Sermons
Jousting With Dissonance
Link to sermon video: Jousting With Dissonance - T Siverd
JOUSTING WITH DISSONANCE
Sermon By Terry Siverd / March 17, 2024 / Cortland Church of Christ - - www.cortlandcoc.org
Last Sunday I shook hands with Justin Smith (for the first time this year). He greeted me warmly, smiled and told
me that when he pulled in the parking lot he saw my vehicle and said to his wife Amber, “the old preacher is back!”
Now this word “old” can mean former, but it can also mean older in age. I am at peace with both definitions.
I'm quite happy to have Larry Siegle as our new preacher. In trying to help me adjust to my new moniker, Larry tried
to tell me that he is also an old preacher. Larry might be growing a bit older but he's not your old preacher -- I am!
Just so you know: I'm perfectly okay with being your old preacher and you will not hurt my feelings in calling me that.
Aging comes to us all. As we all know: the only alternative to not growing old is dying young.
Please open your Bibles to the gospel according to Luke.
Those of you who have listened to me preach for many years will remember that Luke is one of favorite writers.
Luke was a physician. I've always esteemed physicians - - we had several at Harding U who were especially impressive.
Over the last two years I've come to know 15 different doctors, most of them new to me, and most having released me.
In Col.4:14, the apostle Paul refers to Luke at the beloved physician. How grateful we are for doctors.
Luke's gospel record is replete with medical jargon (high fever/4:38...full of leprosy/5:12...her hemorrhage stopped/8:44).
The book of Acts notes that when Paul and his companions moved on from Philippi. When Luke notes, they departed/Acts 16:40, this implies that he remained behind in Philippi. The city of Philippi was home to a famous school of medicine.
It is quite possible that Luke delayed his departure in order to recruit “medical missionaries” for the cause of Christ.
Dr. Luke was a literary linguist, who wrote in pure Greek with a very rich vocabulary. His gospel contains 312 words that are not used elsewhere in the New Testaments and his Acts of the Apostles contains 470 words not found in the rest of the NT.
Luke was also a superb historian. As a companion with Paul, Luke precisely details their itinerary, mentioning 32 countries,
54 cities, and 9 Mediterranean islands. He is very familiar with the political conditions. His Acts is provides a wealth
of information about ancient navigation (Acts 27-28 more than an other single document of antiquity).
Our sermon this morning derives from LUKE CHAPTER TEN. Listen as we read five brief verses from Lk.10:38-42.
This is a tale of two sisters: Martha (industrious) and Mary (contemplative).
Martha & Mary have a brother named Lazarus (Jn.11-12), whom Jesus later raises from the dead.
They live in the small town of Bethany (2½ SE of Jerusalem), just beyond the crest of the Mount of Olives.
Jesus repeatedly traveled from the regions around the Sea Of Galilee to Jerusalem, frequently visiting in Bethany.
This account tells of a day when Jesus came to dinner in the home of Martha and Mary.
The text describes Martha as one who received/welcomed Jesus with warm hospitality into her home.
Martha is a wonderful hostess but she is not without shortcomings.
Lk.10:40 notes, Martha was DISTRACTED with all her preparations; and she came up to (Jesus), and said,
'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.'
The root of this word distracted or encumbered about (periespato) means to agitate, wheel about, twist & convulse.
Mary became spasmodic. We have an idiom in our language that captures this idea: running around in circles.
Jesus diagnoses her condition in Lk.10:41, saying that she was worried and bothered by some many things.
I have titled this sermon, Jousting With Dissonance. Dissonance refers to excessive “noise” or exorbitant activity.
This sermon might be viewed as an extension of one that I preached last summer (6/4/23), The Power Of Pause.
So many of us (most of us) have recurring bouts where we find ourselves, like Martha, EMBATTLED WITH DISSONANCE.
Dissonance is noise that serves as a metaphor for all manner of interruptions or distractions.
Who among us has not contended with the tyranny of the urgent.
And, even more to the point of this NT story - - how often we face the challenge of trying to
discern between that which is emergent and/or urgent, versus that which is truly important.
