So, I'm asked to do the talk in our main church service a few weeks ago. That night, I'm awake at about 3am talking to God and thinking about what I'm going to say. Some of my best work is done during these sleepless times. Too bad I can remember most of the stuff the next day. And sometimes, the things I do remember, that I think are inspired at 3am, are actually crazy, disoriented thoughts from being caught in that mindless state somewhere between awake and asleep.
But one productive thought I think I had was a memory back to a sermon I heard in college from a guy named David Busby. Busby died quite a few years ago now. He had some strange disease. But he was an incredible speaker. The college I attend, an Independent Baptist College, was very conservative at the time. I believe they have mellowed out now. But back then, it was a place were a necklace on a guy or pants on a woman were big no-nos. Busby was a graduate of the school, and he was ask to do a week's worth of services. I remember, he comes in with longer hair than our school would allow for students and a style of speaking most of us had never heard before. He was authentic. He spoke in normal language, without all the Baptist jargon we were used to hearing from preachers.
He opened up the week with a powerful message about the Holy Spirit and built the series on that theme. The talk that came to mind that night during my comatose brainstorming session had to do with receiving from Jesus. Hurting, desperate, broken people, people tired of religion--come to Jesus and receive from Him. Jesus' words were "If anyone thirst, come to me and drink," from John 7.
I don't remember exactly how he said it, but to the shock of 2,500 stuffy Independent Baptists, he said sometimes about being to the point where we are so broken that all we can do is hold out our hands to Jesus and receive from him. Then he told a story about a women who was hurting and desperate, in the hospital. Busby said the Holy Spirit spoke to him and told him to tell her to stretch out her hands and just receive from Jesus. What? This was pentecostal to us! A minister of the gospel and his best theological advice was just to stretch out her hands and receive!?! We don't do that. That's pure emotionalism. What's next, telling her to speak in tongues?
But I think he had it right. In a religious world full of Marthas, we need to be Mary. Our churches are full of broken and hurting people, busy with God activity but often a stranger to the very God they are serving.
26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. Romans 8
Unless I have some new 3 Am revelations, I think that's my message next Sunday. Reach out and receive.
Posts
1 comment:
I'll never forget listening to those tapes from Busby that you sent me when my journey toward freedom was just beginning. I'll never forget when he talked about 'Doing the dance to get the hugs'. Those tapes (and the Passion OneDay 2000 DVD you sent me) signaled the end of my performance based religion and the beginning of a wonderful relationship with my dear Savior. Away from constantly and frustratingly doing and trying and into the sweet rest of simply standing in awe in worship of and surrender to our great and worthy God. I actually corresponded by email with his wife (remarried since his death) and told her what had happened in my life and what a blessing those tapes there at TTU had been in the process. She said she gets those comments quite often. How awesome is that! What a legacy! What a Savior!
Post a Comment