Laptop: Hey, good afternoon, Waterway Church. I am Jesse. That's Javon. Hey yo. Today it is Tuesday afternoon, September 1st. And so summer is just about over. September's here. Kids are getting back to school. And it looks like everything's changing. So we're going to change our sermon series too. Right. This week is the last week on our Road to Emmaus sermon series, where we've been talking about all these types and shadows, things and events and people of the Old Testament. point forward to the new test. We're doing the path. We could go all the way around the sanctuary. It'd probably take us a few years. We could go for a long time. We could go for a long time. But I think we're going to switch it up. We're actually going to get started in the book of James next week. So those of you who want to study ahead, start reading the book of James. We'll have a good time with it. But we are going to also shift a little bit of the content of the podcasts over the next couple of weeks. So be checking that out. We'll be back only next week and give you some details about that. But today there are a lot of Types and shadows, all kinds of hints about who Jesus was going to be, things that he would do. in some of the smaller books of the old testament, we call some of those books the minor prophets. Yeah. Not because they're less important, but because why smaller books? Just smaller books. They're not massive books like Isaiah or Jeremiah or Ezekiel. but today we're in Zechariah and we're gonna hear some of these words that actually are pretty popular when we get near Palm Sunday. Jesus took these words, applied them to himself. Javon, where are we headed here? Yeah, so very Very popular passage of Pop Sunday, like you said, Zachariah 9-9. Should be should be easy to remember. rejoice greatly, daughter Zion. I'm reading it here in the NIV. Shout, daughter Jerusalem. See your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Foal of a donkey. Jesse's teaching me these these you know, us city slickers need the lingo to know it's not foul, but anyway. Javon has Has has a brilliant mind for New Testament Greek and Old Testament Hebrew, but sometimes 21st century English trips him up a little English. English English, yeah, anyway. That's not my primary language. I don't know what my primary language is. I don't know if any language is my primary language, but anyway. Side note. So you got Zechariah. Yeah, you got Zechariah. He he's prophesying about this this king coming to Jerusalem on a donkey. And then what in Matthew 21, one through five, Jesus Goes to the Mount of Olives, comes back comes back to Jerusalem with his two dis with sorry, s with his disciples, sends two disciples ahead of him to go get a donkey in the village. And and then he says, Hey, say say sorry, all of that gets take takes place, we're told. It's not coming. It's a big problem. Yeah. Okay. So the author Matthew tells us that all this took place to fulfill the prophet saying Say to the daughter of Zion, behold, your king is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey, which is what we just read in Zechariah. Sure. And Matthew, the book of Matthew is pretty keen on doing that for us. He does a lot with trying to show how Jesus directly fulfilled the prophecies about the coming Messiah, the coming king. and Jesus does that. And I think one of the things that I I get a takeaway from this, we're not going to go down on a Palm Sunday sermon here, but one of the things that we we take, I think I take away from this is. Jesus's ministry was not random. It wasn't like he just decided to do whatever he wanted and somehow managed to fulfill these prophecies. Okay. He came with a task. and in fact, I w earl early on in his ministry, when he his parents lose him, right? He he tells them, Don't you know I gotta be about my father's business? There's this task, there's this mission that he understood. even from a boy that he was sent out to accomplish. And we think of his famous words on the cross, which at the very end breathes, it is finished. It's finished. Yeah. And and so there's this work, this task that God that Jesus came to do. so what do we when we think of Jesus' life and who Jesus is for us, we often refer to him as an example, right? Sure. And so I mean that's part of our tagline here at Waterway. Like our mission statement. We want everyone we know to become more like Jesus. Right. Because he is that perfect example of you know, he was of course God and man, but you know, sinless, perfect in every instance. We want to be more like that. We want to help others become more like that. So when we when we observe the the New Testament, would it be fair to say in the gospels, let's be careful not to just be trying to take theology or whatever from it, but also be looking at how did Jesus live? Well that's a massive part of historically of Mennonite theology was Right. You know, let's not get too complex about all this. What did Jesus do? Yeah. You know, how did he live? How did he respond to the situations around him? We're not in exactly the same context needed, right? He lived in first century Palestine, we live in twenty-first century America. but the way that he thought the standards that he lived by, the teachings that he brought, early Mennonites especially, and we echo it now, said just do what he said. Yeah. You know, live the way he calls us to live. Right. Be the way that he was. And I think to so a point that a verse that kind of makes that point, Ephesians, I'm sorry, no, in Romans, in Romans chapter eight, where it says we're being conformed to the image of his son. Like that's at ultimately we're we're being moved into becoming like Jesus. Yeah. and there's something that God does there, right? Like the spirit works in us and refines us and builds us and matures us. but there's also a partnership that we have with God. You know, it's not as if God does this to us kicking and screaming. Right. There's a willingness that we have on our part to be transformed. A movement we even have to make sure. Yeah. And and sometimes that includes even an investigation into scripture, okay, what was Jesus like? How do I become more like him? There there's an intention on our part that has to be married to, you know, to God's intervention within us. I've heard it said. Sorry, this is a bit of a sidetrack, but I've heard it said. There's a a guy that talks about how a lot of Jewish belief Jewish adherents, not