Who's in Control
Notes
Transcript
Pray
Pray
For just £4000 you can choose the sex of your future baby!
It’s true.
We, the human being, have unraveled the mysteries of DNA, so it wont be long until we can even choose hair or skin colour too!
DNA expeimentantion will continue to help resolve all sorts of diseases and complication.
We live in a time when utopia - perfection - is on the way!
If we just need fix a few more problems - we’ll be there.
‘Control’ is in our hands.
And we love control.
The internet allows the world to communicate in seconds,
the financial markets allow us to access and control money,
Phones allow us to know the exact location of everyone we love at all times.
Control is in our hands.
And we love control.
pause
Only, hassn’t control, that fixes our problems - been the ambition of most of human history.
Wasn’t the telephone an invention that would help eradicate loneliness?
Wasn’t the nuclear bomb a weapon of control that would stop all others waging war?
Wasn’t the mobile the invention that would mean we could keep every child safe?
Wasn’t the never ending medical research the idea to bring long life to all?
Universal credit to eradicate poverty
And yet..
Wars in Europe and around our world,
online Grooming
Covid 19
A financial crisis.
We love control - but it’s not in our hands.
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That’s the context of this little chapter of Ecclesiaties that we as a church have been working through over the last few months.
And it’s a book that keeps reminding us - We are not in control.
If clouds are full of water, they pour rain on the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it will lie.
When did you stop the rain, or control which way a tree fell in the high winds.
We Are Not in Control.
We Are Not in Control.
We feel it most I think when things go wrong or are hard.
When all is good it’s easy to be blind to this.
But when life takes a turn - we know don’t we - we’re not in control.
There are families here now whose mother’s are unwell.
We have our Warm Spaces initiative on the High street becasue people are looking for friends and warmth.
There are some struggling with finances,
or parenting,
or mental health.
We’re not in control.
pause
It’s been a theme throughout this book,
but now the teacher applies it to business and investments.
Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return. Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
I’m not a financial advisor, so please consult someone who is before you think about investing your money in anything!
But he seems here to recommend contraditorys investments.
6000 years ago sea trade was a risky business - but give it a go anyway our wise teacehr tells us.
Cast your grain on the seas..
You’re not in control and you need to do something to earn a lving.
BUt given the risk on the seas with your grain,
also invest on the safety of dry land.
But don’t take too big a risk - don’t put all your eggs in one basket -
invest in 7 or 8 different ventures.
Diversify, spread your risk.
Why?
Becasue you are not in control - what will be will be.
Your sea trade, despite the risk, might come good and be rewarding.
Your land investments, despite it’s stability, might fail and leave you wanting.
It’s still true today - people do not know the furture - we’re not in control.
60% of all start-up companies fail within 3 years
IN America it’s 90%, but we wont talk about that too much.
In fact half-a million companies fail each year in the UK.
You just don’t know how things will turn out.
Spread your investments, and take some risk.
The alternative,
Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
Every farmer throughout history - even still today is at the mercy of the weather - but if you think you can read or control the times - then you would never plant or plough.
Take no risk and you’ll have nothing
Take too much risk and you might win big - but serioulsy - it;s unlikely - like playing the lottery,
No - diversify - for we are not in control.
That’s why at school you start learning about everything - you invest in every aspect of knowledge - and slowly over many years streamline down into just 3 A-levels.
It is why in finanial instituions they don’t invest all in one stock.
Or bigger businesses spread their supply chain so they aren’t reliant on 1 factory or company.
Back in Ecclieasties time,
it might have looked like, owning some sheep, selling some wool and some for meat.
He’d have had some grain fields and a vineyards.
He’d trade with the silk road traders, and ship grain in boats.
All good advise - but this is not the important point.
The important point is -
- we are not in control.
And that has bigger implications than just investments.
As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.
Just because we are not in control doesn’t mean no one is in control.
God Is In Control
God Is In Control
It’s funny isn’t it - you’d think God would make the world easy to understand and predict.
That investments would work out well, weather would cycle on a predictable pattern, crops wouldn’t fail, boats wouldn’t sink, people wouldn’t get sick.
It’s easy to see that we are not in control,
But perhaps we think it’s harder to accept that there is a God in Control.
Is he having a laugh?
Is he just mean?
Is he indifferent?
Why does anyone believe in or want to know a God like this?
Why
AM - would the 5 teenagers who are giving their first public testimonies and being baptised this afternoon choose to give their life to a God who is in control - but controls the world to be like this?
PM - would these 5 teenagers who have give their first public testimonies and been baptised this afternoon choose to give their life to a God who is in control - but controls the world to be like this?
