RESPONDING TO A REVELATION AND A PROMISE

GEN. 12:1-9  BV 10/15/00

     FOR MOST OF US LIFE IS COMPOSED OF A SERIES OF REVELATIONS THAT SERVE TO ALTER THE COURSE OUR LIVES TAKE.  CALL THEM WHAT YOU WILL, "CROSSROADS," "CRISES," "MILESTONES," OR "EBENEZERS," THESE "AHA" EXPERIENCES OFTEN SHAKE AND SHAPE THE DECISIONS WE MAKE AND THE DIRECTIONS WE GO IN LIFE. 

     FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE ROOTED IN CHRIST AND WHO ARE SINCERE ABOUT LIVING OUR LIVES IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOD'S WILL FOR US, WE ARE CONSTANTLY SEARCHING TO DISCERN GOD'S VOICE IN THE MIDST OF ALL THOSE THAT CLAMOR FOR OUR ATTENTION. 

     FOR EXAMPLE, I RECENTLY HEARD A TRUE STORY ABOUT A PASTOR WHO WAS AT A BIBLE STUDY WHEN A YOUNG MAN SAID, "GOD JUST SPOKE TO ME AND TOLD ME TO TRUST HIM AND RUN INTO THAT BRICK WALL RUNNING AS FAST AS I CAN."  THE PASTOR TRIED TO COUNSEL AGAINST IT, BUT THE MAN WAS CONVINCED HE WOULD OBEY GOD RATHER THAN HIM.

     AS THE PASTOR DESCRIBED IT THIS IDIOT LOOKED AT THE WALL LIKE A BULL READY TO CHARGE AND TOOK OFF AT FULL SPEED KNOCKING HIS HEAD AGAINST THE BRICKS.  HE STUMBLED SLIGHTLY, AND FELL TO THE GROUND.

     AFTER COMING TO HIS SENSES, HE SAID, "GOD JUST SPOKE TO ME AGAIN.  HE TOLD ME, NEVER, EVER DO THAT AGAIN."

     HEARING GOD'S VOICE IS HARD WORK, ISN'T IT?  HOW DO WE KNOW WHEN IT IS GOD THAT IS SPEAKING AND NOT SOMEONE ELSE OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS TUGGING ON OUR WILLS AND OUR DESIRES?  IN WHAT WAYS DOES GOD REVEAL HIMSELF TO US?  WHAT IS GOD'S WILL FOR US AND OUR LIVES?

     CERTAINLY THIS MUST HAVE BEEN A KEY ISSUE FOR ABRAM IN OUR STORY FOR TODAY.  SO LET'S SPEND A FEW MINUTES THINKING ABOUT IT.

     IN THE FIRST PLACE, WE NEED TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE.  IF WE HAD GONE BACK AND READ CHAPTER ELEVEN OF THE BOOK OF GENESIS, WE WOULD HAVE READ THE STORY OF THE TOWER OF BABEL.  PRIOR TO THAT TOWER, THE PEOPLE OF EARTH HAD BEEN ONE...ONE IN EVERY ASPECT OF THEIR LIVES INCLUDING THE LANGUAGE THAT THEY SPOKE AND IN THEIR DESIRE TO BUILD A TOWER THAT WOULD ELEVATE THEM TO A POSITION IN HEAVEN EQUAL TO GOD'S.  THAT STORY RELATES HOW GOD CREATED CHAOS AND CONFUSION AND BARRENNESS AS HE CONFUSED THE LANGUAGES OF PEOPLE SO THEY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER AND THEN SCATTERED THEM ABROAD OVER THE FACE OF THE EARTH. 

     IN THIS MOMENT, HUMANITY HAS PLAYED OUT ITS FUTURE AND HAS NOWHERE ELSE TO GO.  BARRENNESS IS THE STORY OF HUMAN HISTORY.  IT SPEAKS TO HOPELESSNESS AND EMPTINESS.  THERE IS NO FORESEEABLE FUTURE.  AND THERE IS NO HUMAN POWER TO INVENT A FUTURE.

     AND THEN COMES OUR STORY FOR TODAY. 

