Given a Spirit of Power, Love & Self-Discipline...

"Fan Into Flame!" sermon from 5/16/10
II Timothy 1:3-12

How have you been at living into what God has for you and has called you to? Maybe you’ve sought that sort of thing out from God, maybe you haven’t concerned yourself with it so much. Well, when I thought about what may be a good message to bring to a church in search of a new minister I thought the encouragement I could give is this; Fan Into Flame the gifts of God given to you. This will probably be a trying time in some respects, but not one that God hasn’t equipped you for or isn’t with you in. Remember, He doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called, and He never leaves nor forsakes us, He will guide you through this so be strong & courageous. So I ask you, how are you in following after being called/led to do something? Or, in using/preserving-in your gifts? Are you a risk taker? Do you enjoy challenges? Do you know, and are you confident in, your abilities? Or, are you more cautious or even apprehensive/hesitant when it comes to such things? The Scripture passage I will be using for today is a section of Paul’s second letter to his friend, mentee, & colleague, Timothy, II Timothy 1:3-12. You may turn there with me and follow along as I read…

3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
8 So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

Background & Context to Scripture passage:
So, here in this passage we have the Apostle Paul writing a second letter to his friend, mentee, and colleague in the Gospel, Timothy. Paul’s words here are of encouragement and a charge to be strong and courageous in his service for the Gospel. Paul and Timothy were great friends. Paul had a deep love for Timothy and it shows in how he says that he thanks God for him, always remembers him in his prayers, and longs to see him for it would be a great joy for them to be together. This is how it is in Paul’s heart with many of his letters to churches and people such as Timothy. His heart cries and longs for their strength and perseverance in the work of the Gospel. For this work is what he has given his life over to and he strongly desires for people to join him for the same cause. Here we find Paul seeking to give encouragement to Timothy. It appears Paul feels that Timothy may need a boost or reminder of his call, abilities in God, and confidence. It’s hard to know exactly where Timothy’s heart is at, but he may be struggling with the opposition afforded to both Paul (his mentor and most prominent leader) and the Gospel in his day and may feel intimidated and/or ashamed to some degree. Paul basically says, “don’t let such things get you down, but STRIVE FORWARD/CHARGE AHEAD; I love you and know what God is capable of and what He has given you, and therefore what you’re capable of!”

Isn’t this what good leaders, mentors, and coaches do? They have a great love for their cause and the people they serve and direct, and their heart yearns for them to stay strong and charge ahead no matter the circumstances. They greatly believe in them and the cause and don’t want to see them pull back at all. That is the heart of what I want to speak from today. Being a Pastor I have a love for the Church and the Gospel. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be one. I don’t really know those of you here very well, but I believe the church of Jesus Christ to be the light of the world and the Gospel to be the best gift and message there is. I believe if you are part of the Church (body of Christ) you are called to be a witness to the message and faith you profess, and you’ve been gifted to be servants of the kingdom of God. Therefore, it is my desire for the Church and its members to live into their calling and mission, standing together to contend for such a cause as the Gospel in their church, community and world (wherever God would call us to serve).

Now I want to push ahead and speak to some of what Paul does in his letter to Timothy to encourage him onward. As you may or may not notice, Paul kind of follows a similar form to how many worship orders in the Reformed Church follow. You don’t necessarily have it listed in your bulletins, but often there is what is titled the Approach to God, followed by the Word of God where in these two sections we remember who/whose we are, and after that comes the Response to the Word where we remember how to live thereafter. Paul in this section of his letter to Timothy first approaches God in giving thanks and sharing of his and Timothy’s bond in the Lord. He then moves on to sharing a word from God and remembrance of who/whose we are and what we have in God through faith in Jesus Christ. After this he gives a response or a charge of how to live in regards to this word.

2) The Word of God: Remembering Who/Whose We Are in Christ:
So since we’ve already made mention of Paul’s approach to God in how he thanked God and shared of his love in the Lord for Timothy, we can move on to the second part where Paul reminds Timothy of just who he is and where he comes from and who/what he has in the Lord. First He says, “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” Paul says here, I am reminded of your heritage, that which you came from and belong to, and who has led and taught you in the faith. Why is this so important? Well, because we all need a grounding, a foundation of which to stand firm upon and within. When we get off kilter and struggle with our anxieties it’s often because something has knocked us off our foundation. Our foundation consists of two things, our heritage (familial line who are usually the main influencers in our lives having a great impact on who we become) and as Christians, who we are in Christ. Those two things are what I mean when I say who/whose we are. Now, I’ve come up with my own name for when we get knocked off of our foundations. I call them, “Identity Crises.”

