- with Pastors Jeff Klein & Gregg DeMey
SPEAKERS
Gregg DeMey, Jeffrey Klein
Jeffrey Klein 00:16
So, so we're going to tag-team this sermon this morning to handle the first part is he killed chapter one. So would you pray with me? Let's pray together. Lord at the beginning of 2022, we open Your Word again, expecting to hear from you. We're excited, Lord because we definitely need a word from you to start this new year. So we trust that your Holy Spirit will translate for us. The things that are said this morning. Hear from a couple of human ordinary, broken preachers, your name Jesus we pray, Amen.
Jeffrey Klein 00:52
So back in the day, my daughter went on the second-born child was a high-level gymnast, she reached level 10 at the age of eighth grade. We tried softball, we tried ballet -- disaster, we might move to gymnastics and for whatever reason, it took off. She used to be able to, I remember watching her as like a third-grader climb to the top of the gym on a rope. using just your hands, not her legs at all. She used to stand on her hands for a long time. She could just walk around the house on her hands crazy, do backflips on a balance beam, all kinds of other crazy tricks. Now the reason I'm telling you this is because the last February when the Olympics run, Simone Biles developed this condition called the twisties. One I was the first to come to her defense when it told us she had had the twisties, we are like that explains a lot, Lenna. We understand now. But she said she went right to this the twisties these you know I had This is terrible. twisties can be defined as this association that leaves you as a gymnast unable or disoriented in midair, unable to find your landing spot, unable to see or catch a vision of where you're supposed to end up on the mat. It's super dangerous to do tricks. Apparently, in gymnastics with the twisties, you can really hurt yourself, kill yourself. You can lay it all wrong. So we saw Simone Biles go from doing these unbelievable tricks to doing just ordinary simple stuff, things I might have been able to do even right, we were like what's going on with Simone Biles, people were yelling at her she was having a fit. Now as we enter 2022, there's a lot of people in our culture, who have the twisties. They've been brought on by a lot of things. COVID, of course, has been going on for almost two years. Now. Right on top of that, we've got all kinds of misinformation. We've got all kinds of stuff coming at us that's in all different directions. We've got science, which is all over the map, where I'm unsure where to where to trust or where to turn for really the right information. We have the twisties we have a sense of dis-equilibrium. It's all across the world. I traveled to Philadelphia this week, it's all anyone talks about just how whacked out the world is how messed up it is how do we find our way? How do we find our equilibrium in this world? Now you would think this would lead people to look to a higher power to look to God to give them away. Fourth, you would think that it would help them to, I don't know, say I can't handle this, I need to surrender. But instead, you know, we do the same thing gymnasts do they get focused on the twisties instead of focusing on the skills they're doing. And if you focus on the twisties, it gets even worse. We as a culture have focused on the twisties. We've tried to figure out how do we fix this? How do we get back to normal? How do we get this to operate straight out? We spent tons of energy and time thinking about this stuff. Now, this is a very similar spot to where the people of Israel found themselves is to begin the book of Ezekiel. Most of them have been carried off into another country, Babylon from their home country, Israel. They have been given God's vision for who they were supposed to be as a people, they were supposed to be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, of people belonging to God, a people that put this display and display to the world of who God really was. But then miserably failed at this. They had totally messed it up. And now, they've been carried off into another whole country. They had a bad case of the twisties that God-given vision for their lives had not been realized. On top of that, they were full of questions, has gone left us has gone forgotten us has gone stop looking in our direction.
