Dakota Community Church
August 12, 2007
Walls
Last Sunday we had the chairs set up “in the round” in order to promote discussion, and those who were here will remember that I on purpose did not set up the wooden “extra seating” chairs in order that the front row of seats facing each other would be needed. Those front row seats were the last to be filled and it was obvious that it was done with some reluctance.
The whole scene reminded me of the United Church I went to as a child because I used to be excited if Dad would let me sit in the front pew, behind the wall. In our church there was a little oak wall that matched the pews about 3 or 4 feet high that held the song books and acted as a barrier between the front row and the alter. This got me to thinking about how uncomfortable we often are socially and how we physically and mentally erect walls in our lives to give ourselves an added sense of security.
This morning I want to talk about walls, the good ones, the bad ones, why we build them, and why we need to tear some of them down.
1. Important and healthy walls.
First of all it is important to note that not all walls are bad. Sometimes in the church we think that any kind of division or separation is a bad thing when in fact that is not the case.
Nehemiah 1:3-4
"Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire."
When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
There are walls that exist for physical safety and protection against those who would harm us. There are walls that provide us with privacy and space, Jesus was often going off to be alone with the Father.
I read an article this week about how people need to be more careful about the things they say and post on sites like facebook. Companies are now routinely googling employment applicants to spot and avoid risky hires. It is entirely possible that airing your humorous views about smoking weed at age 16 or 17 could come back to cost you a job opportunity at 25 or 26.
There is the ultimate wall, the fortress, the protector, who invites us to live “in Him”, our refuge, our cleft in the rock, our strong tower – the Father.
Psalms 91:1-10
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you make the Most High your dwelling— even the LORD, who is my refuge- then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.
Over the years as a pastor I would say there are almost as many people who need help fixing problems that result from not being able to set boundaries as from those who set boundaries so rigid and high that no one gets in.
Deuteronomy 27:17
"Cursed is the man who moves his neighbor’s boundary stone."
Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"
While Art and Pam (Church members and next door neighbors) were away on holidays the last few weeks I took the opportunity to increase my backyard pleasure by moving the fence between our properties about three feet closer to their house. You wouldn’t believe how un-Christian like Art has been acting ever since he got home! I explained to him the verse about not taking a brother to court but I’m not sure if he is getting the revelation. (This is a joke for those who lack a sense of humor).
This leads us to the next type of wall, the type that needs to be torn down.
2. Isolating prison walls.
2Kings 6:24-25
Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria. There was a great famine in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver and a quarter of a cab of seed pods for five shekels.
Why do we build walls that become prisons? Why do we build walls that don’t just keep enemies out – they keep everybody out – even those who should be allowed in?
Read Ruth Chapter 1.
Ruth 1:20-21
"Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me."
We build prisons walls for ourselves when we have been badly hurt.
- When we have faced rejection.
- When we have endured desertion.
- When we have been betrayed.
- When we have been repeatedly disappointed.
Since there have been good reasons to build these prison walls around our hearts, why should we tear them down and risk being hurt again?
- You cannot know life if you are cut off from relationship. We are designed for fellowship.
- It is not fair to the people who deserve your heart. Your spouse, your children; they deserve your whole heart, your vulnerability, your hopes dreams and aspirations. They do not deserve to be held at arms length or treated like a duty while you give your best to others.
I know it means risking being hurt again, but tearing down the walls around our hearts and letting people in is the only way to really live.
Life is not safe!
We do not serve a “safety first” God, we do not live on a happy valley planet. This fallen world means we are living in a war zone and that means we have to risk being hurt if we want to live.
In this generation we have gone nuts over safety, we don’t think anyone should ever suffer pain, but that is not the real world. You can stay hiding in your house and die safe and alone, or you can get out there, drive a car that may crash, cross abridge that may collapse, visit a country that may not respect your rights, eat food that may be tainted, and give your heart to someone who may crush it – but – in doing those things, in the joy and YES, even in the pain, you will be alive!
There is one other wall I want to talk about this morning. Like the isolating prison walls, it is built because of pain, and disappointment or disillusionment. If you don’t get around to tearing down any other prison wall in your life – you want to deal with this one.
3. Walls of spiritual separation.
Have you built a wall of separation between you and the Lord?
Are you communing with Him on a regular basis?
Is your spiritual life one of passion and hunger?
Isaiah 29:13
The Lord says:
"These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.
What are we to do if this is the case?
Realize that God is longing for your return, like the prodigals dad he waits longing for you.
Revelation 2:1-5
"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lamp stands: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.
You’ve worked hard, you’ve loved righteousness, you’ve battled false religion, you’ve suffered hardship; but somewhere in all of that – a wall has gone up.
There is a distance that was not once there. Intimacy has fallen by the wayside.
Duty has replaced passion.
Now what? – Do the things you did at first.
- Before the battling.
- Before the hardships.
- Before you understood about bad leaders and false religion.
- Before all that what was there?
A loving relationship – and peace with God … forget all the “stuff” you have accumulated … tear down that wall;
And do that!
PowerPoint available (Free of charge) on request dcormie@mts.net
