Spiritual Friendship Pt2

Title: “Schlemiel, Schlemazel, Hasenpfeffer Incorporated”

Series: Spiritual Freindship Pt2

Key Concept: The EQUIPPING Factor

I. The Laverne & Shirley Theme Song (Opening Illustration)

• Full lyric quoted verbatim in opening sequence: “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight Schlemiel! Schlemazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated! We’re gonna do it!”

• Credits: Penny Marshall (Laverne DeFazio) and Cindy Williams (Shirley Feeney)

• Historical origin of the chant

  • The first two lines come from a Yiddish-American children’s hopscotch rhyme

  • Functionally similar to English nursery rhymes (“One, Two, Buckle My Shoe”) — mostly nonsense

  • Specific to Penny Marshall: she chanted this exact version walking to school as a child in the Bronx

II. Yiddish Word Breakdown & Key Terms in the Chant

Common Yiddish slang examples given for context:

• Schmutz – little dirt/grime

• Putz – foolish person

• Schlep – to drag/carry something heavy

• Chutzpah – audacity, nerve

Key terms in the theme song:

1. Schlemiel – the clumsy person; the one who spills the soup; people tend to avoid

2. Schlemazel – the chronically unlucky person; the one the soup lands on; people avoid

3. Hasenpfeffer – NOT the fictional brewery (that was “Shotz Brewery” in Milwaukee)

   • Actual meaning: a German rabbit stew made from whatever ingredients are on hand → improvised, resourceful, “making something delicious out of scraps”

4. Incorporated – the punchline → “You may be the schlemazel (unlucky), I may be the schlemiel (clumsy), but together we are Hasenpfeffer Incorporated — a complete, functional, delicious whole.”

Core sermon theme derived:

Partnership in weakness creates something greater than the sum of flawed parts.

III. Partnership with Each Other – Complementing Weaknesses

Human tendencies observed:

• We easily spot others’ weaknesses in areas where we are strong

• Danger: only partnering with people who share our strengths → Result: we avoid weak people where we are strong → everyone eventually fails

• We also refuse closeness with people who are strong where we are weak → Outcome: no one grows

Biblical principle:

• Your strength is not given for YOU; it is given to serve those who are weak in that area

• God leaves weaknesses in us (like Paul’s thorn) for two reasons:

  1. To keep us humble

  2. To give others the blessing of helping us

Some people refuse both directions:

• Won’t help others with their strength

• Won’t let others help them in their area of weakness

Key Scripture: Romans 15:1 “We who are strong have a duty to bear the weaknesses of those who are not strong, rather than please ourselves.”

IV. Partnership with God – We Are ALL Schlemiel AND Schlemazel

Requirement to come to God:

1. Admit weakness

2. Confess total dependence on His strength

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness… for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.”

Supporting passages:

• 1 Samuel 18:1 – Jonathan became one in spirit with David and loved him as himself

• Philippians 2:3-4 – In humility consider others better than yourselves; look to the interests of others

Application questions:

• Where are you on your journey today….

• You didn’t get this far on your own — someone taught you to walk, tie your shoes, speak, read, drive, etc.

• You won’t get any farther on your own, either

• If you’re in a holding pattern, it’s because you stopped learning from somebody

Critical principle:

Every new position/season has (1) a protocol for entering and (2) a procedure for remaining

→ “You cannot act like you do in the pasture if your destiny is the palace.”

→ David was anointed king in the pasture, then anointed again in the palace over all Israel

→ “What got you here won’t get you there.”

V. The E FACTOR – Equipping People to the Point of Personal Sacrifice

Definition: The most powerful force in the world = Equipping others at personal cost

What it looks like:

• It looks like Jesus — left His throne, became poor so we could become rich (2 Cor 8:9)

Basketball illustration:

• The most effective offensive weapon is the pass

• Coach Flagg: 4-hour Saturday practices; 1 full hour devoted only to passing

  • “Why is the ball round? So you can pass it around.”

