Guiding Our Journey Leading Our Hearts June 26, 2011 SETTING OUR SIGHTS Hunger for God I believe the Holy Spirit is God at work in my life to give me power to live a life of love. Romans 8:6, The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Mysterious God Oil Of Gladness And setting aside for God s use is the issue with anointing. Later, priests would be anointed and then kings. Then there would be the anticipation of a Messiah being anointed by God to set everything right. The first thing anointed in the Bible was a stone. That is interesting to note, isn t it? It was not a person, it was a thing and a non-living thing at that. It was a stone that Jacob had set up as a standing stone. Standing stones were used in biblical times as markers (reminders). When walking along and someone came across a standing stone, its intended impact was that the person would say, What is the meaning of this standing stone? The hope is that someone who knew the story would still be around and would accurately portray the reason the stone was there. God used standing stones, for instance, when the people crossed the Jordan and told the people to use them as teaching tools for generations to come. In this instance, Jacob was running from a vengeful twin brother. Esau had vowed to murder him upon the death of their father because Jacob had tricked him out of his birthright and his blessing. So, Jacob was a lone desperado. But God wanted to extend hope and a promise to him. He appeared to him along the way as he paused for sleep. Genesis 28:18-22, Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father s household, then the LORD will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth. While anointing has the physical appearance of a substance (usually oil) being poured or rubbed into a person s head, the spiritual reality behind it is that of the Holy Spirit coming on a person or filling a person in some way as he or she is consecrated (this is a great word that you might want to look up) for the work God has given. GETTING OUR BEARINGS Verlene has been cut to the core by videos she has seen of children in Africa who are hungry and struggling to survive. She feels like someone ought to do something and maybe it should start with her. She decided to go. She had some money saved up. She planned a trip and made a contact. Her flight leaves next week. She does not know who or what or how or exactly why, but she just knows she cannot sit around while there are these needs. Last week, one of her Christian friends asked if she had prayed about this trip. Of course, she had prayed. Then she asked what she had heard from God. Verlene did not know what to say. Hearing back from God was not something she had expected when she prayed. She had simply asked God to provide and protect. Then yesterday another friend asked if she had taken this idea to other believers to have them pray about it and pray over her to send her off. Has she messed something up here? She just wants to do something to help. Bethel means house of God. After Jacob made his way to his mother s people and found his wife (actually, being a bit of an overachiever, he acquired two wives, but having not learned enough about the trouble siblings can be to each other he married sisters), God called him back to his father s home. As he did, he reminded him of Bethel and of that anointing and the vow made there. It seems maybe the rock was not the most important thing set aside in that event. See Page 6 for Daily Devotional Guide using The Compass. Content taken from The Scrolls Pantego Bible Church used by permission. Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Step 1 STUDY THE MAP observe what you are reading. Isaiah 61:1-7 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. 4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. 5 Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. 6 And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. 7 Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours. Cf. Acts 10:37-38 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. Before you decide what it means, look closely at what it says. Highlight Spirit in v. 1. Underline on in v. 1. Box because indicating reason in v. 1. Box to indicating purpose throughout. Draw a line from freedom to release in v. 1. Draw a line from favor to vengeance in v. 2. Box for indicating purpose in v. 3. Highlight rebuild, restore and renew in v. 4. Draw a line from Strangers to foreigners in v. 5. Draw a line from priests to minister in v. 6. Box Instead indicating contrast in v. 7. Highlight the last phrase in v. 7. Draw a line from mourn in v. 2 to grieve in v. 3. Highlight crown of beauty, oil of joy, garment of praise in v. 3. 2 Feel free to use the margins to write down any questions or thoughts you have.
