Does God’s absolute sovereignty make evangelism and prayer pointless?

So let's read John chapter 17, starting at verse 1.

John 17 · chapter mention

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said,

Father, the hour has come.

Glorify your Son, that the Son may glorify you.

Since you have given him authority over all flesh to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.

And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world.

Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you.

For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them,

and have come to know in truth that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me.

I am praying for them.

I am not praying for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.

All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.

And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.

Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me.

I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost, except the son of destruction, that the scripture might be fulfilled.

But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

I do not ask for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one,

just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

The glory that you have given me, I have given to them, that they may be one, even as we are one.

I in them, and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me,

and loved them, even as you loved me.

Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am,

to see my glory that you have given me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you,

and these know that you have sent me.

I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known,

that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.

That's the word of the Lord.

Okay.

We're eight weeks into a nine-week series,

considering how we experience God's sovereignty, God's power, in our salvation.

I just want to recap a little bit before we jump into the question this morning,

because I think it's important to remind ourselves that as we've looked at this whole issue of experiencing God's power and salvation,

we've been swept away by the language of salvation.

We've seen that the nature and extent of sin leaves a person in a totally hopeless situation before God.

But then the language of salvation sweeps in.

God takes the initiative in his love, in his mercy.

He initiates our salvation.

He initiates everything that's required to bring us back into good relationship with himself.

Very powerful, compelling language.

And all of that effort on God's part is received by us as pure grace.

That's another word of salvation.

It's something that we're so totally contrary to what we deserve.

And we've been reminded, as we work through what are commonly called the doctrines of grace,

we've been reminded that salvation from start to finish is due to God's actions, powerful actions for us and in us.

And we saw last week that God's golden chain of salvation with inseparable links that speaks so much of security and completeness

and the fact that God's got us, at no point are we left to our own resources.

That's so lovely, that language, isn't it?

So reassuring.

In Romans 8 and 29, we saw last week that God, at the start, God determines who will be saved.

Then he acts decisively to save them.

Then he guarantees that a saved people will make it all the way home to heaven,

where we'll be with Jesus and we'll be like Jesus.

It's just incredible as that language just sweeps over us.

Yet, and this is something I find is really incredible, yet incredibly, for many believers,

God's golden chain of salvation is not a cause to praise him, to praise him for his grace.

It's not something they find wonderful assurance in,

but in actual fact, for so many Christians, that has been the cause of angry division

and separation within Christian communities.

It's actually been the cause of some Christians to doubt God's character and God's goodness.

It just seems so counterintuitive to have the language of grace and love and mercy

and to end up really thinking that God's not good.

Oof.

I think I'm starting to sound like Dave Bott just in the way I said that, didn't I?

He's channeling me from on holidays.

Okay, so in response to that, we've been addressing some of the common questions

posed in response to God's absolute sovereignty and salvation.

And this morning, the question is, as Matt introduced us,

does God's absolute sovereignty or power,

does that make evangelism and prayer for us as Christians pointless?

Since God has already set his love upon specific individuals,

since he's already marked them out for salvation,

and since only those ones will be saved,

then what is the point of me evangelizing?

What is the point of me praying for the salvation of people in general

or a specific person in particular?

And as Matt rightly said, it's a big question.

All these questions we've been dealing with are big questions.

Now, I want to push this in four directions.

Well, it's not actually four directions.

I want to sort of step through this in four steps.

There might well be other steps.

I just couldn't think of them.

You might come up with a better answer than I've got this morning.

But it is what it is, and you can deal with me afterwards.

The first step I wanted to take is to say this.

We need to recognize that there is no ultimately satisfying answer

in any of these questions about God

and God's action and salvation.

We can go so far in philosophical analysis,

but inevitably we'll come to a point where we can't go any further,

and there'll still be a point we just don't understand.

And because of that, it's really important

to be aware of our presuppositions and assumptions

that we might bring to any of these questions

regarding God's absolute sovereignty.

Now, here's the point, you see.

I think we're victims of our so-called scientific,

evidence-based culture.

That's what we hear all the time.

And it runs like this.

Science really claims, or perhaps it's pseudoscience,

science claims that if I cannot understand something fully,

if I cannot explain the logic of something,

the process of something then,

it's probably not real

and probably foolish to believe it.

