God Builds a Nation From Everyday :PeopleMuskoka Lakes Ministry of Knox, Port Carling & Zion, Torrance
Sunday April 25, 2021
Message: God Builds a Nation (and the church) from Everyday People
Reverend Glynis Faith
Announcements
* There are changes occurring in how we put together the worship videos. We thank you for your patience as we work through the growing pains of change. For the near future, the times the worship videos will be made available will vary. The printed copy will continue to be emailed out early on Sunday mornings.
* Zion Session meets at 2pm on Monday via Zoom
* Knox Session meets at 6pm on Monday via Zoom
* Bible study on Monday at 7pm via Zoom
* Knox board of managers on Tuesday at 7pm via Zoom
* Lectio Divina on Thursday at 7pm via Zoom

Prayer of Intercession
Compassionate Lord, You have called us to bless others, and one way we do just that is by lifting the needs of others up to You in prayer, which we do now.
We pray for the people of India. Work through the nations to send necessary supplies, give strength and healing to the people..
We pray for the situations here at home, Lord, as we watch hospitalization and death numbers growing once again. We are all tired, and we confess we are growing frustrated with lockdowns and restrictions. Give us strength and empathy to put aside our wants and do our part to stop the spread of this devastating virus.
Pour out Your blessings upon all people in all nations. Grant that we work together to strengthen, encourage and support one another. Bless those in hospitals fighting for their lives and bless those working in hospitals who are fighting with and for them. Through all of this chaos, Lord, help us to know Your loving presence and help us to draw closer to You and to our neighbours, locally and globally.
With trusting hearts, we lift our prayers to You, in Christ’s Name. AMEN
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“ God Builds a Nation (and the church) from Everyday People ”
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Last week we looked at chapter 1 and the origin stories. Creation and the origin stories remind us that God is sovereign over all (in the beginning God. . . ), and it also reminds us that God does not rule like a dictator; but rather, God works to restore what we have broken – God works to restore the relationships that our sin damages. God gives that we might live in the new Eden.
In chapter 2 we are once again reminded of God’s sovereignty, as we see God’s finger print in His promises and blessings. God builds a nation! Let’s be clear about one thing, God does not choose a nation, “Oh I like the Canadians. They seem like polite folk, lets pick them to be our people.” No, God did not choose the nation of Israel, God built the nation of Israel.
Think back to your school days when teachers would pick two captains and give them the responsibility of choosing their team. I think we have all been in that position at one time or another, either as the captain or as part of the group. If you are part of the group you are, first and foremost, praying you won’t get picked last. If you are the captain, you are strategizing – who do I want – who don’t I want – who will give my team the best chance of winning – who works together best – and, depending on what the team is being constructed for, who has the greatest skill or strength to get us to the podium.
In chapter 2 of the Story we see God carefully choosing the team captain (or Father of the nation), Abram.
“The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people
and your father’s family. Go to the land I will show you.”
Genesis 12:1
Why Abram? Why not Fred, Wilma, Barney or Betty? Well, Scripture tells us Abram was a man of faith, and we see from the narrative that Abram is a person who acts on his faith. If you are going to build a team, it is wise to start with someone who trusts you and is willing to follow your instructions. Abram is called to give up everything to join the team, and he packs up and goes.
As chapter 2 unfolds we get a closer look at the team players God is working through to build this nation; Abram (later to have his name changed to Abraham), his nephew, Lot, and his wife Sarai (later to have her name changed to Sarah), Sarah’s servant Hagar, Abraham and Hagars son, Ishmael, Abraham and Sarah’s son, Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and their twins, Esau and Jacob, and Jacob’s wives Leah and Rachael. Did you notice anything in particular about these people as you read through the chapter?
The characters found in chapter 2 – and the characters you will see God work through throughout the entire Bible are everyday people like you and me. There are power struggles, jealousies, bitterness, resentment, burning anger, trickery and deceitfulness AND there is also love, concern, provision, dedication, commitment, reconciliation and always, always, always there is a light of hope shining before them.
God builds the chosen nation from everyday people like you and I,
and this nation will face the same challenges and triumphs that you
and I do. They are not perfect – they don’t need to be, which is the point. We are not perfect, but God is. God’s plan is perfect, and yes, we can mess things up, but that is where we see God’s perfecting work, as He moves His plan forward despite the messes we make. God builds a nation that you and I can identify with, because you and I are part of this unfolding story – the Story of God’s perfecting love for an imperfect people.
This is how God begins to build the nation of Israel:
The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people
and your father’s family. Go to the land I will show you.
“I will make you into a great nation. And I will bless you.
I will make your name great. You will be a blessing to others.
I will bless those who bless you.
I will put a curse on anyone who puts a curse on you.
