Obstacle or Opportunity

October 29, 2017
Obstacle or Opportunity          NOTES NOT EDITED
Romans 14:1-12

SIS: This particular holiday offers the perfect backdrop to display the Light of Christ’s love to the world!

Each year about this time a question surfaces in regard to Christians and the Halloween holiday.  I usually bring out an old sermon that reminds us why we, at First Baptist Church, provide a “HolyWeen” celebration for our community.  Since an entire year has passed, I’m sure most of you have forgotten what I said two years ago, and some of you were not here two years ago, so, this will be a new sermon for all of us.

As dark and sinister as this holiday is with all the references to

witches, goblins, ghosts, and gore, it is actually one of the most holy days of the church.  About 1200 years ago (835 AD) the RCC declared November 1^st to be a holiday to honor all the unnamed saints in the church.  It was called, All Saints Day.  October 31^st, the eve before All Saints Day was called “All Hallow’s (Holies) Eve.”  It was shortened to hallow’s e’en – hence, Halloween.  So, the word itself is associated with something good, not something evil.  So, is it OK for a Christian to participate in Halloween?

Let me begin with a short history of this holiday that is celebrated by

thousands of children all over the world.  There is ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT that this holiday was originally part of something evil and satanic – more correctly, pagan.  October 31^st is the last day of the pagan year.  November 1^st is a day set aside by pagans (nature worshippers) in Ireland and Scotland to honor the god, Samhain (sawan).  Samhain was the “god of the dead” (the Grim Reaper).  Druids who were the priests in this pagan religion served Samhain as a god.  It was a Druid belief that on the eve of the new year that all manner of evil spirits (ghosts, goblins, feeries, witches and elves) came out to harm people.  People would dress up as these spirits so that the spirits would be tricked into thinking they were one of them and would not harm them.  To appease these spirits you would have to leave food (treats) on the doorstep.  There is absolutely no doubt that this ancient, pre-Christian celebration is evil and celebrates evil.

About 325 AD.  as a matter of policy, Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity – he in fact declared all people of the kingdom to be Christians.  This meant that all manner of evil crept into the church as these new “christians” (little “c”) entered the church but kept their pagan practices.  It created a lot of trouble for the church.  Especially, the worship of Samhain and the Druids.

To counter these pagan practices the church instituted their own holidays to coincide with the pagan holidays.  It was hoped that this would deter Christians from participating in the pagan celebrations.  This is how the church approached three major pagan holidays– Christmas, Easter, and Halloween.  The pagan counterparts for Christmas and Easter were overshadowed by the Christian celebrations and they drifted into the dust of history.  All Saints Day was not as successful and many of the pagan influences of October 31^st remain to this day. 

Halloween is here to stay.  It was brought to our country by Scotch/Irish immigrants and has been celebrated since about the early 1800's.  The Irish sometimes call it I “Pooky Night,” because one of the mischievous spirits making the rounds on this evening was called “pookah.”  So, what is a Christian supposed to do about this day of the year?  Is Halloween and “obstacle to faith,” or an “opportunity for evangelism.”  I think that the Apostle Paul has some words of wisdom that may be helpful for us today.  Stand with me as we read from Romans 14:8-12.  Confronting culture was something early Christians had to deal with on a daily basis as the Light of Christianity pressed deeper into the darkness of a fallen world.

As you decide how you will deal with this holiday—because holiness is a personal issue in this regard—there are three considerations you should keep in mind:

1.  Consider the OBSTACLE Halloween poses (vv 1-7)

Halloween does pose serious questions concerning matters of conscience. The Devil is very real, and should not be trifled with.

14 Accept anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about doubtful issues. ² One person believes he may eat anything, but one who is weak eats only vegetables. ³ One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not criticize one who does,  because God has accepted him.  ⁴ Who are you to criticize  another’s household slave? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand. For the Lord is able  to make him stand. ⁵ One person considers one day to be above another day.  Someone else considers every day to be the same. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind.  ⁶ Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord.  Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God;  and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, yet he thanks God. ⁷ For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.

