The scripture this morning is definitely an epiphany or revelation of the fact that God can make something out of nothing.
Motivational speaker and author Zig Zigler grew up in Yazoo, Mississippi. Now those of us who grew up in rural Alabama always thought "Thank God for Mississippi", because we knew that there would be one state below us on any measurement you could come up with in the 50 states in the union. Most of us might consider growing up in Yazoo, Mississippi as a disadvantage, but not Zig Zigler as he would always say: "You can go anywhere in the world from Yazoo, MS."
Jesus was not from Yazoo, but he was from Nazareth in the region of Galilee. And Nazareth received the same kind of respect from the rest of Israel as any small rural town in the Deep South yet receives from the big cities. Do you remember when Jimmy Carter ran for the Presidency? The news media out of NY and Washington, would say of his hometown: "Where is Plains, Georgia?" Well people in Atlanta, wondered, "Where is Plains, GA?
Nathaniel, one of the future disciples of Jesus, even said when Phillip told him about Jesus: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"
Well, among many things which Jesus proved, one was that you can go anywhere from Nazareth. God can make something out of nothing. It's not where you are from, in the long run, but who you are and where you are going that really matters. This morning, as we are yet in the early beginnings of this New Year, I want to talk to you about Overcoming Our Circumstances.
First of all, let us recognize that life is hard and difficult, for most of us come from nowhere, USA.
Secondly, let us recognize that many have overcome their circumstances and so can you.
Joel McDavid a friend whom I worked with as an associate 30 years ago while I was at the Dauphin Way Church, died recently. He and his brother, both now in God's nearer presence, were born in Georgetown, Alabama. Georgetown was a "Nazareth” even below Marengo County geographically or any other standard of measurement. And Joel rose to be a pastor, an Episcopal officer of the Church, and a teacher in one of our seminaries. It is not so important where you come from, but who you are and where you are going.
Fred Dawson, writing in the book When Black Folks Was Colored tells of the l906 hurricane that all but leveled the city of Pensacola. At the time, he and his family were living in Perote, Alabama raising cotton and starving to death. Most of the other black families were packing up and moving north, Dawson's family packed up and moved south to Pensacola to help rebuild the city and to become a significant land owner. Fred Dawson learned early on, that it is not so important where you come from, but who you are.
Years ago, in the l960’s when I was in college, I drove down to a small community just south of Monroeville, Alabama, and preached on every other weekend, at the Bermuda Methodist Church. I had this friend who grew up in that community who now lives in Monroeville who recently told me an amazing story, which goes like this:
When he and his sister were growing up in a shack of a house in Bermuda, with his father, a two mule farmer, and mother, a part-time beautician, the children would walk out of their house on a cold day to catch the school bus for an 8 mile trip to their school, in Repton, AL. When they would have to wait for the bus, sometimes they would see some black children walking on the road to their run-down black school some 4 miles down the road. What they didn't know was that some of those black kids had already been walking for 30 minutes in the rain and cold and would still be walking long after the school bus would pull up to the white school in Repton. One day his sister asked "Why can't they ride the bus with us?" And no one ever came up with an answer that would make sense back in the l940's.
In the last few years, my friend now in his 70's has moved to Monroeville and recently met a very impressive lady who joined the Monroeville Kiwanis Club. It is new territory for a woman to be a member of the formally all male club in Monroeville Alabama, but what is even more unusual is that this lady named Mrs. Tucker, the retired librarian in the small Junior College, Alabama Southern, is a black lady. My friend discovered that she had three children, one a medical doctor at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, another a college professor at Berkley, and a daughter, Cynthia Tucker, who is the senior editor of the Editorial page of the Atlanta Constitution.
What is even more amazing is that upon getting to know this lady, he discovered that she was one of those black children who had walked past his house to her black school, 60 years ago. It is not so important where you come from, but who you are and where you are going.
Steve McNair is from Mt. Olive, Mississippi. He graduated from Alcom State. But, this afternoon, Steve McNair will play in the Professional Football playoffs. He is the black quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. Maybe you remember him in last year's Super Bowl. He has fought for the last seven years at Tennessee, the old notion that blacks could play tackle but not quarterback. This year the Tennessee Titans have won 11 of the last 12 games and McNair leads the league with 22 touchdowns and 3387 passing yards.
