Worthy Of Your Call
Sermon
Sermons on the Second Readings
Series III, Cycle C
... we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his call....
-- 2 Thessalonians 1:11 (RSV)
Worthy of your call. That is Paul's prayer for the Thessalonians; that they would be worthy of God's call (1:11). It is one thing to have low expectations, something that would take little effort to achieve. But in chapter 1 of 2 Thessalonians, we have a sense that God has larger aspirations for these young Christians -- and so does Paul. You have a sense that through all the persecution and affliction that they have suffered (1:4), Paul envisions a God-sized dream for them.
What are your God-sized dreams? These are the dreams that you cannot achieve alone with just more education, more hours, more determination, and more contacts. These are dreams that only God can achieve by working through the likes of you, a flawed, cracked vessel. These are dreams that have nothing to do with your quick wit and winning smile. It may be a dream to grow a church that reaches thousands. It may be a program that will help transform a neighborhood. It may even be dreams of running for public office and truly serving the people. If all obstacles were taken away, what are your God-sized dreams?
Fulfilling that God-sized dream would be "worthy of your call."
What happens when the path leading to that dream is marked with the kind of persecution, affliction, and suffering these people from Thessalonica have suffered? What happens when what seemed to be the right path is suddenly blocked with obstacles beyond your control? How do you prove to be worthy of your call when your life is no longer energized by God-sized dreams but rather with nightmares that plunge you further in the pit?
I want to share with you a powerful testimony I heard Phil Vischer give while speaking at a conference at Willow Creek in Chicago. Have you heard of Phil Vischer? I had not, at least by name. But I certainly knew about his product. He is the creator of VeggieTales. Have you heard of VeggieTales? If you haven't, VeggieTales are animated, short videos for children featuring limbless vegetables acting out Bible stories and moral truths. When you put it that way, it doesn't sound very impressive, does it? However, consider this:
* VeggieTales has sold 40 million videos.
* In 1999 and 2000, VeggieTales outsold Barney, Scooby Doo, and Pokemon combined.
* Those same years, CNN announced that VeggieTales was listed in the top ten videos watched on college campuses.
* In 2000, Vischer was named as one of the top ten religious leaders in America with write ups in Newsweek, Time, and People magazines.
VeggieTales was an incredible, nearly overnight success story headed up a guy who, as he describes himself, was kicked out of Bible college after three semesters for failing chapel. He left school to pursue his God-sized dream. This was a man of faith who wanted to make a deep impact for the kingdom, not just sell videos and retire early in southern Florida. He caught the attention of Disney who surrounded him with a staff of over 200 people who whispered around the water cooler, "Phil Vischer is the next Walt Disney." Unbelievable!
In a sense, this was like the young church in Thessalonica. They had heard the gospel from Paul. He filled them with God-sized dreams coupled with the power of the Holy Spirit. They were on fire for their faith, ready to move mountains and transform the world, until persecution knocked the wind out of them.
In the case of Vischer, it was a former distributor who took him to court. Vischer knew that he was in the right but it doesn't matter when you are presented with a lawsuit. You go to court, you spend lots of money on lawyers, and in the end you are at the mercy of the court who decided against Vischer and gave the distributor everything they asked for ... and much more. Vischer had to close down the studio, lay off the staff, and sell VeggieTales in order to pay off the enormous debt. As quickly as this God-sized dream had grown, it disappeared. For Vischer, VeggieTales was finished.
How can you be worthy of your call with affliction like that?
Stunned, Vischer wondered, "How could you, God? How could you give me this incredible gift and then sit back and do nothing as I watched it die? How could you? How could you promise me this dream, deliver this dream, and then pop this dream?"
After a long time in prayer and reading his Bible, Vischer was drawn to Genesis 22 -- Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac. Remember how Abraham was given a promise that his descendants would be more numerous than grains of sand? They would outnumber the stars. Sure, he had to wait a long time for the dream to actualize -- 25 years of waiting. But now, the God-sized dream came true with Isaac. The God-sized dreams of descendants numbering more than grains of sands and stars in the sky could begin. Now Abraham could be worthy of his call.
