Father in Heaven and Universe beyond, Lord today we humbly come to you in deep thanks for our very being and pray that you would forgive us of all of our sins and even more for the stuff we haven’t done. Like sharing our lives openly with and in you. Lord pleas strengthen our walk in you. Amen!
Message: When We Follow Him & Like What We Do!
I started out with a title for today with; “doing what we like, and liking what we do”. But in the culture that we now find ourselves in, doing what you like, can mean a whole lot of stuff for a whole lot of people. Let’s face it, today we have become accustomed to just saying; “you do you”, and call it good in the moral relevance of today.
But life is so much more than just doing what we like, and being led around by our endless cravings and appetites that seek shinny bling. That never ending stream of titillating facsimile in life, with fake fun and imitation, are the fuel for the engines that drive our sick society today. We are so caught up in doing what we like in our modern life, that we are losing sight or what real enjoyment are.
So, when we get a chance to see the Lord giving assignments for sharing the Gospel (Good News) to 72 Disciples and the joy found in serving the Lord by serving other people, well it’s worth taking a moment and reflecting on how good it can be to be in harmony with our Lord Savoir. When contemplating the joy to be found in looking outside of ourselves and into glorifying God by serving others, a whole new reality begins to set in.
Today, I would like to talk with you a little bit about that reality that many of us begin to live in through the dynamic of; “When We Follow Him (our Lord), & Like What We Do!” And perhaps a great way for us to begin to go down that path today is by looking at the examples we have in scripture. Our Old Testament reflects relationships others have had with the Lord, and right now I am thinking of David King of Israel and Isaiah the Prophet quoted more than any other by the Lord in the Gospel.
Both David and Isaiah had unique lives that were anything but the “fairy tales” of living happily ever after. They experienced real lives that experienced deep heartache and almost constant turmoil. And yet both journeyed on that road less travelled in life, in real relationships that centered around praising, glorifying, and magnifying God’s precious and Holy name. I am immediately reminded of David’s Psalm from today’s Call to Worship reading in Psalm 30:4-5;
4 Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
David knew a thing or two about God’s anger for he (like you and I) had tested the patience of the Lord repeatedly over a number of times and places. And yet David’s greatness in my book is that he keeps coming back to God. Something deep inside David drives him back to the Lord asking for forgiveness and receiving God’s grace over and over again. Perhaps, this is why Paul states in Acts to the believers in Antioch how God felt about David. Paul’s words are found in Acts 13:22-23;
22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’
23 “From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.
Paul who himself knew about displeasing the Lord and the incredible redemptive power of God’s forgiveness. Oh, and yes, God is saying;
‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’
David will in fact also do things God does not want him to do as well. Adultery, coveting, and murder for starters, and yet; “a man after God’s own heart”! Why?
My thought, and again this is my thought, you are tasked with the heaving lifting of studying, praying and thinking for yourself with the Lord as your anchor. My thought, is that David does exactly what God wants when he doesn’t give up on God’s ability to forgive us our sins, as we are charged with forgiving others who have hurt us. David is God’s example of how He is ready to forgive each of us when we truly regret our sin and humbly come to God for forgiveness and the strength to do be better next time.
David indeed knows about the Lord’s anger and Discipline as depicted in today’s Call from Psalms 30, verse 5;
5 For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
David knew that if the Lord was taking the time to discipline him, he was truly blessed. As reflected by David’s son Solomon in Proverbs 3:11-12 by writing;
11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,
and do not resent his rebuke,
12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in
And Solomon was saying nothing new. The Lord’s Provision, protection, and discipline kept all of Israel alive on an intimate bases for 40 years in the wilderness as reflected in, Deuteronomy 8:2-5;
2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.
God chose and then adorned His chosen people in a special relationship that serves to instruct all people in all ages of time, seeking a relationship with a God who loves us in spite of us. This idea begins to take form when we start a new life living in and with our God in a real relationship. That’s when Isaiah’s words from the second part of today’s Call to Worship begins to make more sense. Reading again from Isaiah 61:10-11;
10 I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness
and praise spring up before all nations.
And it begins in part with When We Follow Him, & Like What We Do! Now the Lord’s discipline begins to make sense, and we begin to as Isaiah puts it; delight greatly in the Lord; and our souls rejoice(s) in our God! Everything changes when we are in harmony, and now we see miracles (like our very being), around every corner. Because now we are looking for them, and not just automatically filtering out all of God’s beauty, but actually embracing His majesty!
And, as the soil makes the sprout come up, our inner seed, that deep place where God’s new Temple now resides in our hearts, begins to blossom. Sort a like as in God’s Garden of creation beauty. Without his guiding Spirit, these are just mere words, but in and with our Lord, new incite and meaning begin to evolve. That’s when being clothed in garments of salvation begins to take on new meaning.
And it’s not about nice clothes that Isaiah is talking about, but a new attitude and mindset that the Lord is growing within us. When I open myself up to the Lord’s guidance, and yes discipline too, I begin to think, hope and pray for other people instead of my own selfish desires, and a glimpse of what the Disciples sent out into the world by Jesus to share the good news of salvation, might have experienced. From today’s Message reading in Luke 10:16-21, we have;
16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
Here we have a report of the seventy-two full of joy in their service in the Lord. Demons submitted to His name, and the underlying obstacle of individual selfishness and ego (in which we all battle), was overcome on this mission calling.
What’s so awesome about the simple instructions and comments made by the Lord is this; we are not responsible for forcing any kind of change in the people we share the Good News with. Our task is caring, sharing, and inviting people into the Gospel, while living our faith openly in and with the Lord. The people we meet are equipped with the freedom of choice to listen or not, and we are empowered to love them regardless of choice. That’s what is so liberating about; When We Follow Him, & Like What We Do!
But what if I don’t like what I’m doing in my following God and serving others? What about my hopes, my dreams, my thoughts and cares for what I want? You know me and my needs! Not settling for Ballerina Barbie, but demanding Malibu Barbie.
Well, my thought is, stop! I don’t think God is looking for you to walk around as a living martyr, in search of sackcloth and ashes, and making life for yourself and those around you miserable. If serving the Lord is all your idea, and you are doing God and the other people in your life a favor by your service, perhaps you are missing the point of what serving others is all about.
You see, when we have really committed to follow our Lord, and have a real relationship in and with Him, many of us made that decision based on the knowledge that everything else was a sham. Those things that we chased in the past didn’t satisfy or edify, they only nullified real happiness.
All of those assumptions out there that life is about demanding and getting the most, regardless of it is at the expense of others, that the victor wins all and decides all, are just empty and shallow snake water, and only half true.
It is right to demand more, and to get more from life, but it comes from giving more of ourselves, and demanding more from our faithwalks, which results in a happiness that for may have been out of reach until now. As the Disciple realized and related back to Jesus, they were able to overcome much and give of themselves in the quest to share the Good News of salvation for humanity.
But what about my original question, what if I’m not happy with what I’m doing in the service of following the Lord? Here are a couple of ideas to consider as you take a look at your life and your role as a servant;
- Have you made the commitment to serve on your own with God, or do you feel strong armed? Were you voluntold or pressured?
- If you feel that other people are deciding for you in your service and that you are not being heard, take a step back and pray with the Lord for a way ahead.
- Perhaps God is telling you that you are serving Him in the wrong area/way & time for a reset.
- There is a place for everyone and a ministry is waiting for you.
- Look at your motives and reasons for your service.
- If you feel that other people are deciding for you in your service and that you are not being heard, take a step back and pray with the Lord for a way ahead.
- Your service in the Lord with other Christians can be a blast!
- Don’t let others bring you down.
- Remember that the people who are serving others are trying to get well too. We only truly get healthy when we help others to get healthy.
- Knowing this reality can make all the difference in enjoying what we do in and with the Lord and each other.
- Almost everyone goes through droughts or hard times in their Faith Walk.
- Realizing this can make all the difference in hanging in there when things are dragging.
At the end of the day, a favored technique out there is to find someone having a harder time than you and help them. It’s the quickest way sometimes to find that gratitude for God that is an essential ingredient for many of us; When We Follow Him, & Like What We Do!
For me I guess that’s when everything seems to come into a focus that brings clarity to life. When I dig in deep and find gratitude for all that the Lord is providing. And His providence is prolific indeed! When I begin to think of all He gives and loves and cares in spite of me, the path of When We Follow Him, & Like What We Do! becomes a highway of fellowship and grace. Amen!