Title: Are You Nuts-Is Jesus Driving You Crazy? Date: 10/12/14

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1 Title: Are You Nuts-Is Jesus Driving You Crazy? Date: 10/12/14 Text: 1Cor. 1:27; 4:10 Place: Winchester Do you ever feel like your going nuts? Crazy? Are you so stressed out, confused, that this is how you feel? I don t want to make light of mental illness, it is no laughing matter, and I want to be sensitive to those who have family members that may struggle with mental illness or dementia, etc. but in the vernacular this is how our culture talks about those that are different. And Jesus calls us to be different. Can you ever imagine wanting to be nuts, wanting to be known as a crazy person? I think being normal is overrated anyway. What is normal anyway? Jimmy Carter writes about his family. Mama always said that Billy was the smartest of her children, and none of us argued with her. During the 1976 presidential campaign Billy became the center of attention. He drank more, talked more and saw his deliberately outrageous statements quoted as serious comments. When one of the reports remarked that Billy was a little strange, he replied, Lord, my Mama was a seventy-year old member of Peace Corps volunteer in India, one of my sisters goes all over the world as a holy-roller preacher, my oldest sister spends half her time on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and my brother thinks he s going to be the president of the United States. Which on of our family do you think is normal? What is normal? Waking up and reading the paper about the ongoing conflicts in the middle East, the latest threat with ISIS, and the worry and fear surrounding Ebola, the political fighting between two parties and nothing getting done, poverty, crime, who got divorced to who, then you go to work to a job you complain about all the time, where you here about the latest gossip of who s cheating on who, who s going broke, who s family is in crises, then you come home

2 and cooking and cleaning, run the kids to practice, complain about being too busy, taking medications before bed for depression, anxiety, hypertension, acid reflux, fall exhausted into bed only to wake up the next morning to do it all again. Is that normal? Is that what you really want? I can t wait until things return to normal That quote makes sense when you are coming out of a particularly bad time in your life, hectic, stressful. After 9/11 we were encouraged to return to a normal way of living. Someone said that post 9/11 is the new normal But for Christians and the church Returning to normal is not a state to be hoped for. This metaphor about NUTs vs. normal is taken from a book by Leonard Sweet. He says, Once you ve become a disciple of Jesus, normal isn t good enough anymore? -Sweet What Does it mean to be NUTS? NUTS Never Under Estimate the Spirit Now Under the Spirit In the old days, if someone seemed to be mentally ill, they would say, They are a little touched What about you? Are you touched by God s spirit? Dallas Willard says that a disciple is someone who is crazy in love with Jesus because Jesus is crazy in love with them. Too much of Christianity is nice-ianity, not NUTS-ianity. Sweet A few people thought I was nuts for asking us to cancel Sunday morning worship, and go and serve and then hold worship later that day. I got an unsolicited from another pastor in town, and some comments from church members, and I m sure many more comments That I didn t hear. I felt a little Nuts after seeing that instead of our normal offering we received 2, that day. I know for sure the Finance team was going crazy, but not in a good way.

3 If we are all nuts does that make the Church a NUTHOUSE? The apostle Paul knew the importance of being NUTS 1 Cor. 3:18 (NASB) Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become foolish that he may become wise. 1 Cor. 4:10 (NASB) We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. 1 Cor. 4:9-10 (MsgB) It seems to me that God has put us who bear his Message on stage in a theater in which no one wants to buy a ticket. We're something everyone stands around and stares at, like an accident in the street. [10] We're the Messiah's misfits. You might be sure of yourselves, but we live in the midst of frailties and uncertainties. You might be wellthought-of by others, but we're mostly kicked around. 1 Cor. 1:27 (NASB) but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, Paul doesn t care what other think of him 1 Cor. 4:3 (MsgB) It matters very little to me what you think of me, even less where I rank in popular opinion. I don't even rank myself. Comparisons in these matters are pointless. Jesus wants to drive you crazy, crazy in love, passionately in love with him, with your neighbor Normal people define the good life in self-gratifying ways. NUTS people define the good life in God pleasing ways. sweet

4 Giving ten percent of gross income NUTS Quitting your job and going on mission field NUTS Teaching Sunday school, for 40 years NUTS Living by the ten commandments, the golden rule, the beatitudes, blessed are the meek, blessed are the poor. Sermon on the mount- turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, the greatest must be the least To be the greatest ruler of the world you die on a cross Frederick Buechner If the world is sane, then Jesus is mad as a hater and the Last Supper is the Mad Tea Party. The worlds days, Mind you own business, and Jesus says, There is no such thing as your own business. The world says, Follow the wisest course and be a success, and Jesus says, Follow me and be crucified. The world says, Drive carefully-the life you save may be your own, and Jesus says, Whoever would save his life will lose it and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. The world says, Law and Order, and Jesus says, Love. The world says, Get, and Jesus says, Give. In terms of the world s insanity, Jesus is crazy as a coot, and anybody who thinks he can follow him without being a little crazy too is laboring less under a cross than under a delusion. One of Leonard Sweet s students reacted to this idea of crazy in church because he was raised in a stoic church setting and also had some mental illness issues in his family history, but he went on to says this: Yet, I think this about CRAZY? It s what I am missing in church. No one is excited about Jesus. No one is excited about the church. I remember when I was a young Christian, I was so excited, I wanted to preach; I wanted to tell everyone how great Jesus is.there are many days now that I wish I had half the enthusiasm I had back then. I never doubted God s existence. I expected prayers to be answered. I knew God cared for me and love me. I knew God had a plan for me and all I had to do was find it and fit in. I really was CRAZY for Jesus at one time.

5 Now I am an ordained Elder in the UMC. I m tired and I do not want any trouble in my church. I don t want the District Superintendent coming in to set anyone straight. No one is CRAZY in my church. In other words, everyone is normal. How sad. RESPONSE but I m still crazy enough to believe that Jesus loves me, this I know For the Bible tells me so but I m still crazy Enough to believe that The B-I-B-L-E, Yes, that s the book for me. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Jesus is the sweetest name I know I ve got a home in glory land that outshines the sun.

6 I ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart Because He lives, I can face tomorrow Be not dismayed whate er betide, God will take care of you. Soon and very soon We re goin to see the King Surely, the presence of the Lord is in this place. but I still believe that My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness All other ground is sinking sand. I ask you, Are you wise enough to be crazy? I would encourage you as Jesus does, to lose your mind, and find your soul

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