Choose To Be “With Me”!
Last Sunday, we heard a very powerful message from our Long Range Planning Committee. They spoke about the new vision for our church and how it flows from the things that Jesus taught his disciples… the last thing that he commanded them to do…“Go, therefore, and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them all that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age.” Our vision is to glorify God by making disciples and reflecting God’s love in service to others. Last Sunday, Kathy, John and Raymond all spoke of ways that we, as Christians, can put that vision into action through the ministry practices of witness, prayer, care, word, “with me”, and send. They spoke of ways that these ministry practices had changed their own lives and their belief that these ministry practices can change the life of our church, if we are willing to make a conscious decision to witness to God’s glory and grace… to pray for our church and our community… to care for others… to study God’s word… to bring others with us in our work and worship… and to send ourselves and others out to minister to the world.
Today, I want to take the time to speak to you about one aspect of the ministry practice of “with me.” In our text, Joshua tells the people of Israel that God took their father Abraham from the land beyond the river and led him through all the land of Canaan. The literal translation of the phrase “I led him” is actually “I brought him with me.” “I brought him with me” through the land of Canaan. It’s different, isn’t it? It feels different. “I brought him with me.” The phrase “I led him” feels more like a superior being dragging an inferior being along… like a parent leading a child… like a person with sight leading one who is blind. But the phrase “I brought him with me” feels more like companionship … a company of equals… walking side-by-side. God said, “I brought him [Abraham] with me.” Jesus told his disciples, “I will be with you” after he gave them the Great Commission.
A concept that I have shared with you before is that God chooses us. In fact, God chose us before the creation of the world… to be God’s people. But, while God is, without question, a superior being… the Creator of all… the Ruler of the Universe… the relationship that God desires with us is not one of a master and servant… not one of a king and subject… but a relationship of friend and companion. That’s the reason why God came down in the cool of the day to walk in the Garden with Adam and Eve… just to be with them… to be a companion… and to have a companion. That’s why God chose to come to earth… to live among us … not as a superior being…a king or a ruler… but as a poor carpenter in Galilee … to be “with us.” And his name shall be called Immanuel … “God with us.”
Two weeks from now, on Christ the King Sunday, we will celebrate God coming in Christ at the end of time to judge the world. On that day, we will celebrate God’s sovereignty and God’s glory… for God is sovereign… and God is glorious. But every example that Jesus gave us of the relationship between God and humankind was not a relationship of power and might, but a relationship of love… companionship… and trust. When God chose Abraham, the covenant that God made was an unconditional covenant… where God promised to be Israel’s God… and did not demand anything in return. Now, when Joshua calls all the elders and the officials together at Shechem, he reminds them that God has done everything that God promised to do. God brought them out of the land of Egypt. God led them through the wilderness. God fed them with manna from heaven and gave them water to quench their thirst. God brought them to the Promised Land. And now, God stands with them as they face the Canaanites. God has been faithful. God has been “with them.”
But, now it is time for the children of Israel to choose… to choose which god they will serve. Notice that Joshua does not tell them which god to choose… in fact, he says they can choose any god they wish… the gods their ancestors worshipped in the land beyond the river… or even the gods of the Amorites. But they must make a choice. God has been “with them” always. Will they now choose to be “with God?”
The word “choose” that Joshua uses here is a very special word. It is the same word that is used to signify God’s divine choice of Israel as God’s people… the word for election. When used in a human context, it means for humans to make divine choices as well… to choose good things… worthy things… things beyond the ordinary. This is not the word used to choose between Cheerios and scrambled eggs for breakfast… or to choose walking to school instead of driving. This is a divine choice that will affect their destiny… the choice of which god will rule their lives… which god they will obey.
With Joshua, there is no question. He will serve the Lord… the God of Israel. And, in the end, the people also choose to worship the Lord. Shouting their pledge of loyalty, they bind themselves voluntarily to God and a holy covenant is created… not between the powerful and the weak… but a covenant between partners… one who has been faithful and one who promises to be faithful. It was a promise to be “with me.”
Do you remember the illustration we used with the children last week? Yes, “Manos de Cristo” – the hands of Christ. That hand illustrated for us the six ministry practices of witness, prayer, care, word, with me and send. Now, let me show you something that will help you remember “with me” more easily. Hold your left hand before you and name the six ministry practices: witness… prayer… care… word… “with me”… and send. How many of you have a wedding ring on that third finger? Would you raise your hand? What does that ring mean to you? Does it not mean “with me?” Did you not promise to take another person “with you” through life… for better… for worse… for richer… for poorer… in sickness… or in health… as long as you both shall live? Did you not make a covenant with that person… a covenant to be “with him.. with her”… a covenant before God and all the witnesses at your marriage ceremony? And do you not live that covenant every day? Isn’t this the person you share your joys and sorrows with… the one who walks with you every day?
