Wilderness Wanderings

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51)

Today marks a new season for many of us: the official end of summer and start of fall, the beginning of school, the beginning of a new season of activity. And so as we start off a number of other things, it's a good idea to consider how we start anew in our commitment to follow Jesus into all those places too!

Jesus starts out for Jerusalem already way back here in chapter 9, early in the Gospel of Luke. It's a simple little throwaway sentence that starts it off. "As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem." A simple statement on the face of it, but it marks a hard pivot in the Gospel of Luke that shapes the character of everything and everyone that follows.

In the chapters before this, we discover in ever increasing dimensions how Jesus is the Son of God. Just before this in chapter 9, we see Jesus reveal the heights of His glory in the feeding of the 5,000 and being transfigured in bright splendor on the mountaintop. But Jesus had also begun to reveal the depths of His suffering just before this too: predicting His impending death, twice.

When Luke says that Jesus has "resolutely set out for Jerusalem," those of us who know how the story goes know that "Jerusalem" really means the cross and Jesus' death.

And so it's here in Luke, just a third of the way through, that Jesus resolutely turns His face toward his purposes in death, resurrection, and ascension. The depths of suffering, the heights of glory. And everything that follows is done, said, and written in light of this journey to the cross.

Immediately after these verses, in fact, Jesus will have some hard words for all those who would seek to follow Him in this journey. The same words we heard preached a few weeks back. Words like, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Jesus says this now as one who has firmly put His hand to the plow. Jesus is resolute. He is headed for Jerusalem.

The question, is are we resolute in our desire to follow him? He's headed to Jerusalem. There is no way to follow him there that does not involve taking up our cross and facing our own death. So today as you resolutely set out to face any number of other things before you in this Fall season, are you also resolute in commitment to Jesus? Ready to follow, daily?

For those who do resolutely take up their cross and follow, the promise of Jesus' gift of life waits just on the other side.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is James 5:7-11 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!

1. What big event is the motivation for practicing patience? Have you thought about this connection before? What are the two aspects of patience? How do we practice it? Keep all this in mind as you reflect on this message.
2. James uses a farming analogy to illustrate the value and work of patience. Can you think of your own analogy. Why is patience so important? What happens while we practise it?
3. What kind of impact does patience have on life in the Christian fellowship (congregation)? Consider how this practice will benefit the life of your congregation.
4. Job is used as an example of the fruit of patience. What is Job's conclusion to his story? How can you enter suffering differently with this knowledge? What does it mean that Job and the prophets are considered blessed?

"The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give! You have granted him the desire of his heart, and not withheld the request of his lips" (Psalm 21:1-2).

Psalm 21 is obviously a song of victory. It is not difficult to imagine the people of Israel singing these words as David returned victorious from battle. The day is perfect for Israel: king and people are following the Lord and rejoicing in his blessings of victory.

Notice how the victory clearly belongs to God alone. It was asked for by the king; it was a desire of his heart. But the song recognizes that only God is responsible for the defeat of the enemy. The psalm exudes trust and confidence in God.

Notice also that the enemies haven't got a chance. The singers are totally convinced that they are goners. None who oppose God can survive. While the enemies wither away, the king's days are lengthened, even, for ever and ever.

Of course, David did not live forever. Peter says on the first Pentecost that David's tomb is there for all to see. This phrase in verse 4 is likely a reference to the promise that David will have a descendent on Israel's throne forever.

From this perspective, Psalm 21 is about more than David coming home victorious from battle. It is filled with notes that resound with Easter. It's a psalm for Christians to pray on that festival, and even every Sunday. We worship corporately on the first day of the week because Jesus' resurrection is central to our faith, hope, and love.

It is reasonable to think that this psalm sustained Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem and the cross. Perhaps he meditated on these words as he spoke of being delivered over into the hands of sinful men. Even as he carried the weight of the sin of the world, he trusted in the steadfast love of God to raise him up in power three days later.

It is not at all difficult to hear the ascended and exalted Christ praising his Father on the other side of the empty tomb, "He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever."

After passing through death on behalf of his siblings, Jesus was met with rich blessings, greeted by throngs of worshipping angels, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death (Hebrews 2:9). This is a psalm for a vindicated Messiah.

What does it mean for us? We have confidence today because Christ has prayed for us that all those whom the Father had given to him "may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me" (John 17:24). We know that God will give the Messiah his heart's desires and will not withhold the request of his lips. Therefore, we live in the hope that we will share in the glories of Christ's victory. God's children do experience suffering in this life. But we suffer patiently and with hope, confident that God's victory has been secured by Jesus' resurrection.

