No Mediocrity

 

June 6, 2021                 NOTES NOT EDITED
No Mediocrity
Jeremiah 48:10, et. al.

SIS—Living a life of excellence in serving God brings great blessing—mediocrity brings a curse.

A police chief was interrogating 3 guys who were training to become detectives. To test their skills in recognizing a suspect, he shows the first guys a picture for 5 seconds and then hides it. "This is your suspect, how would you recognize him?" The first guy answers, "That's easy, we'll catch him fast because he only has one eye!"  The policeman says, "Well...uh...that's because the picture I showed is his side profile."  Slightly flustered by this ridiculous response, he flashes the picture for 5 seconds at the second guy and asks him, "This is your suspect, how would you recognize him?"  The second guy smiles, flips his hair and says, "Ha! He'd be too easy to catch because he only has one ear!" The police chief angrily responds, "What's the matter with you two?!!? Of course only one eye and one ear are showing because it's a picture of his side profile! Is that the best answer you can come up with?" Extremely frustrated at this point, he shows the picture to the third guy and in a very testy voice asks, "This is your suspect, how would you recognize him? He quickly adds, "Think hard before giving me a stupid answer." The third guy looks at the picture intently for a moment and says, "The suspect wears contact lenses." The policeman is surprised and speechless because he really doesn't know himself if the suspect wears contacts or not. "Well, that's an interesting answer. Wait here for a few minutes while I check his file and I'll get back to you on that." He leaves the room and goes to his office, checks the suspect's file on his computer and comes back with a beaming smile on his face. "Wow! I can't believe it. It's TRUE! The suspect does, in fact, wear contact lenses. Good work! How were you able to make such an astute observation?" "That's easy..." the third guy replied. "He can't wear regular glasses because he only has one eye and one ear."

Today, we are sort of in a similar “interview process.”  We can imagine ourselves standing before the Lord as He examines our fitness a His followers. Our text this morning is a short one but it penetrates to the very heart of what it means to be a fully functioning, faithful follower of Jesus Christ.

READING:  Jeremiah 48:10^NIV. “A curse on him who is lax in doing the Lord’s work! A curse on him who keeps his sword from bloodshed! 

Well, the warning could not be clearer in this verse.  Mediocrity brings a curse and therefore, a life of excellent devotion brings a blessing.  That puts a clear choice before us this morning. 

The context of this verse is very important, as it always is with any text.  But, in this case the context is particularly important because the text itself departs somewhat from the context. 

The context of verse 10 begins back in chapter 46.  This is a section on the “judgment of nations”—Egypt, Philistia, Moab.  The judgment of nations motif appears throughout the prophets.  Something like 603 verses in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel alone are dedicated to this theme—a section larger than many N.T. Books (about 25 chapters in all).  The issue in these “judgments” are two-fold:  ❶ first, God is warning His people not to follow the path of pagan nations; and ❷ second, God reminds people that He loves all His creation, Jew and Gentile, and repentance will bring blessing. So, my sermon theme reflects well the context of this “editorial verse” in Jeremiah: 

Living a life of excellence in serving God brings great blessing.  The prophets stated it often in reverse:  mediocrity in the Lord’s service brings a curse.

So, our text stands here in the middle of these “judgments,” as a broad, sweeping declaration of a curse on anybody that does not “do God’s work with a passion.”  This is a summary statement against any sense of mediocrity in the Lord’s work.  This goes to the heart of God’s sovereign rule and sovereign demands upon mankind.  Even the nations God calls upon to execute judgment on His rebellious people must “not wield the sword without passion.”

Excellence is the requisite for all work done for the Lord—indeed, for everything one does in general.  The N.T. says it like this: 

Col. 3:23^NIV  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 

If you are going to be a “member” of God’s family, be a “full-time, passionate” member.  If you are going to lead, lead with passion.  If you are going to follow, follow with enthusiasm.  God is holy and He does not grade on a curve.”  The standard has been established:

“Be holy as God is holy” (1Pet. 1:16)  Nothing less will do.  Good enough ISN’T good enough. 

Most everybody in the modern world is familiar with the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  It is quaint global landmark, but in fact, it is a testimony of mediocre engineering and is in danger of collapsing at any moment.  [Picture of Leaning Tower of Pisa] 

Mediocrity is a great menace indeed to the work of the Kingdom. It has been for a long time. Here’s a quote from Dr. RG Lee who preached his famous, "Pay Day, Some Day" sermon over 1000 times in his ministry. As the pastor of the historic Bellevue Baptist Church some 60 plus years ago, Dr. Lee once lamented, “If an automobile had as many useless parts as the average church, it would not even run downhill.” Dr. Lee was not known for being “subtle.” 

What we need more than anything in these Days of Chaos and Uncertainty are "excellent disciples of Jesus."  Excellence is a key issue in discipleship but is missing from the lives of so many followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

There are three interrelated but slightly different ways in which excellence in discipleship can be described.  Avoiding the curse of mediocrity in the Lord’s work requires Mature Disciples, Maximum Disciples, and Mastered Disciples. 

