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Stephen Ministry

Do you know the name Harry Hopkins? It’s the kind of name that sounds familiar, like someone you should know. It sounds like the name of…an actor, for instance—but that’s Anthony Hopkins, or Harry Hamlin. Kind of sounds like the name of a baseball player too. "Your attention, please. Now batting for the Colorado Rockies…Harry Hopkins!" But let’s see now…there was a Johnny Hopp, but I can’t think of a Hopkins to be honest with you, let alone a Harry Hopkins. Do you know the name Harry Hopkins? If I told you the connection of this Harry Hopkins was with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, would that help you? Some of you might vaguely remember Harry Hopkins. Hopkins was a special aide to President Roosevelt, often used by Roosevelt to communicate something to someone else—whether it be details to a senator about a policy of Roosevelt’s New Deal or information to Winston Churchill during World War II. Hopkins was not a particularly colorful person, or charismatic personality. One might suggest his strongest characteristic was loyalty. One time, FDR was asked why he had such a nondescript, colorless person as Harry Hopkins on his staff. Without needing to give it much thought, FDR pointed to the entry door of the Oval Office and said, "Every day, through that door walk dozens of people asking me to do something for them. Harry Hopkins only asks what he can do for me."

Well, that effectively answered the question. Hopkins may not have been the most charismatic person in Washington, D.C., but he was one of the most valuable. Certainly he was to FDR because of his willingness to serve the president. Not interested in what he might gain for himself, Harry Hopkins only sought to do whatever he could for FDR.

An interesting characteristic to think about in terms of our relationship with Jesus Christ, don’t you think? Too often, we are like the masses of people coming to the Oval Office to see what they can get out of the president. We come to God with our request and petitions, seeking what we might be able to get God to do for us. And there are too few "Harry Hopkins" Christians, coming to the presence of God and asking, "Lord, what can I do for you?" I suspect there are several reasons for that. For one thing, we are busy with our lives and we give little consideration to God…until a crisis hits. Then our attention gets focused on the crisis which becomes the foundation for our prayers: "Lord, help me through this crisis. Please do this for me." I suspect another reason there are few Harry-Hopkins-like Christians is that we are hindered by low self-esteem. We believe there is nothing we have to offer to God. Like the reporter who asked FDR why he had such an unimpressive person as Harry Hopkins on his staff, we view ourselves as unimpressive. Why would God want us working in His Kingdom? What good can a person like me be? But such thinking is wrong, not the picture we get from Biblical servants. God delights in working through His disciples, nondescript, imperfect and unimpressive though they may be. What God asks for is a willing heart.

Our two characters from the Biblical passages read this morning are examples of the willing heart God desires. "Well, that’s great, Ron, but we’re talking about Isaiah and Peter here! None of us are the caliber of Isaiah or Peter!" But, trust me, Isaiah and Peter were far from perfect…nor were they particularly impressive—especially at the start of their service. In fact, I would argue that the most impressive thing about them is their willing hearts. Isaiah says, "Here I am, Lord. Send me!" And Peter says, "Lord, if you say so, I will do it." It was their willing hearts at the beginning that lead to experiences with God on the journey that grew their faith into the spiritual giants we think of them today. It is their willingness to be available to God, their attitude in being called to serve God that is the relevant model for our own roles of service today.

The first thing we might note about Isaiah and Peter that would be helpful in our making ourselves available to God for His purposes in the Kingdom is that both Isaiah and Peter were very much aware of their sin and their unworthiness to stand before Almighty God. Isaiah, admittedly seeing an equally awesome and terrifying vision, cries out, "Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips." And Peter, dramatically shown the power Jesus holds over creation when the nets which had remained empty through a fruitless night of casting now fill to the point of breaking when cast where Jesus directs, cries out, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" Neither one of them is particularly confident in himself and his abilities at that point. It is worth noting—and a glimpse into the grace of God—that it is God who cleanses them and makes them worthy to be His servants. For Isaiah, a seraph—one of the angels around the throne of God—takes a hot goal from the altar of God’s throne and touches Isaiah’s mouth with it. "Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." For Peter, it is Jesus Himself who helps Peter to his feet saying, "Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people." God is saying, "I have a place where I can use you, Isaiah, and you Peter, and it is your willingness to serve me, not your perfection, not your credentials that makes you useful."

There is something else worth noting about these two servants for God. Both of them are willing to try again, to persevere in the midst of difficult or trying circumstances. the passage I read from Isaiah, this "call" to Isaiah, comes in the sixth chapter. Preceding it are five chapters’ worth of prophecies given by Isaiah regarding Judah and Jerusalem during the reign of King Uzziah, the first of four kings to reign during the time of the prophecies in the book of Isaiah. Recall that chapter six begins, "After King Uzziah died…" Isaiah undoubtedly has experienced the pain and persecution of a prophet. Yet, when God’s call comes again to him in our passage read this morning, Isaiah answers, "Here I am, Lord. Send me." "I am not worthy, Lord, and it certainly is no fun being a prophet, the bearer of hard news to these kings…but, here I am. Send me. I am willing."