Step 2 PLOT A COURSE interpret what you have read. Recognizing the message of the passage Though our text this week is from an Old Testament prophet and Christians are notoriously unversed in the prophets, this particular passage should be very familiar to most believers. This was the passage Jesus referred to when he began his ministry and he showed up in Nazareth (which Luke notes is the town where he was brought up, not his birthplace). He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath and was apparently asked to read from Isaiah. Max Lucado points out that this is the only time in the Bible that we see Jesus finding a place in Scripture. At all other times he simply quotes what he wants to say, but in this instance, he rolls through the scroll until he finds the place. That is an interesting picture, isn t it? The author of the Bible is finding the spot he wants to read from. When he finds it, the passage he wants to impress upon the people he grew up with is not Isaiah 53: He grew up before them like a tender shoot... He was despised and rejected therefore I will allot him a portion with the great because he poured out himself to death He did not choose chapter 62: For Zion s sake I will not keep silent, And for Jerusalem's sake I will not keep quiet, until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, and her salvation like a torch that is burning and you will be called by a new name No, Jesus selected chapter 61. The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because God anointed me. Thus Jesus sets in motion the foundation for his mission. He is not simply on earth to do good things because good things are better than bad things. He is not simply trying to teach a higher morality, though a higher morality certainly is preferred. He is not simply calling people to a life of greater purpose and meaning, though it would surely enrich anyone s life to pursue a higher calling. He is doing what he does because he has been set aside for it by God s Spirit. He is not following his own passions and desires. This Spirit, this anointing, called him to announce and to fulfill the coming of God s grace in reality as it had been seen in glimpses and metaphors in the Old Testament. For instance, one reference in this passage is to the Year of Jubilee. This is in verse 2 and may be stated as the year of the Lord s favor. That is a way of talking about grace, and in practice, it was to be a year of grace given every 50 years in the social structure of Israel. The way it was to work was that every 50 years, debts were forgiven, slaves were set free, property that had been lost because of debt, etc., was returned to its rightful owner. As Lucado puts it, the social reset button was hit. Unfortunately, we do not have a record of Israel ever practicing the Year of Jubilee, but they had a knowledge of how it was supposed to be and Jesus used this Utopian dream buried in their collective psyche to point to what his ministry was about. Then as he began putting flesh on the bones of his message he attempted to help people get a bigger picture of a kingdom that is not limited by political and geographical constraints. This is a spiritual kingdom. Grace is available to everyone regardless of race or religious background. The Spirit still anoints people to bring this message of grace to be this message of grace. The Message Of The Passage The Holy Spirit anointed Jesus and wants to anoint all believers for the ministry of grace. 3
Step 3 Digging Deeper Into Its Meaning v. 1 anointed Original meaning to wipe or stroke with the hand. Persons and things were anointed, in the OT, to signify holiness, or separation unto God: pillars (cf. Gn. 28:18); the tabernacle and its furniture (Ex. 30:22ff.); shields (2 Sa. 1:21; Is. 21:5: probably to consecrate them for the holy war, see Dt. 23:9ff.); kings (Jdg. 9:8; 2 Sa. 2:4; 1 Ki. 1:34); priests (Ex. 28:41); prophets (1 Ki. 19:16). [1] v. 1 good news The word, Gospel is derived from these words. v. 2 day of vengeance In Luke, Jesus stopped just before this phrase. The significance of that is likely that his first coming was focused on bringing God s favor, his grace and his second coming will enact his vengeance. [2] v. 3 oil of joy The presence of oil symbolized gladness (Is. 61:3) while its absence indicated sorrow or humiliation (Joel 1:10). Similarly, oil was used as an image of comfort, spiritual nourishment, or prosperity (Dt. 33:24; Jb. 29:6; Ps. 45:7). To put all these images together for the believer: If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, you are living today in a spiritual Year of Jubilee. You have been set free from bondage; your spiritual debt to the Lord has been paid; you are living in the acceptable year of the Lord. Instead of the ashes of mourning, you have a crown on your head; for He has made you a king (Rev. 1:6). You have been anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit, and you wear a garment of righteousness (Isa. 61:3, 10). [3] v. 3 oaks of righteousness This is primarily a reference to the unshakable nature of the commitment of God s people to him once they have tasted of his grace and goodness. v. 3 for the display of his splendor All of the contrasting pairs in vv. 2-3 (comfort mourn, crown of beauty ashes, oil of joy mourning, garment of praise spirit of despair), combined with the steadfastness of being oaks, to result not only in speaking of how great God s people are but of how great God is. It is for showing him off to those who do not yet know him. v. 5 strangers foreigners This is a somewhat difficult passage given a more complete understanding of God s grace being available to all without regard to race or national origin. The best understanding would be that this is metaphorical language meant to indicate that God s people get choice jobs in his kingdom. They are priests and ministers. It is left to those who do not know him to do menial work. [1] D. R. W. Wood and I. Howard Marshall, New Bible Dictionary, 3rd ed., 49 (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1996). [2] D. R. W. Wood and I. Howard Marshall, New Bible Dictionary, 3rd ed., 844 (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1996). [3] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Comforted, An Old Testament study., 155 (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996). 4
