"What's The Weather Like?"
November 28, 2004

The New Testament Lesson: Matthew 16: 1 - 4

Alerting people to look for the signs of God’s constant coming

I.  People of every era have been blind to what God has been doing
   A. Ravi Zacharius told a great story about his childhood when he was here
        1. He is now a famous Christian Evangelist.
        2. He is based in Atlanta, but he’s traveled all over the world.
            a. From Salt Lake, he was headed to Denver before home
            b. He told stories from his ministries in Europe, New Zealand, Asia
            c. But he grew up in a small town in India
        3. When he was 5, his mother got a fortune teller to read kids palms.
            a. when the seer looked at Ravi’s palm, she just shook her head.
            b. “You aren’t going to amount to much and never travel far.”
        4. To conclude he quipped, “I wonder if she’s still telling fortunes.  Perhaps she’s become a weather forecaster.  That’s the only occupation in which you can be so wrong so often and still have a job!”
   B. The inability to perceive the future right before us is common.
        1. We are often taken by surprise by reality!
        2. For all the worrying we do, we have no control over what happens.
            a. We fret over diseases in our children.
            b. We’re concerned about accidents on the roadways.
            c. We think about what would happen if we lost our jobs.
        3. But all of our worrying doesn’t clue us in on tomorrow.
        4. We are taken off guard by the actuality of our lives.
   C. Especially true when it comes to seeing God’s amazing intervention
        1. We can’t figure out what is coming on the human scale,
            a. it is even more difficult to see God is planning.
            b. We are unable to interpret the divine clues.
            c. Even when the prophets come right out and tell us, we still miss it.
        2. One of the fascinating jokes of the Bible is the Great Flood
        3. God warned Israel about the coming of the Persians and Babylonians
        4. God told His people not to worry.  He would send the Messiah.
        5. But over and over, people missed what God foretold!

II.  Why is it so difficult to see the fulfillment of the promise?
   A. The first reason is that we are so busy!
        1. That has been true in every age.
        2. People have so much to do just to make life work.
        3. In other periods it hasn’t been as bad at today.
            a. In the past, even with all the hard labor necessary.
            b. People often had time just to sit and visit.
            c. Still, it was difficult to get all the chores done.
        4. Today it is even worse!
            a. May seem strange with all the “labor saving” devices we employ
            b. We have less time for the quieter things in life.
        5. We are so busy with life, we can’t pay attention to the Lord of Life!
   B. Secondly, we have clear expectations for what God OUGHT to do.
        1. That was certainly true for Israel while they waited for Messiah.
            a. They had certain criteria that the Messiah was supposed to fulfill.
            b. They were somewhat derived from the Prophets.
            c. But much of it was concerning their own hopes and beliefs.
            d. Much revolved around a military hero who would defeat Rome.
        2. When the actual promise came, He didn’t match their criteria
            a. They failed to recognize Jesus because he wasn’t what they wanted.
            b. (Don’t get too prideful.  I doubt we’d have done any better!)
        3. We have the same problem.
            a. We pray for God’s intervention.
            b. But if the divine answer doesn’t meet our criteria, we are likely to miss it altogether!
   C. We forget that God is completely free of all our rules.
        1. The name of God is Yahweh.
            a. I am who I am!
            b. I will be who I will be!
            c. The One who makes things happen!
        2. All those interpretations shout: FREE, FREE, FREE!
        3. God is not only capable, but willing to break our rules.
        4. After all, God is the one who makes the rules!

 III.  What do we need to do to be ready?
   A. The Weather Channel is an interesting phenomena
        1. It is all weather all the time.  Might seem boring to many.
        2. But people rely on it to make plans.
        3. My brother is visiting over Thanksgiving weekend.
            a. While I was preparing for his visit, I watched that channel.
            b. They developed their prediction for rain and snow as I watched.
            c. Finally, it looked fairly safe:  Clear on Wednesday, Rain on Thursday, snow Saturday and Sunday, Clear on Monday.
            d. Safe for travel for Marty: We’ll see if the Monday clearing holds!
    B. Like looking at the weather, we must stay on the look out for God.
        1. We have to keep ourselves in a state of readiness.
        2. God will often act swiftly and in places we aren’t looking.
        3. A couple of summers ago, while I was camping, I was up early.
            a. reading and praying before anyone else was up.
            b. I heard a kind of whirling and buzzing.
            c. When I looked up it was gone so I went back to reading.
            d. Heard it again and looked up, but there was nothing there.
            e. finally, I got the idea and kept my head up, prepared.
            f. Finally, a humming bird flew into view right by my head.
            g. (Every time I had raised my head, I’d scared it before)
            h. Now, as I held still, I was treated to a beautiful sight!
        4. Similarly, if we really want to see want God is doing, we have to keep our heads up!
   C. In order to see what God is doing, we have to forget our constraints!
        1. We have to change our perspective to the divine perspective.
        2. We have to accept what God wants to do without immediately saying, “well, my God would never…”
   D. Lastly, we have to be ready and willing to join in!
        1. The divine action is not a spectator sport.
            a. God doesn’t do things in order to hear our applause.
            b. We are not the audience watching God’s performance.
        2. God expects us to pitch right in a lend a hand.
            a. We are partners in the work of reconciliation and love and healing.
            b. We only see as much as we are willing to help!

Friends, Advent is meant to be a time of preparation.  We are preparing ourselves to see God’s activity in our midst.  It is not an easy thing to do.  God acts in strange and unpredictable ways.  The only way that we will actually see what God is doing is if we remember that God can do whatever God wants.  All we can really be sure of is that it will be an offer of love from God.  And that God will invite us in to help.

And as you go from this place, may you walk in the way of Christ Jesus and May God always find you faithful!