Pastor Joe Fuiten, April 27, 2003

 

            We have had a tremendous six months at Cedar Park.  Six months ago, someone tried to put a curse on us.  Instead, we have enjoyed a great blessing from the Lord.  Almost certainly, the one who tried to put a curse on us has been suffering.  We pray that they will say yes to Jesus and be saved.

            We have exceeded 205 babies being born to infertile couples as a result of prayer.  Two new Cedar Park branches have been launched and are doing well.  When war broke out, we were able to release $25,000 worth of food and supplies into that region to bless those who are hurting and to advance the Gospel.  We did this through our almsgiving during the Lenten Season.  We have had what many are calling our most successful “Victor.”  We had great cooperation, great performances, about 7,500 in attendance, and more than 70 telling us they said “YES” to Jesus at the Victor.  All our established branches had record attendance on Easter morning.

            These are tremendous times for Cedar Park and I am thrilled to be a part of it.

            The message that I am preaching this morning I have wanted to preach and also hesitated to preach.  I want to preach it because I want to share what I am thinking and feeling as I lead this church.  I hesitate to do so because I’m not absolutely sure I should and I don’t like personalizing the ministry.  I am emboldened to do so by how I understand Paul here in Romans 15.   Paul is discussing his plans and hopes for the future which seem to go a bit beyond the absolute call of God.  For example, Paul was called to preach to the Gentiles, but God did not call him to preach in such a way that he would always be the first one to preach to a particular group of Gentiles.[1]  Yet this was Paul’s ambition and he admits it.

            When God called me to “turn many to righteousness” it seemed like a fairly open-ended call without a lot of details.   For me, God has never added to it or taken from it so it remains my life’s calling and I’m still working on the details.

 

Scripture Reading:  Romans 15:15-24, Page 805

15 I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God.18 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done—19 by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. 20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation. 21 Rather, as it is written: "Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand." 22 This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you, 24 I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.

25 Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27 They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. 28 So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. 29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ. 30 I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. 31 Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. 33 The God of peace be with you all. Amen.

 

            The biggest part of my hesitation today is because of what I have been thinking.  Before God called me to turn people to righteousness, I wanted to go into politics.  My plan was to be President in 2004.  Even though I have no interest in going back to politics, seeing other people doing what I was planning to do is making me think about what I am doing.  Seeing them is challenging and provoking me at a personal level. 

Over the last few weeks, I have been wondering if it would be ok if I were to ask the Lord for Cedar Park, Cathedral-wide, to be averaging 2004 by election time, 2004.  It seems silly to connect those two things but for me it is kind of personal.  I want to grow a church and turn many people to righteousness.  I don’t know how many “many” is, but I think it must be at least 2004.  I want to successfully fulfill what God has called me to.  The human part of me wants it to be significant.

I don’t know for sure if it is ok to ask for that kind of thing.  I do know, that virtually every time that I have asked God for something that isn’t exactly necessary, but that I would enjoy, he has given it to me.  God has treated me much better than I deserve and I am astounded by it.

My first major decision after responding to God’s call caused me to think about God in this light.  For many years growing up, one of my goals was to be Student Body President at Willamette University.  After saying yes to God, I thought that goal should be abandoned.  However, the previous Student Body President and a debate partner, Bruce Bothello, who is now the Attorney General in Alaska, tried to persuade me to run.  After prayer, I felt it was ok, so I ran successfully.  It was entirely up to me and God blessed it and even used it to launch me into ministry. 

I have received a number of other similar “unnecessary” blessings that have led me to believe that God is actually interested in those kinds of things.  Sometimes they have been small things.  Other times they have been large.  They have always been unnecessary to the essentials of the Gospel but always things that I would enjoy.  My extensive travels to the Middle East would be another case in point.  These have not been necessary but I have asked God for them and have sure enjoyed our various trips.  Obviously, this all could lapse into selfishness, greed, and ego.  But a certain amount that God determines must be ok.

I have half-way decided it is ok to ask for the 2004 thing based on Paul’s ambition to preach where no one else had preached before.  My desire is complicated by the fact that we had 2221 last Sunday.  When I was thinking about it, we had never broken 2000, but now the first one is past.

For whatever reason, God has chosen to work through human beings instead of the angels.  He must have his reasons.  Maybe it is so his power and glory can be contrasted with our frailty and weakness.  Maybe he does it to create the relationship.  After all, he chose us, we did not choose him.

Since I’m putting in my wish list to the Lord, I have a couple more to add on to it.  I would like to see more miracles.  May 4^th we are having our annual prayer services for the terminally ill.  I’m thinking that would be a good place to start, but not to stop.

I would like to see Christians become more active in making a difference politically in this state and this country.  The system can be influenced.  We just need people to do it. The recent issue with Senator Bill Finkbiner is a classic example.  We sent out a notice to a bunch of people asking them to contact their senator to turn around a bad decision regarding gay rights.  In the end, he did change his mind back to our position, and it saved the day.  But only five people out of hundreds actually picked up the phone and tried to make a difference.  We can’t build a great country if God’s people don’t get involved.

I’d like to see us do a better job of discipleship starting with the people who responded at the Victor.  If you said yes to Jesus in the last couple of weeks, I would like to do what it takes to help you succeed in your dreams of belonging to Jesus and going to heaven.

I want to keep strengthening the building blocks of a great church.  Things like Sunday School, children’s programs, youth programs, drama and music are very important.  I thank those of you who are making that happen.  Let’s build the best program there is by getting people involved.  Maybe you would ask God to help you be the best preschool teacher in this state.  You dream your dream. I‘ll dream my dream.  We’ll help each other to succeed in our shared dreams and God will direct it all to his intended purposes.

Thursday night I shared with our board what I feel God is doing in my life.  I want to help other people achieve their desire to be significant in God’s work.  I think every person has in their heart what I have in my heart.  We just want to fulfill our godly destiny and do something that is worthwhile and meaningful.  I think every branch pastor and associate pastor wants what I want.  I think every board member, SS teacher, program participant just wants to do the will of God and to fulfill the best purposes for which they were born.

The God who chose human beings as his messengers seems content to help his frail creation to do that very thing.

 

30 I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.