Pre PDL Sermon: GOD'S PURPOSES IN YOUR LIFE

Sermon on Jeremiah & God’s Purposes Readings: Jeremiah 12: 1-5, 7, 11, 14-16; Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9; & Luke 1: 46-53 Sunday, September 2, 2012 I love the prophet Jeremiah, from whom we hear in today’s first reading. Jeremiah demonstrates that if you have a grievance with God, just go tell him. You don’t need pious and lofting sounding prayers. Just go complain to God. He can handle it, and is eager to listen. Jeremiah was a good, honest, and faithful man. He found fulfillment in his life purpose as a child of God and as a prophet. However, sometimes like many of us, he compared his lot in life to that of others; and that made him resentful of those who appeared to be better off than him. In today’s Old Testament reading, Jeremiah turns to God and complains about the wealthy people in his village. To parphrase and extrapolate, I imagine him saying something like this:, “God, Look at those people in fancy houses, eating fancy food, and laughing with their fancy friends. Know those people. They are rich hypocrites. They act politely and say all the right words. But God, they do not care about you, God; nor do they care about the rest of us who have to work for a living. Indeed, they cheat, lie, and scheme to steal what little the rest of us have. And you seem to let them get away with it. This is just not fair.” So God replies to Jeremiah, saying something like this: “Jeremiah, you complain so much, but understand so little. You are like a man who is worn out from a foot race, who then decides to run another race on foot. But this time against a horse. How foolish you are.” God then explains to Jeremiah that his justice will PREVAIL in the long run. He says, “Those rich who live for their own selfish purposes, filling up their own wallets at the expense of others, will one day lose everything.” You see, the Bible and human experience demonstrates that a life built on dishonesty and earthly treasure alone, is a life that will eventually fall apart. • Dishonesty will ultimately be exposed and punished, in this life and/or the next. • Money will be spent up, or lost, or taken, and, alone, cannot bring true fulfillment. But, God assures Jeremiah that those who promote their own selfish purposes, and not those of God, will be punished. The Lord goes on to say, “Those who know me, know that I do what is right and fair. (Jerm.9:24) St. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was another prophet, and she spoke about this subject in today’s Gospel reading. She was a real champion of God, as she foretold God’s justice will prevail throughout the earth through the ministry of Jesus Christ. She said, “God ‘s mercy flows in waves upon those who love him, but he scatters all bluffing braggarts. He knocks down the tyrants off their high horses, and pulls victims out of the mud. He invites the faithful to sit down at his banquet table. But the callous rich will be left out in the cold.” (Paraphrase) So, first God promises to bring justice. Secondly, God tells Jeremiah that God will provide for the needs of the faithful, and for those who repent and turn back to Him, too. God said, “I will again have compassion…. and bring [you and ]them to receive the riches of my inheritance.” (Paraphrase, Jerm. 15). So, what does this mean for us? Well, if I am honest with myself, there are times when I, like Jeremiah, have compared my life circumstances with other people….those whom I perceived to have had more money, more recognition, more popularity, or more of something than what I had. I can remember having spoken to myself and said such things as, • “What makes him so special? He shows off his money, but he still acts like a jerk.” • “How come this dope has gotten ahead? They have promoted him to a higher position where he can now demonstrate his true incompetence. • OR “I have worked harder and longer than her, yet she was kept on and was laid off. That s not fair.” • OR “She is always telling us how wonderful her precious children are, as if her kids are better than everyone else’s. I can’t wait to hear from her once her kids become rotten little teenagers. I wonder f any of you have ever had such thoughts? (PAUSE/ SMILE). Comparing ourselves to others, whether we gossip or just talk to ourselves, is real emotional and spiritual poison. Such antagonism and bitterness does not make us feel better and , indeed, can lead to festering distress and resentment. So, the answer is to not look at others and what they have, but to look at what God wants to give us through Jesus Christ. Today’s psalm reminds that God gives out Hs grace with equity. That means that He offers each one of us a life of purpose and meaning that is uniquely designed for your happiness and well being. Once we discover His purpose for our lives, and live it out---then we become so much more appreciative of what He has given us, instead of what we are lacking. [Here the preacher reveals a clear jug of water, which s half filled] We need to remind ourselves that in Jesus, the glass is not half empty , it is more than full. Over the years, I have grown to learn that comparing myself to others does not make ME feel better. Instead it makes me feel victimized... (Pause) and later, ashamed of myself for being so small. But in the past 8 years I have more seriously devoted my energies to discovering and living out God’s purposes for me; and this hasd primarily had little to do with my vocation. Rather, its been heart change, which results in greater personal freedom and fulfillment. For example: Now when I see someone acting like a “JERK,” I am learning to suspend myself righteous judgment. Frankly, how many times have I been a jerk to others? Too many to count. Maybe I need to focus less on criticizing others, and focus more on being grateful, kind, and compassionate. Also, God has given me a good attitude adjustment, so that instead of wishing for stuff that don’t have, I now try to give away the abundant blessings, which have already received. In living for God’s purposes, I have found that He has actually given me so much, much, much more than what I deserve. Indeed, if we take the time to reflect on our blessings, we do find, in the words of the Bible, that ‘our cups runneth over. (Ps. 23) Frankly, a lot of this heart work in my life was encouraged by participating in the Purpose Driven Life in 2004. (BIG SMILE) This is the reason that I am so excited about our offering this program here at CCQF. Participation in the Purpose Driven Life has helped millions of women & men to find greater harmony, balance, and strength for daily living. And this has been true of teenagers, and the elderly; the sick and the healthy; the rich & poor; long time church goers, and those who are not. You see, wherever you are in your life journey, God wants you to receive more from Him. This is the assurance God gave to Jeremiah, and the assurance that He gives to us: “God says--- For I know the plans have for you, and you, and you, and you: Plans to prosper you, and you, and you, and not to harm you; plans to give you a hope and a future. You will seek me, and I will be found by you. I will restore your health, and heal your wounds. I will have compassion on you, and restore your fortunes.” (Jerm. 29:11, 30:17-18).