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These two texts reveal the closeness God seeks with His people.
In the Old Testament, we often see the distance, or transcendent aspect of
God’s character. God is far away, on a different plane, untouchable.
This is highlighted in the story where Uzzah was struck down after handling
the holy, reaching out to steady the tottering Ark of the Covenant. Yet there
is the flip side, which is equally true. God is close, immanent, intimate,
and inviting. The Exodus text gives us a glimpse of this when God called Moses
and the 70 elders to an intimate encounter: a meal on the mountain. Set alongside
the John 1 text where God comes to dwell in our neighborhood, we see pictures
of intimacy in both testaments. The story of Advent is the story of God come
near, the same God who came near to Moses and the 70, the same God who has
come near to us.
We were created for relationship, with a need for intimacy with
God and with each other. But there are scores of counterfeit, illegitimate
solutions to this legitimate human need. Enemies of intimacy, these counterfeits
take many forms. Pornography. On-line relationships. The search for satisfying
touches also takes the form of unquenchable materialism satisfied only momentarily
with each new purchase. At the same time, abusive relationships, betrayed
trust, and haunting regrets have caused many in our culture to develop strong
defenses that make true intimacy an incredible challenge. The rare disorders
that result in aversions to touch are not so rare in the emotional realm.
The need then, is for the preacher to name the counterfeits (or at least be
aware of them), and keep in mind the obstacles some hearers will bring with
them to worship—obstacles that take the form of defenses that sometimes
mitigate against intimacy.
The incarnation is God’s answer to the human need for
intimacy. Many of the contemporary praise and worship songs speak to this.
While our preaching has to be balanced in the ways we enable our hearers to
have a full, rich, and varied image of God, this particular sermon will emphasize
the immanence and accessibility of God. At a time of year when suicide, depression,
and loneliness are acute, the good news is that the God who will never abandon
us calls, invites, and compels us to intimacy with Him.
James said, “Draw close to God, and God will draw close
to you” (4:8, NLT). This is our response. Draw near to God. Approach
His throne with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). Come up to the mountain like Moses
and the 70, for the Incarnate One has put on display the heart of a God who
invites intimacy. Once again, the call to the Table could be a way for the
congregation to respond to this call of God to intimate fellowship. Hearers
could also be invited to the altar before or after they receive the bread
and cup, as freedom is given for worshipers to respond however they sense
the Spirit leading them.
(For the full manuscript
of this sermon go to www.preachersmagazine.org and click on “Sermons.”)
A white sign with black block letters sounds the command: “Look
but don’t touch.” Another is written in a prettier script and
brighter colors but the bite behind the message is clear: “If you break
it, you buy it.” An exasperated cry from the parents of squabbling children
can be heard a million times a day: “Keep your hands to yourself!”
If you’re an avid shopper (I am not but I am married to
one who would like to be!) chances are pretty good you’ve found yourself
in at least one store full of highly delicate and highly priced knickknacks.
If your kids were with you, you might have had them put their hands in their
pockets to help eliminate the temptation to touch. Why does it always seem
like the things they’re not supposed to touch are the things they feel
most compelled to touch? Often, we are not allowed to touch what we most desire
to touch. Not so with God. With God we are invited to touch and be touched,
to come near, to get up-close and personal. The sermon could be structured
as a contrast between not being allowed to touch the valuable that is temporal,
and being invited to touch and be touched by the valuable that is eternal.
Communion Idea: Celebrating the visible Word as response to the preached Word, the focus this time could be on the tangibility of the sacraments, the accessibility of Christ. When leaving symbols of himself, Jesus didn’t offer an object in a display case with a “Do Not Touch” sign attached. He instituted a practice that was intensely tactile. There is something powerful about the senses stimulated at the Table. Smell. Taste. Touch. Holding and beholding the One who holds us, we are gifted all over again with the intimate offering of grace.