Identity Crises:
To give you a quick definition of what I mean by Identity Crises, basically it’s when these two foundations (identities) clash. What often happens to us in Christ as we strive forward in living out our new identities in Him is that we often experience clashes with our human foundations and identities before Christ or just our humanly flesh in general. What happens is, these two foundations don’t always see eye to eye. They are an important part of who we are as a whole, however life makes them butt heads on occasion. That’s how life is. We can’t foresee, plan for, and expect everything and, I’d say, more often than not we encounter along the way certain things we feel unprepared for and things that don’t feel right, look right, or seem to make sense. It’s in these times when we will struggle with our identity and must remember who we are (our heritage family) and whose we are (God’s, in Christ Jesus). It’s during things that don’t feel right, look right, or seem to make sense that our foundations/identities can clash. Paul seems to possibly be concerned that Timothy could be in one of these times and he wants to encourage him to now let certain things rock your foundation; who & whose you are.

“Get in the Game” Call Story:
I’ll give you a quick example from my own life and faith journey with God. It was just over 7 years ago now when I was sitting in church one Sunday morning upon which I had quite the experience with God. That morning my Pastor closed his message by leading us in prayer and while my eyes were shut I suddenly began having a vision. Interestingly, in my mind I began to picture myself back in middle school, in full basketball jersey attire (basketball was my favorite sport as I had an infatuation with Michael Jordan), and I was sitting at the end of a bench watching and eagerly waiting to be called upon to enter the game. Suddenly off to my left a motion began to take place. What I saw was this; a big, huge hand rise up, point in my direction, and motion me to enter the game. I saw this… (wrist flick). Instantly I knew what that meant! This was my calling from God to get in the game, start living for Him and for the Gospel. It was my call as Paul says to Timothy here, to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you. In that moment God said, I know you, I know where you come from and what you have in Jesus Christ my Son, your Lord. Now get in the game and allow me to grow you into your full potential. Now I share this quickly in light of what I’ve described as identity crises because often while I am in the game and trying to live out such things, things happen that cause me to want to head back to the bench, disengage the game, maybe even step further back and into the bleachers. In this I must remember who/whose I am (my foundations) and what I have been given in order that I might remain in the game and grow into my potential in Christ Jesus.

Carrie Ann Examples:
Now, this sort of thing makes me think of my daughter, Carrie Ann as well. She is now almost 20 months old and she is learning what seems to be tens upon millions of things. She learns so much just from watching her mother and I or the TV or listening to music as she takes things in. She loves to dance, and lately one of her favorite games is to watch “Wheel of Fortune” and repeat the letters as they called out to both me and mommy.

Not all that long ago was her first attempts at mastering walking as well. What was so cute & funny was that she kept standing up, falling forward (almost on her face), and getting up to try over and over again. During this whole session she was the most determined little girl at learning to walk that I have ever seen. It was really interesting to watch, and sure enough after a short time she walked better and better. This is how it often is in this life and especially our faith walks; we learn and grow most from a process of doing something, perceivably failing or making mistakes, and remaining in the game; not giving up; trying again considering what we’ve learned.

What is the reason why infants can do this so well? Well, I sum it up with that they are innocent and not overcome by shame. They haven’t experienced the embarrassments, mocking, hurts, or whatever else that we have. They’re not concerned with failing or looking funny. Also, often they have an audience egging/cheering them on. WE HAVE THESE THINGS TOO IN CHRIST, in our foundation (identity) in Him! In Christ we are made innocent again as our sins are forgiven and He took our shame upon Himself. In Christ we stand forgiven and even become, as Paul says in II Corinthians 5:17, new creations as the old is gone and the new has come. To go along with this, we also have those who have gone before us as a cloud of witnesses to cheer us on in the faith.

Mainly, what Paul/I am trying to say here is that we must remember who and whose we are! You, as... (name of church), have a heritage in the Lord. You have had many people (and previous ministers) live out a sincere faith among you and who have sought to instill that in each of you along the way. Also, you have a denominational heritage along with just a faith heritage in general. Our heritages are important. They are part of who we are and something we can cling to/draw strength from. Also, though, we must remember whose we are as well! There’s a newer contemporary Christian song that I think of here by a band named Sanctus Real called "Forgiven". The chorus for the song goes, “In this life I know what I’ve been, but here in your arms I know what I am… I am forgiven…, I don’t have carry the weight of who I’ve been cause I am forgiven…” This song reminds me that in Christ I am forgiven, I am made innocent again before and with God. I am reunited with God, reconciled to Him through faith in Christ. God loves me with undying love. I belong to Him. And by the power of the Holy Spirit He empowers me to live into that which I have been given in Christ.

