Goat Head Soup
Notes
Transcript
Goat Head Soup
Goat Head Soup
Matt 5:1-12
Matt 5:1-12
PRAYER
1 My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
Prov 2:1-6
INTRO (need pics)
Lunch, eating with people, not liking seafood, etc.
My most favoritest meal
Tajikistan story, goat head soup
If you’ll allow me, I want to share an interesting story with you from about 7 years ago, when I was going into the 8th grade. Most of you probably did not know that I grew up, in my formative years, overseas. My family (SLIDE FAMILY PICTURE) and I lived in Almaty, Kazakhstan where my dad trained local pastors and my mom taught English. As for me and my siblings we just went to international school and accompanied mom and dad in their endeavors.
This story is kinda my mom’s fault and since I showed a picture of how little my dad I look alike, I wanted to give my mom credit, so this time I want to show a picture of how much her and I look alike.(SLIDE ME/MOM) This isn’t a recent picture, actually from my Junior year of high school. But I think we look pretty similar. That being said...
Summer of 2008, my mom sent me as a translator with two other American guys to go on a “small hike” (that’s how they roped me into going). We were tagging along with a group from a TAJIK rehabilitation center. Now this is not a “hike” in the traditional sense of the term: a leisurely, maybe roughly challenging trek through mountains and such. This was a hike in the sense of a scorching, awful, exhausting voyage, pilgrimage if you will, through the treacherous terrain that is the Tajik, Pamir mountains. (SLIDE of Mountains) I got 2nd degree burns on the tops of my ears because I forgot that the sun still shines there and therefore sunscreen should be applied there. Our hike was 26 miles one way. It was dangerous as well. We crossed two bridges that looked not dissimilar to this one. (SLIDE BRIDGE).Not only was it dangerous, it was absolutely physically draining. Each person was carrying around 50 lbs of stuff on their back. We were hiking to a lake where we would spend 3 days and then hike back down. So we had, what we thought was, 3 days worth of potatoes, bread, pots/pans, etc, on our backs. By the time we get there. We haven’t really eaten anything, but luckily we were right beside a clean river, so we had water. The locals, however, we use old 2 liter coke bottles (rc cola) and would fill them up but when they were done drinking water from them, they would toss them into the river. WHAT?! WHY!? So I had a camelbak and I shared it with 20 rehabilitating Tajiks. Suffering for Christ, I know. We finally get to the lake and set up camp and all of us are starving for food. (SLIDE 3 GUYS PIC)
Have you ever been to that point where you are so ravenously hungry, that you say to yourself, “Really, at this point, put anything in front of me and I will eat it.” That’s where I was. Little did I know that God was gonna test me on that. haha. FInally supper is ready and we are sitting down at this beautiful lake with everyone gathered around and they bring out dinner. Goat.Head.Soup. A Tajik classic. It is to Tajiks what ballpark franks are to Americans. What you have on 4th of July. It embodies American patriotism. In that same manner, Goat Head Soup is the go-to, classic, patriotic Tajik dish. (SLIDE GOAT HEAD SOUP).
Now you can ask Jordan and EMily and Scott and Staci and they can verify that I am kind of a picky eater. However, at this moment in my life there is nothing that I wanted more than food. I couldn’t help myself but long for the time when I wouldn’t be hungry. Satiating my deep hunger was the only thing I could think about. When you are that hungry, you can’t preoccupy yourself, you can’t do anything else. Food is the only thing that you want and you will do anything to get it.
That is one of my favorite life experiences and I love to equate the deep, needy, longing for sustenance and hydration with my desired feeling toward pursuing righteousness as someone who hungers and thirsts for it. I ate that food, and it was delicious! It really was! I kid you not. I believe if it had been under any other circumstances I would have not tried or if I tried it, not liked it. But I would do it again! It was wonderful and I have never appreciated food like I did until I went so long without it and felt the affects of not having it for so long. Now, I know that Goat Head Soup is not what we would choose to eat if we were starving, and God’s perfect righteousness doesn’t compare to a traditional Tajik dish. However, I think the focus is how deeply at that time I felt the need for food and was compelled to get it at any cost.
