The Throw Down

The Sermon Study Guide is here.

Exodus 4:1-5; Matthew 6:19-26

November 16, 2014 (Generosity Sunday) • Portage First UMC

While most of our Lands of the Bible trip was filled with activity, there was some down time, especially each evening before dinner, so during that time, Rachel and I would often flip on the television, which had about eight channels of selected programs. Most of what was on seemed to come from the Food Network. Any Food Network fans here? I’d never really watched many of their programs, except for “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” but there was one show on a couple of times during the trip that was kind of interesting. Anyone here watch “Throw Down with Bobby Flay”? I learned pretty quickly Mr. Flay is a chef based in New York, and that in this show he challenges a master chef of some sort of food to a contest. He learns how to make a particular dish, then goes to the other chef’s restaurant to have a “throw down,” a contest to see who makes that dish the best. Rachel was always hoping Bobby Flay wouldn’t win. It makes for an interesting half hour of entertainment, but the whole idea got me thinking about today, and this story we’ve been exploring about Moses, because in chapter four of the book of Exodus, God basically issues a challenge to Moses, a throw down, as God dares Moses to dream big dreams.

For the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about Moses’ story and how God gets our attention, calling us to dream his dreams for our lives and for our church. Last week, in particular, Pastor Deb helped us explore the “big buts” that get in our way, the excuses we make for not answering God’s call. And we all have those buts, especially when it comes to stepping out in faith, to doing something, perhaps, we’ve never done before. Trusting that God will be with us is hard. It’s as hard for us as it was for Moses, and he’s standing in front of a burning bush that is talking to him. Even then, he finds several excellent reasons why he can’t do what God is calling him to do. So do we. Every week, we gather here and we listen and we pray and the question we’re challenged to answer when we leave is this: so what? What difference will this Gospel, will this God, make in my life today and every day? We spend a lot of time and energy coming up with reasons why we can’t respond when we could just follow God’s call—and that would probably take less energy than the excuses do! But, you know, the biggest reason we most often talk ourselves out of doing what we know God has called us to is because of our focus. We tend to focus on what we don’t have rather than on what we have. That was Moses’ problem as well.

So, remember, Moses has been a shepherd now for forty years, after spending forty years as a prince of Egypt. He’s eighty years old, give or take, and probably not looking for any new challenges. But, do you know what? God is not done with any of us until we take our last breath. As Billy Graham has famously said, there is no retirement in the Kingdom of God. Moses is learning that in a big way, and he’s focused on so many reasons why God’s plan won’t work. That’s why I love God’s question to him at the beginning of chapter four: “What is that in your hand?” (4:2). God doesn’t even bother to really respond to Moses’ excuse at this point. While Moses, like us, is focused on what he doesn’t have, on what could and will probably go wrong, God is focused on what Moses does have. “What is that in your hand?”

Can you picture Moses, looking at his hand, and then back at the bush, and then at his hand again? “Uh, well, God, maybe you’ve never seen one of these, but it’s just a simple shepherd’s crook. It’s the staff I use to guide the sheep. It’s a just a stick.” That’s when the throw down begins—literally! God tells Moses to take his staff, his ordinary stick, and throw it on the ground. Now, watch what happens next very carefully. When the stick lands on the ground, it becomes a snake. And what does Moses do? Big, powerful Moses? Killed a man in Egypt. As a shepherd, he would have fought off all sorts of vicious wildlife. We always picture him as a manly man, and what does he do when the staff becomes a snake? He runs away. Now, is it because Moses is afraid of snakes? Maybe. That’s certainly a possibility. Or is it perhaps because he’s afraid of God, a God who is powerful enough to take an ordinary object and do incredible things with it (cf. Oswalt, “Exodus,” Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol. 1, pg. 313)? Because, you see, if God can take a stick and turn it into a snake, he might be able to take a shepherd and turn him into a statesman, someone to rescue the people of Israel. And if God can do that, then Moses’ excuses are a waste of time.

God isn’t concerned about what Moses doesn’t have. He’s not concerned that Moses is scared, or that he can’t speak clearly, or that he’s got an arrest warrant on his head in Egypt. God isn’t focused on what Moses doesn’t have. He’s focused on what Moses does have. He has a shepherd’s rod. And he has a heart for his people. And those two things God can use. So, you see, the question isn’t what we don’t have, but what we do have. What’s in your hand? God asks you and me that same question. What do you have that I can use? Because, you see, in God’s grace, everything you need to do what he has called you to do you already have. In God’s grace, everything this church needs to be able to do what God has called us to do we already have. The problem, in both cases, is that we’re clinging too tightly to it, hanging onto it for ourselves. We have to throw it down and let God use it.