Jeffrey Klein 04:49
What's happening? Now part of their problem is that their faith, their religious practice, their relationship with God was all tied up in this building in Jerusalem because they building the temple was where God actually hung out in the temple, the Holy of Holies, over the Ark of the Covenant was his presence. So when they have torn away from that, and carrying Babylon, they had no idea how to relate to God in a foreign country. They didn't have their religious practices at the temple to lean on, they no longer had all their priests to lead them along, they didn't have a place to go. So they found themselves in even a worst-case of the twisties. If we're really honest, even when they were practicing those religious practices before they left for Babylon, most of those were super empty, super wrote, super external. There wasn't a lot of deep connection with God going on. Now in 2022, in all honesty, we live in a culture where most people have written the church off. People figure that church is not the place to find the answer to their twisties. They consider the Church and its kind of happenings. Its doings are kind of these rote practices that people go through, but there's not a lot of power in them. There's not a lot of transcendence. There's not a lot of like, connection with God, there are just people going through the motions. So tons of people have walked away from this thing we call the church. Now, this is all why the book of Ezekiel, the beginning of it is so relevant to our modern situation to the year 2022. Ezekiel was a priest who had been living in Jerusalem during the first Babylonian attack in his country, during this first attack the Babylonian spirit the city, but they carried off a select few people, his Ico was part of the wave of prisoners that have been carried off in exile. So the book of Ezekiel begins, five years after that whole attack is he killed sitting by a river, the Khobar River in Babylon, and he's pondering his wife. It's his 30th birthday. There, the refugee camp, the Israeli refugee camp, and he's sitting there pondering man, if I was in Jerusalem, I'd be installed as a priest on my 30th birthday. But instead, here I sit by this river. Now, I mean, even my homeland, I'm a prisoner. And while he sits by the river, pondering all this, he has a vision.
Jeffrey Klein 07:26
So let's read some of this. It's on the streets. As I looked, I saw a great storm coming from the north, driving before it a huge cloud that flashed with lightning and show with brilliant light, there was a fire inside the cloud, and then in the middle of the fire, close something like gleaming ember. So his ego sees this bright light coming toward him. In fact, he sees these creatures coming toward him. These creatures are in these clouds, and they have faces, and they have wings. They're clearly angels. Now angels in our culture, tend to be these plump little guys with nice little wings, and they're super nice and whatever, you know, kind of tame. In Eastern literature, angels are fierce. They're warriors. They're guardians of sacred space and the throne of the invisible God. So let's keep reading. The loving bees look like great coals of fire are brilliant torches, and lightning seemed to flashback and forth among them. And the living beings darted to and fro like flashes of lightning. These angels are bright, powerful, lightning and fire, right, consume them. And then we get this vision, it turns our attention to these wheels that are on this chariot that's coming toward us carry these angels. And these wheels spin in all directions, meaning that God's presence can move anywhere. Because always on the move, always, never sitting still always on the move. Even when it simply is sitting still. He's on the move. And so we read more about this. The bees could move in any of the four directions, they faced the four directions, probably or the four points of the compass. So it's kind of pointing us anywhere he wants to go. The rims of the four wheels were tall and frightening and they were covered with eyes all around. Wow. Eyes on the wheels. So again, God's given us this picture, I can see everything. My eyes are looking in all directions. Nothing escapes my vision, my sight. It's all in my sight. And then finally, the vision kind of concludes with this amazing picture of the person's driving the chariot. Check this out. Above this surface was something that looked like a throne, made a blue lapis lazuli. And on this throne high above was a figure whose appearance resembled a man from what happened to be from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like gleaming ember flickering like a fire. From his waist down. He looked like a burning flame shining was splendor. All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining in the clouds of Earth on a rainy day. This is what the glory of the Lord looks like to me. So God is writing towards Ezekiel, on his royal throne chariot. And as Ezekiel concludes, this must be the glory of the Lord. Now, glory in Hebrew is the word covad. It means heavy or significant. The biblical authors use this to describe God's physical appearance and the manifestation of God's significance when he shows up in person. These images are very similar to the vision that God gives of himself in the book of Exodus, and the description of his presence over the Ark of the Covenant. And the most shocking thing about this, what is God doing here in Babylon? Why is his presence here in Babylon? He's supposed to be in Temple in Jerusalem, but he's here. That's crazy. I don't know if any of you have ever had a vision of God. That he has ever given you a picture of himself. You have had a moment when you've known. You're in the presence of the heavy, weighty, significant God of the universe. Can you think back on your life? Remember those moments? Maybe it was reading your Bible by yourself in the morning. And suddenly, it was as if God was speaking directly to you, as you read. Maybe it was a church service. We're sitting here and suddenly it seemed as if something happened and the atmosphere changed and the significance and glory of God settled here among us. I don't know. Has it ever happened to you? Are eagles reminding his people, God's people, that this is what it's all about? That the only way you get over the twisties is with a life-giving connection with a holy God,
