January 7, 2007

Cawson Street Church of Christ

Hopewell, Virginia

Mural Worthey

 

Value of Familiar Things

 

Introduction:  Central idea—With the beginning of a new year, there is value in old, familiar things.  While life changes, the Gospel contains unchangeable, eternal things.  These familiar things remain constant.

 

As the New Year begins, we may want to do some things differently and try some new things, but most people feel more comfortable with familiar things and old friends.  We have to be compelled to get out of the ruts, make new friends, and change our behavior.  We like familiar things.  The truth is we need both the new and the old; and there is a time for new things.

 

“Every scribe who is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder who brings forth out of his treasure things new and old.”  (Matt. 13:52.)

 

“No man puts a piece of new cloth on an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up takes from the garment and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine in old bottles; else the bottles break and the wine runs out and the bottles perish.  But they put new wine in new bottles and both are preserved.”  (Matt. 9:16-17.)  Jesus was answering those who questioned why his disciples did not fast like John’s.  He replied that fasting was not appropriate while he was with his disciples, but when he left they would fast.  In addition, Jesus spoke of matching old garments with old patches, and new wine in new bottles.  There are good reasons for so matching them.

 

Think about these familiar things in Scripture:

a)     Familiar spirits.  I was surprised to learn that most of the references in the Bible to familiar things were to familiar spirits.  Sorcerers and wizards claimed to be able to contact the dead.  These spirits were called “familiar” probably because they were known, because they worked together, and because they were considered a part of the family.  In Samaria, Simon bewitched the people by such claims.  (Acts 8.)  The Hebrew word for familiar is Shalom, or peace.  We are at peace with familiar things.

 

b)    The place of prayer.  Jesus carried the disciples to a familiar place to pray in the Garden.  Judas knew where Jesus was because they often went there to pray.  (John 18:2.)  This place was outside the busy, noisy streets of Jerusalem; it was a quiet and peaceful place.  The disciples felt at ease there as they prayed together.

 

c)     Job’s familiar friends.  In the midst of Job’s pain and confusion, he needed his old familiar friends, but he said that they had forgotten him.  (Job 19:14-19.)  Job said that his family, servants and friends acted as strangers to him.  We feel at ease among old friends.  This explains why meeting new people is difficult for us; we do not know them, nor do they know us.  We are not yet comfortable with one another.

 

d)     The Shepherd and the sheep.  Jesus said that the sheep know his voice and follow him.  The voice of the shepherd is familiar to the sheep; a stranger’s voice they will not obey.  (John 10:1-5.)  Jesus’ voice should be familiar to us; we should know his words and follow Him.  He is the Good Shepherd.  From one new year to the next, the value of the Shepherd does not change.  It is the same throughout the years.  Jesus said that this is eternal life to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he sent.  (John 17:3.)

 

e)     The Scriptures.  It is evident that the believers in the New Testament knew well the OT Scriptures; they were very familiar with them.  Paul wrote to Timothy: “Continue in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing of whom you have learned them; and that from a child you have known the holy scriptures which are able to make you wise unto salvation through Jesus Christ.”  (2 Tim. 3:14-15.)  Both these verses speak of familiar things to Timothy—things that he had learned and the ones who taught him.  It is tragic that many today are not familiar with the Scriptures; the things that they suggest reveal that they are not familiar with God’s Word or they do not handle it reverently.

f)     OT quotations in the NT.  The numerous quotations in the NT were given to show that the Scriptures foretold the coming of Jesus.  These passages made the Jews feel at ease; they were familiar with all these references and knew who wrote them.

 

The Very Young & Old

 

Young children do not yet have a history of experiences in life; yet they quickly learn to recognize things that they have heard or seen before.  It does not take them long to learn their parents.  Children love to hear the same stories read to them. . . because the stories are familiar.

 

Children need a stable home environment.  They need to know that their parents are going to be there.  They feel comfort and security around familiar things and people.

 

Older people enjoy familiar things as well.  If you have ever participated in singing with the elderly at a nursing home, they love the old songs that they know well.  They will begin singing the words of familiar songs.  There must be some value in familiar things.  Elderly people do not want to leave their homes and live somewhere else.  There is comfort in familiar things.

 

I feel more comfortable with my Bible, than with yours.  I know where the verses are on the page and on which page they occur.  It has been hard for me trying to use other versions, because I am so familiar with the King James Version.  I do not promote it as the only valid translation of Scripture; I just like it because I am at home with it.

 

What is the Value in Familiar Things?

 

Help to bridge the space between the known and unknown.  Jesus said the kingdom was like a householder with a store house filled with new and old things.  A scribe or teacher will bring out of that store house some of each.  We do not need all new things or all old things.  We need time to move from the familiar to the unknown.  Familiar things help us to go from where we are to where we are going.

 

Israel had a difficult time adjusting to the idea that they were going to the Promise Land.  Some wanted to turn back to Egypt and serve Pharaoh.  Those things were familiar to them; they were afraid of the unknown.  Jews of the first century rejected the idea of giving up their Law and customs.  They did not want to move from the old covenant to the new.  The Law told many things about what would be ahead, but it was still difficult for them.  

We are reluctant to face death and go to be with God.  But familiar things that we now enjoy—our faith and the Gospel—help us to bridge the gap.  The same Lord that we know now with be there; the same Father whom we have come to know will be there; the saints that we have loved here will be there.  There will be many things new, but the familiar helps us to move forward.

 

 It Promotes and Encourages Worship

 

Jesus and the disciples went often to the same place in the Garden to pray.  The place was familiar and thus made it easier for them to worship.  It is easier to worship in song when we are singing familiar songs; it is more difficult to worship while singing new songs.  Worshippers feel more comfortable sitting where they normally sit; there is nothing wrong with that.  If we are comfortable and feel safe psychologically, it is conducive to worship.  When changes are necessary at church, it is good to plan in advance and prepare people for the change.

 

Worship has not changed since the first century.  God does not come down and send new arrangements for his Church each generation.  From one generation to the next, the Gospel message remains the same; the worship is the same.  The Communion is just as meaningful now as ever (even more so the older you get).  Familiar things are helpful.  As changes occur in our world, as we move rapidly from one year to another, it is encouraging and comforting to know that some old familiar things remain the same.  “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever.”  (Heb. 13:8.)  Why did the writer say that?  Remember that he is writing to Hebrew Christians who are being encouraged to leave Christianity.  The new was difficult for them.  The writer seemingly wanted to encourage them that Jesus never changes.  God never changes.  The God of the Old Testament is the same as the God of the New.  There is really only one story from Genesis to Revelation.  When we see that, then we are not afraid of the fulfillment of revelation.

 

It Gives Us Confidence and Assurance

 

“Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning.  The old commandment is the word which you have heard from the beginning.”  (1 John 2:7.)  “I write unto you fathers because you have known him that is from the beginning.”  (1 John 2:14.)  Nine times in First John, he refers to things that they have known from the beginning.  That is, these are familiar things to you.  Familiar things give us confidence; we feel at home with them.

 

John wrote about assurance.  He said: “And hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him.  For if our heart condemn us not, God is greater than our hearts and knows all things.  Beloved, if our heart condemns us not, then have we confidence toward God.”  (3:19-21.)

 

“And this is the record that God has given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son.  He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.  And this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”  (1 John 5:11-14.)

 

John concluded by saying that we know him that is true and that we are in him that is true.  This is the true God and eternal life.  (1 John 5:20.)  Confidence and assurance are based on things we have known from the beginning; things that are familiar to us who know God and His Son.