"A Wide Receiver" Elder Bob Stansbury

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vBGZPjTh_E

"WIDE RECEIVER"

August 13,2023

Elder Bob Stansbury

            Good morning!  The picture you see above me is of my grandson, Justin (J.T.) Stansbury.  He is standing with the greatest "wide receiver" of all time.  Yes, the guy with the beard is Jerry Rice.  He was promoting his energy drink at a 7/11 store when my son and grandson walked in.  The drink is called "Jerry Rice's G.O.A.T. Fuel."  The letters stand for "Greatest Of All Time."  Jerry Rice holds the records for most touchdowns (208), most receiving yards (22,895) and most receptions (1,549).  But this sermon is not about football, it is about YOU becoming a WIDE RECEIVER of a different kind.

            A few weeks ago,  Elder Bill Rose stood at this podium and spoke the lyrics of a great, old song "Turn Your Radio On" that extolled the virtues of gospel music and listening to the spoken word of God over the air waves.  Today, I am going to talk to you about doing that without a radio, television, or computer.

            Here is a question:  How many of you think that ABC, NBC, and CBS are broadcasting as I am speaking now?  There are radio channels broadcasting, television channels streaming, websites available on the internet, CB radios on the Interstate, cell phones sending and receiving, and ham radio stations broadcasting.  Guess what, God is constantly broadcasting as well.  You have to prepare yourself to be a "wide receiver" for His message.  You can't go out and buy an electronic device to pick up his message.  You have to change your behavior to tune in on God's frequency.

            While I was writing this sermon, I called two of our members and asked them some questions.  Remember the smart lawye0 - he never asks a question that he doesn't always know the answer to in advance.  I knew that Fred Richards and Duane Glanzmann had a daily walk with the Lord, and as I suspected, they practice many of the habits that I am about to share with you.  Here is how you "turn your radio on."

            Here come the numbers: 1. Have a daily, scheduled time set aside to be with God.  For many people it is in the morning or before bed.  Remove those distractions that follow us around all day long.  2. Have a dedicated space or place to be alone with God.  Fred and Duane said it was somewhere in their home.       3.  Make a commitment to reading the Word of God.  Get that Bible out, read through the Scriptures, or follow a devotional pattern.  Using a Daily Bible will take you through the book in a year if you stick to it.  Cecelia and I are part of a daily devotional consisting of a daily Scripture and, on occasion, a commentary about that Scripture.  This is sent to us in a text by an Airstream friend from North Carolina and includes others from around the country.  4. During this time, commit, to a daily prayer life.  This will improve your ability to discern God's will for your life.  Remember, God's will for your life is way bigger than your "wants" for your life.  5.  You must have a willing and obedient heart.  Accept the power of God and your shortcomings and be open to whatever is the outcome.

            So now the question becomes this: are these ideas, gut feelings, discernments, thoughts, inklings, etc., things that I am making up or is it God's will?  You don't need others to figure out God's will for you.  Look for the signs!

            The first sign could be a closed door.  God will close doors to redirect you to the place he wants you to be.  I remember when I was attending San Francisco State University.  They were having regular riots on campus and the students set a fire in the records building.  I knew it was time to get out of there.  Guess what!  I returned home and registered at another college and met my future wife for a second time.  God kept putting her in my path until I wised up and realized that I was not going to ignore this sign again.  Remember what was said in Revelations.  "He who is Holy and true, who holds the key of David . What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open."

            The second sign is answered prayer.  Have you ever prayed for something and gotten an answer?  Sometimes we get the answer we want and sometimes we don't.  Eventually there is an answer and that could be part of a communication with God. 

            We often seek or receive wise counsel from our friends or relatives.  Amazingly, it can come out of nowhere and be the exact thing that we needed to hear.  God often uses others to give us messages that confirm our ideas and thoughts.

            The fourth sign that we can receive is from the preached word.  Have you ever sat in a service and when the preacher delivers the sermon, you think it was aimed at you?  That has happened to me several times.  It's like the pastor had a spy that told him what I did or what I was thinking.  Look at those times not as a coincidence, but as a moment when God gave you a sign to let you know He is always with you.

