November 24 & 25, 2001 Sermon

November 24 & 25, 2001

"Will Powered"

Andy Hein

Ephesians 5:15-17
15: Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise,
16: making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
17: Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

It is good to be with you. I already heard you had a great Thanksgiving. I did, too, by the way. My name is Andy and I am still the student pastor here at Ginghamsburg. We are going to focus on being will powered. God's will, that is. We have heard already that it is not about us. As I was preparing and getting ready, showering (aren't you glad I showered before I came), I was thinking, "Lord, I know it is not about me, but I want to look decent and I tried to fix my hair just right." You can never really fix the back of your hair. Is that a frustration for some of you? You just can't see it in the mirror, no matter how quickly you turn around. I had this idea that with our technology here at Ginghamsburg, that I would finally be able to fix the back of my hair by looking at the monitor as the camera zooms in. Are you ready? (Looking at back of head and balding spot on back of head.) What in the world? Lord, I said I wanted to preach like Mike, not look like Mike! Let me get to my message while I still have a job.
We learn that life is not about us. Eventually, somewhere along the road that shakes us. Before I get to that part I would like to talk to you about the aspect of the Christian retirement package. That is a good deal, huh? I mean heaven . . . perfect! Take your wildest retirement deal with all your 401k plans, and compare it to heaven. Heaven blows it out of the water. Heaven is perfect. Me, frankly, I am banking on that southern island down in the Pacific with the point break, warm water, and white beaches. But even in that little thought, God's retirement package for Andy is going to blow that out of the water.
God has said that those who get the inheritance are going to be those people whose lives please God. In other words, if you live a life that is according to the plan that he has scripted for the world, you are going to be rewarded for it. That is not a salvation by works. Salvation is by grace through faith. Jesus teaches us that we are going to be rewarded for the kind of life that we lead as followers of God. God has scripted a plan for history. Many times Christians become preoccupied in what that plan specifically is for their individual life. A long time ago someone wrote this little pamphlet that said, "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." If you could just figure out what that plan is, then everything would be great. As I became a Christian, almost 29 years ago, I wanted to be in God's will. I heard that God had a will for me. I opened my Bible and read. I wanted to be in God's will for my life. Just about the time I was feeling pretty secure that I was living God's will for my life, someone came along and said, "Andy, are you living in the center of God's will for your life?" That threw me for a loop because I was just getting comfortable with the idea of being in God's will, let alone in the center of God's will. Not too long after that I opened my Bible and fasted and prayed some more and tried to really work to be in the center of God's will for my life. Someone ruined that for me because not too long after that they wrote this little book that said, "You may be in the center of God's will, but are you in the center of God's perfect will for your life. I am paranoid by now. I am waking up in the morning saying, "Okay, I have a blue sweater and a red sweater. God, what is your perfect will for my life?!
Many Christians are caught up in the trap of trying to understand the minutia of God's will for their life, when that is really the wrong question to be asking in the first place. Asking the question, "God, what is your will for my life?" is the wrong question. Why is it the wrong question? It is not your life, remember? You gave it to God a long time ago when you said, "God, I want to follow you. Here is my life, take it." You gave up the control. It is not your life. Also, most of us don't approach the table of God with a blank sheet of paper. We have this plan figured out for our lives. We know how much money we want to make, where we want to live, what our marriage should be like, where we want to retire, how many kids, what kind of cars we want to drive, etc. We approach God with this blueprint that we pretty much have, but there are some details and blanks here and there that we need God to fill in. So, God, if you could just weave your will through the plan that I already have laid out, that would be great. When we approach God asking Him what is the will for my life, it reduces God to a will-call handyman in our life. "God, I am sorry to bother you. I know you are really busy running the universe and all, and I am doing pretty good at running my own life, but there are these few areas that I really need some help in. So, God, if you could help fix my marriage, or take care of that irritating dog next door, that would be great." That makes God a sort of 'fix-it' person.

