Who’s Pulling The Strings?
(Have ready made a giant marionette frame (4’x6’ or larger) with rope through the control arms.
As you begin, start to attach the ropes to your legs and arms making you a human marionette.)
I remember that when I was seven, our WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD would all congregate at the
house across the street at five o’clock on weekday afternoons to watch “Howdy Doody.” It was
the only TV in the neighborhood and they graciously invited all of us kids in to watch the “Howdy
Doody Show.” Now I know that for most of you it is “Howdy Who?” Or perhaps you read
about him in a history book? Howdy was often referred to as a puppet, but technically he was a
marionette and needed a control frame like this. (bring out the giant frame and begin to attach the
ropes) It was a couple of years latter that my mom and dad helped my brother and myself make
our first marionettes and of course the wood arms and legs connected with eye screws and topped
off with a paper mache head had to look like Howdy Doody! It took a while but we finally
learned how to make our marionettes move and act like the Howdy that we saw on TV. The
secret was in the control stick or arm that we held in our hands. The front arm worked the legs,
the rear arm the hands. And then there was a stable line that attached the whole marionette to the
control frame.
You may think that I look a bit silly this morning all tied up like a marionette with this giant
control arm over my head. But in one sense we are all like this - we are all marionettes even
though you cannot see the strings and control arm. You see someone or something is pulling the
strings of your life this morning. The question is WHO? Who is pulling the strings of your life?
In some cases it could be YOU, yourself. In other cases it could be some current
CIRCUMSTANCE that tugs the strings. It could also be some ADDICTION, or emotional
hang-up like ANGER or even a lack of forgiveness. Just about anything or anyone can be pulling
the strings of your life. The truth is that someone or something is! And in those cases, as I
discovered as a small boy, the marionette ends up in a tangle heap of twisted arms, legs and string.
The question this morning is WHO is pulling the strings and can anyone keep the strings of our
lives from becoming a tangled mess?
As believers it is EASY to say that the Lord Jesus Christ is pulling the strings, but in many cases
that may not be entirely true because the EVIDENCE is often to the contrary and our lives are as
tangled as our unredeemed neighbors. This morning I want us to look at a familiar passage that
tells us WHY it makes great sense for Christ to be in possession of the control arm of our lives
and WHAT are the results or evidence that we can expect when He is. Please turn to one of the
most fantastic chapters in all the Scripture - Romans twelve and lets read verses 1 and 2.
Verse one tells us about the PRESENTATION OF OUR BODIES. We learn that such a move is
reasonable - that is that it makes sense! It is LOGICAL - when you think about it - review the
alternatives - this is the best choice! We also learn that it is the pre-requisite and SUBSTANCE
of our worship - worship that PLEASES God. When we talk about presenting our bodies to the
Lord, we are talking about that dirty word and avoided concept of, “COMMITMENT.” It is
interesting that according to verse one that God requires a “LIVING SACRIFICE.” Someone
once commented that the only trouble with a living sacrifice is that it is always trying to crawl off
the altar and that it requires an intentional move on our part to stay on that altar by making our
commitment CONTINUOUS!
But HOW do we do that? Let’s look at verse two in detail which gives us the PROCESS! I have
always liked the way the paraphrased version renders verse two, “Do not let the world squeeze
you into its mold.” Perhaps the best way to understand verse two is to think in terms of
COMPUTER OPERATING SYSTEMS. For computers you might have Windows, 95, 98, or
2000 or even the new XP. Such an operating system dictates or spells out HOW your computer
will function - it will determine the rules and boundaries and best focus the energy of the whole
system. God has provided such an operating system for the body, will and mind that we offer to
him as a living sacrifice. It is called HSOS or Holy Spirit Operating System. Not only is it the
best going - it will never need to be updated!
HSOS simply means that we allow God The Holy Spirit TOTAL CONTROL of the strings of our
lives! We let His life FLOW through our bodies, minds, wills, personalities, emotions, gifts,
abilities. He is the BOSS! And there is no argument! It is somewhat like what happens with a
simple hand puppet (pull one out) The Holy Spirit is like the hand - without it the puppet is
lifeless - there is no direction or activity that makes any sense. But insert the hand and it comes
alive and becomes a delight, especially to grandchildren! This TRANSFORMATION by the Holy
Spirit allows us to come alive in Christ and be a delight to our Heavenly Father.
So what is the result of all this? What is the EVIDENCE that such a commitment has taken
place in our lives and that we are truly operating under the control of the Holy Spirit? Verse two
also gives us that! We should expect in our lives the PERFORMANCE OF THE PERFECT
WILL OF GOD! And so that there will be no confusion as to what the Will of God is, the Spirit
takes the rest of chapter twelve to outline it for us. Let’s look at it briefly this morning.
(Read verse 3 - 8) In verses three through eight we discover that the will of God means the
exercise of God’s grace in our lives through a SPIRITUAL GIFT. It is a gift that is given and
energized by the Holy Spirit. Such a gift is supernatural and is a testimony to being under control
of God the Holy Spirit It is also a gift that is not to be hoarded or kept in reserve but used to
benefit the Body of Christ to the Glory of God! If you are performing in this way this morning
you are giving evidence that God’s Spirit is at work in you.
(Read verses 9 - 12) What an impossible way to live! What a job description for a believer? Did
you catch all the ingredients in that list? A sincere love, a brotherly love, a spiritual zeal and
fervor, joyful hope, patience, hospitality, Blessing those who curse you, rejoicing with those who
rejoice and mourning with those who mourn, living in harmony and peace with everyone, doing
what is right, feeding your enemy, and overcoming evil with good! All of that SCRIPTED and
ENERGIZED in our lives by the indwelling Holy Spirit who PERFORMS it all as the FLESHED
OUT Will of God in and through us! If that is becoming the performance of your life this
morning then it is proof indeed that God The Holy Spirit is PULLING YOUR STRINGS!
I have come to the conclusion that it is dangerous to preach! Quite often I’ve found that God
tests the truth of a message sometimes in the week before or the week after I preach it. This week
was no different. With my Cancer in remission I was saying to myself - “My body is getting
better!” Then the Lord interrupted and said, “Whose body? I thought you gave it to me 49 years
ago and several times since then?" Along with all this dialogue I also discovered this week that I
was facing another possible surgery with my falling apart body that would require the Heavenly
Mechanic to step in and provide healing. The two closing points I want to make are these. (1) If
the Lord is willing to accept and own my falling apart body, He is willing to accept and own yours.
And (2) You can trust Him to do more with it then you can!
(PRAYER OF COMMITMENT)
