Celebrate

This is a question that has haunted me for most of my ministry. Not just as I look at other people but as I contemplate what I really think about God. What would my life look like if I lived like God was as powerful as I preach He is.

Maybe I would not stress out over money, attendance or even the future as much. I would not wonder if people like me…I would not be afraid to step out on faith and talk about Jesus to a total stranger.

I am sure that if I lived like God was as powerful as I think He is my life would not only be better…it would be fuller. I would probably smile more, sing louder live in confidence instead of fear or dread.

So the question is what keeps me from living this way? I think this is a question that all of us have had from time to time if not most of the time.

Maybe this does not haunt you like it does me. Yet I think if we are honest this question haunts us all.

If we believe God is powerful enough to forgive sin, transform, our world and us... it seems that our whole life should be more geared toward celebration.

I mean if all of our hopes and dreams for our lives…for our friends, family and Church are possible because of the resurrection of Jesus then why do most of us accept meh instead of embracing wow?

I am convinced the reason for this is we are truly afraid to give control of our mind, our heart and our future to things we cannot control…When the Holy Spirit is is complete control of our lives it is scary but I want to tell you it is also worth it.

So what doest it look like to live a life where God truly is as powerful as we say we believe He is?

Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

1 Sing aloud to God our strength;

shout for joy to the God of Jacob!

2 Raise a song; sound the tambourine,

the sweet lyre with the harp.

3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon,

at the full moon, on our feast day.

4 For it is a statute for Israel,

a rule of the God of Jacob.

5 He made it a decree in Joseph

when he went out over the land of Egypt.

I hear a language I had not known:

6 “I relieved your shoulder of the burden;

your hands were freed from the basket.

7 In distress you called, and I delivered you;

I answered you in the secret place of thunder;

I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah

8 Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!

O Israel, if you would but listen to me!

9 There shall be no strange god among you;

you shall not bow down to a foreign god.

10 I am the Lord your God,

who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Psalm 81:1–10 ESV

Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob! Raise a song; sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp. Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. For it is a statute for Israel, a rule of the God of Jacob. He made it a decree in Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt. I hear a language I had not known: “I relieved your shoulder of the burden; your hands were freed from the basket. In distress you called, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me! There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god. I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

I love how the psalmist opens up with celebration…command to celebrate on the feast days…this alludes to remembering....remember that God has already done great things and is not limited by any human obstacle.....

Then it tells them it is a requirment to celebrate.

It starts to take a turn when

This Psalm refers to Meribah it is referring to God finally losing it over the Jews constant complaining and lack of living what they told everyone they believed….Even Moses and Aaron were so frustrated with the people that they opted to do things their own way. This lead to everyone except Caleb and Joshua missing out on God’s promise.

Instead of celebrating God’s power and trusting in His will the people chose to forget everything that God had done….Plague, fire by night, cloud by day, split the Red sea to escape the army of Pharaoh rained down manna, provided quail, their clothes did not even wear out on the journey.

Yet when they got to the land flowing with mike an honey the inhabitants were simply too big and too powerful for God. Instead of celebrating God’s power they gave in to constraint…the simply did not live what they said they believed about God

I have to tell you that so many people including myself are living a less the celebratory life not because God is not all powerful, not because God has not saved them…they live in fear because they have not truly allow God to do what He has promised.

When we worship God the most it is usually over things that we had nothing to do with. We have either seen God heal someone, been healed, watched a church achieve something great or seen some other thing that the only explanation would be the power of God at work.

Yet, for many we embrace the life of a cynic which leads us to become a powerful theological term Curmudgeon....This is one who grumbles and complains that God is not present even in the midst of what God was doing…they never get to taste what God has done....not because God did not provide, but becuase they would not give up control.

Jews that Moses lead out of Egypt...

Celebrate that God truly is more Powerful than we Believe He is

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 2 Cor

The treasure in Jars of Clay refers to the the Holy Spirit that dwells in us.

Think about it for moment something so powerful so explosive and indestructible is housed in something dependent, weak, fallible and feeble.

We Celebrate what we treasure

We Constrain what we fear

We are either celebrating God or constraining God.

Or we are fearing the power of God.

We are either celebrating God or constraining God.

You and I are treasured by God: He Celebrates us: He Saves us: He Births dreams in us: and He empowers us to live out a forgiven life.

You were not made to constrain the power of God…You were made to be a conduit of that Power.

The world needs the church to engage more in Celebration and less Constraining…

Celebrate that God truly is more Powerful than we Believe He is

Let’s Celebrate God’s Power Together today

As we come to the table in remembering forgivness and Wholeness let it also be an act of celebrating the Presence of the Holy Spirit with us.

Celebrate

How would life be different if we lived like God was as powerful as we say we believe He is?

When people begin to live what the believe the condition of their inner life becomes one of Celebration or Trepidation.

If you want to live a life of worship and celebration you must give up self imposed restrictions on God and live as a forgiven, transformed, Child of God.