choose your God

Joshua 24 & 1 Kings 18 Joshua has proven himself as a faithful leader. He asks the people to renew their covenant commitment before his death. Elijah impresses us as a man of faith and perhaps some theatrical flair. Ahab called him the “troubler of Israel” but Elijah reverses that accusation (1 Kings 18:17,18) and suggests a spiritual contest to declare true allegiances. Questions: What will it take to convince you that God is more powerful than anything else in your life? … What course of action should you take when confronted with differing views about God? (do some research?, accept the most convincing?, just ignore viewpoints different from me) … What false gods in my life need to be exposed, deposed, and disposed? … What are the false gods of ‘the land where we live’? … How can you make sure you choose to serve seriously? … After one has experienced so many of God’s miracles & victories, how is it possible to revert back to idolatry? … How do we avert the temptation to revert?

Joshua 24:14,15 = Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

1 Kings 18:21 = How long will you waiver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.

Deuteronomy 5:7 = You shall have no other gods before me.

Lessons:

• It is impossible to serve multiple masters – abstaining is not a viable or reasonable option

• Once you commit, there should be no turning back >• ‘Heart loyalty’ must accompany any declaration of allegiance

I had a conversation earlier this week about the many choices we have each time we go to the store - plentiful fruit and vegetables no matter what the season. Way more than even a generation ago. And any product you can dream of - there's a store somewhere - and now a multitude of choices on the internet - is there nothing we cannot find? Some restaurants have menus that overwhelm us with choices. And our small connected multi-cultural world offers much to choose from when it comes to world views, values and religions. There were times in the Bible when the spiritual leaders asked for the people to register their choices, to renew their vows.

We will try and hear the similar challenges that both Joshua and Elijah place before us. Are you ready to register your decision? Our priorities, our time, our money, our reading, our actions - these will reveal just where our heart is.

King Ahab has sought relentlessly to find Elijah, number one on Israel’s most wanted list. Ahab demanded on oath assurance that no one was hiding the prophet. Ahab mistakenly believes Elijah is somehow responsible for drought. Hebrew “troubler” = “one who stirs up” …describes turgid liquids, murky waters … Elijah is regarded as a traitor disturbing the tranquility and prosperity of Israel because Baal seems to have lost his power and influence over the land as evidenced by drought

The folly of his logic: if Baal is truly god, Elijah could have no power over Israel. So how could he put a hex on the land?

The contest was necessary – to prove that the Baal cult was powerless and nothing less than idolatry. It was also necessary so as to renew the spiritual allegiance of God’s people, which had dwindled, fizzled and melted into a melded mess of superstitious paganism with traces of memory of the one true living God.

The location of Mt. Carmel is not insignificant – it was the centre of the local Baal worship. It is close to the border with Phoenicia, so the ‘showdown’ is coming down within earshot of Jezebel – the driving force behind the assault on Elijah and his God. Also, there is a luxurious valley in the area, so fertility based religion thrives in the region.

Lessons:

1. The Lord of Israel will tolerate no compromise when it comes to devotion, no combination of multiple deities.

1 Kings 18:21 = How long will you waiver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.

Deuteronomy 5:7 = You shall have no other gods before me.

Hebrew = literally = “stop hopping between two boughs” … word for bough = also used for thoughts … therefore, as branches go off in various directions, so thoughts and opinions can go off in all directions (ideas about God) … Hebrew = literally = word for hop is also used for lameness (Mephibosheth from a childhood accident 2 Sam. 9:13) and a condition that disqualifies one from holding priestly office (Lev. 21:18)

The hopping around of deity devotion is paralleled by frantic altar dancing (vs. 26) and bloodletting (vs. 28) • The concept seems to suggest a lack of whole-hearted dedication • distraction/allegiance flows ebbs and flows like the tide, responding to outside influences of attraction (the moon’s gravity) • reminds us of James 1:5-8 (a verse for next week “Choose Wisdom”)

2. God intervenes with His powerful presence … fire = divine presence (Ex. 3:2, 19:18, 24:17) … fire attests divine acceptance & approval of the sacrifice (1 Chron. 21:26) (both concepts together in Jud. 6:20-22 = Gideon + Lev. 9:22-24 = Moses) … so where do you need to see God’s power & presence in your life these days

3. Time to toss the false gods we are attracted to, intrigued by, devoted to (example of Hindu converts in India turning over boxes/bags of idols to the Pastor for disposal) …. Idols, imposters

EXPOSED + DEPOSED + DISPOSED

• The fertility religion is not really a ‘respect for the land’ religion, an ‘O, isn’t mother nature grand’ religion: it is nothing more than a religion of materialism (see NIV Application Commentary, August Konkel, Zondervan 2006) … agricultural and economic success were at stake … this resonates well with our culture and time!

