Teleos Blog that we may present everyone complete in Christ

Out of the Silence, God SpeaksPosted by Phil on December 22nd, 2008

Malachi is the last book of the old testament.  it’s an interesting book.  a book that deals with impure worship, but also looks ahead to the coming of the messiah.  in Malachi 3:1 and then the last 2 verses of the book, Malachi talks about a messenger coming who will prepare the way for the Lord.  someone like Elijah will come.  God had been speaking to kings and prophets, and through scripture.  he gives this warning…and then God goes silent….nothing…..for 400 years.  as far as we know, no more words from the prophets, no more Scripture recorded, no more messages from God.

have you ever had a close friend move away?  you swear you’ll never forget them, but it doesn’t take too long where you don’t have nearly as much contact.  after a few years, you still remember stories…but some of the details have gotten muddy.  you still remember them how they were….they haven’t aged at all in your mind even after 10 years.  and over time, you forget what their voice sounds like.  to put it lightly….things change.

this is where we find Israel at the birth of Christ.  they haven’t heard from God for 400 years.  i’m sure many had given up long ago on some messiah or a king.  this is where we find Zechariah serving faithfully at the temple.  since the time of David, priests served in divisions.  they wouldn’t neccesarily live at the temple all year round, but for certain times of the year they would come for their time of service.  and Zechariah was there for his turn.

now…there were tons of priests.  so many that you hoped you’d get a job you enjoyed.  and hoped even more you didn’t get stuck sweeping the floors or cleaning up animal droppings or something crazy.  but they needed a ton b/c there were certain jobs that a priest could only perform once in their lifetime.  one of those jobs was lighting incense in the holy place which was done twice each day.  the holy place was to be entered only by priests and only with certain tasks to perform.  this was not the most holy place, but the room that led up to it.  and this was the job that Zechariah was selected for on this day.

for a priest, this had to be a dream come true.  this was a big deal.  your chance to enter the holy place…to see the beauty, to tell your friends and family what it was like to be there.  this was huge.  and i’m sure from the moment Zechariah found out, he was giddy with excitement, looking forward to his chance to serve.

as he enters, the altar of incense is located on the right side of the room.  and if you look at this story in Luke 1, it says an angel was standing at the right side of this altar.  i guess i read this, and the angel Gabriel is hiding in the corner, waiting for Zechariah to enter.  at which point, Zechariah is scared out of his mind…and probably rightfully so.  the angel tells Zechariah that he would have a son, that will be a messanger for the coming of the Lord.  his whole speech sounds an awful lot like the book of Malachi really.

and Zechariah responds…”what?  are you serious?  i’m an old man, and my wife is along in years” (very well played by the way).  how would you respond?  i mean, you’ve heard stories of angels talking to people….but it’s been centuries.  i would respond the same way.  God hasn’t spoken like this to people as long as you’ve been alive….plus, you’re well beyond having children.  it seems pretty natural to stop and say…”what?”

the angel tells him that because of his disbelief, he would not be able to speak.  in essence, “this is how you know i’m not playing around.  but i wish you would have trusted me in the first place.”  an Zechariah comes out of the temple mute.  he can’t talk….this story he’s been looking forward to tell, is stuck inside him.

months pass and it’s time for the baby to come.  naturally, they’re going to name the boy after his father Zechariah….because that’s what you did.  the first son carried on the name and heritage of his father.  he would be Zechariah, the son of the priest who heard from God after 400 years of silence.  that’s quite the heritage…and then elizabeth speaks up, “i want to name him John.”

what?  you have no john’s in your family.  how does that carry on the family name?  let’s ask Zechariah what he thinks.  this is nuts.

and Zechariah writes that his name is John…and immediately he could speak.

i think Zechariah needed that time to come to realize that this boy was not Zechariah, the son of the priest who heard from God after 400 years of silence.  no, instead, this was John, God’s messanger.  he may have needed that time to truly hear from God…to realize that this was not about him, but was all about God.

i think God still speaks today, but i think so many times we are so busy and surrounded by so much noise that we don’t remember what it sounds like to hear from God.  we don’t recognize his voice.  we question whether or not he’s trying to tell us something.

as you come to Christmas, i’d love for you to slow down, quiet yourself, and listen for God.  take time to sit and listen.  my guess is it will be tough…but try it.  we need to slow down from time to time if we hope to hear from God, but yet we keep ourselves so busy all the time.  look below at how to have a time of solitude and take the time to slow down and listen.