     SOMEONE HAS DESCRIBED THIS PASSAGE AS BEING "THE MOST IMPORTANT STRUCTURAL BREAK IN THE OLD TESTAMENT...IT DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN THE HISTORY OF HUMANKIND AND THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL, OR BETWEEN THE HISTORY OF THE CURSE AND THE HISTORY OF THE BLESSING...IT RELATES GOD'S ELECTING CALL OF ISRAEL."  (BRUEGGEMAN)

     SO GOD BREAKS INTO HISTORY ONCE MORE IN A WAY THAT IS STARTLING AND FILLED WITH PROMISE.  AND IN A WAY THAT IS SO LIKE GOD, THE FATE AND FUTURE OF ALL HUMANITY AND THE FULFILLMENT OF GOD'S WILL FOR IT LIES IN ONE MAN CHOSEN BY GOD TO CARRY OUT HIS PLAN.

     GOD'S FIRST CALL WAS TO CALL THE WORLD INTO BEING.  IN THIS SECOND CALL, GOD CALLS A NEW COMMUNITY INTO EXISTENCE.  IT IS AN ALTERNATIVE COMMUNITY...AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE COLD, BARREN ONES WHO HAVE STOPPED LISTENING AND WHO HAVE THEREFORE STOPPED LIVING AND EVEN HOPING.  GOD CALLS THE HOPELESS ONES INTO A COMMUNITY AND HE GIVES THEM A FUTURE AND A PILGRIMAGE.

     THE NATURE OF THIS CALL IS WELL WORTH OUR CAREFUL CONSIDERATION.  THINK ABOUT WHAT GOD IS ASKING OF ABRAM!  GOD IS TELLING ABRAM TO ABANDON...TO RENOUNCE...TO RELINQUISH...EVERYTHING!  HE MUST TURN HIS BACK ON HIS CULTURE, HIS RELATIONSHIPS, HIS COMMUNITY.  IT IS A RADICAL CALL TO DEPART FROM EVERYTHING THAT ABRAM WOULD HAVE BASED HIS SAFETY AND HIS SECURITY ON.  THE COMMAND IS TERSE, ASKING ABRAM AND SARAI TO GO WITH THEIR EYES CLOSED, TO IGNORE THE DANGER, TO IGNORE THE RISK.  BUT NOTICE, THE COMMAND IS NOT BASED ON LAW OR DISCIPLINE...IT IS BASED ON A PROMISE.  WHAT THIS STORY TELLS US IS THAT THE ONLY WAY OUT OF BARRENNESS IS TO LEAVE BEHIND ALL THAT FEELS SAFE AND PREDICTABLE.  TO STAY IN SAFETY IS TO REMAIN BARREN; TO LEAVE IN RESPONSE TO GOD'S CALL IS TO HAVE HOPE. 

     IT IS THE SAME CALL ECHOED BY JESUS TO EACH ONE OF US...TO US AS HIS CHURCH AND TO EACH ONE OF US WHO SAY WE ARE HIS FOLLOWERS.  "FOR WHOEVER WOULD SAVE HIS LIFE WILL LOSE IT; AND WHOEVER LOSES HIS LIFE FOR MY SAKE AND THE GOSPEL'S WILL SAVE IT." (MK 8:35)  IT IS A RADICAL CALL... A DANGEROUS CALL...A CALL THAT GOES CONTRARY TO EVERYTHING THE WORLD WOULD HAVE US TO BELIEVE.

     OUR OWN LIVES OFTEN ECHO THE SAME EMPTINESS AND HOPELESSNESS AS THE PEOPLE OF ABRAM'S DAY.  BUT WE MUST ASK OURSELVES, DO WE REALLY WANT A WAY OUT OF THE BARREN EMPTINESS OF OUR LIVES?  OR IS THE RISK TOO GREAT...THE PRICE TOO HIGH TO PAY?  WITH JESUS, AS WITH ABRAM, THE CALL IS DANGEROUSLY OPEN ENDED SO LET'S LOOK CLOSELY AT IT.

