Series: The Spiritual Practices of God’s Outliers
VBC
Pastor John Johnson
Colossians 4:5-6
September 5-6, 2009
“The Practice of Spiritual Friendship”
INTRO
This summer we have looked at 13 core disciplines—spiritual practices, habits of
the soul
-whose primary aim is to make space for the Spirit to work
-shape us into greater and greater conformity with Jesus
-among them—listening to God, talking to God, solitude, fasting, seizing
the moment, self-examination, earth keeping, celebration, relinquishment,
worshipping God, community—
-God uses other things to shape us—events in life (sickness, loss,
persecution, suffering, waiting) that have their own sanctifying work
-but our focus has been on the disciplines we are encouraged to lay hold
of and practice
-this weekend we look at one more—one most wouldn’t think about
-but before we do—let’s ask God to come and be our Teacher
Last night a few of us gathered to watch the film Sugar
-the story of a 19 year old kid from the Dominican Republic, Miguel Santos
-a pitching prospect who does well enough to get a call from a minor
league team in Iowa
-so he moves from a shantytown to Middle America
-from the Caribbean to the corn belt
-and faces what any 19 year old confronts—fears about making it in life,
preoccupation with self, earning respect among peers, raging hormones—
not to mention the barriers of culture, language, and race
-there’s one awkward scene where Miguel is invited to a church youth
night
-evangelicals would like to get him on their team as well
-but the barriers are too immense—this subculture is not really sure what
to do with Miguel
-they can’t speak his language—in more ways than one
-and ultimately it all becomes rather meaningless, irrelevant to him
-going to church was just one more option that did not work for him
We’re not always so good at reaching people who need Jesus
-we speak in our own code
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-we huddle with those we already know
-what keeps us from reaching the unbelieving?
-lots of things--but could it go back to this—sharing our faith is not a
spiritual discipline, a rule of life?
-were it to be so—what would it look like?
-what are the disciplines involved?
-a story in Luke 19 helps us (read vss 1-10)
1. THE DISCIPLINE OF INTENTIONALITY
-Jesus was intentional
-while the language “passing through” suggests Zacchaeus was a chance
encounter
-the reality is--Jesus came to Jericho with the precision of eternal purpose
-Jesus was on His way to Zacchaeus
-just as He was on His way to meet the woman at the well, the paralytic,
the blind man of John 9, the demoniac in Mark 5, you
-most of us do not have this discipline
-maybe we’re just too busy
-maybe we are too caught up in our religious sub-culture to notice a lost
world
-maybe we are too afraid
-maybe we don’t care
-maybe we assume it is the job of the religious professionals
-maybe we never got it that following Jesus means living out His mandate
to reach a lost world
-or maybe we simply assume—if it happens it happens
-but the practice of spiritual friendship doesn’t work that way
-you can’t lead a person to Jesus in neutral
-encountering someone—sharing our faith—involves making it a part of
our daily intent, aim
-here I am God—use me
-point me to someone who needs Your redemptive love
-but it’s not enough to be intentional—because even if we get here-sharing our faith involves another discipline-2. THE DISCIPLINE OF DISCERNMENT
-paying attention to what God is up to
-obviously Jesus had an advantage here—He knew where He was
working
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-our spiritual discipline is to enter into His presence regularly—engage in
deep listening
-get in step with Him such that we can see who He is leading us to
-who He is calling us to pray for—reach out to
-what He might be doing in a life
-discerning where God is at work
-which often goes beyond our assumptions, outside our boxes
-Luke 19 confirms what the rest of the Gospels tell us
-that God usually works in the least expected places—giving attention to
the least expected people
-Zacchaeus was the town “tax farmer” and he was rich—suggesting he
was good at what he did
-but he was despised—for what he did was wrong—he sold his soul to
Rome—that harassed and held Israel in its oppressive grip
-and in league with them—he was about collecting fleecing his own
people, lining his pockets, using extortion
-hence he was a collaborator--a social pariah, a spiritual reprobate—a