Transition: In conclusion to our love series, I want to finish by talking about loving our community. It is made up of people who are suffering from starvation of the soul.
BODY
King Solomon gives us a great reminder about the condition of our hearts and the hearts of our community.
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
St. Augustine phrased it similarly when he said:
You have made us for yourself,
and our heart is restless,
until it finds its rest in you.
God has placed within each one of us an unanswered question. This question is what cause people who are so small to look up into a sky that is so vast and ask the question: “Why me? Who am I? What is my purpose? Is there something more?” So we spend our lives trying to answer these questions and satisfy this longing by reading self-help books, trying different career endeavors, scenic vacations, world traveling, family, kids, sexual misconduct, substance abuse, pursuit of money and status, and that leaves us empty….
Isaiah
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
12 Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the Lord,
13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.
WE attempt to spiritually feed and water ourselves by filling up on that which does not nourish our souls. Like eating candy cannot bring a person health and satisfaction for nourishment. Like a children’s puzzle where the pieces are shaped to fit into a certain spot, our attempts to solve this puzzle placed in our hearts and fill that gap and satisfy that longing comes so incredibly short. Because the shape of that longing in our heart is the shape and size of eternity and the only one who can fill that space is the One who can offer eternity to us.
Transition: What can we do about this hunger? What do we have to offer to feed the souls of our neighbors?
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Two Questions:
What is righteousness? Where does it come from? Why should we crave it?
How can it satisfy us?
WHAT IS RIGHTEOUSNESS?
(SLIDE RIGHTEOUSNESS) Firstly, what does Righteousness mean, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. This term righteousness is one that we will usually pass over because we think to ourselves, “I know what righteousness means: doing good things, obeying God’s commands and living a right life with Him.” That is not a wrong definition, but it is so much more than that in this passage.
(SLIDE 8 BEATITUDES) We will greatly benefit from study the structure of this passage. If you haven’t noticed already there are eight beatitudes that are split up into two groups of four. The last beatitude of each set of four contains the word “righteousness”. Leaving two sets of three beatitudes which give us a glimpse of this progression in a believer’s life as the come into a pursuit of righteousness.
1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3-10
Matthew 5:1-12
(SLIDE 8 BEATITUDES) We will greatly benefit from study the structure of this passage. If you haven’t noticed already there are eight beatitudes that are split up into two groups of four. The last beatitude of each set of four contains the word “righteousness”. Leaving two sets of three beatitudes which give us a glimpse of this progression in a believer’s life as the come into a pursuit of righteousness.
Poor in Spirit — Kingdom of Heaven
Mourn — Comforted
Meek — Inherit the Earth
Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness — Satisfied
Merciful — See God
Peacemakers — Sons of God
Persecuted for Righteousness — Kingdom of Heaven
The first set of 4 beatitudes describes a person who is broken, downcast, distraught and knowingly sinful, yet feels stranded in their sin. Verse three “blessed are the poor in spirit who recognize that they are hopelessly removed from righteousness they are called to. Verse four “blessed are those who mourn” meaning people who are driven to fear and trembling and weeping because of the weight of their sins bearing down on them. Verse five “blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth”, blessed or happy are the people who choose willingly to receive insult and injury rather than lash out in anger and lose control; who are humbled by their sin.
Then we arrive in our passage, verse six, the last beatitude in the first set of 4. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for RIGHTEOUSNESS for they will be filled.” There is that word righteousness. Then looking forward, the next set which will be covered in the coming weeks looks at a different person. Verse seven (7) “blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy” verse eight (8) “blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God” verse (9) “blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God” and then finally verse ten (10) “blessed are those who are persecuted because of RIGHTEOUSNESS for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
So in review we see that our passage (verse 6) lies inside of a “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (verses 3 and 10) sandwich. And within that sandwich are two sets of 4 beatitudes: the first set (verse 3-6) describing a broken, grieving, quiet person who hungers and thirsts for righteousness, and the second set (verses 7-10) describing a merciful, pure, peacemaker who is persecuted AS A RESULT OF HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
What does righteousness do for me?