• The E Factor = learning to “pass the ball” spiritually

  • The hardest thing on earth is that human nature wants to promote self-interest

  • Requires spiritual maturity

  • The game is won by passing, not by hogging the ball

VI. Jonathan – The Supreme Biblical Example of the E Factor

Put yourself in Jonathan’s shoes:

1. Your father (Saul) is currently king

2. You are the crown prince — next in line

3. Prophet Samuel anoints a shepherd boy (David) as the future king → Normally, anointing happens only after the current king dies → Jonathan’s reaction is unprecedented in history

Assertion: In heaven, Jonathan may be rewarded even higher than David

→ Jesus: “The first shall be last, and the last shall be first.”

VII. Characteristics of the E Factor (Jonathan-type Relationships)

1. The E Factor equips teachable, lifelong learners

   • If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room

   • Someone equipped you with everything you now consider “success”

   • The older we get, the more we suffer “Mentor Intolerance” (MI)

Wisdom comes from only two sources:

1. Mistakes

2. Mentors

Mentors give you:

• Protocol of the palace (not pasture)

• The difference between poverty and prosperity

The E Factor requires a response: pursuit

• “Proof is in the pursuit.”

• Equippers transfer wisdom through relationships

• They don’t need what you know; you desperately need what they know

• They are more interested in your future success than your past afflictions

Why do you still need a Jonathan even with the Holy Spirit?

• God gives some gifts directly by His Spirit in you

• He gives other gifts in the lives of other people

• Kingdom is about building the whole Body, not just you

Result of Jonathan’s contact:

• Pasture equipment → palace destiny

• Rags exchanged for royal robes

• Pauper → prince

• Royal reach (keys, not crowbars)

• Large doors swing on small hinges — key people

You cannot be King David until you find your Prince Jonathan

→ David was raised “outside the gate”; God sends someone to reach over the wall

Encouragers (Jonathans) are higher than you; they pull you up

• Problem: most people only run with people beneath them → forever feeding, never fed → drained

• You need someone to feed you so you can feed others

Jonathan’s relationships are scaffolding

• Temporary by design

• Build you up, then it is removed so you live in the finished building

• We fail destiny when we (1) resist scaffolding or (2) cling to it after the deposit is made

Jesus on scaffolding: John 16:7 “It is to your advantage that I go away; if I do not go away, the Helper will not come.”

VIII. Three Categories of Relationships (Critical Distinction)

1. Coaches / Mentors (Vertical) – for you and for your future, destiny

2. Constituents (Horizontal) – not for you; they are for what you are for

   • Will leave the moment someone else advances the cause better

3. Comrades (Horizontal) – not for you and not for what you are for; only against what you are against

   • Strange bedfellows; God removes them after victory to protect you

IX. What Jonathan Actually Gave David (1 Samuel 18:1-4)

Jonathan made a covenant and stripped himself:

• Robe – outer garment → righteousness, royal authority, right of succession

• Tunic – seamless priestly inner garment

• Sword & Bow – priceless iron weapons (only Saul & Jonathan had them)

• Belt – girdle of truth; held everything together

Jonathan literally gave David “the shirt off his back” and rendered himself defenseless

→ Contrast with Saul, who only lent armor (1 Sam 17:38-39); Jonathan gave his

Jonathan’s unspoken message: “Now that you have my armor, I am defenseless without you.”

X. Ultimate E Factor – Jesus

2 Corinthians 8:9“Though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”

XI. Closing Illustrations & Applications

Emerson quote: “It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.”

Checkers illustration (Jewish concept of Kavanah – intention):

1. Move only one piece at a time — full attention, intentionality

2. Always forward, never backward — forget what is behind

3. When a piece reaches the other side, it is “crowned” (kinged) → First become last, last become first

4. Not every piece makes it across the board — few find the narrow way

Five heavenly crowns (Bema Seat, not White Throne):

• Imperishable, Rejoicing, Righteousness, Glory, Life

• Stephen = “Stephanos” = crown

Closing challenge:

• Who are you equipping at personal cost?

• Who are you allowing to equip you?

• Will you become Hasenpfeffer Incorporated — clumsy and unlucky people who, together in Christ, produce net-breaking blessings?