Sabbatical Sermons - Projects and People

So remodeling, y'all remodel, you remodelers, I almost, I'll put it back, I took it out,

but I would say like if you'd asked me five years ago if I was good at remodeling things,

I'd say I think I'm pretty photogenic but I've never booked a gig.

And then I wrote pause for laughter because I kind of knew you wouldn't laugh that much

at it but I thought I might get you with the pause for laughter thing.

I have not always been handy.

I just, I have not.

I've always been a problem solver, like it's a problem that I'm a problem solver sometimes,

but up until about five years ago I had never used a miter saw or table saw, a nail gun,

a router, a planer, I probably wouldn't have been able to tell you what a planer was.

I'd never framed a wall or wired lights or outlets or installed a toilet and now I have.

All of those things, I know what all of those things are.

I could pick a planer out of a lineup because I can do those things because a couple

of friends did know how to do those things.

Well that and YouTube, right?

So YouTube always comes in handy.

But over the course of the last few years we finished out our basement.

We added a couple of bedrooms and a bathroom.

Different friends of mine showed me how to do the different things

and then they would come along the long way and go like yes, that looks good.

Let's make sure that this is not going to burn your house down.

You know, all of those good things.

Now the basement is finished.

I'd say air quotes because there's always something left to be done.

So this summer was time to turn our attention while I was on sabbatical to the kitchen.

I think it was strategic that you do a bunch of stuff in the basement that people

that just come over don't naturally just see automatically before you start doing things

that anyone that comes to your house might end up seeing.

But we live in a house from 1925 but the kitchen floors are from like 1990

and they'd seen better days especially next to the back door where I think water

and snow would end up coming in.

And while there were two lights in the kitchen, one had stopped working

and the other just wasn't bright enough.

The kitchen was like dark.

The whole time we lived there, Cindy was being like the kitchen just feels so dark.

So the original kernel of the idea was let's replace the flooring and add more lighting.

Nothing is ever as simple as that, is it?

Right? And that is what today's sabbatical sermon is about.

So let's open up our Bibles to the book of Philippians, Ephesians, Philippians.

If you see either of those, you're kind of in the right area.

I'm going to be reading from the message and so if that's a little too complicated for you,

feel free to just listen as I read.

Otherwise, if you'd like a Bible, we have physical ones

out on the bookshelf you can take home with you or download one from the digital app store.

Okay? So we have a tradition around here to stand in body or spirit as you are willing

or able as we read the scriptures.

So if you'll stand with me as you're willing or able.

And we will read, I'm going to be Philippians 1, 3 through 6.

And again, this is the message so if it doesn't line up perfectly

with your version just listen along.

Philippians 1, starting in verse 3.

Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God.

Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer.

I find myself praying for you with a glad heart.

I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us,

believing and proclaiming God's message from the day you heard it right up to the present.

There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work

in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Jesus Christ appears.

Let us pray.

God of every tribe, every tongue, every color, every nation, we thank you for the scriptures

that we have them, that they have persisted throughout the millennia.

And I pray that whatever you have for us to learn today, I pray that it would stick,

that it would become a part of the framework of our faith,

that our faith would become stronger, that we would literally become more like your son Jesus.

Amen. Thanks, y'all.

You can have a seat.

Okay, so you probably guessed that this summer I didn't just replace the kitchen floors

or just add lights because when you're fixing something that's already there,

it's one thing from the basement where it's just an empty basement, okay?

It's another thing when something is already there because you realize that everything is connected.

So this is what I actually did.

First picture, my boy Liam.

So this is what I actually did.

I started by putting a photo up.

You got it?

I can't preach without it.

Oh, no.

Oh, you got it?

First photo.

All right, here we go.

So this is what I actually did.

I started by removing these kitchen cabinets.

See those kitchen cabinets?

They're useless.

Why did I replace those?

Because, well, for one, the fridge was in there so tight.

