Holy Shopping Carts!

In this series, we will look at some of the submissions from all of you and respond to 2 or 3 each week in either a mini-sermon or a dedicated lesson. Let’s see what we got in store this week...

Shopping Carts

Submission: The holiness of returning shopping carts.

Regard others...

Hebrews 13:1–3 CSB

1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Don’t neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it. 3 Remember those in prison, as though you were in prison with them, and the mistreated, as though you yourselves were suffering bodily.

Hospitality and remembering the prisoners:

Two acts society doesn’t “expect” of you

Reveals two parts of your heart...

1) How soft your heart is to strangers

2) How soft your heart is to “others”

Returning your shopping cart is a great litmus test for how “soft” your heart is

BACK TO THE SHOPPING CART… What your shopping cart says about you...

In the cart return: You’re perfectly adjusted and understand it’s a society where we have rules

In the flower bed away from cars: You’re thinking of your own convenience but don’t want to be a total jerk so you push it out of the way.

Leave it by your parking spot: It’s all about you, sweetie.

Push it back into the store: You’ve probably had to do this before and want to save someone some grief.

What you really see in how people treat their carts is how much they regard others.

James said it best… James 2:8

James 2:8 CSB

8 Indeed, if you fulfill the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well.

Don’t be a jerk; think of other people.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Read about having a “soft” heart for strangers and those society calls “others” in Hebrews 13:1-3. Be honest: how good are you about putting your shopping cart away? Many who leave carts out don’t hold malicious thoughts; they just aren’t thinking of others. How does not thinking of others still reveal a “hard heart” in some ways? This may seem like a minor thing, but how do the minor things sometimes reveal MORE to us about our heart than big things?

Revisiting Holiness

Submission: Leviticus 10:1-2 Our disregard for God’s holiness and the consequences for that. How what do we do in our lives during the week and even what we do in church can show a total disregard for Gods holiness. And how do we know what things are simply cultural and possibly irrelevant today or things that we should revisit through the lens of Gods holiness. Hope this makes sense!

Context: Aaron’s son’s ordained before God

Leviticus 8:1–9 CSB

1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Take Aaron, his sons with him, the garments, the anointing oil, the bull of the sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread, 3 and assemble the whole community at the entrance to the tent of meeting.” 4 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and the community assembled at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 5 Moses said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded to be done.” 6 Then Moses presented Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. 7 He put the tunic on Aaron, wrapped the sash around him, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him. He put the woven band of the ephod around him and fastened it to him. 8 Then he put the breastpiece on him and placed the Urim and Thummim into the breastpiece. 9 He also put the turban on his head and placed the gold medallion, the holy diadem, on the front of the turban, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

More than ritual: CLEANSING OF SINS

Ceremonial Washing

Clothed in “holiness” (tunics, sashes, etc)

Urim and Thummim - Leaving matters to faith (like casting lots)

Aaron and his sons weren’t just taking on a job; they were being spiritually prepared in a way that demonstrated the penalty of sin and the cost of redemption

Symbols wouldn’t suffice.

“Good Enough” wouldn’t convey the seriousness

Leviticus 8:34–36 CSB

34 The Lord commanded what has been done today in order to make atonement for you. 35 You must remain at the entrance to the tent of meeting day and night for seven days and keep the Lord’s charge so that you will not die, for this is what I was commanded.” 36 So Aaron and his sons did everything the Lord had commanded through Moses.

If we desire REAL redemption, that means acknowledging REAL penalties for sin.

We all know “for the penalties of sin are death”; those ordained to carry out the ceremonies to atone for sin face a similarly serious penalty.

Leviticus 10:1–3 CSB

1 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his own firepan, put fire in it, placed incense on it, and presented unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them to do. 2 Then fire came from the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. 3 Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has spoken: I will demonstrate my holiness to those who are near me, and I will reveal my glory before all the people.” And Aaron remained silent.

“Unauthorized fire” - Not certain EXACTLY what it is, but follow this...

Sin is real.

Therefore, the penalty of sin is real.

Therefore, the acts to absolve sin must be real.

In these days before Christ, the “forms and ceremonies” weren’t just representative actions… they were literally paying the price for sin!

The behaviors of these days were treated literally because they WERE literal. The symbolism of the act isn’t in the “local act” (which is REAL); it’s in the cosmic-level allegory it serves for the Messiah.

Our Freedom Today - “This comment likely wanted me to talk about reverence, which we hinted at last week and should talk about more. In true Pastor Joseph fashion, I want to take things in an unexpected place by pointing out that the severity of maintaining holiness in Leviticus should illuminate the glory of freedom we have in Christ.”

Romans 14:1–5 CSB

1 Welcome anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about disputed matters. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while one who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not judge one who does, because God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge another’s household servant? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand, because the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person judges one day to be more important than another day. Someone else judges every day to be the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind.

Romans 14:10–12 CSB

10 But you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God. 12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Old Testament —> Mankind did the “real actions” of atonement with God… perfect ESSENTIAL

New Testament —> Christ alone can do the “real actions” of atonement… more important to live in the spirit

It is difficult for many of us because what some may see as sincere worship, others may see as disrespectful.

It is easy to suggest something is “clearly more reverent” when we set the baseline at our American, modern experience but worldwide (and generational) practices vary widely.

Who is right and who is wrong? Paul highlights in Chapter 13 and 14 that our focus should be on how we wear the holiness of God.

We all must give account.

So, then, our obligation to one another should be in how we build each other up and how we, as individuals, are living more holy lives with all the sincerity and seriousness it is owed.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Think about the lesson from Leviticus 10 we discussed, then read what Paul says about religious liberty in Romans 14:1-5,10-12. Think of the Old Testament world where the sacrifices and rituals weren’t just symbols… they were actual mechanics God established with mankind to provide atonement. Given how we treat “church” and “religion” today, do you think modern people struggle with this concept? How do you think people treating church and religion as “just a ceremony” can lead to compromised faiths? Paul talks about liberty of the believer, highlighting that we shouldn’t argue over “disputed matters” (like religious practice). Do you think some Christians today have lost sight of this lesson? How does Paul’s emphasis on individual holiness change how we view other Christians?

Tying it Together

The lesson of Leviticus pointing us to holy living blends perfectly with our lesson on the shopping cart.

Looking from Leviticus to Romans, we see how there is a shift from holiness being about “the mechanics of religion” to “the heart of the religious”.

Christ paid the ultimate mechanic of faith when He died on the cross.

The teachings Christ left us with is that being holy as He is holy is a lot less about worshipping the “right way” and a lot more about having the right heart.

Sometimes a heart after Christ looks like solemn moments in the Garden of Gethsemane.

More often it looks like showing compassion even when compassion is hard.