     FIRST THERE IS THE IMPERATIVE...THE COMMAND..."GO FROM YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR KINDRED AND YOUR FATHER'S HOUSE TO THE LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU."

     THEN THAT IMPERATIVE IS FOLLOWED BY THE PROMISE IN FIVE FIRST PERSON STATEMENTS MADE BY GOD.  LISTEN TO THEM: "I WILL MAKE OF YOU A GREAT NATION," "I WILL BLESS YOU," "I WILL MAKE YOUR NAME GREAT," " I WILL BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS YOU," AND LASTLY, "I WILL CURSE THOSE WHO CURSE YOU."  FIVE TIMES GOD SAYS, "I WILL."  THE FUTURE TO BE RECEIVED BY ISRAEL IS NO ACCOMPLISHMENT BY ISRAEL...IT IS A GIFT GIVEN BY THE ONE WHO IS ABLE TO GIVE ALL GOOD GIFTS. 

     AND LIKE ALL GIFTS, THIS GIFT MUST BE OPENED TO APPRECIATE IT.  THE GIFTS OF THIS PROMISE SPEAK TO OUR OWN CRAVINGS...TO OUR OWN HUNGER.  WHAT ONE OF US DOESN'T YEARN FOR WELL-BEING, SECURITY, PROSPERITY, PROMINENCE?  THESE ARE THE STUFF OF THIS PROMISE GIVEN AS GIFTS. 

     IT IS THIS PROMISE THAT PUTS BEFORE ISRAEL AND BEFORE US A CROSSROADS...AN EBENEZER.  IT REQUIRES A DECISION...A RADICAL REPENTANCE...A TURNING AROUND.  IT IS THIS PROMISE THAT REQUIRES A REJECTION OF ALL OF OUR POSTURING AND POSING...OF MASQUERADING AS THOSE WHO ARE IN CHARGE OF OUR LIVES AND OUR DESTINY AND OUR WORLD.  IT IS THIS PROMISE THAT REQUIRES A RECOGNITION AND AN ACCEPTANCE THAT THE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND AND IS POWERED BY THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN DELIVER ON HIS PROMISE...THIS GOD IN JESUS CHRIST.

     THIS PROMISE GIVEN TO ABRAM ENDS WITH A COMMISSIONING. IT IS THE SAME COMMISSION THAT IS GIVEN TO US AS THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST...THE SAME COMMISSION WE ARE SO UNCOMFORTABLE WITH...THE ONE WE IGNORE AT THE PERIL OF KILLING OUR OWN FUTURE AS A CHURCH AND OURSELVES AS HIS DISCIPLES. 

     ISRAEL IS CALLED TO BE A BLESSING TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE EARTH.  ISRAEL IS NEVER ALLOWED TO LIVE IN A VACUUM.  THE REVELATION OF THIS GOD WHO HAS CALLED IT INTO BEING MUST BE MADE TO ALL THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD.  AND IN THE SAME WAY THE REVELATION OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST MUST BE CARRIED OUT BEYOND THE FOUR WALLS OF THIS BUILDING BY EACH ONE OF US...CARRIED OUT THERE TO THOSE WHO STAND APART FROM THE PROMISE...THOSE WHO ARE HURTING AND EMPTY AND DESPERATE FOR WHAT AND WHO WE KNOW TO BE TRUE.  TO IGNORE THIS MISSION IS TO INVALIDATE OUR CLAIM TO BEING THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST.  TO IGNORE THIS MISSION IS TO INVALIDATE THAT WE ARE DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST. 

     THE HISTORY OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL TELLS US THAT THEY FAILED IN THE ONE MISSION GIVEN THEM BY GOD...TO BE A VESSEL THAT GOD COULD USE IN BLESSING THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD.  BUT GOD WAS AND IS STEADFAST AND FAITHFUL IN HIS PLAN TO BLESS THE NATIONS AND THEREFORE GOD CALLED A NEW PEOPLE INTO BEING...A COMMUNITY CALLED AND EMPOWERED AND COMMISSIONED WITH THE SAME TASK ORIGINALLY GIVEN TO ISRAEL.  THAT'S US, MY FRIENDS!  THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST.  WE MUST BE THE PEOPLE WHO TELL THE WORLD ABOUT THE PROMISE OF LIFE IN ALL ITS ABUNDANCE AND FULLNESS GIVEN US IN THE GIFT OF THE ONE WE CLAIM AS LORD AND SAVIOR.  WE MUST BE THE ONES WHO ACCEPT THE RISK AND THE DANGER INVOLVED IN BEING A BLESSING TO ALL OF THOSE WHO STAND APART FROM THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

