We continue together remembering that if our birth is like the sunrise, and our death like the sunset,
then in-between were all just chasing daylight.
“As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” John 9:4
1 Samuel 14:2-6
I love the 2nd half of Jonathan's encouragement to his armor
“The Lord is able to save whether we are many or few”
Summarized: Me and God are a majority - If God is for you who can be against you -
It’s the stuff we love to put on t-shirts, bumper stickers, frig. magnets... encouragement's - the kind of sayings that inspire us - but Jonathan says something just b4 that incredible encouragement - he says something I think we like to pass right by - “Perhaps the Lord will save us”
That’s not that encouraging is it?
You'd think the Armor bearer's response would be:
“Wake me when you know” “I’m with you when HE’S w/ you”
( so often we seek out this security from God that we believe is necessary to live life to the fullest. Sometimes it can
actually become the greatest deterrent to seizing our divine moments)
Have you ever been around someone who knows everything
They know all the answers, they have an opinion about everything, they’re always right, have you ever been around a know it all? Do you like those people? Probably don’t enjoy them that much, unless ofcourse you are that people.
Now it’s funny how we don’t like people who think they know it all yet sometimes in relationship to J.C. we think were
supposed to act like we know it all.
Alot of people out there are searching for God - is it possible they don’t like us b/c we come across as know-it-alls.
We do this I think b/c we want to let them in on what we know FOR CERTAIN, when in reality the greatest convo’s come when we let them in on what we don’t know.
Life is filled w/ Uncertainty -
(keys - bathroom key w/ handle -
have some keys don’t know what door or lock it goes to - doors in life we’re uncertain where the key is to open it -)
We really have no idea what we’re going to face each day - we have a schedule laid out for the day, and the in-suing days and weeks, but that doesn’t tell us we’re getting in a car crash at 11:03am or 9/11 -
We have no control over when or how we’re going to die,
but we do have control over how we live.
Jonathan was certain about some things, and yet at the same time he was able to operate in the realm of uncertainity - he called to to A.B., “"Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf.” - You gotta love it - basically he was saying, ‘Let’s go pick a fight. Maybe God will help.’
Jonathan understood that not everything was guaranteed.
That you don’t have to wait til all the money is in the bank.
There are some things that you can know and some things that you will not know. So he says,
“Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few."
He had such a clear perspective on reality.
What he knew for certain was that God was powerful enough to get the job done, as difficult the odds appeared to be,
he would still move in line w/ God’s mission for them.
Long b4 God had spoken to Israel thru Samuel,
“And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will
deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines." 1 Sam. 7:3
Jonathan knew for certain that God was going to deliver,
his focus was not, ‘what is God’s will for my life? but...
‘how can i give my life to fulfill God’s will?’
He had no certainty of his own well being, only that he was moving in line with will and heart of God.
How about you? (prayer - do what God is blessing)
Are there times in life when we chose not to move forward,
not to seize a moment b/c we are uncertain how it will play out for ourselves?
Sure God is a BIG God, I have no doubt He can and will handle anything for you, but not for me...
Are there times in life when you chose to go back to sleep under the pomegranate tree, willing to set out once
everything is certain? (Chasing Daylight - Initiative)
(contingency plan)
Often we look to the Bible for comfort, assurance, and kind of a ‘how to’ guide, but not courage - we’re willing to engage in the battle if we believe that God has promised ultimate
victory. We have somehow convinced ourselves that God has signed a contract w/ us, promising that we will never fail. Implied that we will never suffer, or go thru disappointment, or even be inconvenienced in the journey.
With our church, I have no doubt that God is calling us to impact this city - it is absolutely clear that Jesus came so He could save the lost. And absolutely God is calling our church to join Him in declaring the gospel to the nations. I know that God is pleased w/ our action - now let’s see what He is going to do in and thru us.
How about in your life?
Jonathan understood that to move w/ God is to accept a life of uncertainties.
The Jonathan factor is expressed when we have absolute confidence in God in the midst of uncertainty
and are willing to move w/ God even w/out a guarantee of personal success.
Uncertainty invigorates Life
One of the wonderful things about about living in the realm of uncertainty is that you find the journey w/ God is full of
surprises. And that’s a Good Thing!
You may think that’s not what you want, “I don’t like surpr..”
But think about this - wouldn’t it be horrible if you knew everything that was going to happen in your life? Movie... no surprise. It’s utterly boring isn’t it - how many times can you laugh at a rerun? Some of you, many.
If you knew everything about your life it would become
tedious, mundane, boring you’d want to kill yourself.
Part of what keeps us alive is the sense of surprise...
anticipation... a sense of AWE.. a sense of mystery, a part of what keeps us alive is the uncertainty that we live in.
We are to live by Faith
The book of Hebrews tells us that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
It doesn’t mean we are presumptuous about God, it means we believe God for everything He promised.
So it’s important to note what God does promise and what He doesn’t. He promises we can be certain about who He is & we can be certain about our relationship in Him, but how the journey plays out is full of uncertainties - the end of the story is not though -
The last chapter of human history has already been written.
Jesus Wins!
And all who follow Him find that they are more than conquerers in Christ Jesus. He defeats death, suffering, evil, sorrow, loneliness, and despair, not to mention the leader of all evil, Satan.
And Jesus told us, “If you have the faith of a mustard seed, you can move mountains.”
He was not saying that you need more faith. He was saying that it takes very little faith to accomplish great things.
In most cases faith is about obeying what God has already spoken.
It is about building our lives and moving forward w/
confidence fueled by a commitment to God’s truth.
At the same time shift our prayers from what can you do for me
to and ask God to give us the courage to do what we already know.
4 This is what the LORD says to the house of Israel:
"Seek me and live;5 do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba.
For Gilgal will surely go into exil, and Bethel will be reduced to nothing."
6 Seek the LORD and live, Amos 5:4-6
Here’s the thing about Jonathan - he had no idea whether God would act on his behalf in that particular engagement;
he just knew who God was.
He knew if he would seek God he would live even if he died trying -
Isn’t it ironic that we run to God to keep us safe when He calls us to a dangerous faith.
There is only ONE who is certain; everything else exists in the realm of uncertainty.
Listen, to place our trust in anything other than God is
nothing less than superstition.
(Rac, Shac, & Benny)
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
Daniel 3:16-18
The door we fear going thru the most may be the very one where we will meet God most profoundly.
We are to Live by Faith
Life is full of uncertainty, which comes mystery... adventure... & wonder.
The J.F. moves us confidently forward into the future when you know that you don’t know.
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