December 22 & 23, 2001 Sermon

December 22 & 23, 2001

"Priceless"

Mike Slaughter

Luke 1:67-80
67: His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68: "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.
69: He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
70: (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
71: salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us--
72: to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
73: the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
74: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear
75: in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76: And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
77: to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
78: because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
79: to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."
80: And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.

It is so appropriate that the weekend before Christmas we celebrate children and present our kids before God. When we look at kids and the opportunity we have to paint on the canvas of who they are going to become, we have such a short window of opportunity. Faith is formative. It does not happen overnight or in an instant. It is not magic. It is based on formative experiences that we have in our families and our faith communities.

Luke 1:80
80: And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to Israel.

Luke 2:52
52: And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

We are in Luke 1. Zechariah and Elizabeth have experienced the birth of a son whom they will name John. We will know him as John the Baptist. John the Baptist became a powerful force of God. The 80th verse of the chapter is the key verse. "The child grew and became strong in spirit and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel." The second chapter talks about Jesus and you'll notice the same experience in Jesus' life. Faith is formative. Even though Jesus was the Son of God he wasn't born full of faith. Look at the last verse of the second chapter, ". . . and Jesus increased in wisdom and in years and in divine and human favor." He grew in relationship with God and in relationship with people. We learn by seeing, we learn by observation.
Before I was a pastor I was a social worker. I spent one year working in Cincinnati in lower Price Hill at Santa Maria Neighborhood House, a Catholic social agency. Part of my responsibility was to go into peoples' homes and make assessments about their children. Often I would find that these kids were underdeveloped. I would see kids almost two years old who weren't able to walk yet. I was a young, naīve social worker - brand new on the job. One of the first recommendations I planned to write up for Children's Services was to remove a child of about 18 months from her home because of abuse. A wiser social worker with much more experience took me aside and said, " Mike, that child is not being abused. That child is loved. This child is experiencing negligence that's not intentional. It comes from a lack of basic parenting skills." There's a parallel in our culture today. Many of our children are spiritually underdeveloped. It doesn't come intentionally. It comes by a lack of basic spiritual parenting skills. This is our most important responsibility as parents. We have such a little window of opportunity, a little window of time. I'm not just talking about parents. I'm talking about grandparents, uncles and aunts, godparents. We made a commitment as a community of faith to these parents. They're going to need our help. We need other people's help. We need the community to get our children through.

Luke 1:67
67: His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

The most important priority we find in verse 67 of the first chapter. Here is our first responsibility as a community of faith with our children. "Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and he spoke this prophecy." The next verses, 68-79, contain the prophecy that Zechariah spoke about his son. Prophecy is an ancient biblical term that, loosely translated, means "to paint a picture." As parents it's easy to get all caught up in managing the moment. You can sometimes go from crisis to crisis. Sometimes it's enough just trying to run kids everywhere they need to be. Our basic responsibility as parents is not to manage the moment. It is to paint God's picture of a promising future in their lives. Our children are like a canvas and God uses parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to paint a picture of promise.
Todd Carter's little boy is named Colin. Todd and Kari were trying to teach Colin to call me Uncle Mike but Colin immediately called me Pa-Pa. Colin is teaching me that we have a responsibility to be grandparents of faith to children that aren't even our own. We made a big commitment here tonight as a community of faith. What do we paint in children's lives?

Luke 1:59-60
59: On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah,
60: but his mother spoke up and said, "No! He is to be called John."