Furthermore, God has made us "most blessed forever," giving us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as we were chosen in him before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:3,4). Or as a paraphrase reads, "Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love" (MSG). Even as we struggle in this life, God is at work in us accomplishing his purposes. This psalm shores up our faith when it wavers.

As you journey on, 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.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. (James 1:12-18)

There are significant enemies that we face in this Christian life, namely the world, the flesh, and the devil. We've mentioned them before.

Each of these three enemies was a good creation of God at the start though—especially our flesh with its desires and our world. The world and the flesh have not always been our enemies, nor will they be forever. God has set about in Jesus Christ to redeem all of creation, including our own fleshly humanity, our desires, and the culture that arises from humanity's living and working together in this, our world.

So, our desires are not inherently evil—our ability to desire and the proper objects of our desire are good gifts of God. But within a sin-broken world, these desires fall out of proper proportions and we begin to desire good things too much or too little. Or, our desires find objects other than the ones they were intended to aim at, becoming idolatrous.

Some examples might be… A desire to succeed that keeps us from accepting God's grace in failure. A desire to control our happiness or security that keeps us from surrendering to God. A desire for intimacy that finds its end not in desiring the consummation of the kingdom or even in a committed marriage relationship, but in pornography or adultery instead.

Now, we've begun this journey of redemption in Christ. God has given us new birth into this Christian life and God will crown us with life at its end. But between those two moments lies a lifetime of discipleship—that work of following Jesus and becoming more like him each day.

On the way, God reveals the motives of our heart which need to die in order for the new life of Christ to more fully take root. It's a work of re-forming of our fleshly desires: re-aligning and re-aiming them to their proper ends and in proper degrees.

This is not just a journey of discipleship that we walk, but is the work of Sanctification that the Spirit works in us as we walk. The journey of sanctification is a lifelong cure slowly administered by the Holy Spirit for all that is sin-broken in our fleshly desires. The Spirit reveals the evil in our hearts, and together with Him, we participate in putting it to death through the power of Christ's death: finding new life again and again on the other side.

With the Bible to guide, the Spirit to empower, and the Lord's Prayer of "lead us not into temptation…" on our lips, we find this to be the daily prescription for the rest of our lives—dying and rising. Taking up our cross and following.

After giving us new birth into this Christian life, our loving Father hasn't left us on our own to fight the world without and the temptations within. No, through the power of the Sanctifying Spirit He accomplishes it within us.

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you (Genesis 28:15).

These words are part of the promise God made to Jacob as Jacob flees from his brother's wrath. The Bible is full of promises like these: from God's promise to Adam and Eve to bring redemption all the way to Jesus promise that he is coming back. The Bible's narrative, one might say, is propelled forward by these promises.

The Bible does not portray Jacob as morally or even spiritually upstanding in any way. Throughout his story, his faults are front and centre. It is important to see this because the Bible is not about upstanding people we should emulate. Rather, it is the story of God's faithfulness to unfaithful humans. These are the kinds of promises percolating throughout the Bible. Promises that God will prosper people who are particularly unworthy of God's attention.

Let's look at the promises God made to Jacob and hear them as promises made to us, who are very much like Jacob. We need to hear them in the messiness of life, some of it, of our own making. These promises are not reserved for those on the spiritual mountain top but for those sloshing through the valleys.

The first part of the promise is that God will be with Jacob as he flees. In Jacob's day, most people believed that the deities only had power in local areas, not able to influence events beyond their territory. Thus, it is remarkable that God can go with Jacob wherever he ends up. David explores this truth in Psalm 139, finding comfort in the reality that he cannot escape God's presence.

Jesus leaves his disciples with the same promise before he returns to heaven (Matthew 28:18-20). He gives this promise even though some of them still doubted (17). He makes good on his promise by sending his Holy Spirit. This Spirit reminds us that we are the children of the heavenly father.

The second part of the promise to Jacob is that God will watch over him. Again, it is a promise that Israel as a whole, comes to claim. Psalm 121 is probably the most well known and it places this promise into the liturgy of Israel and the church. It became part of our worship because it is so difficult to believe. We sing it to each other to shore up our faltering faith.

Jesus reworked this promise when he said, "I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18). We know it is part of this promise because Jesus is quick to add, "And the realm of the dead will not overcome it". The church is up against the worst kind of enemy, but Jesus will keep his church. He makes this promise to his disciples who probably would not be permitted to members in our churches. They just didn't get who Jesus was, yet the promise is made. And to this day, he has kept it.

