Crutch or Christ

About Me

Good morning Encounter Church.  My name is Ryan Hanson and I have had the privilege of attending Encounter for the last year.  It has been awesome to listen to Dirk’s teaching, worship with this community, lead a small group, and serve alongside many of you at various events.  Before I go too far, I want to say a special thanks to everyone who volunteer in the kid’s ministry.

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My daughter, age 5 pictured above, has never been more excited to come to church than since we started coming here, and it is because of you.

A little bit about myself for those who I have not met yet.  By day, I sell environments that optimize human potential.   I.E., I sell commercial air conditioners. My faith journey could best be likened to a game of pinball.  God has given me the opportunity to serve in many different areas.  I have served with middle and elementary schoolers as a youth group leader.  I have literally walked the Bible in Egypt / Jordan / Israel / Greece with my wife.  I have led the student ministry at a church for quite a few years similar to Josh.  I have led the small group / adult ministry at a church similar to Paula.  God even called me to seminary which I finished last January.  Here is a picture of me on my graduation day…

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Here is a picture of how I felt on my graduation day.  You have no idea how emotionally draining is it to be graded on your faith for 3 years.  I did feel for the professor who was tasked with grading the term paper on grace.

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So far, God has taken me on quite a ride, and I am not yet sure where I will end up, but I am honored that Dirk asked me to fill in for him this week.

Introduction

I want to start today’s message with a question.

What are you afraid of?

I think from time to time we’re all afraid of something.  I’m not talking about the common fears (snakes, spiders, etc).  I am talking about the fears that keep you up at night.  The fear when you’re in college and afraid you are studying the wrong major.  The fear when you graduate, can’t find a job, and afraid all over again if you studied the wrong major.  The fear that once you get a job and are now afraid it is not something you can do for 30-40 years and even worse, afraid it is not the job that you feel God is calling you to.  The fear that once you get married, and things get tough, that maybe you married the wrong person.  The fear when you (or your wife) becomes pregnant and you don’t feel ready to be a parent.  Or the fear that as your kid grows up and they make some bad choices that you did something wrong in raising them.  Or even the fear when you retire and your kids move out and you have no idea what to do.

My Fear – Intro

I think we’ve had one or more of these fears.  I know I have had almost all of them.  I changed majors three times in college, am now the proud owner of two master’s degrees, and have changed my career three times.  I have a 5-year-old daughter I constantly worry about screwing up.

But bigger than all those fears, if I am honest the fear that has cost me the most sleep is the fear of rejection.  You see when I was in 6th grade, the first day of middle school my elementary school best friend gave me a letter that said, “I don’t want to be your friend anymore, don’t ask why, don’t talk to me again.”  That was pretty crushing.  A year later I called a friend from the hockey team I played on to put together a group to see the latest movie and he thought it would be funny to pretend he didn’t know me on the call.  He continued to pretend he didn’t know me for 2 months.  From that point on I felt a deep fear that I was not worth liking. This fear stuck with me and to be honest it changed me as a person

To put a picture to how I felt, I would describe myself as a pizza box.  Go with me here.  You see, every pizza box has a reason for being.  That is to keep the pizza safe.  I have always believed that Jeremiah 29:11 is the truth of God, that God has

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

The problem is since middle school, I have been an empty pizza box.  I know God wants the best for me, but everywhere I turned I met rejection.  It is hard to feel like God has a plan and purpose for your life, when the world keeps telling you the opposite. I had no pizza to protect, no purpose, and no idea how to figure it out.  I felt hallow and had no idea what to do about it.  Maybe you’ve had experiences in your life that leave you feeling hallow.

That is why this book [hold up Bible] is so great.  No matter what we’re going through, God has given us His word to guide us through the problem.  In Exodus, God gives us a story of a whole nation that went to great extremes to deal with their fears and insecurities.  Through this story God will show us how we can deal with our fears in a way that honors Him, but also help us find the true purpose that He created us for.

Please turn with me to the book of Exodus, chapter 7.  There are Bibles under the seats in front of you, or feel free to pull out your phones and use the Bible app of your choosing as well.  We are a phone friendly church so no judgement if you have a blue glow about you.  If you don’t have a bible, feel free to take the one in front of you as an early Christmas present from us to you.