1.  Mature Disciples (Heb. 6:1)

Our first weapon against mediocrity is to become “mature” in Christ.  Turn to Hebrews 6:1^CSB.  Here we read this admonition from Paul’s hand: 

¹ Therefore, let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God, ² teaching about ritual washings, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

Here Paul contrasts “elementary teachings,” such as repentance from sin (particularly the sin of self-righteousness called, “dead works”), justification by faith in God alone, basic teachings of morality (“washings”), basic teachings on ministry (laying on of hands), and fundamental doctrines such as the resurrection and coming judgment. These are basic doctrines of Christianity. 

Developing sound doctrine is part of the “elementary teachings.”  It is absolutely essential to be grounded in the basic teachings of the Bible.  Too many people have not even reached the “elementary” level in church, much less maturity.  Most church people are “baby Christians,” long after their new birth in Christ.  Paul identifies this condition as “being carnal:” 1Cor 3:1–2^(CSB) 

¹ For my part, brothers and sisters, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ. ² I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, since you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, 

Without maturity church folk become complacent and mediocrity runs amuck.  Immature believers are described by a great preacher as people who weigh in light and come up short in regard to godliness.  As Dr. R.G. Lee once said, “We need men who weigh sixteen ounces to the pound for God, who measure thirty-six inches to the yard.” 

Paul admonishes believers to “go on to maturity.”  He does not in this passage tell us exactly what “maturity” is, but only what it is not. It is not “elementary doctrine.”  The key to maturity does not seem to be in merely gaining more and more knowledge, though that is certainly a part of it.  Maturity has to do with “ministry.”  That is, “putting” one’s faith into practice.  Really, maturity, seems to be all about “service.” 

Throughout the Bible “immaturity” is described as being “childish.”  The Word of God warns us against “childishness” in our faith: 

1 Corinthians 14:20 ^(CSB)   Brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your thinking, but be infants in regard to evil and adult in your thinking. 

Our hearts are to be tender and pure like a child, but our thinking and our actions need to demonstrate the maturity of an adult.  Children need to be cared for—adults are care-givers.  Children need to be taught—adults are teachers.  Children need to be protected—adults are guardians and soldiers.

The word for “maturity” in Hebrews 6:1 is related to the word used by the Lord Jesus–His last words on the cross:  “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30).  This was the ultimate demonstration of maturity.  Jesus held nothing back.  The Lord gave it all.  Mature men leave the “elementary teaching” and move to “excellence in ministry.”

2.  We need Maximum Disciples (Ex. 36:5-7)

Mature disciples grow into “maximum” disciples for the Lord.  If I could do away with only one single fault of the Christian life or one misguided notion of the Christian church it would be this:  “good enough.” I’m afraid this has done more harm to the work of Christ than any other heresy of the church.

In regard to church going, most stop at “good enough.”  In regard to praying most stop at “good enough.”  In regard to serving the needs of a broken world, most stop at “good enough.”  When it comes to funding the work of the Kingdom of God, “most people don’t even stop at good enough, they stop at “nothing.”

There simply is little sense of excellence in most believers lives in regard to “doing the maximum,” and not the minimum. 

Most people are content to know how “little they can do to get into heaven,” when the Bible is all about “how much we can do when heaven has come into us!”

One of the most incredible passages in Scripture is the text that teaches how God’s people gave so much of themselves and their resources to the work of God that God had to instruct them to “stop giving.”  The circumstance of the text was the project of building God’s sanctuary, the Tabernacle.  Here’s the text (Ex. 36:4-7^CSB):

4 Then all the artisans who were doing all the work for the sanctuary came one by one from the work they were doing 5 and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than is needed for the construction of the work the Lord commanded to be done.” 6 After Moses gave an order, they sent a proclamation throughout the camp: “Let no man or woman make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” So the people stopped. 7 The materials were sufficient for them to do all the work. There was more than enough.

If that doesn’t get a “Wow!” I don’t know what will.

 “More than enough”  as opposed to “good enough.”  That’s the difference between maximum disciples and minimum disciples.  I must confess to you that our family here at First Baptist has room for “more.”  Unlike the situation with the tabernacle,“the materials TODAY ARE NOT sufficient to do all the work” (v7).  There is no need at this minute for you to stop giving, I can assure you of that.

Maximum disciples shatter mediocrity like a high soprano’s voice shatters a champagne glass.  Maximum exude excellence in every undertaking. When the wall has been built to sufficient height, maximum disciples go one row higher.  There is no “quit” in maximum disciples.  There is no “good enough.”  Maximum disciples exude excellence.