Now, when armed with our assumptions of human logic,

such as those,

when we go looking for the logic of God

and we intersect God saying on the one hand

that salvation is his sovereign initiative

and action from start to finish,

yet on the other hand,

God's saying that he commands us to pray and evangelize.

With our human logic,

we quickly conclude, or easily conclude,

that these two things just don't sit with each other.

In fact, we conclude that they've got to be enemies

because we can't quite work out

how they work together.

And so we quickly move to the conclusion

that they're enemies.

They cannot both be true.

And from there,

we conclude that God cannot be sovereign in salvation,

as he claims.

Or, we conclude that God is sovereign,

but a monstrous tyrant.

Because our understanding of his sovereign action

doesn't fit with what we think would be a good action.

Now, the problem with all that is

that it actually lies in the face

of what we live with practically and constantly

at so many points in our life.

At so many points of trying to interact with our universe.

The best scientific minds

concede that at so many points

we observe things in the universe

that don't fit our logic,

that don't fit our ideas of how things should work,

that can't be understood,

that can't be explained.

Yet,

the reality of them cannot be denied.

And so,

that creates a tension.

Where is the tension sourced?

The tension is sourced

not in what we observe,

but in our understanding,

our ability to understand and comprehend

and articulate

in the process of what we observe.

The problem is ours.

How much more, then,

when it comes to understanding

the infinite character

and working of our God

with our finite brains?

Scientists don't understand, really,

how the universe can be both expanding exponentially

and also deteriorating.

And so,

for us,

when we come to bring our logic

to God

and make God

fit our logic

and our ideas

of what's good

and consistent

and right

and how things should work,

then,

I think it's both foolish

and arrogant

to conclude

that because we cannot understand

to our satisfaction

and logic

how God's absolute sovereignty

and human responsibility

fit together,

it's arrogant

and foolish

to conclude

that, therefore,

because we can't understand it,

therefore,

it can't sit together

or it won't sit together.

And that,

therefore,

if we see these two things

and they don't fit together,

then,

our option is either

that we're puppets

or

that God's not absolutely sovereign.

Now,

J.I. Packer,

in his book

Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God,

and I think that book

still was written

in the 70s or 80s,

but I don't think

it's been surpassed.

Get a copy of it

if you can get a hold of it.

Actually,

this is a moment to say

somebody out there

has got my copy.

Anyway,

Packer says this,

a God

whom we could understand

exhaustively

and whose revelation

of himself

confronted us

with no mysteries

whatsoever

would be a God

in man's image

and, therefore,

an imaginary God,

not the God

of the Bible at all.

The problem's ours

where we find

these tensions

and lack of understanding.

So, my friends,

since God puts

his sovereignty

and human responsibility

together

constantly

in the Bible,

then

we should believe

and accept,

comma,

even though

we don't fully understand.

Having said that,

we move on

to the second point.

We can dig into the Bible

and there's lots

we can understand.

And here,

the point I want to make

is that we should be

instructed by the clear

emphasis of Scripture.

In other words,

when you read the Bible

just with an honest mind

for comprehension,

it will give us a lot

to answer this question.

And it goes like this.

It appears that Christians

have found an issue

that Jesus himself

had no sense of.

And that's why

I want to touch us down

in John 17.

Throughout his ministry,

Jesus is up front

about two things.

Firstly,

he's up front

about God's

absolute sovereignty

in every step

of salvation,

every stage

of salvation.

We see that right

through John's Gospel,

particularly.

But at the same time,

we find Jesus

in John 17

praying

and urging

his disciples

to evangelism.

No problem for Jesus

at that point.

If you look at

chapter 17,

verses 2 through to 12,

I don't have time

to touch down

in great detail,

but you can just

check it out

on your own

this afternoon

if you're interested.

In chapter 2

through to 12,

sorry,

chapter 17,

verses 2 through to 12,

Jesus is reflecting

on his sentness.

He's very much aware

that he's been sent

into the world

by his Father

to achieve

the Father's purposes,

eternal purposes

in salvation.

To give eternal life

to all those,

and the language

is in John 17,

the language

of God's sovereignty.

