NOTE: I am putting my weekly sermons on the church website. It will be on for two weeks (usually posted on Friday) and then placed in the Archives area by date. You can download in a matter of seconds.

Let me know what you think. The church Email is: slumc@direcway.com, Phone: 480.895.8766

Sunday, January 11, 2004
Sermon: "The Fires of Life"
Scripture: Isaiah 43:1-7
Reverend Larry Gerber

Web surfers were stunned when CNN accidentally posted death notices for a number of famous — and still-breathing — VIPs. Fortunately, with God at our side we don't need to fear any premature obits.

When comedian and centenarian Bob Hope died last summer, notable voices from around the country and from all walks of life collectively paused to say, "Thanks for the memories."

But, Bob Hope was also the subject of a notorious premature obituary in 1989 when the Associated Press unintentionally published a notice of his death. The obituary landed in the hands of a U.S. Congressman who announced the news to the entire House of Representatives.

Then, only months before Hope actually expired, his obituary was posted by CNN, along with others, when the password protection was disabled on the Web site. Most major news organizations keep pre-written obituaries for famous people on file - just in case. These obituaries were unintentionally accessible to the public for 20 minutes in April 2003, and they announced the death of Hope, as well as the deaths of Fidel Castro, Vice President Dick Cheney, retired U.S. presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, retired South African president Nelson Mandela and Pope John Paul II.

The Isaiah text of today's Old Testament reading concerns a people who had already written themselves off. As far as they were concerned, they were already dead.

It's not an uncommon emotion for us humans. When pilloried by problems that won't go away, when buffeted by the kind of storms that are given first names, when surrounded by blazing infernos of stress and anxiety, we often think we're goners. Loved ones will find us in the family room watching Gigli, Waterworld, Ishtar and Heaven's Gate. That's how bad it is.

This text is a reminder to God's people as to who they are and who God is — something we, too, need always to keep in mind. This is what it says: Israel belongs to the Lord. God knows them by name. They were rescued, redeemed, saved. Egypt, Ethiopia and Seba were given in exchange for them. God is with them. These words help us understand Israel. They tell us, as they told Israel, don't be afraid, God is near.

Even in hard times or when death is looming, it'll be okay. Not that there is nothing to be afraid of - There are things that threaten to consume us. These are the kinds of problems that eat away at us, ravage us, reduce us to mere ashes of our former selves. These are the burdens that cause our souls to waste away, transform us into hollow shells of what we once were. These are the fires of life. It's the burning, searing pain that seems beyond bearing.

God's word to us is that when there is such destruction in our lives, if we feel as though everything around us has turned to ashes — then we can rejoice, because God says that he is nearby. That fire — whatever it is — won't consume us. We're redeemed. There are the things that threaten to overwhelm us. This is the stress, perhaps from multiple sources, that slowly rises like a flood, until there is scarcely any breathing room left. This is when the marriage, the children, the career all conspire to overwhelm us with burdens, decisions and anxiety.

God's word to us is that if there's a flood; if the rivers rise and rage; if the waters of calamity flood our lives, making us feel as if we'll just about drown if things get worse, then rejoice, for you know that God is with us. We will not be overwhelmed. We're redeemed.

And that's not all.
We are "precious" (v. 4).
We are "honored" (v. 4).
We are "loved" (v. 4).

We'll pass through the fire unburned. We'll walk through the flood unharmed because God is with us, making it impossible for the fires and floods of life to lay a hand on our souls.

No obituary needed, God says. But the text not only tells us a lot about ourselves, it also speaks volumes about the God who is there to help us write our life's story.

God created us (v. 1). Brought us into being. Gave us life.

God formed us (v. 1). Gave us definition. Specificity. Personality.

God made us for his glory (v. 7). Gave us a reason for being.

God redeemed us (v. 1). Gave us back our lives ruined by sin. Made us useable, useful. Made us persons of worth.

God is the one who has called us (v. 1). Given us a mission, a summons to righteous living.

God is the one who claims us as his own. "You are mine," God says (v. 1).

God is the Holy One (v. 3).

God is our Savior (v. 3). This, then, is the One who — thus identified — promises to be with us through flame and flood.

We're made by God. We are loved by God. We're in the presence of God, right here, right now and always. It's the way it is. It's not a mistake. It's not an exaggeration. God's love for us can't be exaggerated. It's so big, so strong, so powerful that mere words can't contain it any more than an obituary is ever an accurate assessment of a life. An obituary, prematurely published or timely, is a fragmentary reflection.

I remember my Sr.Pastor's reaction to death notices of Pastors, as they came to us from The Conference. It was always a post card, stating that Reverend so and so passed away, and the memorial service would be held at such and such a church on a specific date. Memorials can be made to ....... End of announcement. He remarked that when we Pastors die, that is all we will get, a post card noting that in fact this person died, period.

The life lived was, and is, so much bigger. Just like the love of God for us is so much bigger than can be said. This is so, even when we feel afraid; even when we feel alone — God is with us, caring about us and loving us. Of course, death comes to us all. An obituary will be written — some day.

But not now. First there are other times to be endured, long before obituaries are necessary. There are the times when hardship, adversity, misfortune or calamity are the sloppy mud we're immersed in every day. There are days, or months, when we're slogging through those deepening floodwaters up to our necks, chilled to the bone and hoping to heaven we'll survive. There are those times when we're running around putting out fires everywhere, barely able to catch our breath, while our lives are going up in smoke.

Too often, we spend time reaching out to others, who are hurting, wanting to make them feel better, when in fact, we, first of all, can not "fix" them, and secondly, in that attempt, quite often allow ourselves to fall victim to life's anxieties. At times like these we may feel as if God has it in for us.

Wrong. God is in it for us.

Few of us have premature obituaries on file at media companies awaiting our demise. Even so, we may want our obituaries, however humble, to say something like: She persevered in hard times because of her faith. The trials and tragedies of life never stopped her from loving her family. She worked hard. She spent time with her kids. She loved to laugh. When the rivers rose, she survived. When the fires burned, she endured — because she was a child of God.

Isaiah reminds us that as long as we have breath in us, it's premature to publish our obituary, because there is always Hope (and we're not talking about Bob). As long as we have breath in us, although we may feel alone, we are not alone. That is God's good promise.

So, when life seems to have no rhyme or reason, when the clouds of doubt and fear begin to consume us, we must lift ourselves up, just high enough for God to see us. When God sees us beginning to rise from the ashes so to speak, God will reach down and pull us out of the mire.

God promise to us, as to Israel, is, that He will be with us, even to the end of time. We are not to worry about "The End Time", God will take care of that, in fact God already has.
We are to focus on who we are, and Whose we are.

Survival in this world, and fullness of life, given by God, depends on us, recognizing that through it all, God is and will be with us. With that in mind, we cannot be consumed by the fires of life. We shall overcome, because we are precious and honored, as well as loved by God, and the floods may rage, but will not consume us.
Thanks be to God, our creator, our maker, our redeemer
LET US PRAY.............

``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Let me know what you think. The church Email is: slumc@direcway.com, Phone: 480.895.8766