I. It's Not About You!
Rather than asking God, "What is your will for my life, the better question is, "God, what is my life for your will?" Now that is not just playing with semantics. It is an entirely different framework because you are saying, "God, here is my life. I want it to be about your will in the world." It changes the focus from being you and your plans and your agenda, to being God and God's will and plan for the world.
Let's be honest. I'll bet if you are like most people, myself included, you are more concerned about the details of your own life working out on a daily basis than you are about God's will being worked out through you in the world. Am I right? So let's just confess that straight up. Andy is more concerned about Andy's life than he is about God's will being accomplished in the world. Let me tell you, God is looking for people who are more concerned with his will being accomplished in the world than about their own little details of their life. He is waiting to use people like that.

Ephesians 5:15-17
15: Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise,
16: making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
17: Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

The good news is this: understanding God's will is not that tough! Anybody can understand what God's will is. I can prove this to you. Look at Ephesians 5:15-17. Paul said, "Be careful how you live - not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." God is saying, "Don't be an ignoramus, but understand what the will of God is." It doesn't take a Ph.D. in theology to figure it out. It is not hard. God is not playing games with us. God, in a sense, has tipped his hand and said, "Hey, come over here. Check out this plan!" He is not hiding it from us. He is not playing games with us. He wants us to know what his will in the world is. Don't miss your part! And the days are evil in which we live. I don't know how much longer we have here until the last bell is rung or the curtain is drawn. We might be in the fourth quarter. It is time to get off the bench and get involved in the game. Lord, I don't care if my script is so small, I am like the tenth best boy grip on the credits. I want to make that credit. Don't miss your part. Don't be so shortsighted that you are like a little kid that is playing marbles on the grass. You have your little bag of marbles here. You are holding it tightly, and you have all of your cat's eyes, and steelies. All around you are diamonds of eternal value. You are missing out on those. You are thinking, "Well then, Andy, if you are so smart, why don't you tell us what the will of God is?" Okay, I will do that.

2 Peter 3:9
9: The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

II. It's All About Glory
Turn to II Peter 3:9. It is obvious that the will of God is for everyone to know God, to be following Jesus, to be saved. "The Lord is not slow about his promise as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance." In other words, God intensely and passionately loves you right where you are. But that is only half of the story. That is only the tip of the iceberg. If our life is not really about us, but about God and God's will, then what is God's will all about? I can tell you in one word - glory. It is all about glory. Let me illustrate it this way. You are an artist. You painted a picture and poured your life's talents into this picture as an expression of yourself. It was the epitome of all of your paintings combined into one. This was your masterpiece. You are going to show this painting and people are sure to come and go, "Oooh, what an incredible artist this is to have created such a wonderful painting." If, on the day before the opening, mud had been thrown all across the canvas, people would come to that opening and think, "What kind of artist would do that?!"

John 12:27-28
27: "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? `Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.
28: Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again."

When sin entered the garden, when Adam and Eve fell, mud was thrown all over the canvas of creation. You and me included. Let me tell you, God is about cleaning off the canvas of his creation, so that men, women and children would see that creation and give glory to the creator. As I have been thinking about this theme of God getting glory and I read through the Old and New Testament, there are hundreds of examples where this is actually the main point. But I have missed it all my life. Take David, for example. Here is a little shepherd boy and there is a nine foot, six inch Philistine giant. He has a huge sword and armor. What is he doing? He is mocking God. He is bringing dishonor to God's name out there in that valley. David hears it and comes before him with a little slingshot and says, "Listen, buddy, you have messed with God. You have brought dishonor to God's name. You are going down! Let it be known today that God is going to deliver you into my hands and it is going to be to his glory." God wanted to use a little shepherd boy to bring down the greatest warrior ever. Why? He wanted a lot of glory that day. God got the glory that day. Look at all of the other examples. Abraham, Gideon, the disciples, you and me. Look at the supreme example, Jesus himself. He is going to the cross and he is contemplating all that is about to happen. Look with me in John 12:27-28. "Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say - Father, save me from this hour? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour." This is the reason that I come here. This is the reason I was born. This is the reason I put up with sinful humanity. This is the reason I am going to suffer and bear the reproach and shame. This is the reason. "Father, glorify your name." Wow! Jesus, at the pinnacle of what he was to accomplish here on earth.

