“The Good & Beautiful God:
God Is Generous”
1 Peter 2:9-10
February 6th, 2011
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."
1 Peter 2:9-10 (NIV)
Introduction:
> Have you ever felt like you were an outcast, an outsider, like you didn’t belong.
> When I was a kid in elementary school, I wasn’t very athletic. I loved playing sports, but I was chubby and slow. I remember standing in a lineup of kids while the team captains would pick one kid after another. There were many times when I was one of the last kids picked.
> As I grew older, I became more athletic. I grew taller, thinner and stronger. I can still remember the first time I was picked first. It was one of the greatest feelings in my life. That was a banner day!
> It is painful to be an outsider, an outcast, a nobody. We all want to be somebody. We all want to be wanted, we all want to have a purpose.
> In this world, we quickly learn that you have to earn your place in the world. If you want to be somebody, you have to work to earn your place:
If you want to be an athlete, you have to work hard and earn a spot on the team.
If you want to be a Rhodes Scholar, you have to work hard, get the grades, and earn your honors.
If you want to be rich, you have to spend time at the office, work to get noticed, and earn your money.
If you want to be famous, you have to earn it.
> Parents, at an early age, train their children that they are rewarded for good behavior, straight A’s, and talent. Children are often berated for pour performances, punished for bad behavior, and scolded because of disappointing grades.
> Early on in our life we buy into the world’s narrative that says, “Belonging is based on value and value is based on performance.” If you perform admirably, you will belong. But if you perform unsatisfactorily, you are considered an outcast.
> This narrative has been projected onto God as well. It is difficult not to project this narrative onto God. After all, God himself gave us the Ten Commandments and told us to, “be ye holy, for I am holy.”
> Christianity is rife with the narrative that, in order to belong, you must work to earn your favor.
> As James Bryan Smith writes…
“If God were our parent, he would withhold his love, just as our parents did when we behaved badly (“Go to your room, no dinner for you!”). If God were our teacher, we would get an “F”. If God were our judge, the verdict would be “Guilty as charged.” Guilt, fear, shame and the huger for acceptance become the primary motivators in our performance-based culture. (Smith, “Good and beautiful…, pg. 78)
> I grew up with a great deal of fear and trembling. I, like most Christians, have heard the terrible question, “if you died tonight, would God let you into His heaven?” Ronda and I were reflecting on the old scary movies, “A Thief In The Night” and “Distant Thunder,” about the second coming of Christ.
> It was the evangelistic method of the 70’s and 80’s to scare people into heaven.
> I have to admit that it all depends on the day for me. Some days I’m in and some days I’m out.
> Over the past week I have wrestled with this narrative. It has been so deeply ingrained in my psyche that it is impossible to set it aside.
> I have had to ask myself, “what is the truth here?” “Do I read everything in scripture with a false presupposition?” Or, “could there be dual narratives that are not incompatible?”
> Do we all agree that everything we read is not necessarily accurate or truthful?
> Are you able to read a book and disagree with what it says?
> In addition, are you willing to read a book and wrestle over what you read. No author should believe that they have cornered the truth. Even James Bryan Smith would agree that he might not have everything exactly right.
> Today, I wrestle with two primary questions that I think every Christian needs to wrestle with:
First, are my presuppositions so deeply ingrained in my psyche that I am unable to see the truth if it is in contradiction with my presupposition?
And, secondly, can a generous God leave us to reap what we sow?
I. You Reap What You Sow
> The first narrative is the predominant narrative of the world. It is the narrative that you reap what you sow. This narrative is closely related to the “reward for effort” narrative.
> The world is torn over this narrative. We like the idea of “rewards” but we hate the idea of “consequences”.
Everybody wants rewards.
Everybody wants to be patted on the back and told that they did a good job.
Everybody wants recognition, increased pay, etc.
> However, we have become accustom to averting consequences.
For example…
I have been in many jobs where the union would fight for unconditional wage increases—regardless of performance. Quite often, we would get a significant raise regardless of how well we did our jobs. (I wonder how this practice has affected our government budgets, etc.)
In school, many students considered it their right to receive an “A” for a class. Because of their sense of entitlement, many students would cheat on tests and plagiarize their papers. (Think of the impact this has had on our educational system.)
I have seen what happens when husbands don’t work on their marriage. When the divorce papers come, the husband is astounded and can’t understand why they are suffering such consequences.
I have witnessed when families have overspent their monthly income month after month, refusing to live within a budget, ignoring biblical principles for stewardship. Yet, when they lose everything they can’t figure out why they have to suffer such unfortunate consequences.
> Yes, we love rewards, but we hate those pesky consequences.
> However, the world still functions by the principle, “you reap what you sow.”
If we reap tomato seeds, we won’t harvest jalapenos!
If we reap pumpkin seeds, we won’t harvest watermelons!
> This is a principle much like gravity—we can’t violate the rules of physics. If you throw something in the air, it will come back down to the ground!
> The point is, if we reap evil, we will harvest evil consequences.
If we reap neglect of our children, we will harvest family dysfunction.
> Jesus himself taught this narrative…
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Matt 7:16-20 (NIV)
> Paul expounds further…
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Gal. 6:7-10 (NIV)
God’s Word? Amen!
> Clearly, the bible teaches in agreement this narrative. We reap what we sow!
> So, then is there another narrative that supersedes this narrative? And what about those who do not receive what they sow? This is “The Thief on the Cross” narrative.
