I struggle with what to call my presentation. Sermon? I don't feel talented enough or qualified. I'm still high church enough to think a sermon must be delivered by an ordained person with a seminary degree. Besides I did not organize three points. I thought about it but hardly organized anything. Homily? That would be shorter than what I delivered and usually has only one main point. This was a rambling message and longer than a homily.
I did it without notes. I'd prefer to have notes at least to help me organize my thoughts. But I never made myself sit down and do it. I talked to Sam beforehand and he wisely said to come with a Bible scripture to base it on. I had determined to speak about our vacation trip to Israel and Kansas City. I wanted to give an account of all our adventures. But I really could not see how to speak on this for 20 minutes. I know myself, I would summarize and it would be over in a flash. So I told DW she might get a chance to speak too. I know I can rely on her to provide details. It turns out that after I spoke that is just what she did, giving wonderful word pictures.
Anyway I took Acts 15:36-16:15 something I had recently read. I tried to liken it to our trip. We went off with one plan in mind but God changed it in so many ways. Perhaps you can say that about the sermon because it ended up being mostly about this passage. I spent a lot time reading this passage and commenting on it.
I really do not know what I said. Did it finally have a point? I guess if it did it was that ministry was not always glorious, always successful. And we might start out with one plan and God could change it, force you to make changes. You might not get the glory. You might appear a colossal failure. Yet you can trust God to be in control, even if you are not and even if it appears nothing good happened.
I did not mention this but I wonder why Luke included these details at all. If you look at it critically it sort of makes Paul look bad. To me it makes him look petty. But I think Luke included it because to him this was normal. Real live ministry is full of disagreements, arguments, setbacks. And he was showing that despite it all, the gospel was being preached and many people were converted. The church was growing by leaps and bounds. The people doing it were human, talented yet flawed. But they were God's chosen. God used all this strife to advance his kingdom here on earth.
The commentator of this passage quoted Bonhoeffer twice. He said in ministry God might be building up or he might be pulling down (in preparation for something new). I see so many ministries that try to hang on after the newness is gone, the freshness it gone. I think so many times a ministry hangs on long after it should close up and prepare the way for something new. Yet if I am in the midst of that ministry I do not want to stop. Even in this I can trust in faith that God is in control.
The commentator concluded with this Bonhoeffer quote: "It is a great comfort which Christ gives his church: ‘You confess, preach, bear witness to me, and I alone will build where it pleases me. Do not meddle in what is my province'"
So we are God's laborers. But God brings the fruit. God touches hearts. God is in charge.
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