John 3:16
16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

What was on the heart and mind of Jesus as he went to that cross was the glory of God. This is a new thought for me because I was taught for years by lots of people that 'Jesus died for you, Andy. In fact, Andy, if you were the only person on the earth Jesus would have died for you.' Very early in my Christian days I heard the message of John 3:16. I crossed out the word world in my Bible. It read like this: "For God so loved Andy, he gave his only begotten son so that if Andy would believe, Andy would not perish, and Andy would have everlasting life." Thank you, Lord! On the one hand, that is true. God did give his son to save me, to save you, to wipe off that sin, the mud that was thrown on our lives. But, on a much deeper level, what God was accomplishing when he went to that cross was the restoration of his name. Now, hold on to your seats. This might get a little uncomfortable. For years I thought that after Adam and Eve sinned God had to come up with this plan because he knew Andy was going to be born. He is thinking, 'I want Andy to be saved. Jesus, you are going to go down to earth, you are going to leave perfect unity, the streets of gold, the angels.' Here Jesus is stepping from eternity onto this dustbowl of earth. He is saying, 'Andy, I am coming for you. Andy, I am coming to get you. It is all about you, Andy.' There Jesus is, laying in the manger, Joseph and Mary are making over him. Jesus is thinking, 'Would you quit with the baby talk. I understand what you are saying. I am not here for you. I am here for Andy. I am going for Andy.' All the days Jesus is growing up, he is going, 'I am going for Andy, I am going for Andy.' Jesus starts his ministry by saying, 'Listen, we have got to get this show on the road. I need to live an example for Andy. He needs to know how to live his life. Let's get these people fed. Let's get this person healed. Lazarus, come forth from the grave. Let's go for Andy. This is all about you, Andy. Andy, you are sick and you need a doctor. I am the physician. I am going to heal you. You are lost. I am the Savior. I am going to save you. I am going to be your Messiah, Andy. Andy, you are lonely, I am going to be your comforter. I am going to be your best friend. Andy, it is all about you. I am going for you. Here I am, Andy. I am walking up to the cross. If I can just make it a few more steps to get to this place, Andy will get to go to heaven because Andy is a pretty big jerk here on earth and he needs a Savior to save him. Here I am, they are nailing the nails into my hands. I am saying, Father forgive them, they don't know I am up here doing this for Andy. I am so glad that when I die, Andy is going to get to go to heaven because it is all about Andy. Andy, Andy, Andy. I came for Andy, I died for Andy, I rose from the grave for Andy. I am interceding at the right hand of the Father for Andy. Blah, blah, blah.'
That is a product of a humanistic culture that has crept into Christianity and says that everything God has ever done, is doing, or will do, is about me. Now, I have news for you. When Jesus suffered on the cross, yes, I think in one sense he had you and me in his heart, but God was concerned about his own glory that day. Not Andy, Andy, Andy. Even Jesus, as he was going to that cross, knew that it wasn't about him. Really? Remember, not my will, but thy will be done. Your life must be focused on God's will to bring glory to the kingdom of God. If your life is to be truly powerful, it must be centered on the will of God in the world.
What is God's will in the world? Remember when Jesus said to his disciples, "Look up and see the harvest." They were so marble minded. What is going on here at Ginghamsburg that you can see that God is doing? (Congregation responds.) Give me an example of where you see the hand of God through Ginghamsburg. (Congregation responds.) New Path Ministries. UltraLive. Young lives are being changed. Clubhouse. Lay pastors. The Food Pantry. Let me extend it to the world. Where do you see God's will being accomplished in the world? (Congregation responds.) Missionaries. In Afghanistan. In worship.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31
26: Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
27: But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
28: He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are,
29: so that no one may boast before him.
30: It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
31: Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