He's been sent

into the world

to give life

to all those

that the Father

has taken out

of the world

and given to Jesus.

There's the language

of election.

And in verses 18

through to 20,

Jesus takes

another step

and the connection

is this.

Jesus says,

Father,

as you have sent

me into the world

to speak of your glory

and your salvation,

so I send

all my saved people,

this elect group.

I then have brought them,

or sorry,

you've brought them

out of the world

and I'm sending them

back into the world.

Why?

To speak

about Jesus

so that others

might know

Jesus

and come into

eternal life

as they themselves

have done.

in other words,

evangelism.

Now friends,

I just want to make

this very simple point.

Jesus prays

for his disciples,

for his people,

and it's not just

his disciples

because he prays

for those who have

not yet

become believers.

He's praying

right down

through the generations

as it were.

Jesus prays

for his people

in the context

of evangelism

and in the context

of God's

absolute sovereignty

and there's not

a skerrick

of embarrassment

or tension.

Now I realize

that doesn't answer

all the questions

but it normalizes it,

doesn't it?

Because the same pattern,

it's not just

in John 17

I find that.

You can actually

get a hold of that

concordance

and look through

the whole of the Bible

and you'll see

this repeatedly.

Same pattern

across the whole Bible.

In Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4

that goes right back

to God's people

in the wilderness

ready to go

into the promised land

and in Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 4:5

chapter 4

verses 5 through to 8

God makes clear

essentially the same point

that he wants,

he tells his people

that he expects them

to go before

all the nations

and make clear

to all the nations

his sovereign power

and loving character

and the goodness

of God's laws

as the means

to the good life.

Why does God

do that?

So that all nations

might know him

and might have

the opportunity

to come and bow

before him

and serve him

and worship him.

Isaiah 66

Isaiah 66:19

verse 19

and there's many

many places

between that.

Isaiah 66

Isaiah 66:19

verse 19

at the other end

of the exodus

the exile

sorry exile

I said

I should have been

exile not exodus

the other end

of the exile

God's intent

in that verse

is very clearly

to send survivors

of the exile

to the nations

for what purpose?

Nations that have not

heard of his glory

and his character

and his works

and God's sending

he says

I intend to send

my people

to those nations

why?

So that they might

know of God's character

and God's glory.

Evangelism.

Again in Luke chapter 24

Luke 24:45–47

verses 45 through 47

you remember that

just that little

cameo

with Jesus

just before Jesus

returns to heaven.

and he's reminding

his disciples

of two things.

Firstly he reminds

his disciples

that somebody's locked

out there

you need to open

the door from the inside.

He reminds his disciples

of two things.

Firstly that the Old Testament

spoke clearly of him

and anticipated his coming

and that God's intention

had always been

secondly

through his people

to make known

repentance

and forgiveness

of sin

in Christ

to all nations.

There is no

incompatibility

in the scripture

between God's

absolute sovereignty

and global

sentness

of his people

to speak of God's glory

to make his name known

which is really

what evangelism is.

And friends

I think if we move

from there

to look

historically

across the

ages of the church

that particular

emphasis of scripture

that sentness

in the context

of God's

absolute sovereignty

of God going

before them

as it were

that has been

the motivation

for countless

missionary movements

over the generations.

It's not been

a detraction

from missionary

zeal

it's been

the motivation

to it

because God

goes ahead of them

because God

has it

even before

they get there.

They're not

going in

to a state

of

it being

left up to

themselves

and their own

efforts

and their own

cleverness

and their own

ability to articulate

things, their own

ability to identify

wrong thinking

in a person's

heart and change

their attitudes

and desires.

No, they go there

because God

is sovereign

and God will do

that.

Their job is

simply to take

the gospel

and speak it

as God's

intention always

was for us

people.

Go and speak

of my glory.

And step again

into the third

point as we're

thinking about this.

So as we

dig down into

this, then I

would say

thirdly, we've

got to be

really careful

as we

sort of

swim into

this big

issue not

to confuse

God's stuff

with our

stuff.

Think of

two sides

of one coin.

Two sides

of one coin

are inseparable

but different.

We'll get

ourselves in a

tangle if we

don't know

which side of

the coin

we're dealing

with.