Christian believers, but Jew like Jews following Judaism have a hard time taking Christians seriously because we don't know the we don't know the message of our own teacher. Mm-hmm. Being like the gospels and Jesus. Like for a Jew, when there was a rabbi, they they believed was true, they studied his words, they copied his life, they understood him in and out. Mm-hmm. And how to the way that they dressed, the way that they grew their hair, the things that they ate, the things that they said. And so so we see Jesus as our ultimate a a teacher and and an example. But do we know these gospels well enough to know how he lived, the examples that he gives us for the way we ought to live. Right. sometimes I wonder about that. Do we know that well enough? That's a great point. And there are so many, I mean, there's so much of the Bible to read, right? There's so much good stuff. Old Testament, New Testament, Gospels, and then the Epistles. but that's I my favorite. I mean, my favorite part of reading the Bible is the Gospels, especially for me, I like the book of Matthew. I I that one just as I read it, it jumps off the page to me a little bit more. But it's here we have talking about the example of Jesus Christ. How did he live? What was he like? This is our savior, right? This is our model, right? that's that's yeah, my favorite. Well Raining it back into our sure. Here we go. So so Ephesians tells us we're we were talking about Jesus coming, accomplishing a task. Ephesians tells us not random. On purpose. On purpose. We we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus. This is Ephesians two ten. We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which he prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. So what does that tell us about us? We were created f we have a work and a purpose, something that we were created to do. And I think as we we look at Christ, he's an example in the in the sense that he came, God had a purpose on his life and he lived to that purpose. We too have a purpose for our life. God has given us gifts and talents. Scripture talks about that, different parts of the body that that are given different abilities, different capabilities. We are given gifts and talents and things that God wants to use for a purpose in in our lives. And so we we should we should live our lives intentionally seeking that purpose. Yeah. and I think that's that's one of the things that is interesting from person to person because some people are really clear about that purpose. Even early on, like kind of the way Jesus was. You know, I know people who knew from a very young age. I'm talking about like first grade, second grade, third grade, they knew what kind of job they wanted to do. They knew that they were going to be a teacher or a farmer or a mechanic or whatever like They felt that call on their life and they were interested in that and passionate about it. And now years later, as adults, that's what they're doing and they're finding great great purpose and that great fulfillment. what's interesting is there are some others who get even into their adulthood and they would feel like I've I've heard people tell me they feel like they're kind of living randomly. Right. They're not sure what God's call is for them. Now we know the Bible tells us that God has a plan for everyone, right? You know, has a purpose for everyone, but But not all of us seem to be aware of that or get the same kinds of messages at the same time. Right. There's some people that get even too to go even further, like they get extreme like some sort of vision or dream or something, perhaps. Like we see in the Old Testament. Well, that was what happened to me. Yeah, I mean, we see it all through the Old Testament. I remember being a college freshman sitting at my in my dorm room at my desk and I was doing some homework for an engineering class. or I had just finished up some homework for an engineering class. I hated engineering. I was no good at it. but then I was doing some other homework for a New Testament class that I just took as an elective. And you know, I had never I'd never considered being a pastor before, didn't know that that was anything that God had in store for me, but I was so frustrated hating what I was studying. And so I said, Okay, well, God, I clearly don't know what I'm doing. If you have any ideas for me, what would you like me to work at? And I God told me. You know, there was no audible voice in the room, but I knew in my heart God said I want you to be a pastor. And that was it. That was the first domino. Yeah. That was thirty years ago. That's awesome. But I didn't I didn't get that message until I was nineteen. Right. You know, until that point when I thought about what do I want to do. I thought I wanted to be an architect or a mechanical engineer or I had these different ideas. But yeah, I mean some people get fairly dramatic messages these days. Right. And And that's awesome. So what so but what do we think then? How do we communicate to people that are not like you said, those people in the other situation where you're finding yourself in a spot where you're just wondering, what what is God having from you right now? Do you what would be your thoughts? What would be your advice? My the advice that I heard from an older sage years ago, they said, If God hasn't given you a clear direction yet, stay where you are. unless you were in a position where, you know, where you're compromised. you know, where you're in a j a sinful job, right? You know, or a sinful station or things at home or, you know, just really not bringing glory to God, sometimes the place where we're at may not be where we want to be. It may not seem as if there's some kind of ultimate fulfillment in that. But the advice that I heard from that from that leader years ago kinda rung true to me is that if God hasn't given you a a clear direction otherwise Keep going in the direction that you're in. Because you may already be where God wants you to be. You just don't realize it. Right. And God can work through all kinds of people in all kinds of situations to bring about his glory and fulfill his purpose. And so if God wants you to be somewhere, he'll let you know. Yeah. But but if God hasn't let you know anything, keep working in the direction that you've been going. Don't just stop. I don't think God wants us to just sit in a chair and wait until he gives us direction. Go with what it is that you know