AfterWords: "Old Stories, New Lives: God's Plan"

 

Daniel 6:25-28

History is the grand unfolding of God’s plan—a plan begun the moment humanity sinned, a plan put into motion through the life of Abraham to redeem the broken world, to bring blessing to all of humanity.

Besides God’s grand plan of redemption for humanity and earth, God also has a plan for our lives—hopes and dreams of what we might be able to do. And, these plans will not be stopped.

Today’s reading from Daniel is the end of the “Daniel in the Lions’ Den” story. This story reveals that God had a plan for Daniel’s life, and nothing would stop it.

How many of you have heard this line: “God has a plan for your life!”? This is true, but it’s not true how some (too many) think it’s true. God’s plan for us is broad, wide, open—space for our freedom. We do not live narrowly scripted lives in which every thought and action is defined and determined. If so, free will is a lie and our “choice” to live lives of loving kindness is an illusion. God’s plan for our lives is broad and open and gives us a chance to live free and express creativity. Best of all, God’s plan will not be stopped.

The Babylonian home team wanted to stop the plan of Daniel’s life. But, they could not.

Paul, in Acts 23 as he recounts the story of his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, relates Jesus’ words: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will” (v.14). Paul could not stop the unfolding of God’s plan for the Church or God’s plan for his own life.

The Romans crucified Jesus—the Jewish leaders were sure this would put a stop of Jesus and his message. Put a stop to God’s plan of forgiveness and redemption? No, they could not stop God’s plan.

So, God does have a plan for your life—a life to the full, as John reminds us (John 10:10; a life of joy and gratitude, as Paul points out (1 Thess. 5:16-18); a life of purpose and direction, as the prophet reminds us (Jeremiah 29:11).

Jesus was the great “reductionist.” “You shall love the Lord your God…and your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” The whole of the Old Testament is reduced to a few lines. I, too, stive to be a reductionist, and I’ve reduced God’s plan to this: “Live a life of joy and help others to do the same.” It’s simplistic, but it’s a starting point for me that guides me generally day to day.

God has a plan for our lives—for yours and for mine. For a few, there will be specific tasks, but for the most part, our lives are planned in broad strokes: Life to the full, joy and gratitude, purpose and direction.  You and I have a choice—to live into the plan and enjoy the life that God dreams for you and for me, or to reject—stall, delay, ignore—the plan and live lives of frustration, or—as Thoreau put it—“lives of quiet desperation.”

Decide today to live into God’s plan for you, for me, for us. Live lives of joy and bring joy to others. And, as Thanksgiving is upon us, let us give thanks that we seek and serve a God who cares enough to have loving plans for us and our world. Amen.

 

Sunday, November 24, 2024
“Old Stories-New Life: God’s Plan”
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: “Old Stories, New Life: God’s Call”

 

Isaiah 6:1-8

Some calls we don’t want: The IRS, the boss on a weekend, the teacher after we’ve had a bad day at school, the “robo call” or marketing call. Perhaps it’s because of the negative calls like these that we don’t want to hear from God…? Or, maybe the examples in Scripture kind of terrify us.

In Isaiah 8, we hear Isaiah’s call—smoke, fire, seraphim, and more! Perhaps we have bumped into other great calls in Scripture: Abraham’s call in Genesis 12 – “I am going to make a new nation out of you” …no pressure; Moses’ call in Exodus 3 – “My people are in bondage in the most powerful kingdom in the world, and I’m using you to set them free” …again, no pressure.

In the New Testament, God continues to call people, and some of those calls are no less dramatic that the Old Testament: Paul’s call - Damascus Road experience is incomparable; Peter, James, and John’s call – “Follow me and fish for people...” (be prepared to leave it all!)

Perhaps because of these somewhat overwhelming, life-altering calls, we are reluctant to even listen to hear if God is calling us to something in our lives. We may not even want to dive into the disciplines of prayer and Bible study because God might just call us to something!

When I was 18 years old, I was called to Christian ministry after a time of searching and making sense of life. My call story is my story. Too often, we think someone else’s call is going to be a pattern of how our call plays out. We fear that God is going to call us to something we don’t want to do or think we cannot do.

I’ve learned at least two things about God’s call in our lives as followers of Jesus. First, God can put new desires, hopes, and dreams into our lives (see Psalm 37:4). Second, God equips us and enables us to do what we’re called to do: Abraham was unable to have children, yet God gave him children; Moses was not able to speak clearly, so God gave him a spokesperson, Aaron; Paul did not have a heart for others and had nothing to do with Gentiles, and God gave him a heart for others—especially Gentiles.

God may call us to do … or God may call us to be. One of my favorite call stories is found in the Gospels—Matthew 11:28.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Jesus calls us to himself—not to a task, not to a job. Jesus calls us to simply be with him.

Listen for God’s voice—it comes to us in song, in prayer, in Scripture, and in the voices of those around us. Listen for God’s voice—it brings our lives us purpose, direction, and meaning. Listen and respond—God is putting new dreams, hopes, and desires in your life, and God will give you everything you need to do what He calls you to. “If God calls you to it, God will take you through it.” Listen and respond—God may be calling you to action, or God may be calling you to rest.