What We Have in Christ:
That takes us to the next part of this message, for in remembering who/whose we must also remember what we’ve been given. For Paul says, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.” Firstly, Paul says we have been given a spirit of power. What is this power? Well, it’s a power that is in the Cross and is made perfect in weakness. If you recall, Paul explains in II Corinthians that he heard a message from Christ during a time of struggle that said to him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” This power of God is what Paul goes on to say to Timothy that has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This is a power that is revealed in Jesus Christ, in His life, death, and resurrection from the dead. Is there really any greater such power?

Secondly, we have been given a spirit of love. The Bible explains the love of Jesus as this; “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” And it is in this that we are commanded of by Jesus in John 15:12 to love each other as [He] loved us. Because Jesus so loved us, we are drawn and called to love others in His name. The best part is, there is no greater love in all of this life. The Spirit of this love lives in us and it is what is to be shown of us to the world. In this love we are reunited with God and with His people everywhere, we are called and able to live a new life, and restoration and redemption can happen in us and the world around us. There is no greater love!

Thirdly, we have been given a spirit of self-discipline. Now to understand what this means, I had to do a little searching. In Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary it defines discipline as, “training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character” and the word used here in the Greek describes “an admonishing or calling to soundness of mind, to moderation and self control.” This is the work that is taking place within us by the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ. It’s a work by which we are molded, perfected into greater soundness of mind and character in our new selves/identities in Christ. This is the power of God working within us as we live into who/whose we are and encounter, become affected by, and live out the love we have in Christ Jesus our Lord. We are grown into our full potentials in who/whose we are.

3) Response to the Word: Remembering How to Live:
Finally then, after all this Paul encourages Timothy of how he is to respond to what he has written. Paul says, “So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me His prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the Gospel, by the power of God,…” This is Paul’s charge to Timothy in light of who/whose he is (his foundations) and the Spirit he has been given in the Lord (of love, power and discipline) and it stands as a charge for us also. We are called to this as well. Of this gospel Paul was appointed a herald, an apostle, and a teacher. Paul fanned into flame these callings even to the point of imprisonment and death. We too are all given, even appointed with certain gifts/callings and we must fan them into flame for the continued furthering of the Gospel of Christ. In this Paul encourages us that we might also be able to say along with him, “[we] know whom [we] have believed, and [are] convinced that He is able to guard what [we] have entrusted to Him for that day.” So therefore, know who/whose you are (strive to know this and be strengthened in this more and more). Also, know what you’ve been given in Christ; a spirit of power, love, & self-discipline (refinement). And in light of these things, no matter what, no matter the circumstances, no matter how things feel, look, or don’t make sense; fan into flame the gifts of God given you in Christ Jesus! And may God bring out the potential in you and expand His kingdom!

First Wellsburg, IA Candidating Sermon...

“Come, Follow Me” from 1/24/10

As I begin I want to ask a quick question; how many of you have either grown up watching the Transformers cartoon or have seen the movies? Now there’s a tag-line that goes with the show, what is it? “More than meets the eye.” Say that with me. Keep that in mind during this message this morning.

Have you ever wondered what it is you could fully venture to be and what this life is all about? Sure you have. I can’t imagine there’s a single person that hasn’t pondered these exact questions at least once, even multiple times. Each of us is in a certain place right now, but all of us long and dream about what the future could hold. Is there more to life than what I can see, where I work, or what I know? Sure, many of us have heard and possibly believed the sayings, I can be anything I want to be, or anything I put my mind to. We are very resilient people and quite capable of all sorts of things, but is that really completely true? Is what we can be really that broad and all-encompassing; or is it something more precise and specific to certain things about, within, and around each one of us? Is there really more than meets the eye about each one of us and this world as well. If these latter things are true, how can we come to know and see the more in us and also all this world? These are the questions that fill my mind in regards to our Scripture passage for this morning. I think we can learn a few things about these questions from it. Let’s pray before entering in…

