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Keep Walking.
An eight-year-old boy is walking down the road one day when a car
pulls over next to him.
"If you get in the car," the driver says, "I'll give
you $10 and a piece of candy."
The boy refuses and keeps on walking.
A few moments later, not to take no for an answer, the man driving the
car pulls over again. "How about $20 and two pieces of candy?"
The boy tells the man to leave him alone and keeps on walking.
Still further down the road the man pulls over to the side road.
"OK," he says, "this is my final offer. I'll give you
$50 and all the candy you can eat."
The little boy stops, goes to the car and leans in.
"Look," he says to the driver.
"You bought the Ford, Dad. You'll have to live with it!"
XXX
A man took his little boy to the zoo for the very first time.
Each time they would see a new animal the little boy would ask,
"What's that?" And each time the father would explain.
When they came to a pen with a very large bird inside the father said,
"And that, Timmy, is a Stork."
The boy stood there for a few moments and then began to wave and say,
"Hi! I'm Timmy!"
After several times of repeating
this he finally turned to his father and exclaimed, "Guess I'm all grown
up, Dad, he doesn't recognize me."
INTRODUCTION:
I
It
was an immaculately planned crime by three safecrackers who knew their
business.[1]
They found the company safe in Vang, Norway, and placed a
small explosive charge.
Calmly, they lighted the fuse and sheltered in the next
room.
Then came the bang and a whole wall crashed
down around the trio in a roar of flying bricks and mortar.
They thought they had planned well.
Their information was incomplete.
The safe did not contain money. It contained explosives.
II
How much of what we are, what we think and what we do is
incomplete?
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MAIN BODY:
I
When the incomplete nature of life is emphasized, we may
understand that we are only partially what we ought to be.
A
Paul writes of three important components of our spiritual
lives that are the source of much of our unfinished state.
B
The three components are prophecy, tongues, and knowledge.
II
The first is Prophecy
Prophecy[2]
Within the Christian tradition, rarely is a concept
more misunderstood than prophecy. Unfortunately, this misinterpretation wreaks
havoc on our society in the form of doomsday soothsayers, apocalyptic dreamers
and militant revolutionaries.
The crux of the misunderstanding is this: Prophecy
is not the result of seeing into the future. Instead, prophecy is the faithful
declaration of the implications of current actions on the future, with the hope
of having an impact on both.
For instance, one need not be a rocket scientist to
figure out that increasing economic inequities lead to social dissolution and
fragmentation. So someone with the courage to say that wealth accumulation
leads to the destruction of community, and that the result will be a future
awash in violence, isn't looking into a crystal ball. They're simply sensitive
to inevitabilities.
A
Prophecy is much more than an attempt to predict the
future.
B
God will reveal his secrets through his servants the
prophets
Amos 3:7
(NRSV)
Surely
the Lord GOD does nothing, without revealing his secret to his servants the
prophets.
No
prophecy ever came through the will of human beings.
2 Peter
1:16‑21 (NRSV)
For we
did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.
{17} For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was
conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, my
Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." {18} We ourselves heard this voice
come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain. {19} So we have
the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to
this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning
star rises in your hearts. {20} First of all you must understand this, that no
prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, {21} because no
prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit
spoke from God.
C
Prophecy is inspired insight into the purposes of God.
1
It is not restricted to a particular group or class of
people.
2
Prophecy is preaching.
a
I am all too familiar with the inadequacies of preaching.
b
There will be no more preachers.
c
What am I going to do!
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III
The Second is Tongues
A
Tongues, not anatomy, but languages.
1
Tongues confused at the Tower of Babel.
Genesis
11:1 (NRSV)
Now the
whole earth had one language and the same words.
Genesis
11:9 (NRSV)
Therefore
it was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the
earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the
earth.
B
The confusion created by different languages.
C
Difficulties in translation.
1
Some concepts simply do not translate.
a
The Lord's Prayer in Japanese
Our
Father in heaven.
b
No concept of heaven.
Our
Father who lives up stairs.
D
It is the God inspired ability to speak another language
for the purpose of communicating the essence and purpose of the Gospel.
1
Disciples on the day of Pentecost.
Acts 2:5‑7
(NRSV)
Now
there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. {6}
And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard
them speaking in the native language of each. {7} Amazed and astonished, they
asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
2
No More languages, plural, only one language, singular,
the language of heaven.
IV
Knowledge
A
Knowledge is not the opposite of ignorance.
1
Paul has a high regard for knowledge.
Romans
10:17 (NRSV)
So faith
comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.
2
Knowledge is understood as the exclusive function of the intellectual
who prides themselves on their superior insight and understanding into
the mysteries of the faith.
B
Paul's experience with the Greek intellectuals on
Areopagus.
Acts 17:18‑20
(NRSV)
Also
some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers debated with him. Some said, "What
does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign divinities."
(This was because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the
resurrection.) {19} So they took him
and brought him to the Areopagus and asked him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?
{20} It sounds rather strange to us, so we would like to know what it means."
They
dismissed what he had to say, with the thought that they would hear him again,
although having no intention of ever wanting to hear him again.
Acts
17:32 (NRSV)
When
they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some scoffed; but others said,
"We will hear you again about this."
C
Knowledge is not static.
You
cannot put your hand into the same river twice. Heraclitus.
V
Our inspired insight, use of prophecy, language, and
knowledge is incomplete.
A
When the complete comes the partial will come to an end.
B
Who or what is complete?
1
Only God is complete.
2
When God, the complete, comes, the incomplete will come to
an end.
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CONCLUSION:
VI
The children of God will be completed.
A
We are incomplete.
1
We are love and selfishness
2
We are knowledge and ignorance.
3
We presume to be able to forth tell the future.
4
We are plagued by the inadequacies of language.
B
Prophecy will not be needed.
C
Languages will no longer be necessary.
D
Knowledge will be filled out and completed.
Memorial Day.
This year was the 63rd anniversary of the
landing at Normandy
Honor memory of fallen.
1
Memorial Day is a symbol of human incompleteness.
2
It speaks to us of the misunderstanding of humanity.
3
It speaks to us of the inadequate methods that we use to
order peace and prosperity.
VII
Paul would have not lose sight of another memorial day.
A
It is a day when the complete comes and this partial will
come to an end.
B
To that end, we exercise the care that we are not deceived
about our condition or our needs.
Make Sure It's the Right Action[3]
Gale‑force winds and sub‑zero temperatures had
taken their toll: snapped electric wires were sparking and snaking dangerously
about the ever‑building snowdrifts.
As a foot patrolman, I was assigned to a desolate
intersection to provide security at the scene of a downed wire.
It was 12:40 a.m. and two degrees below zero when I
relieved the initial guardian of this dangerous area.
He pointed out the thin line swinging ferociously from the
main electric circuit.
As he entered the squad car for his return to warmth, I
pulled my coat collar up to my earmuffs, tightened my scarf and placed myself
in a position to protect the public.
Finally, at 4:40 a.m., a utility truck arrived.
The
linemen checked the wires, let out roaring bellows and continued laughing as
they descended toward me.
"Well, mate," one of them said,
"Congratulations. You've successfully guarded a frozen kite string all
night."
C
God help us to avoid the frozen kite strings.
Amen