Broken Opportunities
Genesis 1, 3
Good morning!
· It’s a blessing to be back to share with you again. The last time I was here I took you through the whole Bible. Where do you go from there?
· Genesis, chapter 1.
Genesis 1: God’s image
· In the first statement in Genesis, God is seen as the sovereign creator of the universe.
· v.26-31: Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
A few observations:
· Before mankind comes on the scene (or any other part of creation), God is already there.
o Any kind of initiation of life happens because He is the first one to create the very cycle of creation to begin with.
o Think about that for a moment – there is nothing in all of creation that is not in some way linked back to God.
o Even if you can’t see it or if it’s blurry, the link is there.
· God takes that which is dark, formless and void and creates new and wonderful life. He does this first with the earth, and then life.
· What God creates in mankind is “very good” because humans are made in the image and character of God Himself.
o Being made in His image means that on some level God has chosen to show what He is like by the means of man.
o Kind of like how a quarter shows an image of Washington. God chooses man to image himself in this world.
This past weekend I was in the Chicago area and happened to have some free time on my hands.
· I wanted to bring back a surprise for my boys, so I thought I’d stop by Barnes and Noble to pick up a book for them. As I pulled into the parking lot, though, I found it harder to find a place to park than I originally thought. It was around 10:30pm, Friday night, and yet as I looked around I saw several people getting out of their cars to head into the store. And not just adults, but kids… many of them dressed in their pajamas. And then it hit me – this was the release night for the latest Harry Potter book!
If you’re out of the loop on this phenomenon, here’s a bit of Harry Potter 101:
· The first book in the series finds a young boy named Harry who is trying to figure out how to cope with living with his horrible aunt and uncle. This all changes, though, when a mysterious letter arrives by an owl messenger, inviting Harry to attend a magical school of wizards and witches where he tries to find his identity, make friends, and learn how to overcome obstacles. Each year a new book comes out, it represents one year of Harry at school.
This past week the sixth book in the installment came out, which was met by more than 5,000 nationwide midnight parties where fans could wait at a local bookstore and countdown to buy the book at 12:01am.
· More than 8.9 million copies were sold in the first 24 hours. That’s 370,833 copies an hour.
o “No book has ever sold so many copies in so little time. We’ll sell 50,000 copies an hour - less than one per cent of books sell 50,000 copies in their lifetime," said Steve Riggio, the chief executive of Barnes & Noble.
· There are 270 million of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books in print, 80 million in the United States.
· The Potter books have been translated into more than 60 languages.
· The books have spawned three movies (total worldwide take: about $2.6 billion), with a fourth on the way this holiday season.
· And J.K. Rowling, who a decade ago was an unemployed single mother writing the first Potter book in an Edinburgh café, is now believed to be the richest woman in Britain, worth an estimated $1 billion.
A huge amount of security surrounds this book and franchise.
· The boxes were under a tarp, then under two layers of shrink-wrap.
· All the boxes were individually shrink wrapped and the books were in the boxes.
· Booksellers were forced to sign legal forms acknowledging that if they broke the embargo, they would never again be supplied with a book by Scholastic.
· Ronald Smith, a truck driver, revealed that he had been ordered to drive his precious cargo non-stop on a 10-hour journey last week between a printer in Virginia and a bookstore warehouse in Atlanta, Georgia.
o His truck was even fitted with a global positioning system to enable a satellite to monitor his progress and check that he did not deviate or stop.
o The New York Police Department was on hand to secure delivery of the first truckload of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," which arrived at a Barnes & Noble store in Union Square in Manhattan, near Greenwich Village.
And yet despite all of this, an "extreme fluke" did happen at a grocery store in British Columbia, which accidentally sold 14 copies of the new book before realizing its mistake.
· The Potter fans were ordered by a judge to not to talk about the book, copy it, sell it or even read it before its official release.
o As an incentive, the publisher promised to return the books with author J.K. Rowling’s autograph and a gift pack.
All of this for a fictional boy named Harry who is weaving a spell over readers of many different generations.
· What is known is that the author JK Rowling has said the books would get progressively darker as Harry -- now entering his sixth year at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry -- gets older and closer to his ultimate battle with Lord Voldemort, the series’ personification of evil.
Now, if you’re like me you might be thinking… so what?
· That’s exactly what I was thinking as I started to enter the Barnes & Noble.
o At the door one of the employees was handing out numbers to ensure that all people inside got a book in an orderly fashion.
o He also was handing out these plastic Harry Potter style glasses.
· Inside the Harry Potter experience was in full effect.
o Most of the fans of varying ages were dressed in costume, as were all of the store employees.
o While some of the younger fans listened to parts of the previous books be read, others played a scavenger hunt throughout the store.
o There was an area for face painting, as well as trivia games and craft stations while everyone waited for midnight.
o The store was packed with people… people who I didn’t understand nor agree with.
I am not a Harry Potter fan… I struggle with its popularity among young kids.
