From Mountain Top to Daily Walk
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From Mountain Top to Daily Walk
June 12, 2011
by Debbie Knutson
It is such a special day here at Faith Church; and what a privilege to be here with all of you in this family, on this day, when we have so many things to celebrate that show God’s faithfulness to all of us. I know we are in some difficult times. We have been through some real challenges together, but God is faithful. And today, we have these wonderful things going on in the life of our church. We just had the dedication of Liam, which is just awesome. We have our graduates with us, some from the high school class of 2011, which is exciting; and we also have, I think, three college graduates up there. So that is exciting, too. In addition to that we are commissioning our mission trippers this week, and I didn’t even know we were also having mission trippers as guests. So God is very faithful to all of us.
As Buck and I were talking about this particular service and all the things that were going on in the life of Faith Church, I was reminded of two psalms. The first one was just the first verse of Psalm 122, which says simply, “I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” That is truly how I feel today. You know, that was a song of the ascents; that was one of the songs that the Israelites sang as they made their pilgrimage just those few times a year to the Lord’s house. They would go and they would remember the Lord’s faithfulness. So on their way they would sing that psalm. I think today, you know, we drive down the street to our church; we go every Sunday; sometimes it is out of obligation; sometimes we go joyfully. But I think we miss sometimes the joy and the privilege that it is to be worshipping God in a family like this, and to just have the opportunity to remember his faithfulness to us.
The other psalm that came to mind for me was Psalm 100. I know that most of you know this one. I memorized it as a little girl and I had to look hard for the version that was closest to the one that I learned growing up. But I am just going to read it for us if I can.
1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Serve the LORD with gladness;
come into his presence with singing (which we just did).3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
enter his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.5 For the LORD is good and
his steadfast love endures forever;
his faithfulness is to all generations.
I would like to pray for us this morning if you will bow with me.
Dear heavenly Father, you are so faithful. We thank you that even when we can’t see what is ahead, you can. You direct our paths. Lord you have done everything for us. You have sent your Son to die for us that we might have eternal life, life everlasting with you God, and, while we are here on this earth, an abundant life filled with the purposes you have with each one of us. God, this morning we come to hear your word. Open each of our hearts, open our minds, prepare us God. Let it be your word that is spoken. Let it touch each of us exactly where we need to be. We ask this in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
We can certainly see God’s faithfulness today to all generations. It is wonderful to see a brand new generation come before us in Liam Slack and to know that his parents are dedicating him to the Lord and saying we want to bring him up knowing truth and knowing love. That is what it is all about. In addition, they asked us to stand beside them and to love him and to nurture him and to help him grow in the Lord. I know that this congregation is faithful to those vows. It is interesting to me that as Billy and Kelsey and Liam made their commitments and we have made ours, we also look at this class of 2011 graduates. I know at least two and maybe more in their class stood in this very sanctuary seventeen or eighteen years ago and you all made those same promises alongside some parents of which I am one. Today our kids are here celebrating this milestone with all of us. I think that is just a wonderful witness to God’s faithfulness to all of us, and your faithfulness to the promises we make. Alongside of that, I think there is a beautiful thing; you know, we see these tapestries, these woven threads, and I think lots of times we only see the underside but God is weaving this beautiful picture up above. One of the beautiful threads I saw this morning is Billy and Kelsey, who came to bring Liam for us to nurture, have done some nurturing themselves. Over the last few years they have served as Lighthouse leaders to the kids who are going on the mission trip and the kids who are graduating. I think it is really neat to see that the investments are made generation after generation and we keep having those opportunities. We don’t even know what God is doing, but he is doing great and mighty things.
Alongside of all of that, we have this commissioning of our mission trip. All these students going on this mission trip have learned from you. You have invested in them; you have taught them; you have been the light of Christ to them. They have seen you and they have served beside you and now they are going out to be Christ’s hands and feet in the city of Nashville. Our other mission trippers are on their way, too, and I think that is just so neat because God is faithful in all the purposes that he has for us. You have stood alongside this group to finance them, as well. As they are leaving, they are going with funds that you guys provided through things like the poinsettia sale, the plant sale, the dinner theater, the pancake breakfast. You have certainly supported them and walked beside these kids through all those things. So we thank you for that.
