8/18/2019 Wherever You Go

That song worshipping God's holy name.

Worship is something that we do here. But it's also something that we do even when we're alone.

How many times have we worshiped God's holy name?

in prayer Asking for God's guidance.

Of all the times I can think of in my life in my prayer life a fair amount of it. Is been done in the church? But the most intensive it was done.

at the prodding of the Holy Spirit

in a car

my couch

in the field

near campfire

In the car again. The times where I think my soul really cried out to God. really worshipped God in all

Who's winning in the most difficult of times?

You know, I I give the same benediction every week whenever I think about hear you about changing it up. It always seems to really fit for the week that I'm going to change it up. and it starts with a May the grace and peace of Our Savior Jesus Christ guide you wherever God may send you. And that idea that God is constantly sending us somewhere. We are always on a journey. The scripture for this morning is from Joshua. and I like to think of Joshua as the first breath of the Old Testament. If you're curious where Joshua lies many of you remembered it starting right like Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy. Joshua guys. I just think it was the first breath. That's where you get to got to go. There that's where Joshua is and Joshua as a person in scripture follows Moses as a leader of the Israelite people, none of those people that are lost in the desert for 40 years on a trip. That should have taken them no more than like 7 days. like those people So it turns out Moses with Moses dies, right and then they they need a leader.

And so this is part of God's commissioning of Joshua. God's instruction to Joshua and and he starts off. Used to verse 9 here have I not commanded you be strong and courageous do not be afraid do not be discouraged for the Lord. Your God will be with you wherever you go. He says it's a couple times and Joshua. It's pretty much the same thing that he says to Moses in Deuteronomy couple of different words, but the same intense, okay. So this idea that that Joshua is going to be afraid. But he's going to see a week that he's not going to be very courageous. Like we never tell someone who's not afraid to Don't Be Afraid, right? We tell those people to be careful when my kids on the third dresser up against the wall near the TV. I don't say don't be afraid I said be careful.

But when I have a child who who's not certain about whether they want to do this or that but I think it's something they should do. I say don't be afraid right cuz I know that they're afraid but I want to encourage them.

dislike Aviation travel k

but the reality of the world in which we live is if we're going to travel if God's going to send us somewhere we have to find a way to get there and we always can't take the 11 days. It takes to go across the Atlantic on a ship. Okay? so I'm in Dallas, Texas at

did the one that's actually in. Love Field at Love Field K. I'm flying Southwest and I'm flying back to St. Louis. Okay. I just spent a summer down there with project transformation then a whole bunch of things learned a whole bunch and I get on the plane to go home. And I'm sitting next to someone and I am a Chatty Cathy. Okay, I am that person that regular Travelers. Hope to avoid. All right, so I spark up start up a conversation with this gentleman, by the way, every single social Q. He's giving me is don't talk to me. And I just wasn't picking it up or I didn't and I was born right so and so I'm sitting there and I said so. You travel a lot.

little bit

you from Dallas down here for 4 meeting.

What kind of work do you do? I'm going to NTSB for Flight crash scene investigator.

I said hello. What's up to date information to using crash scenes? I was like oh anything we can apply to this light? And he says yeah. Yeah, if you're going to crash it's going to be there in the first 10 or the last 10 minutes of the flight. So don't be worried about the in-between that was not comforting actually one one bit. That's always calling us to go somewhere. But we're also always afraid to go somewhere. Other than where we're at. Visual lights weren't afraid to go just anywhere. They were afraid to go where they hadn't been before.

They were actually a generation in right? So so you have these people now who are coming up who don't remember slavery. Okay, and so they have these other people who are older and wiser reminding them of how good they had it in slavery, right? And so Joshua has this this problem and Joshua has this problem simply because God decides Joshua's in charge. Joshua does not necessarily have the pedigree Joshua doesn't he's not a king. He's not a general. He's just some guy that helped out Moses and now he's in charge. And there was a lot in front of him that he had reason to be afraid and nervous. Anytime there's any kind of leadership. There's this this idea that the discouragement right? And so plenty of people probably was reminding him of what a better job other people could do, right? and so God says

be strong and courageous do not be afraid do not be discouraged for the Lord. Your God will be with you wherever you go.

It used to be that you would have family photo albums with where you went on vacation. I may be hanging out near the coffee table right just in case anyone's you wanted some come and see the Polaroids from Canada. Right like but now we don't have to do that cuz their smartphones and everything we can share our journey wherever we've been with anyone who will listen right and sometimes it's fun to go to Barbados with our friends on Facebook the other pictures that they share right, but

When we share those things.