· And yet I found myself in the midst of a Harry Potter moment.
A few observations…
· First, I was uncomfortable. I didn’t like being in an environment where I was the minority.
· Second, I started to poke fun. First to myself, then to one of the guys working behind the counter. It’s easy to criticize others. Unfortunately this is true inside and outside the relationships of the church. Why that song? Why that outfit?
· Third, I asked myself why this seemed so familiar. Then I remembered how I went to go see the last Star Wars movie at midnight with some of my friends.
We all have our favorite vices, don’t we? Things that we invest large blocks of our time into, maybe to bond with someone else or follow some great story.
Whether it’s Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, emotional novels, a TV show, or even a hobby.
· Finally, I experimented with the idea that these weren’t just Harry Potter fans but people whom God loved. I know it’s an odd idea, but what if God loved these people like He loves me? I know we’re just talking about Harry Potter fans who made me feel uncomfortable. So what about something more intense?
Recently I was talking with someone on the Internet about the London Bombings.
· Him: So it turns out it could very well have been suicide bombers. 4 of them. Sorry, but good. That’s 4 less of them to worry about.
· Me: Ouch.
· Him: You hurt?
· Me: Yeah... and I believe God hurts for suicide bombers, too.
· Him: Be that as it may, they turned their backs on Him. Let’s not sugarcoat things.
· Me: So does God hurt for those who turn their back on Him?
· Him: “How many terrorists did the people who died at the Twin Towers or in London or in Madrid or elsewhere kill? The animals (yes, that’s what I call them) who did those and other such attacks are less than human. I find it hard to even begin to think of them as these forlorn, sympathetic figures you keep trying to paint. Those animals were NOT my brothers or sisters. They may be my equals, but only by virtue of the fact that we come from the same breed of living being. Put a Bible on my left, and a gun on my right, and a terrorist in front of me, and I’ll reach to my right first. I can read to them from the Bible after I’ve disabled them. Sue me for being politically incorrect. Your sympathy for them is turning degrading to me. And in all I said, I can just about guarantee you that I’m not alone in feeling that way.”
[PUT HARRY POTTER GLASSES ON]
· Honestly, does this make my value as a person any less? Or anyone else’s for that matter? Okay… maybe Harry Potter doesn’t push your buttons. How about these images?
POWERPOINT IMAGES:
· Playboy bunny & Hugh Hefner: What does this image do to you? The pornography industry makes a known ten billion dollars a year, dividing families and affecting younger ages every year. 70 percent of all pornographic magazines end up in the hands of minors. Hugh Hefner is an advocator behind it. When asked what he thought God would say to him when he died, his answer was “Great job. Welcome home.”
· Bill Clinton: What does this image do to you? Many conservatives already had problems with former president Clinton, but his affair added to the fire. Not too long after the event, a national trend among teenagers and pre-teens involved repeating some of the sexual choices he made and not seeing anything wrong with it.
· Homosexual couple: What does this image do to you? Gay marriage is becoming an issue on a state to state basis, with Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands supporting it as a country. Yes… that list included the Netherlands… a Dutch area.
· Osama Bin Laden: What does this image do to you? September 11 will never mean the same again, nor will the almost 3,000 people who died and the countless families who now have an empty chair around the dinner table. This man, Osama Bin Laden, claimed responsibility.
· Laughing Jesus: What does this image do to you? (pause) A number of years ago "Playboy" magazine ran this picture to complement an article. The "Laughing Jesus" picture soon became a poster during the late 60’s or early 70’s.
It’s odd, but certain things tend to mean something to us in one moment and then something else in the next when we find out more about them.
· You’re friends with someone for a long time and suddenly discover they have a different view on abortion than you do.
· A co-worker whom you respect gets into a car with someone who isn’t his or her spouse.
· You find something hidden in your house by a family member who intended to keep it a secret.
Isn’t it amazing how one choice or discovery can cause us to think negatively about another?
· Luke 10:25-37: On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered: " ’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ’Love your neighbor as yourself.’" "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ’Look after him,’ he said, ’and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
The priest and the Levite get a bum rap in this story. The priest and Levite had just been in Jerusalem and are returning, which implies that they have just been a part of a ceremonial cleansing. In such moments, one would feel holy, clean, and pure.
o And so along the way they see a man on the side of the road who looks like he’s been left for dead. The Jewish Law states that if they touched the body of that person, dead or alive, or touched the blood they would become unclean – and this precious aura of holiness and wonder would suddenly disappear. That was the law: you don’t touch these things; they make you unclean.
And so the “holy people” whose concern for the letter of the Law prevented them from actually fulfilling the meaning of the Law.
Genesis 3: Adam and Eve fall, but God pursues.
· v.15: So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."
· v.21-24: The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
You know what’s interesting is what isn’t in this Scripture and the chapters that follow.
o We don’t read God separating Himself from mankind. He doesn’t stay in the Garden and kick man out… he makes Adam and Eve leave before they take a bit of the tree of life and live forever in a broken state of separation. Instead, God uses justice to show His mercy. Or perhaps He uses mercy to show His justice.