God's stuff

and our

stuff.

How does

that work?

Well, let me

tell you what

God's stuff

is.

God's stuff

is what

describes God's

character and

activity in

his world.

In classic

theological terms,

these are called

the secret decrees

of God.

The secret

decrees of God.

Now, these are

things and

they're often

the why of

God's actions.

These are

things which

we cannot

understand fully

at points

because we

cannot fathom

the mind of

God and

at points

because God

simply hasn't

told us.

They're the

secret things

of God which

you cannot

understand but

which are

nevertheless

true because

God says

they're true.

For example,

in this golden

chain of

salvation,

we are simply

told by God

that he in

eternity past

has elected

or set his

love upon a

specific group

of people and

determined that

they would be

saved.

God just

makes that

statement.

But immediately

we realize

there's so much

about that

process that

we simply do

not know

and cannot

understand.

but in

that God

tells us

what he does

want us to

know.

He tells

us that

he does

what he

wants

because he

does have

sovereign power

and nobody

can challenge

him or limit

him.

And he

tells us

alongside that

that his

purpose in

salvation is

to display

his grace,

mercy and

manifold wisdom

with a

multitude so

great that no

man can number

them to use a

picture of

revelation.

Being brought

from death to

life.

A multitude

so great that

deserves judgment

and condemnation

being pardoned

and restored.

That's what God

tells us his

purpose is in it.

And we still

can't understand

how it works.

God wants

this great

community across

the world that

will respond to

him in praise and

worship and

obedience.

And we still

can't understand

how it all

works or why

God has

chosen the way

he's chosen.

That's God's

stuff.

And dare I

say, like

as a parent

I've said to

my children so

many times over

the years,

it's none of

your business.

What is very

clear is what I

want you to

do.

Don't you worry

about the rest

of it.

That's up to

mammon may

to sort.

Have you said

that to your

children?

There you go,

you've answered

your own

question.

The other

side of the

coin is our

stuff.

Words or

commands,

commands directed

clearly to

people,

describing our

character,

describing the

activity that

the Lord

intends us to

have, and

describing our

proper response

to God.

So, I want

you to do

this, says

the Lord.

I want you to

do that, says

Jesus.

Now, here's the

point, and this

is a really,

really important

point.

Never in

scripture that I

can find, and

if you want to

argue with me,

please wait to

the end of the

sermon, don't

embarrass me

now, but as

far as I can

see, never in

scripture are

we asked to

respond on the

basis of God's

stuff, or

God's secret

decrees.

We are only

ever asked to

respond on the

basis of our

stuff, on the

basis of God's

commands, on the

basis of what God

tells us and makes

clear.

God's secret.

And Christ

commands us to

evangelize.

Matthew 28, verse

Matthew 28:19

19, the Great

Commission.

Simple, isn't

it?

The apostles also

taught and modeled

evangelism.

Again, these

passages are listed,

so I'm not going to

even go to them.

You can check them

out for yourself

later.

1 Corinthians 5,

11 to 21.

Paul speaks at

length about being

entrusted with the

ministry of

reconciliation.

That is, to go

and speak to

people, to argue,

to persuade, to

reason, to draw

people, to listen

to the truth of

the gospel that

salvation has

found in no one

else except Jesus.

His motivation?

The compelling

love of Jesus.

Not election, not

predestination, not

a theological

treatise does he

go to these people

with.

It goes because of

the compelling love

of Jesus.

That's our stuff.

And the task of

evangelism, my

friends, of being

witnesses of

salvation in Jesus,

is never

described as a

call to explain

the detailed

workings of

election.

Never, ever.

is a call to

explain God's

effectual call by

which he

mysteriously acts

within a person,

takes the gospel

message to hear and

mysteriously acts

within a person to

renew them and give

them life.

No.

Never in those

terms.

Paul's ministry of

reconciliation, the

focus was on sin,

the need for

repentance, the

reality of

forgiveness in

Christ, a new

life.

Salvation is found

in no one else

but Jesus.

That's our

stuff.

And likewise,

Christ commands

us to pray.

Many, many

verses.

1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:17

5, verse 17,

only one.

Pray continually,

pray urgently.

to command.

