“What is keeping you from seeing God working in your life? RUMC January 5, 2014

“What is keeping you from seeing God working in your life?

RUMC January 5, 2014

Looking back on the first 9 chapters of THE STORY, there are a number of things I think we can say.

•             We can say that this is a story of God’s love. God in the upper story is constantly seeking that close communion love that was lost in the Garden of Eden.

•             We can say that this is a story of persistence. No matter how many times it failed, God did not tire or give up on his upper story plan.

•             We can say that God is a jealous God. He does not put up with his people worshipping anything besides him.

•             We can say that people were no smarter back then than they are now. Similarly, We can say that we are no smarter now than our ancestors were 5000 years ago.

 More than anything, however, the thing that stands out to me is that God worked in the everyday lives of his people persistently and regularly. God’s activity in the lives of people was the rule rather than the exception. There was no time when God was NOT working in the lives of his people.

•             Not that God is like a chess player moving his pawns about.

•             Not that God is like an owner trying to train his new puppy.

That is not at all what I am seeing.

•             I am seeing God lovingly and gently shepherding or parenting his people. Occasionally shepherding meant a poke or prod to get the sheep going, that’s what the shepherd’s rod was for. Occasionally parenting requires a real good swat on the rear end, and frankly, between you and me I think the people of Israel were lucky they were not swatted more often

But overall, God is shepherding, parenting, guiding, coaxing, directing, and steering the people of Israel back into the kind of relationship they were created to have; Back into intimate relationship with God.

Another thinkg about God working, I notice that God is working in the lives of individual people. Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Deborah, and Gideon, all obviously had God encounters. But your average Joe in the desert had God encounters too.

•             Noah’s sons were just the children of that crazy guy when they became the fathers of all humanity.

•             Hagar was just a servant when God provided life saving water in the desert.

•             Pharaoh’s daughter was just another girl when she started raising Moses,

•             Pharaoh was just another unbeliever when God started working in his life.

•             Don’t you suppose the Passover was a very personal experience for each and every one of the Israelite slaves.

The truth is that God is constantly working in the lives of people throughout scripture. In fact, not just in scripture but in all of history right up to us. I am convinced that God is working in your life and my life each and every day, just like he worked in the lives of Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Deborah, and Gideon. God is working in our lives just like he worked in the lives of the ordinary people of the Bible. God has been working in the lives of people throughout history, and is working in our lives today.

But, you say, “not anymore.” God doesn’t work like that anymore. I don’t see God in my life.” You might be right that you might not see God in your life. For a large part of the culture, and a frighteningly large portion of the church God seems completely absent from their day to day living. When I ask, “Where have you seen God this week?” I’d like to think that even if you don’t say anything, you are taking inventory, but I know better. I know that for a large percentage of you God has seemed conspicuously absent since the last time you were in church. IF you let that lead you to the conclusion that God is not working you would be wrong. WHY? God has not changed, God still works in each and every one of our lives.  I think our perceptions have changed. We are “sophisticated” and “independent” to rely on God.

The truth is God was there in the desert intimately involved in people’s lives. God is here too. Intimately involved in each of our lives. God is here, but I think there are several good reasons we might not notice.

 First, some of us see God and ignore him. Like the child who doesn’t want to hear what the parent has to say we spend our lives going (cover ears and say) “lalalalalalala, I can’t hear you.”

Somehow we believe that if we ignore God he’ll just go away.

•             That seems to be what Adam and Eve thought; “If we just ignore the rule about eating this fruit, the rule will go away. “

•             That’s what the Israelites thought after the ten commandments, “If we ignore them maybe he’ll go away.”

Just like ignoring a bill or ignoring our pain we can only get away with it for s period of time before it starts to get to us. Maybe it is a day, maybe a year, but eventually we have to face reality.

The reality: God is working in your life . Now and always God is working in you if you just stop ignoring him.

 Second, besides ignoring God, sometimes we overrule God because we think we have a better idea. Frankly, may I ask, “who do you think you are?”

We live our lives thinking, “If I were God…” Hello you’re not!

Abraham had an idea, “I’ll get my pretty little servant girl to bear a child for me.” Good idea or bad idea.(BAD)

Or remember when Moses was on the mountain getting the 10 commandments. Someone had an idea. “Hey I have an idea, let’s build a golden calf and worship it.”. Good idea or bad idea. (BAD)

Or Achan, “I have an idea, I’ll overrule God and just keep a little of this loot from the destruction of Ai and I’ll retire in comfort.” Good idea or bad idea. (BAD)

How about this, I have an idea, I’m going to drive on the left hand side of the road. Good idea or bad idea. (BAD)

Our modern culture seems to be built on some bad ideas, lust, gluttony, greed and envy even though God says otherwise. Good idea or bad idea. (BAD)

When God is acting in our lives, we always seem to have what we think is a better idea so often we go another direction. Good idea or bad idea? (BAD)

 Third if not ignoring God, or overruling God, sometimes we don’t see God working because we think it is too good to be true.

Why would the God of all heaven be working in my life? Why would the God of all creation care for me? How could Jesus love me enough to die on the cross for me and make a way for me to get into heaven? And instead of being thankful and accepting God’s care, we turn it down because it is just too good to be true.

The Israelite spies make their way through the promised land and then come back saying yes it is all true It took two of them to carry the grapes back. it is almost too good to be true. . So maybe we shouldn’t go.

Sara laughed thinking that God’s promise of a child was too good to be true at her age.

Sometimes when we see God working we think “He can’t be doing that for me.”

But would you turn down the best job offer you have ever had because it just seemed too good to be true? NO

Would you turn down the proposal from your dream sweetheart because it seemed too good to be true? NO

Neither should we let the fact that it seems too good to be true stop us from seeing that God is indeed working in our lives.

 I can’t hear you

I have a better idea

I don’t deserve it

Those are three of the thing we say as we deny God’s working in our lives. We ignore it. We overrule it. We don’t believe it.

YET…YET that doesn’t change the fact that God does work in our lives. Like many of these Old Testament characters, we find all kinds of excuses for ignoring, overruling, or denying God’s work in ourlives. We are no different.

This week. When you hear God talking stop and listen.

This week when you see God moving, be quiet and watch.

This week when you see the hand of God moving in your life, or around you, open your heart and let God move in their too.

As we receive communion today. Watch.

As you receive bread, listen.

As you receive the juice be aware

God is working whether you notice or not. Be ready.