RESPONSES TO GOD MOMENTS
1 Pet 5
I want to share with you a story about a very interesting well-educated Greek philosopher whose name is Dr. Alexander Popaderos. And Dr. Popaderos every summer on the island of Crete taught a class on ethics for two weeks. And this particular summer just as he was getting ready to close the class, the last few minutes of the class, he said, “Now are there any questions before we go?” And just as he was getting ready to say, “OK then you’re dismissed,” a little man in the back of the room, a rather timid looking man, sort of carefully raised his hand and said, “Dr. Popaderos,” “Yes” “I have a question” “Yes, what is it?” He said, “I’d like to know, what is the meaning of life?” As you can imagine, people were ready to go home, and they were very irritated by this little fellow’s heavy question! Dr. Popaderos very quickly quieted the group, he said to the class, “You know, if you don’t mind I’d like to answer that question.” He reached into his back pocket, and took out his wallet. He took out of the wallet a little mirror about the size of a fifty-cent piece, honed down on the edges, kind of sparkling. And then he told this tale, he said, “When I was a child, I began to realize that I could have so much fun with that mirror. I would simply catch the glint of the Sun, and shine that mirror into an otherwise darkened place. As I grew older I began to learn that this is no child’s toy. This is really a metaphor for my life. Now I am not the light—I am not the source of the light. I am simply a broken mirror fragment. But if I allow the sun to shine on my mirror fragment, it is amazing what light I can bring into darkness.” Then he said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, that is the meaning of life.” Each of us is a mirror fragment. We are not the Light. We are not the source of the Light. We are simply a broken mirror fragment. But when we permit the SON to hit our mirror fragment, and then bounce off into the life of a darkened heart, there can be change, there can be illumination.
How do you respond to your God moments? Let me define God moments. You might be thinking “epiphanies”; or angels in the sky. Listen, there is no such thing as coincidence in the life of a Christian. God is in control. He will allow things to enter your life. He will bring people and situations into your life. And how you respond to your circumstance determines God’s response.
REFLECTING GOD’S LIGHT IN…
GOD MOMENTS REQUIRE US TO BE HUMBLE.
"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
I must recognize that the light doesn’t start with me; I didn’t create the light; and I cannot control the light! If I am in line with God, I can be assured that the light will shine through me.
If you go back up to verse five you will see that this is the third “be humble” statement!
What is God trying to say to you? Far too often our actions reflect pride. We are proud! “If you hurt me, then I will retaliate! If you hurt my church, then I will respond appropriately. You are not going to take advantage of me!” I am learning this humility concept. I have to retrain my mind everyday.
Listen, when you are proud God opposes you. ASK YOUR NEIGHBOR, “do you want God to oppose you?” Think about it.
How many need grace? Listen to this verse, “God opposes the proud but GIVES grace to the humble.”
As a believer in Christ we are to walk humbly. This implies that though we may have a “high” position in society, or we may have power, wealth and even fame, we are to carry ourselves in a lowly manner. I know pastors who have a large number in their following, but you cannot touch them with a ten foot pole. And then there are those pastors that have thousands following them, but you wouldn’t know it. They are so available and approachable. You know people that have money but you couldn’t tell it by seeing them walk down the street.
How people feel around you is significant in God’s eyes. You determine how others feel by how you act; the vibes that you put off.
God will give you “God opportunities” daily. How you respond to them is up to you! But know this, you are not to pray about humility, you are not to merely feel humble, YOU ARE TO ACT HUMBLE!
REFLECTING GOD’S LIGHT IN …
GOD MOMENTS REQUIRE US TO TRUST HIM.
7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8Be self-controlled and alert.
When I abide in Him, He abides in me. When I am obedient I can trust God to do God things. Trust is established when I choose to listen and obey.
You trust Jesus with your actions by casting all of your worries on Him. You trust Him with your actions by behaving self-controlled and alert.
When you get mad you are not alert. When you become drunk with anger, or consumed with depression, you are not aware of your environment. When you are as high as a kite you are not aware of your environment. Be self controlled and alert.
The local motor vehicle licensing office was packed. The line inched along for almost an hour until one man finally got his license. He inspected his photo for a moment and commented to the clerk, "I was standing in line so long, I ended up looking pretty grouchy in this picture." The clerk looked at his picture closely. "It's okay," he reassured the man: "That's how you're going to look when the cops pull you over anyway."
Author Sam Keen, in his provocative little book called Apology for Wonder, tells us the lesson he learned as young boy swimming in the Indian River inlet on the Delaware coast. Keen says that swimming there was very tricky, because the outgoing waters from the bay met the incoming tides waves from the ocean, and so the currents were very irregular arid there were often very strong movements of the water. It was very dangerous to swim there. But he learned that if he just relaxed and yielded to the outgoing currents, and let them carry him well out into the sea, then he could swim across the current and find a calmer place below the inlet to swim back to shore. The lesson is, says Sam Keen, "When swimming in turbulent waters, wisdom lies in knowing when to relax and when to struggle."