And again, John 17,

Christ modeled that

command in his own

ministry.

Friends, we may never

or we may not

understand fully how

and why God does it

this way.

but that's God's

business.

Our business is to

get on with the

task of what God

has called us to

and made clean to us.

That is, get on with

the task of being

witnesses, being my

witnesses, of telling

anyone who will listen

of their need for

Christ and praying

urgently that the

Lord will actually

open their hearts to

hear those words of

Christ so they

become real and so

that person might be

swept into the

kingdom and enjoy

a new life.

And the fourth step

then in that is,

and in my mind

these sort of follow

on but maybe not

in the presentation

but in my mind

we take another step

and we say, well,

we need to remember

then that God

determines both what

will happen and how

it will happen.

God determines not

only that a specific

group called the

elect will be saved,

he also determines

how they will be

saved.

He provides the means

by which they will

be saved.

So God sets his love

on this group we

call the elect before

eternity.

That's the what or

that a group will be

saved.

then he determines,

provides the means,

the how.

What does he do?

He sends Jesus to

redeem.

He sends his Holy

Spirit to renew.

Again, we can push

back so far but

ultimately we have to

say, well, we don't

understand why God

does it this way.

But it's clear that he

does.

And at that point,

there's a mix

between God's stuff

and our stuff.

And at that point,

it's so terribly,

terribly important to

know which one we're

dealing with, which one

we're addressing.

In Romans chapter 10,

Romans 10:14

verse 14,

Paul talks there about

preaching the gospel.

And he says that our

work as Christians is

like the work of

Messiah.

We're drawn into the

work of Messiah.

How beautiful are the

feet of those who bring

glad tidings and good

news.

That's the work of

Messiah.

Preaching or declaring

the gospel is the

appointed means of

working out God's

purposes in salvation.

How will they believe

unless somebody tells

them, says Paul.

How does it all fit

together?

Why does God do it

like that?

Why does God draw us

into his purposes in

salvation?

I'd have to ask some of

my colleagues for the

answer to that one.

I have no idea.

I might know one day

when I'm in heaven,

but I might not.

The same point is made

in 2 Thessalonians 2,

13 and 14,

Acts 18,

1 Corinthians 1,

and a plethora of other

places across the New

Testament.

God has determined that

those he intends to save

will actually come to

salvation in response to

what?

In response to one of his

people actually gossiping

the gospel to them.

I mean, imagine that for

goodness sake, that here's

God's sovereign plan and

purpose from all eternity,

one eternity to the other

eternity, all put in place

and somehow or other, for

some reason or other, God

uses us as a means by which

people will hear the gospel

and, as it were, trigger that

process by which the spirit

will take those words and

make them real in the heart

and mind of the person we

speak to.

Phenomenal, isn't it?

How can we sort of encapsulate

that?

That that's what the scripture

leads us to.

Sometimes it will require, as

Paul says, sometimes it will

require reasoning, debating,

persuading, using all our

God-given abilities and

talents to make the gospel

message that we want to say

to people winsome, compelling.

Speaking to people who might

at first be reluctant to hear.

Speaking to people that, from

our human logic point of view,

is a waste of time to speak to

because clearly we can see that

they're not suitable for the

gospel.

They're too dead in their sin.

Friends, rather than election

being a reason not to evangelize,

it's quite the opposite.

God's sovereignty is the

greatest encouragement to

persevere in declaring the

gospel to our family, friends,

and world at large.

God's sovereignty is the

greatest encouragement to

persevere in prayer.

God's sovereignty is the

gospel to anybody I can find

who will listen to me.

And let God do his stuff.

Change people from the inside

out.

Not my place to decide if he

should speak, you know, change

that person and not that person

or change them all or change

none of them.

I'm to get on with my stuff.

Why?

Why preach?

Why speak the gospel?

Why pray?

Well, because it's the means by

which God will actually

effect the salvation of those

he set apart.

God's purpose will be achieved.

God's purpose will be achieved.

And that's guaranteed with the end

result that God's cause will

triumph.

God's purpose will be achieved

and he will be praised and he

will be honored as he deserves to

be.

What's faithfulness in evangelism?

It's actually not seeing people

converted, which is what we've

sort of pushed to believe these

days in modern evangelicalism.