God is the first missionary in Scripture.
· He willingly leaves His environment to help restore a broken world of broken people.
· Like the Good Samaritan, God crosses the road to take care of the broken and neglected. And like the Good Samaritan, He’ll use unlikely sources because His holy people are too weirded out to do anything about it.
So confession time… I didn’t do anything at the Harry Potter night to share my faith.
· I did help someone in the Christian Inspiration section find a book, and I made an effort to thank the person behind the counter. But other than that I froze up… and it wasn’t until later I realized I really could have had some spiritually strategic conversations.
Just a little over a day later, though, another opportunity came about.
· I was at the Chicago O’Hare airport and getting ready to head out on my plane. I found my gate and got settled. 10 minutes later they moved my gate. And so I walked the overly crowded hallways to get to my new gate. Once I arrived, I got settled again. One lady was working two counters, and soon when it was time to board she came on to say that the plane would be 15 minutes late. Everyone was gracious, including myself.
o Then she called a few names to come to the counter… I was the first. I was told that because the gate had changed, so had our plane. No longer would I have seat 1-C, because that seat didn’t exist on this place. Instead, I got bumped back to seat 19-F. But I knew this lady needed some grace, so I graciously smiled.
o Twenty minutes later, we were told that the plane arrived but the crew hadn’t. And so again, everyone was gracious, including me.
o Another 15 minutes later, the crew arrived and boarded the plane. 10 minutes after this, the lady got on the mike to let us know that as soon as they completed their safety check we’d start boarding.
o 20 minutes later, we were told that the captain was waiting for ground power to turn on the air conditioning on the plane. So again… everyone was gracious, even though we were starting to get a bit restless.
o 15 minutes later, we found out that the air conditioning had finally been turned on, and everything on the plane was ready. There was one problem, though – the crew had left the plane and was nowhere to be found. This is about the time that many people stopped being gracious.
o Much later when we finally boarded the plane, I made it a point to be extra friendly and build a bridge with the crew (while others gave a cold shoulder.) It turned out that the heat had been turned on instead of the air, so that’s why the crew had to vacate the plane.
You know, maybe Harry Potter mania doesn’t weird you out.
· But I would guess that there is someone you’re not as gracious to as you could be.
o Maybe it’s the waiter who gets your order wrong, and instead of being gracious you make belittling comments.
o Perhaps it’s your spouse or a family member whom you order around instead of treat with dignity.
o Maybe it’s someone has a personality that just rubs you the wrong way and you have to deal with him/her on a regular basis.
o Or it could be something in a church service, like when the preacher wears jeans. I don’t know… maybe none of this, or maybe all of this.
Here’s what I do know… God made mankind in His image.
· Two final observations…
o If we are originally made in the image of God, then each one of us have a value beneath the surface. We need to look for this in others instead of quickly jumping to an “us” versus “them” mentality.
o For instance, why are some families so into a book like Harry Potter? Maybe because it gives them something to talk about. A good motive? Yes.
o Maybe because this book (like other epics) gives a broken glimpse to the fact that we are a part of a great story. A bit misguided, but true.
o If we are originally made in the image of God, then when we reconnect with Him through Jesus we should continue to bear His image in how He loves lost people. Aren’t you glad that God didn’t ban us from Him? Instead He chose to use a broken opportunity to bring healing.
I don’t believe God has called us to ban Hollywood or other things in this world in as much as He desires us to point to Him through the language of lost people. Make no mistake – God has called us to be separate. But He hasn’t called us to do the separating.
In our world there are a lot of broken opportunities – opportunities to interact with broken people to bring healing.
· This could happen with strangers, our neighbors, or the very people under our roof.
· Instead of giving them names, making jokes, being mean, avoiding direct contact, or just being prejudiced, we are called to bear the image of God.
· And if God bridges such gaps, perhaps we could find the courage to, too.
I want to invite you to experiment with me on something as we close.
· Who in your life bears the image of God and you’ve forgotten it.
· Have you received Jesus into your life? If not, why not today? Right now? Allow His forgiveness to change you from the inside out.
· And if you have, how might you be missing out on bearing the image of God to the world? Is there someone in your life whom you are snippy with on a regular basis? Is there a restaurant in town you should visit and confess a bad attitude to a waiter or waitress? Is there a family member whom you tend to look down on? Can you look in the mirror and see the image of God? Someone who He is crazy about?
If we are made in the image of God, then in some way we reflect a part of Him.
· How might you today understand this more clearly?
· How might you today help someone else understand this more clearly?
You don’t need a lot of equipment – you are the equipment.
· Use these Harry Potter glasses as a reminder of the opportunities we have to interact with brokenness in our world by bearing the image of God and looking for ways to help uncover that image in others.
· There shouldn’t be anyone in the world that we aren’t willing to share the love of Jesus with, even if it’s personally uncomfortable for us.