Joshua’s call to choose now rings in our memory banks: Joshua 24:14,15 = Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. • Beyond the river …. Back in Egypt? (Jordan?)(sun god?) … Back in Ur of Chaldees? (Euphrates?) (moon worship?) … Amorites = fertility gods

EXTRA NOTES:

1. Idols for Destruction: Christian Faith and its Confrontation with American Society, Herbert Schlossberg, Thomas Nelson, 1983

• Idols of History, Humanity, Mammon, Nature, Power, Religion,

2. Imposters of God: inquiries into favorite idols, William Stringfellow, Geo. A. Pflaum Pub., 1969

• “Few modern men in the postindustrial societies acknowledge that they are idolaters. Yet idolatry is pervasive in every time and culture, no less now than yesterday, no less in Washington than Gomorrah, no less among sophisticates than aborigines. Is there any difference between middle class people idolizing their children and heathen venerating their ancestors? Is the present idolatrous fascination with science significantly distinguishable from the adoration of fire and thunder? All idols are imposters of God.”

choose the better way

Martha, as hostess, appears to be distracted, resentful, worried and upset. Mary displays an attentive & humble position, willing to learn as she listens to Jesus. Jesus shows concern for Martha’s anxiety but his verbal response is somewhat confusing because he does not specify what “the better way” is. Possible explanations: prioritize worship over service … seek first the Kingdom of God … learning God’s Word is primary … don’t condemn your sister … Jesus does not want you sulking in service … avoid wrong kinds of service … use your gifts for the Lord Some other lessons: • Be careful about giving directives to the Lord • Balance service & worship/learning: they are not mutually exclusive • The important role of friendship in our lives • Acknowledge diversity & conflict ......... EXTENDED NOTES: Context:

1. Jesus is all about surprises! Immediate preceding story included a Good Samaritan! ................ 2. This story is about two women! ............ additional insights: ................. • Jesus had foes, fans, and friends. The fans like you, the foes don’t. The thing that is similar between fans and foes? They choose you. Friends you choose. He chooses Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Jesus hand-selected these people to be his friends. Who are your friends? ........... • They were friends who ministered to Jesus. They feed him, house him. We see that Jesus is traveling quite a bit. He’s often homeless. Friends are there for him............ • The male Jesus, who was single, had female friends. Relationships between men and women can get very confused. Gentlemen, we should treat the ladies as what? Sisters. With holiness and reverence and respect and propriety.................. • Jesus discipled women for ministry. To sit at someone’s feet was an official position. In that day, you were not accepted to a school. You were accepted by a teacher. So you didn’t apply to Harvard. You applied to your rabbi. And if you applied to your rabbi and were accepted, you were given the honorable position of sitting at their feet while they lectured and instructed. And so your commitment was more to a teacher, a professor, a rabbi, than it was to an institution or an organization. And lots of people would want to sit at Jesus’ feet, but only a few were allowed to, and Mary was among them. That’s why we see with the Apostle Paul, in Acts 22 when he’s reflecting back on his former life, before he met Jesus as savior he says that he was formerly trained by, quote, “sitting at the feet of the rabbi Gamaliel.” That’s his articulation of his academic pedigree and instruction. Luke’s attention to women & children shows his desire to reflect Jesus’ commitment to touch every level of humanity. The fact that two women dominate the story is shocking in the 1st century context, where men usually dismissed women as marginal. Islam is a religion that subjugates women. Christianity is a religion that liberates women................... • Siblings in general, but sisters in particular, are just different. Martha is the firstborn, she’s the older, she’s the driver, to-do list. She’s the gal who comes home from school, checks the chores chart, puts her backpack away, starts chopping stuff for dinner. She has it all nailed down. Mary? She’s more like a butterfly. Wherever the wind’s blowin’, that’s where she’s goin’............... • Like all families, the brothers and sisters who are different than us annoy us...............

What Jesus is NOT saying:

1. Jesus loves Mary more than Martha. No - both are equally loved by Jesus. (John 11:5) verse 41 “Martha, Martha” denotes affection & concern ......... 2. Martha’s activity is just plain wrong! No – out of love, she was trying to serve him and ease his exhaustion. ............... 3. If Martha = action then Mary must = lazy. Because Jesus says Mary has chosen the better way, then inactivity, couch-potato behaviour is being condoned? Hardly! .... Let me tell you what Mary’s not, ‘cause I know some of you. And some of you are lazy, selfish, disorganized, and ridiculous. And you will say, “Well, I’m like Mary.” No, you’re not! She’s not playing solitaire on the computer, right? I mean, she’s spending time with Jesus—just ‘cause you don’t do anything doesn’t mean you’re like Mary, okay?