It says if those are the only places we go. Like wherever we go is just beautiful weather and in sunshine and happiness and no one has yelled at or threatened their children on the trip. No spouses have argued. No one said maybe we shouldn't have come here. No one has done any of that. It's just a beautiful picture right there. And that's the beginning of what we can do to trick ourselves in comparison to others. As if that's what we have to compare two two. I don't often see very many pictures of people cleaning dishes on the internet. No one's got pictures of the most recent great job. The vacuum cleaner has done, right? Or now as a guy I personally would take a picture of me changing the oil because it never happens but like other people probably wouldn't right to the ideas that the only places that we go or what we want to share with others is how good things are. In my experience in life when God's most evident isn't necessarily when things are all that great, but rather went out of desperation and lament we cry out to God because we don't know where else to turn. And that's when God shows God self.

There are times that we can share with one another of the most difficult places that we've been.

But for the adults in the room.

Being that transparent and intergenerational worship. Maybe isn't always the best, right?

The reality of of how far God has brought us. And how much we call out to God? How many times have we called out to God next to a hospital bed? Or on a phone after receiving horrible news that's forever life-changing. The reality is that God is with us wherever we go. And in our fear we aren't to just go ahead and say this is where we plant our feet. This is where God wants me because we understand that God is leading us on a journey.

Yeah.

The most difficult walk I ever had to take was 110 ft from my car to the front of the parsonage door in Farina after my daughter's mom left. We went to Branson while she moved out. And I dropped her off at home on the way back into town.

And I sat in that car. And I could not get my feet to move. And I didn't want to go in the house. I didn't know what it looked like, but I had no interest and I just bawled. Pride out The word that we'd also uses lament to God. Why what good is this? I could have chosen to to naturally no longer exist. My body would not have carry. I was just done.

Those are the kinds of places that we in this room have all been. God has let us through those difficult struggles and we worship God.

You know, I was probably sitting there for about an hour.

It's interesting that we can't really see where God is going to lead us or how God is going to engage or where God's going to show up at but until we get to the other side and then we can look back on it. Then we can say okay. Well, this is how God did this. The first thing is my sister called as soon as I dropped your off your mom's. Called to say hey. She knew right she didn't call to say hey, she called cuz of Holy Spirit reminded her. The Hayes probably eating times probably dropping her off. How about 11:30? I probably been in the house maybe 20 minutes. I moved from the car to the couch in my lament. Right? Like I made it into the house and I sat down and I just didn't know what to do. So I just sat down and continue this self-pity.

And it was a knock at the door. Some of you know my brother Brad He's not my real brother, but he's less attractive than me. And so it was my brother Brad. Nea knocks on the door I said hey, what's up? He's like I was just in the area and thought I'd come by you not in for ryna in the area when he lives in Effingham just to come by.

We brought a bag and he stayed for a couple days. Not cuz you didn't have somewhere else to stay. but because the Holy Spirit had moved to share that love and that's part of my story and that's part of why why I think this journey that we are on is so important is because when we share the real things that God has done in our lives. It's not comfortable. It's it's not fun. Right it's called transparency. And sometimes in the church, we want to hide behind the beautiful pictures in the vacations that we can share nothing wrong with that. But that doesn't Define the entirety of what God is doing in my life. Because God is doing something much deeper and meaningful. And how God's grace Works through that. Is bias following the spirit in leading of our care for others?

Stepping out to to care for others requires us acknowledging that others hurt and we have heard or we are hurting. We don't have to have the answers. I certainly would not go to Bradford relationship advice, but

But the reality is that not what I needed. I just needed someone with me. And that's and that's exactly what everyone else needs as well. You don't have to have a PhD or an MD or any kind of degree or pedigree or anything to help someone else out in their time of need? The best person to help lead the Israelites out wasn't a general or a soldier or a king. Who is someone whom God had Chosen and by the grace of God? Work through to lead God's people into the Promised Land.

So maybe you feel as though you are not empowered to help others enough. Joshua just was available. That was it. And Joshua was afraid. And you didn't have the courage that he always needed. In fact scripture repeat this multiple times in Joshua. This exact piece as if somehow he forgets. And sometimes we can forget.

What I hope you may take time this weekend in contemplate is how God has worked in your life on your journey and shown where God has led you.

I didn't start the creation of this sermon with a desire to share something so deeply intimate. But I desire to share where God has brought me and how God has worked in. My life in the same is true for each and everyone of you.

recalls for us to be vulnerable it calls for us to share and it calls for us to acknowledge that the beauty of God.

Is often times a beauty from ashes?

So wherever God may send you. Wherever you may go.

May you take courage.

May you have strength.

And now you're not fear.

For wherever God is sending you. God will be with you. Wherever you go. amen