The smell and taste of a good barbeque impress memories that can last a lifetime, can’t they?

Exodus 12 drops us in the middle of a barbeque. A barbeque in the land of Goshen – the backyard of Egypt. And like any good BBQ, the smells and tastes of this BBQ were meant to impress lasting memories on the hearts and minds of people.

But this barbeque smelled and tasted differently.

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It saddens us to see such criminal abuse of power – such brutality exercised by those called to uphold justice.

But when our broken, fallen world sought to strip Jesus of his glory and clothe him in shame, the Son of God came to strip us of our shame and clothe us in his glory.

And that meant clothing himself with our shame.

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We know plenty of people who would argue that Christianity is just a bunch of manipulative fairy tales cooked up by human imagination - that the Bible is nothing more than a compilation of cleverly invented stories.

The Apostle Peter knew that objection, too.

Yet, he had every reason, just as we do today, to say with certainty that we do not follow cleverly invented stories…and that, through faith, we too [are] eyewitnesses of [Jesus’] majesty.

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When the risk of rejection runs high, we’re tempted to conform, compromise our beliefs, silence ourselves, or simply run away, aren’t we?

Because we know how much rejection hurts.

And Jesus knows, too.

And yet, for your sake, Jesus didn’t run away from the pain of rejection: he ran headlong into it.

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Whether you’re playing Guess Who? with your sibling or Guess Who? with God, you ultimately don’t advance due to the questions you ask: you advance entirely on the truthfulness of the opposite player.

That’s the comfort of Christmas: God doesn’t make you play Guess Who? with him. In fact, God throws such a ridiculous game out the window and shows you exactly who he is.

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Whether you tune in to the Gottmans or to Dan Bacon for relationship pointers, their advice for jumpstarting a relationship is – more or less – the same: you have to do something.

You need to win their attention.

You need to showcase your qualities.

You need to initiate the relationship.

You need to make the first move.

Is that how it is with God? Are we like the girl at the club who twirls her hair in hopes that God will notice? Are we like the guy who must passionately pursue God first, like God is passively sitting on the other side of the bar? Do I need to do something or be something first for God to pursue me?

When it comes to a relationship with God, do we need to make the first move?

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We’re often asked, “Are you listening?”

But it’s not just a question we’re asked: it’s a question we ask, too.

That’s what you ask your doctors when you’re trying to tell them what’s wrong, but they don’t seem to understand. That’s what you parents ask your kids when their eyes are glued to their screens. And yes, it’s even the question we ask Alexa when we originally asked, “Alexa, turn on living room lights” and she responds, “Okay, playing ‘Living on a Prayer’ by Bon Jovi”. We often ask, “Are you listening?”

Listening is a major theme in the first few chapters of 1 Samuel – including the section of 1 Samuel that’s before us today. And in chapter 3, we’re introduced to one character who is asked the question, “Are you listening?” And that is the question God, the Divine Questioner, asks of you and me today.

So, are you listening?

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When we we’re told these courageous, rare stories of self-sacrifice, there are two questions that always come to mind: 1) Would I do that for someone else? and 2) Would someone else do that for me?

And the answer to that second question – Would someone die for me? – is intimately connected to why we can (and why we should) rejoice – even when we, as Christ-followers, are enduring tremendous suffering.

So, who in your life would catch a grenade for you?

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Jon Taffer is an American entrepreneur and a consultant within the food and beverage industry – specializing in pubs, bars, and nightclubs.

He’s also the TV personality behind the reality show called Bar Rescue - where Taffer dives into dying, failing bars in an attempt to save them.

But the premise of Bar Rescue is nothing new. In fact, in today’s episode from the book of Acts, the apostle Paul embarks on a similar rescue mission. Except his scope is a tad bigger than just a bar, and the problem was significantly bigger than toxic black mold: Paul had entered a city in need of rescuing from rampant idolatry - a city drowning in a sea of false gods who could not save, and suffocating from empty philosophies that only emptied their followers.

Paul saw there were hearts in need of rescuing in Athens - and so, he preached the message that every heart needs to hear – a timeless and timely message that is for every time, every place, and every person: the good news of Jesus.

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