Wilderness Wanderings

"After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel." - Judges 2:10

When I was young, I loved to hear my dad's stories about his youth in the Netherlands. Stories about playing soccer as a teen, selling milk door to door, emigrating to Canada as a young man. Great stories that I remember to this day.

However, he also was a young teen during the Second World War and never talked about those years. I had no idea what he had experienced. After many years, he finally told me and most of it was unpleasant, some of it frightening. Had he not told me his wartime stories, I wouldn't have ever known or understood what it was like to be a young teen living in a war zone. Without his stories, I couldn't connect the dots of his life as my father to what life was like for him as a youngster. Sharing all of his stories, my dad provided a backdrop for me to understand who he is.

In Judges 2, after 40 years of wandering in the desert, the Israelites have settled into the Promised Land, claimed their inheritance, continued to serve the Lord (2:6,7). However, the next generation, those born in the Promised Land, "knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel" (2:10b). They did "evil in the eyes of the Lord" (2:11-13).

How did this happen so quickly after arriving in the Promised Land? Because fathers did not tell the stories of what the Lord had done for them and their descendants. In the absence of a good story, people will grab any story. If that's true, then it's very important to tell the best story we can, starting with THE story – God's story. Connecting the stories of our lives with God's grace, mercy, and provision.

What God story do you have that you can share with someone?

A special, extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Romans 12:14-21 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

What sentence summaries what Paul is writing in these verses?Where do we begin learning this way of life? Paul has made three contrasts between a good and an evil reaction when people harm us. Give good and evil examples for each one.

1. Bless instead of curse (14).

2. Do what is right and peaceful instead of retaliation (17-18).

3. Serve our enemy instead of revenge (19-20)

What can you do to prepare to respond with good instead of evil?

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better (Ephesians 1:17).

After Sunday's worship service, Helena and I will be leaving for a 2-week vacation. As such, this will be my last contribution to Wilderness Wanderings until I return. Mr. Rick Verkerk will be filling in for me while I am away, and I am thankful for his willingness to contribute. If there are other readers/listeners who would like to fill in on occasion, please let me know. I hope this will not be my last vacation.

Before I go, some reflections on our text.

First, I have learned to echo Paul's prayer for the church. What Jesus taught about prayer Paul exemplifies with his prayers for God's people. Many of you have noticed, I am sure, that his letters to the various congregations are filled with prayers for them.

One of the dangers in our praying is that we pray for what we want. Even though Jesus taught us to pray first for God's kingdom to come and his will to be done, it is easier for us to pray that our will will be done. Giving up what I want so that I can pray for what God wants, that is the perpetual struggle in prayer. So, when it comes to praying for the church, and that includes you, my dear listeners/readers, it is easy for me to pray for the things that I think God should give you.

Paul's prayers help to resist that temptation. Since God included them in the Holy Scriptures, I feel safe to assume that they align with Jesus' teaching regarding prayer. As a preacher, it is my holy task to help you know God and all that he is about in this world. This text reminds me that I am at most only a secondary fiddle. The Holy Spirit is the primary worker in this regard.

This truth offers comforts me. I am bound to get things wrong on occasion and I can trust the Holy Spirit to set things right. Also, I can go on vacation and know that you will be just fine. My absence might even give more room for the Holy Spirit to do his great work of revealing the wisdom of God to so that you may know him better. So, I say to you now and always, look for the Spirit and listen to him, testing everything with the scriptures.

Second, this text reveals just how privileged we all are. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Do you hear the profound newness embedded in this prayer? Maybe not since we are so far removed historically from these events.

In the Old Testament, there were only a few who received this 'Spirit of wisdom and revelation'. Folks like Moses and Jeremiah, Daniel and David, Elijah and Elisha, they received the Spirit. The rest of the Israelites, the farmers and stoneworkers and beekeepers and soldiers, not so much. For them to know God and his will they went to the priest or the prophet. Jesus' ushers in this new era with these words, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth" (John 4:23-24).

It is true that sometimes we get all puffed up and spout off about all the things God is allegedly telling us directly. God does speak directly to our spirits, but that is never a cause for pride or arrogance. Rather, it is a reason for deep humility, that God would condescend to speak to someone like me. Yet, it is also a matter of deep comfort for the Christian and of course a matter for praise.

Lastly, it is important to pay attention to the purpose of the Spirit's presence: that we might know God better. The Spirit's presence in our lives is never for our glorification but always for God's. The Spirit will always lead us deeper into the way of Christ and His redemption. He will continually remind us that we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that we may declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light (cf. 1 Peter 2:9).