Again, it is important for us to consider to whom God makes these promises. Jacob is a schemer and deceiver. He does not act out of faith, but doubts that God is able. Yet, God goes with him. This is God's mercy. Consider this in the context of your own doubts and waywardness. If the promises of God are dependent on our worthiness, none would ever be fulfilled. They are dependent on God's faithfulness to his own Word. That is good news indeed.

Consider this promise also in the context of Christ's church which seems to fail more often in holiness and grace then she succeeds. In the messiness of Christian community, we rely not on ourselves but in the promises of Jesus. This is the good news of the gospel.

Journey on with God's blessing,

May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you!

Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God. (Psalm 146:1-5)

As followers of the victorious Lord Jesus Christ, we use divine strategies for navigating our way in the world, not human ones. And that makes us a bit strange.

But it's a theme that flows through the full breadth of the Bible—even here in these last five praise Psalms of the Psalter.

It's a theme the Church tends to forget though, just like the rest of God's people throughout the ages. Or at least, we have a hard time grasping it. And the crux of the problem is probably this: God asks that as we rely on Him—the God who we can't see—we drop our reliance on many of the things that we can see: humans, government, insurance providers, political parties, the strength of our own actions and agency in the world, the number in our bank account, you name it.

God asks us to let go of the things that we feel we have some control over in order to trust in Him, the God who we cannot control.

What a difficult thing.

At many-a leadership training retreat, you'll find an exercise called the "trust fall." One of the folks at the retreat will be blindfolded, told to cross their arms in front of their chest so that they can't use their arms, and then are told to lean back until they fall over. The idea being, that the rest of the members of the team behind you will catch you, not letting you hit the ground. Of course, you're blindfolded, so you can't be sure that they're there. And, maybe you don't know these people all that well—are they the sorts of folks that would let you fall just to laugh and point? You don't know. But you can't rely on your own legs or arms to catch you either—you're vulnerable. Helpless. Nothing between you and the floor but the trust that these unseen strangers will indeed do what they said they'd do, and catch you.

Following this God we claim is a lot like that. He tells us that in fact, we're already vulnerable and unable to do much to save ourselves. Despite the illusions of control we seemingly have over this world and our place in it, we cannot save ourselves. Not from sins, but also not from the generational hurts of our families, the restructuring of our workplace, the chronic pains of our bodies. We actually have very little control over our world and lives. We're quite vulnerable, and our position in this world is always somewhat precarious.

So God asks us to let go of the things we can see and to fall into His hands—the hands of the God we cannot see—instead. An act of trust: a trust fall.

It is easier to trust the people we can see though, like our political leaders. Or the things we can hold, like our insurance and OHIP cards. Or the things we can do, like work or think our way to a place of self-sufficiency.

But all these things, including our own strength is guaranteed to fail at some point or another. We don't live forever. Pandemics happen. So do other crises.

There is only One who can guarantee our trust will not be broken—and that's God. The only One who remains unchanging amid our changing lives and circumstances, the only One who endures beyond the fleeting strength of our bodies and institutions.

So, will you let yourself fall into the arms of God? Even though you can't see Him?

Blessed is the one whose hope and trust is in The Lord their God.

May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God" (Psalm 20:1-5).

Christians believe that all of Scripture is useful for teaching and training in righteousness. We believe all of it helps correct and rebuke us when we go astray. But when we read certain parts of it we may wonder how. Sometimes we are simply too lazy to do the study and reflection required to understand; at other times we need some help.

Psalm 20 might be one of those passages; not because it is too difficult to understand but we are not sure of its application. So, let's consider how first Israel and then the church used this passage. The folks of the past can help us use scripture well.

For the people of Israel in the Old Testament this became a prayer for their king. When read from this perspective, much of the psalm prays well. However, verse 4 may cause us to pause and wonder.

What we need to understand is that for the righteous Israelite, the king's task was to guide Israel to be the true people of God as described in Exodus 19:5,6. God's king would desire what God desired for Israel. Thus, they could in good faith offer this prayer for their king.

Following Israel's lead this psalm became part of the church's prayer. Of course, the church did not pray it for a human king, but as part of their prayers for the Kingdom of Jesus to be established.

In this setting the psalm takes on a whole new dimension. Verse 3 is a prayer that God will put into effect the sacrifice of Jesus cancelling our sin and adopting us as his precious children. Thus, it becomes a prayer for the gospel to be heard and believed throughout the world.

When we think about the desires of Jesus heart, many things come to mind: His prayer from the cross, "Father, forgive them"; his prayer that all who believe in him may be brought to complete unity so the world will know that the Father sent Him (John 17); or his desire that we would abide in him so that our love, joy and obedience would be complete (John 15).