What Jesus IS saying

1. Martha’s wrong attitude in condemning her sister needed to be rebuked........ 2. In service, there is no room for agitation or anxiety. Watch out for “martyrdom complexes”. Don’t sink into sulkiness, don’t retreat into resentment. Greek for NIV “upset” = “outward noise” … = Martha is not wrong in her dedication to service, but in her method of discharging it!..............

3. Being busy is no excuse for neglecting worship of Christ or missing out on his words. MD = Here’s what Jesus is saying, “Martha, there’s a lot you can do, but there’s something that’s most important. In fact, Martha, you could take everything you’ve ever written on every to-do list and combine their importance and they’re not as important as getting time with me.” **** Blessed are the Balanced!

4. The Greek word for NIV distracted literally = “allow attention to wander” = does not preclude multi-tasking – so Martha was attempting to do both! Worship/learning + service are not mutually exclusive!

5. Some scholars suggest there is textual evidence to translate it as “Mary also sat at his feet” … Worship/learning + service are not mutually exclusive! Worship & Work must be one! Hymn #555 “Worship the Lord” – each verse ends with “worship & work must be one”

6. Avoid the wrong kind of serving which is to rush, fuss and fluster! Jesus needed an oasis of calm away from the demanding crowds

Some other lessons:

1. Be careful about giving directives to the Lord. .... other examples: Luke 12:13, John 8

2. Life is full of tough choices.

3. The meaning of “only one thing is needed” ... only one course, just a piece of bread, no need for all the fuss, a granola bar or P&B sandwich is all I need ...

4. Do what you are created do, be what you are created to be. MD = Marys need time in the Bible. They need silence and solitude and prayer. They need to go to church. They need to go to a small group. They need to be with God’s people and they need to sit at Jesus’ feet. That’s Mary. She wants to sit with her brothers and sisters in Christ and she wants to learn the Bible and she wants to pray and she wants to be equipped for ministry so that she can have a heart that is full of love for Jesus. This does not mean Martha is “bad”. Martha gets a little bit of a bad bum rap. And there is a good aspect to Martha. I’ll show it to you here in Luke 10:38, “a woman named Martha welcomed him [Jesus] into her house.” Jesus comes to town, who’s the only person that invites him over? Martha! That’s a good thing. Mary’s facilitate, make good things happen!! Without them the making of disciples is much more challenging.

5. Jesus missed Martha. MD = Martha, Martha, I’m passing through town. I’m not gonna be here for long. Eventually, they’re gonna crucify me. I have a lot of foes, I have a lot of fans. I don’t have a lot of friends. Martha, you’re one of my friends. We’re here. Let’s just sit in the living room and visit with everybody and pray and talk and laugh. We miss you. I miss you. We all miss you.” Jesus missed Martha.

Conclusion:

1. Deuteronomy 8:3 Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God 2. Choose the BETTER meal – the meal that will have eternal value - the meal of God’s Word! Deuteronomy 6:1-8

choose life

LUKE 7:14 DEUT 30

THE CHOICES:

Deut 30 • Life/prosperity or death/destruction

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b>Matthew 7:13, 14 • KJV = “straight gate” = from Latin = strictum (narrow) …. Jesus clearly intended it to be restrictive, less inviting, therefore ‘narrow’ is the better English word …. Most people prefer the easier entrance, the ‘more inviting’ one • The BROAD road is spacious and accommodates crowds, and lots of baggage! • Two different Greek words used for ‘narrow’: vs. 13 = stene; vs. 14 = tethlimmene (cognate of thlipsis = tribulation due to persecution …. Thus, the way of Christian discipleship is narrow (restrictive) because it is the way of persecution …. NOTE Acts 14:19-22

DON’T ‘SHORT-CHANGE’ GOD: No possible barrier to blessing! Our role is to simply turn, receive, obey … no long arduous journey, pilgrimage, no climbing the mountain to get some special revelation • “EVEN IF” of vs. 4 • “EVEN GREATER PROSPERITY” of vs. 5, 9 • “EVEN GREATER PROSPERITY” of vs. 5, 9

Conclusion: “What people grasp and cleave to, they have for eternity” (Salvian The Presbyter, born in Cologne 400 - 405 AD; writer, theologian) … so too with what people choose!

extended notes:

Bible = pivotal moments of choice * Philistines with Goliath confronted Saul & Israel: choose a champion! * Joshua (Joshua 24:15) “Choose you this day whom you will serve” * Jeremiah (Jeremiah 21:8) “Behold I set before you the way of life and the way of death: * Pilate says to the Passover crowds:

“Barabbas or Jesus? Who should I release?”

