This message was for the Hi-C (youth group) on Sunday, November 20, 2016.
Scripture Readings
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Colossians 1:11-20
Luke 23:33-43
Message Audio
Message Text
When God created the world and human beings, He did so with the intention to be in close and intimate relationship with us. In this relationship, we were to find joy, peace and fulfillment in life. But somewhere along the way, all sorts of things have come in the way to separate us from this relationship with God.
Think about it: for example, at the summer retreat, many of us felt the loving presence of God. Wasn’t it a wonderful experience? I bet at that moment, it seemed like nothing else really mattered than to be in God’s loving and warm embrace. We felt a warm sense of community that embodied this love of God.
And yet, we came back to the city, back to school and back to our regular lives. Back to stressful interactions with friends and peers, worrying about school and grades, going from one lesson to another. I bet that our experience of intimacy with God often feels far away, doesn’t it?
This is the real world we live in. At times, we feel affirmed in our identity and feel God’s embrace. Then at other moments we get plunged back into worries about school, my future, friends, and all of that. We also start listening again to voices that tell us what we should be or what we need to do to be acceptable. We forget again about our fundamental identity as beloved children of God.
My friends, this is why we here are so blessed though, that we get to come back and remind ourselves continually about the love of God. And this is why faith was intended by God to be lived in community – we need one another to support one another, to encourage one another, and to keep ourselves going in the life of faith, of affirming ourselves once again that “I am God’s beloved child”.
So let’s take a moment right now. Look at the people around you – look at them sincerely in the eye – and tell that person: “you are God’s beloved child”.
We need this kind of loving, affirming community more than ever. I don’t know where this world is going. After the election in the US, some people now feel license to voice their inner fears and hatred. We hear stories of minorities being targeted and bullied. We anxiously await the tone that society will take as we move forward.
We see leaders and people who look after themselves only, and don’t care about the people they are called to serve. This is what Jeremiah was talking about in today’s passage:
“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them.”
I see this happening when I look around us. But as children of God, as followers of Jesus, we are not to despair, for the prophet Jeremiah also has a message of hope:
“Then I myself will gather the remnant of the my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, not shall any be missing, says the Lord.”
What a hopeful message! God will gather people who have been scattered and are lost, and God will raise up leaders to guide people in the way of love, justice and compassion.
My friends, my prayer for you is that you be people who will shepherd others with this love, justice and compassion. Isn’t this a much more exciting vision for life than to just make lots of money and be successful all for yourself?
This world loves power. We love to have it, and we love to exercise it to make us feel good. As I said, power comes in many forms: it can be popularity among friends at school – if we are popular, we love to decide who’s in and who’s out. That’s one form of power. If we have felt left out, then we want to get power in another way, maybe by becoming successful, getting into a good school and make lots of money, just to show those other people that I’m more acceptable after all.
My point is that this is the way of the world. Remember that verse I spoke about at the retreat, about the wide and narrow road? The pursuit of power is the way of the wide road:
13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy[a] that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. 14 For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)
Ultimately, the pursuit of power for its own sake leads to destruction of the soul. We as children of God are called for a different purpose. And today’s passage reveals that purpose even more.
As Christians we believe that God came down to humanity in human form as Jesus Christ. As the Son of God, Jesus was in sync and in tune with God’s will, so his life demonstrates God’s character. We read today of his crucifixion on the cross. He was hung and executed with criminals. In today’s terms, it’s like he was given a lethal injection alongside the worst criminals. What a shame, what a disgrace! And no wonder others felt the same way. “If you are truly the Messiah then save yourself!” This guy came proclaiming God’s kingdom, and now he can’t even save himself.
Jesus looked completely powerless hanging there on the cross, so much that one of the criminals beside him even mocked him. To the eyes of the world, this is not something to admire or look up to. And yet, what does the Scripture say in another passage from today?
“…through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things… by making peace through the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:20)
God reconciled everything to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross. That shameful cross. That embarrassing cross. Through that cross he made peace. By giving up his power he made peace.
My friends, to create peace in this world, we must first be willing to share or give up our power. This is not an easy thing to do. Let me give you an example: you get into a dispute or argument with a friend. Your friend believes you said or did something to upset him or her. You know that this is not the case. But because of this misunderstanding, your friend starts going around saying bad things about you. Others are now looking at you suspiciously. Your reputation is sinking and your standing among your peers is going down. Isn’t this a common scenario among teenagers in high school? Maybe some of you are going through this.
What’s the natural thing to do? The natural thing is to seek and exercise power. This would be in the form of banding other friends to exert power against this friend who started these rumours. It might include convincing others to exclude that person. It also might include exercising your right to confront this person with the truth first, and if that person doesn’t respond, then threaten to retaliate.
What’s the solution to this problem? I don’t want to provide simple answers for situations that might be complex, but allow me to provide some principles. You first have to address your own feelings. How does this make you feel? Are you starting to question your own self-worth because of how others are looking at you? This goes back to identity: we must always come back to God in prayer and ask that He affirm our identity as His beloved child, no matter what others might say or think about me. When we can feel secure in our own identity, THEN we can start looking at why the other person might be feeling the way he or she did. What might be causing this person to act this way? When we have this sensitivity and insight, then we can think of a loving yet confident way to address the situation.
Let me share one more principle: exercising power to overcome the injustice will not solve things, or it will not lead to true reconciliation. You might “win”, but there will not be true peace or reconciliation. Reconciliation can never come about by the exercise of raw power. Sometimes we must be willing to give up our right to be right, and instead try to address the underlying feelings or motivation of the other person. So perhaps you approach this person and say: “Okay, I understand you’re not happy with me, I would like to understand what it is I said or did to make you feel this way”. Even if you know inside that you’re not responsible, you’re willing to give up your right to be right in order to listen and understand. If this person is reasonable, then you’ll be surprised at the effect this approach might have.
Let’s be honest: doing this or taking this kind of approach is not easy, right? It’s very difficult. It takes a very big person to be able to do this. It takes a confident person, one who is very secure in themselves.
My friends, this is why I talk so much about identity. If we are secure and confident in our identity as God’s children, then we won’t be swayed or motivated by what others think. We will seek to follow God’s ways. And those ways are ways of love, compassion and a willingness to give up our power. It doesn’t mean being a doormat, because then that would also not be following our identity as God’s beloved child. We must love ourselves just as God loves us. But the root word is love – not power. Our power comes from God’s love. Our confidence in God’s love for us gives us a different kind of power, a real power that can transform hearts.
This is the kind of leader I want us to be. It’s not an easy road or easy path, but the only path that leads to real peace and reconciliation, and it’s the only path that will ultimately make a true difference in this world. Let us ask God for His guidance and wisdom along this journey.
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