Let me give you a life application. I don’t know who said it, but it was told to me by someone off of the street yesterday that they weren’t sure if they could come to this church because of what we were saying about Main Street. Now folks, listen to me. When we don’t trust the Lord, we say and do wrong things. This work is bigger than New Heights. It’s bigger than Mark Elkins. It’s bigger than you. It is a God sized work. And God can and will take care of Himself.
REFLECTING GOD’S LIGHT IN…
GOD MOMENTS REMINDS ME THAT I AM NOT ALONE.
We all know that our past President from TX is now a private citizen, back in his home state. I heard that recently George W. Bush was waiting in an airport lobby when he noticed a man in a long flowing white robe with a long flowing white beard and flowing white hair. The man had a staff in one hand and some stone tablets under the other arm.
Now, George W. knows enough about the Bible to figure this one out, so he approached the man and inquired, "Aren’t you Moses?" The man ignored George W. and stared at the ceiling. George W. positioned himself more directly in the man’s view and asked again, "Aren’t you Moses?" The man continued to ignore him and look away. George W. tugged at the man’s sleeve and asked once again, "Aren’t you Moses?" The man finally responded in an irritated voice, "Yes I am". George W. asked him "Why don’t you want to talk to me?” Moses replied, "The last time I spoke to a Bush I had to spend forty years in the desert."
Though the desert times are lonely, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. TELL YOUR NEIBHGOR, “YOU’RE NOT ALONE!”
In our desert times we often feel alone. In our God moments we often feel like it is just us. Elijah felt that way while he was in the cave. God said you are not alone, there are 7000 people who haven’t bowed to the baals and worshipped! Elisha’s servant thought that they were alone. The prophet prayed and he saw all of the angels around them protecting them! When we fight Satan, we don’t stand alone. We when shine the light of Jesus, we don’t stand alone!
9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
You are not alone! People all over the world are experiencing similar if not identical emotions and circumstances. This is a ploy.
AFTER GOD MOMENTS YOU WILL NEED RESTORING.
10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen
In 1809, Simon Renee Braille and his wife Monique welcomed their fourth child into the world-- a lively boy named Louis. They lived in a small stone house near Paris where Braille was the local harness maker. Leather working tools are dangerous, so the toddler had been instructed not to go into his father's shop alone.
But when Louis was still small, he slipped into the shop, and with curiosity started to handle all the fascinating tools. As Louis was inspecting an awl, the sharp tool used to punch holes in leather, he slipped and punctured a part of his eye with the tool. The injured eye became infected. The little boy could not keep his hands from rubbing and scratching the wound, and soon the infection spread to his other eye as well. When Louis was only 4, he became completely blind.
Louis was fortunate enough to study at the Royal Institution for Blind Youth in Paris. He excelled as an organist, and at twelve years old began asking the question “How can the blind read?” Over his summer break at home, Louis was determined to find the answer. As He moved and groped around his father’s shop in search of the right tool for his task, the awl presented itself as perfect for the job. The awl would make the raised dots he had seen in the French military system of “night writing.”
And with the very instrument that had blinded him, Louis worked and worked until he had created a system of dots whereby the blind could read and write, work math problems and compose music.
What is your awl--The thing that has crippled you, either by your own doing like young Louis, or someone else’s? Is it a divorce, the death of someone you love, a lost career? Let God take it, and use it in your life for good—to reshape you or comfort others.
You need to know that God is in the restoring business! He will and can restore you right now. This moment. Today is the day of salvation. Now is the time.
When Rickey Shive was a kid growing up on the farm, one of the annual jobs he always looked forward to was the "chicken harvest." Apologies should be made in advance for the somewhat graphic nature of this illustration. Nonetheless, he looked forward to the chicken harvest. No, he wasn‘t some deranged youngster, but there was something he considered out of the ordinary that always happened, and it amazed him. On the farm, the chicken harvest was woman’s work, but being a young boy, he was allowed to participate. The chickens would be caught early in the morning and brought to his grandmother. She would then methodically remove their heads. Here’s where the amazing part happened. With their heads gone, these chickens would run around the yard like crazy. He just couldn’t believe it--it amazed him every year. Once, he asked why the chickens did this? The answer – “they don’t know they are dead yet!”
Maybe you are dead in your sin, and you just don’t know it yet! Maybe you are running around like a chicken with your head cut off, and don’t know that God has a purpose for your life.
