August 27, 1995	God Knows Us and Calls Us	Jeremiah 1:4-10

Hebrews 12:18-29

Luke 13:10-17

It wasn't meant to be this way. But, religion and God have been used over the years in devious ways by a variety of misguided people as a means to attain and hold onto illegitimate power, or, in other words, to maintain the status quo. But, thank goodness, at the same time, God has always attempted to break down such evil structures and systems, oftentimes calling persons who appeared to be the least likely ones to succeed. This has happened over and over again in the history of God's people. When the Hebrews needed to be saved from slavery in Egypt, instead of calling the biggest, strongest, most handsome, and most eloquent person, God called a person with a speech problem to be the leader of Israel; and Moses raised up a mighty people and led them to freedom through the sea. And when Israel needed a king, instead of calling the biggest, strongest, most handsome, and most eloquent person, God called the smallest and youngest of the sons of Jesse in a no account town in Judah to be the leader of his people; and King David succeeded in leading God's people to victory over its enemies and bringing the kingdoms into a strong and united Israel. And when the world needed a Savior, instead of finding him in a rich palace, born of a handsome king and a beautiful queen, in the greatest city of the world, instead, the Savior was born in a manger to a poor carpenter and young maiden, homeless in one of the poorest, most insignificant towns in the world of that day.

God chooses the weak to humble the proud. God chooses the unexpected to humble those who assume that they are the "shoe-in candidates for the job." And when we, especially the church, forget this important lesson, it is then that we begin to become something other than what God intended us to be.

Our Old Testament lesson for this morning is about the call of Jeremiah. And we are told that it was when Jeremiah was young that he heard God speaking to him in his heart, telling him that he wanted him to be a prophet to the nations. And the amazing thing here is what God said to Jeremiah. He said, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." But, being so young, Jeremiah protested, telling God that he was just a child; that he didn't even know how to speak. Jeremiah knew in his heart that God could have chosen others for the job who had more experience, persons who would be listened to, persons who would get immediate respect when they said or did something. And, so, he told God, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child." But God reached out and touched his mouth and said to him, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."

I could go in several directions with this scripture passage, today; but I would like to concentrate on three: First, when God calls you to do something, who's voice are you going to believe – the voice of God telling you to do it, or the voices of the world telling you that you can't? And, secondly, when God calls you shouldn't you expect that God will give you what you need to succeed? And, finally, did God mean it when he said to Jeremiah, "Today I appoint you to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant?"

But, first, when Gods calls you to do something, who's voice are you going to believe – the voice of God telling you to do it, or the voices of the world telling you that you can't? I remember how it was for me when I first heard God's call for me to go into the ministry. It was a gentle, almost imperceptible, yet convincing voice speaking in my heart. It was God's voice. But, just as soon as I heard that voice I began to hear the other voices – the world's voices telling me that I was a stammering, kind of clumsy, high school kid. I could hear those ungodly voices telling me, trying to convince me to forget God's voice, telling me that I didn't even like school or studying. And, yet, I knew that if I was going to go into the ministry I would have to stay in school for at least another seven years after high school. I could hear those ungodly voices telling me to forget God's voice, reminding me that there were far more better candidates than me for the ministry. I didn't like to get up in front of people to give speeches. I could hardly talk before a group without stammering and hesitating and falling to pieces. But, then, again, these were the voices of the world speaking to me in my head.