So, let’s think about what it is we have that God can use. We often talk about our gifts in three categories: head, hands and heart. So let’s ask the question this way (cf. Slaughter, Dare to Dream, pg. 95). What are the gifts of my head? In other words, what do you know a lot about? And I’m talking about what you really know, not just what you want others to think you know. (You know what I’m talking about!) What do you know about that you can share for the sake of God’s kingdom? One of the things I’ve learned over almost twenty-two years in full-time ministry is that people think I know more than I actually do! We did not have classes in seminary on building maintenance or on fundraising or even on leading meetings, believe it or not. There are a lot things I’ve discovered that I don’t know, and I think I’ve gotten better over the years at admitting when I don’t know something. What I’ve learned to do, instead, is to develop a network of trusted souls who know things I don’t know, whom I can turn to when I need help. For instance, even though we did have to take one course in pastoral counseling in seminary (yes, just one course), what that did for me more than anything else is tell me I’m not a counselor. I’m not good at it, I don’t have the skills, and I would probably do more harm than good if I tried it. So I’ve learned who I can ask questions of. Who knows things about that area of life? Oh, and I married a counselor as well! That also helps! But I know things about history and theology and the structure of the church that I can use for the sake of God’s kingdom. And those are areas I’m constantly learning in as well. I love the trips to the Holy Land, because every time I learn more that I can then use in helping others come closer to Jesus. Those are the gifts of my head to God’s call. What’s in your head? What are the “head gifts” you bring to God’s kingdom?

The next question, then, is this: what are the gifts of your hands? What can do you do better than others around you? What skills do you have that can be used in the kingdom of God? This is a very practical question, of course. Perhaps you can sing, but you’ve been hiding that gift and not using it with any of our worship leadership teams. Maybe you are a great cook, but you’ve shied away from sharing your gifts with the funeral dinners, or Alpha dinners, or any other time that we eat around here! Maybe you have leadership skills, or you have great ideas for reaching new people, or you are a creative, artsy person. All of those gifts can be used in so many ways for the glory of God if you lay them out there, throw them down and let God use you in that way. I can’t tell you how many times we are looking for someone with artistic abilities for something having to do with worship, or how many times we are looking for that person who can take a meal to a shut-in, or even how many times we are asked if there is just someone who can spend some time or give transportation to someone who needs it. Maybe your skills are in the “fixing things” or “building things” areas. There are always projects around here that need workers, fixers, builders. The Red Bird Mission team needs folks like you. People like me who go on those trips need guidance from people who actually have the skills and abilities. I can do stuff like that if I’m shown how, but there are many of you who can just do it. You have the skills; you have the abilities. So what are the “hand gifts” you bring to the table? What can you do for the sake of God’s kingdom?

And that brings us to the third question: what is the passion of your heart? What is it you value most above all else? Because that is what you will give your life to. What captures your heart will transform your life. Jesus said it this way: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (6:21). That was certainly true for Moses, though he didn’t really want to admit it, but from early on in his life, the desperate situation of his people, the Hebrew people, captured his heart. We don’t know exactly how he learned he was a Hebrew and not an Egyptian, though since his Hebrew mother raised him when he was young, I’d be willing to guess she told him over and over again to remember who he was. Even in the palace, even while being treated as a prince of Egypt, Moses never forgot his own people. He had a passion for them, even though he didn’t demonstrate that in the right way. He chose to kill an Egyptian to protect one of the Hebrews, and that earned him forty years in exile in the wilderness. Part of me wonders what might have happened, how God might have used him had he not done that. But sometimes we take our passions and we channel them in unhelpful and even destructive ways. So God shapes and reshapes Moses in the wilderness for forty years, but that passion for his people never goes away. That’s why God calls Moses there at the burning bush. God knew Moses’ heart, and Moses, eventually, used that passion to help the people find freedom from slavery.

For as long as I can remember, I have been passionate about the local church. I shared just a couple of weeks ago about the moment (I can still remember very clearly) when I became passionate about sharing Jesus with others, about wanting others to come to know him. At the same time, God was developing skills and abilities in me as a speaker and leader. In high school, someone suggested I join the speech team, which was something I had absolutely no interest in. As Pastor Deb shared last week, I’m an introvert. Standing up in front of people to give a speech held no interest for me whatsoever. And I still don’t remember how I was conned—I mean, talked—into joining the team, but through very patient and loving coaches, I grew in my ability and even won the State tournament in my event one year. At the same time, in my home church, the children’s choir was suddenly without a director. I knew nothing about directing a choir, least of all working with children, and yet I somehow found myself doing both as a high schooler. I still look back on those times and am very thankful for the patience of the people at the Rossville United Methodist Church! They put up with a lot from me! But in doing those things, God developed within me a passion for the local church, for helping others know about Jesus, and for teaching about the Word of God. Those are still my passions. Those are still the things that grab onto my heart and won’t let go. Those are still the things that get me out of bed in the morning. So let me ask you: what is the passion of your heart? What is the thing that drives you? Or here’s another way to think about it.

Video Clip - “One Thing” (City Slickers)

I don’t know if the screenwriters of City Slickers had ever heard of the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, but they certainly knew what he was about. Kierkegaard put it this way: “Purity of heart is to will one thing.” One thing, that’s it. Moses, one thing. Dennis, one thing. Portage First, one thing. What is your “one thing”? My prayer is that Jesus and his mission is your one thing. Not that you don’t do other things, but my prayer is that his mission defines everything else in your life. My prayer and hope is that his mission (and not our own) drives everything else we do in this church. The church is not a country club. The church is not a daycare or a hospital or a civic organization that just does nice things. The church is an outpost of heaven situated at the gates of hell. The church is the only organization in the world that exists for the sake of those who are not yet a part of it. The church is the hope of the world, and if there’s anything this world needs today, it’s the hope that only Jesus can provide. What do we have? That’s what we have to offer. My prayer is that this is your passion, your “one thing,” and if it is, then everything else must be lined up around that “one thing.”

