It's All About Me, Finding the Center of God's Will

Self at the Center

Why are we so pre-occupied with ourselves? Why do have an obsession with getting what we want?

Right now as you are listening to this sermon you are assessing, “Do I agree?”, “Does this sound correct?”, “Is he believable?”, “Should I even be listening to him?”

We are constantly assessing if what we see, hear, tough, smell, and feel lines up! Why do we do this? Why are we so pre-occupied with ourselves and making sure that EVERYTHING lines up with how we see this world? How we see church? How we see Sabbath? How we interpret scripture? The picture of Jesus that we see! Unknowingly, these very questions have a deeper issue: Seeking out ideas and thoughts that line up with ours is guaranteed to have massive blind spots! What do I mean?

While Jenn and I where on vacation the last several weeks… We realized that time had blown by us so quickly and it was our 20th high school reunion. Now I know that some of you are thinking, “He doesn’t look old enough for a 20th High school reunion.” Thank you for your kindness and thoughtfulness. But unfortunately, yes it has been 20 years since I graduated from high school.

Oh the memories of when I thought I knew everything, but really didn’t know much of anything. I think I just didn’t fear much of anything. Do you remember the grad gifts that you received? Bible verses inscribed on small bibles, key chains, picture frames, mugs, ink pens. I guess these thoughtful gifts where supposed to send us off into the real world with some sort of spirituality at our side.

I distinctly remember several Bible verses on these knickknacks, but one is seared into my mind.

The New International Version Chapter 29

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 message was clear: You are striking out into this crazy world, but remember, God has a plan for you. He will prosper you. He will be with you. This was quite reassuring at the time. God has got my back! He has a plan for me! But why am I the center of a statement and promise for Israel? God was speaking to Judeans facing exile. This is clear from the immediate context. Check it out in verse 10.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 29

“For thus says the LORD, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.

Let’s be clear about something. Israelite children were NOT on their way to the university for the first time. The “plans” God is referring to in this verse are the “good promise” to return the exiled people to their homeland. We see this in verse 14.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 29

‘I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’

Do you see why it is SO important to make sure that we keep the context of the verse. I can attest to putting myself and my own needs and interests at the very center of the way I have interpreted scripture. It’s clear this verse is about ancient Israel and not me. But that doesn’t matter, each of us finds a way to make this verse all about ourselves!

I think that our culture, the Western United States/American culture, has a tendency to hijack these types of promises. We have a tendency to take the Bible out of context. I believe that there is an even deeper issue at stake here. And it changes our perspective of who God really is. It effects the way we interact with our neighbors, our friends. It dramatically changes the relationship that we have with Jesus.

Western Christians, especially North American Christians, tend to read every scripture promise, every blessing, as if it necessarily applies to us — to each of us and all of us individually. We misread the scripture because of our deeply rooted individualism. We think that the “I”, “We”, “Me”, “Us”, and “You’s” in the Bible point back somehow to me in a personally way! This is a deeply rooted aspect of our Western worldview: we still think the universe centers around us. The assumption is naive; but worse, it influences the way we read the Bible.

Why is this important Mike?

This is vital to our relationship with Jesus. Our understanding and perspective of who God is informs the decision and actions we make. Here is my hope and desire for our conversation today. I hope to show you several dangers in miss-interpreting Scripture. And then I will share two helpful tips to make sure that the center of our Biblical interpretation is centered around God’s redeeming work in Christ. God is restoring all of creation (including me), but I am not the center of God’s kingdom work.

Self and Scripture

I have to be honest, I haven’t even been and won’t ever attest to being a history buff. I remember in High-school that History was one of my least enjoyed classes. I didn’t understand the importance of knowing what had happened to better understand where we should be going. I think our current state of affairs could benefit greatly from reviewing history and getting connected to where we came from. The politics of today is all about how I can benefit and “what’s in it for me.” “You deserve better!” “Your lives can be better, so go vote!” “The president did this to YOU!” “The other party is out to destroy you!” On and On it goes! We are in a current state of affairs that is embarrassingly SELF CENTERED! How did we get here?

Europeans commonly immigrated to America for individual improvement. Immigration into the United States is almost always about improving ones own situation. It might involve the family or it might just be ONE of the family at first, and then the rest later. It was the rugged frontier with promises of a better life, the Gold rush with promises of wealth. Those attracted by this rugged frontier and solitary life made the dangerous journey west.

For generations now, Americans primary concern has been themselves. On one of our Podcast’s at The Thinking Cup (Check it out), I talked about the famous term coined by sociologist Christian Smith, that best describes the religion of most teens in the United States right now. He called it Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. I’ll say that again slowly to let the words sink in, Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. One aspect of moralistic therapeutic deism is the assumption that the purpose of religious faith is “providing therapeutic benefits to its adherents.”

Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible Self at the Center

The average teen, according to Smith, doesn’t view humans as existing to do the p 196 will of God; rather, they view God as existing to meet human needs. Smith goes on, “What appears to be the actual dominant religion among U.S. teenagers is centrally about feeling good, happy, secure, at peace. It is about attaining subjective well-being, being able to resolve problems, and getting along amiably with other people.”

You need a friend? God is your man! Looking for perspective and direction in life? God has a plan, a plan to help you prosper. Want more fulfillment in your marriage? God has the answers for you.

Unfortunately, this isn’t just with teens and young people. This attitude and lens through which we see church, relationships, pastoral ministry, our cultural perspective is shaped by this exact cultural value. Church and Bible Study is often about ME. How I can feel better, look better, act better communicate better…

Now, you might be thinking: Mike, I’m do understand why that is so bad. God wants us to prosper, communicate better with our friends, act better… non of that seems bad…I’m not following your logic.

What makes this perspective and misreading scripture with this lens so tricky is that it is build upon at least two very positive beliefs:

We assume that the Bible applies to us.

This is one of the most important and fundamental commitments of Christianity, especially evangelical Christianity. The Bible is for ALL ages. Every part of the Bible, even though they record events that happened in other countries and thousands of years ago, has application to us today. I remember my parents telling me that the Bible is relevant to our lives right now! It is relevant. It relevant to us now and it will be relevant to those in the future!

God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Now let me remind you, that these two assumptions are accurate and positive assumptions. This is what makes what we are talking about today so hard to see for what it truly is! I think that we can all agree with confidence that scripture says that God is the same today, as He was yesterday, and He will be tomorrow.

God Has a Wonderful Plan for My Life

God Has a Plan for My Mess

God’s Planned End Will Happen in My Lifetime

Two tips

Beware of thinking of the Bible in terms of “what this means to me.”

Remember, the Bible means what it means. When we’re talking about the relevance of the Bible in our personal lives, we should ask, “how does this apply to me?” Remember, too, that you should try to answer the question “What did this passage mean to the original audience?” before asking, “How does this passage apply to me?”

Avoid deriving a strictly individual interpretation of a biblical passage, ask yourself how you might apply the passage differently if you interpret it in corporate terms, rather than in individual terms

Practice asking, “How does this passage apply to God’s people?”

Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible Conclusion

Proverbs 22:6 reminds us: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (KJV). It likely that some readers have trained up their children properly in the Christian path, and yet that their children have departed from it. When this verse is read individually (and with the Western value that promises must apply to everyone 100 percent of the time), then we have to conclude that you must have failed to train your child properly. If we understand this verse corporately, then perhaps the better application is: if God’s people (corporately) train their children in the Christian path, then there will be a next generation of Christians to follow after them.