OUTFLOW

Sunday 9 February 2020

[SLIDE 1] – Thanks Paula

[SLIDE 2] OUTFLOW: WEEK 2 Fill ‘Er Up!

[SLIDE 3] No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is brought to full expression in us. 1 :12

[SLIDE 4] BIG IDEA: Overflowing life depends on a personal relationship with God.

God wants to pour an overflowing life into us and through us. But before God can fill us up, we need to have a living relationship with Him.

So what does a living relationship with God look like? [SLIDE 5]

Though evangelical Christians often talk about having a personal relationship with God, it is important to realise that this idea may sound foreign to people who have grown up in other religious traditions or who have had little or no contact with Christianity.

Within our human relationships some of us have powerful connections. It is possible to have an even more powerful connection with God.

Tim Hansel tells this story: Tim and his youngest son were climbing some cliffs. Suddenly his son jumped off the cliff into his arms, knocking both of them to the ground. Exasperated by this unexpected behaviour in a dangerous situation, he exclaimed: “Zac, why did you do that?” His son responded rather calmly, “Coz you’re my dad.” His whole assurance was based on the fact that his father was trustworthy.

I can’t swim very well. I remember a time when we were visiting my sister and her family in Gaberone, Botswana. She was teaching our oldest son to swim. Our second son, Adrian, might have been two at the time. Alex was also in the pool. Adrian just kept jumping from the side into the pool to get to his dad. My nerves were on end, but they had such fun in the pool. They obviously trusted the adults.

Worse than that, I remember being 16 or 17, which would have made my younger sister 12 or 12. Our dad dropped us at the swimming pool. Some guys came up to us. I told her not to talk with them. Anyway, they asked where we’re from. So she replied hat we’re from Cape Town. We were visiting family in the Northern Province of South Africa. They then said surely we must be great at swimming. I said “Nope, can’t swim”. My sister said: “We’re like sharks in the water” One of them picked her up and dropped her in the deep end of the swimming pool. I thought one of them might jump in after her. Nope, they just stood there, laughing. By then, I’m screaming at the top of my voice that she’s going to drown because we couldn’t swim. It felt very long before one of these boys jumped in and got her.

I called my dad straight away to fetch us. As we waited I asked her: “What were you thinking while you were in the water?” Really mad at her for not listening. This was her reply: “I knew you would do something. I thought I must just hold my breath and wait for you.” I could only shake my head at her confidence in my ability to do something. But I was filled with indescribable gratitude towards God that I had my sister safely next to me. [SLIDE 6] Imagine God’s delight when we trust Him with such confidence. 1

An overflowing life depends on how we relate with God.

Just as the happiness of a marriage depends on how a husband and wife relate, being filled to overflowing depends on the kind of relationship we’re experiencing (or not experiencing) with God. However close or distant you feel or are from God, a good question to ask yourself is “What kind of relationship would you like with God? What kind of relationships DON’T you want to have with people? [SLIDE 7]

➢ Stingy and self-focused ➢ Sour and legalistic ➢ Angry and vindictive ➢ Apathetic and uncaring

If you are tired of being a perfectly normal, self-absorbed, self-focused person, I’d like to introduce you to the invisible God who not only promises to “guide you into all truth (:13), but also to “never leave nor forsake you.” (Deut. 31:8)

Maybe your biggest question today is how do you start a wonderful friendship and relationship with a wonderful and Almighty God.

Many people see God in these negative terms.

There are all sorts of distorted perceptions of God. Expert Norman Wright, a Christian Counsellor wrote a book called Always Daddy’s Girl. In it, Norman describes our tendency to ascribe to God the characteristics of our human fathers. He wrote: “If your father was a weakling, and you couldn’t depend on him to help you or defend you, your image of God may be that of a weakling. You may feel that you are unworthy of God’s comfort and support, or that He is unable to help you.”

Wright goes on to list other descriptions of human fathers, such as critical, harsh, and discouraging, that may affect our view, not only of ourselves, but also of God.

I remember once being harassed by a creepy guy on my way to and from the shop. When I got home and told my dad, he grabbed my hockey stick and set out to find this person. Can you imagine what that did for me as a young teenager? He didn’t accuse me of provoking the guy or didn’t say I shouldn’t have gone on my own. He set out to protect me.

Even if a person has had a strong, warm and accepting father, it’s easy to absorb negative conceptions of God from other relationships and sources. We can even pick it up from well-meaning relatives who tell us that God will only love us if we behave well. “You better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout, I’m telling you why…” That’s not our God. The good news is our God is nothing like all these negative portrayals and lies about Him. [SLIDE 8]

According to the , God is exactly like !

John 10:30 Jesus says: “The Father and I are one.”

Paul says in Colossians 1:15 Jesus “is the visible image of the invisible God.”

[SLIDE 9] Later also in Colossians 2:8-9, Paul says “Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high- sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from . For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.”

