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Robert Sihubwa preaching at Lusaka's Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross
ANGLICAN CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY CROSS
READINGS: 21st December 2008 – Advent 4
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 7:8-16
Epistle: Romans 16:25-27
Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
Sermon Theme: The Power of Expectation by Robert Sihubwa
Before we look at the sermon of today, it is important to understand that God connects us to each other for a purpose. He has directed our footsteps in this direction for a reason, so we are hear today because God has something that He desires to deposit into our lives. With this understanding therefore it is important for us to open our hearts and minds and receive with expectation that which God has prepared for us. Remember the Parable of the Sower, we need to allow ourselves to be the kind of soil on which the word of God will find readiness to grow and bear fruit.
Having laid this ground, I will discuss today a sermon entitled The Power of Expectation. I believe that expectation is part of our lives. Most of us expect a better life each day, we expect to perform well in school, we expect our business' to perform well, and we expect our children to grow in a disciplined manner and many other expectations. It is however important to note that when pain, disappointment, suffering, failure to mention a few persists; it is easy to loose the sense of expectation. We come to a place where we withdraw and convince ourselves that probably we were meant to live this kind of sub-standard live, that things will never be better for us. The moment we come to such a place, we stop to fight for a better future, we stop to plan and our lives become like a leaf that is blown by the wind.
Our Gospel reading for today arises in a context in which the children of Israel in Palestine we expecting the birth of a Messiah who would liberate them from the oppression of the Roman Government. Around this time the main challenge of the people was the exorbitant taxation that they suffered. The system was such that the Tax collectors where not paid very well so in order for them to make a living they would over tax the people. The Government of the day did not care as long as the Tax Collector handed in the amount allocated to him. Whatever was extra would go into his pocket. You will remember the story of Zaccheaus, after Jesus entered his house and he got converted, he pledged to return four times all that he had stolen from the people (Luke19:1-27). The people who were not able to pay the taxes would be arrested and made to work as slaves, or worse still their children could also be taken as slaves. Taxation was therefore a huge burden on the people and this was one of the reasons for them to have hated the Tax collectors so much. According to them Tax Collectors were sinners with who Jesus should not have associated.
Because of this kind of oppression, the Jews lived in fear and were never free, so they longed for a Messiah to deliver them. Their understanding of a Messiah was that he would be a political figure that would lead a revolt against the oppressive government and establish the kingdom of God. Many of us in our different situations of oppression and pain consistently pray that God would send someone to deliver us from such pain. The Jews I believe looked for the Messiah to come from the highest and respected people in society. What they did not know was that God had decided to bring the Messiah through a humble and simple lady by the name of Mary. In the eyes of that community Mary was a common person but in the eyes of God she was special. I believe that when you look at yourself today, you feel that you are a common person, so small in this big world that keeps moving on. Sometimes like Mary you may feel like you are not a factor, that you are the minority and that your voice would count for nothing. Mary felt the same when she received a strangle greetings from the Angel, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you" (Luke 1:28). During her time it was only the Pharisees and Elders of the church that were known to have access to God and not the "common" people. Mary therefore could never have thought that God would favor her and be with her a "commoner". This was the reason for her being afraid but the angel encouraged her not to be afraid and repeated the words, "You have found favor with God". He went on to say, "You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you will give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end" (Luke 1:30-33). Upon hearing this Mary inquired how possible such a thing would happen by indicating to the angel that she was a virgin and had not known a man. In other words she was saying that she had no experience; maybe there were better people to do this not her. The angel assured her that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and the power of the Most High would overshadow her so that whatever would come out of her would be of God. Then graciously Mary said, "I am the Lord's servant, may it be to me as you have said". By this response Mary's understanding of life had changed, the angel had just told her that even Elizabeth in her old age was pregnant and that with God all things are possible. She realized that it was no longer about her but about the greatness of God in her. She knew at that moment that all she needed to do was to surrender and submit to the will of God. The God who called her could not fail her. Remember that God will never take you to a place where His grace is not sufficient to carry you. And so because she submitted to the will of God, Mary carried the Messiah that everyone expected within her.
God in our time looks for people who would yield to His will and purpose so that through them the expectation of the people may be met. Today God looks at you members of the Cathedral as the carriers of the Messiah for your family, community, church and the nation. You might not necessarily be pregnant with a child, but God wants to be you pregnant with an idea, a passion, a ministry, a longing, and a commitment that would bring hope to your situation. Common as you may look in the eyes of many, you are a factor, an instrument, and a partner with God for the demonstration of His kingdom on earth. The bringing of such a Messiah would need to start from every location where a Christian is found. Interesting enough, God has spread all of us into different professions for a widespread impact. Some of you are Nurses, Doctors, Lawyers, Marketeers, Bus Drivers, Accountants and many more. Every day that you wake up in the morning to go to your work, heaven looks down with pride that a representative of the kingdom is going to impact his/her area of expertise. The important thing is for us to understand that we are not just ordinary people, we carry the presence of God with us and that God will connect us with needs for the purpose that His name be glorified.