I can say it no better than to once again quote the eloquent the “Dr. R.G. Lee” and let him speak from his balcony in heaven:

The man who is maximum for God does not pray a little, but much; does not love a little, but much; does not serve a little but much; does not forgive a little; but much; does not show a little loyalty, but much; does not read the Bible a little, but much; does not attend church a little, but much. . . . [Maximum disciples] do not say to God, “When Thou dost walk in my garden, take one flower only; when Thou visitest my orchard, do not gather one basketful only; when Thou comest into my house, expect not to be welcome in one room only; when Thou fishes in my pond, do not catch one fish only; when Thou scans my bank account, do not claim only a few dollars for Thyself.  Never like that do maximum Christians talk to God, the Giver of every good and perfect gift.”

Maximum men always demand more of themselves each day.  As a beloved pastor said, “[Maximum disciples] are not content with a little corner of the world, when continents await their conquest.”

If ever the world needed this kind of “excellence in leadership,” from maximum men and women it would be today.  We have had so many great leaders in the world in the past.  It makes me ask,  “Where are the Churchills, the Ghandi’s, the Thatchers, or the Reagans?  Or where are the Apostle Pauls, the Augustines, or the Spurgeons, or the Wesleys and Billy Grahams?”  Instead, we have what someone referred to as:  “little remedies from the little minds of little men.” We need men of excellence.  We need mature, maximum men and women to lead the church and world.

The Israelites building the Tabernacle were such maximum men and women God, through Moses,  instructed them to “stop giving, there’s more than enough for the work.”  Oh, how our world could use some maximum men who by their “magnificent measure” (Lee) eliminate the cancer of mediocrity.

3.  Mastered Disciples (Mat. 6:24)

“Who’s the Boss?”  That’s the basic question in discipleship. All excellence springs from the fountain of God rising up from deep within the soul of a man or woman who has been “mastered by Christ.” Being mastered by Christ means being fully consumed by a love for Him and a desire to please Him in all we say, do, or even think. 

Everyone is mastered by something—actually one of two things. Jesus said (Mt. 6:24^CSB),

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Our text uses a literary device called a “metonymy”where one word “stands in” for another.  Money is used as a figure of speech used as a stand in to describe a Master.  “Money” (KJV, “mammon”) stands for worldliness, evil, or sin as opposed to God.  You might even say that “money” is a metonymy standing for the Devil.  Thus, the verse means, “You cannot serve both God and the Devil.”  The one you serve is the “master” of your life.  Jesus described “mastery” this way:  John 8:34^CSB

“Truly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.

The Bible describes Job as one who was “Mastered by the Master”

Job 1:8^CSB  Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? No one else on earth is like him, a man of perfect integrity, who fears God and turns away from evil.”

Another description of someone “mastered by the Master” is Caleb:

Numbers 14:24^CSB But since my servant Caleb has a different spirit and has remained loyal to me, I will bring him into the land where he has gone, and his descendants will inherit it

You will recall that Caleb was one of only two men in the entire nation of Israel who was willing to obey God and march into the Promised Land—the other man being Joshua.  Disciples who are “mastered men and women” will obey the Lord even if the entire world chooses disobedience.  Mastered disciples  live according to what is “prophetically correct,” not what is “politically correct.” 

Mastered disciples are men and women who follow the Master, Jesus Christ, whatever the cost.  The lives of Mastered disciples reflect the virtues of the Master Himself.  He was critical of culture, but never cynical.  He was brave, but never known as a hero.  He was the penultimate example of sacrifice.  The Master was capable of righteous indignation but never rash or harsh.  He was firm but not stubborn.  He was pious but not impractical.  He was humble but not cowardly.  He was economical but not miserly.  He was cheerful but not silly (Lee, adapted).

Men and women mastered by the Master simply reflect the virtues of the Master in daily life.  Mastered Men will exemplify excellence in thought, speech and deed.  Mediocrity will be burnt up in the red hot heat of excellence like an asteroid is consumed by the sun.  

Mastered Men (and women) make a difference because they think and live differently.  Mastered Men live and move and have their being in God, Himself.  Mastered Men and Women live under the restraint of God’s Holy Word.  What the Master says, Mastered disciples will do regardless of the cost or the cries of the crowd.

Living a life of excellence in serving God brings great blessing. This means living a Mature, Maximum, Mastered life.

Mediocrity will enslave you and will condemn you to the fate of Solomon Grundy.  His biography is as follows: Solomon Grundy. Born on a Monday, Christened on Tuesday, Married on Wednesday, Got Sick on Thursday, Worse on Friday, Died on Saturday, Buried on Sunday, And this was the end of Solomon Grundy. 

Such is the fate of those who succumb to mediocrity.

All of us here this morning could do much better in the battle against mediocrity in our lives if we would surrender more fully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the in-filling of the Holy Spirit.  We cannot be content to be a “spark” when we could be a “fire.”  We should not be content with being a “molehill,” instead of a “mountain.”  An anonymous poet compared mediocrity with excellence in these words:

I am only a spark; make me a fire.

I am only a string; make me a lyre.

I am only a drop; make me a fountain.

I am only an ant hill; make me a mountain.

I am only a feather; make me a wing.

I am only a peasant; make me a king.

I am only a link; make me a chain.

I am only a sprinkle; make me a rain.

 

Living a life of excellence in serving God brings great blessing.