For that purpose, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

When he had finished speaking, [Jesus] said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break." So, they signalled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. (Luke 5:4-7)

Luke's story of the call of Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John is the only place in the gospels where the story of the miraculous catch of fish is also found. In the gospels of Matthew and Mark when they are called it seems like they abruptly leave everything and follow Jesus. Luke however lingers. There's something more that he wants to tell us.

In Luke's gospel, this is not Simon Peter's first encounter with Jesus. Jesus had already been to Peter's home in Capernaum where he healed his mother-in-law (Luke 4:38-39). Perhaps this gives a better picture as to Peter's willingness to let Jesus use his fishing boat as a floating pulpit in verse 3. The call of Peter and his partners wasn't an act of blind faith here as he lets down his nets for "one more try." He was acting in faith on what he had already seen and experienced.

That's what it's like to follow Jesus in faith and trust. Knowing what we have seen and heard with our own eyes and ears and hearts. It can't have been an easy night for the fishermen. I'm sure they were weary from the long, thankless night of fishing, dejected because they hadn't caught a single fish. The one thing on their side perhaps is that a storm hadn't sprung up during the final watch of the night, which was a common occurrence. But Jesus had something He wanted to show them, and it wasn't simply for the sake of displaying His power.

Jesus wanted to teach Peter, Andrew, James and John a lesson. Yes, they had endured a long, hard night, they were at the end of their shift and were ready to head home with empty pockets and empty hands. But Jesus wanted to show them what abundance truly looked like. And then Jesus wanted them to follow Him. Luke doesn't tell us that the four fishermen took time to sell their catch or enjoy the abundance in some other way. No, instead "as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus" (Luke 5:11).

They followed Him into costly learning with long hours, confusing at times, exhilarating at others, depleting, tiresome and full of pain and suffering too. They followed Him because of His sovereignty. They followed Him because of His authority. They followed Him because they saw in Him what they had been searching for their whole lives. Jesus Christ, their Lord, their Messiah, their God.

"Listen to my voice and trust what I tell you and I will show you what it means to be my disciple" Jesus was saying to them. Later Peter writes, "So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you" (1 Peter 4:19).

God will never fail us. When we feel like we are weary from the journey, when the pain or the suffering seems insurmountable, when the longest nights seem like our truest reality, it is there that Jesus meets us and says, "Don't be afraid!" (Luke 5:10) Follow me.

Jesus has authority and sovereignty over all things in heaven and on earth. When we forget these truths, we take the weight of the world, of our vocations, our families, our health, our finances all on our shoulders. We miss the abundance that God provides because we refuse to step out in faith to listen to what He says to us. Because it doesn't always make sense. Because we're weary. Because sometimes the odds are stacked against us.

God won't always let us rest in that abundance, as with the four disciples, but it is a reminder of the sovereign hand of God in our lives. Guiding us and shaping our hearts and our minds more into His likeness. Jesus also has sovereignty over our hearts. But more on that next week.

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:13-14).

One last expedition in these verses. As I have said, salvation is a multi-faceted affair. It is not only God forgiving our sins. Redemption is God's restoration of the entire cosmos into a universe that pulsates with the goodness of his love. It is a place without destructive forces in which we can live unashamed and unhindered. The redeemed creation teems with life and harmony and an economic system that leaves none behind.

So often, when Christians think about this renewed creation, having put aside the images of rosy-cheeked cherubs playing harps on fluffy clouds while eating cream cheese on bagels, we think about the things we want. Those injured or disease riddled, think of fully abled bodies; those constantly under stress, think of a permanent stress-free vacation; those who do not have sufficient financial resources, think about the freedom to spend without worry; those who struggle with mental illness, long for freedom.

None of these things are wrong in themselves. Except for the 'permanent stress-free vacation' we can reasonably expect God's kingdom in all its fullness to include these things. But who is the centre of attention in the way I expressed things? I am! And that is often the problem with our imaginations about redemption. We think about it as life the way we want it to be.

But when Paul tells us that the Spirit is the deposit guaranteeing our inheritance, making payments until we take possession of this inheritance, he also tells us that this whole redemptive enterprise that God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are pulling this world towards—that this inheritance is not about us. Its about 'the praise of his glory'.

