This is the eighth sermon in the ‘Liturgy for Life’ series.
Scripture Reading: Numbers 6:22-27
Introduction: When we gather together, there comes a point that someone must end the gathering. Sometimes we say a prayer, give a final word, shake hands, etc. The way we part with each other ends our gathering and sends us to our next experience.
There is something the Bible gives us– a practice and a liturgy for ending our worship gatherings that goes back at least 5000 years. We call it a benediction.
Read through Numbers 6:22-27. In this passage, God tells Moses to tell Aaron – the high priest who is also the worship leader – that this is what he should say to the people of Israel to end their gatherings and to send them out. The book of Numbers is about Israel’s journey in the wilderness, but before Israel is sent out into the wilderness, God gives them these words of blessing to give them boldness, endurance, and hope.
We desire something like this– something that enables us to go out into the world and face anything. This is why the benediction is a part of our Sunday liturgy.
1. Our Search For It
We need to realize that a benediction is something that every single human being is in search of. We long for more than a “take care” or “have a good day.” A benediction is unique because when we give it we speak goodness over or into someone.
Humans being blessed by God began back in the creation story:
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good. – Genesis 1:27-28
When God blesses Adam and Eve, he does more than just speak good words over them. God also empowers them. To bless is to confer/give the ability to be and do what God has made them to do and be. Blessing is 1) affirmation of good and 2) empowerment to do good.
Every person needs the affirmation that are loved and that they can do good. People search for this in all sorts of ways but what we’re all ultimately searching for is our Creator to give us this blessing of affirmation. God gives us this in Numbers 6. It is part of our liturgy to affirm believers of God’s favor upon their lives and empower believers to do the good works which God has set before them
2. How We Find It
The story of Jacob in Genesis is the story of someone who desperately sought for a blessing for most of his life. He did not have a blessing from his father, Isaac, but he desired it so much that he cheated his brother Esau out of his blessing and tore their family apart. Jacob did not get the blessing that he needed until he encountered God, wrestled with him, and finally sought a blessing from him as opposed to that of anyone else.
When God blessed Jacob, he gave him a new identity. He went from being Jacob, a name which implies that he is a trickster, to being Israel which means “he who strives/wrestles with God.” In the same way, the blessing that we need the most is God’s blessing. His blessing gives us the strength to be who he says we are: namely, that we are his children and have his favor.
The blessing that we most need is one from God, but the reality is that we have not earned a blessing from God. How can God bless someone who has earned the opposite, a curse? The reason God can bless people who have not earned it is revealed in how the benediction is placed at the end of the service. The benediction comes after God tells us that he has redeemed us from our sin. Galatians 3:13-14 tells us that on the cross Jesus received the curse which we deserve and in return gave us the blessing which he deserves.
God can bless us because Jesus has earned his blessing and has freely given that blessing to us. When our faith is in Christ we can confidently take hold of the blessings of God knowing that what Jesus has given to us is truly ours.
3. When We Have It
There are two things to do when we have taken hold of God’s blessing:
Take it with you.
A blessing is received at the end of a gathering or meeting not simply as a pleasant word of goodbye, but as a pronouncement of reality. In the same way that two people are considered married when the priest pronounces them husband and wife, the blessing of the benediction effectively pronounces something true for us. The benediction is like the north star which you can look to for assurance and guidance throughout your daily life. It personally anchors us to God and reminds us that even if we fail and lose our way, the blood of Jesus covers us always and that God is always working to sanctify us and give us peace.
Give it to others.
Perhaps one of the most radical teachings of Christianity is that we are taught to bless those who curse us. Not just people who pronounce curses upon us in word, but also deed. We are called to bless those who actively work against us. This is taught multiple times across scripture: Luke 6:28, Romans 12:14, and 1 Peter 3:9, but how can we do this? We are only truly able to bless those who curse us when we have received God’s blessing and his Holy Spirit. When Jesus was cursed by those who crucified him, he did not return their behavior in kind. Instead, he trusted himself to God the Father whose blessing he already had (1 Peter 2:23 & Matthew 3:17). In the same way, we are not only able to endure the curses which people send our way, but we can bless them in return by entrusting ourselves to God’s blessing.
REFLECT OR DISCUSS
What did you think of the benediction before this sermon?
Do you think that you deserve a curse or a blessing? How can knowing that Jesus offers you his blessing change your life?
Is there anything that prevents you from blessing other people whether they curse you or not?
In what ways has the benediction been significant for you?
Why do you personally need the benediction?
In what ways do you search for affirmation or empowerment apart from God?
The benediction should give us more confidence, boldness, strength, and endurance in the Lord. Which of these could you use more of in your day-to-day life?
YOUR DAILY LITURGY
In this series, we will be encouraged to “take ownership” of our daily liturgies (patterns, habits). Saying, “I’m so busy,” “I go with the flow,” or “I just go about my day” are examples of not taking ownership of the shape and structure of our lives. How can the shape and pattern of my daily life be built around the gospel of Jesus Christ?
How can you take the benediction with you throughout the week?
How can you use the liturgy of the benediction to bless others?