Discovering Intimate Allegiance Series

This morning we’re continuing in our series “The Call” … focused on seeking to capture or

recapture the dynamic of God’s Call to our lives. I believe…

The Call of God seeks to penetrate our independence and isolation.

This morning I want to begin with the question: Who is your god / God?

That’s a question that we may initially begin to answer quickly… but then may find

ourselves realizing it’s more dynamic than simply providing a statement… the answer is

reflected in what governs and guides us….

And God knows, quite literally, that there is a lot of competition.

After humankind was tempted into a state of life apart from God… the human condition

devolved into one now ruled by gods and kings.

Every group of people began to fashion their ideas of gods… often born of fears and a

desire to appease and control. Often they began to worship idols that represented the

various creatures of earth. Soon the masses of earth were bowing to the very elements

that they had been given stewardship of…. even sacrificing themselves and their

children to these gods fashioned in fear. And soon the leaders of many developing

nations began to claim to be gods themselves… and ruthlessly subjecting the masses into

their service.

As one nation would overcome another… the conquered people who survived would be

subjected to both the gods and king who now ruled the land.

That is where the Call of God comes to claim us…. In the midst of a world of gods and

kings.

That is the world in which God first penetrated the life of Abraham. The Call of God comes as

the call of a king… only not just another king… but the return of the true King… the living

God.

He has come to reclaim us from the one we surrendered ourselves to. We are now told that

behind the oppressive powers on earth is a spiritual entity who sought to rule over

humankind… he is referred to as the ‘prince of this world’… a king whose only reign is one

of deception, destruction, and ultimately death… a work merely being manifest in the

various gods and kings of this world. It is into this reality that the true and living God was

returning with the restoration of truth, life and hope.

That is still the choice before humankind. It is a choice of kingdoms… a choice in whose

sovereignty we come under.

The greatest deception we live under… may be that of thinking that we are

merely free people who don’t serve anyone… we may even believe that if we

choose to acknowledge any god… they are lucky to have us join their religion.

Yet we remain fascinated by evil and where it comes from… and sometimes wonder why it

prevails among us who have progressed so much outwardly.

The truth is that there has always been a Creator… and for a longer time than we

know… some form of competitor… and corrupter.

If we could see clearly… we are at best more like prisoners of war… who willingly chose

our captor.

(Ilust – Narnia – Edmund… warned of the white witch… but so drawn by her sweets… only

later to realize what he’s done. But then comes the announcement… Aslan the true king is

returning to the land… he’s on the move.)

When the king returns it is the greatest public announcement the world has ever known.

It is an opportunity to join up in allegiance.

Allegiance is what we discover in the response of Abraham … the first one to enter the

Call of God… and then further made known in Christ. It is an allegiance to the one true king

and God…. It’s this allegiance that calls each of us out of our independence and

isolation.

The most unique dynamic of all… is that what is being sought is RELATIONSHIP.

At the core of all the ideas of spiritual beings behind the physical world… was that of

control and appeasement…. precocious gods whose petty fighting and insecurities

merely used men and were playing game with them… or something of impersonal

alignment with forces nearly wholly disinterested in the real lives of men and women.

It’s into this world of gods and kings that Abraham is engaged by the true and

living God… who comes seeking him to be His… and to create a relationship

that restores blessing. It is clear that this is the God who knows him… who has

been watching him… who has been with him… and who holds history in His

hands … and in His hands alone.

He is the sovereign who comes to restore the very dignity of His image into the unique life

form He created… the King who invites humankind back to the table of his court to reign with