When At War, CREATE.

Sermon adapted from Bill Johnson sermon “When at War Create”. ^[1]

We are in a moral and economic war to keep our faith. We certainly live in challenging times.  The daily onslaught on morality to keep doing what is right instead of convenient is not easy. Municipal and national infrastructure is broken. Consumer trends are drastically changing, and companies must adapt quickly to remain in the market while under pressure to comply with all the costly regulatory conditions.  Agricultural producers are struggling to remain profitable as input cost has risen dramatically. Climate change is affecting all of us. Health statistics reveal an alarming escalation of mental sicknesses like depression and anxiety.  Relationships are becoming superficial, and more and more cases of road rage and gender-based violence are being recorded.  

WE ARE IN A WAR for the sanity of our souls!!! 

We need CREATIVE SOLUTIONS!!!

Most of the battles of war recorded in the Bible were won through unusual supernatural uncommon ways and means.  

• The people of God walked around the city of Jericho SEVEN times, and on the 7th day, another seven times (Joshua 6:20-25). 
• King Jehoshaphat sends the WORSHIP team to go first into battle against the enemy hordes (2 Chron 20:13-30). 
• As long as Aaron and Hur HELD UP Moses’ arms, they would win the battle (Ex 17:8-14). 
• An army who was led into the city BLINDED, were given a festive meal (2 Kings 6:16-23). 

Another example of a unique victory over the enemy is found in Zechariah 1:18-21: 

“These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one could lift up his head; but the craftsmen are coming to terrify them, to cast out the horns of the nations that lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.” Zech 1:21

The number “four” speaks of global reach: North, South, East and West. “Horns” speaks of authority and power.  

This demonic authority caused God’s people to: “be scattered so that no one could lift up his head”. It speaks of:

• disappointment

• unbelief

• despair

• disillusionment that clouds and oppresses the people of God.

• Following a universal scattering and even division among God’s people.  

Is this not our experience at this current time? Universally and globally, the church in every nation is going through the same experience of emotional burn-out, depression, and dark oppression! No one feels like lifting their heads.  Our church members have become scattered, and it is a battle to get everyone in the same room again! 

God’s Kingdom solution is AWKWARD and COUNTER INTUITIVE.  

God is calling for a global Christian movement of craftsmen and artisans to rise up!! 

God is calling His Body to an Authentic Creative Expression of who He is! 

In 2010, IBM surveyed 1,500 CEOs from across the world, and they voted CREATIVITY to be their most crucial workplace capability to help them survive and grow.

“Craftsman“: H2796. חָרָשׁ ḥārāš: A masculine noun meaning artisan, and engraver. This Hebrew word denotes a craftsman who is skilled in a given medium. It appears in reference to one skilled in: metalwork (1 Chr. 29:5; Hos. 13:2); woodwork (1 Chr. 14:1; Isa. 40:20); stonework (Ex. 28:11). More broadly, the term is applied to those who make their living by fashioning idols (Isa. 45:16); or one highly skilled in his or her vocation (Ezek. 21:31[36]). 

Jesus was a Carpenter 

When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s son? (Mat 13:54)

“Carpenter“: 5045. τέκτων téktōn; gen. téktonos, masc. noun kindred with teúchō (n.f.), to fabricate, and tíktō (G5088), to produce, bear, bring forth. An artificer, especially a worker in wood, a carpenter, joiner (Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3). A craftsman of wood (Sept.: 2 Sam. 5:11; 2 Kgs. 12:11; Is. 40:20); an artificer of iron (Sept.: 1 Sam. 13:19); of brass (Sept.: 1 Kgs. 7:14). Deriv.: architéktōn (G0753), a chief constructor. Syn.: technítēs (G5079), an artisan, builder, craftsman; ktístēs (G2939), a founder, builder, creator. 

GOD is the best visual artist of all time! He is the Creator of the whole universe! Through Jesus, everything that exists came into being. Think of a beautiful sunrise or sunset; the shades of color when you let your eye span the mountains and ridges, valleys and rivers in the late afternoon; the beauty of the detail of a snowflake and a raindrop; the wonder of what you can see just under a microscope. And what you can see in the night sky through a telescope!

The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.

Albert Einstein

^[2]

Become like CHILDREN

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. (Mat 18:1-5) 

Perfect design reveals a perfect Father to an orphaned planet.  