The same thing happens to you and to me all the time. We may often hear God's voice beckoning us to do something: to run for city council, or school board, or some other civic position – to be a Sunday School teacher – to be a lay preacher – to be a church officer – to get a certain job – to be a volunteer – to give more in some way to the church – to pray more often – to attend Sunday School or church more regularly – and so on. Yes, we hear God's voice telling us, beckoning us, calling us. But then immediately we begin to hear those other voices, voices that say, "You're not good enough, you're not smart enough! Or, voices that say , "You're too young, or you're too old!" Or, voices that say, "You're a woman and women can't do that!" Or, voices that say, "You don't have enough money for that!" Or, "You don't have what it takes!" Or, "You're too big!" Or, "You're too small!" Or, "You don't have the time!" Those, friends, are the voices of the powers and principalities of this world. And when we give heed to them in the face of what we know is God's call we surrender to the powers of evil, to the forces of darkness, to those who would use illegitimate power to suppress and dominate others. And it is up to us to choose whose voice we are going to give heed to – the voice of God, telling us to be all that he has created us to be, or the voices of darkness that tell us otherwise. And there is nothing in this world so important, not your family, not your home, not your job, nor your place in the community, not even your church, nor your school, not anything so important than that you should do anything other than follow the voice of God. So, who's voice will you and do you give heed to, today?

Secondly, if God calls you to do something, God gives you the gifts you need to do the job. When my wife and I got married one of the first things people asked us was, "How do you expect both of you to be ministers if you have kids and a household to take care of?" Certainly, that could have stopped us cold. If we had listened to those voices, rather than trust in God, one of us would have dropped out of the ministry. But it was actually interesting how God provided for those needs. Trusting in God, there always seemed to be someone absolutely perfect to take care of our children during meetings, or on Sunday morning. God helped us to work out our schedules to do the housework and write the sermons, to manage the checkbook and call in the hospital, to counsel the bereaved and rock a sick baby. It wasn't always easy. Sometimes we really had to be creative and pray and even struggle a bit. Even so, I'll say it again: If God calls you to do something, God gives you the gifts you need to do the job.

And the same is true for any of us sitting here today. God calls you to minister in his behalf. And you may be sitting there thinking and even believing all those negative messages, like: "I'm not smart enough." Yet, it's amazing how God will give you all the smarts you need if you step out in faith! Or you might be thinking, "I'm not big enough!" Yet, it's amazing how God can use even you to move mountains if you are willing to give it a try. Or you might be thinking, "I'm not rich enough." Yet, it's amazing how much richer you find yourself when you really begin to give to God. Indeed, if God calls to do something for him, God will provide everything we need to do it. All we need to do is try.

Finally, in our Old Testament lesson for this morning it is interesting to note what God told Jeremiah when he called him into ministry. God said, "See, today I appoint you to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant." When you think about it, that is a strange thing for God to tell anyone called to be a minister: to uproot and tear down, tp destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant. And, yet, more often than not, this is exactly what God's prophets and Christ's true disciples find themselves doing every day. For before you can build and plant the kingdom of heaven, it is sometimes first necessary to uproot and tear down the old structures. Before you can really build and plant the kingdom of God, the destruction and overthrow of the powers and principalities must first take place.

And, so, God asks us to take a look at our hearts, at our own lives, at our limited ways of thinking, at our priorities. Is your life ready for the kingdom of God to be built there? Or is there anything that needs to be taken out and trashed before that can really and truly happen? Is there something in the way? Have you already got a theme park going up in your life where the kingdom of God should be? Have you got a factory going up in your life where the kingdom of God should be? Have you got a big picture of yourself taking up the place where the kingdom of God should be? Have you got a false concept of God and some kind of a Chrystal Cathedral taking up the place where the kingdom of God should be? What needs to be trashed so that the kingdom of God may really and truly take root in your heart?

I will ask the question that I asked earlier. "Whose voice are you listening to in your life?" Our lesson from the Epistle warns us. It says, "See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks . . . For our God is a consuming fire."

I started this sermon today saying that religion and God have been used over the years in devious ways by a variety of misguided people as a means to attain and hold onto illegitimate power, or, in other words, to maintain the status quo. Jesus was very well aware of this as we look at our Gospel lesson for today. In healing a woman on the Sabbath he found himself being criticized by those who saw him as a threat to their positions of power. But Jesus silenced them with the very wisdom of God. And at the end of the lesson we are told, "All his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing."

God calls us and knows us and would set us free from that which would keep us in chains. When we answer God's call we humiliate Christ's opponents and are set free to an infinite number of possibilities. I invite you to choose, again, to hear and to answer God's call upon your life.

Amen.