 

 

 

Help Wanted!

May 16, 2021               NOTES NOT EDITED!
Help Wanted!
Acts 11:27-30

SIS–Every Christian should have an identifiable place of service in the Church.

Years ago I read about a donut shop owner who had an employee named Eddy.  Eddy had worked at the shop for several years.  One day a regular customer noticed Eddy had not been working for a couple of weeks.  The customer asked, “Where’s Eddy?  Is he sick?”  The owner replied, “No, Eddy doesn’t work here anymore.”  Making polite conversation the customer asked, “Do you plan to fill the vacancy Eddy left.”  The owner nonchalantly replied, “No.  Eddy didn’t leave any vacancy.”

I think about that story in regard to many church members I’ve known over the years.  Sadly, when they missed church, they never left any vacancy.  Their church membership really had little or no purpose—and little or no positive affect upon the world. 

I’m sure you have asked yourself, “Why am I here? Why was I born where I was born?” Why do I have the personality I have.” Why am I good at some things, and not so good at others.” Why do I even ask ‘why’?”

Unless we suppress it, the question “why” in regard to our existence is a fundamental issue in life.  We ask “why” because all human beings instinctively know that they are not on earth by accident.  We are “created” and our soul thirsts to know “why” we were created.  The Bible explains why we were created in many different places in many different ways.  One answer to the question of “why” we were created is found in Ephesians 2:10: 

10 It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.

God created us and saves us for a life of service.  Let me say that again: “God created us and save us for a life of service.” Until we are saved and serving [emphasis important], we will never be satisfied in life.  God’s Word teaches us that God, “made us to serve others.”

Let’s read our text together and examine three important aspects in regard to serving God by serving others: Acts 11:27-30

27 During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29 The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

We will fill in some of the details as we go along, but it is clear from our text: there was a great need and the church united together in sacrificial service to meet that need.  Three aspects inform our  understanding Christian service: the NEED for service, the fact God SHAPE’s us for service, and the fact that God EXPECTS us to serve.

1.  The World NEEDS You to Serve (Acts 28, 29b)

a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world . . . . The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea.

In our text we discover that there was a “severe famine” spreading over the entire Roman world.  Hunger was gripping the people of the land and squeezing hope from their lives.  In verse 29 it says that the Christian brothers and sisters in Judea, “needed help.”  

The world needs “you.”  There is so much suffering in the world that it is impossible NOT to see it.  Only . . . many don’t see it because they hide their eyes.  One of the big tragedies in our world today is in India. Every day the media recounts the story of the tremendous suffering of the people as this nation struggles with the Covid pandemic. I just saw an article where people are covering themselves in cow dung mixed with urine to stave off the ravages of the Covid virus.  Dead bodies are floating in the Ganges River.

We live in a broken, needy world.  Every 3 seconds a child starves to death.  Every second 2 babies aborted.  Every day nearly 10,000 people die because they don’t have clean water to drink.

 And . . . America is not without need.  According to government studies 33.6 million Americans are struggling to get enough to eat.  13 million children go to be hungry every day.  1 out of every 10 households in America are experiencing the pangs of hunger.  Between 500 to 600 thousand people are homeless in America – the richest country in the world.

Our world is a needy world – and I’ve only mentioned the physical needs.  Emotional needs are just as staggering.  In the US today suicide is the third leading cause of death for those aged 15 to 24.
 
There is also the “spiritual need” of our world which is the greatest need of all because it is the only “eternal need.”  Every second about 2 people die and enter eternity—the vast majority have never had a meaningful encounter with the soul-saving gospel of Jesus Christ! 

I could spend hours outlining the needs of our world.  Need is everywhere.  The need is great, but the servants are few.  The Early Church were servants.  They served sacrificially to meet whatever needs arose from hunger to hopelessness.  Our text said that the Early Church heard of a need in Judea and they “provided help.”  One reason you must find a place of service in our world – in our neighborhood – is because people NEED you to serve. 

2.  God SHAPED you to Serve (Acts 29a)

“The disciples each according to his ability”

Everybody has different abilities to use in serving God..  Just like no two human beings are shaped exactly alike physically, neither are any two persons shaped exactly alike spiritually.  A person’s ability to serve God is as unique as his or her finger print.

The word translated from the Greek as “ability” is only used one time in the Bible which is this passage.  It refers to the “unique capacities” of each person to earn wages and contribute to meeting the needs of their world.  While all the disciples participated in serving, not everybody participated or in the same way. 

God uniquely designed us to serve.  We are His snowflakes – no two of us are exactly alike.  In our church we refer to this a person’s “SHAPE.” Each letter in the word, “SHAPE,” refers to a unique facet of how God has “designed” (made, shaped, formed, or created) us. 

Let’s look at how God “shapes” each person uniquely for service.  Consider this: human DNA molecules can unite to form 1 x 10 to the 2 billion, 400 millionth power.  That is a 1 with 2,400,000,000 zeroes.  If you right that number on a piece of paper, the paper would have to be at least 37,000 miles long!  You are uniquely “shaped” by God. Let’s look at what it means to be “SHAPE’d by God for service.

