Everyday Rhythms Pt. 2
Sermon Notes
Intro
this is the last week in our series called Saturate, which is about living as instruments of grace using the everyday rhythms of our lives. Last week we learned there’s 6 rhythms in the Genesis 1 creation account. It’s 6 rhythms both skeptics and believers are already living out, which means this isn’t about adding things to your busy schedule since you’re already doing these things. Instead it’s about being strategic with how you live these rhythms out, so you can transform people’s lives in the everyday rhythms of life. We covered 3 of the 6 rhythms last week and today we’ll cover the final 3 rhythms. So let’s turn to Genesis 2 and get into it. You’ll find Genesis in the front of your bible, it’s the first book of the bible. We’ll be in Genesis 2:15-17. The title of today’s message is Everyday Rhythms Part 2, and here’s the big idea. This isn’t a conclusion, it’s a commissioning...This isn’t a conclusion to this series, it’s a commissioning!
Context:
Here’s your context. Genesis is a book about the beginning of the world and God’s relationship with the world. Last week we learned in Genesis 1 that there’s a reason God created us, and there’s a rhythm to how God created us. We learned God’s original design and rhythm for creation included eating, celebrating, and reCreating. Well today we’re going to learn God’s original design and rhythm also included listening, story, and blessings. So let’s check it out.
The Word:
Genesis 2:15-17 states, “The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.’” Okay so if you study Genesis 1 you’ll see God repeatedly creating through “speaking.” It repeatedly states “God said, God said, God said.” It’s because the Christian God is a speaking God who wants to have a relationship with us. We’re seeing him speak again right here in vs 16. He’s speaking to Adam, commanding Adam not to eat from the tree of good and evil. Now if you believe there’s a God who created you, then you should also believe it’s important to listen to what that God says. But there’s a lot of people who claim God exists, and care very little about what God says. They claim to be believers, but function like atheists. In vs 16 we’re learning God is speaking, He’s giving a command, and He intends Adam to listen and follow that command. He’s even gracious to warn Adam what will happen if He doesn’t listen. Adam needs to listen and trust the very God who created him, just like we need to listen and trust the very God who created us. This leads to our 4th rhythm.
Rhythm #4 = Listening: The 4th rhythm is about listening. In Genesis 2 we’re seeing that listening is a part of God’s original design and rhythm for creation. The reality is we’re listening to things every day, such as the news, podcasts, musical lyrics, advice from others. So the question isn’t are we listening, it’s what are we listening to? It’s what are we listening to, and is God the dominant voice in our life? Jesus said in John 10 his sheep will listen to his voice, and in John 14 he said he’d give us the Holy Spirit to guide us. Isaiah 30:21 states, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” We need to listen to God’s voice, listen to His promptings as we go throughout the day. We need to listen to God’s voice not just for our own good, but also for the good of others. God wants Adam to listen to His command not just for Adam’s good, but also for the good of all creation. Disobedience and sin doesn’t just affect you, it affects those around you. We all know people whose lives are being affected by their sins or by the sins others have committed against them, and God wants us to listen to their brokenness so we can help bring healing back into their lives. In the U.S. we spend billions of dollars a year on mental health counseling, which shows you just how much people are struggling. Are you listening to those who are struggling? Are you listening for God’s guidance in your life, and listening for God’s guidance as you help others with their life? The way we live this rhythm out is by listening for God’s voice through reading the bible and praying. If you do that, God’s voice will be the dominant voice guiding your day. But in Genesis 3:1, we learn there’s another voice trying to deter us from trusting God’s voice.
Genesis 3:1 states, “Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, you can’t eat from any tree in the garden?’” There’s the voice of Satan trying to deter Adam and Eve from trusting God’s voice. Notice he says “Did God really say?” He’s trying to get Adam and Eve to not trust God, to not listen to what God said, and this happens in our lives too. We’ll sometimes listen to Satan’s voice or somebody else’s voice instead of God’s, which won’t turn out well for us in the end. In vs 6-7 Adam and Eve listen to Satan’s voice instead of God’s voice, they eat the fruit, and the result is sin, separation, the decaying dying world as we know it. This leads to our 5th rhythm.
Rhythm #5 = Story: The 5th rhythm is about story. God creating us was an invitation to be a part of His life, to be a part of His story. He didn’t have to write our names into existence, but He did to have a relationship with us. Yet just like Adam and Eve we want to be our own authors and write our own stories. We want God to play a part in our story, instead of being the author of our story. But our stories wouldn’t exist without God, and they’ can’t be fully restored without God. See everybody views their life through story, through events that have happened in their lives. The more dominant events will shape our thoughts, beliefs, behaviors, even affect our view of life good or bad. I remember one day having lunch with an atheist, and we were talking about faith. I remember saying “I don’t believe you’re an atheist. I know an atheist when I talk to one, because I was an atheist. I don’t believe you’re an atheist. I believe you know God exists, you know that God is Jesus, and you believe he lived, died, and rose again for your sins. It’s just you’re choosing not to follow him.” He said, “You’re right! I believe it’s all true. I believe Jesus is Lord and Savior, but I want nothing to do with him! Because God took my baby from me. He let my baby die, and I want nothing to do with a God like that...” I said, “You’re not an atheist, you’re grieving...You’re grieving, so let’s talk about your grief.”
