American Idol
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
American Idol
American Idol
Intro
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:1-
-----
Pray
[..Makarios]
One of the most stark aspects of our text for the day, to me, is the use of this word here - makarios.
Now this word is an interesting one. I say interesting, because tradition almost dictates that we only see it as meaning one thing; blessed. After all, almost every older translation has this word translated that way.
But that doesn’t make them right. Now hear me clearly, that doesn’t make them wrong either, but just because tradition dictates something doesn’t mean that is the absolute only way to take it!
In fact, tradition alone, without context, isn’t a reason at all.
So we have to look into the word - how it was used other times; even if it was used any other time. We have to look to see if that is the only way that the New Testament authors ever used that word.
And it turns out, when you do that, you find that it isn’t. Now, to be sure, if very often is, but it is also often translated as fortunate, and of great importance - Happy.
[pic of happiness]
Ah…the elusive happiness. That thing that we all seem to chase and never seem to get enough of. We spend parts of our youth chasing after that alone, only to find that happiness itself can’t be grasped and manipulated, but rather, it is a thing, living and breathing, that is to be experienced.
And as soon as you find it, it seems like it always runs away, right?
[story?]
I remember when I was young, I always seemed interested in finding happiness in life, right after I found sadness or difficulty. I would get knocked down, and then suddenly I was only interested in being happy.
As if I wasn’t interested in that to begin with.
No we are all constantly chasing after happiness, church. Don’t fool yourself. Something inside us yearns for joy, and for light - especially in the darker times in our lives.
I mean, you can hear it resonate throughout the Bible! David cries out time and time again in the Psalms about just this very thing!
You have put gladness in my heart, David says. Happy are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness. In Him our hearts rejoice! We trust His holy name.
You can hear it resonate throughout the Bible! David cries out time and time again in the Psalms about just this very thing!
I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God, Isaiah tells us.
Paul reminds us to, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice!”
[examples…]
Church, they are reminding us that we are desperate to be happy and to feel joy and contentedness and that it can only be found in God! But even though we seem to constantly yearn for it, and we logically know where is should be found, we just can’t seem to find it. And, y’all, I think that this text reminds us of why we can’t seem to find it!
But even though we seem to constantly yearn for it, we just can’t seem to find it. And, y’all, I think that this text reminds us of why we can’t seem to find it!
[blessed are…slide here]
I think we can’t seem to find it for two reasons. First, we are looking for it in the wrong places.
That seems a little obvious, but it is worth noting. We look for our happiness in prestige, or wealth, or fame. It is like we are all on American Idol, or some other reality show like that; whatever your favorite is.
[talk about show briefly…make sure you talk about the golden ticket and how it is almost as if the contestant’s happiness is dependent on the judges liking them.]
And that mentality is evident in our lives. It is almost as if we think, if I can just win this thing, then I will be happy! If I can just get that job, or that promotion, or that house, or that car, or that boy/girlfriend. If I could just get 5 minutes alone! If this problem went away, or that issue was resolved - then I could be happy!
Life seems like it is imitating art sometimes. As if we could earn our own happiness with the approval of others, like on those shows. As if we could somehow become content, if only a panel of a few once famous people would affirm our ability to push air through our vocal chords in a stylistically appropriate way.
Let me say it plainly. As if doing anything for the approval of others could every bring happiness.
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Church, we all want happiness, but you will never get there if you are trying to win the approval of anyone apart from God.
Never.
That American Idol mentality only shows that we idolize others, or worse, ourselves. And it drives a wedge between us and God. And between us and true happiness as well.
[makarios]
The second reason I feel we can’t find happiness is this word that we began all this with. You see, tradition has allowed that this word point to a time in the future. And rightly so, you see, our true happiness comes with God in eternity. There is no doubt about that. But the cost of using a word that points to some time other than now, is that we assume the price for that happiness is our present unhappiness. And to be honest, the Greek phrase doesn’t imply that at all! And quite frankly, I don’t think Jesus is either!
Here is how I read it, church; happy are the ones who are poor in spirit, or to put it another way - happy are those who realize they need more spirit. In particular the Spirit of God. Happy are those who realize that, because they will be filled with God.
You see, church, happy are the ones who are poor in spirit, or to put it another way - happy are those who realize they need more spirit. In particular the Spirit of God. Happy are those who realize that, because they will be filled with God.
Happy are those who mourn - maybe not in that exact moment - but happy are those because they have had something worth mourning. They have felt the heights of love. They have, in some way, seen the face of God in another.