“S” in the word SHAPE refers to our “spiritual giftedness.”  The Bible says:  Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.  (1 Cor 12:7).^NIV

When God saves you His Spirit becomes one with your spirit.  Don’t ask me to explain, “how,” this can happen because it can’t be explained.  But, when God’s Spirit becomes a part of our lives in the event of our salvation He begins a spiritual process, or transformation.  We become “super-charged” after the fashion of a race car.  We get “superpowers,” sort of like the Fantastic Four, or Spiderman.  These superpowers are called, “spiritual gifts” and every believer has one, and most have a mix of spiritual gifts.  This special power from God is “for the common good” or to help us in our service to others.  Spiritual gifts are “instrumental” not “ornamental.”  Some people go through all kinds of surveys and tests to discover their spiritual gifts.  I’m not a big fan of that idea.  My theory is this: “start serving and your spiritual gifts will find you.”  Your gift may be teaching.  It may be hospitality.  It may be the gift of giving.  It may be the gift of knowledge or wisdom.  It may be a combination of more than one gift – but everybody has at least one gift. or power, to help them serve.

The “H” SHAPE stands for “heart.”  How do you know where and how you should be serving?  The key is, what is your “hearts” desire?  What do you really enjoy doing.  The Bible says, “As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man.” (Prov 27:19).  A man or woman is defined by those things they are most passionate about.  Another word for “heart” could be “passion.”  Mike Lindell, the “My Pillow Guy,” is passionate about pillows.  Mother Teresa was passionate about comforting the poorest of the poor and it defined her life and service.  God put the “desires in our heart” and they are unique to each of us.  Part of how we find what place of service is best for us is to ask, “what does my heart say?” What am I passionate about.”  Our “heart” (or desires) are part of how God has SHAPE’d us to serve Him

The “A” in SHAPE stands for “abilities.”  Notice again v29, especially the phrase, “according to his ability.”  In addition to “spiritual gifts,” every person has a measure of “natural ability.” Sadly, most people never live up to their abilities.  For example, you possess the ability to detect something with your finger that is only 1/25,000th of an inch thick. Your brain–even if it is only average–can process 15,000 decisions a second!  You are a bundle of incredible abilities.  Everyone is good at something, though everyone isn’t good at the same thing.  Any ability you have can be used to serve others from fixing a car to teaching mathematics.  Your unique abilities are part of your SHAPE for service. 

The “P” in SHAPE stands for your “personality.”  Just look at how different the original Twelve Disciples were.  Peter was outspoken and often acted before he really thought about what he was doing. Andrew, Peter’s brother, was more a people person.  Every time he is mentioned in the Bible, he is introducing someone to Jesus.  Think of the Hebrew twins, Jacob and Esau.  The Bible says,

Gen 25:27 ^(CSB)  When the boys grew up, Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman, but Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.  One a hunter, the other a home boy!

We are all different.  We are all like a piece of wood.  We all have a certain “grain” to our lives.  Woodworkers know that it is easier to work with the grain of the wood than against it.  In the same way, we would do well to find places of service that fit our personality.  Personality is a part of how God SHAPE’s us for service. 

The “E” in SHAPE stands for our “experiences” in life.  Soren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher wisely noted, “Life can only be understood backwards, but must be lived forwards.”  Every experience with have is a springboard for service in God’s Kingdom. God never wastes a moment of our time.  Nothing that happens to us is “meaningless” or without some educational value in our lives.  It has been 44 years since I served on a nuclear submarine, but God still uses that experience many times to help me speak with other people about their souls – the greatest service any of us can perform.  Every submariner had to learn about every system on the submarine. I know a little about a lot of different trades.  I know a little about being a machinist.  I know a little about heating and air conditioning.  I know a little about hydraulics.  I know a little about nuclear power.  It is amazing how “little” I know about so many things!   Hey!  I may only know a “little,” but as the song says

Little is much when God is in it. // Labor not for wealth or fame.
There's a crown and you can win it, // If you go in Jesus' name. 

The Bible says, “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Ps 139:15-16). As I said before, God never wastes our time-every experience has value. 

God knows your next step, and the one after that.  He knows every experience you will have and when you will have it.  He will use those experiences to help you become the “super servant” He wants you to be.  Your “experiences”–both good and bad–are all a part of how God SHAPE’s you for service.

God SHAPES you for the service He expects you to perform.  He gives you spiritual gifts, your heart’s desire, unique abilities, a distinct personality, and a never-ending supply of experiences so that you can be the best servant you can possibly be in a world that desperately needs your service.

Let me remind you of something very fundamental to being a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ.  If you do not engage yourself in service to others in and through the church, there are needs that are going to go unmet. Church ministry suffers. There are unique services that ONLY YOU CAN PROVIDE.  When you don’t serve, something important is missing.  Nobody but you can be you but you!