sleaze ball
-but he was also a seeker—he had to get a glimpse-vs 3
-but the only safe way to catch a peek of Jesus was to climb a tree—no
one would make room for him
-it would have been unsafe for him-collaborators have to watch their backs
-so he went ahead—for powerful, rich men don’t climb trees in public
places
-Zacchaeus hoped no one would notice
-but Jesus did-vs 5
-He looked beyond the foliage—beyond the certain insults hurled by the
crowd by this time
-it most likely was a tense moment—an ugly moment
-outside of his gated home—Zacchaeus would be vulnerable
-an Israeli collaborator in a Gaza back alley
-a darkened atmosphere would anticipate violence
-naturally—Jesus was expected to support the oppressed—call down
judgment
-“Zacchaeus-you’re a collaborator, an oppressor who has drained his
people—a betrayer of God
-get your act together and maybe—just maybe I will enter your fancy
house next time I am through”
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-but Jesus did the unthinkable—did what had to be repulsive, abhorrent,
disgusting
-without endorsing his sin-Jesus extended grace
-and then did the unprecedented—invited Himself over for the night
-no one in ME culture invites themselves over
-the host selects his guests
-here’s what we must discern
-no one is too far gone—Jesus never met a sinner He didn’t like, in whom
He wasn’t willing to invest His time
-He desires all to be saved-I Tim 2:4
-for God’s love is infinite—He is the searching shepherd, the careless
farmer, the reckless woman, the extravagant father—who spills His love
wherever He goes
-this is where we should be looking--discerning, anticipating, expecting
God to be
-but it’s not enough to be intentional, discerning, expectant
3. THE DISCIPLINE OF SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY
-stepping into this movement of God
-step out of our cocoon—our religious subculture
-lest we become “overchurched underachievers”
-but it will take some courage—especially if our friendships are made with
the wrong people
-in this story--Jesus took on the hostility of an entire town-vs 7
-they were shocked that Jesus would “squander” His time with such a low
life
-invite Himself to stop and rest, “lodge” with Zacchaeus
-is this the way a Messiah should act on the eve of Passover?
-not that crowd response ever mattered that much--He was always ministering to the last, the least, the lonely, and the lost
-socializing with the Samaritans, willingly touching the unclean—the
hemorrhaging woman, the lunatic—ignoring the rules, entering the party,
and here--sleeping in defiled beds
-Jesus was more concerned with peoples’ needs than with their offenses
-He came to seek and save the lost-vs 10
-this was His heart—His discipline—is it ours?
-somewhere in the story—maybe it was an evening banquet—Zacchaeus
gave his announcement
-there was a radical restructure
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-but here’s what I wonder—what happened between vss 7 and 8?
-maybe once they got past the fancy finger foods--Jesus seized the
moment--said something like this—
-“Though you have gained all of this wealth Zach—has it brought you the
happiness you are looking for?”
-“Is it really worth trading your self respect, your eternal future, for a house
full of nice furniture and good food?”
-maybe something more dramatic took place--note Willimon, 67
-for the first time Zacchaeus must have examined himself—and realized
he wasn’t made for this
-realized for the first time the immensity of divine love that refused to give
up on him—even if others did
-and out of this came a clear turning point—a “restructure” if you will
-he was willing to clean up his financial act with the community
CONCLUSION
Who is God calling you to extend grace to in these days?
-to bring the message—
-we are more broken than we could ever imagine
-but more loved and cherished than we could ever hope
Next week begins a new chapter—are you ready?
Look around for just a moment—we could have said—we’re too tied to the past
-there are too many memories in this building
-this is where I was baptized
-doing something more is a nice dream—we could never do it
-I’m really comfortable—I hate change
But we decided to dream, risk, sacrifice
-and now we will enter something new
-and if we stay faithful to our mission
-to worship God
-teach the Scriptures
-love one another
-proclaim the gospel…
Surely there will be a future.
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