Jeffrey Klein 12:11
Literally basking in His presence. Proverbs 9:10 says it this way, "Skilled living gets its start in the fear of God, insight into life from knowing a holy guide." Knowledge in Hebrew goes beyond head knowledge. It's an experiential involvement with God, it's an engagement with him that goes beyond just knowing he exists. You know, I've had probably, I was thinking this week, a lot of these experiences, many of them happen at camp, the soul abuse the landing is because they always count on how many times they say camp. But a few years ago, well, many years ago, I was invited to speak at a camp in California. And it was a camp where I knew Billy Graham had spoken and some other people have spoken. So when I was in the chapel, I was thinking, Why am I here? This is crazy. Why would they invite Jeff Klein speaking this kid I was completely overwhelmed with this whole thing, thinking I don't belong here. And the first morning of camp, they gave us time for devotions. I climbed up to the highest mountain had to camp sat next to a big giant, I think it was a redwood tree. And I said through my Bible, and I just was like, Okay, Lord, I don't know why you sent me here. I know what's going on. And then I seriously heard the Lord say to me, I'm going to pick up and read Ezekiel. I'm like Ezekiel, weird book, I read Ezekial. But I picked up Ezekiel and I started reading, right at chapter one. And the reason I'm telling this is because it was a moment of total encouragement that God had sent me in that moment to that camp to those kids to speak His word. And actually, the passage that Pastor Gregg's gonna speak about next is the passage that God really hit me over the head with so I'm gonna let Gregg explain that passage to you.
Gregg DeMey 14:09
Alright, thanks, bro. Whenever I hear the words from Ezekiel, chapter one, it makes me think about UFO is honestly just like the weird chariot covered in eyes and it can move in any direction and the lightning and the fire. So this chariot represents the glory of God, and God's presence wants to bring God's people out of this time of the twisties is a great word. It's not easy to kill himself who is going to be up for this job. Right? And in our current culture, if we are collectively globally in America, suffering from the twisties it is not the pastor's it's not even the church just because the church is here in and of itself. That's going to bring our culture through. It's that God is going to put something into the church, and God is going to put something into Ezekiel that is able to chart the way forward. Here's what God does next and Ezekiel Chapter Two Ezekiel talking, the Lord said to me, now Son of Man, stand up on your feet, and I will speak to you. And as he spoke, the spirit came into me. That is the key phrase, The Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet. And I heard him speaking to me and he said, Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, my people to a Rebellious Nation that has rebelled against me. They and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day, the people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Now the glory of God, the Spirit of God, has been moving and made manifest in Ezekiel chapter one. But now the same spirits enter into Ezekiel and commission's him, gives him a new job as he kills job is going to speak to God's people to Israel. They are God's chosen people. 100% Yes, but they are a tough audience, I think would be our modern way of putting it. They are a tough audience. They are rebellious. They are stubborn, and they're obstinate. Those are God's words, for his dearly loved precious people. But Ezekiel is not going to be on his own with this. He's not his own speechwriter. God and God's Spirit are going to give him the words. Right. There's such confidence, knowing that you stand on something that you are receiving from God, rather than something that you're just making up on the fly. As a person who regularly does some public speaking, I feel so sorry for people who have to write political speeches, like the President's speechwriter, what an impossible and difficult and thankless job in the world is changing every second. And you're trying to read everything in global culture and say something new and beneficial to millions and millions and millions of people. At least hear in church, if you lead a Bible study if you lead a small group if you're just talking to a friend, like the confidence you can have that you don't have to make it up or have an opinion so amazing and creative and strong. But if you can repeat something that God has given you, incredible. Ezekiel two verses seven says exactly this. You must speak my words to them. And whether they listen, or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. But you son of man, listen to what I say to you. And don't rebel like that rebellious people. Open your mouth, and eat what I give you. Now, that is a curious phrase, God is telling Ezekiel to eat, what he's about to give him. How is God going to get his word, his ideas, his visions into Ezekiel, Ezekiel as God's chosen Prophet needs to eat the word of the Lord. Have you ever seen a little kid who does something like this?