That brings me to my third reason for why you need to find your special place of service.  Not only does the world’s need demand it.  Not only has God uniquely SHAPE’d you to provide the service the world needs, but,

3.  God EXPECTS you to serve (Acts 11:30) 

Look closely at verse 30 and you will see something really profound in its simplicity: “This they did, sending their gift.”

This is a mundanely simple statement with profound consequences.  Remember the situation we are dealing with – a famine that was going to be particularly hard on the believers about 100 miles away in Jerusalem.  There was a need to take up a sacrificial offering and the Bible says, “This they did.” Christianity is as much what we “do” as what we “believe.”  When it needed done—“they just did it!” 

Oh, how I wish we all could be so simple and immediate in our obedience. So often the normal response in a Baptist church to feeding the hungry or clothing the naked is to set up a “committee” to discuss ministry.  We often play out the moral to an Aesop’s Fable, “When all is said and done in a committee, more is said than done.”

God SHAPE’d us for ministry because He EXPECTS us to minister.  Obedience is not optional.  God put the matter before the disciples and “they DID something about it.” 

One day the disciples were arguing about who was, and would be, greatest in the Kingdom of God.  Jesus rebuked them for their misguided ambition and said this: “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave- 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, (Matt 20:26-28).

If we are going to call ourselves, “Christians,” [meaning, those doing the business of Jesus Christ] don’t you think our lives ought to resemble, “Christ?”  Should we not love like Jesus loved?  Should we not sacrifice like Jesus sacrificed?  Should be not serve like Jesus served?  Should we not be willing to die like Jesus died?

Jesus, speaking as God the Son, said, “I expect my followers to follow My example.  I expect each of you to become a servant of all.”

It is clear from our text in Acts that the Early Church followed the example of the Servant-Savior.  They heard of a need that called upon them to deliver aid and our text says, “this they did!”

The world’s needs cry out even louder today than in the day of the Early Church–at least as much so for sure.  If we are going to use the name, Christian, we need to find a place of service and begin serving sacrificially and passionately just like Christ, Our Lord, did.

Only about 2 out of every 10 church members in a typical church are actively involved in meaningful ministry to their communities either individually or through the church.  If we are going to make a difference in our world, this statistic most change.  EVERY believer needs to find a meaningful place of service. We need “doers” not “spectators.”

Our church will be “ramping” up our discipleship training efforts and will be expecting every member to commit to training to become a better servant of Christ.

Many church members have had a genuine and radical, life-altering encounter with the Living God, but let their spiritual life slide into a ditch or get stalled by the side of the road.  There’s hope for you.  Use this time of invitation to rededicate your life to God and commit yourself to renewed service to Christ in and through the church.

Don’t be like Eddy . . . leave a vacancy when you are absent.

Mother's Day 2021: Hannah, a Model of Faith

 

May 9, 2021 (Gratitude to Pastor Brian Bill for the sermon seed)
Hannah:  A Model of Faith  (Notes Not Edited)
1Samuel 1:1-2:11

SIS—Hannah is just one of many women in the Bible who is a model of great faith for all people of faith—man or woman. 

Today, we want to honor “motherhood,” and by extension we want to celebrate the beauty, power, ingenuity, and creative problem solving of women in general.  Let me illustrate what I mean.

When a group of tourists visited a crocodile farm, the owner of the place launched a bold proposal - Whoever dares to jump, swim to the coast and survive, I'll give you $ 1 million. No one dared to move, suddenly, a man jumped into the water and desperately swam to the shore while being chased by all the crocodiles. With enormous luck he made it. He gained everyone's admiration. Then the owner announced; - We have a brave winner. After collecting his reward, the couple returned to the hotel, upon arrival, the manager told him; he was very brave to jump, then the man said; I didn't jump, someone pushed me! His wife smiled...

Moral: ′′ Behind every successful man, there's a woman who pushes him "...

1.  People of faith have real PROBLEMS (1:1-8)

Hannah is a Bible hero.  Like all Biblical heroes, she had problems.  The Bible never whitewashes the lives of its heroes.  Noah was a drunk, Moses had anger issues, Rahab was a prostitute, and Hannah was a “barren woman.”  The Bible is the real story of God dealing with real people facing real struggles.  Hannah is one such hero.

Hannah was one of Elkanah’s two wives.  The portrayal of Elkanah in the Bible is that of a “devoutly religious, God-fearing man.”  Many of the characters during the time of the judges, including kings and priests, were moral failures.  Verse 3 says this of Elkanah: 

³ This man would go up from his town every year to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of Hosts at Shiloh. 

Shiloh was the center for Israelite worship before Jerusalem was established as the Holy City years after this time.  Elkanah was a devout, God-fearing man but he was not perfect.  He had two wives.  Hannah is mentioned first so she was probably Elkanah’s first wife.  Polygamy was tolerated in the O.T., especially when a first wife was barren, or childless.  But, make no mistake about it—God’s design for marriage from the beginning was “one man, one woman for a lifetime.”  The N.T. unequivocally denounces polygamy (Mt. 19:4-5; 1Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:6 to name a few places).  Elkanah had faith but it was not perfect faith by any means.  He tried to “help God out” by taking a second, fertile wife.  This gave him a divided family.  It was a mistake.  Elkanah is yet another example of a Bible hero that was far from faultless. 

