Today is the last day of the Christian
year. Today we celebrate and remember the greatest gift to the world, Jesus
Christ.
Since it’s the last day we might be
tempted to look back at where we’ve been, maybe even take time to reflect where
we’ve known that God was with us and also those times when we didn’t feel God’s
presence.
Since it’s the last day of the year we
might also be tempted to look ahead and consider where God is calling us to be,
what God is calling us to do, and how God is calling us to both be and do.
Jeremiah heard God’s voice when he was
a boy. When God gave him his instructions Jeremiah didn’t think he had the
qualifications to complete the work of the Lord.
So, as the old year ends and the new
year begins next Sunday with Advent consider this, how is God speaking to us
and what is he calling us to do? Can we hear God’s voice? What are we to do if
we can’t understand what God’s saying?
We have two separate and different
things going on in these two passages. One is God’s call to Jeremiah and the
other is the message God gave him to take to the people while standing at the
gates leading into the temple.
So, our task today is to understand how
this speaks to us today. I believe that God calls people to particular work. We
read about it in the Bible and we hear people tells us how they’ve been called
by God for particular work.
Is God calling you? Is God calling this
church? If God is calling us, how are we responding to the call of the Lord?
I don’t think it works very well to
tell God we’re not qualified, we’re too young…or too old, we don’t know how to
speak, or any of the other excuses we use when we’re asked to do something
hard. Especially when we read how God has plans for us before we were ever
conceived. That kind of gets my attention doesn’t it you?
So, that’s the first part and then
there’s the second piece that basically telling the folks and the leaders of
the church that they haven’t been doing the things God has been calling them to
do and be. They weren’t treating each other fairly or justly.
As we heard read they were brazen
enough to tell God they didn’t think they were doing anything wrong. And who was this Jeremiah to be telling them
that he was speaking the word of the Lord?
Two things, two messages for us today.
One is a call and the other is a warning. Both can be scary and frightening for
any one.
So, again, what is our calling from
God…and what is our warning from God? I’m not sure I can give you the answer
because I think the question is for each of us as individuals. There is the
possibility that your call and my call could be similar maybe even alike but
there’s also the possibility that they could be very different since we’re all
uniquely different people created just for God’s purpose.
I haven’t given any answers to the
questions presented. How do you know if and when God is calling you…or me…to a
particular work? How can we discern God’s call…or warning? Think about that.
What do you do? What would you do?
When I was a kid and I was perplexed
with a sense of God’s call I’d go to my Bible and open it randomly thinking
that if God had a message for me I would find it there and God would make sure
the right pages fell open and my eyes would be led to the right words. I can’t
remember if any real revelations came to me or not.
But my question isn’t for me but for
you…and you…and you. What do you do? Is anyone here sensing a call from God
that you don’t know how to answer? Maybe together we can help each other
understand God’s message for us.
Jeremiah was in it alone and he
suffered for the message God gave him to deliver. Maybe if we talk to each
other about God’s call to us the work will be easier…maybe.
Friends, this week I’m asking all of
you to sit with God and listen for the Voice of the Lord. Read his word for
you, lift your prayers to God, and listen…because I believe God has a call
crafted just for you.
May you be blessed with God’s grace and
peace this week. Amen.
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