The Scripture passage we are going to look at is Matthew 4:18-22, which is the calling of the first disciples. It goes like this…

The Calling of the First Disciples (from memory)
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said (pause, add energy), “and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

So what does this passage have to do with the questions I brought up just prior to reading it? Well, we have to go a little deeper into it, but bear with me. Here we have two different sets of brothers, each of them fishermen by trade, and Jesus, who presents an interesting offer to them that none of them can resist. Why is this the case? These men weren’t just giving up a hobby in their lives, as fishing can be for many people. They left their jobs, their livelihoods, what they knew and were experts at; in many ways, who they were. All to follow this person who approached them with a specific calling on the sea shore? We know how important jobs are in America today. Often our jobs connotate our status, our worth, who we are, and our wellbeing. These disciples walked away from all that instantly after encountering Jesus. What in the world came over these fishermen?

Well, it appears to me that there must be something in the way Jesus approached them and the line he says to them that inspired such a response. We do interesting things because of inspiration in our lives. We might cut our hair or dress a certain way, take up certain hobbies, decide to get in better shape, write a book or song, paint a picture, even follow a particular long-time dream. As someone who aspires to be a pastor, I am constantly seeking inspiration for what I say and do in basically everything. How do I know what’s true inspiration, and therefore is worthy of a response like these first disciples gave?

Dreams + Vision = Inspiration:
Well, to answer that in the fullest sense could be a whole other sermon in itself, even multiple. The Bible has a lot to say about how to decipher truth. But in looking at the phrase, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,” I believe it points to some essential elements of inspiration itself. Now, the two terms I am going to use here may not be the words you would choose, but they go along well with a few things I want to bring in. What I believe happened here is that Jesus met these disciples in their dreams (their longings, wonderings, curiosities, and the like) and gave them a vision (a clear picture and motivation, something captivating and alluring). Jesus takes them from only dreaming/wondering whether there is more to life or more to them and he gives them a vision. Inspiration needs both. Our dreams can only get us so far, but when coupled with a vision they can come to life. Mike Singletary, who is the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers said this earlier this past season during a news conference: “When I look around (the NFL) I am amazed by how many people have a dream and how few have a vision. The difference is that a dream [often] ends up passive accommodating disappointment. A vision, [however,] captures the imagination.” He then goes on to say basically that, a vision consumes you and you can’t get away from it, can’t escape it, until you live it through. This is what Jesus gave these first disciples and we can see it in what he said to them.

1) Fishermen à Fishers of Men:
Let’s first take a look at the word-play between “fishermen” and “fishers of men.” Jesus could see that these sets of brothers were fishermen. They were out on a lake, in boats, were casting and preparing their nets, and there may have even been more things that tipped him off to this reality of them as well. But let’s look at the words he uses to call them. They are already fishermen, but he says he’ll make them “fishers of men.” It seems to me like he’s wanting to take them from something they already are and make them into something more from that very thing. Remember the phrase, “More than meets the eye?” What else is true of fishermen that we can’t necessarily tell from the surface? Well, I am only a novice fisherman with still a lot to learn, but here are some things that come to mind from the experience I have. One, fishing takes a lot of preparation and diligence. It’s essential for a fisherman/person to have the boat, poles, nets, bait, gas, etc all ready or he/she won’t be as successful as they could be on the lake. This can take hours (I know, for I have watched quite a few times while my father-in-law has gotten this all ready). Secondly, fishing takes skill. You can’t expect to just drop your line in or some nets and instantly have a catch (my father-in-law often jokes that there’s a reason it’s called fishing and not catching). No, you have to be patient, know some technique to holding and using your equipment, and understand certain things about the fish you’re trying to catch and the water you’re fishing in. Lastly, I’d say fishing, at least as a trade or profession, takes courage. You might be thinking, what’s so courageous about sitting in a boat in the middle of the lake for hours upon hours? Well, a couple obvious things are that the water and the weather are not always predictable. Also, I would say fishing takes a lot of faith. Think about it. You never know what kind of catch you’ll bring back at the end of the day, and one must remain patient in a particular place and time or they might give up and move on too soon and miss a catch they could have had (Seriously, if you are not a patient person fishing is probably not for you). Similarly, you could say this is a lot like farming. In farming you are up against things you cannot control in regards to the quantity of your crops and harvest. It takes courage to have faith, to be dependent upon something outside yourself for provision.

