The Whisper to the Ordinary

Date: February 13th, 2011

Speaker: Pastor Kevin Sndyer

Title: The Whisper to the Ordinary

Part 1: Armed with a Vision

Text: Acts 1: 1 - 8

INTRODUCTION

Originally I planned to do this all as 1 sermon but as I got into it there was so much that came to my heart that I am going to do it as a mini-series.

In the movie Avatar they describe the eco-system of this new planet. They describe it as being interconnected. That all the trees are connected through a intricate web of connections and systems. The human miners are ignorant of this and generally oblivious in their greed to the harm they doing in their strip mining to the eco-system of the planet.

Well, in some way the movie is a bit of a parable of our world…

Even as humans we are not islands. Everyday we interact and are a part of multiple webs and systems.

Our actions and reactions are seldom private but have ripple effects through all these systems.

We see this inter-related system idea in the story of Adam & Eve. Somehow, their sin rippled through the entire system of their day, and on through history. It is like a virus that permeates and infects every cell making it sick.

The chart below will be used at 2 different places. Enter it 1st with just left 2 columns filled.

2nd time with all columns filled

Realm/System	Sin-Infected Realms
Inner World	Alienation, restlessness, anxiety
Family	Dysfunction, fragmented, abusive
Social	Revenge, prejudice, division
Political	Injustice, oppression, corruption
Environmental	exploitation

a. Inner World

Their relationship with God was broken and fear, shame , anxiety, and guilt entered that relationship.

As 2 early church fathers expressed it

“Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.”
“There is a God-shaped vacuum in every person that only God can fill.”

Evidence today:

Anxiety and stress are epidemic. 4 out of 5 people report a need to reduce stress. We are prescribing more “happy” pills than ever before….some of most prescribed medications are to deal with anxiety and stress. Stress is the fastest growing work-related illness for people taking time from work.
We are self-medicating to deal with the inner pain. Illicit drug use has grown from 5% of population in 1960’s to over 37% reporting in the 80’s of having used drugs.
Alcoholism continues to grow.

b. Family System

Their family system was infected. Tension formed in the relation between Adam & Eve. Mutual respect and value plummeted. Sibling rivalry raises its head to a point of domestic violence and murder with Cain & Abel. The family is fragmented. (Go through Genesis and try and find a “functional” family).Abraham creates a mess when he has Ishmael with Hagar. Abraham’s son, Isaac, has problems with the deceit and hatred of Jacob & Esau. Jacob has 12 sons but he favors two and creates division in his family.

Evidence:

50% of marriages end in divorce
37% of marriages in Canada experience affairs
In Britain 25% of women reported experiencing violence by an intimate partner. 1 in 4 in Latin America, 29% in Romania, 25% in South Africa, Canada 3% in last 12 months, 29% at some time.

c. Social Realm

Community concern devolved into exploitation. Violence increased. Evil found roots. Violence and murder became more prevalent and not an exception.

Evidence:

As community breaks down crime goes up. We put up higher fences, more security cameras, live with greater fear and caution.
Mexico to see how greed has little regard for human life (“mules”).
One need to only read about human trafficking to see the callous disregard.

d. Political Realm

Meaning: how we relate as a society & to other nations through our laws and customs. It seems that “might is right” and he who holds the biggest stick makes the rules and God gets to a point of “grieving he made man.”

Evidence:

loss of structure (anarchy), loss of human rights, loss of freedom…A society becomes plagued with systemic injustice…where governments turn a blind eye to human rights for economic purposes, where people are oppressed for political or religious views (i.e. more Christians being persecuted today than ever before)

e. Environmental

Genesis describes a breakdown in the relationship in the relationship of man to his world. It becomes competitive rather than cooperative.

Evidence:

Crimes against the environment have risen in profile. The spill in the Gulf by BP disgusts us.

Transition

And as we follow the flow of history we have seen the damage of evil on the various realms and systems has ebbed and flowed in different cultures at different times.

And it seems that it takes 3 -4 generations for it to infect various realms. 10 commandments – “sins of fathers passed down to 3rd& 4th generation.

i.e.

Walk thru bible

David, (whole hear for God), son- Soloman – (1/2 heart for God), Rehoboam (no heart for God)…along with these kings so slipped society.

