Embracing the Inconvenient

September 14, 2014

This sermon was an experiment. Back on September 14, 2014 we tried something completely unorthodox at our church. Eric presented three sermons on a Sunday morning instead of one. Since the classic Ellerslie sermon measures out to around 90 minutes in length, the idea of three Ellerslie sermons each measuring out to around 30 minutes proved a roaring success. With the same great content now in bite-sized pieces, the series model is ideal for short Bible studies with small groups. This particular message, Embracing the Inconvenient, was the perfect theme for launching a new era at Ellerslie. It’s one of the most basic truths that defines who we are and what we do.

Download Notes

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

sermon notes

session one

Would You Give Him Your Blanket?
Understanding the difference between our thoughts and God’s thoughts

THE TRUTH POINT
The Life of Christ is always aimed purposefully and aggressively toward the lowest, most humble and inconvenient place. And so must we purposefully and aggressively aim our lives in this direction.

THE KEY IDES
The Upside Down Kingdom
The Behavior of Living Water

Key Idea #1 – The Upside Down Kingdom

ABSURD
wildly unreasonable, preposterous, laughable

THE ABSURD BEHAVIOR OF HEAVEN

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9

THE UPSIDE DOWN KINGDOM

So the last shall be first, and the first last . . .
Matthew 20:16

the first is the last, the last is the first
the lowest is the highest, the highest is the lowest
the greatest is the least, the least is the greatest
the poor is the priority, the priority is the poor
the inconvenient is privilege, the privilege is the inconvenient

THE PRINCIPLE OF THE FIAT

The Lexus means affluent, cultured, astute, one of refined taste, and one who takes his appearance seriously
The Hummer means strong, dominant, determined, rich, muscular, manly, immune to political correctness
The Fiat means you want to be sporty and hip but don’t have the bucks needed to really do it. It means humble, a poor-starving-college-student, a novice, a beginner, a wanna-be, one just trying to get by, but one not wanting everyone to know they are just trying to get by.

THE PRINCIPLE OF THE CROWD

The Cool Kids
The Uncool Kids

CHOOSING FRIENDS WISELY

Turning the Popularity Game on its Head

Bramwell, these are our people—the people I want you to live for.
William Booth

THE STORY OF NIKA

Gerda, Lily, Rees, and I wanted to introduce you to our precious new friend “Nika.” She’s the newest little addition here at Danita’s Children and we all have become quite taken with her. She is one year old, but her body is the size of a newborn! (A skinny one at that!) She has something called Hydrocephalus which means she has too much water in her brain and her head grows bigger to hold all that water. Her Haitian mommy chose not to feed her and left her mostly on the floor, until Sarah, one of the missionaries here found her and brought her to Danita’s, and now she’s one of the kids here!

Yesterday we got to care for her for several hours and all of us felt our hearts get bigger as we held her, prayed over her, sang to her and gave her lots of kisses on her head. We thought we would send you these photos of little Nika and you could pray for her with us! She is going to Port au’ Prince today with Sarah to see the doctors there. She really needs a surgery to help her head and get some of the water out, but her body is so tiny that she’s not yet strong enough for an operation. So we need to pray she drinks lots of milk, gives lots of wet and poopie diapers, and grows big and strong. (For mommy, daddy, and nana’s reference, this little one is only eating 20mil every 4 hours!! Which is up from 7mil when she arrived last week starving to death. We need to pray this kiddo can pack on the pounds!) Lots of people say she’s not going to make it, but we know that our God has power to heal and save. He’s the greatest Rescuer and loves Nika so much! Wanna pray with us for her each day this week, and maybe next too, while she’s at the doctors? You could even share her story with your friends and have them pray for her too!

