“God Is Up To Something”           2013

Psalm 78:1-7          Hebrews 11:29-34, 12:1-2

 

Psalm 78:1-7

1Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 2I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, 3things that we have heard and known, that our ancestors have told us. 4We will not hide them from their children; we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. 5He established a decree in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach to their children; 6that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and rise up and tell them to their children, 7so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.

 

Hebrews 11:29-34, 12:1-2

29By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned. 30By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days. 31By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace. 32And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

Recently, while going through stacks of stuff in my office at home,

            I came across a few of my grandmother’s old papers & notebooks

                 from some Bible courses she took in the early 1900’s.

 

Her class notes and answers to questions were   a fascinating read,

              for they revealed much about how she understood Scripture

                     and offered a glimpse of her world as a student in her 20’s…

 

… and made me wonder how,    what she learned from those Bible courses

            might have influenced the way she raised my father,

                    and if that might have been passed down, an influence on me…

… perhaps as it’s described in Psalm 78,

           “… we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. … that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and rise up and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God…”            

 

*  So who were the people whose lives influenced you,

               and in particular, those who modeled Christian discipleship

                        in ways that helped shape and form your faith?,

                                    how did they do it, and what made the difference?

 

Mr. Doll was my 6^th grade Sunday school teacher,

               a committed Christian who took a special interest in helping

                        young men come to faith and learn to walk with God.

 

At coffee hour between Sunday school and church,

            he would actually listen to us with interest,   

                        and talk to us about our faith and Christian living,

                                    or the Red Sox, and even what we had watched on TV.

 

These many decades later, I can still remember our conversations,

            his authenticity, his friendship,   and his example as à

                        a godly influence toward my faith-walk with the Lord.

 

Mr. Doll’s own life and commitments proclaimed the same faith

            that my parents were trying to teach and instill in me…

     … and his life’s testimony  made a significant difference

               in my spiritual formation along with many other young boys.

 

His influence still lives on through the many lives he touched,

                and will continue through all the lives

                        that my ministry touches, teaches or influences.

 

No doubt you too have a list of significant persons like Mr. Doll,à

            à those on your life’s    honor roll of faithful Christians

                        who contributed to the formation of your spiritual life,

                                    who showed you how to live in faithful discipleship--

- and perhaps, you are on someone else’s list of  the faithful ones,

          for that is how faith gets passed on down through the ages.

 

When I study the Bible, especially in the original Greek or Hebrew,

                and when I puzzle and ponder over a Scripture passageà

                        trying to understand what that ancient writer intended ---

-- there is a moment when I get it and I feel an amazing connection.

                       

    Or sometimes when I read and study the notes of others

            who studied those ancient texts, long before me…

… countless scholars who over the centuries of church history

            have pondered the same Scripture passages and manuscripts,

                        perhaps contemplating the similar questions that I ask,

                              as they too grappled to understand truths of Scripture…

 

            … and through their writings and the notes of their scholarship

                        that those great Christian thinkers have left behind…

                               we connect through that shared    written conversation

                                    that spans the ages & centuries of Christian history…

                    … and what a great blessing to be in such company,

                             as my scholarship builds on the foundation of theirs.

 

This particular church began in 1883 as a Presbyterian mission,

            and a lot of people have served here over the many decades-

                                    - who were once here,  and now they are gone,

                                                just as now we are here,

                                                            but then in time   we too will be gone.

 

           It is also quite likely that after each of us has passed on,

                       others will come, and they will serveà

                                    along their journey of faith and discipleship,

                                          and then they too will pass on into church history,

*     and others will build on the foundation that they leave behind.

 

Maybe, sometimes we forget, or maybe we choose to ignore,

            the fact that this world did not begin with us,

                        and probably will not end with us,

                                    but that God’s plan and purpose will go right on

                                                well beyond the boundaries of our mortal lives.

 

It’s maybe hard for us to imagine,

            but soon after our hearts stop beating, and we have died,

                            and probably before our funeral has even been held,

                                    our family and friends will already be making plans,

                                         making arrangements to live on, though we are gone.

 

God’s plan and purpose will probably not come to a screeching halt

            nor this church’s mission  despite the tragic loss of you or me.

                       

Our mortal lives really last   little more than just a brief flash,

            no more than a dash between the two dates on our tombstone,

                        a snapshot  compared to the vast theatre of human history,

                                    with only a brief moment in which we can make our mark.

 

When we understand and appreciate those boundaries of life,

            and accept the limited time and opportunities that God ordains

                        we will  most certainly not want to be casual, or wasteful,

                                   or complacent   about how we live these finite lives.

 

            That truth of our mortal limitations is not cause for sadness,

                        but creates an urgency not to waste something so precious.

Our mortal boundaries  remind us to live with purpose and intent,

            by striving to make     our next years, our best years,

                        by living a life that is larger

                                    than just pursuing our own passing wants and desires.

 

            During seminary I traveled to the Middle East,

                        and got to spend more than a week studying in Jerusalem.

Knowing that I’d  probably never have a chance to return,

            I got up early each morning before sunrise,

                   and in the quiet stillness walked the ancient city streets.