Now I didn’t try contending with him for why God allows suffering and evil to exist, because he wasn’t in a place to hear that. Instead I listened to his story, that was affecting his view of God and life. Then I cared for his hurting heart. He wasn’t open to hearing God’s story until working through the brokenness of his dominant story of grief. A lot of people’s stories are like this. They might be asking questions such as why God allows suffering and evil to exist, but there’s a reason, a story behind those questions. If we truly care about people, then we’ll listen to their questions and stories to get to the heart of what’s really dominating their lives. We need to listen, to people’s stories, to learn what’s dominating their lives, so the greater redemptive story of Jesus can heal their broken lives. Hebrews 12:2, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.” Jesus is the one who can redeem and heal our broken pasts, helping us write new and better stories for our lives. It’s what Jesus does! He heals us from the wounds our sins and other people’s sins have caused our lives, and helps us write new stories with a better future for our lives. The question is do you want Jesus to be the author of your story, or to just play a part in your story?...Let’s go back to Genesis 2:15, because I want you to see one more rhythm.
Again Genesis 2:15 states, “The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it.” That’s responsibility...God’s given us the responsibility to “watch over” the land, to care for His creation. Both skeptics and believers want to be a blessing to others, and it’s because it’s a part of God’s original design and rhythm for creation. But you can’t be a blessing to others if you think you’re the lead role in the story and life’s all about you.God didn’t originally design our world to be as selfish and self-centered as it is. But when we choose to be the author and write our own self-centered stories, it leads to the suffering and destruction we see today. When we look out for ourselves it leads to things like greed, poverty, world hunger, segregation, war, creational pollution, and the list goes on. Our responsibility is to watch over, to care for, to bless creation like God blessed us, but instead we tend to watch out for ourselves and we’re wrecking creation in the process. This brings us to our 6th and last rhythm.
Rhythm #6 = Blessing: The 6th rhythm is about blessing. What we repeatedly see in Genesis 1-2 is God blessing creation with many things saying “It’s good, it’s good, it’s good.” He then gives humanity the responsibility to watch overcreation and keep the blessings going. We’re to display God’s grace in the world with our words, gifts, and actions. We’re to enjoy the many blessings God’s given, but also use those blessings in ways that’ll be a blessing to others. The reality is we don’t own anything, because it all comes from God. Your shirt comes from materials God provided. Your house comes from materials God provided. Your electronics and technology, comes from materials God provided. You didn’t even do a single thing in your mother’s womb to create the DNA you have, so you can’t even claim ownership of things your genetic makeup has gifted you to do. It’s the old joke where the scientist says to God, “We don’t need you anymore, because we can pretty much create whatever we need in a laboratory.” God says “Okay, let’s see if you can create a human from dirt.” So the scientist reached down for some dirt to start creating, and God said “Get your own dirt!” The point is humans don’t create from nothing, we create from the already existing materials God’s given us. The same is true when it comes to our blessings. We need to remember every blessing we have comes from God, and we’re to use those blessings and resources to bless others and bring God glory. In Genesis 12:2 God tells Abraham “I will bless you, so thatyou will to be a blessing to others.” We’ve been blessed, so that we can be a blessing to others. We’ve been blessed to be a blessing.
Now blessing others with our words, gifts, and actions isn’t meant to be an infrequent part of a Christian’s life. It’s meant to be a part of our everyday rhythms of life. It’s meant to help relieve the world of suffering, fulfilling our responsibility to watch over God’s creation. God doesn’t just want to give blessings to you, He wants to bless others through you!...God doesn’t just want to give blessings to you, He wants to bless others through you!...We’re to be such a blessing in other people’s lives, it causes them to ask why? “Why are you so different? Why are you blessing me? Why are you bringing meals to my house after having a baby or losing somebody I love? Why are you caring enough to follow up with me when I share my struggles with you?” The reason is because of Jesus. It’s because this is what Jesus does for us. Jesus blesses us, and he blesses others through us. All 3 of these rhythms can help point others to Jesus. As you’re listening, to people’s stories, you’ll discover their greatest struggles and needs in life. Then you bless them in those struggles and needs, and point them to the greater blessing which is Jesus. What are the needs of those you’re trying to reach?...What are the needs of those you’re trying to reach, and how can you bless them this week?...Who does Jesus want you to bless, and how does he want you to bless them?...Listen to God’s voice as you listen to their stories, and then be a blessing in their life just like Jesus has been a blessing to your life.
The Big Idea:
The big idea of the message is that this isn’t a conclusion, it’s a commissioning...This isn’t a conclusion to this series, it’s a commissioning...We aren’t commissioning you to go to church, we’re commissioning you to be the church. We’re commissioning you to be the church in our city. We’re commissioning you to show people that Jesus is the better Savior. We’re commissioning you to live as instruments of grace using the everyday rhythms of your life. Jesus didn’t die for our sins to sit on his grace, he died for our sins to spread his grace. The cross didn’t just open the door for our salvation, it started the process for creational restoration. Salvation happens through faith in Jesus dying for our sins on the cross, creational restoration happens through living as instruments of grace like Jesus taught. So where is Jesus sending you? Is he sending you to reach middle school, high school, college students? Is he sending you to reach other clients, employees, business people? Is he sending you to reach a neighbor, a friend, a person in your family? Who is Jesus sending you to reach, and how does he want you to reach them?
There’s many more chapters of salvation and restoration to be written, and Jesus wants to write them through you! The question is will those of you who are skeptics follow Jesus as the author of your story, or keep trying to write your own story? Will those of you who are believers follow Jesus as the author of your story, by being more intentional in reaching those he wants you to reach, using the everyday rhythms of life? Jesus said in John 7:38, “Whoever believes in me as the Scripture says, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” City Awakening let’s believe Jesus is the better Savior, and flood the streets of our city with rivers of living water! Let’s believe Jesus is the better Savior not just for our lives, but also for the lives of those in our city. Let’s believe Jesus is the better Savior remembering this isn’t a conclusion, it’s a commissioning!