A call to BEAUTY

We need to ask ourselves, “Is this constantly beautiful? Is this thought beautiful? Is the attitude beautiful? Is this action beautiful? Does it reflect the beauty of Christ and the cruciform?” If finger-pointing isn’t beautiful, then we should abandon it. If the politically based protest isn’t beautiful, then maybe we can do without it. If the common man doesn’t recognize what we do in the name of Christ as beautiful, we should at least reexamine it.

The artisan soul moves toward:

• purity of ingredients
• understands the power of simplicity
• makes life a craft and not a product
• treats people as unique individuals rather than commodities.
• The artisan process reminds me of God’s words to Jeremiah in chapter 18: “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.’ So, I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so, the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.” Later God describes to Jeremiah his relationship to his people: “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand” (18:6). ^[4]

These three words describe wisdom the best:  Creativity, Excellence, Integrity. 

Leave a mark of excellence and beauty.  

Bill Johnson

Our Creativity NEEDS Christ

He focuses our creativity on doing good and making things beautiful. We were created in God’s image and thus possess the divine ability to create. It is through this creative ability that we: create inventions to bring solutions to huge problems, create beautiful works of art and make wonderful music to soothe, enhance and inspire the soul. Every human being is innovative and creative, but some devise evil plans to steal, rob, and murder, while others devise plans to make the world a better place.

It’s a matter of the heart.

“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Gen. 6: 5).

Each Miracle Was DIFFERENT

• Jesus spits and makes mud to form new eyeballs for a man born blind. “When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.” (John 9:6 / 1-34).

• “And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.” (Mark 7:33).

• He “laid hands” on people (Luke 4:40; Mark 6: 5-6).

• He commands them to do something that would be impossible as a result of the disease: “Take up your bed and walk!” (John 5: 8-9); “stretch out your hand!” (Mark 3: 1-6).

• The lepers had to show themselves to the priest (Luke 17: 11-19). “Wash your eyes in the pool of Siloam” (Mark 8: 22-25).

• He speaks a word (John 4: 49-50).

• He commands the spirit of sickness (Mark 9:25).

Jesus Did Not Concern Himself with RULES and LAWS

• He speaks to a Samaritan woman (John 4).

• He touches lepers (Mark 1: 41-42).

• He heals on the Sabbath (Mark 3: 1-6).

• He touches a corpse (John 7: 11-17),

• He raises Jairus’ daughter (Matt. 9:25).

• He commands nature (Matt. 8:27).

IMPROVE and REFINE the rock that you have been hewn from. 

You have been given an iron bar. The value is around $100. 

• If you decide to make horseshoes, its value will increase to $250. 

• If, instead, you decided to make sewing needles, the value would increase to about $70,000. 

• If you decided to produce watch springs, the value would increase to about $6 million. 

Your value is not just what you are made of, but above all, in what ways you can make the best of who you are!^[5]

Creativity Is:

To look at the world or your problems with new eyes:

• To shift a paradigm.
• To get new ideas.
• To take risks.
• To see a totally different side of an issue.
• To be unusual.
• To see humor in a situation.
• To be flexible.
• To be child-like: knowing nothing is impossible, to be curious and to ask questions.

New inventions are complex; instead, we should RESHUFFLE and MIX old things in a new way. 

Everyone is creative – rules, regulations, culture, and peer pressure stifle our creativity. To be a successful entrepreneur who enriches the lives of millions of people, you do not need to “reinvent the wheel” – you have to think of a valuable way to:

• recreate
• mix
• combine, or
• connect two or more existing things.

Salt is the combination of two elements: sodium and chlorine. It takes an atom of each to make a molecule of salt. One of these atoms is a positive ion, and the other is a negative ion that causes them to work together to form salt. It may interest you to know that sodium is terribly toxic, and chlorine is too. But together, they become something the body needs and desires. They become something good. Bread and salt, therefore, speak of reconciliation, commitment, cooperation, partnerships, and unification.

The Lord created the earth and gave us 92 elements. Individually, each of these elements is useless. It’s when we mix iron with carbon that we get steel. The inventive mixing and combining of these elements are the basis of new inventions that make life easier for us, such as aluminum, plastic, and stainless steel. Also, people sell a lot more eggs and milk when they make ice cream with it.^[6]

The Necessity of Practical Creativity

Cement is a solid substance. Add sand and stone, and it gets even more robust. But even concrete crumbles under uneven pressure. This is because concrete is strong under pressure but weak under stress. Engineers learned to combine steel and concrete to make steel-reinforced concrete. Steel is strong under stress but weak under compression. Concrete is the opposite. Combine them, and we get a material that is strong enough to hold a skyscraper upright but flexible enough to swing without breaking. Steel and concrete compensate for the other’s weaknesses.

