First United Methodist Church - Norfolk, Nebraska First United Methodist Church

Any fisher knows there's a difference between simply going fishing and actually catching fish. When Jesus saw Simon at the edge of Lake Gennesaret, Simon had been out fishing but had caught no fish. When Jesus urged Simon to go back out and fish some more, Simon was reluctant but did as he suggested. And they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. Like Simon, Jesus calls us to cast out our net and fish for people, to meet and engage with them so that they can understand who God and Jesus Christ are.

"Oh my Lord, please send someone else." These were the words Moses implored when God spoke to him at the burning bush. It's not unusual for people being called by God to be hesitant, to question the validity of the call or question if they are capable and have the faith and fortitude required to do what He has asked them to do. It's true that God sometimes calls the equipped, but it's also true that sometimes God equips the called. 

God's not calling us based only on what we can already accomplish; He's calling us based on our potential. He uses us in spite of -- and sometimes because of -- our inadequacies. 

In this sermon, Pastor Neil relates some personal stories about God's calling and how He is calling you, too.

An act of civil disobedience fundamentally changed the world. When Moses' mother put her baby in a basket and sent him down the river, she couldn't have known the impact he would have, leading the exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt, parting the Red Sea or receiving the Ten Commandments. That one act, an act of civil disobedience, a mother's one decision made out of love, fundamentally changed the world. And you can do the same.

Everything we think we know about the magi is probably all wrong. We know they weren't really kings, there may have been more than three, they weren't necessarily all male, and it may have taken them up to two years to travel to see Jesus. But what we do know is that they saw the star and embarked on a journey to see the Christ child, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

As the new year is now upon us, we, like the magi, are on a journey. As much like the magi, we have no idea what this journey has in store for us. What we do know is at the end of the journey, we will find the baby Jesus. Are you willing to go on this journey? And if you are, what gifts will you bring?

How often do we stop and pray during the day? How often do we just stop and thank God for His love in our lives? In our everyday life experiences, how often do we accept His love and acknowledge His presence? In our modern life, full of technology and modern conveniences, we may not always acknowledge His presence. But now, more than ever, we need God in our lives. As we have become more and more separated from one another, Pastor Bridget urges us to come together as a community, to be together, to encourage one another, to challenge one another, and to love one another and Christ loves us.

We don't always think of Mary as a woman with tenacity or spunk, but she is. After all, she had an angel appear to her telling her that she would bear the Messiah, not knowing what it would mean to raise God's son and eventually watch him die. Yes, Mary is a woman with tenacity, and upon hearing the angel's message she boldly states, "Yes, let it be with me according to your will." Who does God call in extraordinary times? Ordinary people like Mary. Ordinary people like you.  Do you have just a little bit of tenacity like Mary? Do you have her spunk? Do you have her courage to set out on a journey not knowing how it ends?  God calls ordinary people like Mary -- like you -- to do amazing things. And when He does, answer the call as Mary did. "Let it be with me according to your will."