All nations on earth
will be blessed through you.” (or as some translations say:
“will be blessed because of you”)”

“Go from your country – your people – and your family. Go where I show you. GO!”
God calls the first person to the team. Woohoo, says Abram – I got picked first (that is probably not what he said, but if he was in public school with a group of peers and he got picked first, that is exactly what he would have said). Then Abram gets his team instructions, let go of all you hold dear and all you rely on and go where I call you to go. Trust and depend on me!
Okay, lets pause here. Leave your country (your identity and citizenship) – leave your people (friends, work, neighbours, support networks) – and leave your family (belonging, safety net, the people you know you can rely on even when you mess up) – LEAVE IT ALL, God calls – GO, where I lead you.
In the call of Abraham we witness a key theme in the Bible – in God’s story – we are called to a dependence on God. God may be calling Abraham as the start of His new nation, but in the beginning was God. The choice of who would parent the new nation shows that God is the source behind this nation. We would have chosen differently, but we can only see what is before us. God sees the whole picture from beginning to end, often working in ways that don’t make sense to us, at least not at the time.
God often works through the people you least expect as a reminder of Who is truly in control.
After the call to Abraham God offers a series of promises with blessings.
Promise 1 “I will make you into a great nation.” Notice God says, “I will make you into a great nation.” This nation will not be a product of human might or will – God will make Abraham into a great nation. Just to hit the point home, God chooses an elderly couple, well past childbearing years to bring forth the heir to the nation He is building. Baby Isaac is nothing short of a promised miracle.
Promise 1 is coupled with blessing #1, “I will bless you.” Abraham and Sarah’s blessings will come from God. In obedience they leave behind security and inheritance, for they will need none of it – God will bless them.
Promise 2, “I will make your name great.” Abraham is the Patriarch of our faith. He was not a mighty warrior or great inventor – his name is remembered as the one who believed God despite what the evidence claimed. This is what the Apostle Paul wrote about Abraham in his letter to the Romans:
“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the
father of many nations, just as it had been said about him, “so shall
your offspring be.”
Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was
as good as dead – since he was about a hundred years old – and that
Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief
regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and
gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do
what he had promised” Romans 4:18-21
Even in the time of Jesus people referenced Abraham as the father of their faith. When John the Baptist was at the Jordon River he scolded the Pharisees and Saduccees for claiming Abraham as their father but not living by his example.
“Don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘Abraham is our father.’ I tell you, God can raise up children for Abraham even from these stones.” Matthew 3:9
Perhaps you have heard the Sunday School song, “Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had father Abraham. I am one of them and so are you, so lets all praise the Lord…
How great is the name of Abraham that we still sing his name?
The blessing attached to this promise is, “you will bless others.” Abraham’s faith would serve as a guiding light from generation to generation and a blessing to those who believed.
Notice God doesn’t ask Abraham to bless others; but rather, God tells him he will bless others.
Promise 3 includes the blessing, “I will bless those who bless you and I will curse those who curse you.” In other words, I’ve got your back Abraham!
Promise 4 also includes the blessing, “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” This promise begins with Abraham’s willingness to put his life and future in God’s hands. It is evidenced in the miraculous birth of Isaac and it is brought into perspective at the foot of the Cross, where Jesus, a descendant of Abraham, Issac and Jacob died for the sins of all people of all nations. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you. Abraham put his faith in God and because he did, you and I have the assurance of the resurrection into eternal life. I certainly feel that blessing, and I pray you do too. In this we can see God’s big picture – God intended this blessing for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – and for you, your parents, grandparents, great grandparents, etc., etc.
Through Abraham and Sarah God begins to build a nation of everyday imperfect people like you and I. Through this nation God reveals His sovereignty and love, and through this nation of everyday imperfect people like you and I God blesses all people of all nations.
The call to Abraham is your call too, and it is our call as the church. We are called to Go – to step out in faith – to trust God to lead and protect us. We are called to receive-to accept God’s blessing. You and I are called to be a blessing and to bless other’s and we are called to serve together as Christ’s church though which our families, communities, country and world will be blessed.
We are not perfect, and we will mess things up on a regular basis, but just as God worked through Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebeka, Esau and Jacob and Leah and Rachel, God will work through us, if we will put our faith in God’s hands to lead and bless us and to bless others through us.
Friends, put your faith in God to lead you, accept His blessings in your life, be a blessing in the world and let God bless others through you.
Please pray with me: Sovereign Lord, you make the impossible possible and you restore what we have broken. You reach out to bless us and you call us to imitate you by reaching out to bless others. When we follow Your will You bless others through us. Your will is for the goodness of all, so we align our hearts with You praying Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Christ we pray. AMEN