Carpe Diem – seize the day

Carpe Diem – seize the day

There is a school of thought that I heard growing up that one should wait on God until such time as you receive a clear directive from Him. While there is merit in this idea one gets the sense from the scriptures that many of the great protagonists were men and women of action rather than those that did nothing until word came down from on high.

Take for example the story of King Saul (the first in Israel) and his son Jonathan as reported in 1 Samuel 14. Saul had just messed up offering up the burnt offering to God rather than waiting for Samuel (Israel's prophet) so Samuel told him that him that his kingdom would not endure. So here is Saul and about 600 men with the Philistine army (Israel's arch-rivals) near by and no weapons except those carried by Saul and Jonathan. Not what you would call good odds.

READ 1 Samuel 14:1-23

Another great victory built on the shoulders of one man's courage and faith. I put to you that it is men and women like Jonathon that the Lord wants. There is an impetuousness and recklessness that is the upshot of living out a life of faith. We need to walk into danger, ignore the odds, and risk everything (even our lives) on the strength of God's promises. Reason and caution have little place in the great adventure. They seem safe and they usually are but they inevitably lead to the quite backwaters where there is little personal growth and a staleness that eats away at our souls. The higher road is the narrower road, is a dangerous road but a glorious one where we can daily see the hand of God at work. This is where we see "His kingdom come on Earth as it is in heaven" and this is where we should want to be; on the cusp; walking the line; beating the odds.

Do you remember from the passage I just read where the man Saul was; the man chosen by God and entrusted with the authority to rule God's people? He had with him 600 men including the high priest of Israel wearing the Ephod and the awe-inspiring Arc of the Covenant. Good reason for believing that God would be with them in any endeavours? He was sitting in the shade of a Pomegranate tree. Perhaps Saul was trying to figure out how they could manage a victory with no weapons or maybe he was waiting for God to send help…we aren't told what was going through his mind but we do know that Saul was "staying".

Jonathon on the other hand was not "staying". Jonathon was a man of action and of faith. On the strength of his experience of God's deliverance and presumably with the knowledge of God's character revealed he declares his intention to attack the Philistines saying to his young amour-bearer, "Perhaps the Lord with act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few".

What a tremendous reckless act of bravery. Jonathon clearly has no specific direction from God about the idea; "Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf". But rather simply understands God's nature of backing acts of faith and devotion done in His name for the purposes of His kingdom. Jonathan is prepared to risk his life and the life or his young amour-bearer because of his faith in the unchangeable nature of God's character; in this case the belief that "Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few".

And of course, from the story we know that God gave Israel a tremendous victory that day; a victory begun by the faithful recklessness of brave Jonathan who dared to believe in the promises of God blindly seizing the initiative by leading the charge. God joined Jonathon in battle (sending confusion on the Philistines) and only then did Israel's rightful leader Saul take up his sword and finish the job.

Let us me be like Jonathon when facing the difficulties of life and even when the odds are over-whelming against us odds; let us put our faith in God's saving nature. Let us not be found waiting for something to happen but rather "seek first his kingdom", create beach-heads, lead the charge and who knows, perhaps we will be immortalised as one of the great protagonists in creation's epic drama.

Carpe Diem – seize the day.

Living in the moment

Living in the moment

Do you get through the week so that you can enjoy the weekend only to feel a sense of loss/disappointment on Sunday night because the weekend failed to deliver? Do you put up with the drudgery of the everyday for the sake of the overseas trip coming up later in the year? Do you half-think that if only you can find the right girl then your life would really begin? Or will money make everything alright. Is it a car, a footy match or a movie that your imagination has fixed itself on?

If the answer to any of these is 'yes' then you are not living in the "now" and you are not alone. Most people don't live in the moment.

Personal story: expectation of fulfillment when new job commenced…

The past is another tempting place to live. Do you sometimes travel backwards through time and affix that inward eye on some fond memory? Do you reminisce of great-times past, perhaps even embellish them a little in the process. This can stop you moving forward really stunting your growth and isolate you from others. But we all do it to some extent. The optimists put a positive spin on their memories and pessimists a negative spin.