Just as we mix and match elements to create new products, society is a network of different types of people. In fact, all life is interconnected. Everyone is involved in an inevitable network of interdependence, tied into a single garment of the fate of life.

Martin Luther King

Therefore, no intervention, program or solution is viable or sustainable without maintaining the network of relationships that binds us.

Community is built upon persistent:

• liaison
• contact
• commitments
• collaboration

Stimulating True Creativity

The brain uses 20% of the body’s energy – it will, therefore, always try to save energy. This means it always chooses the path with the least resistance. Therefore, we must actively and deliberately focus on moving against this natural disposition by:

1.       Regularly trying something NEW

The well-known inventor, Nathan Myhrvold, has achieved success in various diverse fields: engineering, physics, energy and food technology. Learn new aptitudes, hobbies or skills, which may be a solution to your work problem. He claims that there is not really anything original.

We sometimes must force ourselves to move outside of a framework, context or industry from time to time so that we can see work with new eyes or use or plan:

• Expose yourself
• Read widely
• Be curious
• Ask questions.

This is likely why Jesus chose craftsmanship rather than becoming a Pharisee, Rabbi, scribe or priest. However, He first examined the Word and the Scriptures (Luke 2: 41-52).

2.       Breaking through BOUNDARIES

Find a healthy balance between which borders are non-negotiable and which ones are man-made. Jesus was brilliant in achieving this balance between God’s eternal, unchanging laws and the temporary laws and traditions of man.

When you try to be wholly extreme and radical, few people will follow you. If you stay with the mainstream all the time, you lose the ability to be creative. However, Jesus was not concerned about any current or influence. His identity was anchored in His relationship with the Father.

3.       Be willing to make MISTAKES

Creative people must be willing to make mistakes: Jesus had no fear of man. “But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men.” (John 2:24); the Pharisees did not openly confess their faith for fear of the people (John 12:42-43), and Jesus did right and lived right, and was therefore never afraid to come to light. “But he who does the truth comes to light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.“ (John 3:21).

Jesus was not afraid or limited by His own family: “But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.” (Mark 3:21).

He also knew how to gather the right people who believed in Him around Him (Matt. 12:48).

Elon Musk says that he is not afraid to open himself up to “rigorous self-analysis” but then among the people who believe in him. He ignores those who only criticize him because they do not understand his vision.

We Cannot Afford Negativity.

Believers cannot afford to allow negative thoughts of unbelief and doubt for a moment. We certainly see the realities, but immediately we focus our minds on finding creative solutions. There have always been problems, famines, wars, persecutions and hardships, but believers see opportunities and deliverance.

The Spirit of Creativity

“You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; and You renew the face of the earth.” (Ps. 104:30). The Holy Spirit is the creative force of God in our lives today.

The fruit of the Spirit is the attitude you need to be creative.

• We are most creative when we are most filled with the Holy Spirit.
• The gifts of the Spirit are also supernatural, creative, and creative in nature (1 Cor. 12: 1-11).
• Three times people who were filled with the Holy Spirit were considered drunk (Acts 2: 1-4; Eph. 5:18; Col. 3:16).

Through the Holy Spirit, the Creator comes to dwell in you. It makes your life creative, always fresh and original, and creative.

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^[1] https://youtu.be/zfXUwt3KkIs When in War, Create – Bill Johnson  

^[2] Breakpoint and Beyond: Mastering the Future Today. George Land & Beth Jarman 

^[3] Brian Zahnd Beauty will save the world. Rediscovering the allure and mystery of Christianity – Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Idiot, Alan Meyers, trans. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008). https://www.scribd.com/book/454817675/Beauty-Will-Save-the-World-Rediscovering-the-Allure-and-Mystery-of-Christianity

^[4] Erwin Raphael McManus.  The Artisan Soul, Crafting your life into a work of art. https://www.scribd.com/book/204643319/The-Artisan-Soul-Crafting-Your-Life-into-a-Work-of-Art

^[5] Credit Dr. Serhan Ili

^[6] Lapin, D. (2014). Business Secrets from the Bible. Hoboken: Wiley.