At it’s worst when it has permeated all these realms we realize we are up against more than human flesh

Eph 6: 12

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

And then there are periods where there is spiritual awakenings and revivals and the darkness that permeated society gets pushed back. And so you see this roller-coaster type graph of the moral & spiritual health of societies.

Transition

Well, it was into this sin-permeated world that Jesus said to the disciples at his ascension and said, “I want you to go and change the world?”

Acts 1:8 -8?But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem. You will be my witnesses in all Judea and Samaria. And you will be my witnesses from one end of the earth to the other.”

No doubt they asked the questions we often confront:

How?
Where do I start?
What can I do?

That’s the place this newly fledgling church of 120 people in Acts 1 finds itself.

They were just ordinary people these “witnesses”. These hope –givers. These ambassadors.

There was Peter - knew more about fish & nets than Roman culture and connecting with people
His cronies – none had travelled more than a week’s walk from home. None had any university training.

As far as traits:

Humility - a few weeks before had jockeyed for cabinet positions
Sound theology? – Peter told Jesus to forget the cross.
Sensitivity – John wanted to call down fire and torch some people that had brushed them off
Loyalty? – When Jesus needed them most they ran off
Courage? When called out , Peter denied even knowing Jesus. The others gathered behind locked doors in fear.

Jesus essentially said: You hillbillies will be my witnesses

You uneducated and simple folk be my witnesses
You temperamental net-casters and tax collectors
You will spearhead a movement that will explode like a just opened fire hydrant across the nation, the empire, the world.
You ordinary, simple folk will be my witnesses.

And the question, 21 centuries later is the same:

Does Jesus still do that?
Does he still use simple ordinary folk to change the world?
Does he use Joe’s or Pro’s?

Personal Questions

What can I do?
Where do I start in this world?
God, how do you help?

God holds out to us 3 things in this chapter to being a world-changing people:

Dream
Power
Bloom

Focus today on just the first

1. DREAM

i.e.

Disneyland is a dream. Different world….far removed from the problems and slums.

i.e.

Tour – someone said “Too bad Walt didn’t live long enough to see all this.”

Guide replied: “He did see it , that’s why it’s here.”

One of the basic things Jesus armed this small group of people with was an extraordinary dream.

Acts 1: 1 – 3 Dear Theophilus, in the first volume of this book I wrote on everything that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he said good-bye to the apostles, the ones he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. After his death, he presented himself alive to them in many different settings over a period of forty days. In face-to-face meetings, he talked to them about things concerning the kingdom of God

Jesus gave them a vision of the Kingdom of God.

What is that?

Kingdom of God is a realm Christ reigns in the hearts of people….his values, his mission…his character are reflected in this kingdom. It is not a place but a spiritual kingdom.

He spoke of a kingdom that could rock the world from the inside out.

This kingdom captured their hearts and imaginations. It was a world that reversed the effects of this virus sin.

Realm/System	Sin-Infected Realms	Kingdom of God
Inner World	Alienation, worry, anxiety	Transformed, wholeness, abundance (John 10:10)
Family	Dysfunction, fragmented	Love , respect, fidelity
Social	Revenge, prejudice, division	Peacemakers, love of enemies, community
Political	Injustice, oppression, corruption	Justice, equality, human rights, freedom
Environmental	exploitation	stewardship

It started with transforming one’s inner world… this kingdom works from the inside out and permeates the systems of society in a similar way.

i.e.

Inner world – spoke of a kingdom of life and life more abundant. Life with a joy that went beyond ones circumstances. Life with a peace that didn’t depend on things. Life of wholeness where the vacuum in the soul was filled. It spoke of freeing one from the passions of the old nature that led to guilt and shame. It spoke of a life of new starts, and forgiveness.

But this kingdom vision wasn’t confined to just us as individuals.

The vision of the kingdom was not just of saving one’s soul or getting one’s butt into heaven. No, Jesus said this kingdom was like a mustard seed that though it starts small would grow and could permeate all the realms of society.

This kingdom vision was for families.

Families characterized by love and respect and fidelity. Families where people’s needs were met by each other rather than survival of the fittest. Homes where people were built up not damaged.

This Kingdom vision was for communities.