This is the golden thread that weaves the Biblical story into a whole. Israel, freed from Egypt sings, "I will sing to the Lord for he is highly exalted" (Exodus 15:1). David, established as king over Israel, sings, "Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor…" (1 Chronicles 29:11). In Luke's account of Jesus birth, Mary, Zechariah and the angels all ascribe glory to God (1:46, 68; 2:14). When Paul concludes his exhortation concerning Israel and the Gentiles becoming the one people of God, he concludes, "To him be glory forever! Amen." (Romans 11:36). Is not the book of Revelation the crescendo to this great song? "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power for ever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13).

Our thoughts about heaven and the new creation tend to be 'me focussed'. When it comes to life after death, our imagination tends to run out because 'a permanent stress-free vacation' is, frankly, quite boring. When, through the redeeming work of Jesus and the Spirit, our lives shift towards keeping the first commandment, "You shall have no other gods besides me" (Exodus 20:2) and living into the prayer, "hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:9-10), then our lives become about his glory, not our own.

Then we will be able to do what we were created for. That is the best way to begin imaging life after death: we will finally be able to do what God created us to do. Recall Genesis 1, God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and, yes, Earth itself…" (Genesis 1:26 MSG).

Psalm 8 is part praise for God's glory, part lament that humanity is not fulfilling its purpose. Hebrews 2 picks up this theme, acknowledging that humanity is a disaster, but pointing towards Jesus as the true human who brings 'many sons and daughters to glory' (10). In the here after, we will participate in the glory of God, able and willing to fully do what God created us for.

If that is not reason to hope for heaven, what is? Its also reason to walk in step with the Spirit, catching glimpses of future glory in the here and now. For that, we are included in Christ.

A special, extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Psalm 88 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

DIVE-IN QUESTIONS

1. What is God saying in this text?
2. What surprised you? What convicted you?
3. What part struck you as important for you? What is God saying to you?
4. What does God want you to do? How will you live life differently? What attitude do you need to change?

"As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people." At once they left their nets and followed him." (Matt 4:18-20)

Discipleship. First of all, what is it? Mirriam-Webster says that a disciple is "one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another." Discipleship is so much more than simply accepting and helping to spread information about Jesus to others. There's a distinct difference between "informational discipleship" and "transformational discipleship." The former is about head knowledge and the latter is about heart knowledge.

Our society today is all about the quick fix, the instant knowledge we can get from google, the instant gratification we crave and often give into with our buying habits, text messages that need to be answered and social media use. In a passage like today's, we read that Peter and Andrew dropped their nets when Jesus said 'come' and they followed Him. And so, it seems like an easy extension to believe that many of the first disciples dropped everything and simply followed Jesus with no question on their lips or doubt in their hearts. As we will see in the next few weeks though, the call to follow Jesus isn't exactly that simple.

Jesus teaches us and sinks His truth into us whether we are willing participants or not. I wonder though what Peter and Andrew were thinking when Jesus said to them "I will send you out to fish for people"? Did a surge of excitement run through their veins? Or anticipation? Or fear? Did they consider their friends, their livelihood, their families before following after Jesus? What was going through their heads? And moreover, what was happening in their hearts?

The call to follow Jesus is rarely a straight line. It's often filled with curves in the road, zig zags, retracing our steps and even well trodden paths through the same forest and around the same mountain until we finally get the picture that the Holy Spirit has been trying to reveal to us. The call to discipleship is different for each one of us. But for every disciple of Christ there is an element of trust in God, His ways, and His timing. There is also an element of transformation as we abide more with Christ and less with the things of this world. And there is action that is needed. God calls us and asks us to trust Him.

Here is part of the more detailed account of the call of Peter and Andrew found in Luke 5, "When [Jesus] had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch. Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." (v.4-5). Did Peter (called Simon here) have any reason to listen to Jesus or to believe that there might be a possibility that they would catch any fish that day? Nope. Yet he put down his nets anyway. And the resulting catch filled their nets so full that when they called their partners over to help load up the catch both boats began to sink!

Their trust seemed unfounded, yet they trusted anyway and took action according to their faith.

Trust in God is the beginning of discipleship. Not knowing where Jesus is leading, but following Him anyway, and trusting that He will do what is good and right in our lives. That He will protect us and provide for us abundantly. Because we trust that Jesus is who He says He is. The One that we will always be able to rely on.

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Yes, we are back to Ephesians 1. I might have said too much about the Spirit as the seal of our redemption, while neglecting the image of guarantee. So, a few more words about that. I came across these sentences in a commentary.

The Holy Spirit functions in the present, giving us power and guidance to "work out our salvation." The Holy Spirit also guarantees our future salvation. But it is more than a guarantee, it is a present foretaste of the fuller inheritance of our redemption.