Spiritual Disciplines: SolitudePosted by Phil on December 16th, 2008

We’re going to look at different disciplines in random order. We’ll jump back and forth between disciplines of engagement and disciplines of abstinence so there’s variety. You may want to read chapter 9 of the book to get an overview of many of them. Each week you’ll get notes with a couple of brief articles on the discipline we’ll be looking at and a goal for you to look towards. Really, I’ll set the goal as a minimum…I’d encourage you to go beyond it if you are able. Then during the week, take a look at the articles and try to get through that discipline. Then we’ll use our small group time to talk about our experiences, if it was useful, if it was lame, or if we weren’t able to handle it. And finish up with if we could see ourselves using that discipline again in the future to teach us something about ourselves or about God.

Over Christmas break, I’d love for you to set aside some time for solitude. I want to give you time for this when you’re off school and possibly off work. Things have a tendency to slow down and yet still be really busy during the holiday season. I’m asking you to intentionally take some time to slow down. We mentioned this before, but solitude typically goes along with silence, but we split the two up to give you time to get used to being in quiet before asking you to be in quiet and then not doing anything.

Make it a goal to set aside at minimum 1 hour in solitude. Really, I hope that you’ll try to get away for 3 hours or more if at all possible. I know that sounds ridiculous and long, but there’s a reason for it….rest. You might sleep, and that might be a very good thing…especially after a long semester. And don’t feel bad if you do. But spend time alone w/out noises to distract you…although you might talk to yourself during this time or listen for nature if you venture outdoors. Exist in the presence of God. Pray, read, or journal for a time, but try to really sit and listen. You’re so used to noise and business that we might often miss God trying to speak to us.

Article 1 – This is a great article that talks about how to have a time of solitude.  If you only read 1 article….make it this one.
Article 2 & 3 – These are from Mark Driscoll’s blog.  Very brief comments on how solitude ties into fellowship and to understand one shows the need for the other.

Daniel’s PrayerPosted by Phil on December 14th, 2008

as we wrap up the book of Daniel, i want to look at his prayer.  and really….more than me talking about anything, i’d like the prayer to speak for itself….because i think it does enough on its own.

but what i noticed in the prayer is that Daniel got the big picture.  remember back to starting the book of Daniel and the fact it was one story in the big picture.  Daniel sees that…he sees how Israel let God down.  there was a much greater plan for them and they ignored the prophets, they rejected those crying out, and they lived for themselves convinced they were great.  they didn’t realize that God blessed them to help those in need.

so here’s his prayer:

“O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

“Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. O LORD, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.
“Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.

“Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.

“Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”

Spiritual Disciplines: PrayerPosted by Phil on December 9th, 2008

We’re going to look at different disciplines in random order. We’ll jump back and forth between disciplines of engagement and disciplines of abstinence so there’s variety. You may want to read chapter 9 of the book to get an overview of many of them. Each week you’ll get notes with a couple of brief articles on the discipline we’ll be looking at and a goal for you to look towards. Really, I’ll set the goal as a minimum…I’d encourage you to go beyond it if you are able. Then during the week, take a look at the articles and try to get through that discipline. Then we’ll use our small group time to talk about our experiences, if it was useful, if it was lame, or if we weren’t able to handle it. And finish up with if we could see ourselves using that discipline again in the future to teach us something about ourselves or about God.

This week we’re looking at prayer. Prayer is such a huge topic that we might come back to it again. But at the same time, it’s a discipline we’re probably quite familiar with though. Most likely, all of us pray….but do we intentionally make time to pray. I’d encourage you to set aside time this week to pray. Shoot to spend 15 minutes in prayer in one sitting. I’m not sure we take that much time to pray. If 15 seems easy, then go for 30 minutes or spend 15 minutes several times this week.

That much time will bring you well beyond your own needs…it allows you to focus on other people and to focus on who God is, what he has done, and how you can serve him. You may want to write down what you want to pray for to help you stay focused and so your mind does not wander. Think about where you pray…can you focus there or will you be distracted?

