SERMON:
Opened Heavens
Luke 3: 15-17 and 21-22
Pastor Robyn Hogue January 13, 2013 Skyline Presbyterian Church
Have you heard God’s voice
lately?
Luke just says that Jesus had
been baptized and was praying when the heavens opened up and the Holy Spirit
descended on Him in bodily form like a dove (vv. 21-22). I wonder what that
looked like. Did the heavens actually split open? Could people really see the
Holy Spirit descending on Jesus? I wish I could have been there.
When I think about the heavens opening, I wonder
if that still happens. Could I still see the heavens open up? Could it happen
in my presence? In your presence?
Asked a little differently, the question is:
·
Does God still
break into our world today?
·
Is God still
present with us today?
·
Does God still
surprise people today?
·
Will God still
help us?
·
Will God still
save us?
Asked another way, the question
is:
·
Is God real?
·
Is there anyone
there to hear when I pray?
In his book, Prayers, Michel Quoist answers that
question this way. He says: “If we knew how to listen to God, we would hear Him
speaking to us. For God does speak. He
speaks in His gospels.
He also speaks through life … that new gospel to
which we ourselves add a page each day.”
“If we knew how to listen to God, we would hear
Him speaking to us.” That’s quite a promise, isn’t it? It makes me want to
learn to listen.
Quoist says that God speaks to us today through
the Gospels and through life. I believe that. I believe that God speaks to us
today in thousands of ways, in more ways than we could ever imagine.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if
God were to split open the heavens and spill a bit of divine grace on you? I’m
going to mention some possibilities. Listen to hear if any of them sound
familiar. Ask yourself, “Did this ever happen to me? Could it ever happen to
me?”
ONE POSSIBILITY: You hear or read a SCRIPTURE
VERSE … and the earth shifts just a degree or so on its axis. In other words,
you begin to see the world and your life and God a bit more clearly because
something in that verse suddenly illuminated a corner you had never before
noticed. Couldn’t that be God opening heaven for you? Just a crack?
ANOTHER POSSIBILITY: A STORY triggers something
deep inside of you. The story makes you laugh or, perhaps, brings a tear to
your eye. That story inspires you to live at a higher level. Couldn’t that be a
splash of grace from a cracked-open heaven?
ANOTHER POSSIBILITY: You hold your NEWBORN CHILD
or your newborn grandchild in your arms for the first time, scared that you
will drop the baby, a bit overwhelmed by your new responsibility, but also
overwhelmed with a kind of love that you had never before experienced. Couldn’t
that be a touch of heavenly grace?
ANOTHER POSSIBILITY: A CONVERSATION with someone
turns into something more when you perceive the depth of her faith; how her
faith has put a solid foundation under her life; how you would like to have
that same kind of rock-steadiness in your life. Couldn’t that be a glimpse of
something heavenly?
ANOTHER POSSIBILITY: Something SIMPLE BUT
WONDROUS like the setting sun or the rising moon causes you to stop for a
moment and helps you to reflect on the wonders of God’s creation. Couldn’t that
be a ray of heavenly light?
ANOTHER POSSIBILITY: In a
moment of clarity you get a GLIMPSE OF THE PERSON YOU COULD BE; at peace with
yourself and your God, generous with your time and abilities; you catch a
vision of yourself free from addiction and self-sabotaging behaviors. Couldn’t
that be a bit of heaven on earth?
ANOTHER POSSIBILITY: Something in this WORSHIP
SERVICE like this sermon or a song or something beautiful in the sanctuary speaks
to you in a new way. Couldn’t that be God breaking through to speak to you? Couldn’t
that be the heavens opening, just for a moment, just for you?
The possibilities are endless, so I’ll try not
to go on and on. But allow me to add this thought: If you would really like to
see the heavens opened and feel the warmth of God’s grace, set the stage.
Surround yourself with Godly people. Learn Godly songs. Read Godly books. Read
the Bible. Pray.
Michel Quoist said, “If we knew how to listen to
God, we would hear Him speaking to us.” So prepare yourself to hear God when He
speaks.
The story of Jesus’ baptism ends with a voice
from heaven saying, “You are my beloved Son. In You I am well pleased” (v. 22).
That was the voice of God, and it was speaking to Jesus.
Jesus was God’s Son in a unique way, but He
prepared the way for us to become God’s sons and daughters too. So listen
carefully, because you might just hear God say, “You are my beloved son, Walt.
With you I am well pleased.” “You are my beloved daughter, Kris. With you I am
well pleased.” “You are my beloved son, Jerry.” “You are my beloved daughter, Lisa.”
Listen! Listen! I think I hear God. I think He
is speaking to you.