So what am I getting at here then? Well, I believe Jesus could see the outwardly things that made these people fishermen, but I think he also knew these more inwardly things about their character and person as well. This is exactly what he calls them out of (fishermen) in order to guide them into what they could be in him (fishers of men). This is exactly how Jesus calls you and me. Jesus sees us for who we are, where we are, and where we’ve come from and he calls us out of that, using these particularities about us to lead us into what we can become. He even knows more about us than we do. This is why much of what he will call and guide you into seems beyond your abilities. We must trust and follow and he will get us there (lead the way). Two verses that speak to much of what I’ve already said are 1) Jeremiah 1:5—“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Now, God may have appointed you and set you apart for a different purpose than being a prophet specifically, but I Corinthians 12:4-6 (NRSV) says, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.”

“Get in the Game” – Call Story:
To give you another example, I’ll tell you a little bit of how this sort of thing has worked out in my own life. 6-7 years ago now I was sitting in church one morning when my pastor began to pray to close the message he had just given. I connected very deeply with the message that morning and during this prayer a peculiar thing happened to me. While my eyes were shut I suddenly began having a vision. For whatever reason I found myself looking down upon a younger version of myself while sitting on the bench during a basketball game waiting eagerly to be called into the game. To my surprise, what did I see next? Out of the corner of my eye came a hand bigger than any hand I had ever known before. It pointed in my direction and did this (flick your wrist)… signaling me into the game. The instant this occurred I was deeply stirred in my heart. I knew something magnificent had taken place. I didn’t know exactly what entering into the game would entail, but I couldn’t resist the call. How is this similar to the call these first disciples received? Well, if you knew more about me you’d know that I’ve spent most of my life being a sports-aholic. The way God called me that day connected very deeply within me to certain elements of who I am and longings and loves that I’ve had most all my life. In that moment of this vision Jesus met me right in my longings and long-time loves and said, “I can take who you are as an athlete and make you into what I know you can be” (even if you don’t know what that is yourself). This vision also touched on other certain longings within me as well. One being, I’ve always longed to be in the game, to be a part of what was going on and involved (whether that meant basketball, baseball, whatever). I longed to be given a chance and believed in. I believe these disciples came face-to-face with these things as well when Jesus called them from fishermen to fishers of men. Jesus called them to be a part of something and believed in their abilities. We’ll talk about this more in my second point. These things connected with who these disciples were, both outwardly and deep within and they knew they had to follow. If you are wondering what it is you could be in Christ in this life, I believe this is exactly how he’ll tell you. He may come to you in a vision, or through His Word, or a song, or another person. Whichever way he comes to you he will approach you and connect with you in a manner that reaches right into who you are and have longings for (in your gifts, passions, and many things you already know and do). You most likely won’t fully understand the extent of it all, but you will be captivated to follow.

2) A Call/Invitation to be a Part of Something Bigger Than Ourselves:
A second thing then that I believe is so inspiring within this passage can be seen in the first words Jesus says to these disciples, “Come, follow me.” What’s in this short, little phrase? Well, what I see is a call to be a part of something. Isn’t this something we all desire? I mean, look at how we align ourselves with certain people, athletes, teams, musicians, actors or actresses, etc. We make ourselves a part of them. I often think it’s funny how I will include myself in team’s I love in that instead of referring to them as them, I often say “we” as if I am on the team as well. We long to be a part of who and what they are. This touches on our desire to not only be more than who we are on our own, but also be a part of something bigger than ourselves. This reality can be seen pretty clearly even in my little daughter who is close to a year old now. She is often pretty content on her own, but there’s something about her that loves to be involved, at least in some way, in everything that me and my wife are doing. Those moments she is content on her own is when one of us is close by. If we go into another room, she’s quick to get on her hands and knees and come join us; or scream and wail until we return. The funniest part is when my wife and I are trying to have a conversation around the house. The more we talk the more she makes noises like she’s trying to contribute to the conversation. This just goes to show that even at the youngest of ages we desire to be included in this life. We want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Look how captivated we can become about certain movies or stories. We desire to know that there is a greater story being played out in our midst and that we have a part in it. This helps us to know that we matter. It gives us peace to know that we are in on something together with others, and that something/one else is responsible for ordering our everyday lives. Lastly, it involves us in a compelling adventure; one that unfolds more and more along the way and goes on forever.

