You Are

Last Sunday we discussed the 23rd Psalm,

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie 
Down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he 
restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for 
his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the 
shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod 
and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before 
me in the presence of my enemies; thou annointest my head
with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall 
follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house 
of the LORD forever.

We know it is a great feeling to have this security in our life of a shepherd 
who brings unto his sheep devotion and unconditional love. But yet when 
God calls, how might we feel and what does God say about our heart? 
How do we know the way, Thomas…and what do you need to be satisfied,
Philip? 

Let’s see what Jesus had to say, John 14:1-10

“Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also
in me. In my Fathers house there are many rooms; if it were 
not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place 
for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will 
come again and take you to myself, that where I am you 
may be also. And you know the way where I am going.” 
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are 
going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to Thomas, 
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to
the Father, but by me. If you have known me, you would 
have known my Father also; henceforth you have known 
him and have seen him.” Philip said to Jesus, “Lord, show 
us the Father, and we shall be satisfied.” Jesus said to 
Philip, “Have I been with you so long, and you don’t know 
me Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how 
can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ Do you not believe that 
I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I 
say to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the 
Father who dwells in me does his works.

In your life where does God the Father dwell in your comfort zones? You 
know your comfort zones, as you are comfy at home, as God is watching 
you tithe for tax purposes, and as you are complaining about life. But then 
again, why would someone have the desire to be different? Why would 
someone have the desire to have God the Father dwell in them?

Why would someone have the desire to hear what God is saying, versus
hearing what the world is saying? The world says stab them in the back 
and let them lie in their own pain. God says put away your tricks and long 
to be fed in the word of God so that you may rise in the knowledge of who 
Jesus is in your life. To come to know that God is joy, God is peace, God 
is love from up above. God is beauty, God is true, God loves me and God 
loves you. Remember, Matthew 7: 24-27

“Every one then who hears these words of mine and does 
them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the 
rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds 
blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because 
it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears 
these words of mine and does not do them will be like a 
foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain 
fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat 
against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it.” 

When God calls you, what is your choice? Would you answer to God, 
knowing those of the world may look down on you for you have made the 
choice to build upon the rock of God and not upon the sand of the world?
If God called you today to go to another country, to give up your nice
comfortable lifestyles what would you do? Answer to the call of the world
or to the call of God? Answer to money and materialism or inner peace 
that can only be found in a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior 
Jesus Christ. To sink in the sand of this world or stand on the rock of God?

To have expensive play things and materialism or to want to walk and be 
with God? I pray that you believe in the calling of God for if not then what 
do you have to live for? What purpose do you and I have in this world? If 
you do not have a purpose, if you do not hear the call of God in your life 
then what do you have? You think it is bad being fired or laid off from a job 
and having no income then try living with out God in your life and you will 
find out what it really means to go without. The issue is not money, the 
issue is not disease, the issue is not death, the issue is the question. The 
question, what are you living for, darkness, or God? 

I am amazed and saddened when I hear one say how difficult it is to get
out of bed to come to the house of God and worship on Sunday morning.
It is difficult to get out of bed and come to worship for an hour but yet they 
can work all day and stay up late at night to attend or watch on TV a 
sporting event or a concert. It is too difficult and hard to get out of bed for 
God but not for that of this world. Excuse me God, but am I missing 
something here? What would happen if we remembered? 

John 14:15-17,

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will 
pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to 
be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world 
cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; 
you know him for he dwells with you, and will be with you.

What would happen if we remember, 

John 14: 18

I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you. Yet a little 
while and the world will not see me no more, but you will see 
me; because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know 
that I am in the Father, and you in me, and I in you.”

Because he lives I will live also not just in this world but in the best that is 
yet to come. 

1 Peter 2: 1-6

So put away all your malice and all guile (all your meanness 
against each other) and insincerity and envy and slander. 
Like newborn babies, long for the spiritual milk, that by it you 
may grow up to salvation; for you have tasted the kindness 
of the Lord. Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men 
but on God’s sight chosen and precious; and like living stones 
be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy 
priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God 
through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: “Behold I am 
laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, 
and he who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

May we put away our malice and guile, our insecurities and envy and 
slander. Like a newborn baby may we long to be fed in the word of God 
and to live in faith. For if you do not have a purpose then what do you and 
I have in our lives?

If you are called by God at this very moment what would you do? Where 
would you turn your heart? You are in charge of your choice, my Choice 
I pray, would be your choice. 

Turn to the Lord in prayer. 

Precious Father, 
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy, do you hear what I hear?
Father, how many hear and do not respond to your call? 
How Many hear and turn a deaf ear? May we not 
only hear your call Father, may we answer 
your call and in faith step out in the 
world, not our backyard, but the 
world  to  serve  you.  A 
cornerstone,  chosen 
and  precious  for 
you are with us.
Amen 



04/24/2005 JWM



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