Egypt

The book of Exodus takes place after the Israelites spend 400 years in slavery within the country of Egypt.  God heard their suffering and raised up Moses to lead them out of captivity.  Through Moses, God sent 10 plagues down over Egypt.  Most of you may know this story.  If you were taught it similar to how I was, you may have been told that God sent the plagues to punish Pharaoh and show the Israelites His power before rescuing them from slavery.  When I traveled in Egypt, I learned some context that shed some new light on the 10 plagues that I think will help us today.

If you look at Egypt, they were a country run by their fears. It is clear even in their hieroglyphics.

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This is a picture I took of a cartouche.  A cartouche is how the Egyptians wrote the names of their Pharaohs.  You’ll see the name of the Pharaoh is outlined with a border.  This cartouche is for Rameses II.  The Egyptians structured their entire lives and society around controlling their fears and creating order and control.  The Pharaoh’s job was to maintain order within the kingdom (i.e. everything within the border) and keep out the chaos (i.e. everything outside the border).  To do that the Egyptians created a very complex religion that consisted of a pantheon of over 2,000 gods.  Each one, if worshiped correctly, would keep order over a certain area of the Egyptian life that they feared.

For example, the Nile river provided the water and nutrients Egypt needed to farm, so they had Osirus as the gods that oversaw the Nile.  Egyptians had large herds of animals, so they had the god Hathor to oversee the fertility of the animals.  To ensure everyone stayed healthy, the Egyptians has the god Isis to oversee everyone’s health and healing.  And to ensure that the sun came up every day, Ra was the god of the sun.  Each god had their own temples, rituals, and sacrifices that were needed to keep them happy so they would keep order over the various areas of Egyptian life.  Here is a temple in Edfu to the god Horus, the god of the sky.  You can see the outer wall was built with the bricks in a wavy pattern.  The Egyptians built it this way on purpose to show visually the chaos that existed outside of the specific god’s control.

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Inside, the temple was built with the utmost order, precision, and detail.

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Back to my Fear

We may think creating a religion of over 2,000 gods to calm your fears is stupid, but if I was honest, I didn’t do much different with my fear.  I decided in middle school I’d conquer my fear of rejection the only way a middle schooler could.  Just like Pharaoh with his cartouche, I’d build walls of protection around myself.  I decided I would learn a little bit about a lot of stuff so I could talk to anyone about anything they wanted to talk about without having to share any information about myself.  If people started to ask me person questions, I mastered the “joke and evade” method of changing conversation topic.  I’d tell a joke, get them distracted, and change the conversation topic.  I became an acquaintance to all, a friend to none.  I wouldn’t let anyone know the real me, so nobody could hurt the real me.

I did a great job improving myself from the perspective of the world.  I turned my empty purposeless Tombstone pizza box into an amazing, lust worthy, Giordano’s pizza box.  From the outside looking in, I had conquered any fear of rejection, was very social, and was thriving.  The problem was that in reality I was still empty.  It was all an act.  I still had the belief that God had a plan and purpose for my life, but through all my effort I still felt that I was not worth liking and no closer to knowing the purpose that God created me for. Maybe you have gone to similar lengths to protect yourself from hurt?  Maybe you have walls that nobody knows exist but keep you from discovering the purpose that God has created you for.  Maybe you feel like an empty pizza box.

The truth is, God doesn’t want us to live “walled off” lives.   He shows us how we can break down our walls by how he dealt with Israel and the Egyptian walls in the book of Exodus.

Back to Egypt

What I learned while in Egypt was that the 10 plagues of Exodus were not about God punishing, they about God teaching that all the gods being worshipped in Egypt were not only fake, but that all the efforts to control their fears through their religious system was wasted.  Each of the 10 plagues specifically targeted a major Egyptian god.

In Exodus 7:19 it says

Exodus 7:19 NIV

The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs—and they will turn to blood.’ Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vessels of wood and stone.”

Here, God turned the Nile to blood directly showing that Osiris did not have power over the Nile, but He did.

In Exodus 9:6 it says

Exodus 9:6 NIV

And the next day the Lord did it: All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died.

Here, God put a plague on the livestock and they died directly showing that Hathor did not rule over the fertility of the Egyptian herds, but He did.

