A Sermon Preached at the ACK Kiu in – ACK St. Hellen’s Parish – Sunday 15th January 2012
Texts:
- Psalm 139:1-5, 12-18
- 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (Main)
- Revelation 5:1-10
- John 1:43-51
Introduction
Christ’s coming into to the world was to spiritually influence the lives of God’s people. God’s people had backslidden and became nominal in their faith. Either they had become used to God that they did not take Him seriously or they had just rejected God all together. Of the two, nominal and rejection, nominal is the worst state to be in. A nominal Christian is neither hot nor cold. A nominal Christian has no commitment to godly activities; a backslidden Christian has no desire for spiritual things. The only medicine for backsliding, for nominal and for lack of interest in the things of God is a Spiritual Revival – a Spiritual Refreshing.
During Eli’s time, Israel’s spiritual state was deteriorating. The writer captures the sad state when he observed: “In those days the word of God was rare; there were not many visions.” Spiritual refreshing is a must in order to maintain that spiritual contact with God. There are three reasons why Israel reached that position of backslidings:
- The Word of God was Rare
Any community, any church and any individual who desires to succeed in spiritual walk with God must uphold the Word of God. The Word of God the blue print, is the roadmap, is the guideline and is the ‘how to’ please God. We are told that in the case of Israel, “…the word of God was rare…”
Deuteronomy 8:3 “He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
The word of God is life. Just as food is life for the physical body, the Word of God is food for both body and spirit.
Psalm 119:9 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.”
The Word of God produces holiness while lack of the Word of God produces sin. It purifies a believer transforming his / her life to holiness. You practice the Word of God and not sin while you ignore the Word of God and live in sin. The Word of God produces a saint while the lack of the Word of God produces a sinner. The Psalmist declares:
Psalm 119:11 “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
The Word of God is the conscience of a believer towards sin. The Word of God in us helps detect sin.
Psalm 119:5 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”
The Word of lead us to God’s ways; the Word of God directs and guides us.
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
The Word of God is living and active to give life.
1 Peter 1:23-25 “23For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For, “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25 but the word of God stands forever.”
The Word of God is eternal; it has never changed and will never change.
Mathew 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
The Word of God is perfect:
Psalm 19:7 “The law of Godis perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of God are trustworthy, making wise the simple.”
Proverbs 30:5 “5 “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. 6 Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.”
The Word of God is self sufficient. Nothing can be added to it and nothing can be subtracted from it.
- There were not Many Visions
The second reason why Israel reached such a state of spiritual decline was that, there were not many visions.
- Visions are the means through which God reveals Himself and confirms His presence among His people:
Numbers 12:6 “…he said, “Listen to my words: “When a prophet of God is among you, I revealmyself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams.”
- Visions are the means through which God speaks to His people and confirms His Word:
Genesis 15:1 “After this, the word of God came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
Genesis 46:2 “And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!” “Here I am,” he replied.”
- Through visions, we can comprehend the invisible and see through the spirit that which is hidden from the carnal mind:
Joel 2:28 “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.”
2 Kings 6:16-17 “16Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.” Then God opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
- Vision uses the telescope of faith to see what is yet to happen:
Hebrews 11:27 “By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.”
Lack of visions meant that the people missed God’s assurance and this meant that God was far from them. Without God’s vision, the church is lead by, human will, feelings and impulses. The church today has a lot of conflicts because either the leaders lost the visions and the people have the visions or the leader have the visions and the members have no visions. But it can also be as well that both the leaders and the people have no visions.
In the island of Patmos, John’s vision induced powerful faith and assurance of Christ’s victory over sin and Satan.
Revelation 5:9-10 “9And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
Christians become vulnerable when there are no spiritual visions. It is sad that some preachers and Christians have taken advantage of spiritually immature Christians. The issue of visions today have become complex because we can never know who has really seen the real vision from God.
- Being Prisoners of Routines
The third reason why Israel got to this horrible spiritual situation was being captives of their routines. The servants of God can easily lead Christians to a life of routine that there will never be a genuine fellowship and love for God. Routine is mechanical behaviours or responses which no longer induce emotions. We do things, either because it is a tradition or because we are used to. In this way, the original purpose and meaning is lost.
1 Samuel 3:2 records that, “One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place.”
“…was lying in his usual place” here would mean the repeated action which becomes a routine. This usual place can also become a comfort zone. With comfort zones, we become satisfied with what we have routined ourselves to, even if they are below God’s expectation or standard. When the leaders are satisfied with the standards they have routined themselves to, the followers may also settle for the same. That is, people’s vision may not go beyond that which the leaders have routined themselves to. Of course, the leaders also may not expect those whom they are leading to have an experience beyond them. That is why Eli, three times told the young, Samuel “I did not call; go back and lie down.”
Jeremiah 50:6 “My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place.”
Jeremiah 2:8 “The priests did not ask, ‘Where is God?’ Those who deal with the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal, following worthless idols.”
Jeremiah 10:21 “The shepherds are senseless and do not inquire of God; so they do not prosper and all their flock is scattered.”
It is sad that even when the people of God, Christians, have backslidden due to their routines, they still believe that they are in God’s will. For the Psalmist, he surrenders to God and acknowledges that God knows him so much that he has to return to God:
Psalm 139:1-4 “1 O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.”
On the other hand, Nathaniel was shocked that Christ knew him. Jesus knew his location under the tree and his position of prejudice:
John 1:45-48 “45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote —Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.”48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
Over and over again, God through the prophets confronted the Israelites of their backsliding but they would still defend their course as if it was God’s will.
Malachi 3:7-8 “7 Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says God Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ 8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings.”
Ezekiel 33:3-32 “31My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. 32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.”
Conclusion
“Refresh us again oh God” is a cry for the spiritual restoration; the restoration, not only for the servants of God but also for the church and every Christian. Today, to some extent, the Word of God is rare. The pure preaching of the Word of God has been compromised and reduced to entertainment. The Word of God today is preached to bring about comfort but not discomfort leading to repentance. The Word of God is very confrontational to sinful life and to a backslidden. Remove the Word of God from Christianity and you end up with a secular and a social organisation.
For this reason, we observe the Epiphany. Christ has been revealed to give spiritual revival and refreshing. As the Psalm cries to God in return for spiritual refreshing, so may we be open to God for revival and spiritual refreshing. It is in realising that God knows us in and out that we respond like Nathaniel, “…Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
2nd Sunday after Epiphany
Rev. Simon J. Oriedo; (BSc, BD (Hons.), PGD (Ecumm.), MABS, MEd.)
P.O. Box 14814 – 00100, Nairobi – Kenya