In some matters of faith, there are no definitive answers.  I think

this is true in regard to the matter of Halloween.  I read several sermons and articles on this matter in preparation for this sermon.  The majority, I must say, were very much against any participation in the activities of Halloween at all.  One writer said, “To me it makes no more sense for a Christian to participate in Halloween as it would be for a Russia to celebrate the 4^th of July.”  I think it is very clear why someone would say this about Halloween.

It is ABSOLUTELY A PAGAN celebration that predates Christianity.  It is definitely a time of year that is overrun with evil themes.  Horror films will clutter the airways and blood, guts and gore will be a major theme in many costumes. 

Halloween is rooted in pagan, satanic rituals.  Of that there is no doubt. So, it would seem to be a slam-dunk as far as answering the question: “Should a Christian celebrate Halloween?” 

The answer is a resounding: NO, or is it a resounding YES? It is a “matter of conscience” according to Romans 14.  How we regard

this day is up to each individual family.  There is Scriptural support for having nothing at all to do with this day.  There is Scriptural support that justifies “locking the door, turning out the lights and refusing to answer the door-bell.”  This is absolutely a justifiable position in regard to a day so clearly associated with pagan worship.  The Bible says,

“Avoid every kind of evil.”  (1Thess. 5:22).   Eph. 5:11 says, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather, expose them.”

There are many other Scripture passages that would justify the position that a Christian should have nothing at all to do with Halloween.  The evil associated with Halloween poses an OBSTACLE that could justifiably prohibit any Christian from participating in any way.  But, is there also Scripture that would suggest ways in which a Christian could participate in this holiday – or perhaps Scriptures that suggest a Christian SHOULD participate in this holiday in some way that is redemptive in nature?  I think this is another CONSIDERATION Christians face in regard to Halloween:

2.  Consider the OPPORTUNITY

We can be light in the darkness.  The theme of this message is simply this: Halloween offers the perfect backdrop against which we as Christians can display the Light of Christ’s love.

Have you ever noticed how a jeweler displays his fine, exspensive

wares?  Most often, fine jewelry like diamonds and precious gems, will be displayed on black velvet.  The black backdrop accentuates the shining brilliance of a diamond or fine piece of jewelry.  The darker the backdrop, the brighter the piece of jewelry shines.

I think a Christian can look at Halloween as just such an opportunity.

Against all the blackness of the celebration, the Light or Christ will shine even brighter.  This is something I think we as Christians in the 21^st century must consider.

In fact, this type of “cultural engagement” is exactly what Paul

has in mind.  Look again at verse 1.  Literally it reads:

Accept anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about doubtful issues.

In modern translations like the CSB, the train of Paul’s thought is

somewhat obscured.  What we call chapter 14, is actually an extension of Paul’s thought in the preceding chapter, verses 11-15.  What has been designated as 14:1 begins with a small, yet important, word.  That is the conjunction, “de,” or in English, “but, besides, and or “therefore,” among others.  It is a “conjunction” connecting two thoughts.  Paul is describing in chapter 13:11-15 how we should “engage” the darkness of our culture.  Look at those verses:

11 And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 

Paul is instructing the Church to be forceful (put on armor) and engage the darkness in the culture around us.  The darkness, though it presents some danger, is the perfect backdrop against which a Christian can and should display the light of Christ.  In Chapter 14, Paul is giving us the freedom to engage the darkness of our culture, rather than seek to escape from it. 

What Paul is teaching, I think, is this: rather than run from the darkness all around us, like Halloween, we should put on the armor of light, and bring the gospel into our communities.  Paul dismisses disputes over the reason for the darkness, but rather dispatches the church into that darkness as “warriors of light wearing the armor of Christ.”   Cursing the darkness is no solution to the darkness–
lighting a candle is.  Keep your finger here in Romans and join me in a few other Scriptures that speak about letting our faith shine in a dark world.

Mt. 5:16  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Eph. 5:8  For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light

2 Cor 4:6  For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

The Christians of Paul’s day knew what it meant to live in the midst

of all kinds of pagan darkness.  Rome was well-known for its excesses and its tolerance for almost any religious practice in the world.  The meat sold in most markets in Paul’s day were first used as sacrifices to idols.  Paul’s instructions come against the black backdrop of paganism – not that much different with what we see at Halloween, today.