God has also made a covenant with you… a covenant to be “with you” every day… down every road that you walk... sharing your joys… your sorrows… your good times and bad. We build stronger relationships with those we spent time with… with those who are “with us.” We build stronger bonds with the ones who are “with us.” The bus trip to San Antonio is about fellowship… about “with me.” Yes, we are going because we want to see the Vatican exhibit, but it is also about sharing time with Christian friends. And I promise you that those who go “with us” will have a different relationship when they return. We will have shared a special time together… traveling together… seeing the sights together … learning things together… and eating together. We will be different… our bond will be stronger… because we have chosen to be together… to be “with me.” God chooses to be with us… to build a relationship with us… to make a covenant with us. And God says to us…“Choose to be “with me!” Have you chosen?
A week ago Saturday, I had the privilege of going the Ag Show and seeing Scot Jackson at work. Scot was the announcer for the Parade of Horses that I saw and then, he spent about an hour doing a basic horse clinic. During the clinic, he rode two different horses… one he had just begun to work with and another he had trained for years. As he put each one through its paces, he talked about his objectives in training horses and how he worked with each one. As time passed, it became very obvious that he loved these animals… that he could see the potential in each one… and that he had the patience to draw the best out of each of them… not by forcing them to obey him… but by gently asking them for their best and by patiently… lovingly… guiding them to give it. Throughout his time in the arena… even while he continued to talk through his lavaliere mike to those of us who were watching him… his total concentration … his eyes… his hands… his legs… his mind… was on the horse that he was riding. He was “with them”… coaxing… guiding… touching… encouraging… rewarding. And they responded to him… and it was amazing to see what he could do with them. It was obvious that what he wanted from each of them was a partnership… the ability to work together effectively… to be “with them.” And so it is with God.
I took the time this week to walk around the church property with two individuals who are interested in trimming our trees. To be honest, I did not spending a lot of time thinking about this activity at first. After all, I was just pointing out what I thought needed to be done… like tree limbs hanging too low over the “Hershey Building”… or grapevines tangled in the limbs of an oak tree… or a dead tree by the front sidewalk… and so on… and asking them to provide a written quote of their estimate of what it might cost. But I will tell you that I was in Joey’s company for less than five minutes when I realized that our walk around this property would be very different.
It started with the very first tree… and continued through the twenty-nine other trees on our property. You see, Joey loves trees. Let me say that again: Joey loves trees. For me, a tree is this thing that has a trunk and some branches with leaves on them… a thing that grows if you water it… a thing that gives shade in the summer time. And that is the sum total of what I know about trees. Joey loves trees. Joey knows trees. Joey touched each tree that we came to during our walk. Joey named each tree… he called each one of them by name. For the first couple of trees, he listened carefully as I told him what I thought needed to be done with that tree. Then, he carefully… gently… explained to me what the tree needed… and, after about three trees, I shut up… and I allowed him to teach me. You see, Joey loves trees. He introduced me to each one by name. He told me which ones were native to Texas and which weren’t. He told me which ones were susceptible to disease and which weren’t. He told me which ones were being choked by vines… or by poor conditions … or by other trees. He told me what each one needed to survive… to thrive… to be strong… especially in the challenges of our Texas climate. He talked about each one as if it were a child … a child that he loved… a child whose potential he could see… a child he wanted to help reach its potential.
When I came back to my office that morning, I was a different person. That conversation changed me… for I suddenly realized that trimming trees is not about firing up a chain saw and hacking away at some branches. It is about seeing the potential in each living thing that God has created and pruning away everything that inhibits its ability to reach its God-given potential. It’s about working with each living thing in a partnership of God’s creation. It’s about loving… and caring… and wanting the best for each living thing. It’s about being “with them.” This may be selfish of me, but I want Joey to trim our trees… because I know he cares. He cares… for them. Yes, he cares about what we want… about what we need… but he will accomplish that goal with love … with care... and with them.
God chooses to be “with you”… to love you… to care for you… to help you grow… to help you reach your full potential… a potential that God sees in you… whether you see it or not. God has made a covenant to be “with you.” God chooses to be “with you.” Will you choose to be “with God?” That is what we are asked to do in our text today… to choose. You must choose. We must choose. I choose to make a covenant with God. What will you choose? The message from God is very clear. Choose…choose to be “with me.” Amen.
Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25