Whatever the call is that comes to us, God is moving you and me closer and closer to the better life God has for us, and God will use us to touch the lives of others. God calls. We can respond. Amen

Sunday, November 17, 2024
“Old Stories-New Life: God’s Call”
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: “Old Stories-New Life: God’s Persistence”

 

Jonah 1:1-17

I. Jonah’s Story – Are you familiar with Jonah’s story? Here’s what happens:

Jonah is called to go and preach to the great city of Nineveh…and promptly turns around and goes in another direction. Caught in storm at sea, he is thrown overboard and ends up in the belly of the fish. There, Jonah prays, repents, and goes to Nineveh. The city repents and turns to God. But, Jonah is angry and resents God for doing what God does best—God is good. The story in Scripture doesn’t really end—it’s open-ended with no resolution.

II. Our Story – we, too, are Jonah. Jonah is not an example for us; he is an example of us. God calls us as well. Perhaps we’re not called to preach to a city but called to be kind to a co-worker, to make peace with a family member, or to follow God into missions or ministry. Whatever the call, at some time in our lives, we have heard the call or felt the nudge of God’s Spirit, and we took off running in the other direction.

Perhaps we didn’t take a ship to a place like Tarshish. Perhaps our “Tarshish” was a coffee shop, a new office, a transfer, or weekend office duty. Maybe it was ESPN—anything to keep from having to talk, or to listen. We have run away—geographically or internally.

And, like Jonah’s story, the ending of our stories is simply unsure. TBD.

III. God’s Story – We may hear Jonah’s story, see ourselves in this story, but we often fail to see our amazing God in this story. Let’s take a look.

After God calls Jonah and he runs away, what does God do? God doesn’t let go. God is persistent. God stays with Jonah. When Jonah gets on the ship and starts across the sea, God is with him. When the storm hits and Jonah is thrown overboard, God is there to catch him. When Jonah cries out in prayer, God hears him. When Jonah goes to preach in Nineveh, God is there and gives Jonah the message to proclaim … and God hears the repentant cries of the people and saves them. And, when Jonah is angry, God is right there … talking with Jonah and listening to Jonah. God is persistent. God does not let go of Jonah…or us.

IV. Why is God Persistent? – Why does God stick doggedly to Jonah? Why is it so important for Jonah—Jonah!—to preach to Nineveh (and not someone else)?

When God calls Jonah to do something, when God calls or nudges us to do something, God may change the situation or the people God calls us to, but God definitely wants to change us. God wants Jonah to do this because doing this will impact Jonah’s life. God wants you to respond to the calls and nudges in your life because God wants to touch your life, change your life.

V. God Stays with Us – At the end of the story, Jonah remains a bitter man. He is seemingly unchanged. Nineveh has changed. Even the sailors on the boat are changed. But Jonah? Not yet. Still, God is there with him. And, God is with us. No matter. Our God is a persistent God who loves us deeply, who longs for our change more than anything. This is Good News for us today.

 

Sunday, November 10, 2024
“Old Stories-New Life: God’s Persistence”
Watch/Listen: HERE

AfterWords: "Old Stories-New Life: God's Provision"

 

I Kings 17:1-16

We begin a new series as we move into November—a look at some of the ancient stories from the Old Testament…stories that we give new life by coming back to them, that give us new life as we see them in new ways. Today, as we look at this brief narrative from the life of Elijah, we discover something of God’s provision.

Elijah prophesies in the northern kingdom—Israel. King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, have ignored God, chased false gods, and gave grief to anyone who served the One True God. So, Elijah prophesies, against their reign.

In the passage we come to today, Elijah prophesies a coming drought, a drought God hopes will turn Ahab back to God. So, Elijah predicts the drought, and God sends him to a stream where he’ll have water, and ravens will bring him food. The drought comes in earnest, and even the stream dries up. God sends Elijah out of Israel to Sidon, to the city of Zarephath to a woman whom God will use to keep Elijah alive. Provision.

What we find in the Old Testament is often a hint of things to come, of what God is yet to do in the future. This story of physical provision—food and water for the hungry and thirsty—is amplified in the New Testament, in the life and teachings of Jesus. In fact, we find that Elijah and this very incident shows up in Jesus’ ministry.

Jesus is just entering his ministry, he arrives at his hometown, Nazareth. At synagogue on Saturday, they hand him the scroll to read. And, the reading he selects is all about God’s provision, found in Luke 4:

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
¹⁹     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Talk about ‘provision!’ Wow. That’s provision at a whole new level.

Then, Jesus gets to Elijah—looking back on God’s provision. God provides not only for Elijah but also for the widow and her son—a broad provision that crosses lines of race and culture and religion. We find that Elijah’s story is a preview of the broadness of God’s grace.

Our God is a God of provision in all areas of our lives when we live into the faith, hope, and love of our God. And, God makes it all possible through Jesus Christ.

Sunday, November 3, 2024
“Old Stories-New Life: God’s Provision”
Watch/Listen: HERE