Halloween is proof positive that our world needs light!  Halloween does not need to be an OBSTACLE to sharing our faith but may be a great OPPORTUNITY for sharing our faith.  This brings me to my third consideration:

3.  Consider the OBJECTIVE of participating in Halloween (7-8)

⁷ For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.  ⁸ If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

We must concentrate on the WAY we participate, not the DAY.

In the matter of Halloween, as in living the Christian life in
general it is all about our OBJECTIVE – that is, our PURPOSE.  We
should live our lives in such a way as to demonstrate without question that we are “children of Light;” servants of the Most High God.

Verse 6 talks about some who eat meat and some who don’t. Verse 6 talks about some who regard one day as the right day of worship and some who regard another day.  Paul was probably talking about the various “feast days” that Jews observed, but that Gentiles did not.  Paul’s admonishment to them on these NON-essential matters applies also for us in our day in regard to how we treat Halloween. Paul does not say which group is right.  What Paul emphasizes is not the DAY, but the WAY that a person worships.  Paul talks about PURPOSE.

Our purpose or objective should be to “honor God in all we do.”  As

Paul says, “if we live, we should live to the Lord and if we die we should die to the Lord.”  IT’S ALL ABOUT HIM – NOT US! 

Our whole purpose in life – whether at Halloween or any other day – should be to point out to as many people as we can that there is a judgement coming.  The ghosts, goblins, witches, and gore that seems so innocent at Halloween points to the reality of what awaits someone who dies without accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  We should use Halloween (and every other day) as an opportunity to warn others of the judgement to come.  That is our “objective.”  Look at verse 11:

¹¹ For it is written: As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to Me, and every tongue will give praise to God.

The Christian’s objective at Halloween should be to help others

prepare for the coming judgment.  Rather than “lock our doors, turn out the lights, and ignore the children ringing our door-bell,” we should seek to use this day as an OPPORTUNITY to be “light in the darkness.”  With that objective in mind let me give you some suggestions on how to BE LIGHT AT HALLOWEEN TIME.

1.  First and foremost, have nothing whatsoever to do with anything that promotes evil or the occult (things involving witchcraft, etc.)

2.  As you put candy in the bags of children, also put in some information about our church.  We have some flyers printed up that you can take with you today and use tomorrow.

3.  Dress your children in Biblical costumes.  Get them to tell their friends why they don’t dress in costumes with “evil” themes.

4.  Play Christian music really loud and decorate your home with       Christian themes

5.  Get a pumpkin and carve a “cross” in it.  The candle can represent      Jesus as Light of the World.

6.  Most importantly: PRAY!  Use this as a time to offer special prayers against the evils of our community: drugs, alcohol, etc. Pray for each home you visit. Be ready to give a witness to your faith.

7.  Be creative and come up with more ideas.

I hope you will take these considerations and do what you feel in your own heart will bring glory to God.  Halloween is not going to go away.  As Christians, we must address the issues.  The evil that is “up front” at Halloween is very real.  The darkness in our world is very real.  We need to share our light.

One of the pagan traditions as I mentioned earlier was to dress up

like one of the evil spirits so that they would not recognize you and harm you.  I see too many church folk that are doing that today.  They are talking like the devil, partying like the devil, and wearing a Christian costume to church once per week thinking that they are going to fool God.

God will not be fooled.  If the Light of Jesus Christ is not burning in

your heart through the Holy Spirit, then you can expect to spend all of eternity celebrating Halloween – only, you will be on the “trick” side, not the “treat” side.  If you die without accepting Jesus Christ, you will not escape judgement – you WILL spend eternity in the abode of demons – the place the Bible calls hell.

You can escape that fate by accepting Jesus Christ today. Don’t spend eternity in a Halloween nightmare. Come to the light – so you can share the Light.

Halloween presents us with either an obstacle, or an opportunity – faith makes the difference.

Hearing the Call

October 22, 2017                       NOTES NOT EDITED

Hearing the Call of God

Luke 5:1-11

SIS--We experience great blessing when we hear and obey the Lord’s call upon our lives.

Let's read about this call together:

Luke 5:1-11 As the crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear God’s word,  He was standing by Lake Gennesaret.    2 He saw two boats at the edge of the lake;  the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats,  which belonged to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then He sat down and was teaching the crowds from the boat. 4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down  your nets for a catch.” 5 “Master,”  Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing! But at Your word, I’ll let down the nets.” 6 When they did this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets  began to tear. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them; they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!” 9 For he and all those with him were amazed  at the catch of fish they took, 10 and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s partners. “Don’t be afraid,”  Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people!”  11 Then they brought the boats to land, left everything, and followed Him. 