Hannah had a big problem.  She was a Jewish woman who could not bear children—or at least that was how it seemed.  This meant that she was considered, “damaged goods,” and was looked down upon by society.  This is demonstrated by the actions of her “rival wife,” Peninnah.  Verse 6 says, 

⁶ Her rival [Pininnah]would taunt her severely just to provoke her, because the Lord had kept Hannah from conceiving. 

Motherhood is a highly esteemed and greatly valued station in life, even in our day—though motherhood, gender, and marriage are under attack today.  The fact that we have a special holiday to honor motherhood speaks to the fact of the importance of this station in life. 

There are more than a few women that desperately want to bear children but cannot.  I’m sure such women—perhaps you are one such woman here this morning—feel that “Mother’s Day” is a cruel joke.  I’m sure Hannah would have felt that way.  So heavy was this burden upon Hannah that verse 10 says,

¹⁰ Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the Lord
and wept with many tears.

When we experience problems, such as Hannah’s bareness or any number of challenges in life, we tend to think that God has forgotten us.  Or worse, we feel that God is punishing, even ridiculing us.  Many atheists assert that with so much evil and suffering and problems in this world there could not possibly be a god—and especially not the All-loving, All-powerful God of the Bible. 

It goes beyond my purpose this morning to discuss the apparent incongruity between the existence of an All-loving, All-powerful God and the tremendous amount of evil we see in this world.  What I want to emphasize this morning is that Hannah was a real, Bible hero but she also faced very real problems.

So, if you are experiencing great troubles, trials, and problems in life, then you just might be a Bible hero like Hannah.  People of faith have real problems.

2.  People of faith express fervent PRAYERS (1:9-18) 

⁹ On one occasion, Hannah got up after they ate and drank at Shiloh. The priest Eli was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple. ¹⁰ Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept with many tears. ¹¹ Making a vow, she pleaded, “Lord of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.” ^CSB 

Hannah did what all people of faith MUST DO when faced with soul-crushing problems—we must pray.  But, not the trivial prayers we so often pray, but we need to express “fervent prayers.”  Fervent prayers are prayers so deep they exceed the capacity of our human language.  Her prayers were more like crying out in anguish, or as the literal of verse 11 says, “Vowing a vow,” which the CSB translates as “pleading.”  This is the kind of prayer borne of deep anguish. 

Notice in verse 12 the description of Hannah’s praying, ¹² While she continued praying in the Lord’s presence, Eli watched her lips. ¹³ Hannah was praying silently, and though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. Eli thought she was drunk ¹⁴ and scolded her, “How long are you going to be drunk?  Get rid of your wine!” ¹⁵ “No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman with a broken heart. I haven’t had any wine or beer; I’ve been pouring out my heart before the Lord.  ¹⁶ Don’t think of me as a wicked woman;  I’ve been praying from the depth of my anguish and resentment.” 

People who pray fervently, as Hannah did, go to a place with God that transcends human language and exceeds human understanding.  Many who pray fervently have been accused of “being drunk,” that is, under the influence of alcohol.  When the disciples prayed themselves into the Presence of God at Pentecost, they too were accused of being “drunk.”  (Acts 2:12-13) 

Fervent praying is Holy Spirit assisted praying.  In fact, being deep into God through the Holy Spirit is compared to being “drunk” in the N.T. 

^{Ephesians 5    18} And don’t get drunk with wine,  which leads to reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit. 

We all know what it means to be “DUI,” but what we need in the church from people of faith today are those who are “PUI”—PRAYING UNDER THE INFLUENCE.

What does it take to “express fervent prayers to God.”  Well, as I said, for one it takes “praying under the guidance and control of the Holy Spirit.”  But it take something else to express fervent prayers.  Vs 15:

¹⁵ “No, my lord,” Hannah replied.
“I am a woman with a broken heart. 

Here’s something I learned too late in life:  you will never have a real breakTHROUGH, until you have a total breakDOWN!

God cannot fill us with His Self until we are empty of OUR self.

It is a simple principle of fervent, effectual praying that we must first come to the end of ourselves in order to experience the beginning of the fullness of God, Himself. 

Hannah faced an insurmountable problem.  Instead of letting her circumstances go to her “feet” and send her running away in despair, she let her circumstances drive her to her knees in fervent prayer. Believers must learn to “fight on our knees, not our feet.”

Hannah is a model for all people of faith because she “prayed fervently.”

3.  People of faith experience God’s PROVISIONS (1:19-20)

¹⁹ The next morning Elkanah and Hannah got up early to bow in worship before the Lord. Afterward, they returned home to Ramah.  Then Elkanah was intimate with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her.  ²⁰ After some time,  Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,  because she said, “I requested him from the Lord.” 