Our fridge went bad a couple years ago, and so we got this one.

And what you can't see is that I actually had to notch out the top layer of that.

That floor is laid on top of another floor that's laid on top of the original floor.

I had to notch out the top of that floor so that it would fit under the cabinets that are there.

And once it was in, we became woefully aware that it will never come out unless we remove those cabinets.

And so we removed those cabinets.

They weren't doing all that much.

Anyone that has cabinets above the refrigerator can probably realize they just hold the things

that you never remember where they are.

But it was also that cabinet on the right there was actually blocking a vent.

And so they had added another little vent, but barely any air would go in.

They added another little vent, but barely any air would come out of it.

And so we removed those.

And then next picture.

I demoed the soffit and the ceiling and the wall around the chimney.

This is a picture of after I tore out the soffit.

Do you all know what soffit is?

Show of hands if you know what soffit is.

Okay. Soffit has a lot in common with time capsules from the 90s.

What I mean is that they're mostly pointless.

You have no idea what's in them.

And eventually someone's going to open it up and throw most of it away.

We had soffit above every single one of our cabinets and there was nothing behind it except

for the, over there on the left where the far left you can see like a vent in the wall.

That is the vent for the microwave.

Okay. That's the only thing that the soffit was covering.

And then the problem with needing more lights in any kitchen like, or,

well specifically our kitchen is that you either have to hang lights

that are plugged in somewhere, right?

Or you have to run new wiring for those lights.

So next picture.

Right? So if you're going to run new wiring, you either have to know exactly

where the wires are going to go or you just have to take down the entire ceiling.

Okay. So this is halfway.

This is halfway taking down the ceiling.

Because like the floors, there were also layers.

There was tile and then there was cement board and then there was drywall

and then there was the rafters.

Okay. And then next picture.

I think we need to be honest with ourselves.

If you have the chance to expose some 100-year-old brick in your kitchen,

you just do it.

Next picture.

So over here on the left there's some, there was a chimney that was coming

up all the way through the house and we decided let's give that a chance.

Okay. Next picture.

Then I ran the wiring for the new ceiling, the lights and the ceiling fan.

And Cindy, the lovely wife that she has helped me hang the drywall on the ceiling.

We now joke that if you want to test your marriage, hang a ceiling together standing

on a ladder in a chair without a drywall lift.

It was very challenging.

Once we were talking to each other again.

I'm just joking.

Just joking.

We did great.

Next pic. Next picture.

I installed the new ceiling and the lights.

We taped mudded and painted.

Not bad, eh?

Not bad. Yeah.

So then it was time to move on to the bathroom.

Bathroom you say.

I thought this was a kitchen project.

Right. But here's the thing.

The floors in the kitchen go through the hallway into the bathroom.

So if I was going to do the floors in the kitchen,

it made sense to do the floors in the bathroom.

You can go back to the logo.

That's the last photo for a while.

So what I needed to do was then I needed to remove the bathroom vanity.

And then I should replace the toilet that had already clearly started to leak

and damage the subfloor.

And if I'm putting in new lighting in the kitchen,

I might as well update the 1990s glamour shot lights that were in the bathroom as well.

And so then I did all that.

And then I laid the new floors through the kitchen, the hallway, the bathroom,

installed the new toilet, installed the bathroom lights, installed the new vanity,

connected all the plumbing, replaced a few of the light switches and outlets.

It sounds like I'm done, right?

Well, no, not really.

No. Because when I took up the floors, I also removed all of the trim.

And I made no attempt at preserving it.

No attempt whatsoever.

Because somewhere in the 90s when the previous owner, one of the previous owners,

added the bathroom and the laundry onto the existing house, that was an addition.

When they did that, instead of matching the trim in the new hallway, in the new bathroom,

to the trim in the rest of this 1925 house, instead of doing that,

they just removed all of it, and they put in three inch trim everywhere.

It looked fine.

It was fine.