And Peter…can’t you identify with Peter? He has spent the entire night fishing…without success. The best time for his work has produced nothing. Now, with the heat of the day rising, pushing the fish deeper into the coolness of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus directs him to row out to the deep water and cast their nets one more time. Can’t you hear the weariness in Peter’s voice? "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing." "You don’t know much about fishing, do you, Jesus? If we didn’t catch anything throughout the night, we’re certainly not going to catch anything now! But…if you say so, I will do it." Weary…but eventually willing. Isaiah, persecuted…but willing.

What makes these two servants stand out is not only their willingness to answer God’s call, but also the fact they were willing to answer that call over and over again. In their example we find lessons for our lives as well.

Lessons, for example, in your work. Perhaps in your work you feel a bit like Peter after fishing all night. Unproductive. Weary. A failure. The promotion you’ve been seeking always seems to go to someone else and opportunities for advancement appear limited. It hardly seems worth the effort anymore. Or perhaps you’re looking for work and rejection after rejection has you discouraged and ready to give up. And Jesus says, "Let down your nets again. I can move in ways beyond the circumstances. Be a willing servant for me and let down your nets again. And again." Christ cares deeply and intimately about every aspect of your life and looks for willing servants in our workplaces as well as our church. Serve him willingly, even in the disappointment of seemingly unproductive work. Let down your nets again…and again…and again, looking for the glory of God to be revealed in your willingness to serve him, no matter what the circumstances.

There are lessons here for our spiritual growth as well. Perhaps someone here today has been on the verge of beginning a spiritual journey with Christ, close to a commitment to Him as Savior and Lord for their lives. The lesson of Isaiah and Peter is begin now. Let down your nets into the cool water of God’s grace and begin that journey now. If you’ve been waiting for a time when you feel more worthy of Jesus’ love and mercy, don’t. Begin now.

Several years ago, Kim and I participated in a couple’s Bible study. We were reading the book, God Can Make It Happen by Russ Johnston. One of the members of our study had never committed her life to Christ. She was exploring Christian faith and struggling with seeing herself as worthy to receive Christ. One of the chapters, I forget its title, spoke of the futility of waiting. Johnston wrote that we can never, on our own, reach a point of being acceptable to God. That’s what Christ is for. Accept him now, Johnston wrote, and begin the most exciting journey of a relationship with Jesus Christ. It spoke to her and that night she accepted Christ as her Savior and Lord. Begin now. Like Isaiah and Peter, we are all people of unclean lips and full of sin. But God is seeking servants with willing hearts, not perfect ones. Begin today.

Perhaps you’ve earnestly been in prayer about something and haven’t yet discerned an answer from God. Or you’ve been searching through God’s Word seeking direction for your life, but aren’t clear about what that direction is. Let down your nets again…and again. Continue to let God be God and show Him your willing heart. The most important ingredient to your serving the risen Lord, to your living your life for Him, is not your abilities, not your perfect nature, but your willingness to be used for His purposes. God will fill in the rest. What He wants are our willing hearts to serve Him.

Ignacy Paderewski was a famous concert pianist and, later, premier of Poland. At one of his concerts a mother and her young son were present, the mother hoping that hearing Paderewski would inspire her son who was just beginning piano lessons. Finding their seats near the front of the concert hall, the large Steinway waiting on stage nearby, the mother began a conversation with a friend seated nearby. The young boy wandered off and as the starting time came for the concert, the lights dimmed in the auditorium, spotlights lit the stage…and there at the Steinway sat the young boy who began playing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." Before the embarrassed mother could retrieve her son, Paderewski appeared on stage and quickly moved to the piano. "Don’t quit—keep playing," he whispered to the young boy. Then, leaning over, Paderewski reached out with his left had and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around the other side, encircling the boy, to add a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice held the crowd mesmerized.

Our efforts at serving God may appear the same. Unpolished and unskilled, just beginning the faith, never perfect, yet with willing hearts we begin to play out our act of servanthood for God. And, like the old concert master, our Lord surrounds us and whispers in our ear, "Don’t quit—keep serving." And as we do, he encircles us in His loving arms and adds to our efforts until a work of amazing beauty is created.

Our new elders and deacons have begun to play—they’ve tentatively started to pound out the first notes of their service by answering the call to serve as elders or deacons in this church. Their ordination and installation today is another step in the journey. A common theme in each of their responses to the call to serve was surprise at being asked, a sense of unworthiness to the task. Well, you’re not worthy. None of us are. On our own our efforts are feeble and weak. But God encircles us—as He encircles you in whatever task He’s called you to—to make something beautiful happen. Just bring to Him your willing hearts to serve Him. "Here I am, Lord. Send me. I will do it, Lord, if You say so."