For the last couple of weeks, we have all watched news account after news account describe the horrible carnage caused by Stephen Paddick shooting from his hotel window in Las Vegas.  Last count I had, 58 were killed—58 people gunned down while enjoying a country music concert!  Hundreds were wounded.  After a while, with nearly 24 hour coverage, the reports became like noise in our ears.

Add to that, the noise of an economy that is clanging and rattling like an old automobile on its last legs, we are immersed in a War on Terror that has no end in sight, a madman in N. Korea has nuclear weapons, along with personal challenges we can each enumerate ad infinitum, and one begins to understand why it is so difficult to hear God's voice above the cacophony of sounds around us. 

Yet, even when the noise from our situation and circumstances or the internal noise of our inner struggles rise to a fever pitch -- it remains imperative that we can pick the voice of Jesus out from the crowd.

Our text says, the "crowd was pressing in" on Jesus (verse 1).  Verse 2 teaches us that the trials of the day and the necessities of work were pressing against the Simon and the other fishermen.  It was a busy, noisy, maybe even inconvenient time.  We cannot wait for a relaxing, quiet, more convenient time to hear God's call upon our lives.  We must hear it now and respond in obedience, now.

When we respond--and not until--we put ourselves in good stead to receive manifold blessings from God.  Our text teaches us at least four fundamental truths about the Call of God upon our lives.

1.  It's a call to CHANGE (VSS 4, 10b)

Two times our text brings out the idea of change.

4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing! But at Your word, I’ll let down the nets.” 

..........................

10 “Don’t be afraid,” Jesus told Simon. “From now on you will be catching people!” 

Let's take the second reference first.  This text calls us to a fundamental change in "who" we are -- once fishermen, now fishers of men.  While metaphorically these two vocations are the same, fundamentally they are quite different.

Answering the Call of God upon your life fundamentally changes "who" you are.  Some people interpret the call of God too narrowly.  They believe the call of God to be something special that only a few need to hear and respond to.  There is perhaps such a call that distinquishes those God sets aside to a special place of service in the church, such as the pastor, but that is not the most prominent, nor even the most important call.

The most important call of God comes to all men and women -- the call to "Come, follow me."  That call had four significant characteristics.  It is a call to CHANGE, a call to RISK, a call to OBEDIENCE, and a call to great BLESSING.  Let’s examine the Call.

This passage in Luke is one of many of the "call passages."  While we associate these passages narrowly with the Twelve Apostles, these passages apply equally to all men and women.  God calls every man, woman, and child of age to "Come, follow me."  Most do not hear, but all receive the call.  The Word says,

Mat 22:14 “For many are invited [called],

but few are chosen.”

Mark makes the call of God very clear saying,

Mark 1:17 “Follow Me,”  Jesus told them, “and I will make you fish   for people!” 

The word translated, "follow," actually represents two words in the original:  "come, and after" or "come after me."

When a person hears the call of God and accepts the Lordship of Christ (that's what it means to "follow") a fundamental, spiritual, eternal change takes place.  The Word describes such a saving experience in this way:

2Cor 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation;  old things have passed away, and look,  new things  have come. 

Hearing the call of God and responding in faith fundamentally changes "who" we are. 

Second, in the first reference, vs 4, the change focuses on the "way" we do things.

Quickly let me say that a change of nature leads to --or at least should lead to-- a change in procedure.  Notice verses 4 and 5 again,

4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down  your nets for a catch.”  5 “Master,”  Simon replied, “we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing! But at Your word, I’ll let down the nets.” 

We are no longer in control of our lives once we hear and respond to God's call.  Therefore, we need to do things God's Way, and not our own.  The key word in Peter's response is, "Master."

Some of you know that I was actually ready to take the entrance exams for my Ph.D. at Southwestern when God called me back into the ministry, now 13 years ago.  I have always said that I'm glad I did not complete my Ph.D. because I'd much rather be called, "Master," than "Doctor."