THE CHOICES: Deuteronomy 30 • Life/prosperity or death/destruction • The offer is made to the Nation of Israel but the individual was not so swallowed up in the community that he/she could avoid personal responsibility • A radical change in Israel’s spiritual condition comes with a radical/basic attitudinal & behavioral “heart adjustment” • Ambrose = death is the divestiture

of the gift of breath and all that we enjoy

Matthew 7:13, 14 • “Two ways” language is common in Jewish literature, both Bible and secular • KJV = “straight gate” = from Latin = strictum (narrow) …. Jesus clearly intended it to be restrictive, less inviting, …. Therefore ‘narrow’ is the bestter English word. Most people prefer the easier entrance, the ‘more inviting’ one • The BROAD road is spacious and accommodates crowds, and lots of baggage! • Two different Greek words used for ‘narrow’: vs. 13 = stene; vs. 14 = tethlimmene (cognate of thlipsis = tribulation due to persecution …. Thus, the way of Christian discipleship is narrow (restrictive) because it is the way of persecution …. NOTE Acts 14:19-22 • Things that last, things of value, don’t come early or easily; and rarely is a masterpiece painted or a symphony composed or great literature penned via a simple shortcut!

Don’t ‘short-change’ God

“EVEN IF” of vs. 4 • No possible barrier to blessing! Hypothetical participle of strongest assertion (similar to Numbers 22:18) … out on the edge of the world, where all seems so foreign and frustratingly pagan, where God seems so distant, the Lord will gather, retrieve, rejuvenate, energize & bless!

“EVEN GREATER PROSPERITY”Vs. 5, 9

“EVEN GREATER PROSPERITY”Vs. 5, 9 Vs. 11-13 • ‘Not too difficult’ can also be translated “not too mysterious” … This is NOT A SECRET! - no need to comprehend the entire universe in order to really begin to live! • Our role is to simply turn, receive, obey … no long arduous journey, pilgrimage, no climbing the mountain to get some special revelation • The close proximity of the revelation – it is near! “In your mouth” = “you can even repeat it!” …. “in your heart” = “you can think it, feel it” • Paul builds on this in Romans 10:6-10 … salvation is by faith … “if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, you will be s aved”

Conclusion:

• What people grasp and cleave to, they have for eternity (Salvian The Presbyter, born in Cologne 400 - 405 AD; writer, theologian) … so too, with what they choose! • Illustration: crash at Daytona 500 – “all of us on a collision course with eternity” p. 4 More Perfect Illustrations, Christianity Today 2003 • THE BIBLE SAYS CHOOSE LIFE! In light of recent public shootings (Denver movie theatre, Toronto Eaton Centre, Toronto block party) innocent people were deprived of their choice by depraved individuals who chose death! • Illustration: telemarketer calls, “May I please speak with the major decision maker of the home.” … response: “I’m sorry, our 5 yr old daughter is not home from Kindergarten yet.” – Humor for Preaching & Teaching, p. 53, Baker, Christianity Today, 1996 • ARE YOU HOME? ARE YOU READY TO MAKE A CHOICE? WILL IT BE LIFE? John 10:10, Romans 6:23 • So, … in your life is there something that today must be altered? Why not come before the altar of God Almighty and choose the alternate to death & curse – choose life & blessing!

Choosing to Fish

Teaching Series: VERY GOOD CHOICES part #2 CHOOSING TO FISH sunday July 15, 2012 .... Luke 4:14-21, 38-44, 5:1-11 Jesus has clearly accepted his unique identity & calling, the program is set. Now he recruits people to join him in the mission. A fishing boat encounter with the partners & friends of Peter reveals a simple formula for blessing: Listen + Obey = Success • if we want a miracle, we must take Jesus at his word when he bids us attempt the impossible • frustrating failures can be turned into surprising successes! Building on the experience of the blessing, the team is built: kneeling acknowledges humility in the presence of Lordship; listening receives reassurance; sacrifice displays commitment, risk & faith; following signifies loyalty & purpose. “Don’t be afraid, from now on you will catch men.” So they pulled their boats up on a shore, left everything and followed him.

