Defining Moments And You
Sermon Review
17 March 2002
(Acts 9:10-18)Let me read you something. Amy Charmichael's Vision: Amy Carmichael was a well-known and very respected Missionary to India, and an inspiring Christian writer. "In her dream of the lost, she stood at the brink of a precipice which broke sheer down into infinite space. Below were only dark clouds and unfathomable depths of blackness. She saw people moving single file along a grassy slope, making for the edge of the abyss. All of them were blind, and as they came to the brink of the precipice they fell with heartbreaking cries down into space. Men, women, children - all were blind, and all wandered toward the cliff. There were a few sentries at intervals along the edge, but the intervals were far too great. Through the wide unguarded gaps the people, quite unwarned, moved steadily onward to certain doom. And the great gulf yawned like the mouth of hell.
Then the dreamer saw a little group of people under some trees. Their backs were turned to the abyss. They were making some daisy chains. Sometimes when a piercing shriek cut the quiet air, it disturbed them and they thought it rather a vulgar noise. When one of their number wanted to go and do something to help the blind unfortunates, all the others would pull him down. 'Why should you get so excited about it? You must wait for a definite call to go! You have not finished your daisy chain yet!' Then came another sound like the pain of a million broken hearts wrung out in one full drop, one sob - and the horror of great darkness was upon me, for I knew it was…the cry of blood.
Then thundered a voice, the voice of the Lord, and He said, 'what have you done? The voice of your brothers blood cries to me from the ground!'.
I have no doubt that this vision inspired defining moments in her life, and many others.
I wonder if you have you ever stopped to think about the possible consequences of not helping this church, or another one you may wish to be a part of, to carry out its God given responsibility to make it harder for people to go to hell in Armidale? People that God could have reached through us will not be, and unless there are other sentries that God can use to fill the gaps, they will be lost for eternity - and we, you and I, must carry some responsibility for that.
Last week our speaker talked about defining moments - moments that shape our lives; moments when choices are made that have an ongoing impact and outcome, for better or for worse in our lives, and the lives of others. In Acts.9 we see Ananias experiencing a defining moment when God asked him to do something that took him by storm. As with many of our own defining moments, his had a, 'you've got to be kidding', dimension - something quite common in Biblical history and in the Christian life. Imagine if he had said no to God? (Example: temporal oddities in Star Trek 'Q Squared' and Star Gate) That, despite any of God's persuasions, he drew back and reneged on his commitment to obey God? Or if others like him eg. Moses, Gideon, or even Peter, refused to obey God's call on their lives? I wonder how their lives would have changed, or what would have altered in their futures and others because of their refusal to obey? I have no doubt that for Ananias things would have been quite different from that point on, for defining moments cut both ways - for better or for worse! As far as Paul was concerned, we presume that in Damascus, God would have found someone else who would obey. But what a shame for Ananias! So it is with us when we decide to ignore God or disobey him - it is a shame for us.
When those moments of decision making before God come, there is a price. This price may be almost impossible to calculate fully at the time, but it comes. As Adam and Eve found out the hard way, so too will we. I have lost count of the people I have run across who have suffered sadness and all sorts of complications and consequences in their lives because, despite knowing that they should not have married this or that particular person, or declined to do this or that, or avoided something else when they knew they shouldn't, they have gone ahead and done so anyway - and have missed out on blessing and goodness that God could have done in and through our lives, as well as experience the consequences of their choices and acts also. Further more, Paul tells us that there are things that we can do or not do which will effect how useful we are for the masters work (1Tim.2:20,21). This warns us that our willingness to shape our decisions and our actions to suit God on a personal and corporate level, is important for you and for this church. It will determine not only whether God can bless and use you, but also the degree to which God can bless and use this church. That is why the choices you make in relation to God and participation in this church and its direction and ministries are defining ones.
You see this church is currently going through a defining period - a period that will shape it's future and what kind of impact we can have in Armidale. That is why it has been so wonderful to see people choosing to get involved. In some cases this has meant changing their minds and rearranging priorities in order to do so. Think of the Anti Brothel petitions many helped get signed; or the Stall in the Markets some have committed themselves to; or the Freedom BBQ trip some changed their minds to go on. Or consider the Autumn Festival stall people arranged their lives to support, some simply so that could become visible as Christians to others in the city of Armidale! I am not sure where it will end, but a willingness to get involved and help shoulder the responsibilities of the Great Commission as individuals and as a church will make it harder for people to go through hell in this city. It will ensure that we continue moving forward in God's unfolding drama for us. Keep asking what part can you play in this. Keep reminding yourselves that your decision to be involved and participate or not is significant, not only for yourself, but for this city! Never lose sight of the fact that the choices you make this year will be defining ones for you, and for this church as well, for we are in a period during which our individual and corporate decisions are defining our future together.
Conclusion:
Defining moments are combinations of thought and action that shape our futures, ourselves, our way of thinking and behaving. That is why they are called defining moments. They are defining because they set up the boundaries, limits, and give shape to things to come. They include decisions and actions that shape our tomorrows today. They can be periods during which a series of choices lead to defining moments in our lives. And as Darryl noted last week, defining moments often call for reflection (counting the cost), sometimes an instant response (seizing the moment), and generally the maintenance of right priorities (keeping Christ as no. 1 priority). They also may have a 'you've got to be kidding' dimension. However, rather than leave you with the make up of defining moments, let me leave you with a series of defining questions that you can keep using to ensure that all your decisions are ones that define the future that God wants for you as an individual, and for this church, or the church you are a part of.
These are questions that you can ask yourself daily - What am I doing to make myself fit for the master's use? What am I doing to make it harder for people that I know to go to hell and easier to go to heaven? What am I doing to help make this church a fitter instrument for the Master's use? What am I doing in and through this church to make it harder for people to go to hell in Armidale and easier for them to go to heaven? Amy Carmichael and Ananias, and countless others made the right choice at defining moments. So must you and I if we want to avoid the shame and pain of defining our own lives, rather than enjoying the experience of God making a difference in us and around us. Never lose sight of the fact that your decisions are significant. If we make the right choices individually and together over a long period of time, we will help define Armidale's future, and see over time that God is using us to make it harder for people to go to hell where it counts for us - right here in Armidale.
Blessings