Today’s blog entry is a bit of an excerpt from a recent sermon I shared. Check that out here.;
I opened with the picture shown below. I joked that while I intend to keep my message short, it is always the stories that put me behind!
Have you ever met someone famous? Have you ever wanted to?
We quickly got our mother’s attention. My father was there too, but he seemed distracted and less interested. There he was, Bill Kennedy. Someone that we had in our home every Sunday afternoon. Yes, he would bring the Sunday afternoon movie of the week. It was one of those type of shows where he would have special guest and then during break he would interview them as part of the commercial break.
What are you suppose we did?! After getting our mothers attention we quickly attempt to do get his attention as well. My dad seemed a little embarrassed and put off, but, my mother took a very keen interest. Although she told us to quiet down and settle down, we found out later that evening when she called Home and let us know. She landed safely and told us a terrific story of meeting him, sitting next to him, and getting his autograph, while also hearing his story.
There are often encounters like this. David Letterman once called these, “A brush with greatness.”
Today I want to share with you a little bit along these lines. It is such an intriguing set of scriptures that we are confronted with today. As I wrestled through these passages, it struck me that God is Calling us to something. God is actually inviting us to participate!
Today we will see :: 2 points we can learn from our texts today:
God’s Call to the Church :: God Provides Divine Interruptions - for the ministry/Calling.
God’s Presence in the world :: Helping us see God Encounters (God sightings) - for Salvation: as a Means of Grace.
**
- 1. God’s Call to the Church :: Providing Divine Interruptions. (For believers to minister to people.)
God is always looking for a way to reach us!
*We are more aware of God’s Will when we are ….Listening! …Looking! …Learning.
We find this lesson from the life of Samuel ::
Samuel received His Call to the priesthood because he was listening. He was at the right place in his life! At the right time along his journey! With the right people (the priest, Eli)!
1 Samuel 3:1-10 (w/11-12)
God calls us and has gifted us to serve.
1 Samuel 3:1
(The LORD Speaks to Samuel)
Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the LORD by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the LORD were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.
Because Eli was NOT being faithful to the Call of God (no matter how popular he was throughout the region.)
So, God Called someone who would remain faithful. God Calls Samuel at a young age.
**God is Calling the church to do the work of His Ministry!!
It may be WHO you know that matters.
**
- 2. God’s Presence in the world :: God Encounters. (God Sightings) - Means of Grace.
God knows us best!!
He created us! He created you and knows you best!
Psalm 139:1-10 reminds us!!
We all know that God knit us together in our mother’s womb. We know that it takes more than just a parent to raise children in our community.
Scripture teaches that, even though he created us, he presented us with a decision to come into the light, and not stay in the darkness.
Read vs :: 11-12 — God sees all….
Psalms 139:11-12
I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
**but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.**
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.
— We cannot hide from God!
— Yet, God responds in grace.
— When we come into the light, the Truth shall set us free because of God‘s gracethat paid the price for our sin.
There is a student named Kyle.
He and his family were in a housefire in 2023, in the entire house, burned down. Him and his family needed to relocate, which was traumatic. Kyle had endured several heartaches with his family, identity, and mental health issues. Kyle became very suicidal.
Kyle was saved through an interaction with a friend who shared Jesus with him. Instantly, Kyle got involved with Campus Life, youth group, and went to winter camp. It was there that he realized his deeper needs for Jesus, and to continue to follow him. Kyle, through interactions with YFC leaders , soon after got baptized, and is now telling others about Jesus.
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Through Campus Life (a ministry of Youth for Christ), We reach students that are 11 through 19-year-olds. With four community schools, as well as some private Christian schools, we have a ministry opportunity to reach young people wherever they are. (Pop: 30,000 =Youth are 15% of the community….)
According to Indiana Suicide Prevention :: Students are dealing with all kinds of mental health issues :: over 30% have considered suicide. (1 in 9 - sixth grade students // 1 in 5 - tenth graders).
**Ever think — who helped me in my time of need? It was likely a gift of God that He chooses to use us!**
I had someone who believed in me when I was a teenager. One of them was a music teacher in high school, Mr. Tyner. Others were youth leaders in my youth group at church:: Dorothy Downey, Kitty Kreider, Bill Edmondson, and many others.
God used someone in my past even before I was born. Read that story here.
—- God uses believers who already know God - and He impacts the lives of people - who need an introduction!
**Like Philip in the scriptures that we have read. We are able to introduce students to Jesus, so that they too can begin an authentic relationship with God through Christ.
In the next example from the scriptures, we see Nathaniel who was being introduced to Jesus by his brother. (John 1:43-51)
John 1:43-46
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.” Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter’s hometown.
Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”
“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
“Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.
Philip had a God sighting — Seeing Jesus and being Called…. He wanted his brother to know Jesus too!
Christians have testimonies! They point to what God is doing.
John 1:48-49
“How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.”
Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!”
God is “eavesdropping” in on our lives. **He knows all that you are dealing with. **He knows the choices you and I are making. **He made us on purpose and with a purpose!!
Closing :: Meeting God!
**When we see God in the present, not just a religious idea, or from a biblical story, we can discover an incredible and enriching encounter.
In our Bible stories today, we find that God showed up in the present. With Samuel as a child, and with Nathaniel as an adult. God became present at the very moment that they needed him to show up.