Extended Notes:

INTRODUCTION • There’s a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore like an idiot. - Steven Wright • There are more fish taken out of a stream than ever were in it. - Oliver Hereford

FISHING BOAT ENCOUNTER

We started today’s Scripture with Jesus reading Scripture & teaching in the synagogue. Now Luke 5 opens with a lakeside scene. Sea of Galilee/Sea of Tiberias/Lake of Gennesaret = 13 miles long, 8 miles wide, 680 feet below sea level William Barclay quotes John Wesley = “I love a commodious room, a soft cushion and a handsome pulpit – but field preaching saves souls.”

• Verse 4: A carpenter telling a fisherman how to fish is like .... • Verse 5: “We’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything” • Verse 5: “But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

A fishing boat encounter with the partners & friends of Peter reveals a simple formula for blessing: Listen + Obey = Success

So many fish, the nets begin to break! So many fish, the signal goes out to the partners to help! So many fish, two boats are filled and about to sink! So many fish, all were astonished at the catch! So many fish, this must the greatest moment of our fishing career!

William Barclay (who does not believe in miracles .... Jesus, with his keen eyesight, “saw a shoal of fishes” but did not “create a shoal of fishes”, and therefore made it “look like a miracle” ironically says “if we want a miracle, we must take Jesus at his word when he bids us attempt the impossible.”

With Jesus, frustrating failures can be turned into surprising successes. Jesus transforms tests into testimonies. But the lesson is much bigger than a fishing trip: this catch is a picture of how he will guide the disciples in other more spiritual, and yes, more important affairs.

JESUS RECRUITS PEOPLE TO WORK HIS PROGRAM

In the Jewish setting, rabbis would gather students around them. But Jesus attracts – no, intentionally recruits – fishermen, tax collectors, former revolutionaries – “just plain old sinners” as D.L. Bock writes, “not theological professionals”!

JOINING THE CAUSE

• No perfection prerequisite Peter quickly perceives that he is not worthy to experience the benefits of God’s power & presence. There is no presumption that God owns him anything. Jesus, exemplifying God’s grace, makes it clear that Peter has exactly what it takes to be a partner in His ministry program: such a humble approach is just what God will use! God does not call, need or want servants who think they can help God get it done. Peter knows that in Jesus God is right here, right now! And God is holy! And I’m a sinner! I’m at risk! Like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Moses, Gideon – bowed low in humility, guilt, uncertainty, insecurity

• No hesitation The response is instantaneous Mark 1:18, Matthew 4:20, 22 = “at once”, “immediately” the response is total: The question is, what’s it gonna cost? Verse 11 “And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.” They walked away, not just from the fish, the biggest catch they’d ever had. They also walked away from the nets, which were very valuable, and the fleet of boats. They walked away from their business. Now, see, some of you, you say, “I will follow Jesus providing it doesn’t cost anything.” And Peter leaves everything.

Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church = What I love is he doesn’t say, “Okay, Jesus, I’ll be there in three months. First, we gotta take these fish in and collect this money, ‘cause this is a lot of loot. And then, we gotta sell the nets, so we gotta put that on eBay. That could be a few weeks, we gotta knock that out. But then we gotta sell the boats, ‘cause the boats are worth a lot. And once I get all that squared up and I get money in the bank and I get my affairs in order and everything’s secure, then Jesus, I’m ready to roll.” What he does, he just…”That’s it, I’m following Jesus. I’m following Jesus.”

Am I saying every one of you should quit your job? No. Should some of you? Yeah, if God tells you to do that. It’s amazing. They left everything. I mean, we’re in a day when following Jesus and seeing people get saved, for the average Christian, is not even in the—literally if you kept a journal—in the top 100 priorities, if you actually followed the dollars and the hours and how they were spent. Some of you don’t even know your non-Christian neighbors. Some of you don’t even care about non-Christians. Some of you don’t even talk to them. And here’s the mark of immaturity, “It’s about me, not them. It’s about what I get, not what I give. It’s about how I’m served, not how I serve. It’s about what I want, not about what the city needs.” It’s the mark of immaturity. What does a baby think about? Themselves. They left everything, left everything. What are you willing to pay so that people would meet Jesus

PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM It is time to cast the nets in a different sea; the sea of humanity’s need for God. The mission is to catch persons alive. WHAT IT IS: 4: 18, 19 HOW IT’S DONE:

In the Power of the Spirit If you are a Christian or become one, you have the Holy Spirit. So far we have seen that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, that he was baptized in the Holy Spirit, that he was filled by the Holy Spirit, that he was led by the Holy Spirit. In this section we read that he was empowered by the Holy Spirit and here we say, Isaiah 61 has come true. The prophecy has been fulfilled, that the Spirit of the Lord is on him.