God will meet your needs.  Provisions are what God gives us in response to our faithfulness. God will ALWAYS meet your needs with His provisions.  God’s provisions are always good.

God is not good, some of the time.  God is good all of the time! Until you understand this principle in Scripture you will never have the sense of the overwhelming satisfaction of God’s innumerable provisions.  The N.T. expresses the “promise of God’s provisions”:

^{Matthew 7    8} For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds,  and to the one who knocks, the door  will be opened. ⁹ What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you then, who are evil,  know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 

And, in the Book of James we see the promise of God’s provisions:

^1:17 Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning. 

From beginning to end throughout the Bible we see God revealing Himself to us as the “One Who Provides.”  In Hebrew He is called, “Yaweh jireh,” God Who Provides.

Do you recall the story of Abraham’s test to take his only son, Isaac, and sacrifice him on Mount Moriah?  Abraham was faithful to God’s command.  But, remember, that an angel from heaven prevented Abraham from carrying out the sacrifice.  Instead, there was heard the bleating of a lamb in the thicket.  Here’s how that story ends:

^{Gen. 22:  14} And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, [Yahweh yireh] so today it is said: “It will be provided  on the Lord’s mountain.” 

God will ALWAYS provide what you need when you need it in response to your faith and fervent prayer.  Now, that is an absolutely incredible promise and truth of His Word, but one that not many people really understand—or even believe.

I am NOT saying God will always give you what you want, because what you want may not be good for you.  God is good.  God is perfect.  He always provides what we need and what is best for us which is also what will best fulfill His will.

Hannah is a model for what it means to be a person of faith.  People of faith have problems.  People of faith pray fervent prayers.  People of faith experience God’s provisions.

4.  People of faith excel in keeping PROMISES (1:21-28)

Hannah cared for Samuel until he was old enough to be independent of her, and then she took him to the Lord’s tabernacle in Shiloh, to fulfill her vow to dedicate Samuel to the Lord.  Samuel would remain at the Tabernacle permanently.  She then testified of God’s goodness to the High Priest, Eli.

²⁶ “Please, my lord,” she said, “as sure as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. ²⁷ I prayed for this boy, and since the Lord gave me what I asked Him for, ²⁸ I now give the boy to the Lord. For as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.” 

Hannah made a promise, and she kept it as difficult as it must have been to leave her three-year old son in the Temple.  It was common in that day not to wean a child until about the age of three.  This is still not uncommon in lands where food is scarce and the water lacks purity, or was difficult to obtain.

The Bible talks a good deal about “making vows” or promises.  In Psalm 15 the Holy Poet describes a person who can dwell in God’s Presence as one: ⁴ who keeps his word whatever the cost. 

The Bible warns about “making promises you don’t intend to keep”:

^{Eccl. 5:5} Better that you do not vow than that you vow and not fulfill it. 

Our word is a sacred trust.  Words are powerful which is why “promises are so powerful.”  We live in a nation where a “man’s word means very little.”  We see corporate CEO’s cheating people out of billions, large corporations reneging on debt and seeking government bailouts; we see marriage vows broken at a rate greater than they are made; and of course, every two and four years we are subjected to the “empty promises” of politicians.

We live in a nation where a person’s word means very little.  Now, here’s where it may get a bit personal:  we have people in church that do not keep their promises.  Every person that gets saved has promised to make Jesus Christ the Absolute Lord of Life, yet in a very short time after the blush of the moment fades and the hair dries from the baptism, people go back to living their own way.

So many people who have promised to make Jesus Lord barely even think about Him throughout their day—or their lives.  They completely skip out on their promise and vows.

Hannah was a model of Christian faith because she kept her promise.

People of faith have problems.  People of faith express fervent prayers.  People of faith experience God’s provisions.  People of faith excel in keeping promises.  But, most importantly:

5.  People of faith EXPLODE in PRAISE (2:1-11)

When you live as a person of faith, praise will be the natural expression of your life.  Chapter Two is called, “Hannah’s Song.” When God’s love sparks the fuse of your life you will explode in praise. You won’t be able to hold in your praise any more than a stick of dynamite can keep from exploding once its fuse is lit.  Hannah praised God saying,

2:1  My heart rejoices in the Lord; my horn is lifted up by the Lord. My mouth boasts over my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation.² There is no one holy like the Lord. There is no one besides You!

In the next nine verses Hannah explodes with praise to God for not only meeting the needs of the faithful, but for exceeding those needs. I can’t help but think today that if more of us would follow Hannah’s example of faith as a godly mother, then our lives would regularly and enthusiastically explode in praise.

The climax of God's happiness is the delight He takes in the echoes of His excellence in the praises of His people (John Piper).

God delights in praise so He delights in giving us that which cause us to explode in praise to Him.  God’s love and provisions light the fuse of our lives that results in an explosion of praise.

There is so much more we could glean from this passage, but time will not permit.  Let is suffice to say that Hannah is not only a great model of motherhood, but she is also a great model for people of faith—but men and women.

Let’s seek to follow Hannah’s example.