I. God Esteem
The first thing we paint is God-esteem. In the 60th verse in this chapter John is born. All of the relatives and neighbors say to Zechariah and Elizabeth, "Are you going to name him Zechariah after his daddy?" It's important to notice that it's the woman who names the child. Elizabeth said, "No, we are not going to name him Zechariah after his daddy. We are going to name him John." John means, "gift of God." Immediately from birth, even in what they name this child, they speak God's value over this child. Mary was 12-14 when she became pregnant with Jesus. Weren't her parents wise when they gave her the name Mary? For all that she would have to experience in her life, Mary means, "exalted one." They were pronouncing God's value over her life.
We are the creation of God. Priceless. We are created in the image of God. But that value is going to be challenged all your life. That value is going to be trampled on all your life. Who can give me a $20 bill? I'll give it back to you. What is the redemptive value of this bill? I can go anywhere in the world right now and what will this be redeemed for? $20. If I take this right now and crumple it up, what is the redemptive value? $20. What if I trample on it, stomp on it? Did I change the redemptive value of it? No. What if I take this $20 bill and mark on it? What is the redemptive value of this $20 bill? $20. What if I tore this $20 bill? What is the redemptive value of this bill? Take this to any bank Monday and what will they give him for this $20 bill? We forget this. You might have been torn up because somebody abused you at some point in your life. But guess what your redemptive value is? You are a child of God with the destiny of God. You might have been stomped on because somebody told you you would never amount to anything. But that doesn't change your redemptive value. You might have been all marked up because of failure and sin in your life, but guess what? It does not change your redemptive value. You are a child of God, priceless. You carry God's destiny.
King David of the Old Testament grew up as a shepherd boy. David was chosen by God to be a great leader because he learned to call things the way God saw them, not as they appeared. He was just a teenager when one day he went out to visit his brothers on the front line. They were in the Israeli army. The army was paralyzed with fear. They were a bunch of cowards. The champion of the Philistine army, Goliath, came out every day and taunted the armies of Israel but they wouldn't come out and fight. David, a teenage boy, showed up. He didn't make fun of Israel's army or call them cowards. He called them the army of the Living God. He kept painting the picture that they were the army of the Living God. He kept painting the picture until they believed they were the army of the Living God and then they lived the picture! Moms and dads, grandparents, it is so important to keep our children in the community of faith. As parents, you are going to come into situations in your life where you can't see things the way God sees things. You just see things for the way they are at that point in time.
Last summer my sister found a note that Mom had written when we were kids. This is the note my mom wrote about me.
1. Not applying himself in school. Poor grades.
2. Smart-alec attitude, know-it-all.
3. Not having any sense of the value of money.
4. Not always being truthful, rejects authority.
5. Fighting with his sister.
Some of you are just going through it now. It got worse. There was a day the police came to my house and told my parents to keep me there because I had done a little something we won't even talk about now. There are going to be times, parents, when you are so in the middle of it with your children that you can't see how God sees things. Do you know what my mom and dad did? They kept me in the community of faith. And in the community of faith people kept pronouncing God's value on my life. It was amazing. They would say to my parents, "You know that son of yours, that Michael, is just an incredible kid. Such a nice young man." My mom would say, "They must have been talking about the wrong Michael." They would say things to me like, "You can't believe what's going to happen when God gets hold of you. You're going to be a preacher some day." They kept pronouncing my value. They kept reminding me of my value. It is important to hear blessings of God. The community of faith lives in the present but we speak God's future.

Luke 1:68
68: "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.