Jesus is generous.

Jesus is accepting

Jesus is forgiving.

Jesus is interested in you! 2

As you can see, Jesus is quite different from the distorted ideas many people have of God. His approach to relationships is also quite different from the approaches many people take.

POINT ONE: Jesus does relations differently

Most human relationships are essentially self-serving.

The famous poet W.H. Auden once said these tough words: “Almost all of our relationships begin and most of them continue as forms of mutual exploitation, a mental or physical barter to be terminated when one or both parties run out of goods.” That’s harsh.

I’m sure all of us remember our high school days or even our place within our workplaces. There were always the popular crowd and the ones in with the boss! Unlike the popular kids in high or the ones vying for favour in the workplace, Jesus does not seek out relationships for what he can get from them. He’s not looking for acceptance or status or for people who will make him look good.

Let’s look at some of the people Jesus chose to hang out with. As we look at these specific people, see which one reminds you of yourself. Then figure out what God is wanting to say to you today.

[SLIDE 12] Simon Peter. If there is one thing that shows us that Jesus is not hung up on appearances, it’s the fact that he chose Simon Peter – the fisherman – as the leader of his apostles. Running a fishing boat is a dirty, smelly and dangerous job. Handling fish and nets all day and then getting the catch ready for market means being covered with sweat, blood and fish guts most of the time.

And in Simon’s case there were the added issues of a hot temper and a seemingly inability to pay attention. Peter was probably not the sophisticated, level-headed executive most of us would have selected to lead a worldwide movement.

Yet…

Even though he didn’t look or smell the part, he was the person Jesus chose to build his church Jesus doesn’t care how people look or even how they view themselves. Rather, he sees past the ‘surface us’ to the us we’re created to be.

[SLIDE 13] Nicodemus. Here’s person as different from Peter as you can get. Nicodemus was a well-respected religious teacher who came to Jesus during the night. Jesus didn’t agree to meet with Nicodemus because of his status. He was impressed by his education or his reputation. In fact, even though Nicodemus was this great religious scholar, Jesus had to explain the most basic ideas about having a relationship with God (Read ).

The point here is that a relationship with God does not depend on our reputation or how well we know the . Jesus wants us to know him personally.

[SLIDE 14] and Mary. Fill in the blank “If you want something done right, ______.” Most of you would respond with “You’ve got to do it yourself.” If you agree with this statement, you are probably hardworking, self-sacrificing people like Martha.

According to Luke, Martha’s brother, Lazarus, had invited Jesus to a big dinner party at his house and Martha took charge of all the preparations. Even though Martha chose to take on thus responsibility, she was stressed out and overwhelmed and blamed her sister Mary, for not helping. Instead, Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to what he was saying.

The bible says Martha approached Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But Jesus’ reply shocked her. 3

[SLIDE 15] “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Martha might have thought that Mary was Jesus’ favourite and what could possibly more important than doing your fair share of work!!

[SLIDE 16] Jesus isn’t interested in what we can do for him. That is not the most important thing. The most important thing is to be with him so that he can fill us up. The big secret Mary discovered is that we need to connect deeply with Jesus and be filled up before trying to serve him.

Although Mary was obviously onto something, it would be a mistake to find a formula here. Our relationships with God are all unique and individual.

[SLIDE 17] POINT TWO: All of us approach Jesus differently.

Imitating what works for others in their relationships isn’t always a good idea. It’s not that we can’t learn from the spiritual leaders and mentors around us. It is that we need to realise that what brings one person close to Jesus, won’t necessarily work for another.

[SLIDE 18] Peter was loud and messy in his relationship with Jesus. When you read about him, you recognise someone who is bold, enthusiastic and sometimes out of line. He often talked without thinking things through. One minute Jesus was praising him for his faith. The next minute Jesus was telling him off for saying the wrong thing. However, the bottom line is that Jesus and Peter had a great relationship.

Some of us may be drawn to this kind of relationship, full of drama! Others of us may cringe at the thought of being this forward with Jesus. This in-your-face type just isn’t your style. The good news is that we were all wonderfully and uniquely created by God. We don’t all have to be like Peter.

Some people are more like Nicodemus…

[SLIDE 19] Nicodemus was slow and steady. Nicodemus had approached Jesus cautiously. He had questions and thought, just maybe, Jesus had the answers. Nicodemus didn’t dive in headfirst like Peter. He was careful. He came to Jesus in the middle of the night so that he didn’t draw unnecessary or unwanted attention to himself. Over time, his relationship with Jesus also grew into something precious.

Some of us here may be slow and steady in our approach to Jesus. This may frustrate others who think we need to think faster, move faster, jump on the bandwagon quicker.

Then of course, we have Mary and Martha…

[SLIDE 20] Martha was quick and capable. Martha wasn’t the kind of person who waited around to be told what needed to be done. She saw needs and did whatever it took to meet them, and she expected others to do the same. After her brother, Lazarus, died and she discovered Jesus was back in town, Martha ran out to meet him, saying, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Note that Martha didn’t doubt that Jesus could save her brother’s life.