With total commitment to the cause • Driscoll = follow your calling, not your potential 4:43 • As already noted, a prompt rsvp is given + evidence of “all in”

CONCLUSION

And he rolled up the scroll,” Jesus did, “and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’” “Today, this little room, this little town, with these simple people, the Spirit of the Lord is on me. Today I’m the Christ,” (which means anointed one). “All of this is fulfilled in me. Today I’m your riches. I’m your freedom. I’m your sight. I’m your liberation. That’s me,” Jesus says. “It’s all about me,” - and it is! Today, it’s all about Jesus. And Today it is time to start fishing! You don’t commit yourself to regularly gathering with people in church some day—today. You don’t commit yourself to reading the Scriptures as Jesus did someday—today. You don’t determine that at some point in your future you will overcome your addiction and your sin and your pride and your slavery and identity issues related to your sin or sins committed against you—that day is today. And the Bible says, if today, this day, today, you hear his voice, please, for your soul, for your salvation, for your joy, do not harden your heart, do not harden your heart.

Prayer:

Father God, I pray that we would seize today, that there would be a sense of urgency. Holy Spirit, stir and awaken in us a sense of sanctified discomfort. We want to know more. We want to be more. We want to do more, and so, Holy Spirit, we are confessing sin and unbelief and laziness. If we are not studying, if we are not serving, if we are not caring, if we are not trying – awaken us Lord. If we have picked gods other than you to rule over us, forgive us. If we’ve not given to your cause, forgive us. We are blessed and spoiled and I pray, Lord God, that through the Holy Spirit this year we would become a more passionate, generous people. So, God, I pray that today would be a great day. I pray that today we would love Jesus. That today those who have been suffering but growing would be encouraged to continue. And those who have never met you would begin a whole new life and relationship with you. Holy Spirit we can do nothing, you can do anything. So we invite you to have your way with us, in Jesus’ good name, Amen.

FISHING SKIT

You look quite relaxed! My idea of fishing is to leave all the exertion of energy up to the fish. If they are ambitious we will catch them. If they are not, let them go about their business. So you really think those fish are going to decide to leap out of the water, hop all the way up the hill to your driveway, begging to be caught?! Well ….. why not? I’m here, I’m waiting, and I’m ready! … Hey, there’s an extra rod: why don’t you join me? Have a seat. Right here –ah, - in your driveway? Absolutely, I’ve been doing this for 35 years now. Read all the books on fishing, bought the best lures, …. Have you caught anything? Well, … not exactly, but one’s got to practice first. I think you should try the lake – or the river. Why? Ah – that’s where the fish are. Hmmm. But sometimes it gets windy by the lake doesn’t it? … And I’ve heard there are lots of mosquitoes! … And I’d have to trailer and launch my boat (see that beauty over there? Wow, I got a deal when I bought that fishing boat! On sale, just under $30,000.00! Best fishing boat on the market I was told.) As I said before, I think you should try the lake. Let’s go! I’ll come with you. Perhaps later. You go ahead. I’ll pray for you to catch a lot today. I think I’ll stay back & polish my boat, look at a few more fishing magazines, practice my casting technique – oh, oh – looks like I just hooked the neighbour’s mini-van again!

FISHING JOKES

Q: What did the fish say when he ran into a concrete wall? A: DAM!

Two (substitute your favorite town nemesis) fishermen go on a fishing trip. They rent all the equipment - the reels, the rods, the wading suits, the rowboat, the car, and even a cabin in the woods. I mean they spend a fortune! The first day they go fishing, but they don't catch anything. The same thing happens on the second day, and on the third day. It goes on like this until finally, on the last day of their vacation, one of the men catches a fish. As they're driving home they're really depressed. One guy turns to the other and says, "Do you realize that this one lousy fish we caught cost us fifteen hundred bucks?" The other guy says, "Wow! Then it's a good thing we didn't catch any more fish!"

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A man went fishing one day. He looked over the side of his boat and saw a fish surface with a frog in its mouth. Feeling sorry for the frog, he reached down, gently took the frog from the fish, and set the frog free. But then he felt sorry for the fish. He looked around the boat, but he had no food. All he had was a bottle of whiskey. So he opened the bottle and gave the fish a few shots. The fish went off happy, the frog was happy, and the man was happy to have performed such good deeds. He thought everything was great until about ten minutes passed and he heard something knock against the side of the boat. With stunned disbelief, the fisherman looked down and saw the fish was back, this time with two frogs!