II. God Priority
The first thing we paint in our children is God esteem. Not only do we paint God esteem, we paint God priority. Look with me at verse 68, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel." First words out of Zechariah's mouth, "For He has looked favorably upon his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a mighty Savior for us in the house of His servant David." What is the language of your home? The first words that young John would hear from his father's lips were blessings toward God. What you talk about becomes the demonstrated priority of your life. The Bible says out of the overflow of your heart, your mouth speaks.
John Jung is over our crisis care ministry. He is the director of the counseling center here. John and I love baseball. Every Tuesday morning we get together as the executive team of our staff and John and I begin to talk immediately about baseball. Like today when I saw him out in the hall and said, "Did you hear Pokey Reese is a free agent? He's been traded three times this week." Baseball. As a matter of fact the staff tells us we begin staff meetings with baseball devotions! Here is what is so amazing. Our children become what we talk about. Our children become what we are passionate about and what we demonstrate because we learn by observation. What does Dad talk about? What does he do? Both of our sons play Division One college baseball. Look at these two pictures that I keep in my office. On the left side is me in a baseball uniform. The other is my son last spring in Florida in his baseball uniform. Our kids will become our demonstrated value. Our priorities will become our children's priorities.
America is a culture of conspicuous consumption. We are a culture that breeds debt. We are a generation of debtors that teaches our children how to be in debt. We are a generation that is self-focused and we teach our children to be self-focused. It is critical, moms and dads, grandparents, godparents, that we're not demonstrating consumption but that we are demonstrating service because our children watch us and our values will become their values. Our gods will become their gods. It takes all of us to mentor and resource the next generation. Bin Laden understands this. He has training camps for children because he knows the future of the world depends on the minds and spirits of children. And the faith community is integrated in this. It is so neat to see these children in one faith community. I remember when I was in a scout troop in my faith community. Ted Palen was a young scout leader. He was a successful executive at Proctor and Gamble. I went to the first church of Frigidaire where there were people of faith, but there were also the people who just weren't connecting. Ted would come into church, enter the pew, and kneel before worship started and pray to God. I would look at this man and say, "Nobody else I know acts this way." But he was cool. He would take us on campouts and we would learn survival skills and do all of that, but he made us have Bible studies by the campfire. When I was busted in a rock group, when I was failing at school, I would look back at who the authentic models of life were and all of them were a part of faith community. Children's workers, youth workers, teachers, coaches, it takes all of us to resource the next generation. Kids are canvases and we have such a short, narrow window of opportunity. We are painting God esteem, we are painting God priority and we are painting God purpose.