Article 1

Article 2 the first 3 pages are on prayer

Daniel: A Man of IntegrityPosted by Phil on December 7th, 2008

integrity is the foundation of a great man and once it is broken, it can never be completely restored.  like an ornament that has been shattered into a million pieces, it can be glued back together, but when held up to the light, the cracks are still clearly seen.”

we use the word integrity a lot.  we can describe someone as a person of integrity…but then we have to really think about it if someone were to ask us why we would describe them that way.  they may be trustworthy or just consistent in who they are…even through difficult times.  integrity is measured by how consistent you are in your character, standards, and values.  it’s the core of who you are.  think about someone you know you’d call a person of integrity.  what is it about them that sets them apart from others?

now…if i were to ask you to name a celebrity who you’d consider a person of integrity, it becomes a little more difficult.  i think the problem is that we only see glimpses of their life.  we see the roles the play, the songs the write, or the way they play sports.  outside of that, we only hear about them if they pop up in the news…for good or bad things.

i can come up with a list of people i know, but only one celebrity would i describe that way.  i’ve had a man crush on steve yzerman for a long time.  i appreciate how he played, he made people around him better, he did whatever it would take to make the team better including scoring less points and earning less money.  but what really sold me was a year he skipped a playoff game for the birth of his daughter because his family was more important than the game.  that said a lot to me.  those are the pictures i have.

in Daniel, we see pictures of his life….and the pictures show a man who could be the definition of consistent.  we started the book with a child who held to the beliefs his parents taught him.  he grew up in Babylon, went through his high school and college years and most of his adult life.  the first 2 chapters talk about the first 3 years he was there.  chapters 3 and 4 deal with stories that take place sometime during the next 50 years.

we come to chapter 5 and it’s 55 years after Daniel arrived in Babylon.  i never knew how much time had passed.  he’s lived in Babylon at least 4 times longer than he lived in Israel….and he still holds on to the faith he had since childhood.  he knows everything about the Babylonian life…culture, language, wealth, religion, the victory in battle….everything Babylon has to offer.  and he remains committed.

read through chapter 5 and 6 sometime….2 more stories that point to Daniel’s integrity.  first is the story of the writing on the wall…a story often skipped when you’re a kid because it’s a little weird and a little scary.  Belshazzar throws a huge party and pulls out the gold and silver goblets taken from the temple.  they’re drinking, eating, praising their own gods when he sees a hand writing on the wall.  putting it nicely, it freaks him out a bit…he doesn’t know what to do or what it means….which is when Daniel is called in.

Daniel is offered great riches and a position of power to interpret and he refuses those gifts….in essence telling them that God has blessed him with a gift and he’ll use the gift to serve his God, not for profit.  and then he tells the king that his life will come to an end soon, that he’s a terrible person, and that his kingdom will be lost.  a message i would definitely sugar coat, Daniel just lays it out there.  he is who he is…he won’t change it to please man.

the same thing happens in the story of the lions den.  specifically focus on the Daniel 6:1-5.  they could find no way to possibly trap him, unless they attacked his faith.  but daniel refused to hide his faith….even if it meant death.

daniel stayed consistent throughout his life.  the most important things stayed the most important things.  what about you?  are the things you value the most really the most important things?  have you asked God to help you consistently follow him?  do people see the real you or do you put on a good show to make yourself look better than you normally are?  will you be called a person of integrity?

Spiritual Disciplines: SilencePosted by Phil on December 1st, 2008

our small groups this year have been reading Dallas Willard’s book, the spirit of the disciplines.  it’s not an easy book to read…in fact, there’s parts i feel are still over my head after reading the book 2-3 times.  but it’s a challenging book.  well, we’re reaching the point where we’re getting into specific disciplines.  each week, we’ll look at a different discipline.  i’ll provide a couple of short articles to look at and give a goal to shoot for during the week.  then we’ll talk about our experiences each week.

i know many of you can’t be involved with small groups while you’re away at school, or because you work or have class, or just can’t fit it into your busy schedule.  but i’ll post the articles and goals for each week here if you’d like to join us in this process.

a discipline for the spiritual life is nothing but an activity undertaken to bring us into more effective cooperation with Christ and his Kingdom.  (Willard, 156.)

So we’re starting out with silence. Silence is almost always combined with solitude, but I want us to deal with just this one first so when it comes time for solitude, we’re a little more prepared for it. We’ll deal with solitude during Christmas break where hopefully you have a little more time.

Silence is about turning everything off. We are surrounded by so much noise we don’t even know what pure silence is. I’m reminded by one of the Nooma videos where they say that it would take over 2000 hours to get 1 hour of pure silence….no hums, no noises in the distance, no wind blowing….pure silence. I’d encourage you to try to get at least one uninterrupted hour of silence this week. Turn off your car radio, turn off the TV, ipod, your phone, or whatever is normally around. Don’t talk to anyone….just be. It might be while you’re doing homework or just while you’re driving around town.

Article 1
Article 2