Finding God in the Middle of Your Story

And the blessing is the promise that God knows the ultimate end of our story. And if we're talking movie music, then that is the Hallelujah Chorus and Rocky and Chariots of Fire on angelic steroids. This is not sugar coated platitudes. This is gritty bedrock truth from the master storyteller, God Almighty, who whispers to you just like he did to Elijah in that still small voice. I am here with you. I love you. I know your name. I see your pain, and I am here with you. [00:59:55] (52 seconds)  #GodKnowsOurStory

God, we don't ask for certainty, but we ask for renewed trust like a beacon of light in the darkness. We ask for the blessing that Jesus speaks out for John the Baptist, the blessing of clinging to Jesus, the blessing of God's presence. God, I pray that this will become more real than anything else. Your presence with us in the middle of our story, your love that overflows all measure, your assurance that you know the ultimate end of our story, and it is full of hope and joy and love and rest. [01:02:19] (36 seconds)  #TrustHisPresence

Later in the new testament, Paul writes to the Colossians and he tells them that they should teach and admonish one another with songs and hymns and spiritual songs. Did you get that one another part? We're supposed to sing with each other because when we're singing with each other, we're preaching to each other. We're lending our faith to one another as we sing together. So I wanna invite you to stand this morning to remember as we sing that we are following God's example and that we are singing to each other as well as we worship. [00:03:47] (33 seconds)  #SingToEachOther

In all seriousness, recognition of our lives as stories can be frightening as well. Because even though we know our story has a beginning, a middle, and an end, right now we're all right in the middle. And as characters in our own stories, we don't get to see how the story ends. Being in the middle of the story means that some or maybe even many of us sitting here this morning are at a point in our lives where the drama and the conflict and the uncertainty feels overwhelming. And we don't know what the conclusion is going to be. [00:29:33] (45 seconds)  #LivingInTheMiddle

It's a daunting decision. How many times have we faced a decision with negative lose lose consequences? How many times has it seemed as if we had no way out? How many times have we been called by our conscience to stand up for what is right even though the outcome may cause hardship, the loss of a friendship, the loss of a job, financial pain? Like Esther, we're in the middle of the story and we cannot know the outcome. [00:40:19] (38 seconds)  #CourageousChoices

I painted a dark and despair filled picture of this very literal dungeon. And though to my knowledge none of us here has experienced a literal rat infested dungeon, many of us have spent time in dungeons of our own. Dungeons of depression, dungeons of unremitting pain, dungeons of despair and hopelessness. They are dark, and they are full of terrors, and they exact a heavy toll on body and soul. And when we're in that darkness, we feel completely alone. [00:47:44] (44 seconds)  #DungeonsOfTheSoul

In the midst of our suffering, in the middle of our story when we do not know what the outcome will be, we ask like Esther, like Silas, like John the Baptist, God, where are you? Do you love me? Do you know my name? And God answers, I am Emmanuel, the God who is with you. [00:58:19] (28 seconds)  #EmmanuelWithUs

I love Jesus' response here. He could have criticized John for his doubt. He could have condemned him for his dramatic public fall from certainty, but instead he is so gentle. He says, go back and tell John about the miracles you've seen. The miracles pointing to God's kingdom that is real and active and powerful and working through my ministry. And then he speaks out a blessing rather than a curse on John. [00:55:55] (37 seconds)  #GentleGrace