If the answer to any of these questions is 'yes' then you are not living in the now and you would not be alone. Most people don't live in the moment.

Personal story: K-A morning sickness…if only I could return to the days when I didn't have kids…

Then there's fantasy. This is a marvelous place to escape to if you have a good imagination. You can be anyone, do anything without incurring cost. But of course, it's not real and one can easily become addicted. Movies and books are built to feed this temptation. How often have you escaped the boringness of your life by distracting yourself by a good story or an action movie? In your mind, do women just want to tear your clothes off? Can you create the sense of contentment and fulfillment using your imagination? If so, it doesn't usually last long as reality has a habit of reminding us of our true position in life.

Personal story: I am addicted to reading…when the going get tough I read more…

Most people don't live in the moment. They live in the past, in the future, or in a fantasy. Why is this?

Well, when we are not living as we are supposed to…life is colourless, boring, limited, fruitless, meaningless, souring and numbing. Oh course the past was better and the future brighter. And should these places ever fail us, our imagination can construct a place where we take centre stage…we make the rules. Who would want to live in the present?

This is my message tonight: the present is the only honest place to live. Step one to becoming a spiritual man who grows even to completion begins with squarely facing the facts. Don't dull yourselves by pressing down and covering over the way things are. 'fess up and admit to yourself and to God that your life is not as it should or could be. This is the only to getting out of the rut we're all inclined to fall into.

Step two is to establish a vision for you life that is achievable and conforms to the pattern and form we see in the life of Christ.

The bible has plently to say on the topic of living in the moment…

Quotes from the bible

• 1 Cor 10:31 "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
• Hebrews 13:5 "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.""
• 1 Thes 4:11 "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."
• Phil 4:11-13 "…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

We should also consider the legacy of those bright souls who have gone before us fully living in the moment. Let's look at a two of these…

Brother Lawrence

He began life as Nicholas Herman, born to peasant parents in Lorraine, France. As a young man, his poverty forced him into joining the army, and thus he was guaranteed meals and a small stipend.

Sometime later, an injury forced his retirement from the army, and after a stint as a footman, he sought a place where he could suffer for his failures. He thus entered the Discalced Carmelite monastery in Paris as Brother Lawrence.

He was assigned to the monastery kitchen where, amidst the tedious chores of cooking and cleaning at the constant bidding of his superiors, he developed his rule of spirituality and work.

For Brother Lawrence, "common business," no matter how mundane or routine, was the medium of God's love. The issue was not the sacredness or worldly status of the task but the motivation behind it. "Nor is it needful that we should have great things to do. . . We can do little things for God; I turn the cake that is frying on the pan for love of him, and that done, if there is nothing else to call me, I prostrate myself in worship before him, who has given me grace to work; afterwards I rise happier than a king. It is enough for me to pick up but a straw from the ground for the love of God."

There he spent the rest of his 80 years, dying in relative obscurity and pain and perfect joy.

Quotes from Practicing the presence of God

• "We must do our business faithfully, without trouble or disquiet, recalling our mind to God mildly, and with tranquility, as often as we find it wandering from him."
• "We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed."
• "There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God."

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa (August 26, 1910 – September 5, 1997) was an Albanian Roman Catholic nun who founded the Missionaries of Charity and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work. For over forty years, she ministered to the needs of the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying of Calcutta. As her religious order grew she expanded her ministry to other countries. By the 1970s she had become internationally famed as a humanitarian and advocate for the poor and helpless. Following her death she was beatified by Pope John Paul II and designated "Blessed Teresa of Calcutta".

Quotes from Mother Teresa

• "Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin."
• "Little things are indeed little, but to be faithful in little things is a great thing."
• "Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own house. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next door neighbor... Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting."
• "The more you have, the more you are occupied, the less you give. But the less you have the more free you are. Poverty for us is a freedom. It is not mortification, a penance. It is joyful freedom. There is no television here, no this, no that. But we are perfectly happy."