In Exodus 9:8-9 it says

Exodus 9:8–9 NIV

Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on people and animals throughout the land.”

Here, God sent boils infecting both people and animals directly showing that Isis was not in control of the health of the people, but He was.

In Exodus 10:21-22 it says

Exodus 10:21–22 NIV

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days.

Here, God made it dark for 3 days directly showing that Ra did not have power over the sun, but He did.

You can see this God vs Egyptian deity in each of the 10 plagues.  We don’t have time now to review all 10, but I’d encourage you to do a quick Google search later this week.

Verse of the Day

Just as the Egyptian’s efforts to control and order their lives did not provide the comfort they were looking for, our efforts to achieve control over our lives fall short too.

What do you do when everything you do to regain control of the chaos in your life doesn’t work?

In Exodus, God showed Israel that they need to stop trying to earn control through the worship of false gods and start giving away control to the only one who can actually fix the problems in their lives.  We need a God mighty enough to solve the problems that, for us, are unsolvable.  Isaiah 9:6 is the verse we’ve been walking through this series and describes God as being the

Isaiah 9:6 NIV

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

I wanted to come today with something super deep and scholarly, but in this passage Mighty (the Hebrew word Gibbor), literally means strong.  Only God is mighty, or strong, enough to calm the fears and tame the chaos in our lives.  We need to…

Stop fighting battles that only God is strong enough to win

My Fear – Conclusion

Just like God taught Israel that only He was mighty enough to calm their fears by taking on the Egyptian gods directly, God showed me that same strength in how he dealt with my fear that I was not worthy of being liked by others.  And he did it in a way I would have never expected.  I was always taught that to determine your purpose in life you needed to find the intersection of your Talents, Interest, and Opportunities.  You had to know as an engineer no power point is complete without a Venn diagram 😊

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Yet, God kept providing me with the opportunity to run with the World Vision charity running team.  I had every reason to say no.  My knees were screwed up from 20+ years of hockey, I had a daughter that was less than 2 years old that would be difficult to run with, and most importantly I hated running.  I had no talent and no interest, just lots of opportunity.

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My wife signed up for a half marathon with Team World Vision after pressure from her friend, and I, being a good husband, said I would watch our daughter while she runs, essentially saying “no” to the opportunity God was giving me.  Over time I was talked into jogging with my daughter in the stroller during the Saturday group runs.  I did this for 2 years without actually signing up for a race.  But over those two years God was at work.  You see Isaiah 55:9 is true

Isaiah 55:9 NIV

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God was showing me what true community was through something I had no talent or interest in doing.  By going to those Saturday runs, I met a group of people who, just like me, had no business running.  The team consisted of people who are all over the physical fitness spectrum, but they all ran together for the purpose of bringing clean water to kids in Africa.  Because many signed up being very out of shape; most having never run any significant distance before in their lives, this team supports each other in amazing ways.  Nobody ran alone on the Saturday group runs.  People meet up mid-week to provide accountability and support to each other.  They are incredibly active on FaceBook providing updates, prayer requests, motivation, and tips on various ways to get through the distance assigned for the week.

After two years of being indirectly associated with this community, I signed up for my first race.  Still afraid of running and my bad knees, I felt I needed to mix it up with some swimming and biking, so I signed up for a triathlon, which World Vision has a team for as well.  In that first race I crashed my bike a month before the race inuring my shoulder (not exactly helping my swim).  I blew a tire during the race, costing me 45 minutes, and I barely made the bike time cutoff.  I wanted to quit the run so many times, but I finished.  Albeit, I finished dead last.  It was me and the motorcycle cop and a 67 year old guy who was very quick to tell me that my age group started 5 minutes before him so I was going to be last even if I crossed in front of him.

I could have quit the entire sport at that point, but this group of people cheered on my HUGE failure, congratulated me for finishing, showed me tons of love, and turned a horrible day into a fond memory.  Through a charity running group I never wanted to be a part of, God started the process of healing my past relational wounds and showed me that I needed to find healthy relationships, that I needed to find people that I could be vulnerable with, and that not all people would let me down.  By saying “yes” to an opportunity I had no talent or interest in doing, I opened the door for God to act mightily in my life.  What opportunities is God giving you right now that you are resisting? Maybe it is your time to say “yes”?