When we become part of this church family, whether you’re a member or not, we ask that you give of your prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness. In other words, all of life. We give everything we have to the God who has given us everything he has. Jesus challenges us in that way through the Gospel reading for this morning. He tells those who follow him, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (6:19-20). In other words, put your “treasure,” the things that matter most, in the place where it’s going to last for eternity, the place where it will make an eternal difference. God calls Moses to do the same thing, to throw down the thing that represented who he thought he was, everything that mattered to him in this world. The shepherd's staff was his means of income, his survival, his way of life. Throw it down, God says, and allow me to use it. Throwing it down was a definitive action (Slaughter 98), a way of once and for all throwing his lot in with God’s plan. And though I don’t think Moses realized it quite yet, it was a call to turn his back on all that had been and move forward into God’s future. From this moment on, everything Moses owned, everything he was, everything he would ever be was thrown down, to be used for God’s call on his life.

I want you to notice one other thing in this story of Moses, and it’s especially important for us this morning. Notice that, from this moment on, Moses doesn’t look back and he doesn’t go back. He never focuses on his past in Egypt or his job as a shepherd. He doesn’t spend time worrying about his failures or his foibles. Because God has called him to move forward, from this point on, Moses has a future focus. In other words, Moses let the past be the past because he knew if all he focused on was the past, he was done. Pastor Mike Slaughter puts it this way: “Anytime you begin looking to the past, it means death. You might as well hang it up” (111). And that’s true for both good and difficult things. If we get focused only on the great things God did last year, or ten years ago, or a hundred years ago, we’ll be stuck there. The same is true if we get stuck on the challenges we have had to face in the last couple of years. We can get focused on that, but if we do, we’ll be done. Anytime we fail to let the past be the past, we’re done, whether that’s in our own personal life or in the life of the church. God is calling us forward. God is calling us toward his future. God is calling us to pursue the “one thing” of becoming a community where all people encounter Jesus Christ. We need to let the past be the past, because God is waiting for us in the future.

Today is Generosity Sunday, and it is the time of year when we ask, without apology, for each and every one of us to step up and financially support the ministry of this church so that we can follow God’s leading into the future. But it’s about more than money. It’s about giving our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness. It’s about making God’s kingdom our “one thing.” So I’m going to invite Paul Keaton, our Finance Team Leader, to share a bit about our future and how you can be a part of.

PRESENTATION: PAUL KEATON

Thank you, Paul. At our last Administrative Council meeting, we looked at our goals for the coming year as a church. There are a lot of new areas we believe God is calling us to move into, including beginning a depression ministry, expanding our grief care ministry, and developing a comprehensive curriculum for our children’s ministries so that we have an idea what children at each age level should be learning about the faith. We also want to be able to develop new ministries to parents of all sorts, as well as continuing to grow and support our youth ministries, our Outreach ministries, our new prison ministry—and yes, the list could go on and on. The opportunities to offer hope in our community are endless. And we need you. We need your prayers. We need your witness. And we need your presence, not just in worship. There are two teams, in particular, that need your input. Both Outreach (which is about reaching people for Jesus and inviting them to be part of the church) and Missions (which is about meeting the practical needs of people who are underserved) are open groups that need your input, your ideas and your energy. We need your service. And, of course, all of this takes funding. We need your gifts. So today, we’re asking unapologetically for your commitment. Will you let God’s kingdom be your “one thing”?

In just a few moments, we’re going to sing and invite you to come and place your commitment cards here on the communion rail. This is your moment of decision, and I realize it's a challenging choice in our culture. There are so many things calling for our attention. But that was no less the case in the first century. When Jesus was calling his disciples to wholehearted commitment, to making the kingdom of God their “one thing,” he put it this way: “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (6:24). In other words, he was asking them which master they would serve. He was issuing a throw down challenge. Who or what would be their master? And then, as if to head off their complaints, he says in the very next verse, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (6:25-26). Yes, of course we are more valuable. And I will tell you that Cathy and I have experienced the truth of this statement. As I’ve shared before, we began tithing when we were in seminary and had very little in the way of money or possessions. Lots of bills and little resources. But we decided we needed to be obedient to God in this area, and so we began giving 10% to our church. And we discovered that when we released the hold money had on us, we always had enough. We didn’t always have everything we wanted, but we always had what we needed. We didn’t go hungry. We had a roof over our heads. Most of the time, our old car ran fine. God is faithful—and he has told us that the only area in our lives we are allowed to test him is in this area, in the area of our finances. In the book of Malachi, God says this, “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it’” (3:10).

So that’s the throw down. Are you willing to pick up the challenge? Will God’s kingdom be your “one thing” this year? Will we trust God to be faithful? Let’s pray, and then we’re going to come forward to present our commitments for the coming year.