Living into One’s Full Potential:
Lastly then, there is one more thing I want to point out that occurred to me when I put the previous two things together…, Jesus calls us, making us more than who we are on our own along the way ("fishermen"--"fishers of men"), and all the while inviting us to be a part of something bigger than ourselves…, This is how we live into our full potentials! In Jesus we can be all we were made to be. Why? Because he sees and knows us for who we are both inside and out and knows exactly what we can become. We can’t get there on our own. It’s like being mentored or apprenticed; or in this case, discipled. That’s how we often live into more than who we are already on our own; by someone showing/teaching us the way. One essential characteristic in our leader/mentor/discipler though is that he/she must be deeply rooted (have a firm foundation, be very familiar) in the greater story we seek to be a part of. You can’t get any more deeply rooted than Jesus. He’s what all this life is about and ultimately points to. John 15:5 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” There’s no better person to align ourselves with to guide us into all there is and all we can be than Jesus. As an example, now I don’t particularly like the reality of what I am about to talk about (I don’t know if we have any Viking fans here? I am a Packer fan), but look at Sydney Rice or Percy Harvin. Here we have two young, up-and-coming NFL stars wide receivers, but much of the reason they lived more into their full potentials this past season is because they had Brett Favre leading and throwing the ball to them. Brett Favre has deep roots in football. He’s been around and knows how to bring the best out of the other players around him. Another example could be Michael Jordan back in his day or Peyton Manning. The difference in regards to Jesus Christ is that he is deeply rooted in everything in this life, for the Bible says, “Through him all things were made.”

So before closing then, I thought this would be a good place to work in some of my own story and an update of where things are for each of you. As I already shared, I received that vision 6-7 years ago calling me into the game. That experience (like the disciples left their trade, livelihoods, what they knew, etc) caused me to alter my course in life that was heading towards sports-medicine and enter ministry and seminary. Going on from there I spent my first year in seminary among many of you folks as I interned here to begin my journey. I left you with much to learn and discover yet but since then I have had a couple other internship experiences, Gotten married, officially joined the RCA as a pastoral candidate, had a child, graduated from seminary this last may, and I stand here before you today believing that I have a job to become senior pastor of a small town church in central Iowa. My wife and I have been communicating with this church since earlier this past fall and the decision has pretty much been made that I am the person they believe should be their next pastor. Right now we are scheduled to visit there yet again two weeks from and I could receive the official call as early as Monday evening, March 22nd. After that we imagine we could possibly move in late April, meaning I would start the first week of May. Throughout all of this I believe I can attest to that God has a plan, a specific purpose for me, and is faithful to carry it through and lead me along the path. It definitely hasn’t been easy to follow and I have often been quite unsure about where it’s leading on many occasions. God always has a way of getting me to where he wants me to be, though, and I’ve definitely learned a great deal along the way.

Conclusion – Relate to “Field of Dreams” movie:
In closing then, it came to my attention that much of the message I have given here today relates quite well with one of my favorite movies which just happens to be based quite close to where we could be moving to very soon in Iowa (Dyersville). Who here has seen the movie, Field of Dreams? Now this is a fictional movie but see if you are familiar with these connection in it. The main character (Ray) is called out of something he already was (a farmer); in connection with something that connected with deep longings within him (baseball); into something bigger than himself that he played a part in (the unfolding saga); that ends with the fulfillment of maybe his deepest longing within him from the very beginning (reconciliation with his father). That reminds me some of our own story and our need for reconciliation with our Heavenly Father. To state a few quotes that say a little more…, before the story begins Ray says, “Until I heard the voice, I’d never done a crazy thing in my whole life.” Connects with how the first disciples were inspired to step out from who they were and their livelihoods to follow Jesus’ call. A second one is when James Earl Jones’ character says near the end, “The one constant in all of America is baseball… It reminds us of what was all once good, and can be again.” This might be true about baseball in America, but Jesus is the one constant in all of history and it’s through him that we are reminded of all that once was in the beginning and can be again. In him we align ourselves with the central being of the bigger story of all of history and what is to come and become a part of something bigger than ourselves. Finally, in the end, there is a small discourse between Ray and his father whom he longed to be reunited/reconciled with ever since they had separated on bad terms. This reminds me of us in how our sin separates us from God. The father here asks the son, Ray, “Is this heaven?” To which Ray answers, “No, it’s Iowa.” When we are fully reconciled with our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ His Son we may be moved to ask, “Is this heaven?” But the answer we’ll hear is, “Yes, my child, welcome home.” This will be the point where our initial story comes to a close, but it’ll only be the beginning of the rest of eternity.