Happy are those who are meek - or humble. Happy are they, because they understand that this life is about others, and when they removed the need of self, they found that they have so much left to offer this world, and God.
Happy are those who thirst for God! Because in God is love, and in Him is joy! And if you thirst for Him, you thirst for all that He is! You thirst for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control!
Happy are those who are merciful. Because it is in showing mercy that we best imitate Christ! And when we do that, we feel Christ’s love for us even more!
Happy are those who are pure in heart. Paul tells Titus, and us, that, “To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure.” How happy we can be, church, if we just think with pure hearts, and stop trying to find evil in this life.
Happy are the peacemakers. Happy because they are satisfied that they did their best to help others live at peace, and somehow see God.
And Happy are those who are persecuted for righteousness. Not because being persecuted is fun. No. Because being persecuted is proof that they are living with God, and if they are living with God, then they know that God is with them, even in that trial!
You see it isn’t just about what happens someday! It is all about what is happening now! But we need to reframe our idea of happiness. We need to understand that happiness isn’t something that is given to us, it is something we give to others, and ultimately, it is something that we have to find in the midst of all that is going on around us! But if you really want to find it you have to look to God, church.
And the best way to do that is to do your best with the time you are given. Do your best not to please self, but to care for others, and to love God and His creation.
[pic of fred rodgers and boy in wheelchair]
Now for my last point, I want to talk about
When I was a kid, there was probably no happier person that I could think of than this man. Fred Rogers. He was so positive, and so uplifting, that people seemed to always make fun of him. At least most kids did.
As I got older, and especially as I got closer to God, I realized that this man, who was persecuted, at least by people like me, for his light - this man who was as meek as could be; this man who exuded every ounce of these beatitudes that a human could hope to portray, was far closer to God than I could imagine.
One of my favorite moments from his career actually came at the end of it. He was being inducted into the TV Hall of fame for a lifetime given to children. A lifetime spent pouring positivity into their worlds, just hoping beyond hope that they would grow older and do the same. And as they were honoring him, right at the end, they were showing some of the most special moments he shared with his “neighbors” as he called them - that is what he called everyone it turns out. This man, a former pastor, knew that everyone he met was his neighbor.
As the montage wound down, they showed a clip of a young man in a wheelchair. This was a really powerful segment. This was what Mr. Rogers was all about. It showed him kneeling by this young man and talking with him. He was asking about the difficulties of living in a wheelchair. How he got to that place. And what hurdles he had to overcome.
He didn’t condescend. He didn’t talk down to him. All he was focused on doing, was in that moment making this young man feel accepted and happy. To, in some small way, act like he thought God might act if He came to us and spoke with us.
It was just beautiful.
[picofsurpriserogers]
But the real kicker came next. You see when that footage ended out rolled this man in a wheelchair, almost 20 years later. And the second Mr. Rogers saw him, he jumped to his feet! He raced up to the stage, completely ruining the moment! And when he got there he knelt over that young man and hugged him.
And all those people that were there in that audience to honor him, they all vanished. They didn’t matter. Showing love and sewing happiness, that is what mattered in that moment.
They didn’t matter. Showing love and sewing happiness, that is what mattered in that moment.
As the audience continued to applaud, Fred leaned over and asked this young man, “will you stay and support me, while I say my few words.”
And he got up there, and he couldn’t speak. He struggled to find words. And when he found them, all he could think to do was to talk about what a special gift it was to have that young man there.
Not the stage. Not the crowd. Not all those who had gathered to honor him. NOT ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN, AND THAT SOCIETY TRIES TO TEACH US TO SHOOT FOR IN THIS LIFE! HE HAD MADE IT TO THE MOUNTAINTOP, HE HAD ACHIEVED THE HIGHEST HONOR HE COULD ACHIEVE AND ALL HE COULD THINK ABOUT IS WHAT ACTUALLY BROUGHT HIM HAPPINESS IN THAT MOMENT! NOT THE LIGHTS. NOT THE CROWD! JUST THAT YOUNG MAN WHOM HE HAD SHARED A MOMENT WITH YEARS AGO! BUT THAT MOMENT WAS ONE BORN IN LOVE! ONE BORN IN THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST!
A true moment of happiness.
After he gathered himself, he explained what exactly he was feeling with his “few words.”
And I would like to share those words with you, slightly altered to make them more appropriate to the audience receiving them.