But I figured this started with floors, lights, and turned into wiring and switches

and walls and subfloors and toilets, so why stop there?

Why not reinstall trim that matches the rest of the house so that it's not obvious

that that part of the house wasn't built at the same time?

So he's not here, but I want to say special thanks to Jeff Duncan.

Those of you who know Jeff Duncan, he owns this building because he was kind enough

to let me repurpose a bunch of old reclaimed pine that was salvaged from this building

because there was no way I could afford oak for three rooms.

So I planed for the first time ever.

I planed and cut and trimmed and routed everything to match.

Installed trim and baseboards throughout the kitchen and hallway and bathroom

that matches the rest of the house.

Now I was done.

Kind of.

Because then I installed the water line for the fridge, I cut and hung bifold doors

for the closets in the basement, cleaned off the back deck, and put away tools.

Now I was done.

Okay, but ask me if I'm really done.

I'm not really done.

I still have switches and outlets that I should change.

There's spots where I need to add cord around because something's not exactly perfect.

I didn't even start the floor in the laundry room that's just also connected to that same

hallway.

There's a bit of trim left to do in the basement.

And all of the trim that I added in the kitchen, hallway, and bathroom, all of it needs to

be stained in poly to match the rest of the house.

So there is always next summer.

Can't wait.

The point of me telling you all of this is, part of it is like I was gone for a few months,

and so some people are like, what in the world did you do with all that time?

The point really, most projects are bigger than you think.

And nothing is really ever done until it's done.

The passage that we read is from Philippians.

It's from a guy named Paul that's writing back to a church that he had planted.

And this verse resonates with me, not just because I spent a summer fixing things, but

because while I wasn't here for three months, I still felt confident that while I was tearing

apart and putting my house back together, that God was continuing to work in this house.

Paul's writing to a church that's now 13 years old, and he tells them not only is he pleased

that they still believe, but he's encouraging them that he's confident that Jesus is going

to finish every bit of work that was started in them.

That is what I believe about you.

That is what I believe for us.

But I know that for some of us, maybe we look at our lives and we feel like nothing will

ever be done.

We were worshiping and praying and singing, the idea of God listens to us, yeah?

That thing that we still wish was different.

We still pray we'd have a different outcome.

Maybe some of us feel like nothing is ever done, that nothing will ever be perfect.

Some of us maybe look at other people's lives and think that.

So if you hang with me, I got a couple things that I want to talk about and I want to point

out, okay?

Yeah?

Is that right?

Amen?

All right, let's try it.

The first thing is this, that I want us to learn that I think that we need to embrace,

is that people are not projects.

People are not projects.

At least they aren't our projects.

They are God's workmanship.

Scriptures tell us that we are His workmanship, but people are not our projects.

I want to read you something from one of the most revered pastors of the last 40 years.

His name is Eugene Peterson.

He's the one that translated the message translation of the Bible.

This is what he said.

As a pastor, you've got to be willing to take people as they are and live with them where

they are and not impose your will on them because God has different ways of being with

people and you don't always know what they are.

The one thing I think is at the root of a lot of pastors' restlessness and dissatisfaction

is impatience.

They think if they get the right system, the right programs, the right place, the right

location, the right demographics, that it will all snap into place.

Truth is, the very first few years of pastoring this church, I had two primary frustrations

that are related to this quote.

The first was attendance.

We started this church in Rock Island High School Auditorium because I 100% completely

expected that this church would be a thousand people within a few years because back then

I bought in just enough to those unhealthy things that Eugene is describing.

I think I thought I was just charismatic enough, passionate enough with systems and experiences

and talents.

Yes, I knew that Jesus wanted to reach Rock Island, but behind it was also these personal

things.

I was coming from a church of 10,000 people.

And to add to that, like I mentioned before, all the giftedness and talents of someone

like Pastor Jen.

And I probably did think that it would all just snap into place.

Fast forward to 2022 post pandemic.