In addition, we have the theater that has been going on this week. What a wonderful outreach for our community. We see God’s faithfulness in that as the Deacons have stepped forward and many people have provided meals and people have sold tickets and done staging. Then we have our wonderful cast of characters that have faithfully practiced and rehearsed and brought so many people into this place. So we see God’s faithfulness in that.
Tomorrow we have one more big thing starting and that is Vacation Bible School. I don’t know if you are all aware but Joanna has been madly preparing for the PandaMania that begins here tomorrow. So, whether you are bringing little ones or you have offered to teach or you are bringing snacks, again, God is renewing his faith through all that you are doing. We as a church are standing at a place where we are renewing our faith, and I think you can see today that God is renewing faith with us, as well. We do have much to give thanks to God for. The Lord is God and he made us, we are his. What a privilege it is to “enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise… The Lord is good. His steadfast love does endure forever and his faithfulness is to all generations.”
As we celebrate today, I think of this as a mountain top day. It is one of those days where you just want to rejoice and rest in God’s goodness. I am sure that is the way that our seniors and graduates are feeling right now. It is that top of the mountain experience. It reminds me of a time when I was in high school. I was a junior and I had the privilege of going out to Young Life’s camp. It was out in Colorado; it was a ranch out there. One morning before sun up, they got us all up early and we piled into jeeps and we rode up the side of the mountain in the dark. When we got to the top of the mountain, they shepherded us all around to the east side of the mountain where we were going to sit and watch the sun come up. So we sat there in that cool morning air in the mountains and we looked out and it was just very gray, dawn. You could see in front of us there was a big wooden cross that had been suspended out in our view. As the lights began to come up and you could see the colors forming behind, all of a sudden, on the cross, you could make out the words that someone had carved that said simply “Be still and know that I am God.” It was a beautiful moment. We all were still. Nobody said a word. We just sat there and watched the glory of God in that sunrise on the side of that mountain. Nobody moved and nobody wanted to leave. We wanted to just rest in God’s goodness and stay there forever. That is what those mountain top experiences are like.
We know that in the Bible, Peter, James and John went up the side of a mountain with Jesus. When they got up that mountain, God transfigured Jesus in all his glory. And beside him came Elijah and Moses and God’s voice boomed out and he said, “This is my Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him!” The disciples who were there, just like us, wanted to stay; they wanted to stay in the moment. We could tell because Peter, who always does what he is thinking (he is like me, his mouth goes faster than he does), he says, “Oh, God, it is good that we are here. Jesus we are here for you. We are ready to build three shelters. We will put them up for you.” …because he wanted to stay in the moment. He wanted to stay on the mountain. But that wasn’t the plan. Jesus knew there was much more work to accomplish. He needed to go back down that mountain. He needed to face that cross and he needed the disciples to go down with him because there was work to do. Jesus always has more things for us to do. The difference is that as they left that mountain, the disciples had a new perspective. They had seen a glimpse of God’s glory and what God promises for all of us.
So, when we are in those mountain top moments, whether it is a dedication, or is the mission trip that is coming up, or it is graduation, or maybe there is another big event going on in your life right now, they are there to encourage us. Take the time to be encouraged in those moments. Take the time to enjoy them and make a memory from them. Remembering is a biblical concept. God wants us to stop and remember his faithfulness. As you read through the Old Testament you see lots of places where God tells people to stop and remember. The one that comes to mind most for me is Joshua as he is getting ready to lead the Israelites in the Promised Land. They have wandered in the desert for forty years now and it is time, finally, they can go into the Promised Land. So we see almost a reenactment of Moses and the Red Sea as God has told Joshua that what must happen is the leaders must carry the ark of the covenant down into the Jordan River. When they set foot into the Jordan River, what happens? The waters part, they become walls beside them, and the Israelites can walk through to the Promised Land on land. As they go, God gives them instructions. He says I want you to take twelve stones from the center of that river, one for each of the tribes of Israel. When you make camp tonight, I want you to build an altar to me and I want you to remember always my faithfulness to you in bringing you to the Promised Land.
