Jacket On, Jacket Off

Jacket On, Jacket Off

Colossians 3:5-17

Romans 13:11-14; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:5-17

In the Movie, Karate Kid (2010), Dre Parker (played by Jaden Smith) an American young boy is the new kid on the block in Beijing, China—fresh meat for the bullies who beat him up and promise him more as the price of his free-spirited expression.

Mr. Han comes to his rescue and promises to teach him Kung Fu.

Earlier in the movie, Dre was disrespecting his mother by leaving his jacket on the floor of their home and never hanging it up.

Mr. Han saw that it was driving the mother crazy. So on the first day of his martial arts training, he has Dre pick up his jacket and hang it up …

And then he has him put the jacket on, take it off…throw it down, pick it up, and hang it up…

Dre is made to stand out in the yard for days on end, Over and over again:

· Pick up Jacket

· Hang up Jacket

· Jacket On

· Jacket Off

· Throw It Down

· (Repeat)

LESSONS LEARNED RITUAL OF JACKET ON, JACKET OFF

1. THROW IT DOWN—RUDENESS GETS YOU NOWHERE

Many people today have thrown the jacket of religious life on the ground.

· It proves that, like Dre, many could care less about changing their bad habits, certainly not to please others. Offenders are unable to see beyond themselves in the social and religious expectations of church and society—at school, at work, in marriage, with family. Some throw their jacket of religious life down.

2. HANG IT UP—JUST A LITTLE RESPECT

a. Dre Wore his Jacket around his waist and removed it to toss it on a hook.

b. Casual Christianity / Nominal Christians (In name only, religious practice on their terms)

Nominalism exists in all religious circles. Nominal Christians are church-goers or otherwise religious people whose “faith” does not go beyond being identified with a church, Christian group, or denomination.

They are Christians in name only; Christ has no real engagement in their lives.

c. Jacket Thrown on Rack = Institutional Religious Practice. Once the religious duty is satisfied, one can go about their ordinary life.

Alvin Johnson: “You must learn to wear your denominational identity like a loose jacket that you hang on the coat rack when you get home.”

· The modern habit of going through the motions of religious life hastily, and casually, is boasted by many.

· Rather than being holy work, it becomes holey (full of holes). Are we doing “holy work” that is sacred, honors God, and allows the Holy Spirit to move in our lives? Or are we doing “holey work”—full of holes, incapable of capturing the Goodness of God?

· Spoiler Alert. Your rudeness toward God can ruin for everyone else the proper pleasure of ritual.

3. JACKET ON, JACKET OFF—THERE IS MORE

a. THE JACKET RITUAL HAS BENEFITS

i. Removes bad habits

ii. Builds good habits

b. MUSCLE MEMORY

c. WHEN THE STUDENT IS READY, THE TEACHER APPEARS

Dre had a false understanding of the ritual.

Dre falsely understood his teacher (Mr. Han) and himself.

He couldn’t understand the ritual being repeated over and over again. He thought that it was punitive. He told Mr. Han, Listen, I get it. I need to hang up my jacket. I get it, okay!

Enough already!

Rituals help us to find meaning in life, especially during times of crisis.

False narratives about God and ourselves are ingrained at the level of behavior (habit)

False narratives about God and ourselves are ingrained at the level of our beliefs and being (identity).

Rituals have the power to truths and understanding beyond the act itself.

Rituals form spiritual muscle memory.

Rituals help prepare us to cope.

Dre did the ritual, but unceremoniously—he had no love for it, no understanding of its value, and no joy in doing it. He wanted to be done with it. He became quite rude.

Jacket Thrown on the Ground = Indifference / Casual Christianity / NonPracticing

Like the young boy going thru the motions, many of us lack conviction, energy, and a sense of engagement. At some point in doing the church thing, one asks, “What’s the point?”

We need the Master to show us the mystery behind the rituals.

Holy Communion has a mystery.

What mystery?

The Putting on of Christ.

THE BENEFIT OF RITUALS

1. SPIRITUAL MUSCLE MEMORY

2.

Jacket = Religious Ritual / Exercise

Jacket On = Engagement / Daily walk with God. Putting on Christ. Clothing oneself with Christ.

· Jacket Off = Self Denial / Sacrifice. Taking off self. Self-detachment and denial are not enough (see p. 21, Celebration of Discipline). Jesus made this point clear in Luke 11:24-26.

· Jacket on, Jacket off is a cycle of practicing the spiritual disciplines whereby we empty ourselves of the bad and then fill up on the goodness.

Holy Communion is about remembering. But it's more than that.

We remember the great sacrifice of our Lord and Savior. But it’s more than that.

We are invited to partake in the Presence of Yeshua’s Spirit at the Lord's Supper.

📷

Permit me to make an analogy to something called “muscle memory”. Muscle memory refers to our physical reflexes and reactions. Our muscles have memory, well, sort of. Our brain learns how our muscles should react in specific situations and implements that action the next time it is in that same situation. With repeated practice, athletes train their muscles to perform with perfection.

“I have learned in whatsoever state I am in to be content”.

Practice Jacket On, Jacket Off.

· Stress Less

· Surrender More

· Off with Worries

· On with Gratitude and Appreciation

What are some lessons we can all learn from our sins and mistakes?

1. Spiritual memory, like muscle memory, requires constant repetition of the correct action to assure the proper response when needed.

Clothed in His Presence

· Invite His Presence:

o In His Presence is the Fullness of Joy

o His Presence is Light, the Light of the World shining against the darkness.

§ Let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of Light…put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make on provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Ro. 13:13-14

· Embrace and Don’t Let Go

o Love

o Truth

o Wisdom

· Engage Him in Every Area of Life. We engage with Christ as we engage with others. Jesus said “There am I in the midst of them”

o “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

o

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.

And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.