I feel thankful and amazed when we have more than 30 or 40 people in the same room.

My second frustration used to be when people would ask for my insight and advice and then

do the exact opposite.

I'm sure I'm exaggerating, but that's how it felt.

Someone would be like, Hey, I want to get coffee with you of this thing I want to talk

about and we'd talk and we would come to some kind of conclusion and then I would watch

them go into the exact opposite.

I wouldn't have used these words, but the truth is that they were my projects and they

were the ones that were messing up their lives.

They'd only listen to me, things would be fine.

These kinds of frustrations aren't from the spirit.

They are rooted in foolishness and control.

But I've learned and I'm continuing to learn and I hope that you know as well that people

are not our projects.

People shouldn't be treated like they can be fixed with bullet points.

Years ago I wrote a discipleship plan called the blueprint and full disclosure here in

a couple of weeks we're going to start up a new series based on the blueprint again.

We do that every four years or so and it's a plan.

It's a discipleship plan.

Plans have value, but plans do not guarantee outcomes.

Wish I could get an amen.

Plans do not guarantee outcomes.

In churches and pastors, you and me, I, Greg Hampton, as much as I am a problem solver,

I have to remember that pastors aren't people solvers.

We are present, we are prayers, we are pointers.

We're meant to, as Eugene would say, pay attention and call attention.

We're not purveyors of outcome.

We are partners in patience and peace.

So you, you, you, you are not my project.

Person sitting next to you is not your project.

We are God's workmanship.

He will complete his good work in his good timing.

Yeah?

Second, I want to remind us that tearing something down is always easier than building it up.

Pulling down the ceiling of our kitchen was hard.

I'm not saying that it was easy.

As I said, it had a layer of cement board.

It had a layer of drywall for some reason around the edges.

Not nowadays we would use tape, paper tape.

When we mud back then for whatever use, they use this black metal mesh.

And so yes, it was difficult taking down the ceiling.

But the only thing that was required to pull down the ceiling was brute force.

A hammer and an arm, as long as it didn't give out.

That's all that it required.

It wasn't nearly as difficult as putting it back up.

Because even before we could put it up, the first thing we had to do was clean up the

mess.

Then we had to pull all the nails that were left over because the ceiling was put up in

the air where they didn't use screws.

They used nails, a lot of nails.

And then we had to cut the drywall to size and hoist them awkwardly and painfully above

our heads.

And a few of those pieces did not go in easily.

They went up and down, up and down, up and down.

Because I had to trim them in all the little spots because old houses are not square.

But even after we got all of those secured in place, it wasn't finished.

You still have to tape and mud the joints and sand and mud and sand.

And if you're me, you have to do that a couple more times than necessary because you're not

a professional.

Then it's done.

Nope.

Nope.

Because then the first coat of primer goes on and you realize that you can see the tape

through the primer.

And so you go back and you mud and sand again.

Then two more coats of paint.

Then the ceiling is done.

Listen, anyone can tear something down.

Anyone can tear something down.

I can get anyone in this room, young or old, a hammer and they can go over and start knocking

down that wall.

But not everyone in this room knows how to put it back up because anyone can tear something

down.

Anyone can tear someone down.

But building it back up is always harder.

And Christians are meant to be builders.

We are meant to build people up.

First Thessalonians 5, 11, therefore encourage one another and build each other up just as

in fact you are doing.

Philippians 2, 3, do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit rather in humility,

value others above yourselves and not just your friends.

Jesus said this about the people that we might want to tear down the most.

He said, to you who are listening, I say, love your enemies.

Do good to those who hate you.

Bless those who curse you.

Pray for those who mistreat you.

People are not our projects and tearing people down is always easier.

It's an easy way out is what it is.

Because it's always easier than building them up.

Maybe if I tear someone down then I won't have to build them up.

So what do we do with any of this?

How do we practice or participate with this?

Well I'm going to go back to one photo.