Gregg DeMey 18:19
Like, usually by age three, we humans stop doing this, but maybe at age one or two, especially if you have an older brother or sister like kids eat board books. Anybody ever seen their younger sibling, or kid or grandkids do this? I love this. And now one part of this is why, why do little kids do this? Well, partly they put everything in their mouth. But why do they put everything in their mouth, because like, this is how they experience the world. They don't understand all the words yet. They can't pick up heavy things yet. But like if you can get a taste of sensory perception, you can understand something a little bit more. We go to school, and then we figure out the way we're supposed to operate with books is like you open the book, you read the words, you're supposed to remember the right stuff so that when a teacher gives you a test, you can regurgitate the right stuff like that became comes to our relationship with books, the older we get. And it's all about just obtaining information, and are remembering and mastering the information. Like, for sure that's a great thing. And it's great that we can communicate that way. But books can actually do something way more incredible than that. Like books can get you to experience a story and make a connection with a character or a time or an author. It's like not only getting the info into your head is like the book can find its way into your heart. And if a novel can do that, if a good movie can do that, like God's word, aspires to be the ultimate thing that gets inside of us. And when God speaks about this and God's own desire to get his word words and ideas into this. It's not just hey, know some stuff it is eat the word, get it as deep into you as possible so that it's a part of you. Here's what happens next. Ezekiel talking now. And then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me and it was a scroll more scrolls than books in those days, which he unrolled the for me. And on both sides of it were written words of laments, and mourning, and whoa, sounds like an awesome book, right? And he said to me, this messenger from God, Son of man, eats what is before you eat the scroll, and then go and speak to the people of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. And then he said to me, again, Son of man, eat this scroll, I am giving you to fill your stomach with it. So I ate it. And it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. So here's this paradoxical thing. When you receive this gift from God, for Ezekiel, personally, or the church to this day, like, it is beautiful and sweet, like you're receiving the best gift ever, because it's God's ideas, God's visions, God's words, and on the way in, you can't do anything, but just think how sweet it is to be loved by God. But then the scroll because Ezekiel is going to have to repeat some of the words like it is not going to go down smooth, because the words are bitter words that are going to cause mourning, and lament. And whoa, because as everybody living according to God's word, of course not. And change is difficult. And if God's word is going to inspire and catalyze change like there's going to be some hard times ahead, there is a scene in the final book of the Bible that is almost exactly like this, where one of Jesus's disciples, John, the apostle, who is imprisoned on an island in the Mediterranean Sea, is having a vision first, Oh, Jesus, and then of angels. These words are not on the screen, but just listen to how similar these words are. This is John's talking, the angel said to me, take this book and eat it, it will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth, it will be sweet as honey. So I took it from the angels' hands and ate it. And indeed it tasted as sweet as honey, like honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my whole stomach turned over sour. And then I was told, you must prophesy again about many people's nations, languages, and kings. This is not a one seen only in the Scripture, but something God repeats at several different crucial junctures in the history of God giving his word that messengers eat the word of the Lord, and it tastes amazing. And then gives them 100% indigestion.
