September 7, 2014 | Can you hear the call?

Dear all, welcome to THE NATHAN REPORT!
Today is a especially a wonderful day since we are also celebrating Teacher's day. To begin, I have a beautiful photo-verse to share:

We started off with with praise and worship, here is the playlist:

1) Great is Thy faithfulness – Chris Tomlin

2) Lord You are good – Israel Houghton

3) Old Rugged Cross – Traditional Hymn

4) Once Again – Matt Redman

Here is a photograph and a short video of our worship team:

Wonderful praise and worship followed by the weekly announcements. Here is the list of this week's announcements:
- Men's fellowship on 18th September, 2014 (Thursday) at 6:30 AM.
- Women's fellowship on 27th September, 2014 (Saturday) at 4:30 PM.

Post announcements, we had a small session honoring teachers. Below are few photographs:

It was nice to see all the teachers. This was followed by three testimonies and we move to the main-course of spiritual food. 

Today’s topic is, “Can you hear the call?”
It was unusual, as one of the brother, (worship leader Mahesh) shouted from behind, “Anybody want water? I have a bottle of water!” It was surprising and many started looking behind as what exactly happened. This was basically an illustration of how we listen to someone and at times we ignore. Are you hearing the voice of God? We are not talking about God’s call to ministry here, but personally to you?

John 7:37-39

37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

It is supposed that Christ alluded to this. If any man desires to be truly and forever happy, let him apply to Christ, and be ruled by him. This thirst means strong desires after spiritual blessings, which nothing else can satisfy; so the sanctifying and comforting influences of the Holy Spirit, were intended by the waters which Jesus called on them to come to Him and drink. The comfort flows plentifully and constantly as a river; strong as a stream to bear down the opposition of doubts and fears. There is a fullness in Christ, of grace for grace. The Spirit dwelling and working in believers, is as a fountain of living, running water, out of which plentiful streams flow, cooling and cleansing as water. The miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit we do not expect, but for his more common and more valuable influences we may apply. These streams have flowed from our glorified Redeemer, down to this age, and to the remote corners of the earth. May we be anxious to make them known to others.

When were you hungry the last time? If you notice when you don’t eat anything the entire day, by evening the acids in the body starts generating pain inside the stomach and is only cured with intake of some food. When was the last time you remember you were really thirsty that literally your mouth became dry? We need to be hungry, we need to be thirsty for the food that will satisfy us completely. We need the Spiritual food.

If you remember last week we spoke about “Foundation”. Once we grow spiritually, we need to have hunger for spiritual food. When spiritual growth comes to our lives, Joy comes to us and God is pleased.

Illustration: When a child is born and when he calls his parents “Mama”, “Papa” for the first time, it is one of the most joyous moment. At times parents argue about whose name was called first. To prove oneself, they even argue more. That is actually a good example of hunger for proving the point. Do we have same hunger and thirst?

Illustration: At times we go to one of the restaurant and enjoy a stomach filled lunch. Not only that, we at times overeat. Then in the evening, we do not really feel eating since it was heavy eating during lunch. Then generally we feel that we probably have something light, maybe something like a soup or a salad.

We are not talking about such hunger. When we are desperate for food and water, which is the one we are talking about.

As much as we are thirsty physically, we also come to a point of Spiritual thirst and hunger. Spiritual thirst and hunger is important for spiritual growth. Spiritual growth is a joy to others and to the Lord. When God calls, only hungry will hear the voice of God. People who are already filled will not hear HIS call.

Joshua 7:16-26, “16 So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel near tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was taken. 17 And he brought near the clans of Judah, and the clan of the Zerahites was taken. And he brought near the clan of the Zerahites man by man, and Zabdi was taken. 18 And he brought near his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. 19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” 20 And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: 21 when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”

22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was hidden in his tent with the silver underneath. 23 And they took them out of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel. And they laid them down before the Lord. 24 And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold, and his sons and daughters and his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, “Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.” And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.”

Luke 12:13-21, “13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.””

Matthew 26:14-26, “14 Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.”

A very well know Christian author CS Lewis once wrote, “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

God says, “Come, eat the food I provide. Do not eat that cheap food because the food I give you will satisfy you.” We are generally satisfied with cheap substitutes instead of real food.

1- As every newborn is hungry – every child of God must have hunger.