Except, in Genesis 22, God says to Abraham, "Take your son, your only son, the one whom you love (and just so there is no misunderstanding), the one named Isaac and sacrifice him to me." God did not want Isaac's death. It was a test with only one question. "What is more important to you -- the dream or God?" As Abraham raised his knife to Isaac, God knew that Abraham was willing to surrender and let go of everything, even his God-sized dream. He was willing to put it all on the altar and watch it die -- everything, except for knowing and trusting God.
Through that experience of Abraham, Phil Vischer realized that he had confused doing the work of God with knowing God. His goal was to make a great impact, to reach more people, to do more wonderful things for God. All great and wonderful things. However, it was not to know God. Phil understood what had happened with VeggieTales as God was asking him to sacrifice his dream on the altar for the sake of keeping his eyes on Jesus. He had gotten ahead of God. He was asking God to catch up to him and bless what he had done. Bottom line: He had taken his eyes off Jesus.
Then Vischer asked a question to the congregation, "What do you dream that you can do for God? Expand your ministry? Increase membership? Impact more people? Build a bigger church? What do you dream that you can do for God?"
It is not a question to be taken lightly or answered flippantly. For a deeper affect, Vischer let the question hang in the air for several minutes until he concluded, "When you are ready to put that dream on the altar and kill it for the sake of knowing God, then you are ready."
Then you are ready. Or, in Paul's words, then you are worthy of your call.
Make no doubt here. Paul is not encouraging the Thessalonians to continue in their food pantry ministry. Paul is not advising them on how to plant another church. Paul is not asking them for more money. For Paul, to be worthy of your call is found in 1:3-4.
... your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of everyone of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring.
-- 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4
To be worthy of your call is to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Everything else needs to be put on the altar and, at a moment's notice, be plunged with a knife. For the first commandment is clear; you shall have no other gods before me. This includes even your God-sized dreams. Amen.
-- 2 Thessalonians 1:11 (RSV)
Worthy of your call. That is Paul's prayer for the Thessalonians; that they would be worthy of God's call (1:11). It is one thing to have low expectations, something that would take little effort to achieve. But in chapter 1 of 2 Thessalonians, we have a sense that God has larger aspirations for these young Christians -- and so does Paul. You have a sense that through all the persecution and affliction that they have suffered (1:4), Paul envisions a God-sized dream for them.
What are your God-sized dreams? These are the dreams that you cannot achieve alone with just more education, more hours, more determination, and more contacts. These are dreams that only God can achieve by working through the likes of you, a flawed, cracked vessel. These are dreams that have nothing to do with your quick wit and winning smile. It may be a dream to grow a church that reaches thousands. It may be a program that will help transform a neighborhood. It may even be dreams of running for public office and truly serving the people. If all obstacles were taken away, what are your God-sized dreams?
Fulfilling that God-sized dream would be "worthy of your call."
What happens when the path leading to that dream is marked with the kind of persecution, affliction, and suffering these people from Thessalonica have suffered? What happens when what seemed to be the right path is suddenly blocked with obstacles beyond your control? How do you prove to be worthy of your call when your life is no longer energized by God-sized dreams but rather with nightmares that plunge you further in the pit?
I want to share with you a powerful testimony I heard Phil Vischer give while speaking at a conference at Willow Creek in Chicago. Have you heard of Phil Vischer? I had not, at least by name. But I certainly knew about his product. He is the creator of VeggieTales. Have you heard of VeggieTales? If you haven't, VeggieTales are animated, short videos for children featuring limbless vegetables acting out Bible stories and moral truths. When you put it that way, it doesn't sound very impressive, does it? However, consider this:
* VeggieTales has sold 40 million videos.
* In 1999 and 2000, VeggieTales outsold Barney, Scooby Doo, and Pokemon combined.
