible picture of the work of the Holy Spirit. You see, the Holy Spirit is passionately working to find the lost. He is lighting lamps and sweeping frantically in search of them. He’s passionate about it! The amount of work it takes is not important… all that matters is finding that which is lost!

How does the Holy Spirit do this? In a few ways:

First, like the woman lighting her lamp, He lights up the dark areas with the light of His Word.

Psalm 119:105 - HCSB

“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.”

John 16:13-14 – HCSB

When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you.

Jesus here is talking to the guys who’d be one day speaking to others and even writing down the words we have recorded in our Bibles today. We’re told in 2 Timothy 3:16 that all of the Bible is “God-breathed”, and that word ‘theopneustos’ is linked to the Holy Spirit (the word for ‘breath’ is the same for ‘wind’ found in John 3:8, which refers to the movement of the Holy Spirit as compared to the blowing or movement of the wind). What this means is that Jesus’ words would be taken by the Holy Spirit and declared to these disciples, who would then speak it out and write it down for us in what we call ‘The Bible’.

Psalm 119:105 - HCSB

“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.”

One of the ways that the Holy Spirit works is through the Bible. It does light our paths and reveal to us what is good and what is not. It lights up the darkness, like that lady’s lamp lit up the dark corners of her own home, so too the Bible has a way explaining to us what is good/light… and what is evil/dark.

A second work of the Holy Spirit is to simply provide an inward conviction within us. Like the woman taking the broom and sweeping the floors of her home, so too, the Holy Spirit will begin to sweep a disciple’s life and convict it of dirty sin.

Why?  …because sin is destructive and leads to separation from God ultimately, but it also causes us to not reflect our God very well.

You see, the floors in a typical Palestinian home were much like the floors in many of the homes I’ve visited in other countries, like Haiti or Guatemala, they were simply compacted dirt. It’s really something to see a person with a broom sweeping a ‘dirt’ floor, but it happens all the time! If a coin had been dropped on a floor like that, and possibly kicked under the furniture or up against the wall, it would be very easily covered in dirt in no time at all. This is why the woman was sweeping. She hoped to knock the dirt off, in order to reveal the glimmering radiance of the coin.

This is also what the Holy Spirit wishes to do in each of us. A huge part of what He does is provide conviction within us, because by sweeping the dirt out of the way, He will reveal the glimmering radiance that is underneath it all… the very image of God.

John 16:7-8 – HCSB

Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you. When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: 

This is a huge, and awesome thing that the Holy Spirit does! You may think that conviction doesn’t sound that awesome, but if it gets the dirt out, if it leads to repentance… then it will lead to you and I being a true reflection of our God, truly bearing His image to the world, and ultimately eternal life!

The truth is, however, that some coins seem to want to stay hidden. The work of the Holy Spirit to light their path with His Word, and provide conviction with His still small voice… is met with much resistance. It’s like the Jesus-follower named Stephen said long ago…

Acts 7:51– HCSB

"You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit; as your ancestors did, so do you."

Gang, a lost coin is worthless. It’s only when it is in someone’s hands that it becomes valuable. Have you ever found money in the pocket of some coat or pants that you haven’t worn in ages? It’s awesome, right? It’s like free-money! But, if you think about it, for the entire time that money was lost… it was basically worthless. It wasn’t doing anybody anything of any real value. It still looked just like a regular piece of money… but sitting there it was basically worthless.

It’s only when it was found, and in your hands, that it could be used for something.

That’s when it became valuable again.

The same is true… of people.

Once, when Jesus was asked about taxes and who they should be paid to, Jesus responded, “Give me a coin”. When they handed Him one, He then said, “Whose image is on this coin?” They replied, “Ceasar’s”. “Then give it to Ceasar, and give to God what is God’s”.

What was He saying there? “Whose image is on the coin?”

   Answer: “Ceasar’s.”

“Whose image are YOU made in?”

   Obvious answer: “God’s.”

“Then give the coin to Ceasar because it bears his image… and give yourselves to God because you bear His image.”

Listen, if a person is not ‘saved’… if they don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior… if they are ‘lost’, although they still have value – gifts and abilities, personality, lots of possibilities – it’s like they are hidden away… all that value is not being seen/used/appreciated. They are basically not living up to their worth, because they’re outside of His hand.

Gang, we are created in His image (imago dei)… and to Him…in His eyes… and in His hands… we are NOT worthless. God sees our potential.

God sees YOUR potential. You are NOT worthless.

He is passionately lighting lamps – He’s given us His Word to light our way.

He is passionately sweeping floors – He’s convicting of sin and dirt that keeps us from shining.

Like the Shepherd who passionately went after the lost sheep, so too, the Holy Spirit is fervently seeking out those who are lost like the coin.

Why? For what it’s worth.

In His hands, a life is worth so very much… a life finds real value… and purpose.

• Do you feel worthless?
• Have you let the dirt of this world keep you from shining and reflecting God?
• Have you ignored His Word… or His still-small-voice?
• If you have never accepted Jesus, today if you turn towards Him (repent), our text says that there will be much joy in heaven. I pray you will.