McNair recently said: "I know that a lot of guys on our team could not survive in country life like I did, but coming from where I came from and going through what I've gone through gives you a peace of mind and that works to my advantage.”
Steve McNair knows that it is not so important where you come from, but who you are and where you are going.
Martin Luther King was a middle class, black, Baptist preacher, but his message of Christian love and nonviolent social change, saved this nation from a revolution in the l960's and our entire nation honors him tomorrow. I heard him preach one time and I was impressed, but during the 1960's when I was in college, there was so much negative press and conversation about him, "communist sympathizer, revolutionary,” you just didn't know and none of us knew. But today 40 years after his death, knowing what we now know, and having read his sermons of what he was teaching and preaching in the 50s and 60s, it makes you realize that it is not so important where you come from, it's not the color of your skin, but the character of your soul, that makes a difference.
Nathaniel in this biblical story, said of Jesus "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?''…
And Jesus said to Nathaniel, "You have not seen anything yet… and then in verse 51, he says: "you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending"
I've seen this. Nathaniel saw it. And so can you. How amazing! Heaven opened! Angels of God ascending and descending!
The heavens that opened when Jesus came have been open ever since. Some people couldn't see it while Jesus was here on earth, and some still can't. But eyes of faith see wondrous things happen all the time. Believe and you will begin to see things happen. Heaven opened! Angels of God ascending and descending!
That's why Phillip said to Nathaniel": Come and See". And today I invite you to come and see…
There are places like Afghanistan and Iraq, where they put women to death for adultery. It is interesting that, in these places men usually get off scot-free. I thought that it took two to tango! But, in some places, they still execute women for adultery.
In those places where Christ has had the greatest influence, there has been a softening of this kind of one-sided brutal justice. In those places where Christ has had the greatest influence, women enjoy freedom and respect. In those places where Christ reigns, lives are changed — neighborhoods are transformed — even whole nations become better. Heaven opened! Angels ascending and descending!
Today the story of South Korea is remarkable. It has had a great deal of assistance from the US, but even so, when its leaders finally began to turn from their hatred of the North, and to look across the sea and it became a global nation. Only as we look beyond our circumstances will we overcome our limitations. Heaven will open and you will see new possibilities.
Heaven is open for us. Jesus asks only that we come and see — that we deal with him honestly — that we give him a chance — that we step out in faith. If we will do that, he promises that we, like Nathaniel will see wondrous things. Heaven will open!
Summary: Yes, we may start off in a place called Yazoo City, or Mt. Olive or Marengo County, or a place called Nazareth, but hear this: It doesn't matter where you start out and it doesn't matter what obstacles you have to overcome, you can become a champion, a winner, a hero, a Christian, God's special child, by trusting God with your life and you will see the heavens opened.
There is heard in our national capital these days the drum beat of an approaching war. A call to arms! This week, on the way to Destin, I drove on Highway 98, and as I passed the runways of Hulbert Field there were three massive transport planes taxying to take off. I prayed for and cried for the young men and women on those planes who had been called into active duty and were being sent to Iraq.
Let us in these days, pray for our tense world and the families of this nation and every nation that war and hatred can be avoided and that peace and goodwill can rule among all.
This is not the first time someone has been called to go to Iraq. In our Bible, we are told of the prophet Jonah, 2700 years ago who was called to go to Nineveh, which was 700 years before Christ, the capital city of the Assyrians. Nineveh was one of the oldest and most powerful cities of Mesopotamia and was located on the east bank of the Tigris River in the northern section of modern Iraq.
Now the Assyrians, between 900-and 600 BC, three centuries of human history, would dominate the Ancient Near East. Its armies were determined to conquer and intimidate and were notorious to reap the spoils of war of the small tribes and vessel states throughout the Near East, of which Israel and Judah were but insignificant pawns on the map of the land. The Assyrians, because of their policy to rape and reap the treasures of the conquered people, became some of the most hated individuals in the Near East. One historian tells of a festive night of celebration for a new Assyrian King when prisoners were hung on crosses along the road way, soaked in oil and lit as torches to provide light for the king to ride through the city. The Assyrians practiced genocide on any people who dared to oppose their unparallel authority.
