Hard Habits to Break

Background to passage: after the resurrection there were 40 days of teaching and instruction from Jesus to his Apostles. Upon the day that he ascended back into heaven they asked him a question: are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now? He said that they didn’t need to know that, because God was in charge of that, alone. Then he told them that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them and they would be his witnesses in 3.5 areas. Last week we hit no. 1. I say 3.5 because these two middle regions are really to be grouped together. Number one, geographically they are hard to define. They are both within one day’s travel by foot. But the factor that truly links them is that they are made up of people that are different from the very orthodox, strict, practicing Jews in Jerusalem.

Acts 1:6–11 ESV

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Opening illustration: Chicago’s album, Chicago 17 contains the 1984 song entitled Hard Habit to Break. It speaks of a broken heart and difficulty of breaking up in routine and in heart, how he took love for granted, and now he can’t break the habit even after years of thinking of her.

Main thought: This morning I want to look at the commission to go from another angle. To reach people that are outside our Jerusalem (LaGrange and Troup Co), there are some things that we are going to have to give up.

1) Pre-conceived Religious Requirements

Explanation: This statement applies to the Samaritans more that the various strains of Jewish people in northern Judea, but the point is that many of the 15K brand new believers, including the apostles were very convinced that only committed, faithful followers of the God of Israel could trust Christ completing the way of the Jews. Basically this was a preconceived notion that to be a Christian, you have to be a good Israelite! Samaritans were outside the possibility of salvation.

Did they need Jesus, yes! Were many of them far from God, yes! But they had to take away their notions of unwillingness or misunderstanding.

Argumentation:

Illustration: Talk about the JWs coming to my house in Maine. Talk about Dr. Massimo Pigliucci at UT, professor of evolutionary biology and philosophy. Main study was phenotypic plasticity.

Application: What do you do when a JW comes to your door? What about when a baptist comes? What if we were on a disaster relief trip with Samaritan’s Purse and we cleaned up the yard of a Muslim? What if Greg and the Alaska Man Camp Team Meet some native Inuit Alaskans. How about Atheists or evolutionists?

2) Prejudices and Some Feelings

Explanation: Again, especially as it relates to the Samaritans, many of these new Jewish believers would have to deal with some feelings and prejudices that lie deep in their hearts to share the gospel; and that could not be avoided as they spread out of Jerusalem.

Argumentation:

Illustration: Tell of the man who assumed one of our church members hated gay people, because all bible-believing Christians hate gay people, and the church he was raised in hated gay people. We know some people of Arab descent and when September 11 comes around they worry about the safety of their children.

Application: So, let’s think about us. We live in LaGrange, and we have our issues. What if we go to a place to minister and there is a large population of illegal immigrants? Minister or not? What if we go to a place in some inner city where we are not the majority? What do you think when you see someone of Arabic descent? How about when you meet someone who is extremely liberal, maybe part of the LGBTQ movement? What about people who are living in poverty or homeless? What about politicians, lawyers, mechanics? What about that guy was standing in the Your Pie on Friday in the door with black clothes and a long black trench coat.

3) Comfort

Explanation: Walking 20 miles through the Judean hill country, would have not been a joy to reach these two areas. As I wrote this part of the sermon I moved from my office desk chair to my couch to work on this sermon, because I am getting older. Rocky roads, little water, hazards of various kinds, and difficult terrain. Fact is, staying in Jerusalem would have been much easier.

Argumentation:

Illustration: I was reminded of how much of a first world person I was when I went to Peru last year. The little hostel that we were supposed to stay gave away our reservations, so we took the next best thing in a little town. No hot water, only two bathrooms, only one had a light that worked, only one had a toilet seat.

Application: We must be willing to walk the 10-20 miles. We must be willing to put on a heavier coat, or to sweat through a couple of shirts. I really don’t mean only physically, I mean that we are willing to give up the things that makes our lives easy. It could be our pride, when we need to be humbled. It could be out of your routine. It could be having to sleep in the same bedroom as others on a trip. The Mission Serve in Mobile, AL the second time. It could be the comfort of passing by someone and not telling them about Jesus or inviting them to our church.

4) Budget

Explanation: Regional travel was expensive in this day and time. When Jesus told them to go to Judea, then to Samaria, of course next was Galilee which was part of Palestine. They would have had to pay for food and lodging, animal feed, traveling supplies. Remember they had all left their nets and tax booths to follow him, who had no place to lay his head. They were a part of a ministry that was supported by wealthy families or individuals, nobody had a salary. They didn’t have ministry money to buy bread for the masses.

Argumentation:

Illustration: In the Finance Team meeting this week, we were discussing the difference between benevolence and bereavement, specifically when those two needs come up, where does the money come from to fund them.

Application: How about us? Some of the wealthiest people on the planet by comparison. Yet few of our finances go toward ministry outside the church. Many Christians don’t give to your own church. So let’s whip out the old church budget to see where our money goes as far as missions: 5% to CP, .5% to the Troup Baptist, First Choice $0, Circles $0, TIN $0, OCC $0, Outreach .4%. We could have a lot of discussion about budget expenditures, but these are the missions line items. Granted we have a lot of individual gifts to OCC, LMCO, Circles, TIN, Gideons, but budgeting is about ministry planning. It is about intentional use of God’s money. If we love God, we love what he loves — people. The problem is not truly the budget, it is our hearts. Plead with God to change our hearts.

Closing illustration: the wagon trail of a couple hundred people in 1883 that had to unload precious things in order to cross the river. After people did their first load of things they could live without, the leader passed through the camp and explained again in greater clarity about death and the absolute necessity to keep only the things that would keep you alive.

When Jesus told the church to go into Jerusalem, into Judea and Samaria, he knew that there would be sacrifice, and that he would supply grace, but the question was whether they would be willing.