III. Glory is in the Grind
Let's get real practical. Instead of asking the question, 'God, what is your will for my life?' - why don't we just look up like Jesus told his disciples to do, see what God is doing, then wrap our life around what he is already doing. The question 'God, what is your will for my life' - trust me - will fade away. Where then, can you and I most effectively cooperate in seeing the will of God accomplished in the world? I would have to say that the greatest area in my life that I have seen glory brought to God is in what I call 'the grind.' The glory is in the grind. Follow with me, because this isn't easy. It is true that God wants to use your difficulties and pain for his glory. I am trying to get fixed. I am trying be healed so that God can use me. I am so messed up, my heart is so broken, I have so many weaknesses that I think, "I am the weakest link! God can't use me; I am too messed up!" If that is true, you are in good company. Look at I Corinthians 1:26-31. Paul said, ". . . not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; . . . so that no one might boast in the presence of God . . . Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

2 Corinthians 12:9
9: But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

God uses ordinary people, you and me, to bring glory to his kingdom. I am so glad that I qualify as a weak, foolish person, and God is taking my suffering, my trials, and my weaknesses and putting them on display to showcase for the world to see. That is what he wants to do in your life. You mean all those things I am ashamed of? God wants to put those on display for the world to see? No, I am not going to do that. I try to hide those things in my life where I am weak, where I have failed. That is backwards, Andy. God likes winners. God wants to use champions. The real fact is - God can use anybody. But guess what? God wants to use you, weak you. Look at II Corinthians 12:9. Paul has been arguing with God about this great weakness that he has, this thing that has been hindering his ministry. He is saying, "God, please take this away. My ministry could be so much better if I didn't have this trouble." Three times he said this. God finally said, "Listen Paul, my grace is all you need, for my power is perfected in weakness." Paul finally gets it and says, "Therefore, I will most happily boast about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."
Let me tell you a secret about my life. When I make plans for my life, I never, ever, schedule in suffering. It doesn't come into play. When you open your Daytimer, you don't say, Monday - pain; Tuesday - misery; Wednesday - weeping and gnashing of teeth. You don't do that. But it comes anyway. You never schedule suffering in your life, but when you understand that God can take your greatest weakness and use it for the greatest glory for the kingdom, everything changes. Suddenly those things you have been praying for God to take away, all of a sudden are re-framed and God is saying, 'I can use that for my glory.' Your greatest misery can be overwhelmed and overcome by the joy that comes in your life when you see God's hand out-shadowing the depth of your pain by bringing glory to his kingdom.
I can't really explain why God uses our weaknesses, why he is a weakness specialist. But I can illustrate it. Imagine a flashlight representing God's life in me. If I were to take the flashlight and put it in the places where I really shine . . . imagine the flashlight in the middle of Las Vegas at night . . . it kind of gets lost in the midst of all of Andy, huh? Andy is in his element here - he is shining. God is not getting glory. But you take this light out to the Nevada desert and all of a sudden, wow, where is Andy? Who cares? Look at how great God is. When you are willing to let God take your greatest embarrassments and struggles, re-frame them, and say, "God, I just want to wrap my life around that will that you want to accomplish in the world and bring glory to your name." Your life will be empowered, will powered.

Matthew 5:16
16: In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

A couple of years ago I was at a winter camp in West Virginia with a bunch of high school kids. I was listening to the stories of these kids. One after another told of incredible hardships. The marriage that had broken; abuse; children tossed out into the street. There was one after another and I was just weeping. I thought, "God, I can't take it anymore. If another kid tells me of their troubles I will just explode." Suddenly, God said, "Andy, listen to me. Tell them that the depth of their suffering will be overwhelmed by the height of the joy that I give them because they are willing to be used for my glory." I told them that. My question that I want to leave with you is: who is getting the glory in your life? You or God? In Matthew 5:16 Jesus said, "Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."
I want to pray, because I know that you, if you are like me, struggle with this area. Bow your head and close your eyes and let God's hand, his voice, his spirit speak to you in this area. If we are truly to be will powered, we need to be people that will abandon our own lives and humbly present them to God. We want God to use them for the purpose we see going on in our lives already - what God is already doing. It is time to get off GO and get involved in what God is doing. "Lord, I pray that we will be a people about. Your glory, not about ours. The primary concern of our heart and our mind should be about You receiving honor by how we live our lives. Lord, I know that You have already written Your plan and it is in Your word. Show it to us, God, make it clear to us. We pray for Your glory. Amen."