 Hearing the Call of God changes "who" we are and the "way" we work.

2.  It's a Call to RISK (verse 4)

4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down  your nets for a catch.”

“Risk” is a common theme in my preaching I have noticed over the years.  Think about the “pioneering spirit” I talked about last week:  a spirit willing to “endure hardship and face danger in order to enjoy adventure and blessing.”  Risk applies in every area of life.  In business, they say, “profit is the reward you get for the risk you take.”

There are several applications that come to mind after examining the language of this text.  But, applications must rest on solid exposition.  You must know what the text means before you decide how it applies.

The implication in this verse is that Jesus was asking them to do something foolish--even risky.  Simon (later Peter) was an experienced Galilean fisherman--perhaps from a long line of fishermen, and Jesus was a carpenter.  As professional fishermen they knew (or at least thought they knew) that the most productive fishing was at night and close to the shore. Fish would migrate from the shoals at night to waters too deep to net during the day.

So, Jesus was calling them to act based upon their trust in Him, not their trust in their own knowledge--and skill as fishermen. This is a key issue in Christian living.  Part of the risk would have been that the nets would not be ready for the next day and they would have lost two days wages, rather than one. 

Also, common sense tells us that the deeper the water and the further from shore, the greater the risk to life and limb. The Sea of Galillee is notorious for the violent storms that could come up without warning. 

Now, the application.  Hearing the Call of God in such a way as to bring abundant and unimagined blessing requires taking great risks.

May I be as bold as to say that we as families and as the Family of God are perfectly satisfied with our level of blessing -- we have all we want.

But, you protest, or at least you would had you been awake when I said that!  But, I think it is true.  We are comfortable.  For the most part we live safe, extremely wealthy lives.  Most families in America throw away more food at a meal than most the world eats in a week or longer.  For the most part, nobody in this room has to worry about thieves and thugs breaking into your house -- on a nightly basis.  In places like Quatemala City, the wealthy have high fences and guards armed with automatic weapons.  Even the local McDonald's have guards with automatic weapons.

We have blessings commensurate with the risk we are taking as believers in America.  If we really want to see God do something in and with our lives, we have to

launch out in the deep and let down our nets.

We fool ourselves if we think we are going to see a great harvest of souls while we sit on lounge chairs with our nets hanging on the drying rack.  No deep blessings come from shallow living.

The Call of God is a "Call to Risk."

3.  It's a call to OBEDIENCE (5b, 11, Mt. 4:19,20)

 5b . . . But at Your word, I’ll let down the nets.”

...............................

11 Then they brought the boats to land,

left everything, and followed Him. 

.................................

Mat 4:19 “Follow Me,” He told them, “and I will make you fish for  people!” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

The Call of God demands immediate and absolute obedience.  Matthew 4:20 highlights the idea of "immediately," and Luke 5:11 emphasizes "everything."

The CALL OF GOD is a call to action—to DO SOMETHING, NOT JUST “THINK” SOMETHING.  A faith that does nothing is worth nothing. (see James 2:18).

Delayed obedience is NO OBEDIENCE AT ALL.  Moses points this out in Numbers 13 and 14.  After delivering the people out of bondage in Egypt, including the drowning of Pharoah's army in the Red Sea, God brought His people to the edge of the Promised Land.

The Lord spoke to Moses saying:

Num 13:1 Send men to scout out the land of Canaan  I am giving to the Israelites.

We know the story.  Twelve spies were sent into the land and the report they brought back was that it, "flowed with milk and honey."  It was exceedingly rich in resources.

But, and doubt always begins with a "but," there were challenges to overcome:  giants and fortified cities. So, they committee of twelve took a vote and the majority decided, "we cannot go in and possess the land."  The majority voted against the clear promise of God:  "I am giving you the land."

This disobedience displeased God--as it always does.  Here's what the Word says,

Num 14  11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people despise Me? How long will they not trust in Me despite all the signs I have performed among them?  12 I will strike them with a plague and destroy them.

Moses interceded, prayed earnestly on behalf of the Israelite, and God altered His judgment.  Now, all the generation that refused to hear God's Call and take the risk to fight for the land (eventhough victory was assured) would wander in the Wilderness for 40 long years, until all that generation but Caleb and Joshua, had died.

