Hindsight

When you talk about dysfunction everyone gets nervous.  They think you’re criticizing their mental health and how they raised their kids and identifying problems from which they’ll never recover. 

But Biblical dysfunction is cured through character development.  How to face frustrating people or circumstances with patience rather than anger.  The wisdom to know when to utilize grace instead of justice.  Where to draw a boundary line and graciously say no to demeaning gossip by saying positive things.

Character development is about being in tune with God’s Word and relying heavily on God’s Spirit to guide us.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  Ephesians 2:10

This week I hope you’re able to identify one small area of spiritual dysfunction in your life and apply an appropriate verse of scripture to keep you in sync with God.

Remember:  you’re God’s creation to bring good works and words to a dysfunctional world. 

6-11-2012

Hindsight

I always struggle with the detailed ideas that I have to leave out when I teach on a large section of scripture like Ephesians 1:1-14. I can only fit so many spokes into the main idea hub of a thirty minute message. The main idea of the message on Sunday was, “We are so incredibly valuable to God that He adopted us through His son, redeemed us on the cross so we could have the inheritance of heaven!” A very large idea. I would have divided this message into three messages but if Paul believed the Ephesian Christians could understand it when he wrote it in one sentence I guess I should have faith in GateWay Christians to grasp it as well!
One of the spokes or ideas I didn’t include in the main idea hub is found in Ephesians 1:10 which is, “…the administration suitable to the fullness of the times.” This detail or spoke fits perfectly into the hub, I just didn’t have enough time to utilize it’s meaning.
The word administration is Oikonomia.  Oikos is Greek for house and nomos is Greek for law.  When individual words are combined to form a compound thought the meaning moves up the ladder of abstraction and the word become more complex.  Compound words are thicker because they carry smaller ideas which make the compound word more dense. So the translators used the single word, “administration,” as the most appropriate word for this context in Ephesians.  The literal translation of oikonomia is, “the management of household affairs.”

Let me use a silly but useful example.  If I were to use the word ‘man’ you’d think of a male person probably somewhere near your age.  If I were to use the word ‘super’ you’d think of something extraordinary like a supermarket.  A market stuffed with more options than just a market.  But if I were to create a compound word, “Superman!”  You would think of the comic book character that has been used in TV shows and movies who has super human powers.  But Superman is far more than that!  He represents: justice, freedom, and the American way. You wouldn’t only think of his superhuman attributes, but also his motivations.  You’d think of him as a complex person who has not only external abilities but internal values.

In the same way when the Apostle Paul wanted to stress something about Jesus Christ he would create compound words.  Paul wanted us to grasp that God would keep the church of Jesus Christ in existence until he had filled his household with every person whose name was written on His life everlasting ledger.  So Paul used this compound word, “the management of household affairs.” The doors to the church will be open until God has brought every person He desires into His household.

Last week a person I invited to church actually came!  I’m not surprised.  Obviously God had been working on their heart to draw them to Himself.  I just came along at the right time for the invitation to be meaningful.

I wonder who’s name is written on God’s household ledger that you’ll come in contact with today? An invitation can go a long way…it might be eternal.

Hindsight

I really enjoy listening to other speakers deliver the message on Sunday morning.  Here are four specific reasons why I enjoyed Dr. John Jackson’s message this past Sunday!

#1.  He started with real life!  I think the most impactful communicators begin with a need that is universal.  We all have a sense of disconnection from God.  He’s out there and everywhere and we’re right here, right now.  Loneliness is an issue that is wound around disconnection from God and people.  I need to get connected.  I understand and experience that every day.

#2.  He discussed life transformation not baby step improvement.  I don’t need to be a slightly better person, I need to be a completely different person.  I don’t need $2.00 worth of God, I need an invasion of my whole soul by God.  Sometimes preaching sounds like moralistic nagging rather than transformational challenge.  Dr. Jackson specifically asked me to let the peace of Christ RULE, and the word of Christ to DWELL in my heart.

#3.  He stayed faithful to Scripture.  I don’t really care what Oprah and Dr. Phil have to say about how to fix my problems.  I want to know what God’s eternal word says.  I want eternal truth explained in a contemporary context so I can be faithful to God now.  I don’t need to know how the Bible applies to 1952, I need to know how to use it in 2012.  But I also want to know how that 32A.D. scriptural principle Jesus was driving at applies to me as it did to Matthew, Andrew and Peter because people are people.

#4.  He mentioned that God specifically called him to ministry when he was 15 years old.  I think effective communicators have a high sense of speaking for God.  That’s a very intimidating thing but very needed if we’re going to take His scriptures and communicate them before His people and talk about how He wants us to change attitudes and actions.

Watch Dr. John Jackson on the GateWay video sermon web site if you weren’t able to be here this past Sunday.