First Things First: Jeremiah

Introduction: Andre the Giant is Fezzik

Explain Princess Bride, character of Fezzik, Andre the Giant. One day on set, Andre approached Bill Goldman, who abridged the original book and wrote the screenplay and asked, “Beeel? Ow doo yoo theenk, so far eees my Feh-zeeeek?” This is how Goldman remembers the incident: “I told him the truth, which was that I had written the part for him. Back in ‘41 when my father first read the Morgenstern to me (the original), I naturally had no idea movies were written…Later, when I got in the business and adapted this for the silver screen, I had no idea who should play Fezzik in the movie actually happened. Then one night on the tube there Andre was wrestling. He was young then, I don’t think much over twenty-five. My wife and I were watching the tube in bed…I screamed- “Helen, my God, look, Fezzik.”

My preparation, the elders, us as a church

Read the text

I didn’t sign up for this job, v6

Common thread through the rest of the series?

v6

God to Joshua, “I will not leave you or forsake you”

God giving David clear direction through his word

God responding to the earnest prayer of Hannah

God calling Gideon to go in “the strength that you have”

God prepared the calling v4-5

God prepared who you were…and would be before you were born

God prepared the circumstances you would live with

Hamilton and American history. One little thing, yet this is how it ended up.

God prepared the challenges and opportunities which would rise before you

God prepared the doing v6-10

God prepared the gifts you would be given

God prepared the skills you would develop

God prepared the results

God prepared the

God prepared the lasting v17-19 (reference 11-16)

God prepared the opposition you would face

God prepared the strength you would need

God prepared the protection you could run to

God prepared the opposition

Conclusion: Our call, our response

Worship team come up

We believe we have a call as a church which God has and is preparing us for

To love God, love people, and make disciples. Simple, yet nothing we could set our efforts to could be harder if we try to do this on our own.

From the leadership to the nursery, we must rely on what God has done and will do to live out the call. A recent article by pastor Jared Wilson states that a clear focus on the gospel, more than anything else we do as a church, has the potential to divide us. Not because it’s wrong, but because it’s hard. It tweaks our self-righteousness, it interrupts the priorities we think are most important, and it brings change and messiness to a church. We are resolved to pursue that call anyway. In response to what God has done in your life, I hope you will join in.

Our closing song confesses that need we have for God to do the work. “Lord, I come, I confess, Bowing here I find my rest, Without You I fall apart, You're the One that guides my heart

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You Every hour I need You My one defense, my righteousness Oh God, how I need You