Rev. Roland J. Wells, Jr. - Pastor

Second Sunday After The Epiphany - January 20, 2002

Lessons: Isa 49:1-7; I Cor 1:1-9; John 1:29-42

"The Call"

Introduction:

Norwegian sociologist decided to study the Scandinavian-American culture that his emigrant countrymen formed in the upper Midwest; spent a year; went home with slide show-talked about all the great things Scandinavian-Americans had accomplished, the schools, the hospitals, the social services, etc. He finished his talk by saying, 'Yah, but the most amazing ting was that in November, they dress all the town drunks in orange! (Little deer hunting joke there.)

Blaze orange- law keeps changing- have to wear more and more- want to be seen- since blaze orange law came in, many fewer fatalities- really sticks out- lets other hunters know where you're at. "Look, here I am!'

I) Separated From God

When Adam and Eve were disobedient toward God in the beginning, it had a curious effect on them. They became afraid of God:

8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" 10 And he said, "I heard the sound of thee in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." 11 He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"

They felt separated from God; they knew they had sinned; they were ashamed; and they were separated from God; they had broken their relationship with God. But a curious thing begins to happen.

Even though we were afraid to look at God, God began to show himself to us.

Ever notice the little word 'Behold...'? Literally it means 'look!' - or 'heads up' or like on the street here, 'yo'

186 times in the OT, and a whopping 200 times in the NT, God and people use this word.

Right in the beginning, when they're afraid to look-

Genesis 9:9 "Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you,

Over and over again, God shows himself, gives his promises, reveals his will, beginning with that simple word, 'behold'-'look!'- 'heads up' That's part of the 386 uses. Now keep that in your mind for a minute. Over and over again, the God of whom we're afraid tells us to 'look!' But there is a more interesting use of that word.

II) Our Response to the Call

Back in the dark ages of contemporary Christian music, back about '74 or '75, the Jews for Jesus began a singing group called 'The Liberated Wailing Wall.' They were a traveling Gospel team, with very creative, very Hebrew sounding music. A quarter century ago they wrote a song called 'Hineni.' I can't remember anything about that song, except that it called my attention to the fact that all the way through the Bible, That's the word people use to respond to God. Hineni. ynIn>h

Like when Isaiah hears God's call- he says, (Isaiah 6:8) And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."

Or little Samuel hears God calling in the temple in the night, and he says, (1 Samuel 3:4) Then the LORD called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!"

So, why am I telling you this? What does that have to do with the first part, that God tells us to 'look!'

It's the same word. The word 'Hineni' ynIn>his the word 'behold'- 'look!' Samuel- 'yo!' 'Look here!' 'Here I am'

If you were playing hide-and-go-seek, and someone was looking for you, what effect would there be if you stood up and said 'look!' That's why we translate that word 'here I am.' ynIn>h

So, a couple chapters after we try to hide from God, he comes looking for us, saying to us in our fear, 'look!'

And people, beginning with Abraham in Gen 22 respond to God's call with, 'look'- 'hineni'- 'here I am'.

God says 'hineni', we respond, 'hineni'

III)The Call, the Response

This theme is hard to see in English, easy to see in the original languages. God calls us to him, and tell us to fear not- look! 'Behold!'

Our texts today all deal with hearing that call of God. Our OT Lesson is Isaiah reflecting on God's call on his life. We just heard of his call, in Isaiah 6, where he sees a vision of the mighty seraphim angels. He is terrified, but when the call comes, he says, 'hineni'- here I am, ...and send me.

In our OT text today, Isaiah sees that this call was the purpose for which his life was created. It's a text about Isaiah's call, but these are also prophetic words about the Prophet as the Suffering Servant, about Israel's role as the Suffering Servant, and further, Jesus' role as the Suffering Servant. It's one of those multi-level prophecies we talked about a few weeks back.

Our OT text shows that the call of God is the center of our lives. God's call, to whatever task he has called us, is something he planned and desired for you since long ago. He created you to fulfill this, and nobody else can. He has called you. He is calling you. What will be your response? To hide? Or to stand up and say, 'hineni!' Here I am!

Our Second Lesson is full of calls. Paul talks about being 'called to be an apostle.' 'Apostle' means one sent out. It's an echo of that first Isaiah text, where God says, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me." That word 'send' in the Greek OT is the word we get 'apostle' from. An apostle is one who hears the call and says, 'send me!'

But there is another call, the call of all believers, [9] God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. You have been called; you have answered 'here I am!.'