In this setting, when "we shout for joy over your salvation" we are joining the crowds during Jesus' triumphant entry. We are rejoicing in the coming of Jesus' Kingdom and the salvation it brings through His death and resurrection. We are singing with the angels and saints in heaven as described in Revelation.

With the people of Israel, we recognize that there are many things in which we can trust. But we reject them all and put our trust "in the name of the Lord our God." We long for the day when all will bow down and worship Him. We long for the day when God's shalom will make all things new.

Among liturgical churches, Psalm 20 is a morning prayer. It's a good prayer for all God's people to pray each morning.

As you journey on into the week ahead, 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.

An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is Luke 9:57-62 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 stands out to you from hearing these verses from Luke 9? 2. What is it about trees and human lives that are similar? What are some of the examples that Pastor Anthony gives and that you might know from your own life? 3. What costs do the three men who interact with Jesus in this passage see (or not)? What holds them back from following? 4. What are the costs that hold us (you) back from following Jesus wholeheartedly? 5. What does it really mean to entrust these things to Jesus and prioritize following him above all? 6. How will you act on following Jesus more fully this week?

In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. …when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!" Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. (Acts 9:36-41)

You'll maybe notice the difference between this story as compared to the story of Aeneas from yesterday. In the story of Aeneas, it is Jesus' action driving the narrative throughout. It is the name of the Lord that's mentioned everywhere. It's the Lord's people, it's Jesus who is healing, and it is Jesus who draws people to Himself through the living breathing testimony of this man healed.

But in the story of Tabitha, Jesus is not named. What is named is the good that Tabitha did. The grief of the widows. And the prayer of Peter that led to Peter's word and action in faith to say to the dead woman: "Tabitha, get up."

Our lives often look more like the story of Tabitha than Aeneas. No mention of God. No glimpses of Jesus at work. No outpourings of the Spirit. Just people living, dying, doing good, trying to help one another and grieve with one another—all in the midst of the ordinary rooms of ordinary houses on ordinary days.

But again, the book of Acts would suggest that there is more stirring under the surface. Under the ordinary story of Tabitha, lies the active God of the story of Aeneas. Even when we don't see Jesus on the move or the Spirit at work, doesn't mean that he isn't. The story of Tabitha invites us to read between the lines and examine the invisible—helping us cultivate the eyes to see the main character of all our stories, even when He isn't mentioned by name.

Because when you get down to looking, you'll notice—it's the living and active God that Peter consults with in prayer. It's in the power of the Spirit and in the name of Jesus that Peter speaks a word of life that raises a woman from the dead. It is because Tabitha followed this same Lord as a disciple that she was led to do so much good for so many.

So, are you following the story in your own life? The main character is always active, but rarely named or visible. Do you look for Him? Do you talk with Him? Do you follow Him?

As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord's people who lived in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. "Aeneas," Peter said to him, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat." Immediately Aeneas got up. All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. (Acts 9:32-35)

After the scattering of the church at the stoning of Stephen in Acts, chapter 8, we discover together with Philip, Saul, and Peter that it's not safe out there in the world. Not just because the disciples face death threats, mind you, but more because the Sovereign Lord is moving about through His Spirit in the Name of Jesus.

Just listen: Who does Peter visit? The Lord's people. Who healed Aeneas? "Jesus Christ heals." Who preached the Word that transformed the lives of all those in Lydda and Sharon? Jesus' healing action manifested in the life and body of Aeneas. Everyone saw him and turned to the Lord. Peter didn't do a thing but show up and witness to what Jesus was doing.

So Peter isn't actually the main character in this story. Neither were Saul, Philip, or Ananias before him. The main character remains the same throughout all these accounts: it's Jesus. Peter simply joins the list of those discovering and witnessing the Lord's work out there "about the country."

If Jesus is the main character in the story of Acts, it begs the question: whose the main character in your life's story? We tend to think it is ourselves. We are the ones engaged in the doing, conversing, and deciding. So we're the main character of our own stories, aren't we?

I think the book of Acts would like to tell us: "No. We are side characters in God's story, not the other way round."

The Father is the main character. The one who gives us life and breath—a world to live in, and the gifts and skill to meaningfully work and play in it.

Jesus is the main character. The one who redeems our lives, heals us, reconciles us together into his community of the Church, and sends us forward in mission.

The Spirit is the main character. The one who continues to empower our prayers, our mission, and our loves, molding us into the likeness of Christ all the while.

So, as you live the story of your own life, is your attention focused on the main character?