Mother's Day (3)

Pursuing the Pursuer…

I have never used AI in a sermon, but I entered into my phone,

“The pursuit of life, liberty and happiness.”

This is what came up.

The “pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness” is a cornerstone phrase from the United States Declaration of Independence, emphasizing individual rights and freedoms . It signifies the right to live freely, pursue one's goals, and seek contentment, as long as these pursuits don't infringe upon others. This concept is deeply intertwined with democratic ideals and the belief in human dignity...

Origins:

The phrase, "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness," was penned by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. Meaning: Pursuit of Happiness: Refers to the right to seek and attain happiness, which Locke and Jefferson believed was a fundamental human right. This includes not just short-term pleasures, but also the pursuit of a fulfilling and meaningful life. Life: Refers to the right to exist and be protected from harm. Liberty: Refers to the freedom to live and act as one chooses, without undue coercion.

It’s been a long time, if ever, that there has been such animosity towards our neighbours to the south. Our help doesn’t come from the President of the United States.

Psalm 121:1–2 NIV

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

The reason I quoted AI is that, we as, humans pursue something. Many pursue an education. Others pursue financial gain, while still others pursue relationships, and still others pursue pleasure. I’m sure that there are countless things that our flesh might desire, and yet there in nothing more valuable than our pursuit of God.

We can’t pursue Him unless He pursues us. Jesus said,

John 6:44 NLT

44 For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.

Is there anything that you long for that exceeds your longing to know God? Do we pursue anything in this world more than we seek after God.

Psalm 42:1–2 NIV

1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

Our prayer this morning is that we would desire God just as a deer longs for clean, pure, refreshing water.

This morning, Donna is going to share about

Our pursuit of God...

but first I would like to share about

The Pursuer pursuing us...

Let’s take a few minutes and look at how God pursued us and still pursues us today.

Romans 5:8 NIV

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 4:10–11 NIV

10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

God’s pursuit of us was so great that He became a human. God spelled His plan out in the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 3:15 NIV

15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

This prophetic word came true approximately four millennia from when God spoke these words to the serpent.

God did the impossible...

Luke 1:26–38 NIV

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.” 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

As Pentecostals, we don’t place Mary in a category by herself, but we do realize that God chose her to be the mother of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour and she was highly favoured of God. I believe that Mary was from the family line of Aaron. I might be taking liberties in saying this, even though her cousin, Elizabeth was from the family of Aaron, Moses’ brother. Joseph was from the kingly line of David, and Mary was from the priestly line of Aaron. Coincidence, I think not.

How far did God go to pursue us?

He was born in the town of David, Bethlehem which means,

House of Bread...

and Jesus declared in

John 6:35 (NIV)

35 ... “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Personally, I can’t comprehend why the God of the universe would pursue wretched sinners, and yet He did.

God became flesh and blood, and dwelt among us. It was God’s plan from the foundation of earth to provide a sacrifice. None was worthy but His Son. None was found holy but Himself. Because of His great love, Jesus came and died in our place.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

What have we done to deserve His great love? Nothing!

And yet He has shown His great love to us as He pursues us. In fact, He pursued us even when we weren’t looking for Him. All have sinned, and yet only Jesus can save us from our sins. Only He can set us free from the sins that have held us bound.

In view of His great love,

What must we do?

We, in turn must pursue God.

1 Samuel 1:1–5 (NIV)

1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord.

4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.

5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb.

Elkana had two wives; Hannah who had no children and Peninnah who had children. Verse 5 says that Elkana gave Hannah a double portion because he loved her and the Lord closed her womb. This verse brings to mind two thoughts: first, does it mean that Elkanah did NOT love Peninnah and he gave her and her children food out of obligation? Maybe he just loved Hannah more. If more food = more love, then it’s pretty obvious that my husband loves me a lot! The second part of that verse states that “God closed her womb”. I don’t believe that Elkanah pitied Hannah for her barrenness but out of his love for her, and knowing her desire for children, he had compassion on her.