Gregg DeMey 23:09
For us, all these years later, if God's word is going to get us through this time of the twisties, if God is going to get us through our personal, messed up stuff, and twisties, like, how do we get this word into us? How do we eat the book? I mean, I grew up in a household where it was very clear, you're supposed to read your Bible and pray every day, like, those are good things. But eating the book, like that is God's New Year's wish for all of us. Not to just read it, not to just know a little more, but to eat the book. In my experience, a few things have helped the word get beyond my brain, deeper into my heart and spirit. One is to memorize because if I repeat it, and turn it over, it starts to sink down just a little bit deeper. Another is to say it out loud. Because if I read the Scripture just into my own little monologue, and in my own little voice, it's just a little bit powerful. But when like this morning when we read words from Psalm 147, all together sometimes when we read the Scripture altogether, it obtains a whole new strength and power, hearing it in your voice or putting earbuds in and listening to someone else. I prefer someone with an English accent actually, like reading parts of the Bible, because it helps me get beyond my own defenses and gets it a little deeper into me. We are trying to encourage as many three-person groups that we are calling by the word haverims to begin which means spiritual friends, because when you have a little bit of Scripture and have a conversation about that scripture, and where your life overlap, for even a half-hour or 40 minutes. Like that's when things start to get real, not just check, I went to a church service on Sunday morning. So like, I'm a pretty good person. But like I really talked about what I am going through with some other people. And this word got through the cracks. There are dozens and dozens of other ways. But the important thing is not just to get it in your frontal cortex, but to eat the book that is God's way for getting us to move forward. In conclusion, a couple of thoughts. Jesus of Nazareth is also the Word of God. Right? We read this text at Christmas time, in the beginning, was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And if you think of the entire universe, as an organism, or as a person, one of the things that happened at Christmas time is like God sent the Living Word who is Jesus, into the guts of the universe, so that all of us all together, all creation, might have the living book inside of it. That's an amazing thought. To me. The other amazing thought as God desires to do what he did on the cosmic level, on a little micro-level, with each of us, with our church, for sure. And each of us on an individual and small level that the Word who became flesh for the life of the world might also become the word who gives life to my flesh. Sometimes, we can say that, like a writer of songs, writes a melody or a song that it's almost like they put themselves into the music, ever heard somebody say like that, something like that, or an author who cleverly makes themselves a character in their own story. In essence, that is what the Creator of the Universe did, through Jesus, he made himself a living character. In the story of the world that he made, he made Jesus to be the leading melody in the song that he is writing through human history. And he desires to make this same Jesus, the one who is at the center of your inner being. Friends, this is one of the reasons I think we come to Jesus' table at crucial moments in moments like this, because it's one thing to hear about Jesus, it's another thing to read the words. And then it's next level, to follow Jesus command who says that he is the bread of life, to follow his command to literally eat his body, and drink his blood. Because Jesus' desire is to be in our very core, in our very center. So together today, we come to his table to start the new year. If you would follow along with the words on the screen, let's prepare our hearts together.
Gregg DeMey 28:09
Sisters and brothers, The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts, you lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. And then following John chapter one. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. The Lord is in our midst, present in bread and wine, we have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only Son. we behold the glory of God, made visible in the humble gifts of this table, the glory of the Son who came from the Father, full of grace and truth, we stand amazed at the union of human and divine in your flesh, Lord Jesus, and the night that he was betrayed, our Lord took bread. And after he had given thanks to God, he broke it in the presence of his disciples, and said, this, this is now my body, which is given for you, as often as you eat of it, Do this in remembrance of me. And after they had eaten together, Jesus took the cup, poured it out in their presence, and said, "This cup is now a cup of the New Covenant given for you in my blood, as often as you drink of it. Do this, and remember me." Will pray with me a moment? Lord Jesus, we do stand amazed that you came from the invisible reality of the eternal presence of God the Father, to walk the streets of planet Earth, that you became the living word. And that beyond that, that you have made yourself available through your sacrifice on the cross and through the mystery of your resurrection so that you can take up a similar dwelling inside of us, Lord Jesus, we want to receive the best of gifts, which is you? We do so now with hearts full of gratitude and thanks and your name, we pray, Lord, Amen.