She believed in Jesus’ power to do miracles (and she was about to witness one that would blow away even her expectations). Because she was a woman of action, who took care of things, that’s how she approached her relationship with Jesus as well. Her relationship with Jesus was about faith in action. She had to work a little harder at the sitting still and spending time with Jesus bit.

Many of us fall into a similar pattern. The good news is that Jesus understands this about us. He is always present, always guiding us toward the only thing that is essential: a growing relationship with him. He reminds us that it’s critical to be filled up first before taking action.

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[SLIDE 21] Mary was easy-going and relational. For some of us here relationships are more important than tasks.

Mary desired intimate, alone time with Jesus. She wanted to soak up what he had to say and share her thoughts with him. She didn’t need to be doing things with or for Jesus – she just needed to be spending time with him to be happy.

Peter, Nicodemus, Mary and Martha approached Jesus in their own ways, based on their unique personalities.

Though everyone is different, a healthy relationship with Jesus includes time praying and worshipping, time reading , time being together with fellow Christ-followers, and time serving others and showing them Christ’s love in practical ways.

Let us pause for a moment and let it sink in…

It doesn’t matter who we are or what we are like, Jesus wants to have the kind of relationship with us that will fill us up. I have learnt the best way to be topped up, is to be me when with Christ. I don’t have one way to be filled up. I am an eclectic sort of person. TIME whether in prayer or singing or writing or reading my Bible or being with others or just admiring creation or entertaining people or washing feet, all of this in it’s own way fills me up. But I stay filled up by talking with God and being mindful of his presence with me the whole day. I find myself now in God’s felt-presence.

[SLIDE 22] So how will you know that you are doing the things that fill you up? That’s the final point of this message.

[SLIDE 23] POINT THREE: Connecting with Jesus produces outflow

[SLIDE 24] Peter, Nicodemus and Mary were deeply transformed by their relationships with Jesus. They began to think, feel and act differently toward others. They stopped thinking only about themselves and their worries and began pouring out compassion, joy, and power they’d received from Jesus.

Peter. After he was FILLED with the Holy Spirit, he stopped hiding his face and pretending he didn’t even know Jesus (as he had done right before and for some time after the ). Instead, he began speaking to crowds and doing the kinds of things Jesus did, such as having compassion for hurting people and healing them.

Acts 3:6-8 tells of Peter’s encounter with a crippled beggar as he and John were on their way to the Temple to pray. Peter said: “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”

“Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.”

The characteristics that had limited Peter before didn’t matter anymore because he was so full of life, compassion and power that he couldn’t help pouring it out wherever he went.

Nicodemus. Nicodemus first visited Jesus in secret because he was worried others would find out that he was associating with Jesus. But after being filled by his relationship with Jesus, he was the only one who stood up to defend Jesus in the court when he was accused (:50).

Then, when Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross and placed in the tomb, Nicodemus again risked his life and reputation by anointing this “condemned criminal’s” body with 75 pounds of myrhh and spices (:39). In those 5 times, this was something only a close family member would do. In fact, according to the traditions in which Nicodemus had been raised, even touching a dead body, made a person unclean. But Nicodemus wasn’t focused on traditions, neither was he afraid any longer of being associated with Jesus.

Mary. She was so filled up that the next time Jesus came to dinner, she brought out an amazing treasure: a container of pure nard (perfume) worth more that a year’s wages (:1-8).

Think about that for a moment – a single bottle of perfume worth more than the first century equivalent of their annual household income! New Zealand's median income is $52,000. What would you buy with that amount of money? What did Mary do? She took a fortune in perfume and poured it out over Jesus’ feet. If you’re wondering what Mary was thinking, she clearly was not thinking about herself or about what others thought about her.

She was simply filled with love to overflow, a love so amazing that she had to let it flow out where others could see it and smell its wonderful fragrance for themselves.

What about Martha? Was Martha transformed by her relationship with Jesus? We simply don’t know. We know she believed in Jesus’ power to raise her brother from the dead. Indeed she declared that he was the Messiah, the Son of God (:21-27). However, is it possible that she continued to put her worldly duties ahead of her relationship with Jesus?

Is it possible that some of us do the same: believing in Jesus but refusing to make him our top priority? When we do this, the kind of outflow that comes from being filled with Jesus’ love will never occur.

CONCLUSION

We have to be filled with Jesus before we will experience outflow. Is there anyone here today who isn’t being filled as you would like to be? Jesus says: [SLIDE 25] “Keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8).

[SLIDE 26] Let’s pray: Jesus, here we are. Please fill us up with your living water. Wash away our sins and make your life flow through us. Amen.

PLEASE TAKE A BOTTLE OF WATER FOR YOURSELF OR TO GIVE TO SOMEONE.

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