IN GOD’S ECONOMY ...
By Bo Ace – 13th June 2010
The eyes and focus of many have been turned to the world stage of global recession and
economic hardship. I would like to turn our attention to God’s economy this morning and
take our focus to a much bigger picture.
Mark 5:11, Luke 8:32 (Story of expensive deliverance)
This is a story of mass destruction sufficient to get on the nerves of most animal rights
activists. The disciples have just had the sailing adventure of their lives while Jesus, on the
other hand, has had to deal with interrupted sleep – both are exhausted, the former from
fear and the latter from exhaustive ministry demands. Landfall finds them in the country of
the Garasenes (Gadarenes in some translations) where Jesus is confronted by a demon
possessed man. Jesus casts the demons into a herd of pigs who rush over a cliff to their
deaths.
Key points:
1. Jesus travelled through the night to get to the man. So it is with us. Help is on the
way.
2. The demon possessed man did not call out to Jesus and yet Christ came to him with
the ultimate result that he was delivered and set free.
3. In God’s economy – it is not the danger or inconvenience of the journey; it is not the
safe arrival of His disciples; it is not the weariness of His servants; it is not the loss of
material possessions or the reputation of the saints – it is the deliverance of the
possessed and the restoration of the suffering that matters most.
4. At first the people were in awe of what Jesus did however, in man’s economy, the
financial loss suffered turned them angry and they wanted Jesus gone from their
midst. Oh that we might never lose sight of heaven’s economy – God goes to
extreme lengths and great cost to restore one precious soul to Himself.
Mark 2:1-12 (Story of extreme faith)
This is the story of friendship and faith. Four men carry a paralysed man to Jesus. Unable to
get through the crowd, they quite literally tear off the clay tiles in order to lower their friend
to Jesus who speaks the healing power of God over the paralysed man and he is completely
healed.
Key points:
1. Take people to Jesus. The people who carried this man could have decided the
effort was too much; they may have balked at the extreme action needed to get this
man before Christ; they could have decided involvement from a safe distance to be
more prudent and yet had they let those considerations shape their actions – one
man’s life would never have been changed. Take people to where Jesus is.
2. Who paid for the roof? We are not told but it seems safe to conjecture that he who
ripped it up must pay to repair the damage. Now we get to the bottom line – how
much, how far, to what extent, to what extreme will I go to get people to Jesus?
3. In God’s economy – whatever it costs us to take people to Jesus will never come
even close to what it cost Jesus to bring us close to God.
Luke 15:1-7, 8-10, 15-31 (Parables that show relentless love)
These are illustrations that serve to demonstrate and reinforce some key points.
1. Lost things remain so until they are found. They cannot find themselves. Jesus
understands our “lost-ness” – that it is so complete and we are so inadequate to
“find” or save ourselves, that He had to leave all and seek us out. This is relentless
love in action.
2. In the event of the lost sheep – first it strayed, then it got lost, finally it found its way
into the wilderness.
3. In the event of the shepherd – he leaves the flock to go and search until the one lost
is found. This is not a cursory peek. This does not speak of casual enquiry. When he
finds the lost sheep – it is the shepherd who joyfully carries it home on his shoulders
i.e. the shepherd bears the weight and suffers the strain and any discomfort involved
in carrying the sheep home. Remember – wounded people are weak and may not
have the strength to make the journey home.
4. In the event of the lost coin – the woman searches because of the value to her of
what has gone missing. Every soul is of inestimable value to Father God.
5. In the event of the woman – she does not leave her house until she finds the coin.
She gives attention to her world and sweeps and scours – searching every nook and
cranny to discover where the coin has fallen. In our own lives – in our own church –
do we need to sweep and clear the debris and dust of attitudes, judgments,
offensive actions etc. that have caused someone to slip through the cracks? Do we
need to take courage to go to the dark nooks and crannies of our own prejudice and
insecurities to see they have in some way contributed? Remember, the coin did not
lose itself and it rolled until it stopped.
6. From 99-1, 9-1 and then finally 1-1 – the story of the loving father. This illustration
has all the ingredients of high drama – rebellion, excess, sex, sibling rivalry, despair,
repentance and restoration. It is a story that is played out in reality in the lives of
countless billions of us who abuse the inheritance we have and squander our
resources and lives on self serving pleasures.
7. In the event of the father – he gave to his son his rightful inheritance; he gathered
his son back to himself in hugs and kisses and he granted his restored son the full
privileges of the house.
8. In the event of the prodigal – his actions bought home knowledge that would
doubtless remain with him for the rest of his life – the love of his father was the true
prize of life.
9. In the event of the jealous brother – he needed to realise that he had lived as a
servant in his father’s house instead of a son in his father’s love.
10. In God’s economy – the filth of the son will never keep him out of the Father’s
embrace.
11. In God’s economy – the resources of the house are available to every child of the
family – there are no favoured sons. All children have the same access. One child
learned that living by and for what the world offers will eventually lead you into the
pig pen of a foreign and alien existence – far from the nurture of Father God’s love
and provision. Another son faced the reality that living for Father and working for
Him are not the same thing.