     SO WHAT WAS ABRAM'S RESPONSE?  THE ANSWER IS SUCCINCT...TERSE...THE STORY TELLS US SIMPLY THAT ABRAM WENT, AS THE LORD HAD TOLD HIM.  ABRAM ACCEPTED GOD'S CALL COMPLETELY AND WITHOUT QUESTION.  HE BELIEVED THE PROMISE.  HE ACTED ON HIS BELIEF AND HE WENT!  HE WENT INTO A FUTURE UNKNOWN EXCEPT FOR A PROMISE THAT SOMEWHERE, SOMETIME, SOMEHOW, THIS GOD WOULD GIVE HIM AND HIS FAMILY A FUTURE. 

     BELIEVING THE PROMISE WITHOUT ANY VISIBLE EVIDENCE IS WHAT IS MEANT BY FAITH.  AND IN HIS FAITH ABRAM STANDS AS THE FIRST-BORN...THE PROTOTYPE...FOR ALL OF US WHO ARE CALLED BY JESUS TO FORSAKE EVERYTHING AND TO FOLLOW HIM.

     FAITH IS GOING, NOT KNOWING. (PAR)

     I LIKE THE STORY ABOUT THE LITTLE KID IN SUNDAY SCHOOL WHO WAS ASKED BY HIS TEACHER, "WHY DO YOU HAVE FAITH IN GOD?  WHY DO YOU BELIEVE HIM?  WHY DO YOU LOVE HIM?"

     THE KID HAD TO THINK ABOUT THIS FOR A MOMENT.  THEN HE WAS READY TO ANSWER.  "I GUESS IT JUST RUNS IN MY FAMILY."

     WELL, IT RUNS IN OUR FAMILY TOO.  WE ARE THE HEIRS OF THE PROMISE MADE TO OUR FATHER ABRAHAM.  WE ARE THE HEIRS TO THE NECESSITY TO HAVE THE KIND OF FAITH THAT HE HAD, TOO.  AND WE ARE ALSO THE HEIRS TO THE COMMISSION GIVEN HIM.  AS HIS DESCENDANTS AND AS THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST WE ARE CHARGED TO GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL PEOPLE, BAPTIZING THEM AND TEACHING THEM TO OBEY EVERYTHING OUR LORD HAS COMMANDED US.  CAN WE DO OTHERWISE AND STILL BE HIS DISCIPLES...HIS CHURCH?

     ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS IS DAVID AUGSBERGER WHO SAYS THAT "GOD HAS NOT ASKED US TO BE SUCCESSFUL; HE HAS ASKED US TO BE FAITHFUL.  HE DOES NOT HOLD US RESPONSIBLE FOR SUCCESS.  HE HOLDS US RESPONSIBLE FOR OBEDIENCE.  HE DOES NOT DEMAND THAT WE ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS BUT THAT WE ACCEPT SMALL.  IT IS NOT THE SUCCESS THAT MATTERS TO JESUS CHRIST, IT IS THE FAITHFULNESS TO JESUS CHRIST.

     KNOWING THAT JESUS CHRIST ACCEPTS US IN SPITE OF OUR FAILURES, WE DON'T NEED TO HIDE THEM, OR EVEN FEAR THEM IN FOLLOWING CHRIST WE ARE FREE TO FAIL.

     HE NEVER PROMISED US THAT WE SHOULD BE SAFE, BE RIGHT, BE SUCCESSFUL, ONLY PROMISED US FREEDOM, MEANING, AND JOY FOREVER." (PSF)

     ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS TO BELIEVE...AND THEN TO GO...THE REST IS UP TO HIM.

      AMEN.