So let us not make the mistake of living dumbly for some unrealized future state or mournfully live in regret of our lost past. Let us not skip into fantasy every time things get too boring or too difficult. Let's be men and face "now" squarely making even the mundane and ordinary things a spiritual act.

Whatever we do, let's do it for the glory of God.

Get in the boat

Get in the boat

Parable: Parable is a short, descriptive story that illustrates a moral attitude or religious idea.

Jesus used many Parables to communicate truths about the kingdom of God. Why do you think he did this?

The disciples once asked why he did this:

Matthew 13:10-16 "The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: (Isaiah 6:9-10) Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them. But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear."

What do you think he means?

I think we can take the idea of Jesus' parables further. His life was in fact a parable in that it "…is a short, descriptive story that illustrates a moral attitude or religious idea."

Let's look at an example of where Jesus actions can teach us truths (Jesus life as parable):

Matthew 8:23-27 "Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"

Kinneret (Sea/Lake of Galilee/Lake of Gennesaret) is Israel's largest fresh later lake. It is 13 kilometers wide by 21 kilometers long by 43 meters deep and feed by an underground springs and the Jordan River. At 209 meters below sea-level it is the lowest fresh water lake in the world and the second lowest after the dead-sea. Due to its low-lying position in the rift valley, surrounded by hills, the sea is prone to sudden violent storms.

Context:

The disciples believed and followed Jesus – great! The story before this one tells of a others who believed but didn't follow Jesus.

Matthew 8:18-22 "When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."

So when as we read Matthew we read of men who, presumably because they were impressed with Jesus teachings and power, choose not to follow him because of the cost: 1. no shelter/accommodations 2. family commitments. Then immediately following this we read of men who do choose to follow Jesus; but this is just another stage in their journey to maturity.

The disciples choose to follow him. They jump in the boat and:

Matthew 8:24 "Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping."

Because of a Galilean fishing boat's shape size, it would seem unlikely that Jesus was unaware of the storm. He would be getting very wet. Why then do you think he was sleeping?

Go often allows us to walk "through the valley of death" so that we might learn trust him. Really trust him.

Can you think of experiences that you have had which have reinforced/increased your faith in God?

There are many levels of trust. You may trust that I will be true to my word but not trust your life to me. God wants us to come to a place were we completely trust him/put out faith in him.

The disciples trusted God enough to get in the boat. This is more than the two men in the preceding story ("no place to lay his head" and "let the dead bury their own dead"). But when faced with a storm that could easily capsize their boat and drown them, they were afraid.

Despite all of the miracles they had seen to date; they doubted.

Matthew 8:25-26 "The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?"

It must have been a big storm for seasoned fisherman to be afraid!

And so that they might believe he also was in command of the elements …

Matthew 8:26b "Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm."

When God came to your rescue what impact did this have on you? Were you grateful? The disciples were in awe:

Matthew 8:7 "The men were amazed and asked, 'What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!'"

This was Jesus intended result. He slept (withdrew) that the disciples might discover the extent of which they really believed/trusted Jesus and then when these competent fishermen called for help he interceded and rescued them. This produced faith in them and because it came from emotional experience it was a lasting, transformative lesson….it changed them.

So Jesus' life lived out is a parable instructing us 2000 years later that trusting Jesus just enough to put our faith in him is just the beginning of the road. That God is trustworthy and though carefully engineered experiences acts in our interests to make us even more faithful men.

We begin with a simple belief in Jesus, then in faith we step into the boat. Next he engineers circumstances so that our belief is deepened and we respond in awe giving thanks to God.

It starts with us (our decision) to trust; and God takes this as permission to test/teach/train (his decisions) leading us to praise God when we ultimately see his glory revealed in our circumstances. Then the cycle begins all over again. This the process of maturity and you can stop any time you want by simply not getting into the boat.

I emplore/exhort you all to get into the boat whenever you are invited. It is a privilege and an honour to be singled out and invited into the boat. Don't shrink away when the experience is offered to you because it a sure path to personal growth and spiritual maturity where we can become just a little more like Jesus.