AM - Well I can tell you - becasue they have shared their testimonies with me already,
PM - Well we know don’t we - becasue they have shared their testimonies with us already,
and each of them testifies to this very point -
- that it is their own lack of control, the anxiety, the challenges, the fear, their own failings and sin - it is those very things that has driven them to see that we cannot save ourselves - through control.
In other words - perhaps God allows our lack of control and difficult lives - so that we reconginse our need for Him and a for greater life!
Before I tell (REMIND) you what they each said -
Imagine a world that worked exactly as you wanted it to - where we had complete control -
not one of us would turn to God if that were the case.
We wouldn’t need him.
But instead - we live in a world where we are not in control = God is.
God has not desired the suffering and the evil we face - we have brought that on ourself the bible tells us.
Because we have turned our back on Him.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
and
Romans 6:23 (NIV 2011)
For the wages of sin is death,
This world is a slow walk to death - not utopia and perfection - but to our judgement before God.
And he allows it - why?
Well As a gracious warning.. come back to me he says.
Caleb Gill writes/said..
One verse that has really encouraged me is John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” because it reminds me that even though there are trials, God is always in control, and that I don’t need to do everything myself.
God is in control - Take heart!
But this is not a nieve faith these young people testify to - there is substance.
There is hope for them, and for all who put their faith in Jesus.
James Doran writes (spoke) about his hard times at school
One verse in particular I came to was John 3 : 16 : "For God so loved the world, he gave his only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. " This gave me hope in a dark time to realize God sent his son to die for us so we can turn to him with our worries and anxieties as it says in 1 Peter 5:7 - "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you"
Jesus - God became man gave up the glory of heaven to become a man - to live in this world that is out of our control. But he committed no sin.
The perfect man then gave his life to pay the price of our own sin.
Caleb, forgiven of his sin and freed from the fear of this world - becasue Jesus lived it and got it right for him.
James, casts his anxiety on Jesus - and trusts in The Lord Jesus for a future that is ruled as God intended - eternal life.
Angel writes (spoke..
This verse showed up in 2021, during covid years. Which was a time in my life when I really needed God. I had just moved to boarding school. And having to adjust to a completely new environment, losing some friendships, and losing my cat, I completely lost my meaning. I had realised that everything was temporary, and pointless.
Isaiah 41:10, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
It is the righteousness of God that gives us hope - not ourselevs or our control - but his! And His control leads us to him now, and reassures us that he will restore all things to perfection for those who trust in Jesus when we ourselves die, or Jesus returns - which ever come first.
JAck captures it like this
His (JEsus’s) selfless sacrifice, once and for all, on the cross for someone with infinite failures and shortcomings, is almost unbelievable. I’ve found that I truly have come to see both who God is and his love for me as a sinner, even though I deserve nothing. I didn’t earn his forgiveness and I didn’t deserve it. But all I need to do is accept this wonderful gift of God’s grace, and commit to serving him faithfully now and forever.
In a world we have no control in - where we cannot avoid the risk and dark sides of life - don’t we all just want to marvel at JEsus - who offers us life and hope now and forever.
For HE is in control
What a relief to know that as the world brings failed crops or the pleasing light and sweetness of v7 - either way, we have Jesus who saves us from judgement and delivers us into the hands of the only one who does have control.
The relief is evident in James Sharpes tetsimony.
They showed me Romans 10 verse 9: ‘If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.’ I was so relieved, that I broke down in tears, tears of joy, knowing that I didn’t have to do anything other than believe, to be accepted into the kingdom of heaven.
You Cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.
True,
But we can change our whole understadning of life - to give up control,
repent of our control seeking
and trust God who does have control.
He is not mean,
or indifferent,
He lovingly allows the complexities of life as a reminder - ‘you need me’
- The God of All - who loves you enough to give you my only Son Jesus - to die in your place - so that you may have life eternal.
Call on him to forgive, and live a life now that can be patient and content whatever comes our way...
However many years anyone may live, let them enjoy them all. But let them remember the days of darkness, for there will be many. Everything to come is meaningless.
This life is meanigless if you’re looking in it for control and life!
But in Christ Jesus - as our 5 teenagers have testified, Life is incomparably better.
DROP???
The New Testament puts it all like this…
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
If you have acknowledged that we have no control and repent and believe in Jesus for the forgivens of sins
- then we can live with him as Lord - We can be patient -
living and enjoying life without fear and worry whether our investments, health, or anything goes well or fails.
This is the good news we believe and we all have a testimony of God’s forgiveness in our lives - Let us tell others of this hope.
For the world knows no other hope
Or, If you are hearing this, and you realise you have no control - hear God’s loving call into his family.
release control to him - repent and believe and receive Jesus and his life everlasting, peace with God.
If that’s you - chat to one of those teenagaer about faith, talk to me, or anyone else you know here who believes -
This si the most imortnat thing in all our lives - we would love to share more with you.
Pray..