1 Samuel 1:6–7 NIV

6 Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.

Now, it’s one thing to feel down and discouraged because you lack the ONE THING you want most. It’s another thing altogether to have a rival taunt you constantly with that thing. (Now, the Bible doesn’t SAY that Hannah punched Peninnah for her cruelty, but it doesn’t say that she didn’t! LOL.) This teasing and ridicule went on for YEARS! Talk about rubbing salt in an open wound! Scripture doesn’t tell us why God prevented Hannah from having children, but we DO know that fact did not stop Hannah from seeking God.

1 Samuel 1:8 (NIV)

8 Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”

Now, there are some things about women that men will never understand. The deep desire to have a baby - to be a mother is one of them. I’m sure Hannah loved here husband but he could not replace her need for motherhood. It’s not something you can just “get over” and decide to be content without children.

1 Samuel 1:10 (NIV)

10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.

Even in her heartbreak, Hannah pursued God. In her deep anguish, in her pain, in her grief, she sought the Lord. So often, when it seems our prayers go unmet, we blame God or become angry with Him. Not Hannah. She pursued God in spite of her pain and because of her pain. Hannah made a vow to God in verse 11:

1 Samuel 1:11 (NIV)

11 And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

Now, knowing how deeply Hannah wanted children, that’s quite a promise to make!

Sometimes, when our hearts are so heavy with a burden, it’s hard for us to formulate words. I don’t know if you’ve ever had such a heavy heart - perhaps for an unsaved family member or close friend - and you can’t utter any words. This is how Hannah was that day in the temple. Her lips were moving, but no words were audible. In fact, Eli the priest thought she was drunk!

1 Samuel 1:15–16 (NIV)

15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord.

16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”

Upon hearing Hannah’s explanation, Eli’s tone changed from accusation to comfort.

1 Samuel 1:17–18 (NIV)

17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”

18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.

Hannah didn’t tell Eli what she was praying for - why she was heartbroken. Perhaps he already knew. Maybe with the way Peninnah gloated over her, everyone knew. But Eli spoke words of comfort that soothed Hannah’s ache. And she ate.

1 Samuel 1:20 (NIV)

20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

In the course of time - when the timing was just right, God answered Hannah’s prayer. Sometimes God holds back the answers to our prayers until everything is right - until WE are right, with our hearts in surrender to Him - still pursuing the One who pursues us. At just the right time, He’ll answer.

As we continue we read that when Samuel was old enough, Hannah brought him to Eli for service to the Lord and fulfill her vow. This is where she tells Eli what she had been praying for months earlier, when he thought she was drunk!

1 Samuel 1:26–28 (NIV)

26 and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord.

27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.

28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

What a powerful story! Hannah pursued God through her heartache, despite the ridicule and taunting of Peninnah, even after the false accusation of being drunk! Hannah pursued God and God answered the longing in her heart. And Hannah continued to pursue God after Samuel was born. The first 11 verses on chapter 2 is titled “Hannah’s prayer”

If we skip down to verse 19 we read:

1 Samuel 2:19–21 (NIV)

19 Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.

20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the Lord.” Then they would go home.

21 And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.

God doesn’t just answer prayer half way. He’s an all-the-way God.

In earthly relationships, when we’re at the beginning of a new relationship, we pursue each other. We do little things and big things to tell the other person that we love them, we enjoy being with them, that they’re important to us. That shouldn’t stop once we get married! Even after a year, ten years, fifty years - keep pursuing your spouse. Remind them that you love them, that you enjoy being with them, that they are important to you. And so it should be with our relationship with God. Keep pursuing Him. Let Him know you love Him, you enjoy being with Him, and that He’s important to you. That’s what Hannah did. She pursued God with all that she had, including her brokenness, and God gave her her heart’s desire and then some!

Of all the things we can pursue; an education, a career, a spouse - our biggest and most passionate pursuit should be God - to know Him better and to love Him more deeply.

Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)

13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Let’s pray.