Honoring God

Happy Father’s Day! This is one of two days (the other being my birthday) when I get to call the shots. Yes, yes me calling the shots.  I did a little research (www.english.stackexchange.com) and the earliest use of the term “Call the shots” comes from a book about the Civil War. 

Occasionally the Yankees would interfere with culinary activities. In one instance during the Atlanta campaign federal artillery opened on a group of Rebs as they were cooking their noon meal. One of the number was sent to a point of observation to call the shots so that the cooks could lie down after each salvo until the shells passed over.

Calling the shots could mean warning those around me of coming danger but I was thinking one of the varieties of ways in which I was schooled in basketball last year when I challenged you all to a game of HORSE. Calling the shot: saying ahead of time what was going to happen.  I believe the shot called the “McHale” is one that did me in.

Of course just because you call the shot doesn’t guarantee that you will land the shot.  So even if I call the shots on Father’s day…well, you know, no guarantees of success.

The shot that I would call is to have food that is pleasing to me. *pulls out gas grill* There is nothing like the scent of meat being prepared on a grill. A hamburger, brats…Alex even makes a nice pizza on a grill. Even the smell of charcoal briquettes as they ash over has become a pleasing scent to me because I have been conditioned to expect wonderful things to come after.  I’m calling the shot! Grilled food tonight! Whether or not grilling becomes a reality is another matter.

My family does treat me well; they ask me what I want for Father’s day. I used to say I just want to spend time and enjoy each other. But now I just send them an email link to my Amazon wish list. It’s terrible, I feel really selfish but I know that when I want to honor someone I want to know! I want to know what would make them happy.  So I send the list.  There are fewer surprises this way but that’s okay. I truly want the time together and to have a good day, however if my providing a list makes it easier for them to celebrate the day why would I not provide it?

It’s all about the relationship. Beyond any made-up holiday it’s about the relationship.  Proverbs 23 says “Pay attention to your father, and don’t neglect your mother when she grows old.  Invest in truth and wisdom, discipline and good sense, and don’t part with them. Make your father truly happy by living right and showing sound judgment. Make your parents proud, especially your mother.”

So there you have it: my perfect holiday a grill, a gift and God. I’m calling the shot!

Father's Day is about loving who your kids are and
nurturing them to be the people God intended them to be.

Now if I expect these things I had better make provisions for them. If I don’t drag this grill back home and hook up the tank it’s my problem.  If I get flowers and chocolates it probably because I didn’t send the email.  If my kids don’t know God then I need to keep telling them the good news about Jesus Christ until they do know God. Amen?

In the Scripture today Noah is off the Ark. All the animals are off the Ark.  Noah built an altar.  An altar is a place where God is honored. And Noah took of every clean animal, and of every clan bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. God smelled the sweet savor. But it wasn’t a barbeque. This wasn’t a cook out on the beach next to the boat. This was worship.  God made provision for food he said in chapter 9 All animals, birds, reptiles, and fish will be afraid of you. I have placed them under your control, ³ and I have given them to you for food. From now on, you may eat them, as well as the green plants that you have always eaten. 

The law concerning clean and unclean food has yet to be established (Lev. 6:3-7, 13-19  Deut 14:6-8).

*Clean and Unclean Game*

The only rule that God gives them is that they cannot eat anything that still has blood in it.

The clean animals that are mentioned and are given as a burnt offering is for worship.  The law concerning what is clean and unclean has yet to be established either. Leviticus 22:18-24 lays it down; it’s basically flawless male from the cattle, sheep or goats. Quadrupeds that chew the cud and also divide the hoof 7 pairs of each type of clean animal.  I wonder how Noah knew which ones were clean?

However he determined which animals were clean, the Sacrifice was a pleasing scent to God. Perhaps he knew it would be pleasing because it was a good gift. Perhaps he gave his best like giving flowers and chocolates is a nice thing to give because they are pleasing gifts to give.

My wife did ask me what I wanted for Father’s Day and I did send that email link to my Amazon wish list. I suspect that she picked something from that list.  I know that I will be pleased with whatever was chosen. Imagine in a few days’ time one of my children makes a terrible mistake or makes a really bad decision and they know it. Imagine them staving off my disappointment and anger by going down that list and purchase me an additional item on that list.  Will that make everything okay again?  Of course not. What if mistake after mistake and violation after violation gets followed with more and more gifts. Would you even accept them anymore? 

The worship that Noah offered was good but it doesn’t and won’t ever excuse evil. The prophet Isaiah said on behalf of God, “Your sacrifices mean nothing to me. I am sick of your offerings
    of rams and choice cattle; I don’t like the blood of bulls or lambs or goats.¹² “Who asked you to bring all this when you come to worship me? Stay out of my temple!
¹³ Your sacrifices are worthless, and incense is disgusting.

God spoke through the prophet Hosea and said, “People of Israel and Judah,
    what can I do with you? Your love for me disappears more quickly than mist
    or dew at sunrise. ⁵ That’s why I slaughtered you with the words of my prophets.
That’s why my judgments blazed like the dawning sun.  I’d rather for you to be faithful and to know me than to offer sacrifices.”

I’d rather for you to be faithful and to know me than to offer sacrifices.

You have been given so much.  You have been given daily bread.  The needs of your spirit are fulfilled when you come to God in Jesus name.  The needs of your body are met in the food that God provides.

Through Jesus Christ you have been given the gift of eternal and abundant life. You have been given spiritual gifts that make you a unique child of God and are to be used for God’s glory. 

The most important thing God Gave you is himself. God of creation came and became one of us. God became human and showed us the way. Jesus came and sacrificed himself.  Jesus died for our sins and became the perfect sacrifice so that we can have all the things that God intended for us.

We need not make burnt offerings to God.  There is nothing that we can give that will compare to the gift that he has given us. There is nothing that we can give that will make up for the wrong that we have done.  God provided the sacrifice.  God has offered restoration and forgiveness in Jesus name. What we do need to sacrifice is our need to be at the center of the universe and to acknowledge that God is the only one who occupies that space.

The burnt offering is no longer necessary. What we offer God is now a thank offering.  We offer our lives as holy and living sacrifices as a way of saying thank you for the blessings that God has given.

God is telling us what he wants.  God prescribes what it is that will make him happy. Trust in His son Jesus. Find life in Him. Make your father truly happy by living right and showing sound judgment.

So how is it with you today in your relationship with the Heavenly Father? Are you giving flowers and chocolates or are you letting God call the shots?