Excerpted from an email from Annie Wesche

Hudson, Harper, Dub, and Avy – these are our people – the people I want you to live for.
Daddy Ludy

You would love her so much if you could meet her. She has the cutest lil’ face and Rees loves to play with her wee little hands. Hudson, you’ll probably recognize the blankie she’s in too! When she came to Danita’s Children they didn’t have any cozy warm blankets for her. Even though it’s really hot in Haiti, Nika is usually cold because she’s so sick. We were so excited that we could share the one you gave Rees. Rees decided to give it to her to help keep her “cozy” and he has such a tender heart like his big brother. Rees has another blanket that isn’t as warm, but knew she needed to stay warm and gave up this blanket. Lily then gave hers too so that she wouldn’t run out of warm cozy blankets. Isn’t it wonderful to know that your present has blessed your brother and sister and now Nika, too!
Excerpted from an email from Annie Wesche

Daddy, Why Don’t We Adopt Nika?
A.k.a. – Daddy, what about your blanket?

Key Idea #2 – The Behavior of Living Water

OBSERVING WATER
It seems bent on going low, taking the position at the very bottom of every room it enters

THE PRINCIPLE OF LIVING WATER

He that believes on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
John 7:38

LIVING WATER FLOWS TO THE LOWEST PLACE

It flows to the Nika, the East End, the Uncool Kids,
and ahem, even toward the Chevy Spark.
For this is where Christ is.

HUMILITY
like water, it is always drawn to the lowest place

So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; “and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. “But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 14:7-11

HEROISM
The action of Christian humility. Recognizing that you have water to send forth into the low trough and deliberately choosing to open the spigot and send forth your strength unto the weak.

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
hilippians 2:3-8

INCONVENIENCE
The opportunity that begs for the spigot to open

Humility + Heroism + Inconvenience = Christianity in Action

If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
John 13:14

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Matthew 25:40

And when James, Peter, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. They desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do.
alatians 2:9-10

SESSION TWO

Rushing Toward the Difficulty
a vision for the return of vigor and manly purpose to the role of the man

THE TRUTH POINTS
Truth #1
The Life of Christ is always aimed purposefully and aggressively toward the lowest, most humble and inconvenient place. And so must we purposefully and aggressively aim our lives in this direction.

Truth #2
The Life of Christ vigorously pursues the freedom of the captives. As a Shepherd, He sprints headlong into the wolf pack for the preservation of His sheep.

THE KEY IDEAS
The Upside Down Kingdom
The Behavior of Living Water (it seeks the lowest place)
The Sprinting Shepherd

Key Idea #3 – The Sprinting Shepherd

Brethren, do something; do something, do something! While societies and unions make constitutions, let us win souls. I pray you, be men of action all of you. Get to work and quit yourselves like men. Old Suvarov’s idea of war is mine: “Forward and strike! No theory! Attack! Form a column! Charge bayonets! Plunge into the center of the enemy! Our one aim is to win souls; and this we are not to talk about, but do in the power of God!”
Charles Spurgeon

CULTIVATING THE SHEPHERD’S RESPONSE

And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
1 Samuel 17:48

Mahar – Mä·har’ (H4116)
to move headlong, with haste, sprinting, springing, straightway into danger; to move with liquid ferocity as a lion towards his prey

The Word “Mahar”
David-style

M – Mem – water (blood, chaos, might)

boiling blood – swiftness of rushing rapids

H – Hey – man with arms raised (breathing, looking, revealing)

growling for the glory of God with sling swinging above his head

R – Resh – man’s head (first, top, beginning)

to remove the head of the Head

The Word “Mahar”
Jesus-style

M – Mem – water (blood, chaos, might)

pouring out His own blood and water

H – Hey – man with arms raised (breathing, looking, revealing)

arms raised, nailed to a gibbet, breathing His last –
Behold the Lamb of God –
revealing the Glory of the I AM

R – Resh – man’s head (first, top, beginning)

crushing the Serpent’s head and
establishing His Headship over all

Mahar – Mä·har’ (H4117)
To obtain or acquire by paying purchase price, give a dowry – to buy, especially a wife

Maharay – Mah·har·ah’·ē (H4121)
The Impetuous (one of David’s mighty warriors)

IMPETUOUS
Rushing with great force and violence; moving rapidly; furious; forcible; fierce; raging; as an impetuous wind; an impetuous torrent.

