Mystery and the master. Dan 3:13-18, heb 11:1-2,6, 13-16, 32-39. WBC 21 May 06am
EVER WONDER...
...why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?
why women can’t put on mascara with their mouth closed?
why you don’t ever see the headline "Psychic Wins Lottery"?
why "abbreviated" is such a long word?
..why doctors call what they do "practice"?
.why you have to click on "Start" to stop Windows 98?
...why lemon juice is made with artificial flavour, while
dishwashing liquid is made with real lemons?
...why the man who invests all your money is called a broker?
.why there isn’t mouse-flavoured cat food?
who tastes dog food when it has a "new & improved" flavour?
why Noah didn’t swat those two mosquitoes?
..why they don’t make the whole plane out of the material used for
the indestructible black box ?
why sheep don’t shrink when it rains?
why they are called apartments when they are all stuck together?
if con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of
progress?
why they call the airport "the terminal" if flying is so safe?
I want to speak to you about mystery and our Master, this morning- and use the statement of SM&A from the book of Daniel as my framework.
- our God is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
GOD IS ABLE
I could give you so many examples of when God has answered prayer or shown His power. When events that did not made sense at the time came to show that ’all things work together for good’
- of little things: losing a camera in Miami airport and getting it back at LA (just as I’d given in and brought a new one!)
- of oil literally dripping from a friends hand as they prayed!
- of larger things: being stranded in the middle of Siberia with no communication, taking 7 hours to find we were in the wrong place, and just being bailed out/rescued as we put our lives at risk
- of visions, revelation, foreknowledge….
- Relationships delivered and turned on their head
- of huge things: friends being healed from cancer when they had no chance. Babies being born to sterile couples. Friends being guided sovereignly to safety by lights on mountains
- of people raised from the dead (yes)
God is able.
Shadrach, M & Ab knew that. The Bible is filled with examples. Some are cited in Hebs 11-
- they escaped. Conquered. Raised the dead to life
Our God is able- and our faith is built on an interventionalist God
- He acts in time, history, people’s lives. Particularly those He loves
o He is the divine weaver. Weaving a pattern we often look at and say "I see! How beautiful!"
- ////. All praise, glory and honour to His name
- and more, Lord, more!
And nine times out of 10 (I think that’s about the statistic!)- we see it. Often after time and testing- but we see it. He appears to come through
- (our administration and caretaker is an example!)
BUT EVEN IF HE DOESN’T
But you need to understand the balance of scripture this morning
- and I guess it is one of those paradoxes of the Christian faith
o God is utterly powerful, dependable, faithful
" It’s totally true. You will prove it. See it.
o But there will be times when faith is all you have got to go by, see by
" Those 1:10 occasions when there seems to be no reason, no answer, no comfort
" And it simply doesn’t make sense- however long you wait and look at it
Am I saying this because of the large handful of people I have spoken to this week for whom
- something does not make sense?
- For whom God feels distant?
- Because of Rob Lacey’s funeral last week- after a miraculous remission… 2 weeks after the birth of his miracle daughter… in the peak of fruitfulness
Actually, I’m not. Absolutely none of these have caused me urgency or crisis.
- I’m speaking to you because of the weight of scripture and the life experience of mature Christians. Life.
¢ there ARE times when it is a mystery…. and our finite brains cannot understand and take it in
- and it’s made even harder by KNOWING God can do anything and seeing Him do other things that to you would have a lower priority!
And that’s faith. That’s real faith. Not when you see the answers but when you DON’T. Real faith is shown the mystery not the certainty
- real faith is when you can’t see it. Feel it.
- real faith is in the massiveness of God, and in our lack of ability to understand
Illustr: watch 2 minutes "I’m mysterious" from the film Keeping Mum
It’s there in the Bible. "even if He doesn’t"- the acknowledgement that sometimes God’s ways are not ours
- in Hebs 11. Those who were sawn in two. Hunted. Didn’t receive what they hoped for.
o HERE
Ah- but, you see. God had some greater plan. He HAS greater plans
- and I’ve head Him say "you just can’t understand these things, Ewen"
o and so, to us, it’s a mystery filled with many certainties
o and that can be hard. If you feel you have to have it all laid down, sorted out, wrapped up, controlled- there will probably be a time when God will allow you to learn that only HE is God. Not you
" and that you can find peace in the mystery. The mysterious ways of the master. Faithful Father.
You see- I suspect this whole Christianity… life… heaven… thing is a whole lot bigger than we could ever imagine. That GOD is
- and that heaven: it’s rewards, the lessons we have learned here- will somehow make it all fall into place
But it’s FAITH… maturity… holding on when it doesn’t make sense here
And that is God’s aim. To make you mature. To make you believe in Him, need Him, depend on Him- even when there seems no evidence
- perhaps the aim is to make us all like Job: "yet though He slay me, I will praise Him"
- or like SM & A- "even if He doesn’t"
Certainly it’s to bring us to a point where our faith comes without conditions. "You do this and that and I’ll keep believing"
Illustr: I hope I don’t embarrass them now, and I have permission to share this- but one of the things that impressed me about Tim and Cherie was their whole approach to this hope and faith thing. Cherie preaching at Godmanchester saying "my love, obedience and faith comes with no conditions. The LORD is enough"
- now: the Lord came through for them. But that wasn’t the victory! The Miracle. Cherie stated "He’ll come through- but even if He doesn’t…"
- that’s the miracle. The maturity. The recognition of occasional mystery in the Master’s ways
Because if He doesn’t come through as you want, expect
- it doesn’t mean He isn’t there. Doesn’t exist. Doesn’t love you
- "in God’s grace and sovereignty some deeper way is planned" (I wish I could remember where those words come from!)
…and I’m saying some of it you NEVER see and understand, here!
- it will only make sense in heaven
So you’d better get used to it and accept it. It’s there in the Bible.
Ands here’s the thing: pray in advance "Lord, don’t let us be put to hard testing" but also to say- even if He doesn’t "we won’t serve or worship anyone else"
WE WON’T WORSHIP OR SERVE ANYONE OR ANYTHING ELSE
We’re not going anywhere. You have the words of eternal life.
- and no one else loves me, gave their life for me…. and experienced the mystery of feeling God-forsaken like you did… we do. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
o Thank you. Thank you.
o You are the one I want to follow as Lord, Jesus
And we come to remember Him and thank Him… and receive Him in communion, now.
And in the mystery of the ways of the Master- He gives us something physical and tangible by which we can remember Him.. receive His presence
- like the 4th person in the fire with SM&A- Jesus is here with us now
- and this is a physical reminder of that.
Let’s be silent, now. Think about this. Him
Eventually read:
The Divine weaver:
My life is but a weaving,
between my Lord and me;
I cannot choose the colours,
He worketh steadily.
Oftentimes He weaveth sorrow,
and I, in foolish pride,
forget that he sees the upper,
and I the under side.
Not till the loom is Silent,
and the shuttles cease to fly,
shall God unroll the canvas,
and explain the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful,
in the weaver’s skilful hand,
as the threads of gold and silver,
in the pattern he has planned
Sing: beneath the cross of Jesus OR
Receive Tim and Joy into membership
Communion
- invite you to bring all your unanswered hopes, dreams, prayers, questions to Him now. Offer them to Him. Picture yourself laying them here on the altar- with His body and blood. Let Jesus’ tears and blood mix with yours and the sacrifice YOU lay here
Sing: I’ve had questions without answers
Lord’s prayer
Sing: Speak to this heart