It is because of this understanding people of God that we need to always have expectation that God will do something good in every direction that we go. Remember that like Mary you may feel inadequate and too simple to be used of God. Like the angel assured Mary, God is speaking to you today that His spirit will come upon you and you will be overshadowed with the power of the Most High. Because of this spirit what ever will come out of you is no longer about your failures, your limitation, it will now be about what God can do through you and not what you cannot do. Mary could not have a child because she was a virgin but because of the spirit of God, all things became possible. People who may not listen to your voice will listen because of the spirit of God on you; those who could not follow you will follow because of the spirit of God. It is therefore not about you but about God. To this effect, wherever you are and will be you must be expectant that something wonderful will happen because of God and His spirit on you. God will allow you to be found where there is need so that by His spirit you may connect the need to Him, as He says in Ezekiel that He has looked for someone to stand in the gap that the land may not be destroyed (Ezekiel 22:30). So as a child of God you become the one who stands between the need and the answer like Mary.
Look at how God uses people of all ages, the angel told Mary that her relative Elizabeth in her old age had also conceived and was expecting a child. People of God you may be young like Mary; God says that you are His vessel of hope for the world. You may be old like Elizabeth, God still says as long as you are alive, you are of use to Him and can still carry hope and answer for the world. We must never loose sight of the power of expectation. One of the greatest tragedies in life is to live life without expectation, without carrying within you any sense of purpose. When such a thing happens, even though you might be walking, you are already dead. Expectation keeps us alive, it gives us reason to fight for a better tomorrow, and there is power in expectation.
As I conclude, I would like to pose a challenge to you by asking two questions; firstly what kind of pregnancy do you carry for your family, community, cathedral and the nation? Secondly what expectation do you have as you wake up each day for you family, community, the cathedral and the nation? Remember that it is our level of yearning in expectation that draws us by faith into prayer. Because of our expectation, God in 2 Chronicles 7:14 indicates that if His people who are called by His name would humble themselves and pray, He would hear from heaven and come down to heal their land. We can only pray because we have expectation that God will answer. Do not fear to leave an expectant life, always hope for the best and be ready when it comes. Amen
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Robert Sihubwa preaching at Lusaka's Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross
ANGLICAN CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY CROSS
READINGS: 21st December 2008 – Advent 4
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 7:8-16
Epistle: Romans 16:25-27
Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
Sermon Theme: The Power of Expectation by Robert Sihubwa
Before we look at the sermon of today, it is important to understand that God connects us to each other for a purpose. He has directed our footsteps in this direction for a reason, so we are hear today because God has something that He desires to deposit into our lives. With this understanding therefore it is important for us to open our hearts and minds and receive with expectation that which God has prepared for us. Remember the Parable of the Sower, we need to allow ourselves to be the kind of soil on which the word of God will find readiness to grow and bear fruit.
Having laid this ground, I will discuss today a sermon entitled The Power of Expectation. I believe that expectation is part of our lives. Most of us expect a better life each day, we expect to perform well in school, we expect our business' to perform well, and we expect our children to grow in a disciplined manner and many other expectations. It is however important to note that when pain, disappointment, suffering, failure to mention a few persists; it is easy to loose the sense of expectation. We come to a place where we withdraw and convince ourselves that probably we were meant to live this kind of sub-standard live, that things will never be better for us. The moment we come to such a place, we stop to fight for a better future, we stop to plan and our lives become like a leaf that is blown by the wind.
Our Gospel reading for today arises in a context in which the children of Israel in Palestine we expecting the birth of a Messiah who would liberate them from the oppression of the Roman Government. Around this time the main challenge of the people was the exorbitant taxation that they suffered. The system was such that the Tax collectors where not paid very well so in order for them to make a living they would over tax the people. The Government of the day did not care as long as the Tax Collector handed in the amount allocated to him. Whatever was extra would go into his pocket. You will remember the story of Zaccheaus, after Jesus entered his house and he got converted, he pledged to return four times all that he had stolen from the people (Luke19:1-27). The people who were not able to pay the taxes would be arrested and made to work as slaves, or worse still their children could also be taken as slaves. Taxation was therefore a huge burden on the people and this was one of the reasons for them to have hated the Tax collectors so much. According to them Tax Collectors were sinners with who Jesus should not have associated.