            A final sign can be an obstacle or opposition.  During the Pandemic, I know many of us asked God, "when will this end?"  It was a big and long-lasting obstacle that some of us haven't gotten over yet.  God uses opposition as well.  When things are going against us, it can seem impossible to move forward. This is a time to look for peace and joy.  Count your blessings and keep praying.

            In their recent visit, our missionaries from Guatemala said that sometimes they feel like they are in exile.  There was a time when the Israelites in the Bible were sent to Babylon in exile.  They were trapped there for many years.  God was faithful and told them what to do during this time.  First of all, He said "be productive in the midst of your predicament."  Don't lie around and do nothing, feeling sorry for yourself.  Work hard and have a positive outlook.  Secondly, "be prayerful for the peace and prosperity of the land."  Pray about the condition and circumstances you are in, knowing that it won't last forever.  Next, "Be protective of the prophetic sources you accept."  In other words, don't give up on your religion and your culture.  Keep your family close and honor your traditions and way of life.  Finally, "be patient on the plans and the promises of God."  We know that there is God's time and there is our time.  These can be wildly different.  It can be super difficult to be patient and wait on the Lord.  How many of you remember a time when you were making plans and suddenly everything changed, and those plans got erased by the loss of a job or a pregnancy or some other big event?  We have to remember that God is the big plan maker, not us. 

            One of the interesting things about living as long as I have is the realization that I have been able to view the entirety of some people's lives.  My brother, Ray, is a prime example of this fact.  I am sure that God had a plan for his existence, but Ray turned the wrong way every time God put a positive opportunity in his path.  This was a guy that could sing, dance, and act.  He was a college drama teacher and produced many plays and musicals.  But he rejected God and ended up being a sad and bitter man in the end.  He struggled with family and friends and left few good memories after he passed.  I think having Jesus in his life would have really been a remarkable benefit to him.

            One of the favorite places my wife had lived while growing up was Carson City, Nevada.  She is the youngest child of the Presbyterian Pastor that worked there from 1957 to 1962.  The manse she lived in was where the lawn is now on the east side of the church.  That house was moved to the corner of Walsh and Spear Streets near Roop here in Carson. 

            Cecelia and I were at the end of our careers in California.  We knew we wanted to leave that state and were praying about where God would lead us.  The signs came quickly.  We drove up and toured the Capitol of Nevada.  We met a realtor that was recommended by the church office.  We looked at a few houses and then Cecelia spotted a for sale sign in the Silver Oak neighborhood.  It was exactly what we wanted but a little above our budget.  We returned to California without buying anything. 

            After a long vacation to Oregon, we returned and inquired about the house.  The realtor said your house is still available.  Then the obstacles to moving were removed.  The price was lowered, the financing was secured, and the papers were signed.  We knew that God was working in our lives and that this was the path to follow.

            So where are we in this narrative?  I am asking you and myself to be wide receivers of God's work and messages in our lives.  I presented five ways to turn on your radio and pick up God's broadcast.  A daily scheduled time to be with God.  A dedicated place.  Reading the Bible, and a daily prayer life.  All of this requires an open and obedient heart. 

            Next, we look for the signs that God sends.  Closed and open doors of opportunity.  Answered prayers.  Wise counsel.  Preached Word.  Obstacles and opposition.

            Then we talked about what to do during the time between when we ask for an answer, .and it arrives in God's time.  Being productive.  Being prayerful.  Sticking to your beliefs and traditions.  Being patient. 

            Remember what Jesus said in John 8:47.  "He who is of God hears the words of God: the reason you do not hear them is that you are not of God."  Finally, John 10:27, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." 

            Maybe you have heard the voice of God speak to you or maybe not.  I do know that he is always communicating to us in a variety of ways.  All I have to do is close my mouth, focus on God, look for the signs and pray that what I can discern is the right thing to do.  AMEN[1]

[1] I want to acknowledge the inspiration of the Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley in helping me write this message.