Choosing to Soar

Teaching Series: VERY GOOD CHOICES Part #1 - CHOOSING TO SOAR Sunday July 8, 2012 Rev. D. Johns Isaiah 40:25-31 See also James 4:7-10 & Psalm 40:1-5, 103:5, Romans 15:13 • If your thinking stinks you will certainly sink! (recall Peter walking on water in Matthew 14:22-32) • Have you ever felt like God has lost track of you? (welcome to the club!) • This may sound more like a medical commercial or sales pitch, but Isaiah is basically saying - “do you have any of these symptoms?: constant complaining, feelings of loneliness, weakness, exhaustion, hopelessness ….. wouldn’t you rather feel hopeful, renewed, energetic, young again?” Eagle imagery: The Israelites were forbidden from eating birds of prey because they were detestable (Leviticus 11:13) yet the 30 references in Scripture depict the eagle as an image of strength and deliverance. (see Exodus 19:4, Isaiah 40:31) …. So how does this image speak to you today? extended notes:

Introduction: When I have been running the (new to me) trails around Kimberley, already twice I have been lost and my 1 hour run has turned into something much longer than planned … due to wrong choices every time the trail forked. Choices have consequences. Choices determine destination. Choices determine energy levels. They determine mindsets, control fears & emotions

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b>Isaiah 40 Isaiah speaks to people who had lost hope. After he reasons with them, he asks them to make a choice. There’s a message for our world too! Hope/wait and rise up! …. Like an eagle!

Illustration: 1. Eagles have very long, large wings, a short neck, and legs short enough to tuck into their belly feathers while aloft, except when they're fishing. Their wings are long and wide enough to carry their own body weight plus the weight of most of the fish that they carry. It takes a lot of energy to flap such large wings, just like it's a lot of work running with a large kite until it takes off! Two scientists who studied eagles, Jon. M. Gerrard and Gary R. Bortolotti, write that "Eagles are capable of sustained flapping flight but they usually spend little time doing it. During the month when Cindy (one of the female eagles they studied) was observed intensively, she averaged less than 2 minutes per hour in flapping flight. That is not surprising when one considers the large expenditure of energy required by the pectoral and supracoracoid muscles to power the huge wings. The energy needed to maintain a bird in flat soaring or gliding flight is much less, perhaps a 20th or less the power needed for flapping. Therefore, eagles will always choose to soar or glide when possible." That is why when eagles are flying long distances, especially on migration, they often soar on thermals until they reach a great altitude, and then use the gliding/soaring method of flying to cover the longest distance using the smallest amount of energy.

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b>Question: What keeps us grounded? Answer: stinking thinking

The impossible had happened: who could have anticipated the fall of a great nation, one chosen of God? … who could have anticipated the destruction a holy temple? Had God not let them down? Crisis behavior, panic, & despair causes brain freeze and theological amnesia. These people needed to hear a word from God desperately so that their thinking would change. Vs. 27 = complain + God can’t find me + God has abandoned me • This is way too low a view of God! • Ie: the caring capable creator affirmed in Isaiah. 40 is either to be trusted or not! Like Peter: when winds & waves draw your eyes away from the one who can walk on water, your thinking starts to stink and you start to sink!

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b>Question: What else keeps us grounded? Answer: exhaustion in this congregation who are members of the “fraternity of the fatigued.” So many believers have allowed the Christian pilgrimage to degenerate into a rat race — and the rats are winning! We faint and have no might. We faint and are weary.

v. 28 — The is of course One Person who is never weary. God neither faints nor is weary. v. 29 —We faint and have no might. We faint and are weary, we utterly fall. The word “weary” means to “feel fatigue.” It is the natural result of labor and toil that reduces strength.

The Signs of Fatigue. “We worship our work. We work at our play. And we play at our worship.” — at a breakneck pace, in the fast lane, involved in everything that comes our way. And some proudly say, “But I would rather burn out than rust out.” Well, my friend, either way you are out!

The Sources of Fatigue. What are the culprits that weary us? Our life style. The way we choose to live - plan, schedule, work, hurry here and there. There is something about this age that wears on you until you wear down or eventually wear out! Our sinful society can sandblast our souls.

Illustration:

I read a cute story of a first-grader who wondered why her father brought home a briefcase full of work every evening. Her mother explained, “Daddy has so much to do that he can’t finish it all at the office.” “Well, then,” asked the child innocently, “why don’t they put him in a slower group like my reading group at school?” It’s hard to find a slower group, isn’t it?

All right. There is the problem. There are those who have allowed themselves to get under a burden and have lost courage and hope. They faint and become despondent in the task. And for every one who “burns out” in God’s work, there are hundreds added to them who just “back out.” “They turned back in the day of battle,” Psalm 78:9.