THE SPIRITUALLY IMPETUOUS
One moved by Impetus

IMPETUS
Force of motion; the force with which any body is driven or impelled; the force with which one body in motion strikes another.

OUR IMPETUS
His Holy Spirit

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believes on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spoke He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
John 7:37-39

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST
The Maharay of God

The Mighties of Jesus Christ – out of our innermost flows rivers of living water, and we submit ourselves to the sufferings of Christ, that we might reveal His manifold wisdom, His glorious nature to this onlooking world, and prove that the head of our adversary is crushed and that Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Are We the Maharay or the “Mommy, I’m Scared”?

David – Hasted
Saul – Sat

David – knew something needed to be done – he knew he had received the Spirit in order to go and do
Saul – hoped that the problem would solve itself, that the big mocking giant would go away – but everyday he woke up the Giant strolled forward closer and his bark grew louder

Remember . . .The Living Water Goes to the Low Spot
It is always in search of the Nika

The Holy Spirit Seeks Out the Nika
Always seeking out the low spot

Our Soul
Our Marriage
Our Family
Our Church
Our School
Our Business
Our Neighborhood
Our Town
Our State
Our Country
Our Continent
Our World

SESSION THREE

Cherishing the Chains
a meditation on the profound power and beauty of difficulty

THE TRUTH POINTS

Truth #1
The Life of Christ is always aimed purposefully and aggressively toward the lowest, most humble and inconvenient place. And so must we purposefully and aggressively aim our lives in this direction.

Truth #2
The Life of Christ vigorously pursues the freedom of the captives. As a Shepherd, He sprints headlong into the wolf pack for the preservation of his sheep.

Truth #3
The Life of Christ purposely snubs, ignores, and cooly glares at the Voice of Inconvenience. To Christ, inconvenience isn’t a word in His vocabulary. The Heavenly translation of the word is, “Opportunity to Rescue”.

The Key Ideas

The Upside Down Kingdom
The Behavior of Living Water (it seeks the lowest place)
The Sprinting Shepherd
The Behavior of Living Water (it always heads heavenward)
The Power and Beauty of the Inconvenient

Key Idea #4 – The Behavior of Living Water (it always heads heavenward)

THE PRISON INSTRUMENTS

Agalliaō – ä-gäl-lē-ä’-ō
much leaping; a vigorous springing or gushing up of water, exceeding joy

THE UPWARD PUSH OF THE SPIRIT-LIFE

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be agalliaō: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Matthew 5:10-12

Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
Luke 6:22-23

The Crowbar
The tool designed for hard and inconvenient tasks

A Man
A Heaven-designed crowbar, built for earth’s most difficult situations

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
1 Corinthians 16:13

Andrizomai – än-drē’-zo-mī
To be a man, to prove oneself a man

The Christian Man
The first one to step up and do that which is inconvenient

Daddy, why don’t we adopt Nika?

The Voice of the Coward
“I’m not able to do that . . . so, uh, no.”

The Voice of the Christian
“I’m not able, but God is able . . . so absolutely!”

OVERRULING THE COWARDLY VOICE

Accepting the Inconvenient Assignment

The One-Hundred Orphans

The Seven Boys in New York City

Key Idea #5 – The Power and Beauty of the Inconvenient

Changing Out Dictionaries

First, the Dictionary of this Earth

in·con·ven·ient
ˌinkənˈvēn-yənt/

adjective
causing trouble, difficulties, or discomfort; awkward, difficult, inopportune, untimely, ill-timed, unsuitable, inappropriate, unfortunate; tiresome, troublesome, irritating, annoying, vexing, bothersome; aggravating

Second, the Dictionary of Heaven