Illustration: If we notice new born animals like young pups, calves etc., their eyes are closed yet they constantly move their head and try to reach out for food. They try to stand with shaky legs, still stand because of hunger and in hope that they will receive. Similarly our children, when born, they use to cry and after feeding them, they sleep or stop crying.

Similarly, we ought to hunger and thirst for spiritual growth. Are you hungry the same way? At times we start looking at time while church service is going on thinking, “when will pastor end his sermon today?” We are not building our appetite. We are not hungry enough. We fast from God and not fast for God. We need to desire for the word of God. How can we give bread to others when we ourselves are not eating.

Jeremiah 2:13, “For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.”

To forsake this Fountain is the first evil; this is done when the people of God neglect his word and ordinances. They hewed them out broken cisterns, that could hold no water. Such are the world, and the things in it; such are the inventions of men when followed and depended on. Let us, with purpose of heart, cleave to the Lord only; whither else shall we go? How prone are we to forego the consolations of the Holy Spirit, for the worthless joys of the enthusiast and hypocrite!

2- Food is necessary for our growth

Sometimes when we skip church, we try to hide ourselves from Pastor, thinking pastor might be angry. There is always a constant sense of dissatisfaction.

Illustration: Sometimes we ask someone, “Do you spend some time to read from the word of God?” Many a times we get this response, “I want to, but not able to get time due to my busy schedule.”

This is not actually problem of time management, it is hunger problem. Hungry people don’t wait for food to be served, they find it and eat it.

Illustration: A man visited his friend as he was invited for a dinner function. He started seeking best of the food in the buffet, finally he added few crisps on his platter assuming fish. When he ate, he realized this was actual a hash brown.

Many a times, satan lies to us and deceives us with offering things that temporarily satisfies us. We need the spiritual food to be completely satisfied.

3-  Lack of Spiritual hunger and growth should cause an alarm.

There is a disease known as “Anorexia Nervosa”. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by immoderate food restriction, inappropriate eating habits or rituals, obsession with having a thin figure, and an irrational fear of weight gain, as well as a distorted body self-perception.

Few God’s people have spiritual anorexia. We have a very little desire for the house of the Lord.

Illustration: When a baby is not eating food properly, we take him to doctor and seek his assistance. Similarly, for us, Jesus said in HIS loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, come to me.”

Amos 8:11-12, “11 “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “when I will send a famine on the land — not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. 12 They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it.”

Bible says, the day is coming. We might run everywhere in search of something that we want today. The day will come when we will long for food. We need to listen to the voice of our God.

Few references:

Psalms 42:1-2, “1 As a deer pants for flowing streams,

    so pants my soul for you, O God.

2 My soul thirsts for God,

    for the living God.

When shall I come and appear before God?”

Psalms 63:1, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;

    my soul thirsts for you;

my flesh faints for you,

    as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”

Psalms 84:2, “My soul longs, yes, faints

    for the courts of the Lord;

my heart and flesh sing for joy

    to the living God.”

Psalms 143:6, “I stretch out my hands to you;

    my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah”

Isaiah 55:1-3, “1 “Come, everyone who thirsts,

    come to the waters;

and he who has no money,

    come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

    without money and without price.

2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,

    and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,

    and delight yourselves in rich food.

3 Incline your ear, and come to me;

    hear, that your soul may live;

and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,

    my steadfast, sure love for David.”

Psalms 34:10, “The young lions suffer want and hunger;

    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”

Sir Francis Drake, an adventurer, wrote it as he departed to the west coast of South America.

Disturb us, Lord, when

We are too pleased with ourselves,

When our dreams have come true

Because we dreamed too little,

When we arrived safely

Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when

With the abundance of things we possess

We have lost our thirst

For the waters of life;

Having fallen in love with life,

We have ceased to dream of eternity

And in our efforts to build a new earth,

We have allowed our vision

Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,

To venture on wilder seas

Where storms will show Your mastery;

Where losing sight of land,

We shall find the stars.

We ask you to push back

The horizons of our hopes;

And to push back the future

In strength, courage, hope, and love.

This we ask in the name of our Captain,

Who is Jesus Christ.

Following this, we move to the holy-communion session followed by a closing prayer and mild music in the background by the worship team. Please find the video clip and photographs below:

We hope you enjoyed and are encouraged by today’s service. We will meet you again next week. God Bless!