Luke 1:76
76: And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,

III. God Purpose
Look with me at verse 76. Zechariah was saying to his newborn son, "And you, Child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare His way, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the forgiveness of sins." Zechariah was painting a life picture. He was naming out loud, from the time of his birth, John the Baptist's life path.
Kristen, you know how it's been growing up through the years. You were a little girl and I would say to you, "Kristen, you're name means Christian. God has created you for a great purpose and God will do more through you than you will ever see God do through me." All of your life I've been telling you, Child, that God has created you to be a prophet to go out and be a connection to other people with the Savior. Painting a picture. Painting her God purpose.
In my family, the summer between sophomore and junior year in college we call our Mormon summer. When Mormon kids are 19 years old, they have to drop out of school, drop out of whatever they're doing and go off for two years in mission. They are pressed in their faith. They have to do bizarre things. They have to go out and witness. In my house, my kids at that age go away all summer with Campus Crusade for Christ. They're pressed in their faith and may live in hard kinds of situations. You go out and feel foolish doing street witnessing and so forth. I did it. My daughter did it. This summer guess who gets to go? He's already signed up! When I went that summer between my sophomore and junior year, it changed my life. When my daughter went, it changed her life. I picked up my son at the airport on Thursday and I said, "Son, I can't wait for this summer because you're going to be challenged in your faith." I don't know if through the years I've shared enough about the struggles that we have had in our family raising our kids. There are just some days, some years, some seasons when it blows up in your face. Times when your kids are doing everything else but what you want your children to do. I'm going to ask my daughter to come up right now and share about her challenging seasons.
Mike: How are you doing, Kristen?
Kristen: Good.
Mike: You've been here in this faith community since you were seven months old.
Kristen: Yeah.
Mike: You've had some exciting experiences here. What are some of the memories you have growing up here that helps make you who you are today?
Kristen: Well, it started when I was little. I remember going to Kid's Camp even before the actual age when I would be allowed to go. There was something here on Wednesday nights called K.I.C.K. (Kids in Christ Kingdom). Then I got into the youth group and we had ZOO as it was called then and I got involved with a Bible study. I was just involved. It was never an option for me. I always was at church on Sundays. I was always at church on Wednesday nights. It was just never an option. Because of that I met some awesome people that changed my life.
Mike: Then there was a period of time when it, as we say, hit the fan. Why don't you tell a little bit about that?
Kristen: I don't really know how it started. Maybe a little bit in high school but I was still, what most people would say was, "a really good kid" in high school. But where it really got bad was when I hit my sophomore year in college and I guess you could say I started hanging out with the wrong group of people. I went to a Christian college but I was hanging out with the partying people. I guess part of it was self-esteem, part of it was I don't know, it was just a bad year. When I look back on it, it was one of those years you just get embarrassed about. I came home for Thanksgiving break and, of course, I was fighting with my parents all the time. My dad and I were hitting heads. We're a lot alike so we really could have some good arguments. By the time I came home for Thanksgiving break I was questioning if there was even a God. I remember my dad saying, "What can I do now? Here I am trying to be the pastor of a church and my own kid doesn't even believe in God." So that's when it really got bad.
Mike: What happened then?
Kristen: There's a young lady from our church named Cindy Robohm and she's involved with Campus Crusade for Christ. Over Christmas break my sophomore year she took me out to lunch and told me about some of the summer projects with Campus Crusade. From what it sounded like to me, I was going to get to live at the beach for the whole summer with a hundred other college kids. What better way to spend your summer! So I immediately signed up for it. I had no clue what I was getting myself into. I went to Ocean City, New Jersey, for three months. They really kicked my butt. I'm totally not into this and all of sudden they're asking me to go out on the boardwalk and witness to people. I'm thinking this is the last thing I want to be doing. I remember the night I got there I called home crying, saying I wanted to leave. But I met these college students that totally challenged me and within two months my life was changed. By witnessing to people it really made my faith come alive.
Mike: You're getting married next week. What are things your mom and I have done that you want to reproduce?
Kristen: Well, I always hated everything my parents told me do. They set many boundaries that I absolutely hated and I always said I was never going to do that to my kids . . . but I'm definitely going to set those boundaries with my kids, because I see that what they did really made an impact on my life even though I hated it and hated them in the process. Looking back on it, it was one of the best things they could have done. Also, I want to live my own faith for my kids. I know my dad has said he's always up in the morning praying and reading his Bible and he always was. Every time I came down the stairs before school he was there. So was my mom. They always set such a good example with quiet times and tithing. I remember when we got a $4 allowance, I was tithing on that. So they always set a really good example for us and I want to do that for my kids.
Here's what Carolyn and I have always done. We believed the promise of God. When we brought her forward at Christmas of 1978 and presented her to God, we knew God had a promise. We knew God had a plan. Regardless of what we were seeing in the moment, we claimed the plan of God. We continued to paint God esteem. We continued to affirm her value. We continued to name God priority for her life and we continued, even when she said, "I don't believe in God," to say you are going to win more people to God than your dad ever will.
I want to pray for families - parents who are going through a struggling season with their children. Regardless of how old your children are, we stand at the promise of new birth just a few days before Christmas. I want you, like David, to see things as God sees things, not the way they are at this time. I want to pray for you. I don't do this to embarrass you, but if you need prayer for your kids please come up front. Remember it's not only parents and grandparents who paint the picture, it's godparents. Kristen, I want you to stand here with me as we pray. Isn't God a great God? I knew that Kristen couldn't get away because if God gave His only Son, how hard will God chase us? God will never stop pursuing us when we are in trouble. Just like the $20 bill, you may be trampled on, you may be ripped up but what is its redemptive value? It doesn't change. We're going to keep proclaiming the redemptive value. Not what we see, what God has promised.
Lord, I thank you so much of the gift of our children, Kristen and Jonathan. I thank you for this faith community that has been such a great model. They have been their teachers, their scout leaders, and their coaches. I thank you, Lord, for the faithfulness of these people. I also thank you for the children that are represented here by the families who are standing. Children that we love with all of our hearts, all of our being. Lord, sometimes we forget that they've only been given to us for a little while and that we are only stewards of your promise. We are trusted with their promise, but you are their parent. You have a perfect plan. You have created no one for destruction. You have created everyone for salvation and right now we claim and trust Your promise that they are Yours. We picture the future destiny You have for each of our children. A time of peace, of focus, of the fresh feeling of trust as You guide them in their life. I pray for these parents, Lord, parents who love those that You have given them. Lord, give these parents wisdom and hope in the time of frustration. Even when we blow it and say negative things help us to always be painting Your esteem in our children's lives, to always be demonstrating God's priority. Let the words and passions of their homes be that which points to You, that which blesses You and to always be prophets of God's purpose. We pray this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the risen Savior. Amen.