This got the attention of the Israelites and they took action:

Num 14  39 When Moses reported these words to all the Israelites, the people were overcome with grief. 40 They got up early the next morning and went up the ridge of the hill country, saying, “Let’s go to the place the Lord promised, for we were wrong.”

..................................

44 But they dared to go up the ridge of the hill country, even though the ark of the Lord’s covenant and Moses did not leave the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that _⌊part of the_⌋ hill country came down, attacked them, and routed them.

The HCSB uses the unfamiliar word, "routed," to express two Hebrew words, "smited and pursued."  If you spoke "Hillbilly" as I do, the HSV (Hillbilly Standard Version) translates the phrase:  "whooped 'em bad."

Delayed obedience is NO OBEDIENCE AT ALL and will bring a curse rather than a blessing.

Measured obedience is NO OBEDIENCE AT ALL.  We come to the N.T. for an example of "incomplete obedience," or "measured obedience."

In Acts 5:  Ananias and Sapphira

1 But a man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a piece of property. 2 However, he kept back part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge, and brought a portion of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

The Call of God is a call to obedience:  immediate and absolute.

The Call of God requires change.  The call of God requires risk.  The call of God requires obedience.  But, the call of God brings

4.  abundant and unimaginable BLESSING (v 6)

Oh, if I only possessed the oratorical skill to describe for you how glorious it is to experience the blessing of God upon one's life.  Even while suffering great heartache and deprivation, no doubt in Roman confinement, with his painful death imminent Paul said,

Rom 8  18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing  with the glory  that is going to be revealed to us.

Heaven will be an unimaginable blessing to be sure, but we don't have to wait until we get to Heaven to start getting blessed.  Malachi gives us a wonderful promise from God--a challenge really:

Mal 3  10 Bring the full 10 percent into the storehouse  so that there may be food in My house.  Test Me in this way,”  says the Lord of Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven  and pour out a blessing for you without measure.  11 I will rebuke the devourer  for you, so that it will not ruin the produce of your ground, and your vine in your field will not be barren,” says the Lord of Hosts. 12 “Then all the nations will consider you fortunate, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of Hosts.

Now, this verse exhorts us to practice obedient giving, but the key issue in the passage is not what we do--or should do--but what God always does when people hear His Call and respond in obedience

HE BLESSES!  AND HE BLESSES REAL GOOD!

HE OPENS UP A FLOOD GATE IN HEAVEN.

There is nothing quite like the sight of seeing a "flood-gate" open.  For many years I pastored a church in the mountains of Arizona, near one of the largest man-made lakes in the United States--Roosevelt Lake.  For most of my years the lake was in a drought situation.  But, one year, there was enough rain and snowfall melt to cause the lake level to rise.

Allowing water to rise over a dam presents an unmanageable situation and potential disaster.  So, dams are designed with "spillways, or flood-gates."  They are huge "gates" that open, usually on both sides of the dam, that allow water to be released down stream . . . and released downstream does not come close to describing the spectacle.

Thousands of gallons of water pass through the "flood gates" and roar down stream.  The sight and sound of so much rushing water takes your breath away.

That's what God wants to do in our lives:  open up the flood-gates of blessing when we hear and respond to His call upon our lives.

Yes, it will require a fundamental change in "who" we are and the "way" we operate.  Yes, the call of God comes with a measure of risk--perhaps even to the point of death as a martyr.  The Call of God requires immediate and absolute obedience--again, even unto to death if necessary.  But, hearing and responding to the Call of God upon your life will bring unimaginable blessings, both now and for eternity.

We could all leave here today saying, "wasn't that sweet. Such a nice little sermon."  Or we can each respond during the coming invitation with immediate and absolute obedience to be and to do whatever God ask of us.

In short, we can simply respond to the call to follow Jesus by doing just that -- following Him no matter where the path leads us or no matter what the journey costs us.

Blessings unimaginable await how we will answer God's Call.

The Call of God is a comprehensive call.  The Call of God must capture ever part of our lives and infuse every corner of our existence.  It must be an all-consuming call.  It involves CHANGE, it involves RISK, it involves OBEDIENCE.  Most importantly it involves BLESSING—TEMPORAL, ETERNAL, UNIMAGINABLE!

Heed the Call.