Based on this text… it fills us and satisfies our hunger and thirst making us merciful and pure, and makers of peace.
fills us and satisfies our hunger and thirst- i.e. mercy, and purity, and peacemaking.
How do I attain righteousness? What do I have to do?
Jesus tells us all about the standards of righteousness
20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
As we have mentioned before in this series, this is SHOCKING to the disciples and to the crowds to whom he is speaking. To them, the pharisees are the holiest of holy and by the most intelligent and knowledgable about God. How could they ever pass them in righteousness? It would have sounded to our ears like: to be righteous “beat LeBron James in 1-on-1 basketball” or “eat at Chick Fil A on Sunday” or “have a deeper voice than Rocky.” Something insane that no one can really do, the people would have felt hopeless. But, what does he say after that? He raises the bar. What the pharisees have been doing is not enough. Jesus rocks their world.
(SLIDE LIST OF LAWS)
Murder
Adultery
Divorce
Oaths
Eye for an Eye
Love for enemies
48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
After he raises the bar even higher he makes this statement about the crowds expected standard of living. (SLIDE ) At the end of Chapter 5 he reestablishes the definition of righteousness, or what is expected of them. “BE PERFECT BECAUSE GOD IS PERFECT”. Basically in regular terms he says…. (STOPPED HERE- SUMMARY OF JESUS’ EXPECTATION). “These 8 blessings are how you are to pursue righteousness: true righteousness. You will show these things and receive these things as you pursue me. I know you feel hopeless because of the “righteousness of the pharisees”, but actually I take my righteousness a step farther. As a matter of fact, just go ahead and know that the what I expect is for you to be perfect, because God is perfect. I know, that cannot be reached, but here is how it pursued...
After he raises the bar even higher he makes this statement about the crowds expected standard of living. (SLIDE ) At the end of Chapter 5 he reestablishes the definition of righteousness, or what is expected of them. “BE PERFECT BECAUSE GOD IS PERFECT”. Basically in regular terms he says…. (STOP HERE- SUMMARY OF JESUS’ EXPECTATION). “These 8 blessings are how you are to pursue righteousness: true righteousness. You will show these things and receive these things as you pursue me. I know you feel hopeless because of the “righteousness of the pharisees”, but actually I take my righteousness a step farther. As a matter of fact, just go ahead and know that the what I expect is for you to be perfect, because God is perfect. I know, that cannot be reached, but here is how it pursued...
Jesus is showing that our ideal righteousness of which he spoke in is one which shows mercy to others who may not deserve it, to seek always to have purity in their hearts, and to instead of instigating arguments or quarrels to rather make peace. The definition of righteousness may have other facets to it, but this text seems to focus on three parts: mercy, purity, peacemaking.
SO WHAT THEN IS RIGHTEOUSNESS?
Salvation in Christ
Renewal of the Holy Spirit for right living
produces mercy, purity, peacemaking
2. HOW CAN RIGHTEOUSNESS SATISFY ME?
Why do I want something more than my life seems to offer me right now? Why do I not feel satisfied? Or weak, unsuccessful, unproductive, inferior, lacking in some way? Remember that the things of God, namely eternity, have been set in our hearts. A longing for an eternity sized answer to our questioning our purpose or worth in life has been put inside us from the beginning. We are hardwired to desire the things of God. It is unnatural and unfulfilling for us to be without him. So why hunger and thirst? It is our human nature. Hunger and thirst are a sign of physical and spiritual life.
