“Waiting on the World to Change”
June 21st, 2009Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane that the cup of crucifixion might be taken away from him. He was afraid. Fear is a part of everyone
’s life. And it seems like, every time we open the newspaper, we have another reason to be afraid. But, remember the end of Jesus’ prayer, “not my will, but you’re will be done.” Even in the midst of fear, Jesus was faithful to God. Rather than sit back, have a latte, and wait on the world to change, Jesus followed God’s will all the way to the cross. Where is God calling us to be faithful, even in the midst of our own fears?
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Mark 14:32-42
1. I was on the wrestling team back in high school. Great experience.
A. In a tournament as a sophomore, I knew a week ahead of time that I would be wrestling the defending CIF champ.
B. Scared out of my head. All week, I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t think straight.
C. In my fearful, anxious state of mind, I actually thought that this kid might be able to kill me – just snap my neck before anyone knew what happened.
D. All week, I was in a state of panic. Because I was too embarrassed to tell anyone – felt a deep sense of isolation.
E. I don’t know what is worse, fear or isolation. I do know that they tend to feed off of one another.
F. Right before the match, I could barely see straight. My coach walked up to me, and told me something that made everything all right.
2. Fear is a dreadful thing, isn’t it? It seems like when we are in a state of fear, nothing can be done to lessen our anxiety.
A. People say – “try not to think about it.” But, when you’re afraid, that is all you can do – think about it.
B. And that just makes us more afraid – vicious cycle.
C. You may not think so, but even Jesus knew fear. And it gripped him just like it would you and me.
D. On the night before his crucifixion – all he could think about. He talked about it at dinner, no one understood.
E. So, he goes to the garden to pray. His closest disciples could not even stay awake while he poured out his soul to God.
F. He did not want to die, especially on a cross.
G. Jesus was truly alone.
H. “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me.”
3. Not the kind of prayer we normally associate with Jesus, is it?
A. “Remove this cup from me.” It was difficult, even for Jesus, at the end to go through with God’s plan.
B. Difficulty – compounded by the isolation that Jesus felt.
C. A man drives home from work – grips the steering wheel of the car.
D. Tears fight their way down his face. He has just found out that he has been laid off. How will he tell his family?
E. Husband/wife sit at dining room table – their interest rate on their loan is about to blow up and they can’t refi. What happens to plans to send kids to college?
F. Siblings – gather together to talk about how to care for mom. Assisted living? Home? Etc.
4. Every day, people just like you and me face issues that test the limits of our emotional endurance.
A. Worse thing – going through these situations alone. Isolation makes everything worse. It focuses the mind on the worst case scenario.
B. Blinds us to the redemptive possibilities available to us.
C. Isolation makes everything worse – depression, loneliness, fear…everything.
D. It is difficult to face challenges in life. But, without the support of the beloved community…I don’t know how people do it.
5. Which brings me back to Jesus in the garden. There he is, pouring his heart out while the disciples sleep.
A. About to give himself over to crucifixion – not for his own sake – but for ours.
B. But no one is there to support him. Old spiritual “nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen. Nobody knows but Jesus.”
C. That is because Jesus has faced the worst – alone.
D. And yet – hear the conclusion of his prayer. “Yet, not what I want, but what you want.”
E. Jesus – at the deepest moment of grief and isolation – proclaims, “not what I want, but what you want.”
F. He understands – two options…
1. Lament and whine and beg – sit around and wait on the world to change.
2. Fulfill God’s plan – be a part of changing the world.
G. Jesus, thank God, chose the latter.
6. Today, beginning a new sermon series – “Fear Factor”. Talking about the fears that grip us in these strange days we are living in, and how we might respond to them.
A. Fear operates on so many levels. Personal – I am afraid I will not have my needs met (ego, sustenance, etc.)
B. Family – Will my child do well in school? Will my spouse and I work out differences?
C. Social – What is happening in our world today? Are our leaders really attuned to what is important? Etc.
D. All of these levels of fear interact and undermine the strength on a daily basis.
E. At best – occasional unease. At worst – debilitating anxiety.
F. And fear becomes compounded when we begin to feel isolated. It is a viscous cycle.
G. We are trapped in a sense of powerlessness. Waiting for the world to change, hoping for the best, but fearing the worst.
7. But then, we remember the words of Jesus in the garden, “Not what I want, but what you want.”
A. We remember – our role is not to sit back and wait. It is to take our place in the kingdom of God. To work for God’s redemptive purpose in the world.
B. To live out the prayer - not what I want, but what you want.
C. That is the only appropriate response to fear. Good thing – we do not have to face these challenges alone. We have each other.
D. And that…is everything.
E. What Jesus faced alone in the garden of the Gethsemane, we face with one another.
F. We work together…hope together…dream together…pray together.
8. What did my coach tell me that made things better? There is no way you are going to win. Don’t get pinned. We need you to give them as few team points as possible.
A. He reminded me. I am a part of a team. I am not alone. I have a role on this team, and it is not more than I can handle.
B. My friends, we are all a part of a team. We all have a role. We are not alone.
C. As we confront a frightening and turbulent time we are in, we are tempted to sit back, have a latte, not get involved, and wait on the world to change.
D. But, that is not the prayer of the faithful. Our prayer is God’s will, not mine be done.
E. And God is calling us to a life of action. There are no benchwarmers in Christianity. We all have a role to play.
F. What cup would you like to have God remove from your life this morning? Where are you most afraid?
G. How might we all get through it together? Amen.
Sermon delivered at Light of the Canyon United Methodist Church Anaheim Hills – June 21, 2009.
