Sermon Recap: The Divine Interruption

So maybe you've heard that we had our first Ember Church service this past Sunday. The sermon was on Jeremiah 1, which is the calling of Jeremiah to be a "prophet to the nations". (You can listen to the sermon in the Ember Church Sermon Player, located conveniently to the right of this post.) Jeremiah was terrified of being a prophet because of the horrible fate that most prophets suffered at the hands of the rulers and the people. But God reassured him: "Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and I will rescue you."

The point of the message was to say simply this: God is with those he calls. Whatever task to which God has called you, he will be with you through it. I find this reality playing out in several ways in my life right now.

GOD IS WITH THOSE HE CALLS

First of all, I'm a husband and a father. This is the primary task to which God has called me. Breena's husband. Father of Cyrus, Eisley, Ezekiel, and Bexley (coming soon). As any husband and father can attest, this isn't always easy. Communication breaks down between Breena and me. The kids hurt each other or disobey us, or refuse to eat their dinner, or constantly ask "why? why? why?", or...this list goes on forever. All that to say, in order to be a godly husband and father (what God has called me to be), I desperately need God's presence and strength to be with me and to rescue me in difficult times. And he is there, living within me in the person of the Holy Spirit, waiting to fill me with the patience, courage, and wisdom I need.

Secondly, I'm the pastor of a new church, called by God to lead a congregation of people in following Jesus. I'm new to this calling, so I don't know exactly what I'm doing yet. But I can already see how much I'm going to need God's presence and strength to lead well, to preach well, and to pastor well.

If God isn't with me, I'm sunk. This life I'm trying to live, the person I'm trying to be and become, all falls apart without God's presence and strength. Like I said in the sermon, if you're succeeding in life based on your own skills and abilities, then you're not living God's life for you, you're not dreaming his dream for you, and you're not answering his call. To live the life God has called you to, you need him to be with you. And he is. God is with those he calls.