* Those same years, CNN announced that VeggieTales was listed in the top ten videos watched on college campuses.
* In 2000, Vischer was named as one of the top ten religious leaders in America with write ups in Newsweek, Time, and People magazines.
VeggieTales was an incredible, nearly overnight success story headed up a guy who, as he describes himself, was kicked out of Bible college after three semesters for failing chapel. He left school to pursue his God-sized dream. This was a man of faith who wanted to make a deep impact for the kingdom, not just sell videos and retire early in southern Florida. He caught the attention of Disney who surrounded him with a staff of over 200 people who whispered around the water cooler, "Phil Vischer is the next Walt Disney." Unbelievable!
In a sense, this was like the young church in Thessalonica. They had heard the gospel from Paul. He filled them with God-sized dreams coupled with the power of the Holy Spirit. They were on fire for their faith, ready to move mountains and transform the world, until persecution knocked the wind out of them.
In the case of Vischer, it was a former distributor who took him to court. Vischer knew that he was in the right but it doesn't matter when you are presented with a lawsuit. You go to court, you spend lots of money on lawyers, and in the end you are at the mercy of the court who decided against Vischer and gave the distributor everything they asked for ... and much more. Vischer had to close down the studio, lay off the staff, and sell VeggieTales in order to pay off the enormous debt. As quickly as this God-sized dream had grown, it disappeared. For Vischer, VeggieTales was finished.
How can you be worthy of your call with affliction like that?
Stunned, Vischer wondered, "How could you, God? How could you give me this incredible gift and then sit back and do nothing as I watched it die? How could you? How could you promise me this dream, deliver this dream, and then pop this dream?"
After a long time in prayer and reading his Bible, Vischer was drawn to Genesis 22 -- Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac. Remember how Abraham was given a promise that his descendants would be more numerous than grains of sand? They would outnumber the stars. Sure, he had to wait a long time for the dream to actualize -- 25 years of waiting. But now, the God-sized dream came true with Isaac. The God-sized dreams of descendants numbering more than grains of sands and stars in the sky could begin. Now Abraham could be worthy of his call.
Except, in Genesis 22, God says to Abraham, "Take your son, your only son, the one whom you love (and just so there is no misunderstanding), the one named Isaac and sacrifice him to me." God did not want Isaac's death. It was a test with only one question. "What is more important to you -- the dream or God?" As Abraham raised his knife to Isaac, God knew that Abraham was willing to surrender and let go of everything, even his God-sized dream. He was willing to put it all on the altar and watch it die -- everything, except for knowing and trusting God.
Through that experience of Abraham, Phil Vischer realized that he had confused doing the work of God with knowing God. His goal was to make a great impact, to reach more people, to do more wonderful things for God. All great and wonderful things. However, it was not to know God. Phil understood what had happened with VeggieTales as God was asking him to sacrifice his dream on the altar for the sake of keeping his eyes on Jesus. He had gotten ahead of God. He was asking God to catch up to him and bless what he had done. Bottom line: He had taken his eyes off Jesus.
Then Vischer asked a question to the congregation, "What do you dream that you can do for God? Expand your ministry? Increase membership? Impact more people? Build a bigger church? What do you dream that you can do for God?"
It is not a question to be taken lightly or answered flippantly. For a deeper affect, Vischer let the question hang in the air for several minutes until he concluded, "When you are ready to put that dream on the altar and kill it for the sake of knowing God, then you are ready."
Then you are ready. Or, in Paul's words, then you are worthy of your call.
Make no doubt here. Paul is not encouraging the Thessalonians to continue in their food pantry ministry. Paul is not advising them on how to plant another church. Paul is not asking them for more money. For Paul, to be worthy of your call is found in 1:3-4.
... your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of everyone of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring.
-- 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4
To be worthy of your call is to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Everything else needs to be put on the altar and, at a moment's notice, be plunged with a knife. For the first commandment is clear; you shall have no other gods before me. This includes even your God-sized dreams. Amen.
