Prophetic Resistance

There are some parts of today's story that get repeated over and over and you are welcome to say them with me... 

 

God sent a messenger to Sarah and said to her, “Sarah, you are going to have a baby boy?”

And Sarah burst out laughing and said,

“Not me, Lord, Not me!… (That's a part you can say with me, "Not me, Lord, Not me!")

“I'm to old to bear children!”

And God responded:

I know, I made you;

I'll be here, I will deliver you. (That's another part you can say with me, "I know, I made you; I'll be here, I will deliver you.")

Sarah had a baby boy and named him Isaac which means, “Makes me laugh.”

Many years later God appeared to Moses in a bush that burned but was not consumed and said, “I have heard my people cry.  I will send you to tell Pharaoh to set my people free.”

And Moses said, 

“Not me, Lord, Not me!…

“I’m a murderer and I c-c-cant speak well!”

And God responded:

I know, I made you;
I'll be here, I will deliver you.

 

And Moses went and led God’s people to freedom.

Many, many years later, God spoke to Isaiah and said, “I’m not at all happy with the way my people are living.  They are not just; they ignore widows and neglect orphans.  I will sent you to call my people back to the covenant I made with them in the wilderness.”

And Isaiah said,  

“Not me, Lord, Not me!…

“I'm a sinner from a community that revels in sin!”

And God responded:

I know, I made you;
I'll be here, I will deliver you.
So Isaiah went and told the people what God wanted them to hear.

Around about the same time, God spoke to Ezekiel saying, “I’m not happy with how my people are living.  I want you to tell them that if they don’t shape up, I’m going to send armies against them!”

 And Ezekiel said,  

“Not me, Lord, Not me!…

“I wouldn't know what to say.”

And God responded:

I know, I made you;
I'll be here, I will deliver you.

 

And God gave Ezekiel words to say and Ezekiel proclaimed them.

 And again, God spoke to Jonah saying, “I’m not happy with those people up in Nineveh, I’m sending you to tell them that I’m going to wipe them out.  But if they listen to your warning and change their ways, I will bless them instead.”

And Jonah said,

 “Not me, Lord, Not me!…

 “Those sinners deserve to burn in hell, I'm not going to be responsible for their redemption!”

And God responded:

I know, I made you;
I'll be here, I will deliver you.
 And we all know what happened to Jonah…

God spoke to Jeremiah saying, “What have I done wrong that the people go after worthless things making themselves worthless?  Call the people back to my promise.  Tell them to change their ways.”

And Jeremiah said,

“Not me, Lord, Not me!…

“I'm too young.”

And God responded:

I know, I made you;
I'll be here, I will deliver you.

[insert the name of you] Church, It's time for you to change your ways.  The world is different than it was 50 years ago, and you must find a new way to express your faith!"

 

And we say:

 

"Not us, Lord, Not us!…

What are our objections?

Too old

Too tired

Too lazy

Not enough of us

Don't know how

Scared

The like the old way better

We don't want to change

All of the above

 

And what is God's response to us?