Since that first race, God had given me additional opportunities I have no right to have.  Last year I was able to run in the NYC marathon, the largest marathon in the world.  This year, I was able to run the Chicago marathon, one of the top six marathons in the world.  Next year I am going to complete a full Iron Man triathlon, in my mind the pinnacle of endurance racing.  And whereas that would be a great story by itself, Ephesians 3:20 had never been more true in my life.

Ephesians 3:20 NIV

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

God used these races as a vehicle to raise money for kids in Africa.  There is a 50% mortality rate for kids under the age of 5 in Africa due to dirty water.  $50 can provide clean water to a kid for life.  Through my participation in these races, God was able to bring clean water to over 600 kids.  Through running with World Vision, God has not only been healing my past wounds, conquering my fear of rejection, but has given me a purpose I would have never expected.  I continue to run / bike / swim to give these kids hope and a future.

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Conclusion

Maybe right now you feel like that empty pizza box that I described earlier.  Maybe you are afraid your life is going in the wrong direction and you are not living up to the purpose you were created for.  This Wednesday is Christmas, the time of year that God shows us just how much He cares and how far He is willing to go to fight to be in relationship with you.  1 John 4:9-10 says it best

1 John 4:9–10 NIV

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

God sent His Son, Jesus, to be born a defenseless baby, live a perfect life, and take upon Himself all the sins of the world so that we can have a direct relationship with Him.  Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to fill us, to guide us toward our purpose, and to shape us into the people God created us to be.

You see, I could not solve my problems or conquer my fears back then, and I cannot solve them now.

Only Jesus is mighty enough to save us from our deepest fears.

It is only through faith in Jesus that we can be saved from the consequences of the sin in our lives.

It is only through faith in Jesus that our pizza boxes can be filled, and the Holy Spirit can guide us toward the purpose that we were created for.  Because just like a pizza box, the purpose of our lives is not to draw people to us (the box), it is to draw people to what we’re filled with, and for Christians that is Jesus. When people look at you, do they see the power and might of God acting through you in amazing ways?  If not, what opportunities do you need to say “yes” to that gives the Holy Spirit room to work in your life?

If you have not yet put your faith in Jesus as your personal lord and savior, there is no better week to do so than this week.  The week we celebrate Christmas.  There are people in the back who would love to talk with you, answer any questions you may have, and pray with you.

Let our mighty God fight the battles you are not capable of winning on your own.

Prayer

Please join me in prayer.  God, we have all been hurt in the past.  We all suffer at one time or another from fears that are outside of our control.  Like the Egyptians, we are really good at building walls, creating systems, and trying to control the chaos in our lives.  We need you to fill us with your Spirit, to heal our past hurts, and guide us toward the purpose you created us for.  Only you are mighty enough to win the battles in our lives.

I pray this week for surrender.  For those here who are doing their best to gain control over their lives, I pray that they stop fighting and start saying yes to the opportunities that you provide them to do things your way.  For those who don’t have a relationship with you yet, I pray you soften their hearts, give them the courage to ask questions, and help them to tangibly feel the love that you have for them, that you so clearly show us this week through the gift of your Son Jesus.  Make this week the week that they surrender their lives to you and your plans for them.

You are a mighty God.  Use the hurt the enemy has inflicted upon us for your good.  Help us all be witness to the victory that you have planned for us and for others through us.  Amen.

Song

“See A Victory” by Elevation Worship

"I'm gonna see a victory for the battle belongs to you Lord."

"You take what the enemy meant for evil and you turn it for good."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNd-PbVhnvA

Closing

As you go out this week and celebrate Christmas with family and friends.  Remember why we celebrate Christmas.  We celebrate a God that loves us so much that He became one of us, showed us the kind of life that he wants us to live, a life completely dependent on God.  Give all your fears, and all your insecurities over to God.  Let Him break down the walls you have built and start saying “yes” to the opportunities that God gives you.  Let Ephesians 3:20 resonate throughout your life.  Let God:

do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us

Let our Mighty God, do a work within you this Christmas season.

If you don’t have plans this Tuesday, please join us this Tuesday at 3:30 and 5:00 pm for our Christmas Eve service.

Go in peace.