> If we lived in a world where we always reap what we sow and always receive what we deserve, we would have no hope and the world would be a terribly dark world.
> Even though Jesus did not deny the narrative that we reap what we sow, he emphasized another narrative, one that always existed and yet is often overlooked.
II. God Reaps Where He Has Not Sown
> Jesus’ narrative is not either/or, it is both/and. Jesus doesn’t deny that there are consequences to sin, that if we act in evil ways we will reap a harvest of suffering and regret, and that if we dedicate our lives to God’s good purposes, we will reap a harvest of good benefits and blessings.
> However, Jesus recognizes that there is another narrative at work in God’s Kingdom.
> In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a parable about a master who entrusted his wealth to his servants while he embarked on a journey. To one servant he gave five talents, to one servant he gave two talents, and to one servant he gave one talent.
> The one who was given five talents doubled his talents to ten. The one who was given two talents doubled his talents to four.
But,
The one who received one talent went and buried it in the ground.
> Now, the key point for today is found in Matthew 25:24ff…
"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?...
Matt 25:24-26 (NIV)
> In Christ’s parables, the master always represents our Heavenly Father. Jesus teaches us that our Heavenly Father is not bound by the same principles that we are bound by.
> Our Heavenly Father can offer mercy and grace whenever he chooses. He can make rocks sing out His praise. He can create something out of nothing at all. When it comes to our Father in Heaven, He chooses to be generous to us and harvest where he has not sown and gather where he has not scattered.
> I love what James Bryan Smith writes…
“The meta-narrative of the Bible is the story of the steadfast love of God that culminates in the incarnation, death and resurrection of God on behalf of a wayward world. Therefore, we should interpret the entire Bible and each of its parts in light of Jesus (Smith, “The Good and Beautiful…”, pg. 79).”
> You see, while we must live in a world that is reigned by the narrative that we sow what we reap, our God rules and is not bound by such principles.
> Just as God was able to make the sun stand still in the sky in Joshua 10:13 as Israel overcame the Amorites, so God is able to supersede the narrative of reaping what we sow!
> God can reap a harvest where seed has not even been sown and God can gather to Himself from where seed has not even been scattered.
> I can remember hearing the story of the Islamic boy who traveled for miles until he came to a Christian Missionary, all because God had spoke to his heart and told him that Jesus was the messiah and would fill the void of emptiness in his heart.
> I think this is why I love the passage of scripture that I have chosen for today’s message—1 Peter 2:9-10. I want to begin reading from vs. 7…
Now to you who believe [in Jesus Christ], this stone [Jesus] is precious. But to those who do not believe,
"The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,
and,
"A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall."
They stumble because they disobey the message--which is also what they were destined for.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
1 Peter 2:7-10 (NIV)
> WOW! What a powerful scripture. You can see yourself standing in line and the team captain is out there picking his team and you are picked—you belong—you are a chosen people. Not only are you picked but you are picked first. You are preferred. You are special.
> The fact is, everyone is picked first on Jesus’ team. Nobody is second best, or least important, or insignificant. Those are terms we use in the world, but they’re not used by God!
> Peter, of all people, knows what it is like to not get what you deserve. Let’s face it, if anyone deserved to be rejected and left off the team, it is Peter. He denied that he even knew Jesus three times!
> The Bible is filled with narratives about a forgiving God who looks past the sins of His children. Yes, many still suffer consequences that are painful and difficult, but in the end they are still considered children of God.
> King David is a classic example of how the two narratives work side-by-side in our lives.
King David failed God many times. Because of His lack of faith and his dependence upon his own strength the priests at Nob were all murdered by King Saul.
Because of King David’s immorality with Bathsheba, Uriah paid with his life and King David’s family was thrown into upheaval.
Because King David neglected his family, ignoring his children’s needs, his daughter was raped by his oldest son, who was murdered by her brother, who tried to tear David’s kingdom from his grasp.
> Yet, after all of this, scripture says that God testified of King David, 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.' Acts 13:22 (NIV)
> No one else in the Bible receives such words of praise from God.
> Yes, King David reaped what he sowed. Yet, God generously blessed his kingdom and his life!
> My conclusion is that two narratives are at work in God’s Kingdom, the narrative that we reap what we sow, and the narrative that God reaps where He has not sown and gathers where he has not scattered seed.
> And God is generous with you and with me. He looks past what we deserve and instead offers us an abundance of grace so that we may be His children, chosen by God—we belong, we have a purpose, we are all first picks in His kingdom.
Conclusion:
> Let me ask you today, do you believe in the generosity of God? Can you accept the generous love and grace of God?
> One of the soul-training exercises James Bryan Smith asks his readers to perform is to create a list of blessings God has given. He recommends starting small, a list of ten and build from there. He suggests that we add to our list every day, one or two more blessings until we have, what George Buttrick called, a “vast treasure.”
> There’s a little poem that says…
What do we owe God, you ask?
Suppose He sent this bill:
One hundred thousand dollars
For the sun upon the hill;
Two thousand for the little brook
that runs along the way;
Five thousand for the night-time,
And a thousand for the day.
Six hundred for the little birds
That trill and chirp and sing;
Six hundred for the tiny flowers
which tell us that it's spring.
These are the bills which everyone
of every clime forgets,
If God should charge you what you owe,
you'd always be in debt.
—Author Unknown
> I, for one, am grateful that God doesn’t send me a bill for all that He does for me. How about you?
Closing Prayer:
Closing Song:
