God Will Take Care of You

Don’t worry. God will take care of you.

Yeah, right. Don’t worry. Easy to say. It’s a lot harder to do. It can be easy to trust God when things are going well. When you have everything you have ever needed or wanted. But what happens to faith when someone you love is taken away? How easy is it to trust God when your child’s life is at risk? And what if the One who is threatening your child is God? What happens to faith then?!?

It would never happen, you say. God would never do that. God is loving and kind. And children are a gift from God. They are precious in God’s sight. God would never harm a child.

And yet, thousands die each year from disease, abuse and war. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, 3 million cases of child abuse are reported in our country every year, and anywhere from four to seven children die every day due to abuse or neglect. God could stop it. God rescued Isaac. Why won’t God rescue these children?

I don’t think the problem is with God. I believe God desperately wants to save these children. I believe God wants to save each and every child. In fact, I believe that God is already at work, trying to save each and every child. The problem is not with God. It is with us.

Your Bible may refer to our text today as the sacrifice of Isaac, but our story is not one of sacrifice. It is a story of salvation. And our story depends upon Abraham. Will he obey God? Will he trust God? He has been faithful. Will he continue to do what God tells him to do?

Abraham had come a long way. He had traveled a great distance, lived many years, and experienced many things since God first spoke to him in Haran. The way was not easy, and Abraham had made his fair share of mistakes. Abraham was no paragon of faith, and no one would call his wife Sarah a model believer either. Despite the fact that Abraham obeyed God’s command to leave his country and home and relatives in Mesopotamia, Abraham did not initially believe it when God said Abraham would have a son. At first, Abraham contradicted god then he fell on his face and laughed.[i]

Abraham often questioned the Lord, and Sarah was always trying to out think God. So, at best, Abraham and Sarah were what preaching professor Elizabeth Achtemeier calls “sporadic believers.”[ii] They trust God sometimes.

Sometimes they are faithful. Sometimes they are not. Sometimes they obey without question, and sometimes they have A LOT of questions. Kind of like kids, right? Sometimes they do exactly what you tell them to do right when you tell them to do it. And sometimes they want to argue with you.

Happens a lot when kids get to be teenagers. You get your driver’s license and want to go to the mall or to a ballgame, but, instead, your mom sends you to the store for milk. That is a test. To see if you really ARE ready to take on more responsibility.

When it comes to faith, we are all children who are growing in our knowledge of God and trust in God. And, just as there are times when parents test their children, God tests Abraham. Which makes sense, ‘cuz, you know, a lot depends on Abraham. “God’s promise of blessing for the world rides on the faith and obedience of Abraham….”[iii]

Have you ever thought about that? The fate of the WORLD depends on Abraham. Will he do what God has told him to do? Even if it does not make sense to him? Even if he does not like what God is telling him to do? Does Abraham trust God? If so, how much?

Can you imagine how hard it was for Abraham? He had waited his whole life for a son. And, finally, God blesses him with a child, and, now, God is asking Abraham to sacrifice that child. So what will he do? Will Abraham cling to the gift God has given him? Or will Abraham trust the one who gave him the gift?

I’m gonna be honest with you. The idea that God tests us is not one that I like a whole lot. I don’t like the idea that God might “set us up” somehow. The whole scenario is so unpleasant that we might be tempted to explain away this story, saying that Abraham MISTAKENLY believed that God wanted him to sacrifice Isaac.[iv] But scripture clearly states that God tests Abraham by commanding him to use Isaac as a burnt offering.

This is not a game. God wants to know if Abraham trusts God COMPLETELY. Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann says that, at this point in the story, God genuinely does not know what Abraham will do, just as Abraham does not know what God will do.[v]

Luckily, Abraham passes the test. Abraham does EXACTLY what God tells him to do, even though everything in him must have been screaming out, “Don’t make me do this!” Abraham obeys God. Abraham obeys God because Abraham trusts God. Abraham believes that God will provide. Abraham has no clue HOW God will provide. He has no earthly idea what God is about to do! But Abraham believes, beyond any shadow of doubt, that the God who is able to give life to an old man and a barren woman is able to take terrible tragedy and, somehow, bring about new life. Abraham believes in God. Abraham believes in the goodness of God. Abraham believes that, somehow, God will provide. Abraham believes because God made a promise, and God has always kept that promise.

So Abraham sets out to do what God has told him to do. He builds an altar, places the wood on it, and ties up his son, his only son, his only hope. Abraham places Isaac on the altar and takes out a knife and prepares to give God everything.

And God says, “Stop. Don’t do it.”

And Abraham stops. Abraham listens to the voice of God. He heeds God’s call. And that, my friends, is the word for us today. Will we do what God calls us to do?

When we read this passage now and hear God ask for a human sacrifice, everything in us rebels. We know that God does not do that. But ABRAHAM did not know that. The sacrifice of children was a common religious practice in that time and place. There was no reason for Abraham to think that YHWH might be any different from any of those other so-called gods. This is Genesis. We are at the very beginning of the story. Abraham was just finding out what God is like and what God will do. Other religions claimed that God requires human sacrifice, but this terrifying story proves that YWHW is different.

“If anybody is going to be sacrificed,” God proclaims, “it will be me.” And, friends, that is the good news. God provides. God provides the sacrifice. God IS the sacrifice. God loves us so much that God would rather die himself than see even one child suffer.

But there is more to our story today than another affirmation that God is our liberator. This story calls us to action. It calls us to listen. It calls us to trust.

Like Abraham, we have come this far in our journey by faith. We have trusted God. Maybe we have not always been faithful, but, to some degree, we have trusted God. We have trusted God, and God has led us to this point where we are right now. Maybe it isn’t where we thought we would be. Maybe it isn’t where we want to be. But this is where we are.

The question is will we trust God to lead us from here? Will we do whatever God tells us to do next? Even if we don’t understand it? Even if we don’t like it? Even if it means sacrifice? Are we willing to give up everything for God?

God gave up everything for you.

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[i] Elizabeth Achtemeier. Preaching the Hard Texts of the Old Testament. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998. 19.

[ii] Achtemeier, 19.

[iii] Achtemeier, 20.

[iv] Achtemeier, 17.

[v] Walter Brueggemann. Interpretation: Genesis. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1982. 187.

Onward, Christian Soldiers

John Maxwell, the best-selling author of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, says, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”

Bob Pruitt knew the way. He was a career officer in the US Army Field Artillery. He served in Vietnam and rose to the rank of colonel. He knew how to lead. After his retirement from the military, Bob worked in real estate and was active in Kiwanis. In fact, he served as president. Bob was a problem solver, and he led by example. When the Kiwanis group needed something to hold snow cones, Bob made it. And he made it right. That was the only way he knew how to do it.

Bob Pruitt

He could be rather particular about things. Some might even say demanding, but Bob believed in doing your best. So he was the best dad he knew how to be. He always attended his son’s ball games. When they beat the #1 team in the state, Bob praised Tom saying, “You played a good game….” Then Bob proceeded to tell Tom how he could improve. Bob knew the way.

He knew what needed to be done when St. Mark’s was just getting started and meeting in a community center. And he knew what needed to be done when his son wanted to get permission from the city of Germantown to use a trail for dirt bikes. He knew what needed to be done to stop a water tower from being built near the middle school. Bob knew the way.

And he wasn’t shy about offering advice. But he was always there to help when someone was in need. And if there was a job to do, Bob was there to do it.

Bob was a true leader. He knew the way of Jesus the Good Shepherd. He went the way of the Good Shepherd. And he showed others the way.

The same could be said of Joshua. He knew the way of servant leadership. And that way began with faith. He had faith in God. And, boy, did he need it!

If anyone was ever put to the test it was the newly appointed leader of the Israelite people. Joshua had some mighty big shoes to fill. Moses had guided the people for decades. In fact, it was Moses who led the people out of captivity in Egypt and through the Red Sea. It was Moses who drew water from a rock and brought down manna from heaven. It was Moses who received the 10 Commandments and built the Ark of the Covenant. It was Moses who had led the people to the Promised Land. But Moses was gone. He had died on Mount Nebo, looking down into the fertile valley of Canaan. Moses saw the land that God had promised to give the people of Israel, but Joshua would claim the prize.

Joshua had earned God’s favor. He had proven himself to be reliable. Strong. And faithful. Back when the Israelites first made their way to the edge of the Promised Land, Moses had sent 12 leaders to scout out the land. Joshua was one of them.

“See what the land is like,” Moses told the scouts. “Are the people strong? How many people live there? Are the towns well protected? Is the soil fertile? What kind of food grows there?” (Numbers 13:18-21) That’s the kind of thing you need to know before you attempt a takeover.

So the 12 scouts spent 40 days getting the lay of the land. When they returned, they told Moses that the land was very rich. It flowed with milk and honey! But the people who lived there were powerful, which just makes sense, right? If the land is fruitful, then the people who live there will be strong and healthy and rich, and the cities will be full of people and well protected.

Ten of the scouts discouraged Moses from even trying to enter the land, but Caleb said they should go and take possession of it. And Joshua reminded them that the Lord was with them so there was no reason for the people of Israel to be afraid. “The Lord will lead us, and the Lord will give the land to us.”

 But the people rebelled. They lost faith in God. They did not believe that the Lord would keep the promise to Abraham. They did not believe that God would give them the land. So they refused to go. In fact, they even talked about replacing Moses as their leader and heading back to Egypt! They were so afraid of what was ahead of them that they were ready to go back into SLAVERY.

And that made God very angry. “How long will these people treat me with contempt?” God fumed. “How long will they refuse to believe in me? In spite of all that I have done for them! I should strike them down.”

But Moses pleaded for mercy. And the Lord relented. God vowed to keep the promise made to Abraham. God would be faithful, even though the people were not. The Lord would give the Israelites the land that had been promised. But, first, they would have to wander in the desert for 40 years. Long enough for them to learn to trust God. And long enough for the unfaithful spies to die. The unfaithful ones would not enter the Promised Land, but their children would. God would show them the way. (Numbers 13-14)

Sure enough, four decades had passed. The disbelieving had fallen away. And the time had come, finally, for the Israelites to claim the land that had been promised to their ancestors. God would defeat their enemies. And Joshua would lead them to victory.

But it would not be easy. Leading others into battle never is. The Lord encourages Joshua, “Be strong and courageous. Follow my commands. Do what I tell you to do. Do not waver from my instructions, and you will succeed.” (Joshua 1:6-9)

So Joshua does exactly what the Lord tells him to do. He gathers up the people and tells them to get ready. In three days, you will take possession of the land that the Lord is giving you.

He does not doubt or waver or change the plans one iota. Joshua is faithful. He believes in God. He trusts that the Lord will do what God has promised to do. In fact, Joshua has so much faith in God, so much confidence in the Lord, that it inspires the people. They vow to follow Joshua and to obey his commands fully. “Just as we fully obeyed Moses,” they say, “we will obey you.”

Huh? Ae you paying attention? That right there is some revisionist history! Because the people were always rebelling against Moses and against God. That’s how they ended up wandering in a desert for 40 years, remember? But maybe they have learned a thing or two. Maybe all those days trusting God for food and water and life itself have taught them the wisdom of obedience. Maybe they truly have come to believe that God is good. Maybe they truly have come to believe that God is faithful. Maybe they really believe that God is trustworthy. Because Joshua tells them it is time to go and they go. They follow Joshua, and they follow the Lord. They follow even though the way forward is difficult.

The first hurdle they face is the Jordan River, which is at flood stage, but they line up behind the Ark of the Covenant and walk straight into it. And the water dries up! They walk right across a dry river bed, and, after 40 long years, they finally enter the Promised Land! The first thing they do is worship and recommit themselves to the Lord.

It appears that the Israelites have learned finally to trust the Lord. The faith of their leader has inspired them to believe. So they march together. Bravely into battle.

Before the battle begins, Joshua sees a warrior outside of the city. Joshua wants to know, “Are you for us or against us?” “Neither,” the man replies. “I am the commander of the army of the Lord.” Joshua fell face down on the ground in reverence and asks, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”

Now THAT is humility! And obedience. Joshua has been chosen by the Lord God Almighty to lead a great nation, but he is not arrogant. Or boastful. Or domineering. Joshua does not believe that he is too great to bow down before the Lord. He does not believe he is too great to serve. Joshua is humble. Joshua is obedient. Joshua is respectful. Joshua does not act as if he is better than everybody else. He seems to know that it is his service to God that makes him great.

The commander tells Joshua to take off his shoes because he is standing on holy ground, and Joshua does what he is told. Again, Joshua is obedient. And faithful. He follows God’s commands.

The people of Jericho had heard that the Lord had dried up the mighty Jordan River so that the Israelites could cross it safely. They knew that Joshua and his army were coming for them, so they were shut up tight, ready to ward off an assault. They were bigger. They were stronger. And they were prepared for battle.

But the Lord had told Joshua, “I have delivered Jericho into your hands.” God promises victory to Joshua. “Just do what I tell you to do. March around the city once a day for six days. Have 7 priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. Then on the 7^th day, march around the city 7 times with the priests blowing the trumpets. When they hit one long note, have all the people shout out loud. Then the wall of the city will collapse, and your people can walk right in.”

Sounds crazy, right? That is not how you win a war against a well-fortified city. Jericho was a spring-fed oasis. It dominated the lower Jordan plain, and it had for 6000 years or more. Its people were protected by a high wall and tower. Enemy invaders trying to take such a city must penetrate the walls and gates. To do that, you generally had three options. Use some sort of ruse like Trojan horse. Break through some weak place in the wall, or go over or under it. Or you can lay siege to the fortress, cutting off supply lines until residents are forced to surrender.[i] You want to take a well-fortified city, you go in with guns blazing. You don’t march around it and blow a few horns. What kind of military tactic is that? Foolishness like that could get everybody killed!

But Joshua does not waver. He does exactly as God had instructed. He gives the priests and the people and the armed guards their instructions. And they follow his lead. They line up and march around the city while 7 priests blow trumpets. But they don’t say a word. Not one cry. For six straight days. They follow God’s commands exactly. On the seventh day, they line up again and march around the city. But this time they circle the city 7 times, and when the priests finally hit one long blast on the trumpets, the people cry out, just as Joshua had told them to do. And the walls of the city collapsed! Just like that. Just as God had promised. Imagine that!

The Israelites were victorious. Even though they were small and weak and vulnerable. They defeated a much more powerful enemy. Because they trusted their leader, and they had faith in God.

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[i] Jerome F.D. Creach. Joshua: Interpretation Commentary. Louisville: John Knox Press, 2003. 61-62.

Cross Culture: Resurrecting

   It was the fourth day. The body had been washed, anointed, and wrapped in strips of cloth. Then it was quickly buried. Decay had already set in, and the stink of death put an end to their hope.

   In the beginning, when Lazarus had first fallen ill, Mary and Martha had been quietly confident. Jesus would help them. They had no reason to doubt or worry or fear. They had seen their friend perform many miracles. A dying child had been restored to health. A man who had been paralyzed for 38 years had been made to walk. And a man born blind had received the gift of sight. It was amazing! Jesus could do incredible things! And all of those miracles had been for strangers. If Jesus could do so much for them, then, certainly, he would come to the aid of his dear friend.

   So they sent word, “Tell Jesus to come quickly. Lazarus is sick. He needs you.”
   But Jesus did not come. And Lazarus had died. It was a great loss. But, of course, there was a lot to do. Arrangements must be made. The body must be tended. People must be notified. Work... it can be a comfort. But, slowly, the truth began to sink in. Lazarus was dead.
    Even then the two women held out hope. There’s time! His spirit has not left the body. When Jesus comes, he will make things right. Our brother will live again.
    But, still, Jesus did not come.
   And, finally, the women were forced to face the bitter truth. Their BROTHER was gone. He was not sleeping. He was dead. They would not see his face again. They would not hear his voice. They would not feel the comfort of his embrace. How could Jesus do this to them? Jesus had abandoned them. They had believed in his power to heal, and he had let them down!
    When Jesus finally arrived, the two women lit him with all their grief. And all their anger. And all their tears. “Where have you been? If you had been HERE, our brother would not have died.”
    Can you hear their pain? Jesus did. He heard the agony of hopelessness. Grief. Despair. He heard the cries of hearts that were broken. Dreams that were crushed. Lives that were shattered. And the pain moved him to tears. He wept. Our Lord stood at the entrance of his friend’s tomb, and he wept.
    And then Jesus did what no one even dared to hope for. He raised Lazarus from the dead. He called out, and Lazarus came right on out that grave! He had been dead, and Jesus brought him back to life!
    It was impossible. For you and me and even for the very best of doctors, it IS impossible. But not for God! Nothing is impossible for God. God can do anything. Even resurrect the dead. God is that powerful. God is more powerful than death.
    For the past four weeks, we’ve been looking at the way Jesus encountered the world. John 3:17 tells us that Jesus came into the world to redeem it. To save it. To make the most of it. Jesus called people to live differently from the world around them, so we’ve been looking at some of the traits of that alternative existence. We considered the rationale behind this Cross Culture: our purpose is to please God. Then we looked at resistance. Cross Culture resists the temptation to conform to the world’s expectations. Next, we contemplated redeeming love. Cross Culture seeks to redeem the world, not condemn it. And then we focused on reaching. Cross Culture reaches out to share God’s saving love with everyone everywhere. Then we concentrated on restoration. Cross Culture seeks to restore people’s relationship with God and their relationships with one another. Today, we turn our attention to resurrection.
    Seems like, everywhere you turn, people are trapped in hopeless situations. Immigrants escape war torn countries just to live for years right outside the gates of refugee camps. Inner city kids bypass the temptations of sex and drugs and alcohol just to get caught in the crossfire of gang violence. Teenage girls run away from abusive parents just to end up the victim of a jealous boyfriend. Then there are the working moms who face insurmountable stacks of overdue bills. Aging execs who get downsized. And one family after another is torn apart by infidelity or addiction or disease.
    But, for all those who have lost hope, Jesus offers the impossible. “I am the resurrection,” he says. “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”
    It sounds impossible. But it’s not for God! Nothing is impossible with God. Just look back at what God has done before. In the very beginning, God takes a formless void and creates the entire universe! Out of nothing! It was impossible! But not for God. Nothing is impossible with God!
    Just look at Abraham and Sarah. It was a hopeless situation. An elderly couple with no children and no hope of EVER having children. But God promises to bless them with more descendants than there are stars in the sky! It was impossible! But not for God. Nothing is impossible with God!
    Or how about Joseph. Now THAT was a hopeless situation! A boy sold into slavery by his own brothers. But God saves him, raises him up to a position of power and influence, and even manages to bring the family back together again in peace. It was impossible! But not for God. Nothing is impossible with God!
    Or what about Ruth. Could there BE a more hopeless situation? Her husband dies, and, instead of returning to her father for support, she commits herself to her mother-in-law, another widow. And, together, these two vulnerable women make their way to the tiny little town of Bethlehem, where they feed themselves off of the ears of grain that have been left in the fields after the harvest. But God saves them both! Ruth finds love again and becomes the great-grandmother of the King of Israel! It was impossible! But not for God. Nothing is impossible with God.
   Friends, this is good news! It is good news for all lost causes, every broken heart, and shattered lives everywhere. Sometimes, we lose hope. We find ourselves in the midst of an impossible situation. Like Mary and Martha, it is the fourth day. Optimism, hard work, and faith have given way to doubt and despair. We see no way out, no answer, no hope, no promise, no relief, no possibility of life. And then God steps in! And does the miraculous! The impossible! The unimaginable! Because nothing is impossible with God.
    Just ask Brooke Ellison. In 1990, she decided to walk home from school, rather than take the bus, and a car hit her as she crossed the road. Her body was thrown nearly 100 feet, leaving her paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breathe on her own. The doctors were not certain the girl would live, but Brooke was worried only that she might fail junior high! Eventually, she left the hospital and began to be tutored at home. If she had math problems to do, she would figure them out in her head and then tell someone else what to write down. But not only did Brooke finish junior high with a top grade point average, she also graduated at the top of her high school class and then went on to study at Harvard, where she graduated magna cum laude with degrees in psychology and biology.[i]
    It was impossible! But not for God. Nothing is impossible with God.
    Or ask the people of Community of Grace UMC in Huntington, WV. In 2008, three local congregations voted to close and form one new congregation known as the Community of Grace. Today they offer 2 worship services every Sunday, classes for children, youth and adults, and 2 mission teams that have traveled to southwestern US Indian reservations, Haiti, and Africa. It was impossible! But not for God. Nothing is impossible with God.
    Just ask Eugene Clark. He was a gifted musician, but in college he began to have terrible problems with his eyesight and with arthritis. After graduation he secured a job as a music director and organist with the Back to the Bible Broadcast in Lincoln, Nebraska. But, ultimately, Eugene’s eyesight failed him completely, and rheumatoid arthritis confined him to bed. Despite these debilitating conditions, he continued to write music; he dictated melodies, harmonies, and lyrics for others to record. Eugene was bedridden and in constant pain for the last 20 years of his life. But he had hope in the midst of a hopeless situation. That’s why he could write:

Nothing is impossible when you put your trust in God. Nothing is impossible when you’re trusting in his word. Hearken to the voice of God to thee; is there anything too hard for me? Then put your trust in God alone, and rest upon his word; for everything, o everything, yes everything is possible with God.[ii]

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[i] Brooke Ellison and Jean Ellison. “The Brooke Ellison Story: One mother, One Daughter, One Journey.” (Previously published in Reader’s Digest as: “Miracles Happen.”) New York: Hyperion, 2001. Published on the Reader’s Digest website at www.rd.com. Downloaded March 11, 2005.

[ii] The story of Eugene Clark is told in A Promise Kept, a sermon written by Frank VanCamen, pastor of Northwest Community Church in Malcolm, Nebraska. The sermon is one in a series on the book of Genesis, and it is published on the Northwest Community Church website at www.incolor.inebraska.com/nccmalcolm/Sermon_Archive/Genesis /Genesis21/1-6.html. Downloaded March 10, 2005.

Do the Hard Stuff: Exceed Expectations

You can’t do that. How many times have we heard it? You can’t do that. That’s too hard. It costs too much. We’ve never done it that way before. You’re too young. And you’re too old. And you are not a man. The world is really good at telling us no. So good, in fact, that we often find ourselves living up to low expectations. Instead of seeking the things that are above and putting ourselves into every task as though we were doing it for the Lord (which is what we are instructed to do in Colossians 3), we settle for good enough.

In their book, “Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations,” Alex and Brett Harris note that our society doesn’t expect much from young people – except trouble.[i] As a result, teens become blinded by complacency.[ii]

“But don’t kid yourself,” the Harris twins write. “The cost of complacency is real, and it can be tragic. We slide into habits of mediocrity and excuse making. Life gets boring, and we’re not sure why. We know, or at least suspect, that there’s a lot more we could do or be. But floating along, there’s no way to be sure.”[iv]

So how do you know if you have become blinded by complacency? ShareFaith magazine offers five warning signs. 1. You depend on tradition instead of the Holy Spirit. 2. You tolerate sin. 3. You see no fruit, no evidence that your life of faith has accomplished anything. 4. You are not pursuing spiritual growth through prayer, Bible study, worship, or service. 5. You remain focused on yourself and not on others.[v]

Is some of that hitting a little too close to home? I confess. I found this chapter on complacency very convicting. There are a couple of areas of my life where I have settled for good enough. Perhaps you have, too. Take heart. We don’t have to stay where we are. We can move beyond the expectations of the world around us. We can strive for more. We can strive to please God.

One way to exceed worldly expectations is to do what is hard for us.[vi] What is hard for you might not be hard for me, but I may not be any good at the things that come easily for you. You might be very disciplined when it comes to diet and exercise. I am not. But I can become more disciplined in those areas. And you might find it very hard to talk to people about your faith, where I find that really easy to do. But you can start praying that God will help you take advantage of the many opportunities you have to share your faith with others. It might be scary at first. But that’s kind of the point. When we do what is hard for us, we are relying on God, and that’s when faith grows. And that pleases God very much.

One way to exceed expectations is to do what is hard for us. Another way is to be known for what we do.[vii] As followers of Jesus Christ, it is not good enough to simply refrain from doing what is bad. We must do what is good. Micah 6:8 spells it out. What does the Lord require? To do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God. And that pleases God very much.

We can exceed expectations by doing what is hard for us, and we can exceed expectations by doing what is good. Another way to exceed expectations is to pursue excellence, not excuses.[viii] If there are areas of your life where you are settling for just getting by when you know you could do better if you really tried, then you are not pursuing excellence. If there is some aspect of life that you have decided will always be this way even though you have never put forth the kind of effort that really changes things, then you are not pursuing excellence.[ix] And that does not please God because it shows a lack of faith.

Remember, in Philippians 4:13, Paul exclaims, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

The world says we can’t. But God says, "Oh yes, you can!" Jesus calmed a stormy sea, made the lame walk, gave sight to the blind, and brought the dead back to life. Jesus could do such things because God was at work in him (John 14:10). But Jesus says in John 14:12 that everyone who believes in him will do even greater things than he has.

Now, I don’t know if David did GREATER things that Jesus, but David did great things. He certainly did far greater things than anyone expected of him.

David was the 8^th son of a small town farmer named Jesse. The family was loyal to Saul, the king of Israel. In fact, three of David’s older brothers were already serving in Saul’s army, but David was too young for that. He was still a boy. He worked out in the fields, taking care of his father’s sheep. Sometimes, David was also called upon to play music to soothe King Saul when he was having one of his “episodes.” One day, Jesse called David and instructed him to deliver food and supplies to his brothers on the battle front. David goes, leaves the provisions with the baggage handler and runs out to greet his brothers on the battle field.

For 40 days, Israel and the Philistines have faced off against one another. These are two great powers who have repeatedly vied for dominance in the land. Both have had victories and defeats. At one point, years ago, back before Saul was king, the Philistines had captured the ark of God! But they learned, just as Israel had, that no one can manipulate God. Either you serve God, or you don’t. Those who do, find favor with God. Those who do not … suffer.

It didn’t take long for the Philistines to give up the ark. And Israel had finally wised up. They had turned away from the foreign gods they had been serving, and they turned back to the God of the ark, the God of their ancestors, the God who had delivered them from slavery in Egypt. And, once more, God had intervened to protect Israel from attack. The Philistines were driven out, and all of the territory that Israel had lost was returned to them. For as long as Samuel served as judge of Israel, the hand of God was against the Philistines. But things had not gone so smoothly after Saul was anointed king of Israel. Ever since then, there had been hard fighting between the two.

And now they are at it again. They have faced off in the valley of Elah. But this time, the Philistines have a mighty warrior on their side. A champion named Goliath. He stands almost 7 feet tall, and he is strong enough to bear the weight of a full suit of armor. His coat alone would have weighed 126 pounds. This man is a powerful force, and he knows it. “Why are you lining up to fight? Am I not a Philistine? And you are servants of Saul. Tell you what. Choose someone to represent you. Send him out here to fight me. If he wins, then we will be your servants. But if I win, you will serve us.”

For 40 days, Goliath taunted Saul and his army. All that bragging did just what Goliath intended. Saul and his entire army were intimidated. They were afraid. They were very much afraid. But the shepherd boy was not.

When he arrives with the provisions for his brothers, David hears Goliath’s taunts, and he says, “Who is this guy? Who does he think he is? Does he honestly believe that one uncircumcised Philistine can stand up to the armies of the living God?”

 “Don’t be afraid,” David tells Saul. “I will go fight the Philistine.”

And Saul tells him, “You can’t do that. You are just a boy!”

Low expectations. Saul had very low expectations. He did not believe there was any way possible that this young, untrained boy. A musician, no less! There was just no way this child could defeat a massive, fully equipped, trained and seasoned warrior. But, see, that’s the problem. Saul was looking for a person he could trust. David was trusting God.

David knew that the Lord had been with him out in those fields when he was taking care of the sheep. Whenever a bear or a lion had attacked the flock, David had taken it down. But he knew that it was God who had given him the power to do it, and David had faith that God would save him now. “The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” Now that is faith!

In fact, David had so much faith in God that he refused to wear the body armor of a soldier. He didn’t even carry a sword. All he needed were his shepherd’s staff, five rocks, and a slingshot. “The battle is the Lord’s,” David said. God will give us the victory. And that is exactly what God did.

David exceeded everyone’s expectations. Because he trusted God. He had faith in God. He had faith that God could and would work through him. David had faith that God could and would do miraculous things through him. And God did.

God can also do miraculous things through us. I don’t know what giants you are facing today, but I know there are a lot of giants out there in the world. Maybe you are facing a giant called cancer or depression or anxiety. Maybe the giant you are facing is debt or loneliness or bullying. Maybe the giant standing in your way is bigotry or injustice or drug abuse. I don’t care how big that giant is, stand up to it. Exceed expectations. Have faith. Remember: the battle is the Lord’s.

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[i] Alex and Brett Harris. Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations. Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah Books, 2008. 36.

[ii] Harris, 90.

[iii] Harris, 91.

[iv] Harris, 91.

[v] “5 Signs Complacency is Killing Ministry.” Published by ShareFaith magazine at www.sharefaith.com/blog/2012/12/5-signs-complacency-killing-ministry. Downloaded September 9, 2016.

[vi] Harris, 92.

[vii] Harris, 93.

[viii] Harris, 93.

[ix] Harris, 101-102.

Do the Hard Stuff: Move Outside Your Comfort Zone

He was 8 years old and about to take his first big step into adulthood. It was not a decision he made willingly. His parents had decided it was time. So they pushed him. Right out of the bathtub and into a shower stall. Before he could object, Brett found himself wearing nothing but his birthday suit and staring up into the dreaded showerhead. “It pointed down at me like an executioner’s gun,” the young man recalls. “Then Dad pulled the trigger, the shower began to rumble and hiss, and I was screaming before the first drop of water hit.” But that was years ago, and now Brett showers every day and doesn’t think twice about it.[i]

Be strong and courageous. God is with you wherever you go.

In the summer of 2005, Brett Harris and his twin brother Alex took a long hard look at the world around them and realized that our society has very low expectations of teenagers. But it hasn’t always been that way. Before labor and school reform laws were introduced in the early 1900s, young people were treated like adults. And young people were expected to perform like adults. And they lived up to the challenge.

George was only 11 years old when his father died, so he studied hard and mastered geometry, trigonometry and surveying. At 17 he got his first job—as the official surveyor of Culpepper County.[ii]

David was born in 1801 near Knoxville, where his dad served in the state militia. At the age of 10, David began a career at sea, serving as a naval cadet on the warship Essex. At 11 he saw his first battle, and by the time he was 12, David was the commander of a ship that had been captured in battle.[iii]

Clara was born in Oxford, Massachusetts, on Christmas Day in the year 1821. When she was 11 years old, her older brother David fell from the roof of a barn and was seriously injured. Clara begged to help take care of him. For two years, she nursed her brother until he made a full recovery. A year later, when she was only 14, Clara became the nurse for a hired hand who got small pox. As the epidemic spread, Clara’s work load increased.[iv]

These 3 young people accomplished great things because great things were expected of them. They did not stop doing great things as they got older. George went on to become the first president of the United States. David became the US Navy’s first admiral. And Clara founded the American Red Cross. But their commitment to excellency started in their teens. The Harris twins believe all young people can do hard and important things so they set out to start a teenage revolution against low expectations. In that way, they hope to change the world.

Friends, I believe we can learn something from Alex and Brett. I believe the Universal Church is suffering from the same dreaded disease of low expectations.

According to a 2015 report from the Barna Group, only 20 percent of Christian adults are involved in some sort of discipleship activity such as Sunday School, Bible study, spiritual mentoring, or Christian book clubs. And why should they bother? 38 percent of Christian adults say that they are happy with where they are in their spiritual lives, and another 36 percent say they are almost where they want to be.[v]

But, at the same time, about 49 percent of unchurched adults could not tell you a single favorable impact the Church has had on our nation.[vi]

We do little because little is expected of us. As a result, more and more people are growing up without any religious instruction. We can do better. We must do better.

In Philippians 3:10, the apostle Paul reminds us of our objective: “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection….” Therefore, he continues in verses 13 and 14, “… this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Paul is not marking time. He is pushing himself hard to win a great prize, and he urges all believers to be just as diligent, if not more so. “Do you not know,” he writes in 1 Corinthians 9:24, “that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it.”

God calls the Church to greatness. “Go … and make disciples of all nations,” Jesus urges in Matthew 28:19. And 1 Peter 2:9 reminds us, “… you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to do great things. Not mediocre things. Great things! So for the next few weeks, we are going to look at some of the ways that we can overcome complacency. Friends, I’m not gonna lie to you. This is hard work. Striving for excellency is hard work. And it can be scary. Following Jesus may lead us to places we would rather not go. Following Jesus may lead us to do things we would rather not do. Following Jesus may lead us to do some really hard stuff. Following Jesus may lead us to move beyond our comfort zone.

Be strong and courageous. God is with you wherever you go.

No one knew that better than Joshua. We first meet Joshua about 2 years after the Israelites escaped from Egypt. They had been making their way through deserts and mountains, and they had encountered one trial after another. No water. No food. Attacked by enemies. But God had been with them all the way. God had provided for their every need. They finally reached the edge of the Promised Land, but instead of moving forward in faith, the people say, “Let’s send spies to scout out the land. What is the land like? Are the people who live there strong? How many of them are there? Are they prepared for battle? Is the land rich? Are there trees? Bring us some of the fruit that grows there.”

So the spies go and see how great the land is that God has promised to give them. The land is fertile. Livestock produces well. Crops provide abundant harvests. BUT the people who already live there are strong. Towns are well fortified. And the people are huge! So 10 of the scouts try to discourage the Israelites from going into the Promised Land. Only 2 say, “Let’s go. God is with us! We will overcome.” One of those is Joshua.

But the people were terrified, and they threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb. God gets angry because the Israelites are being disobedient. Again. They still do not trust God, even though God has already done amazing things for them. God has taken them safely through difficult times. God rescued them from slavery. God led them through the deep waters. God had provided for their every need. And they are still afraid! They are still rebelling against God. They are still determined to do things their own way instead of God’s way. God is fed up with them and threatens to strike them with disease and disinherit them. But Moses appeals to God. Seeks forgiveness. And God forgives. BUT there are consequences. The Israelites will be forced to wander in the wilderness for 40 years before they will ever be allowed to enter the Promised Land.

So now it’s 40 years later. Moses has died. Just about everybody who left Egypt with Moses has died. There’s a whole new generation of folks following the Lord. And they have a brand new leader. God puts Joshua in charge. The assistant is now the commander. And the first thing God tells Joshua is, “Go on now. Cross the Jordan. It is time for you to receive the land I have promised to give you.”

Talk about stepping outside your comfort zone! For 40 years, Joshua had lived comfortably under the leadership of Moses. Sure, as a leader of the tribe of Nun, Joshua had certain responsibilities, but, in the past, he could always look to Moses for guidance. Now the buck would stop with Joshua. He would now be the one everyone would look to for answers. And that can be kind of intimidating. Stepping into a place of authority for the very first time. New things can be a little scary.

Not only was Joshua being called into a brand new role, he was also being sent in an entirely new direction. He and his people would no longer wander in the wilderness. God was sending them into the Promised Land. A land brimming with promise and possibility. It was an exciting time! But it had to have been a scary one, too. After all, Joshua had seen with his own two eyes how formidable his opponents would be. This was no easy task that God had given him.

But don’t worry, God says. Be strong and courageous. I will be with you. Joshua had trusted God in the past. And Joshua can trust God now. “I will not fail you or forsake you,” God says. And God kept that promise. With God’s help, Joshua was able to do great things.

The same is true for us. When we have faith in God, we can do the hard stuff. We can move outside our comfort zone. We can face the challenges that lie before us. We can do new things. Things that challenge us and stretch us. Because God is with us. And God works in us. When we are weak, God is strong!

So, even if we only have faith the size of a mustard seed, we can move outside our comfort zone. That doesn’t mean we won’t be afraid. Doing new things can be scary. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is being afraid and doing what God calls us to do anyway.

So we have faith in God and move outside our comfort zone. And we can be bold because, even though we don’t know everything that lies ahead of us, we know God. We know that God is good and God loves us and God wants us to succeed!  

Be strong and courageous. God is with you wherever you go.

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[i] Alex and Brett Harris. Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations. Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah Books, 2008. 65-66.

[ii] Harris, 31.

[iii] Harris, 31-32.

[iv] Harris, 32.

[v] “New Research on the State of Christian Discipleship.” Published December 1, 2015, on the Barna Group website at https://www.barna.com/research/new-research-on-the-state-of-discipleship/#.V8uYeyvF8xM. Copyrighted @ 2016 Barna Group Inc. Downloaded September 3, 2016.

[vi] “Five Trends Among the Unchurched.” Published October 9, 2014, on the Barna Group website at https://www.barna.com/research/five-trends-among-the-unchurched/#.V8uc8yvF8xM. Copyrighted @ 2016 Barna Group Inc. Downloaded September 3, 2016.