Step 4 Answering Interpretive Questions 1. When do you think the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jesus to anoint him? Why do you think that? 2. Why do you think the focus of the good news is to the poor? 3. Why do you think Jesus would stop before the phrase the day of vengeance of our God? Is that part of the verse not true? 4. What kind of mourning might the author have in mind? What comfort can be given to those who mourn and grieve? 5. Think through the other metaphors (crown, oil, garment). What is the point? 6. Why compare God s people to oaks of righteousness and what is the desired outcome? 7. Verse 4 uses repetition of the same idea in different words to drive home an idea. What is the idea and why does it need to be driven home? 8. In God s economy, which jobs are the most desirable? Why? Who can be qualified for them? 9. The people of Israel would have understood this passage to refer to an earthly restoration of things as they should be. How do you know that is not what God had in mind? 10. This week s passage is a call to leave disgrace and embrace grace. How so? 5
Step 5 HEAD OUT apply what you have read. Our desire is to not be merely hearers of the word, but doers of the word as James suggests in James 1:22. Try some of the challenges below to apply what you have learned this week. LifeGroup Discussion I am sure you have been with or near people you were convinced were anointed to accomplish a work directed by the Spirit of God. What convinced you of this? Personal Challenge At Central we teach that everyone must have a personal relationship with the Lord. However, having a personal relationship with Jesus does not mean it is to remain private. In fact, Jesus commands us to be very public about our relationship with Him. Additionally, through the apostle Paul, Jesus commands us to help carry each other s burdens and to test every spirit which speaks to us. Who are the people in your life you can trust to share the promptings of God? If this question has left you without a response, let me challenge you to become part of the weekly Community meetings at Central on Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM. Let me also suggest you contact the church and ask how to be become part of a LifeGroup. Your move! Personal Story There have been times in my life I have clearly known an anointing of God for a specific purpose. Every time a new child entered our home, I knew I was chosen to father that young life to stand on his/her own. There are other times when the circumstances of life have compelled me to stand in the gap for someone else, because I was the only one available. It was not necessarily an anointing I desired or cared to pursue, but it was an anointing nonetheless. There is an anointing I rejected as a young man, but God in His patience forgave my disobedience and kept gently calling me to pursue the anointing of full time ministry. After 20 years of hearing but not listening, I finally submitted to His call on my life. What I have found in accepting the anointing he has called me to receive is more freedom and purpose in my life than I ever before experienced or could have imagined possible. And while I have received this anointing, I know He is still calling me to an even higher anointing because there is still more of me to give to Him. The lesson of my story, even to me, is this: Whatever you have has been anointed as His, and whatever you give in obedience to Him will be anointed again to bring glory to Him. Using The Compass For Daily Devotions Monday: Read Setting Our Sights (Page 1) and the text (Page 2) Tuesday: Do Step 1: Study the Map (Page 2) Wednesday: Step 2: Plot A Course (Page 3) and the text (Page 2) Thursday: Read Step 3 (Page 4) and the text (Page 2) Friday: Complete Questions in Step 4 (Page 5) Other Suggestions: Discuss Getting Our Bearings (Page 1) with your family Do Step 5: Head Out (Page 6) with your LifeGroup Do Step 6: Journey Together As A Family (Page 7) 6
Step 6 JOURNEY TOGETHER as a FAMILY Virtue: Faith trusting in what you cannot see because of what you can see. Memory Verse: Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) Bible Story: Flight Plan (crossing the Red Sea) Hebrews 10:32-35; 11:27,29; Exodus 14:5-31 Bottom Line: You can trust that God can do the impossible because He s God. All month long we have talked about faith trusting in what you cannot see because of what you can see. Without God, there is no faith. That is, there is nothing worth putting our faith in. He is big and magnificent and all-powerful. The God who parted the Red Sea is the same God we serve today. He can do anything. Stop and meditate on that for a minute. We may never see a miracle as grand as a pillar of fire in the desert, but God wants us to have faith in Him still. Imagine the impact Christians could have on this world if we truly believed that God could do anything. This week, help kids discover how they can step out on faith because they have a big and powerful God who can do the impossible. GodTime and FridgeDoor Cards Each week we offer two additional faith building resources for elementary age children and their families. FridgeDoor cards are intended to be placed on the family refrigerator and include discussion questions for kids and parents. GodTime cards contain four short daily devotions for children. Be sure to pick one up each Sunday. Elementary Brain Bomb Question Read Exodus 14:5-31 What did the Israelites say when they saw the Egyptians marching towards them? If you d like to take the Brain Bomb challenge follow these directions. When you have the correct answer or memorized the verse record it on the Brain Bomb line 818.1550 by 9:00 PM this Thursday. Calls must be made from HOME. 1. Dial 818.1550. 2. After the tone slowly say your first & last name and grade. 3. Answer the question or say the memory verse. 4. If you say the verse, have a parent verify that you recited it from memory. 5. Again slowly say your first and last name. What we are learning 2 yr olds-kindergarten: Children heard the Bible story of Esther and how she helped to save her people. Esther had courage, and we can too. Remember, God wants us to ask Him for courage. Memory verse: I will strengthen you and help you. Isaiah 41:10b This week with your child Read the story of Esther from a children s Bible, such as The Beginner s Bible (Esther 1-10). Talk with your child about how Esther had courage. She saved her people. Make a courage crown with your child. Cut a crown out of construction paper and help you child decorate it with markers, crayons, stickers, stars or jewels. Ask your child about a time he or she was scared and needed courage. Place the crown on your child's head and remind them that God can help them have courage today. Together, repeat the truth of the day with the motions your child learned: God (point up) wants us to have courage (make muscle arms) to obey (thumbs up). Pray together with your child and ask God to give your child courage to obey. 7
Sermon Notes Central Christian Church publishes THE COMPASS weekly. It is intended to bring together several strategic elements in our everyday lives. It will help us, as individuals and families, journey toward a greater hunger for God and a loving heart for people. Send any questions about this lesson or comments about this resource to Paul Backer (pbacker@ccccarmel.org). 8 Please remember to bring your copy of The Compass with you next week.