“Okay I know I hunger and thirst, I feel like I am searching for something bigger in my life, but I don’t feel like I have to have righteousness? Maybe I know deep down I do, but I don’t live it out.” So why righteousness? Righteousness is all that is left, that’s why! We try to fill our eternity shaped void in our hearts with things that are vastly too small to fill us. (SLIDE ) Remember that what you might be thinking or experiencing isn’t new. Look at the Israelites trying to satisfy their hunger with that which is not bread! (SLIDE ) Look at the Israelites trying to satisfy their thirst by drinking out of a colander. We seek righteousness because we have tried everything else and it doesn’t work! At this point, it is our last option. Career, family, relationships, drug use for some, pursuit of money for others. Some of us have exhausted trying to pursue a righteousness that looks like the pharisees and “hypocrites”! Praying in the streets so people will look at us, giving in view of others for recognition, fasting for others to see. You may not do those specifically, but think back on a time where you may have tried to keep up a facade of righteousness to friends, family, co workers, or whoever. It’s tiring. It doesn’t work! This pursuit of righteousness in which we become first poor in spirit, realizing our sin. Our realization driving us to tears and sorrow for our sin. That knowledge of our brokenness making us meek, under control, knowing we are messed up too. Now we come to the point where we are ready to change, because it is all we have left in us. Righteousness is the last resort, now.
Transition: Righteousness is salvation and renewal to have and live a new life. The righteousness of God, fills us because the Holy Spirit fills us and counsels us on how to follow Christ. But why do it?
Why? Rewards on the Way!
As we seek to act righteously, and follow Jesus commands we can look forward to his rewards (SLIDE: YOU WILL BE REWARDED) We will be rewarded. As our hunger and thirst are filled with righteousness we begin to mature and grow: to show mercy and purity and peacemaking. God rewards those who bear good fruit, build their house on the rock, and take the narrow gate. Through the rest of the chapter he tells us what we have to look forward to, how we will be rewarded.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
(SLIDE SEE YOUR GOOD DEEDS) tells us that as we shine our light and our saltiness which is code for being righteous, people will begin to notice in our lives and that will give glory to our Father.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
(SLIDE ) He also tells us that if we keep his commandments, we will be called great in the kingdom of heaven! Not only is it ours to inherit, but we will be called great!
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
(SLIDE , , ) He tells us later in chapter 6 that our acts of righteousness are to be done in secret and if we do them just for an audience of one, God who is unseen and sees what is done in secret, you will reward us! Unlike hypocrites who only desire to be noticed and praised by other people. That’s the only reward they will get.
4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
(SLIDE ) We all know that our sins are forgiven, but he reiterates that to us as a continuing reward as we pursue righteousness. (SLIDE ) We worry about so many things in our lives: clothes, food, money, schedules, etc. But he tells us that if we seek to be righteous first…. before anything else…. he will give us all those things as well.
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
(SLIDE ) The final reward Jesus mentions is a famous one, but one that I want us to ponder. Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened.
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
Transition: These are clearly the promises given to those who pursue the righteousness of God. Where are you on this spiritual journey?
CONCLUSION
Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness? Long-term, stable, successful? Jesus wants you to listen to his words and obey them and he will reward you! Don’t be foolish like hypocrites or pharisees or people of this world that try to satisfy their hunger with things that only make the hunger worse. Take as a goal, a plan. Find where you might be in this process of living a righteous life. Are you just now starting? Just now being broken by the thought of your sin? That’s ok! Keep pushing! Now is the time for you to make the jump and turn from a broken person who looks for answer, to being a person who has found righteousness in Christ and lives to implement him into your life.
Transition: How much of this message have we communicated to our community?
Are there not people around us who’s soul’s are starving for spiritual sustenance? Do we have those in our community with eternity in their hearts? Yes, because everyone does! Do we have those people hunger and thirsting for something to ease the pangs of this life? Yes! And we have at times failed to break bread with the poor in spirit.
If we want to truly love our community, we will work to address their #1 problem in life: lostness. It is our foe and our only true enemy. The only love that can satisfy the groaning needs of Jonesboro is the love of God.
Dr. B Gray Allison, founder of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary wrote:
To all the world for Jesus’ Sake,
Where bodies hurt and sad hearts ache.
My prayer is that our church would be known by our community with a reputation like this.
PRAYE