So those are the rocks of remembrance. We are called to have those rocks of remembrance too. In our milestones today, remember not just the event, not just crossing the stage and getting the diploma, not just the moment of the mission trip; but remember the things that get you there. What are the things that God has seen you through to get you there? You are going to need to know those things for the walk that is ahead of you, because God has much more for us to do. We are all being sent out again. Some will be going on to new careers. Some will be going out to serve in the week ahead. Some are going off to new schools. Some of us back to witness in our own neighborhoods and our own workplaces. But we are all sent and we all know that the days ahead are going to have challenges. They will. But we don’t face our challenges alone. God is with us. So stop for a moment. Think back. Look and see. Where has God been with you in your trials? Maybe there was a time when you were in an impossible situation and you should have been anxious and worried about everything but instead you found comfort and peace and you knew it could only have come from God. Other times, maybe you didn’t even notice that it was God. Maybe you were in a really tough spot and you needed something good to happen and suddenly a friend or a family member was alongside of you getting you through. Perhaps you were running out of time on a school project and you knew you weren’t going to make the deadline. But suddenly something changed in your schedule or maybe a teacher had a little bit of grace and all of a sudden the assignment got done. Maybe you were at that place when you didn’t know where your next meal was going to come from and somebody invited you over for dinner. That is how God works. That’s God’s provision. He is always there and he is always willing to provide. All we need to do is ask.
He is faithful to all generations. He is faithful even when we are faithless. So we might turn our backs on him in rebellion, and I have done that. He is always there. You can never go beyond the reach of his saving grace or his protection. Even if you drop yourself into the blackest pit, or find yourself in the darkest night, and you know it is of your own doing or your own making; just cry out to him. He will hear you and he will be there for you. He will answer. If you know Psalm 139, it is one that talks about:
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths of Sheol, you are there, too
And at the end it says,
11 Even if I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,
Nobody will see what I am doing,
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.”
He has promised never to forsake us or leave us. We might do the forsaking, but he won’t leave you.
So, when fear, uncertainty, or doubt come knocking at your door, point to those things where God has been faithful to you and look at what he has done in your life and hold fast to those things. Then you can look forward. You can take those next steps in faith. You can be Peter and you can boldly jump out of that boat. You can go wherever God calls you. You can know that he has plans and a purpose for you and that he will be with you. Remember that he created us. We are his. He created each of us individually and he created us purposefully. Psalm 139 tells us that he” knit each of us together in our mother’s womb.” It tells us that he “numbered all the days of our lives.” He knows exactly what we have before us. He even numbered the hairs on your head, so he knows you intimately. He has prepared things for you to do, each one of us. Maybe for some it is parenting; maybe for some it is going on a mission trip; maybe for some it is helping out at VBS. Whatever it is, he is preparing you to do it. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” He prepared the things that we are to do. He knows what is ahead of us. He made each of us uniquely and he gives us specific gifts to do those works.
I love what it says in Jeremiah 29:11, and God spoke this through Jeremiah to the Israelites, and he said, “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’” People argue sometimes and say, “Yeah, but that was a specific promise made to the Israelites at that time.” But I would ask you this. Isn’t that exactly what God did for us in Jesus Christ? He sent his Son to die for us that we would have a hope and a future. That is what Christ is all about. It is that eternal life. It is the everlasting life. It is a life of purpose that begins today.
The passage in Jeremiah goes on because God knows it is a little tough out there and he said, “Then you will call to me and pray to me, and I will listen. I will hear you. You will seek me and you will find me when you seek me with all your heart.” So when you are in those tough spots, call out to him, seek him with your heart and he will be there. We all have one purpose as Christians and we know that Christ Jesus made it very clear before he left this earth. After he had been resurrected and he was back with his disciples and it is his last recorded words in the book of Matthew, known as the Great Commission, Jesus calls us all to one thing. He said simply, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.”
As we celebrate these milestones today, and enjoy the moments on the mountain top, we have to remember that we are going to have to go back down the mountain because we are called to go, every one of us. As we go out from here today, let us be faithful servants of God. Let his light shine through you and share the gospel with all people at every opportunity you are given. God is for us. Christ is with us. Who can stand against us? Amen? Amen.