Communities where peace was made rather than revenge taken.

Where love was expressed for enemies rather than adding to the cycle of violence.

Communities where people of every race and age and social status and creed were welcomed , and accepted, and valued equally.

This Kingdom vision was for a religious world that repudiated hypocrisy & spiritual pride, but embraced humility and authenticity, and came with heart not just sacrifices and rituals.

This Kingdom vision pointed to societies where justice reigned, freedom abounded, rights were protected, where the most vulnerable were protected.

This vision pointed to a world where stewardship of the resources took precedent over immediate gain, where the earth is preserved for future generations. Where God’s creation is seen as belonging to him to be rightfully managed.

These ordinary folks in that room were captured by a vision of what could be….of a world where Christ’s kingdom values were embraced and expressed…. They were captured as was America by Martin luther King’s speech of “I have a Dream”

Quotes:

King’s dream was a Kingdom dream. It captured the essence of the kingdom of God.

These ordinary people in Acts 1 were captured by a dream …

in a world where people were alienated and anxious
Where families were fragmented and marriages breaking at unprecedented rates
Where communities were filled with division between Jew & Gentile and filled with prejudice for the Samaritan
Where political leaders washed their hands in the basin of cowardice and injustice

They couldn’t go back.

“To whom shall we go…we know that you hold the words to eternal life.”

Wrap-Up/Challenge

Friends, that’s the vision that moves us.

That’s the vision that catapults us from the church into the community
That’s the vision that moves us into soup kitchen & drop-in centers, and hospitals, and back alley’s
That’s the vision that moves us to Mexico and to the uttermost parts of the earth.
It is a vision that something is desperately broken and Jesus has told us, exampled for us, and convinced us that through him it can be changed.
The hole in people’s hearts can be filled
Families can be reconciled.
Communities can be restored
Churches can become centers of hope and change
Governments can serve the people. Problems of hunger and poverty can be alleviated.
Environment can be saved.

Key Question:

Does that kingdom vision have you?

Point:

You see, so often we think we have to create the vision.

i.e.

Times in my ministry where I felt the pressure to come up with some glorious vision that would energize the church and move us to great heights.

But I discovered….in the Christian church we don’t need to create a vision. We don’t have to pluck something out of thin air.. No, Christ gave a world-changing compelling vision to us. It may be too broad and too big for us ….that’s why we celebrate we aren’t the only church in town…because God has perhaps emphasized some part of it to them.

But our role isn’t to create it…our role is to be captured by it.

We don’t drive it…it is what drives us.
It is what drives us to the streets, and the soup kitchens, and kids place rooms, and the yout rooms, and the center, and to Mexico, and to our neighbours, and our co-workers, and to the hospitals…Because we see it and we want it to become reality.

They didn’t sit down and try and come up with a vision for their church….they were captured by God’s vision for the world. And their hearts and lives would never be the same.

But sadly, for many Christian people they’ve never caught the vision of God’s kingdom…the only thing they have about that is something in the future that you argue over. Their vision pretty small. It scarcely resembles Jesus’ kingdom vision. It’s pretty individual.

To put it bluntly:

It is little more than about getting their butts into heaven with a few of their friends, and they aren’t all that troubled that the rest of it goes to hell.
You can see it when we move to the suburbs and abandon rather than engage the troubles of our community.
You can see it in their giving - don’t give like they believe the church is the hope of the world. They give like they tip a waiter not like a person compelled by a cause.
You can see it in a life of non-engagement & non-involvement in the mission of God….where we have a 100 excuses for why we can’t engage.
You can see it when we let past hurts linger on and keep us out of the game They aren’t concerned about the environment because Jesus is coming and going to destroy it anyway.
It doesn’t disturb them that children die every 5 minutes in our world as long as they have enough hot water for their daily 20 minutes shower.

Key question today is has the vision of the Kingdom of God captured you?

Do you have a dream?
Can you see it?
Will you give yourself to helping it become reality here in this community?

Prayer

Click here to return to sermon page

The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Eph 6:12

New International Reader's Version. 1st ed. Zondervan, 1998, S. Ac 1:8

Peterson, Eugene H.: The Message : The Bible in Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs, Colo. : NavPress, 2002, S. Ac 1:1-3