It is not my habit to quote commentaries for these devotions since they tend to be dense reading. But these sentences stood out to me as a beautiful rendition of what Paul intends with the word 'guarantee'.

Do you ever wonder why we do not spend more time anticipating heaven? One reason may be that we have a very boring perception of what it will be like there – fluffy clouds, harps, Gregorian chants, and all that. But now I wonder if our text hints at another reason we may neglect anticipating the new heavens and earth. Let me explain.

What does it mean to be saved? It certainly means that our sins are forgiven. But it means much more than that. As I have been saying in my preaching series on Romans 12, 'the purpose of conversion to Christianity is to be able to discern and execute the will of God in the here and now.'

Conversion means that we change our priorities and our allegiance. It means our desires change. Our goals in life become two-fold: to love God and our neighbour. The Holy Spirit 'gives us power and guidance' to work this love into our lives or 'to work out our salvation with fear and trembling' (Philippians 2:12). As we learn to love God and neighbour, we catch glimpses of the shalom God intended for this world, which will govern the new creation (cf. Isaiah 9:1-7).

The Holy Spirit works out our salvation in us. As he does that, we catch glimpses of what is coming. When hungry stomachs are satisfied, we catch a glimpse of an economy that leaves none in poverty. When broken bodies our healed, we catch a glimpse of the 'Tree of Life' giving health to all. When families destroyed by anger and fear and addictions are brought back together in harmony, we see 'the wolf and the lamb feeding together' (Isaiah 65:25).

As the Spirit works out our salvation, we are given glimpses of 'our inheritance.' The scripture uses this word deliberately. There are great things in store for God's children. As much as we may get enamored with streets of gold and gates of pearls, the real intent of the visions of heaven is that we catch a glimpse of the shalom on the other side of Jesus' return. That is our inheritance: a world without sinful people, a world without sinful systems, a world without accidents or racism or poverty or abuse.

As the Spirit moves in our lives, working in us our salvation, we have a foretaste of what is to come. When we have a robust understanding of salvation, we will long for it. Next time, another suggestion as to why we might not long for heaven.

A special, extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Nehemiah 1:1-2:8 from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

Dive-In Questions 1. What is God saying in this text? 2. What surprised you? What convicted you? 3. What part struck you as important for you? What is God saying to you? 4. What does God want you to do? How will you live life differently? What attitude do you need to change?

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:9-12)

Over these past weeks I have walked through many spiritual disciplines in my Wilderness Wanderings. Perhaps some of them resonated with you. Perhaps others did not. Each person has certain disciplines that you may be drawn to more than others. And that is important to take note of in your own life. Another important part in looking at spiritual disciplines is to allow yourself to step outside of what is comfortable and known into a place where you allow the Holy Spirit to grow up in you certain areas that are weaker in order that He will continue to mold you and form you into the person that He created you to be.

Practicing disciplines creates an attentiveness to the Holy Spirit and what He is doing in our lives. When we submit to God and we allow His Spirit to lead us, we open the way for Him to also transform us into disciples that walk more closely with God, with others and for others too. Robert Mulholland Jr. in his book "Invitation for a Journey" wrote that spiritual formation is "the process of being formed in the image of Christ for the sake of others."

Practicing disciplines moves us into a deeper relationship with Christ as we begin to speak and act the way Jesus would. The saying "What Would Jesus Do?" starts to become a part of who we are. Not because we constantly bring up the WWJD image in our mind, but because His way of life, starts to become our way of life. We become "doers of the word, and not hearers only" (James 1:22), in the way we interact with and respond to circumstances in our own life. And also, how we interact with and respond to others, to the world, to the gift of God in Jesus Christ.

Jesus calls us to a transformed life in order that we can live for others, just as He did. Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone in order to take a step toward Jesus? Disciplines nurture us, and they also stretch us, and transform us. They reveal where our true love and values lie. They force us to remove the blinders that we often wear and ask God to help us see ourselves and the world as He does. What will he find in your heart when you invite Him in? Are you willing to follow Him where He leads?

"But Jennifer", you might say, "this sounds a lot like discipleship." And I'd have to say, "you're right." Because practicing spiritual disciplines is an act of discipleship, a journey towards Jesus. And so I'll be shifting my focus onto our call to discipleship in my Wilderness Wanderings starting next week. For this weekend, think on what it means to love each other as Christ has loved us. What does it mean to remain in His love? How can we give it away, and how can we invite others to journey in that life of love with us?