Deciding what is important and what is more important and what is most important is the supreme challenge of life.
While Mary sits down to listen to Jesus, the Bread of Life in the flesh(Jn.6:33), Martha focuses on the bread.
Although it is not recorded in this text Jesus could have reminded her, Man does not live by bread alone... (Mt.4:4).
We live in a fast-paced society which often causes us to be blinded to the more important things.
In our ongoing struggles with dissonance we often suffer from missing chief things - - things that matter the most.
At this point I could stop here and the message would be fruitful and stand on its own, but I want to add a coda.
A coda is a term used in a musical composition, a tail or sorts, kind of like a P.S.. It is usually brief, but not always.
Beethoven coda's could often be protracted - - becoming the tail that wagged the dog. Let me often a short coda.
Dallas Willard in The Great Omission uses this term to describe christians who are not actually committed disciples.
If we long to be faithful in proclaiming the great commission (sharing the gospel with those around us),
we must first mature our own discipleship - - which requires patience and perseverance in tuning out the noise.
The psalmist urges (Ps.46:10): “be still/cease striving and known that I am God.”
Our failure to heed this exhortation is in itself a/the great omission.
It is not uncommon to see Christians hoodwinked by busyness.
Like Tom Sawyer's gullible young friends we become convinced that whitewashing the fence is where its at.
And it is not just a worldly busyness, it is also busyness in the kingdom.
Martha was busy serving Christ but she refused to sit still long enough to listen to His wonderful words of life.
For several years at our Camp Judson Youth Retreat we tried to practice an hour of silent contemplation at sunset.
For many it was an almost impossible challenge - - 120 counselors & campers - - trying to sit in total silence for just one hour.
Do you realize this? There is a genuine virtue in doing nothing.
You can't believe (I can't believe) I just said that: virtue in doing nothing.
Don't make the mistake of thinking this is to be an approval of being a sluggard or a license to be lazy.
Paul was a true disciple of Christ and he wrote emphatically, if a man won't work, neither let him eat (2Thess.3:10).
We all know the value of hard work (Eccl.9:10/mightily and Col.3:23/heartily).
But we (with Paul & Solomon) must also learn (sometimes the hard way) that rest for the weary is an absolute essential.
Calvin Coolidge was our nation's 30th president (1923-1929). He was a very modest man and his modesty was on display
in the way he governed. He was nicknamed “Silent Cal”. He understood that “doing less could yield more”.
When we sleep at night it brings much needed restoration and refreshment to our mind and body.
This same principle of pausing also works to replenish our soul, our spiritual life.
The Old Testament law of Sabbath keeping was designed for this very purpose: the sabbath was made for man (Mk.2:27).
So many of us have been raised under the motto better to wear out than to rust out leading us to trumpet busyness.
Yet this wear out vs rust out is not our only option. There's a third option that offers periodic rest & relaxation: Downtime.
Luke writes of Jesus saying, He would often slip away (Lk.4:42 & 5:16).
On our recent 10K excursion Jeannie and I traveled extensively on Interstate highways, but we also deviated by taking a number of byways. This road less traveled is an alternative pathway that can often revive us in the midst of dissonance.
As a follow-up to our sermon on slowing down, I want to urge us all to intentionally engage in purposeful pausing.
You can do this anywhere - - in your living room, in your backyard, at the beach, even at “Wally World”.
You can do it with an open Bible or you can do it without The Book - - just dwelling on truths you have stored in your mind.
Col.3:16 exhorts, Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you.
Living life frenetically (always in a frenzy) seldom results in genuine discipleship or contentment in Christ Jesus.
If you find yourself more often than not in a state of agitation, you are suffering from the great omission.
If we're to be true disciples, we must imitate Jesus our Teacher by taking time to be still and know our God.
Discipleship is best understood with three words: callow (fledgling) … fallow (restoration) … hallow (consecration).
We will only attain to authentic discipleship if and when we begin to earnestly practice this very vital virtue.