But there is GOOD NEWS today! There is A WAITING THAT RENEWS, v. 31a. A Contrast that is Declared. “But . . .” God has pointed out the problem and now declares there is another way to live.

A Condition that is Difficult.

“But they that wait upon the Lord.” Most Christian I know have a serious “wait problem” that no diet or exercise program in this world can remedy! You have heard the prayer, “Lord, give me patience. And I want it right now!” It is almost impossible for a high speed internet generation to learn how to wait. Who wants to wait in bank lines when I can get it done in seconds on line?!

I have not enjoyed waiting for . . . the toast to brown . . . the marshmallow to toast …. the light to turn green . . . the next parking space . . . children to get out of school . . . checker at the grocery store . . . game to start . . . the kettle to boil … the jello to jell — and that’s just the big stuff! Illustration: Most of us are not like the little girl at her piano practice, who when asked why she was so quiet, answered, “Mother, I am practicing the rests.” “If Christians do not come apart and rest awhile, they may just plain come apart.” Look at the Psalms. Psalm 27:14 “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God...” This is the “exchanged life.” • I exchange my weakness for God’s strength. • I exchange my misery for God’s joy. • I exchange my slavery for God’s freedom. • I exchange my foolishness for God’s wisdom. • I exchange my poverty for God’s riches. • I exchange my death for God’s life. Certainly the act and attitude of waiting upon the Lord involves... • Searching the Word of God. • Seeking the fellowship of God. • Surrendering to the will of God. • Selling out to the glory of God. A Consequence that is Delightful. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.” A new energy to engage! A new power to perform! A new unction to function! This is the very thing we need — renewed strength. Waiting is not a waste. This is a strange sequence, an odd order. The normal way would be to have it — walk, run, mount up. H. A. Ironsides and W. A. Criswell suggest that possibly the prophet had three stages in mind — youth soaring, middle age running and old age walking. God has strength equal to your age and your task. See p.448 NIV Application commentary by John Oswalt “Even the most vigorous things in creation (young men) cannot get themselves going. They are not self generating but depend on outside sources for strength. But God is self-generating. And that means he has abundant strength to give away to those who will wait in hope for him. We are back to the theme of trust. More than just ‘marking time’, it is living in confident expectation of his action on our behalf. It is refusing to run ahead of God in trying to solve our problems for ourselves. God will provide the strength to soar, run, walk.” Spiritual Rising. “Mount up with wings as eagles.” That’s soaring. God wants to give you strength to soar like an eagle, not simply to be a barnyard turkey. God’s people need the strength to rise above this world and take their place in the heavenlies! This is strength to do the impossible. Illustration: Richard Wurmbrand Tortured For Christ = Hungry, beaten and doped, we could not think any more. In the darkest hours of tortures the Son of Man came to us making the prison walls shine like diamonds and filling the cells with light. Somewhere far away, were the torturers below us in the sphere of the body. But the spirit rejoiced in the Lord. The years of solitary confinement had stilled the storms in my heart. I was in the embraces of the heavenly Bridegroom. I prayed for those who tormented us and could love them with all my heart. Conclusion: Matthew 9:36 (harassed & helpless, distressed & downcast) Matthew 11:28-30 (come unto me...) Illustrations: Soarin' is a multi-sensory attraction for big kids, teens and adults in Epcot theme park that simulates a peaceful hang-gliding flight over the Golden State of California. Fasten your seat belt on the multi-passenger glider and be lifted 40 feet into the air. Swoop up and soar towards the clouds and spectacular California panoramas. An IMAX projection dome wraps 180 degrees around you, so you're engulfed by the impressive scenery. Special cameras on airplanes and helicopters captured many of the shots and the glider moves the same way the aircraft did, so you really feel like you're flying as you glide over such awe-inspiring vistas and landmarks as : • San Francisco • Golden Gate Bridge • Redwood Creek • Napa Valley • Monterey • Lake Tahoe • Yosemite National Park • Camarillo • Anaza-Borrego Desert State Park • San Diego • Malibu • Los Angeles Get a bird's-eye view over a PGA West golf tournament, a skiing and snowboarding exhibition, and float above cowboys on horseback as they race through the wilderness. Feel the wind in your hair. The air fills with the scent of orange groves, evergreens and the sea breeze. Your feet dangle free. Dip down so close to the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean, you think your toes will get wet. Then return to the sky and continue on Soarin' to a fantastic finale where fireworks burst into sensational colors around you.