Be my prophet

Introduction

This past week I spent mostly in conference and fellowship with other clergy. We spent our time renewing ourselves to prepare for the season ahead of us. We spent time slowing down and quieting down our hectic schedules and expectations. This is a good thing if you are ever feeling like there is not enough time in your day and feeling the pressures of everything around you. We also spent time in learning and practicing discernment techniques. One of the challenges at the end of the conference was the calling that we as clergy are called to be prophets for God speaking to the people of God. Today we spend time with that same calling experience where God calls a young Jeremiah to be his prophet.

God Made You

There is something comforting to know we are God’s handiwork. We are created by the creator of the universe. God made plans that included creating us. Yes God thought of you and put into motion your birth before anything human plans were made.

Jeremiah was living in a time of turmoil. The kings were not doing right. The leaders of Israel and Judah were not leading the people in God’s ways. Sometimes when you are born into a bad situation, and you see broken people all around you, you kind of feel broken too. It is hard to separate yourself from the people who surround you. Jeremiah was a young guy and he knew the state of things with his people and didn’t have high hopes of being any different or having any effect on the nation.

We also can fall into this line of thinking of living in a broken world with broken people doing wrong by God’s standards. We too look around and can have a hard time separating ourselves from those we are surrounded by. We feel our lot is the same as our surroundings.

Yet there is hope in knowing this fact. Yes it is a fact, God made you. God personally thought of you before you were made, before you were conceived. God thought of you and put into motion your being born into existence. God had a hand in us being born. There is something special about being thought of by the Creator. There is something comforting that God took part in our coming into being. God does not make junk is something I used to tell teenagers a lot when preaching to them because like Jeremiah, they felt the brokenness and they struggled to identify separately from that brokenness.

Right now, I want you to greet your neighbor and tell them

1. You are a gift from the Creator of the universe.

2. You are wonderfully made by the King of Kings.

3. You are a loved child of God.

Jeremiah needed the reminder that he too made made by God. He was not defined by the hardships of the times and people he lived with. He was made by God. God knew him before he was born and God took part in his coming into being.

What you told you neighbor, I need you to also tell yourself every day you wake up. You may not feel like a gift, you made not feel wonderfully made, you may not feel loved or lovable, yet this does not change anything. These three things are facts. Nothing you have said or done cannot undo what God has already done and committed.

You were thought of and made by God personally.

God appointed you

When we understand God personally took an interest in creating us. This means God created us with a purpose in mind. God has appointed each person in creation a purpose.

God spoke to Jeremiah and reminded him that he was created by God. God created him for a purpose. Before Jeremiah was born, God set him apart for a specific purpose and ministry. Jeremiah, before he was born was given purpose by the Creator to be a prophet for God. Jeremiah I am sure sought the same question every person born in this world eventually asks. What purpose was I made for? What purpose do I serve in this world? God appointed Jeremiah to a different task to speak against the wrongs the people were doing. God decided and made Jeremiah for the purpose of speaking and pleading with the people to change their ways.

Why God would you choose me when I am so young and I am terrible at speaking in public? This is what Jeremiah asked God. Jeremiah felt very unqualified for such a big task, such a serious job. God chose Jeremiah for this purpose

How often can we also fall into this line of thinking? We can find many reasons why we are not qualified to do much of anything in service to God. We are unable to speak in public. We struggle in talking to others. We can’t fix our own lives let alone have any affect on others. Yet, this does not deter God from calling us into ministry, calling us to serve God and serving others.

My question today for you us what is God calling you to serve in. It is not a matter of whether you are called but the fact is that you are called. In your baptism, you were initiated into the church body, and you were also called to serve. It is easier and it is safer not putting yourself out there but there is a joy and excitement that comes with serving. There is a sense of fulfillment in your life. There is a peace, even in the midst of turmoil, that God has placed you here and that no matter what happens, you have a peace that you are doing what you are supposed to be doing, regardless of the the result or turnout.

In the past, I have asked you to determine what your spiritual gifts are. If you have not done so, I can’t stress how important it is to get started. I have talked with individuals and most have been confused, surprised, or uncertain about what the gift is supposed to be like in practice. This is sometimes why we get caught in a rut unsure of what we are supposed to be doing.

Remember it is the Holy Spirit who gives the gifts. They don’t come with an instruction manual when you receive them but I believe that is because you need to work with others to figure it out. This means working in fellowship to figure out your ministry path.

I also want to remove a stigma that some people may have about certain gifts. First, these are not something where you should score high on all categories. These gifts are given because as mentioned earlier, God has selected you for purpose in this place and time. Working together and talking it out, helps to discover that purpose and begins that process of learning to use those gifts.

What has God appointed you to? Look to the gifts to see what you may need to try or maybe what you are already doing and didn’t realize it. Come talk to me about it. Come talk to a friend or family or church member who understands gifts. Together, we can find that purpose and mission God has called you to.

God has gifted you for the work

I love in this passage how God puts the words in Jeremiah’s mouth. Jeremiah does not have to try and figure out what to say to the people. He does not have to sort out who to say what to. He does not have to come up with some grand plan for how to move the nation to turn back to God. All he needs to do is trust God who will put the words in his mouth. He does not need his own wisdom or cleverness which falls way short for the task at hand. He does not need to establish his authority because the words come from God directly. He does not have to worry if he is formulating the right speech or the right platform, he only needs to speak what God says to speak.

Ministry can be daunting to step into when you think you have to have it all figured out and all mapped out. This is the opposite of faith though. Faith is about stepping forward into the unknown and trusting God to equip you and work out the impossibilities we see before us.

Jeremiah was worried about what to say. God put the words in his mouth. In Matthew 10:19, Jesus told his disciples not to worry about what to say when on trial as the Holy Spirit will give you the words to speak. So it is with the prophets, God places the words in their mouth to speak.

Putting it in practice

So we have talked about different gifts and one of those gifts is prophecy. The misunderstanding on prophecy is some may think it means predicting the future. This is not the case at all. Believe it or not, this is what I do pretty often on Sunday. God gives me words to speak to the people. This does not have to be some deep profound earth shattering message or shocking or jarring like Jeremiah had to. They can often be small hints or nudges that you need to hear to encourage you, to lift you up, to get you mind on God instead of something else. This list goes on but you see the key is that it is words from God that you need to hear from God.

Lets talk about some other gifts. What about the gift of healing? I have heard a few folks come to me asking about this. As I mentioned above in prophecy, there is sometimes a misunderstanding or too narrow view on what healing is. There are many kinds of healing that include physical, spiritual, emotional, financial, and mental to name a few. They key is that you get a nudge from God or you hear about someone and a situation and they ask you to pray or you just feel like you should pray. Not that you should ever not pray for people, but there are those times when you feel it important in those moments whether they are present before you or distant, you lift them up to God.

If you have not done so, I am pleading with you to take the test. I can sit down with you to help you. We can do this together if that helps you move forward. This is key to us moving forward and stepping into a new future of this church. If you have taken the test, but have not let me know, please do so. Perhaps you are wondering if it is accurate or you are wondering what to do with the gift. I want to help you move forward in using the gifts the Holy Spirit has given you.

Maybe you are wondering about all this stuff and whether it applies to you. The answer is yes. If you have been baptized, guess what, your vows said you will serve God. Guess what else, the Holy Spirit has also baptized you. If you have not taken that step then lets do that. Baptism is the initiation into the church and communion is the ongoing sustaining food we take to keep us filled spiritually. Both are necessary and needed. I want to make a better effort in this future church to teach and help put into practice these keys to the future and a better present.