We learn of Jonah from a book, which carries his name in the O.T. and the fact that he is mentioned both in the Book of Kings and much later by Jesus. He lived in a village just north of Nazareth. Let me recall his story for you so that we can learn from his narrative:
The word of the Lord came to Jonah saying "Go to Nineveh and tell them that God is not pleased with them and in 40 days, unless they repent, God will destroy their city." And immediately Jonah went to Tarsh." Now it takes a bit of knowledge of the geography of the land to appreciate this particular part of the story. The evening news will soon educate you on the geography of the land of the Near East, but for now, let me say picture it for you in this way: God called Jonah who was living in Pensacola and said "Go north to New York City and immediately Jonah headed out for South America."
Jonah was a reluctant Prophet, and like everyone else in his day, had a blended mixture of hate and fear, when it came to the Assyrians. If push came to shove, it would be true to say that he was afraid that if he did go to their capital city, and told them to repent less they be destroyed, they would either kill him or they would repent and destroy their weapons and God would forgive them and that would be that, and Jonah hated them, so he immediately went the opposite way.
Well here begins what would be a comedy if it had not been a tragedy. Jonah jumped on board a ship and headed in the opposite direction, only to be struck by a great hurricane wind. As the boat was sinking, the captain threw overboard everything that was worthless including Jonah.
And then, a great fish swallowed Jonah and kept him in his stomach for three days and three nights. But after three days, even the great fish couldn't stomach Jonah's attitude and thus threw him up and out on the beach.
And then, Jonah looked around and found himself on the shores of the Assyrians, and the word of the Lord came for a second time to Jonah, calling him to go to Nineveh and tell the people to repent less they be destroyed in 40 days.
Now Jonah is slow and he hates the Assyrians, but after a terrible hurricane and three days in the stomach of the great fish, he is not dumb, so he goes to Nineveh, and tells the people what God wanted him to tell them in the first place.
And what happens? Well, the Assyrians repent and they put on sackcloth and ashes, the sign of repentance, and we are told, even the dogs fast and wear the traditional garments of mourning. Is this ridiculous or is this ridiculous?
What is really ridiculous is that Jonah becomes mad that they have repented, and worst of all, as far as Jonah is concerned, God forgives them. He was ready for them to be destroyed and they repent!
So now Jonah is extremely mad as he not only hates the Assyrians, but now he also hates God for forgiving them.
And God, who has said a thousand times in the OT, “If you repent, I will forgive your sins and remove them from you as far as the East is from the West," is amazed at the depth of Jonah's hatred of a people whom God has created and has now forgiven.
The story is not over so stay right here with me. Jonah, the reluctant prophet called to go to Iraq, is now sitting on a hillside overlooking the city having a real pity party and says in an angry voice to God: "I knew this would happen from the very beginning? That's why I fled on the ship. I knew you were a gracious God and looking for an excuse not to punish these wicked people. So rather than living in a world where you forgive the wicked, just kill me, kill me now."
Sitting and pouting and sweating in the sun, God causes a shade tree to grow over Jonah which maybe God thought would soften his attitude, although he should have known better as three days in the belly of the fish had not softened him. Nevertheless, God provides a shade tree. A shade tree in the desert—ours is a gracious God! And although Jonah enjoyed the shade tree, it didn’t soften his attitude. Jonah sat under his shaded seat and waited for God to come around to his way of thinking, and God is still waiting for a host of Jonah’s to come around to His way of loving.
But remember this is a funny story with many twists and turns. During the night, there is introduced a small green worm that is very hungry and he, overnight, eats the entire tree. Now if you are going to get hung up on the details of this story, you will miss the point.
So Jonah is now, really hot and is really mad. And God responds to Jonah's anger and asks "Why are you so concerned about a single bush perishing but was unconcerned about the thousands of people in Nineveh."
That is the punch line of the whole story. God exposes the biases and shortsighted judgments of a whole nation of people like Jonah. The story is not about Jonah at all, but about God and His unlimited mercy and love.
Therefore, we are called to go to Nineveh, to Iraq, just as Jonah and later the disciples were called by Jesus, beside the sea of Galilee. We are called to go anywhere and everywhere: to other countries far across the sea, and others will be called to go their neighbors, to their friends, and to speak words of God's love for them. Some are called to go to the person down the street, at the next desk.
Our God is a gracious God forgiving the sins of all who turn to Him. The Bible teaches clearly this truth.
“This saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
“If anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous, and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."