Psalm 138, Isaiah 6:1-8, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Luke 5:1-11
Encountering God through dreams and visions
In our readings we have three similar yet different accounts of people’s encounters with God. You could say these were individualised meetings. We can expect that God will relate to each person as befits that person.
Isaiah had a vision of God in his glory. He may have been in the temple at the time but we can’t be certain of that. There is no corroboration of the temple shaking or filling with smoke. We don’t need corroboration because this vision was for Isaiah alone. And it was significant for him as it set the direction of his life. His sin was forgiven and he was commissioned to be the Lord’s messenger.
Peter had an experience of God’s power. It was neither a vision nor a dream; and those in the boat witnessed it as it happened. Seeing the vast catch of fish made Peter realise who Jesus is. Like Isaiah, he was also very aware of his own shortcomings and how unqualified he was to be in the presence of God. Jesus qualified Peter and gave him a new direction for his life. That day Peter began a relationship with Jesus (as did James and John). They left fishing and followed Jesus.
Paul was convinced Jesus was dead until he saw Jesus alive and well. We can call it a vision as the video was for Paul alone. His companions only had the audio. Jesus accepted Paul and re-set the direction of his life. Instead of fighting against Jesus he would spend the rest of his life fighting for him.
In each of these cases God /Jesus revealed himself to the man he had chosen, the man realised his sinfulness, God /Jesus forgave and accepted the man and set him on his God-chosen path for the rest of his life.
While the initial encounter was in each case a significant event, it was only the beginning. All three continued to meet with God throughout their lives. They encountered God/Jesus daily. Meeting with God was an everyday thing.
Is this your experience?
What was it that first impressed you about God?
What is it now that impresses you most about God?
Beyond dreams and visions
Do other Christians have dreams and visions? We certainly do but they are not the primary way we encounter God. Because we have a relationship with God through Jesus we enjoy an ongoing conversation through prayer and scripture. The Holy Spirit lives in us and speaks with us and we with him. This conversation is our main communication with God our heavenly Father.
For Muslims dreams (visions) are important. They expect that if God speaks to them it will be in a dream. Jesus is visiting thousands of Muslims all over the world and calling them to himself – and they are responding in huge numbers. In Islam, God is unknowable. Muslims know a lot about God but don’t know God personally.
For Christians God is ultimately beyond our ken yet we know him personally. We have a personal relationship with the infinite Spirit who made us. Key to this relationship is the reality that God is our father. This is very much a Christian understanding. Indeed, it is the Christian understanding and it makes a world of difference for us in relating to God. Hear what J.I.Packer says about this.
“You sum up the whole of New Testament religion if you describe it as the knowledge of God as one’s holy Father. If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much they make of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as their Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls their worship and prayers and their whole outlook on life, it means they do not understand Christianity very well at all. For everything that Christ taught, everything that makes the New Testament new, and better than the Old, everything that is distinctively Christian, is summed up in the knowledge of the Fatherhood of God. ‘Father’ is the Christian name for God.” [J I Packer, “Knowing God,” 1973, page 182.]
What a revelation. What a different vision of God from the one most people around the world have inherited. Because God is Father, our status is secure. Because he has rescued us, we are free to come into his presence. Though he lives in heaven, we are welcome to pray, and bring all our longings and fears and requests to him. Because he is our Father, we’re confident he hears and is eager to answer. So, we pray.
Is this your experience?
Have you been meeting God face to face lately?
Is there a gap between God and you at the moment?
How do you think God could bridge this gap for you?
Hearing conversations
Not everyone gets an introduction to Jesus by a dream or vision. In our culture people think they’re going crazy if they have dreams, especially spiritual ones. And the reception one gets when one tells one’s dream ! We don’t tell the dream because people think we’re potty.
Most of our friends, family and neighbours will be introduced to Jesus through conversation with a Christian friend. We’ve talked a bit about this in the last year and a half and always we come back to questions. Questions to start a conversation; questions to find out what people are thinking; questions to clarify their ideas; questions to put forward new ideas.
And all the while listening to what they’re saying. Listening to what they believe; listening to why they believe it; listening to know what to ask next.
A ‘Hearing’ conversation is where we begin to talk with a person with the express purpose of seeking to hear what might be hindering them from talking about, or considering faith in Jesus.
We ask general questions in an effort to identify areas that we might be able to discuss in more detail (by then asking more specific questions in those areas).
Jesus did not need to ask questions of Isaiah, Peter and Paul. Jesus knew exactly where each one was at, what would catch their attention and answer their questions. We have to ask questions to find out where people are at, what they will pay attention to and what their questions are. We have to ask questions because this is the least threatening way of discussing these things in NZ today and therefore the best way of keeping the conversation going. Jesus himself did ask a lot of questions of a lot of people. He mostly didn’t use his divine knowledge but asked questions to get people to state their positions and to enter into hearing conversations.
The idea of a ‘sour note’
If you’re listening to a vocal quartet, & someone sings out of tune, you can hear it – & the choir master needs to pick up on it to correct it.
In the same way, when we’re in a conversation & someone says something that doesn’t seem right to us, if we can pick up on it, it can become a doorway for meaningful conversation.
But also consider that their comments may be emotionally motivated. Ask: “You seem to feel strongly on this. Why is that?” (maybe they recently faced a tragedy, in which case they need compassion while going through pain).
The point:
If we don’t first listen to truly hear the ‘sour notes’ we’ll not know what to ask.
And if we don’t bother to ask a few questions we’ll never know what they really believe in the first place, let alone why. We’ll have missed a very real opportunity!
Summary:
Jesus demonstrated the power of a conversational approach and the same approach works in our day and time. Through nothing but questions we can initiate selfless conversations in which we identify ‘sour notes’ as potential conversation points which we investigate with nothing but questions also …and it can all be completely non-threatening!
But it begins with hearing what people are really saying – taking a selfless interest, with our ears wide open. Why not try it this week, and see what God does? And while you’re having your hearing conversations be praying that Jesus will reveal himself to the person with whom you are talking.