That's not evangelism, faithfulness

in evangelism.

Oh, faithfulness in evangelism

is speaking as clearly and truly

the gospel of the Lord Jesus

Christ and salvation

finding none else.

That's faithfulness in evangelism.

A person could do that all their

life and not see anybody

converted.

That would be faithful.

Because that's our stuff.

And we've got to learn to let God

do his stuff.

as he's promised he would do.

And as we see evidence of him

doing around us here this morning.

And the same applies to prayer.

You look at Ephesians chapter 1.

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

Paul launches into a very, very

confident prayer in verses 15 and

following for the Ephesians.

Now what's the motivation to his

prayer?

Well, he's just finished rehearsing

God's salvation bundle.

He's got his mind full of God's

sovereignty and salvation

from start to finish.

And it's with that he launches

into prayer for the believers

at Ephesus.

Why?

Why does Paul pray in response to

that?

Because he understands that prayer

is not about changing God's mind.

Changing God's plan for his people

and his world.

If that was the case, then prayer

is a waste of time.

But Paul prays because

he recognizes that prayer

is a means of accomplishing

what God has really purposed

and planned.

Paul's prayer is asking the Lord

to do what he's already purposed

to do in their lives.

And that's why prayer is worth

praying.

We're not twisting God's arm.

We're not wrestling blessings

out of a God who's reluctant

to give blessing.

We're asking God to do

what he's promised to do.

And God loves to hear his children.

It's an act of honor in itself

when we say,

Lord, we know your character

and we're asking you now

to do what you've promised to do.

And in brackets,

we're asking you to do

what we know we could never do

in this person I'm praying for.

My friends,

since it's a gospel message

that God will use

to bring people to salvation,

since God alone

can resurrect

dead people

by a secret inner working

of a spirit,

since those two things are true,

then as a church family,

we ought to be noted

above all else

as being a people of prayer

and a people of speaking,

a people of sentness.

Great programs operating

within our church

are terrific.

Extending into the community

even better.

A united and radically

countercultural community here

is essential,

compelling

as the world looks at us.

But nothing replaces

the centrality

of the words spoken

and prayer.

They're the means

by which God

will save his people.

The rest is bling,

as it were,

on the side.

It will make it look

more attractive

and appealing

and compelling.

It will make it look authentic.

But at the end of the day,

the means of people

being converted

is when we speak the gospel.

We don't have to reinvent

the wheel.

We don't have to be

keeping ahead

of the current trends,

being seen to be cool,

being seen to be novel.

We just speak

the truth of the gospel

and we pray.

Lord,

make this word true

in the life of this person

I've just spoken to.

bring them into your kingdom,

Lord,

as you've brought me

into the kingdom

through your word.

And in the end,

you know,

it's more important

for us as a church family

that we're pleading

with our Father

to make effect

of our words

as we speak the gospel.

That's more important

than it is for us

directly to try

and persuade

any given sinner

of their need for Jesus.

The second one's

not unimportant,

but the other one's primary.

But of course,

we do both,

knowing that this

honors the Lord

and will be the means

by which our secular family

and workmates

will be saved.

You've got family members

not converted like me

to break your heart,

you long to see them,

respond to Jesus.

Do you wonder why,

as I do,

why four siblings

respond to Jesus

and the fifth one

is hostile?

I have no idea

how it works.

But I continue

to ask the Lord

to use his word

to make

my other brother

alive in Christ

as he's made me alive

in Christ.

I'll let God

do his business

because only God

can do his business

in my brother's life.

I'll just be content

to do my business.

Let me pray.

Lord,

these are

perplexing questions

for us

and questions,

Lord,

sometimes that

we allow to become

bigger in our minds

than they ought to be.

And sometimes,

Lord,

we allow tensions

to debilitate us

or even derail us

in a way

they should never.

Help us,

Lord,

to both

have inquiring minds

for your gospel

and your Bible,

Lord,

is sufficient

to

take on

the

most robust

of inquiries

from any

of your people.

And yet,

Lord,

we also pray

you might give us

believing hearts

so that we might

actively move

and hold

to things

we don't fully understand.

I pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Thank you very much

for listening to me.

Thank you.