It just doesn't end! More calls here than AT&T on Mother's Day! Look at our Gospel: John the Baptist tells why he is called; Jesus publicly accepts his call. Did you hear what John the Baptist says when Jesus walks by? 'Behold! 'Look!' 'Heads up!' and then disciples are called. They listen; they follow.

As we begin to look at the ministry of Jesus, after his baptism, we have to begin with the whole idea of 'the call.'

From the very beginning, in the love of God, he has cried out to his guilty, shamed-filled children, 'look to me', 'I'm here' 'Behold!' 'Don't hide!' Time after time, his Word of promise came framed with that beginning-- 'Behold!' 'Look up!' 'Don't turn away!' 'Turn to me!' 'Hineni!' He has called, and called, and called-

And those who trust him, have responded, over and over, through hundreds of generations, -'look!' 'Here I am!'

'Send me!'

By faith, that's the kind of relationship we were called to have with God in the beginning. Sin and shame made us afraid to turn to God, to look at God; sin separated us from God. Like a child afraid of deserved punishment, we ran away from the very love we needed. Sin made us do that.

But the love of God continues to break through, and was made perfect and complete in the death of Jesus, which broke through all that separated us from God, so that we could be righteous. Righteous.

'Righteous' (Zedek in Hebrew) means to be what God created to be. In modern Hebrew, if a car is repaired, so it runs like it was supposed to, it is called 'zedek'. It is as it was created to be.

Righteous for us means to be as God created us to be. God created you to be what he created you to be. No one else can. He has a desire, a plan for your life that only you can fulfil. It may be as a nurse or a mom, or in business, or the army, or government, or a pastor, or whatever. He has given you gifts. He has called you to a calling. When you reach the stage of retirement, he has called you to that as well, still to fulfill his calling for you. To be righteous to be his person, in his plan, in his place, at this point.

Yesterday I was visiting our sister-in-law in the Mankato hospital. For a minute we had to leave the room for a medical procedure, and we walked down the hall to the lounge. There a guy was working on a huge jigsaw puzzle.

(That reminds me of a story about Ole and Sven. One day they come walking into the town café, slapping each other on the back, and saying, 'Yust three months!' 'Yust three months!' Finally the waitress says, 'OK boys, you're pretty excited, what's up?' Ole says, 'Ya, we've been workin' on a really hard yig-saw puzzle, and we got it all put together in yust three months!' 'Wow', she said, 'That must have been some kinda puzzle!' Sven says, 'Ya, it said right on the box 'For 3-6 years!'

Well, the guy at the hospital was working on a 1,000 piece puzzle, and much of it was just leaves. All green. I worked with him for awhile. I found a few pieces that fit. But over and over again, I tried pieces that looked right- but they were just a little off. Only the right piece would fit. No other piece would do.

In the same way, God has created you for his call. He has created you to fit in a place where nobody else will do. Only you can answer that call. And it is perfect for just you.

The call of God is not just for Apostles, or pastors or missionaries, or church workers- it's for every one who desires to live life to the fullest. It's a question of being plugged into the designer of the universe, to be what you were created to be, to the fullest. Nothing else will be as meaningful, will make such a difference; will lead to such wholeness, or make your life so worthwhile. Nor will it be as safe, whole, and ...fun.

This only happens from following Jesus. God's plan isn't something you make up, or can blindly stumble upon. It's only in following Jesus, as God created you to do, that you will experience that. Invitation. Amen.

January 20, 2002 - 2^nd Sunday After the Epiphany

Isaiah 49:1-7

Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations:

Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name.

[2] He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me;

he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver.

[3] He said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor."

[4] But I said, "I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing.

Yet what is due me is in the LORD'S hand, and my reward is with my God."

[5] And now the LORD says-- he who formed me in the womb to be his servant

to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself,

for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD and my God has been my strength--

[6] he says: "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant

to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept.

I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,

that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."

[7] This is what the LORD says-- the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel--

to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers:

"Kings will see you and rise up, princes will see and bow down,

because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."

1 Cor. 1:1-9

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

[2] To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ--their Lord and ours:

[3] Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

[4] I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. [5] For in him you have been enriched in every way--in all your speaking and in all your knowledge-- [6] because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. [7] Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. [8] He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. [9] God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

John 1:29-42

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! [30] This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' [31] I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."

[32] Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. [33] I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' [34] I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

[35] The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. [36] When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

[37] When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. [38] Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"

They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"

[39] "Come," he replied, "and you will see."

So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.

[40] Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. [41] The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). [42] And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).