 

            I could feel the powerful presence of history and tradition,

                        and somehow, a connection with the countless others

                                who had also once wandered those same ancient streets…

 

… or a the author of Hebrews describes it,

            vs. 12:1           since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses

That phrase, surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,

            infers that we are part of something larger than ourselves

                        that God’s is up to some amazing & incredible work project…

 

… and the stories and events recorded in Scripture

            give us a glimpse of God’s will and purpose,  a project à

                        that extends far beyond the limits of a single mortal life.

These stories and truths if those who proceeded us

        are about their experiences of living within the Lord’s purpose

                        and making their mark within the time and place,

                                    and context in which God chose for them to live…

 

            … and they serve to guide and inspire   us who are also called

                        to live as faithful disciples within our context

                                    our time, our place and our circumstance in the world.

 

            Isn’t it  a hopeful comfort and great reassurance to realize

                        that other Christians throughout history have struggled

                             and also victoriously   passed this way before,

                                     serving the Lord amid temptation and difficulty?

 

Taking into account the full and vast context of human history,

            we can gain a sense of the greatness of God’s plan and purpose,

                        that is still being accomplished   over countless ages,

                                    and through countless lives of Christ’s followers.

 

Each one of us has been specifically called and equipped by God

            to contribute our individual part by taking our turn,

                        at the great task of God’s purpose within human history –

 

- I visualize this   as all of us pushing a great & ponderous object

            so heavy and massive,

                               that it takes the effort of many, many hands to move it.

 

And for a time, for the duration of our mortal lives,

            each of us  pushes on that object of God’s will and purpose,

                       each of us doing our part to help move it,  as God directs…

 

… and then in time, another will take their turn,

            and another, and another, and so on through history,

                        with each building on the work of their predecessors,

                                    just as our work will be built on   by those who follow…

            … with each one making their contribution to accomplish

                       God’s plan and purpose down through all of human history.

 

And our task

            is not just to push the object when it’s our time and turn,

                        but we must also,

                                    to inspire and influence the next generation,

                                                preparing them for when it’s their time and turn.

 

It is also important that we know

            that “the great cloud of witnesses”

                        does not refer to just the exceptional spiritual giants,

                              but includes all who are called to discipleship by God,

                                        and all who are faithful and obedient to God’s call…

… for in God’s theater all the players and parts are important, 

      and there are no insignificant extras or expendable bit players.

 

            Without Andrew,  would Peter have found his way to Christ?,

                   or who led and nurtured Billy Graham,  that he came to faith?

 

Be assured that God knows and God remembers who they were,

            for the true and full value of anyone’s contribution

                cannot be measured within the limits of just one lifetime.

 

Hebrews chapter 11,

            is the Bible’s list and honor roll of the ancient faithful;

                        as by example after example, the writer tells about,

                                    those who were faithfully available to God,

                                                who obeyed, and who contributed to God’s purpose.

 

The point is, that our lives do have meaning and purpose,

            that the inspiration and influence of the faithful

                   does surround us like a cloud, an expression of God’s grace,

                                    that bears witness to God’s love, plan and purpose.

 

Kevin Livgren wrote a song, recorded by the band Kansas in 1977,

            that offers this perspective on life:

                        I close my eyes only for a moment   and the moments gone

                                    all my dreams pass before my eyes    a curiosity

                                                dust in the wind    all we are   is dust in the wind

                                                            dust in the wind     all we are  is dust in the wind

                       

Just dust in the wind?  Life just passes by, and has no purpose?

            The author of Hebrews most adamantly disagrees:

                        since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.

‘a vast cloud of witnesses’ refers

            to the lives of the many faithful Christians, God’s people;

                        who throughout all the ages testify            and challenge usà

                                    also to persevere in the race that God set before us.

 

The challenges that we face as a church these days are formidable –

            the position and influence of the Church and Christianity

                        in our culture and society have shifted dramatically,

                           and probably will not get any easier within our lifetime.

 

We can moan and complain about our troubles and difficulties,

            or we can praise the Lord, thank the Lord, trust the Lord,

                        we can obey the Lord and joyfully strive to serve the Lord…

 

            … knowing that God’s plan and purpose are sure and secure,

                        that the Lord intentionally and with purpose put us here,

                                    for us to be faithful

                                                and useful disciples within this context…

 

… within this particular time and place and circumstance,

            where we have been called, equipped and entrusted by God

                        to serve with joy and gratitude

                                    building up the Kingdom of God exactly where we are.

 

As I see it,

          we have been handed God’s plan and purpose, already in motion,

                    with the inertia of the ages, of those who came before us,

                             and like athletes in a relay race –   the baton à

                                      has been handed on to us, for us to run our laps.

 

Right now, it’s our time to decide, we cannot put it off ---

            will we, the people called to serve God here in this place

                    recommit,

                              and invite the Holy Spirit to rekindle our fire?

 

Are you going to settle for complacent decline, just dust in the wind?,

            with your eyes on Jesus, and your heart open to the Lord,

                        will you strive to persevere,

                                    and claim God’s promise of Ephesians 3:20-21,

            “… who by the power at work within us  is able to accomplish   abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine,  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.