Because of this kind of oppression, the Jews lived in fear and were never free, so they longed for a Messiah to deliver them. Their understanding of a Messiah was that he would be a political figure that would lead a revolt against the oppressive government and establish the kingdom of God. Many of us in our different situations of oppression and pain consistently pray that God would send someone to deliver us from such pain. The Jews I believe looked for the Messiah to come from the highest and respected people in society. What they did not know was that God had decided to bring the Messiah through a humble and simple lady by the name of Mary. In the eyes of that community Mary was a common person but in the eyes of God she was special. I believe that when you look at yourself today, you feel that you are a common person, so small in this big world that keeps moving on. Sometimes like Mary you may feel like you are not a factor, that you are the minority and that your voice would count for nothing. Mary felt the same when she received a strangle greetings from the Angel, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you" (Luke 1:28). During her time it was only the Pharisees and Elders of the church that were known to have access to God and not the "common" people. Mary therefore could never have thought that God would favor her and be with her a "commoner". This was the reason for her being afraid but the angel encouraged her not to be afraid and repeated the words, "You have found favor with God". He went on to say, "You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you will give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end" (Luke 1:30-33). Upon hearing this Mary inquired how possible such a thing would happen by indicating to the angel that she was a virgin and had not known a man. In other words she was saying that she had no experience; maybe there were better people to do this not her. The angel assured her that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and the power of the Most High would overshadow her so that whatever would come out of her would be of God. Then graciously Mary said, "I am the Lord's servant, may it be to me as you have said". By this response Mary's understanding of life had changed, the angel had just told her that even Elizabeth in her old age was pregnant and that with God all things are possible. She realized that it was no longer about her but about the greatness of God in her. She knew at that moment that all she needed to do was to surrender and submit to the will of God. The God who called her could not fail her. Remember that God will never take you to a place where His grace is not sufficient to carry you. And so because she submitted to the will of God, Mary carried the Messiah that everyone expected within her.
God in our time looks for people who would yield to His will and purpose so that through them the expectation of the people may be met. Today God looks at you members of the Cathedral as the carriers of the Messiah for your family, community, church and the nation. You might not necessarily be pregnant with a child, but God wants to be you pregnant with an idea, a passion, a ministry, a longing, and a commitment that would bring hope to your situation. Common as you may look in the eyes of many, you are a factor, an instrument, and a partner with God for the demonstration of His kingdom on earth. The bringing of such a Messiah would need to start from every location where a Christian is found. Interesting enough, God has spread all of us into different professions for a widespread impact. Some of you are Nurses, Doctors, Lawyers, Marketeers, Bus Drivers, Accountants and many more. Every day that you wake up in the morning to go to your work, heaven looks down with pride that a representative of the kingdom is going to impact his/her area of expertise. The important thing is for us to understand that we are not just ordinary people, we carry the presence of God with us and that God will connect us with needs for the purpose that His name be glorified.
It is because of this understanding people of God that we need to always have expectation that God will do something good in every direction that we go. Remember that like Mary you may feel inadequate and too simple to be used of God. Like the angel assured Mary, God is speaking to you today that His spirit will come upon you and you will be overshadowed with the power of the Most High. Because of this spirit what ever will come out of you is no longer about your failures, your limitation, it will now be about what God can do through you and not what you cannot do. Mary could not have a child because she was a virgin but because of the spirit of God, all things became possible. People who may not listen to your voice will listen because of the spirit of God on you; those who could not follow you will follow because of the spirit of God. It is therefore not about you but about God. To this effect, wherever you are and will be you must be expectant that something wonderful will happen because of God and His spirit on you. God will allow you to be found where there is need so that by His spirit you may connect the need to Him, as He says in Ezekiel that He has looked for someone to stand in the gap that the land may not be destroyed (Ezekiel 22:30). So as a child of God you become the one who stands between the need and the answer like Mary.
Look at how God uses people of all ages, the angel told Mary that her relative Elizabeth in her old age had also conceived and was expecting a child. People of God you may be young like Mary; God says that you are His vessel of hope for the world. You may be old like Elizabeth, God still says as long as you are alive, you are of use to Him and can still carry hope and answer for the world. We must never loose sight of the power of expectation. One of the greatest tragedies in life is to live life without expectation, without carrying within you any sense of purpose. When such a thing happens, even though you might be walking, you are already dead. Expectation keeps us alive, it gives us reason to fight for a better tomorrow, and there is power in expectation.
As I conclude, I would like to pose a challenge to you by asking two questions; firstly what kind of pregnancy do you carry for your family, community, cathedral and the nation? Secondly what expectation do you have as you wake up each day for you family, community, the cathedral and the nation? Remember that it is our level of yearning in expectation that draws us by faith into prayer. Because of our expectation, God in 2 Chronicles 7:14 indicates that if His people who are called by His name would humble themselves and pray, He would hear from heaven and come down to heal their land. We can only pray because we have expectation that God will answer. Do not fear to leave an expectant life, always hope for the best and be ready when it comes. Amen
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