“Fame is a four-letter word and like tape, or zoom, or face, or pain, or life, or love what ultimately matters is what we do with it. I feel that those of us [of faith] are chosen to be servants. It doesn’t matter what our particular job is, we are chosen to help meet the deeper needs of those who watch and listen to us day and night.
The conductor of the orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl grew up in a family that had little interest in music, but he often tells people he found his early inspiration from the fine musicians [in his life]. [Likewise,] Last month a 13-year-old boy abducted an eight-year-old girl and when people asked him why, he said he learned about it on TV, [and from his friends]. Something different to try, he said, life is cheap, what does it matter?
Well, life isn’t cheap. It’s the greatest mystery of any millennium, and [followers of Christ] need to do all [they] can to show and tell what the good in life is all about. But how do we make goodness attractive? By doing whatever we can to bring courage to those whose lives moved near our own by treating our neighbor at least as well as we treat ourselves and allowing that to inform everything that we [think, say, or do].
Who in your life has been such a servant to you? Who has helped you love the good that grows within you? Let’s just take 10 seconds to think of some of those people who have loved us and wanted what was best for us in life. Those who have encouraged us to become who we are tonight, just 10 seconds of silence, I’ll watch the time.
No matter where they are either here or in heaven, imagine how pleased those people must be to know that you thought of them right now. We all have only one life to live on Earth and through [Christ] we have the choice of encouraging others to demean this life or to cherish it in creative, imaginative ways.”
Make yourself an example of goodness. Be happy, in as much as you are called to serve others and to share life with others.
Happy with those who suffer. Happy with those who mourn. Happy with those who are picked on, or are lonely or are destitute. Happy with them, church, because God not only sent His Son to die to give them life, but He sent you into their life to bring them the hope and strength and courage they need to come to the Father!
Happy are those who will be blessed to know a true servant of God!
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
And happy are those who are blessed to give the good news of Jesus - whether by word or deed.
HAPPY ARE THOSE WHO GIVE OR RECEIVE THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS - WHETHER BY WORD OR DEED!
And how blessed we are to be able to be light, to be love. To be merciful. To be peace makers. To be able to live simply.
And how bless we are to be able to be light, to be love. To be merciful. To be peace makers. To be able to live simply.
Lots to talk about…commentary is good start. Move toward Mr. Rogers stuff about fame being a 4 letter word, just like other 4 letter words…list some words…the words alone have no power, it is what you do with them that count…our moments, in and of themselves, have no power, but what we do with them does…do we use those moments to be [beatitudethingshere]…to be light....to be love…or do we use them for ourselves.
You see, you aren’t just blessed in Heaven. You are blessed right now.
So for me, today, I read this passage as “happy.” Happy to be blessed, and happy to be a blessing.
I pray that we all allow God to challenge us to chase after that kind of happiness. The true happiness outlined in this text. The contendedness that comes when we take our moments, and our priorities, and line them up with God’s will.
The happiness that comes when we stop chasing our American Idols, and start chasing God with all of our moments - doing the right thing, while we still have time.
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
Sew light, love, and joy - everyday. As long as it is called today. And we can show each other, and this world, God’s path and plan for us all.
Invitation.
.....Move toward Mr. Rogers stuff about fame being a 4 letter word, just like other 4 letter words…list some words…the words alone have no power, it is what you do with them that count…our moments, in and of themselves, have no power, but what we do with them does…do we use those moments to be [beatitudethingshere]…to be light....to be love…or do we use them for ourselves.
maybe talk about what we put in comes out a little…the thrust should be around “happiness”. What is true happiness? Contentedness, blessedness…what? Overall, we are happy when we take our moments and do the right thing…
We need to increase our exposure to positivity, and decrease our exposure to negativity. And Jesus would tell us, the way to do that is to find happiness, positivity, in those difficult moments [beatitudes again].
We treat church and our faith lives like the show American Idol or any of our other favorite shows. And once our favorite contestant gets kicked off or our favorite star gets killed off the show or our show takes a turn we don't agree with we stop watching. We treat our faith lives in church lies the same way when we don't sing the songs we like or the preacher preaches about something we don't agree with sometimes or when we idolize people that fall short or when we place our focus on anything other than Jesus Christ and then we stopped watching. Maybe our wife stop going to church so we don't show up maybe our husbands don't come so we stopped showing up. Maybe our kids make excuses as to why they shouldn't be there. Maybe travel Sports takes precedence in our lives. Whatever it is we let something else become an idle other than Jesus and when we do that our faith lives suffer and our church family suffers as well.
