Iliff and Saltillo UM churches
January 5, 2003
“Placing Your All at God’s Disposal”
I Samuel 7:1-12
INTRODUCTION: Have you ever had days when you couldn’t feel the presence of God, you couldn’t get your prayers answered, you felt out of touch with God and it was an overall “gray, dreary, miserable day”? Maybe weeks and months and even years even went by and one New Year after another rolled by. You were still not where you wanted to be. Maybe you are like this today at the beginning of another new year.
The situation for the people in today’s scripture was pretty much like this and had been like this for about 20 years. What happened was that the Ark of the Covenant which represented God’s presence among them had been taken by the Philistines in war and when they finally got it back they treated it with irreverence and God’s wrath came down upon them. They became fearful and just wanted to “park it” someplace. For 20 years the Ark of the Covenant was stored at Abinidab’s house. During this period of time the people did not experience the presence of God. They wandered off to serve the foreign gods of the Canaanite culture and they lived in constant fear of the Philistine armies. They were getting to the point that they didn’t like to have this kind of life, and they began to search for God and to pray more than they ever had in many years. At this time in history the prophet, Samuel, was on the scene and this is where today’s scripture begins. What can we get out of today’s scripture that will help us as we move into the New Year?
1. God Gives Us a Choice: Samuel said to the people, “IF you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, THEN rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Astoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve Him only and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines” (vs. 3).
Up to this point the people had only sought God on their own terms. They also were drawn away by the Canaanite culture around them to also serve Baal and Ashtoreth. They made up their own “designer religion” mixing parts of one thing or another from the surrounding culture. They split their attention between God and other gods. As a result, they wandered far away from the true God of Israel and forfeited the blessings.
This is the same thing that is happening today to many people. They serve God but only on their own terms. Samuel is saying to them, “IF you are returning to God, THEN...” God always gives us a choice. He gives us an invitation...and we make the response. For 20 years these people suffered the consequences of decisions that put them outside the umbrella of God’s blessing and protection. They found that they needed God in the middle of their otherwise gray and dreary days. They found that serving God on their own terms didn’t work. Things don’t go right for us when we split our attention between God and other gods.
Samuel said to them, “IF YOU are ready to give him your EXCLUSIVE ATTENTION...Commit yourselves to the Lord and serve Him ONLY.”
When you are presented with this choice today at the beginning of the New Year, what is your decision--is it a struggle for you to give God your EXCLUSIVE attention or do you say, “that’s too much to ask of me.” I’ve got too many other things going for me right now.” That would cost me too much in time, my interests, and my commitments.” Listen to the excuses that others make for not serving God. Listen to your own excuses.
NEW YEARS LETTER TO THE PASTOR
Dear Pastor:
You often stress attendance at worship as being very important for a Christian, but I think a person has a right to miss now and then. I think every person ought to be excused for the following reasons and the number of times indicated.
Christmas Holidays (the Sunday before & after) 2
New Year’s Worship (the party lasted too long) 1
Easter (get away for the holidays) 2
July 4th (national holidays) 1
Labor Day (need to get away) 2
Memorial Day (visit hometown folk) 1
School closing (kids need a break) 1
School reopens (one last fling) 1
Family reunions (mine & wife’s) 2
Sleep late (stayed up too long Saturday night) 9
Deaths in family 2
Anniversary (second honeymoon) 1
Sickness (one per family member) 5
Business trip (a must) 1
Vacation (three to four weeks) 6
Bad weather (ice, snow, rain, clouds) 3
Ball games 2
Races 2
Unexpected company (can’t walk out) 2
Time changes (spring & fall) 2
Special on TV (Superbowl, etc) 3
Pastor, that leaves two Sundays per year. So, you can count on us to be in church on the 4th Sunday in February and the 3rd Sunday in August unless we are providentially hindered.
Sincerely,
A Faithful Member (source unknown)
2. Follow Up Your Decision with Action: What did the people in today’s scripture decide? The Message Bible says simply, “THEY DID IT.” They got rid of the gods and goddesses, the images of Baal and Ashtoreth and gave their EXCLUSIVE ATTENTION and service to God.
Good intentions must be followed up with action. What would it look like if I were serving the Lord wholeheartedly? What would it look like if I were giving Him my exclusive attention? Would my lifestyle begin to change? Would some of the old self-destructive habits begin to drop off? Would I begin to make some new habits that would help me to grow into a stronger Christian?
Some make New Year’s Resolutions that only last a few days. You might say, “If I can’t keep a New Year’s Resolution, how in the world am I going to give God my full attention. I can’t seem to break out of my current lifestyle.
STORY: A manager was told by his doctor to take up some sport for exercise so he decided to play tennis. After a couple of weeks his secretary asked him
how he was doing.
"It’s going fine", the manager said, "When I’m on the court and I see the ball speeding towards me my brain immediately says: To the corner! Back hand! To the net! Smash! Go back!".
"Really? What happens then?", the girl asked enthusiastically.
"Then my body says, ’Who? Me? Don’t talk nonsense!’" (source unknown)
Is it even possible for 2003 to be a different year for you? Sometimes even people who have gone to church for many years say, “Well, this is just the way I am. Nothing is going to change.”
STORY: Change is always difficult. I am reminded of the little old lady who stood up at a lecture that Dr. Werner Von Braun was giving and said to the good Doctor, "Why can’t we forget about all these new-fangled ideas about going out into space and be content to stay at home and watch television like the good Lord intended."
Things CHANGED for the people in today’s scripture when they made the DECISION to serve the Lord wholeheartedly and then took steps to FOLLOW UP their decision.
3. It Can Be Done: How can you go God’s way when temptations are trying to pull you in many different directions? How can you follow up on the decision you make in your heart? When you say, “Yes, I really want to put my all at God’s disposal--time, money, talents, availability? How do I follow up? You can keep your resolve to follow the Lord wholeheartedly by considering the following practical things:
1. Make a clear cut decision like the people did in today’s scripture. Don’t waver between God and other gods that surround you.
2. Start taking little steps of faith. Sometimes we think that everything has to happen in one giant quantum leap. Do the next thing God tells you to do. You may not even see a visible change. Just as the sun slowly melts the snow--just as the signs of spring gradually happen after a long, cold winter--answers begin to come. We should not expect great bushes to spring full-blown from the ground. Rather, we should plant small seeds and have faith that they will grow.
3. Cooperate with God. STORY: Once upon a time there were two mice in an experimental maze. One of the two was larger and more experienced in medical research than the other. Each, though, wandered for days trying to find a way out of the network of blind alleys. The had "walls of aloofness" between them. One day they met each other over a piece of cheese and began talking. They found they had formerly worked in the same laboratory and under the same boss. . . whom they both admired. After discovering they had similar tastes in cheeses, they talked about the long hours and hard demands of being a laboratory mouse. They began to talk about their current project. Discussing how to get out of the maze, they soon had the problem worked out. The larger, more experienced mouse supported his smaller friend on his shoulders and then stood up, lifting him high so he could see above the walls of the maze and find their way out. The two mice won much praise for their ingenuity, the finest gourmet cheeses for their feet, and a prize for the medical research team. James F. Hind The heart and soul of effective Management p70
Sometimes we have “walls of aloofness” between us and God. We need to cooperate with him as the mice learned to do.
4. Visualize a Preferred Future: Visualize yourself as walking in health--visualize yourself free from self-destructive habits, visualize yourself being used of God to bless others around you. Quit saying, “Nothing will ever change for me.”
5. Respond to the Lord’s promptings TODAY and believe that He hears that response.