Liam, if you put up that photo of the ceiling when it's done, all the lights, the very last

one where it's there, there you go, right there.

Alright, you already gave me a little round of applause earlier so I'm not looking for

paths on the back, okay?

But it looks pretty good, right?

It looks pretty good.

I have a secret.

It's not as good as it looks.

See all those lights, those six LED lights, they have this feature called night light

mode.

If you go over and you flip the switch and turn all those lights off and then you flip

it right back on, there's just like a little glowing edge around the top of each of those

lights.

It's like a night light.

And so it's probably like one tenth the amount of light.

It's also like very amber.

And it's meant to be something you can just have on when you just chill or just at night

and you just don't want all of the lights on.

And when you turn on the night light mode, what happens is that the light actually, instead

of shining down, it scatters across the surface.

You see where I'm going with this.

Scatters across the surface of that ceiling.

And suddenly you can see where the pieces of drywall come together.

And that some of them aren't completely flat.

Where my mudding and sanding skills were lacking.

See, it seems counterintuitive.

When there is less light, you can see more imperfections.

But those with ears, here, here.

When there is less light, you can see more imperfections.

Reminds me of 1 Peter 4.8.

It says, above all, love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sin.

Or 1 John 4.16 that tells us that God is love.

Or 1 John 1.5 that says that God is light.

And when Jesus said, a new command I give you, love one another as I have loved you,

so you must love one another by this.

Everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.

So this is what I have to say.

What do we do with all this?

We have to really love each other.

Like really.

Like really, actually love each other.

The only way to keep from tearing each other down and treating each other like we are projects

is to really love each other with the love of Jesus.

Because when we love like Jesus, we don't treat people like projects.

When we love like Jesus, we don't tear them down.

We don't scatter a bit of light, exposing every flaw.

When we love like Jesus, we shine so much light that it covers a multitude of sin.

Suddenly a ceiling that has flaws looks just about perfect.

Flaws are still there.

But it's the light that makes us look perfect.

Doesn't mean that we never point anything out.

Some people are like, oh, this sounds like chief grace, Greg.

Jesus did say if your brother or sister sinned against you, go point out their fault just

between the two of you.

They listen to you.

You have won them over.

Galatians 6.1 gives us more context.

It says, brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore

them gently, privately, gently restore.

So that was a close.

It's the last thing I have for you.

Remember when I mentioned the trim and the baseboards in my house?

I didn't put up a picture because I want you all to come to my house at some point.

I'll show it to you, right?

My view post-summer is now this, that my floor and my ceiling, the toilet, all that stuff,

those were projects.

But the trim and the baseboards, that was restoration.

That was putting something back the way that it should have been.

I was taking a mistake that someone made in 1990 and restoring it.

Here's the thing.

Of all of the things that I did, doing that trim correctly was the most difficult because

it required precision.

Because it required using tools that if you don't use them correctly, all right, well,

that piece is gone.

I need to start over with the new piece.

It required everything to be cut to the right lengths for routers to cut out just enough

of the inside of this board so that it fit over this board the way that every other board

in this house fits.

Required the most precision.

And so because of that, I'd say it required the most honor.

People are not our projects.

If we are in Christ, then we are the light and this love covers a multitude of sins.

And when mistakes cast a long shadow, we don't use hammers, we use precision.

And we restore with honor and care.

I hope that that is who we are as a church.

Anyone can walk through these doors and their flaws are not amplified, but the love of Christ

covers them.

Amen?

Let's pray.

Jesus, we thank you that you are love, you are light.

That the light that came into the world covers all of our sin, covers all of our mistakes,

draws us in to be closer, to be more restored and honored and cared for than we could ever

imagine.

And I pray that that spirit, your spirit of comfort would be in this place comforting

every bit of us that has felt like we have been tinkered with.

You would show us how to love each other, to restore with care and honor.

Your love would cover a multitude of sins.

In the name of Jesus we pray, amen.