And Then... Number 2 (The Wonder Years) Series

And Then… #2 Growth and Development

Opening Readings

For the Entire Series:

“His lord said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’”

(Matthew 25:23 NKJV)

For Today’s Message

“But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Bring forth the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears! Let all the nations gather together, and let the peoples assemble. Who among them declared this, and foretold to us the former things? Let them bring their witnesses to justify them, and let them hear and say, “It is true.”You are my witnesses, says the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior. I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses, says the LORD. I am God, and also henceforth I am He; there is no one who can deliver from my hand; I work and who can hinder it?”

(Isaiah 43:1–13 NRSV)

Last Week’s Recap… New Beginnings

What was happening at this time: Essentially many nations, including the nation of Israel, had fallen to the rapidly expanding Babylonian Empire.

Today’s Illustration

As we are born into a family unit, good bad, or indifferent we are shaped since birth by our familial identities.

1. People/humans have a history since the dawn of time of celebrating traditions of all kinds.

a. Cultural

b. Familial

c. Religious

2. The Traditions which we celebrate, much like the people of Israel have one of two consequences.

a. Reject God

b. Glorify God.

3. Whether or not the traditions glorifies or rejects based upon several factors

a. The root/origin of the tradition

b. The manor in which they are followed

c. The Spirit that

4. Holiness has all too often come face to face in a conflict of tradition/culture.

a. What is acceptable

b. Morality vs. Holiness

Much like the kings of Israel brought the nation to and from the brink of disaster by their apostasy a new believers and Christians are subject to the influences that shape their Christian walk in it’s infancy.

Good bad or indifferent we are speaking of generational implications.

A Cycle that can either glorify God or despise him.

Much like the people of Israel to whom Isaiah was speaking the new Christians faced a significant challenge. Culture vs. Holiness.

In 1 Peter, the Apostle Peter addresses this exact issue when he says,

“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.””

(1 Peter 1:13–16 NKJV)

*** Here Peter quotes the words of God himself as spoken to Moses. A message which was spoken to the people of Israel who had lived for generations under Egyptian captivity.

They had become so assimilated to Egyptian culture that they had negated their Hebrew/Holiness heritage.

Much of the challenges has a lot to do with what is referred to as pluralism. – In simple terms the attempt to shove Holiness into the culture and make it fit versus shaping the culture around holiness living.