Sermon Rev. John Sovereign Hagar was caught in an awful situation. She was a concubine, someone Abraham couldnt marry because she was Sarahs slave. She had few rights. At the beginning, Sarah had provided Hagar to Abraham so they could have a baby. Sarah thought she would see herself as the Mom. But her plan for an heir and a baby never worked! It had seemed a good idea. But Hagar, the babys real mother, was in Sarahs way. Who nursed the baby? Hagar! Who brought him up? Hagar! Sarah found herself competing with Hagar for Abrahams love. So much for simple adoption. So much for Sarah’s plans. So much too for Hagar and Ishmael, who were in Sarahs way. And then along came Sarahs baby, Isaac! Everything we do, feel and say is only good in the present, not the future not the past. What Sarah once felt, she no longer felt. What Sarah once thought, she no longer felt. What Sarah once believed she could do, she no longer wanted to do. What Sarah once was, she no longer was. She did what seemed right to her at the time, and she did not see how Gods promise could come true otherwise. No promise had been made to Hagar. God’s promised child was to be Sarahs. The heart of the story is what comes first. Lets get our heads and our hearts around this. What should be our first priority in life? Today, people might say, to love others. In the context of family, many people would say that comes first, family. In some circles, we are told a healthy marriage comes first. On Dragons Den, Kevin OLeary or Donald Trump would tell you profit is priority one. Others have told me health should be our first priority. Or our children. Or our church. Fact is, doing Gods will is our first priority, and doing it fully. In Abrahams life, priority one was God. He often strayed, but his heart was in the right place. It is the same in the example of Jesus, who always did whatever his Father asked - even to the point of dying on a cross. If you wonder how obedient Jesus was, or where his priorities lay, check out the part where he prays in the Garden of Gethsemane. Unlike Abraham, his heart was always in the right place. Has this priority changed for us today? Can we put God further down the list? Can God be priority five? or six? I am reminded of an old hymn, Will Your Anchor Hold. Will your anchor hold in the storms of life, When the clouds unfold their wings of strife? When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain, Will your anchor drift, or firm remain? Refrain We have an anchor that keeps the soul Steadfast and sure while the billows roll, Fastened to the Rock which cannot move, Grounded firm and deep in the Saviours love. Will your anchor hold in the straits of fear, When the breakers roar and reef is near? While the surges rave and the wild winds blow, Shall the angry waves then your bark o’erflow? Will your eyes behold through the morning light The city of gold and the harbour bright? Will you anchor safe by the heavenly shore, When life’s storms are past for evermore? What is your life priority? for Abram, his priority was obeying God. We understand this because he left everything - even his home and family - to wander in ancient Palestine. Abram did so because God told him too. Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:6 NIV In our parish motto, we say Loving God, loving each other, and loving our neighbours. Priorities. God is first! All todays readings make this point. Put God first, and everything else follows. Make this your definition of success : to be in the place God wants you to be, doing what God wants you to do. That is because God loves you. That is because God sees better than you do. That is because there is only hope in God. That is because God adds stability in an unstable world. Abram and Sarah made a baby with Hagar. They didnt wait for God, they panicked and rushed things. That didnt mean God abandoned them, or his promise. It did mean everything became complicated and painful. But there was great good to come too. Hagar and Ishmael survived, In the end Ishmael became the embodiment of the Arab nations. Abram and Sarahs lives were enriched by the experience. Sometimes it takes a deep wound to show Gods steadfast love and healing power. Putting God first is not just a slogan. Even when life is difficult, taking the easy route is no excuse. Gods people persevere. Even when things go terribly wrong, even when faithfulness is going to be costly. Gods will is always the smartest thing to do. The old proverb says, “The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps.. (Proverbs 16:9 CEV) Peter says, Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7) Keep faith, do Gods will in season and out. It is never easy, and the scriptures tell us how others in the past have struggled. Easy religion, cheap religion, pop religion, designer religion - all these human constructs sound good at the time, but they lack the power of trusting God and his ways. Jesus warns us of the terrible cost of discipleship. When the going got tough, Jesus asked the twelve disciples, Do you also wish to go away? Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God. (John 6:67-69)
Posted on: Mon, 23 Jun 2014 05:01:43 +0000
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