Talk by Tim Harrold, Grays Baptist Church 1.9.13
The ‘assemblage’ sculpture in the pictures below was on the platform. The talk was accompanied by these slides. These notes do not include what was added to the talk immediately before it was given, nor the ad libs that occurred during its delivery.
1. The Sleepy Head sculpture
– shown at Thurrock Art Trail at High House Barns, Purfleet (31.5 – 2.6.13)
– a visual parable
2. Head on cushion at top of ladder
– represents sleeping, dreaming, death…
– it could be a person
– it could be a people
– it could be you
– it could be me
– it could be all of us
3. Scripture
– ‘Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ (Ephesians 5:14)
– these are lines from a hymn of the early church
4. The Four Steps
– 4 questions, 1 scripture
– questions common to all, & many Christians
– the scripture is a signpost, a lightswitch
5. First question – WHAT FRIGHTENS YOU?
– ‘There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.’ (1 John 4:18 NIV)
– do I live in fear and mistrust, or in the perfect trusting love of Jesus?
– am I scared even though there’s nothing to be frightened about?
– do I fully believe and so live in the fact that Jesus is perfect love made flesh?
– do I have faith and trust in Jesus?
– am I a sleepy head?
– do I need waking up?
– do I need to rise from the dead?
– do I need Jesus to shine on me and in me and through me and out of me?
6. Second question – WHAT MAKES ONE HAPPY?
– ‘Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds’ (James 1:2)
– does Jesus make me happy in all circumstances?
– am I happy and joyful even when the going gets tough and I feel unhappy?
– do I know how to tap into the joy of Jesus when circumstances I don’t understand threaten to overwhelm me?
– am I a sleepy head?
– do I need waking up?
– do I need to rise from the dead?
– do I need Jesus to shine on me and in me and through me and out of me?
7. Third question – WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BECOME?
– ‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.’ (Romans 12:2)
– am I becoming what Jesus wants me to become, or am I know different to what I was before Jesus came into my life?
– are we the church becoming what Jesus the head of the church wants us to be?
– am I and are we being transformed and renewed?
– is my mind changed to what it was?
– am I a sleepy head?
– do I need waking up?
– do I need to rise from the dead?
– do I need Jesus to shine on me and in me and through me and out of me?
8. Fourth question – WHAT DO YOU DESIRE MOST?
– ‘…seek first his kingdom and his righteousness…’ (Matthew 6:33)
– do we put God first in our lives?
– are there idols in the way?
– is there sin in the way?
– do I need unblocking, de-cluttering?
– do I seek first my own empire and self-righteousness?
– am I a sleepy head?
– do I need waking up?
– do I need to rise from the dead?
– do I need Jesus to shine on me and in me and through me and out of me?
9. The 4 steps and questions lead to…
10. The scripture
– ‘Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ (Ephesians 5:14)
11. Sleepy Head – from top
– am I snug in my comfort zone?
– am I comfortably numb?
– is ignorance really bliss?
– am I a sleepy head?
– do I need waking up?
– do I need to rise from the dead?
– do I need Jesus to shine on me and in me and through me and out of me?
– WAKE UP O SLEEPER!
– RISE FROM THE DEAD!
– AND CHRIST WILL SHINE UPON YOU!
12. Sleepy Head – showing hollow inside
– am we here to consume or contribute?
– is church about coming in or going out?
– am I a convert or a disciple?
– am I a sleepy head?
– do I need waking up?
– do I need to road from the dead?
– do I need Jesus to shine on me and in me and through me and out of me?
– WAKE UP O SLEEPER!
– RISE FROM THE DEAD!
– AND CHRIST WILL SHINE UPON YOU!
13. Sleepy Head – showing light
– am I dead or alive in Jesus?
– am I asleep or awake to what King Jesus wants me to do on his Kingdom?
– do I rely on my own brainpower or do I have the mind of Christ?
– am I a sleepy head?
– do I need waking up?
– do I need to rise from the dead?
– do I need Jesus to shine on me and in me and through me and out of me?
– WAKE UP O SLEEPER!
– RISE FROM THE DEAD!
– AND CHRIST WILL SHINE UPON YOU!
14. Sleepy Head – showing inner man
– is this the real me, inside of me?
– is this Jesus in me, changing me to be like Jesus, from the inside?
– what is Jesus saying to me?
– am I a sleepy head?
– do I need waking up?
– do I need to rise from the dead?
– do I need Jesus to shine on me and in me and through me and out of me?
– WAKE UP O SLEEPER!
– RISE FROM THE DEAD!
– AND CHRIST WILL SHINE UPON YOU!
15. The scripture
– reveille http://youtu.be/83ozOX9l7M8
– invitation to respond, to be woken up, to be risen, to be shone upon
– DECLARE OVER INDIVIDUALS & CHURCH
– ‘Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ (Ephesians 5:14)