so far. And I like what you're saying. And I think I think to add to that, I think then also recognizing that while you may not know if God's calling you in to be a pastor or to work at this company or whatever, there are things when we turn to scripture, there are things that we just know broadly are missions for the church. Things like being ambassadors for Christ, things like testifying and glorifying God, things like living our life for the glory of God. There are things we can admit. Loving your neighbor. That's right. These things are not just jobs for pastors like like you and me, but this is things that all of us are supposed to do and have an opportunity to do. And and you can do that in all kinds of different jobs. You can do that in all kinds of different cities. You can do that with all kinds of different people. You know, there are opportunities. it ministry doesn't just happen at one place at one time in one kind of situation. Yeah. So I think so just to make a few more points before we close out. Sure. I think. one thing that does need to be clear, I think Jesus Jesus was led, had I mean he was God. He was led by God. God sent him for a purpose. God directed him in his purposes. And Jesus, you think of that prayer in the garden before he came to crew like, let your will be done, O Lord. He submitted himself and surrendered to himself. Right. And I think one of the things we need to be careful of when we're thinking about our purpose is it's not about in a sense our purpose. It's about God's purposes for us. And you know, the proverbs that talk about the the idea of like, well, you know, you can try to establish your plans, but God's the one that establishes your steps. And so I think when we're in those times of waiting, God's the one that knows. God's the one that has the plan. Sometimes we're not always aware of what the future is. Maybe we only know what we're supposed to do for the next hour. Perhaps. but but ultimately we need to just trust in God, rest in God and wait and keep pressing on in living lives that glorify and honor Him, living lives that are testifying of the good news that are in that's in us and and just keep pressing on until He shows us a clear direction, change of direction. And I think too, the other thing I think of young adults, being a young adult, might even being there myself, you start to think about what am I gonna do? And I think you can almost think in your mind that you gotta make sure you get it right. Because if you get it wrong, everything's gonna go de shambles. And I one of the things I would just mu and tell me if you you agree, I I think I would caution on is we see time and time and time and time again, examples in the old testament, people did make mistakes. God still used them. God still redeemed those situations, as especially for those who repented, turned to God and said, You know what, I was wrong. I shouldn't have done that. We will make mistakes. We will make wrong turns. But we serve the great redeemer. Mm-hmm. And he can redeem our story no matter how much we try to mess it up. I and I think that's exactly right. And and just a little bit ago you and I spoke about a friend that we have who spent the first part of his career as a physician. He went to medical school. He was a doctor and enjoyed that. And that was work that he found to be very fulfilling. But in his forties, God called him to do something else. And so he went to seminary and became a pastor. Yeah. After, you know, 20 years as a physician in the medical field. And so he wasn't doing anything wrong. He wasn't doing the wrong job or in the wrong career, but God changed him, you know, changed his desires, changed the things that were important to him at the time, and changed his calling in a way that, you know, he made a pretty big change. Yeah. And in his kind of in his midlife years. And I think one of the things that we need to be mindful of is that our purpose is going to be worked out in within our relationship with God. Right. This is just one more reminder to say stay close to the Lord, stay close to Jesus, cultivate our relationship with him. Have that time. Not just reading the Bible and not just praying, but also listening. There may be times when God is trying to get our attention. Right. And wants to say, Hey, I've got a different way for you. Or hey Keep at it. Here's here's a maybe a different way to serve in the place where you're going to stay. all of this happens in the context of relationship, right? And and I think that's where it's tempting to get frustrated and and then we shut down the relationship, but then we shut down our channel for communication and then we get really stuck. Right. But hey, we follow after God, God will lead us. Yeah. So main point, just as Jesus lived a life that intentionally went about what God's task was for him. We too have a purpose for our lives that God has given us and we maintain that relationship with the Lord, seeking to find what He has for us in each and every moment. Yeah, and hey, just one more little detail. That's a good wrap up. But but you just you just you hit me here, Giovanna. No, you're good. One thing to keep in mind is that we can work this out in the context of our relationship with God and Jesus Christ. But don't forget the incredible blessing of Christian friends in your life as well. Absolutely. because I know one of the things that was helpful for me when I was thinking about or when I really felt God calling me into this role of pastor was to be able to test that then with people who knew me really well. Right. That included people in my family and people in my church and said, okay, I feel like God is leading me in this direction. Does this make sense to you? Right. And the fact that they were able to confirm that meant a lot to me that I wasn't just, you know, hearing something off the wall or, hey, I'm hearing voices 'cause I had a bad taco. You know, instead this was this was that there was confirmation there. Right. That that people said, Yeah, we can see that and then that really cemented it for me and and I was able to continue on and yeah and and here we are. So so in the context of our relationship with God and in our relationship with other brothers and sisters, we can we can continue to learn how to walk forward in our relationship with the world. Yeah, absolutely. Amen. Amen. All right. Well, hey, blessed September to you. We'll see you again next week. Later on.