A Nation that Is Blessed

This is a sermon that was offered in recognition of America's Independence Day and is based on the text in Psalm 33:12. Due to technical problems the audio recording of the message is not available.

Written Excerpts:

Psalm 33:12 ^(NKJV) Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

Introduction:

At the beginning of this service today we took a little time to talk about our nation’s independence and refer to some of the religious/spiritual heritage our nation was founded upon. As I considered the significance of our spiritual heritage, I recalled this verse from Ps. 33:12.

With the help of the Lord, I would like to speak to you today about the meaning of this verse and try to apply it to both our nation and to each of us personally.

I.     Who is God?

(Following breakdown of Ps. is from Tyndale Commentary)

33:1-3. A New Song – “The psalm begins with a call for the congregation (the righteous/the upright) to worship God with music and enthusiasm.”

“New Song” – term for victory song

(Keil and Delitzsch Commentary) – A "new song" is one which, in consequence of some new mighty deeds of God, comes from a new impulse of gratitude in the heart…”

33:4-5. The Word of God – “God’s word is right and true, and his actions in the world demonstrate his (covenantal) faithfulness.”

33:6-9. God Made the Heavens by His Word – The pagans believed that God or gods were all part of creation, but the Bible, including this psalm, declare that the creation is separate from God. And, God is the Creator. This demonstrates His awesome power, creativity and care of creation.

33:10-11. God’s Plans Prevail – “These verses contrast the plans of the Lord with the plans of the nations.”

33:12-15. God Sees All – [vv. 13-15] “God watches over all his people. He is concerned about their inner life (the hearts of all) and their actions (everything they do).”

33:16-19. God Saves – “Military success is not found in strength of numbers or in superior armaments, but rather in … God the Warrior who is able to deliver them from death through battle, famine or any other disaster.”

The Psalmist lays out a complete description of this one true God who is infinitely different and apart from all other gods. Who He is and what He has done is beyond compare to any gods of the pagans.

II.    Who is the nation?

“nation” –  (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) “… the basic idea is that of a defined body or group of people, or some specific large segment of a given body. The context will generally indicate the specific quality or characteristic which is to be understood…. The term gôy is used especially to refer to specifically defined political, ethnic or territorial groups of people…” 

(Tyndale Commentary) – v. 12; “However, there is one exception among the nations: the nation God chose for his inheritance, which of course is Israel (Exod. 19:3-6; Deut. 7:7-11). No other nation, ancient or modern, fits this category.”

The nation, whether Israel or Christian believers, is made up of those who earnestly seek to live a godly life. Today, God’s people [includes] the church. And we must keep in mind that God chose Israel [and the church] not just to bless them, but to bless all the nations through them.” The NT repeatedly reminds us that those who put their trust in Jesus Christ are grafted into Israel. The believers in Christ are fellow-heirs of the promises.

Psalm 33:1-3 – “The call contained in [these three verses] is addressed to the righteous and upright, who earnestly seek to live a godly and God-pleasing life, and the sole determining rule of whose conduct is the will and good pleasure of God.” (Keil and Delitzsch Commentary)

So, the nation, whether we’re talking about Israel or Christian believers, is that group of people who “seek to live godly and according to the will and good pleasure of God.”

III.  What does it mean?

Compare: Deuteronomy 33:29 ^(NKJV) Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, The shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! Your enemies shall submit to you, And you shall tread down their high places."

The psalm obviously means that this awesome God has set His unfailing love upon Israel, calling out and creating a nation that was not a nation, beginning with Abraham. It should be seen as a direct contrast and distinction from the other nations all around them who believed that the gods they worshiped were territorial & were “responsible” for their protection from enemies, and for victories in conquering other nations.

e.g. – The Assyrian king brags against Israel saying that none of the gods of all the other nations he had conquered were able to save those people from his army. The God of Israel is all-powerful and He sets His unfailing love upon His people. He accomplishes all the things mentioned in preceding verses of this psalm.

But, He is not only Israel’s God because He chose them, but He is Israel’s God as long as they choose Him! When Israel abandons their allegiance to the Lord, and they disobey His clear commands, then God withdraws His protection and allows them to be conquered and destroyed by enemies. He’s still their God, but He isn’t delivering them from enemies as He has in the past. In that sense, they are no longer blessed.

In the same way, we not only are blessed because God has chosen “whosoever will” to be His people, but we are blessed as long as we cling to His Word and obey His will. 

I firmly believe that our nation has been abundantly blessed because of the clear and intentional commitment to the principles of the Bible in our founding documents. I believe our nation has been blessed because of our commitment to support and defend the nation of Israel. 

But, I am saddened to say that our nation has had decades of abandoning the principles of Scripture and therefore have no basis for God’s continued blessing. Except, if we follow the principle of 2 Chron. 7:14. This is not only true of our nation, but it is true of the church.

Institutional church denominations and organizations are rapidly abandoning the clear teachings of Scripture in favor of accommodating the immoral values of this world. So many have fallen prey to the world’s definition of tolerance and compassion and now practice a religion that has no moral direction or standards.

Let us purpose in our hearts to be a people that is devoted to the Word of God and pray for a revival of biblical faith and morality in our land.

I want to invite you to stand together and sing our closing song:

If My People’s Hearts Are Humbled

Reconciled to God

This is a sermon based on Romans 5:10 that was given for a worship service in which we celebrated the sacrament of Communion. Due to technical problems, the audio recording is not available.

Written Excerpts:

Romans 5:10 ^(NKJV) For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Introduction:

I want to begin my message today with two different stories about reconciliation; the first one humorously portrays an insincere attempt at reconciliation, and the second one describes the real deal.

(sermonillustrations.com) One New Year's Eve at London's Garrick Club, British dramatist Frederick Lonsdale was asked by Symour Hicks to reconcile with a fellow member. The two had quarreled in the past and never restored their friendship. "You must," Hicks said to Lonsdale. "It is very unkind to be unfriendly at such a time. Go over now and wish him a happy New Year."

So Lonsdale crossed the room and spoke to his enemy. "I wish you a happy New Year," he said, "but only one."

On a much different note:

I came across a story about Joe Avila, a 17-year staff member of an organization called Prison Fellowship.

Long before becoming employed by Prison Fellowship, Joe was involved in a drunk-driving accident that took the life of a teenage girl by the name of Amy Wall.

Joe was charged with 2^nd-degree murder and jailed. Apparently, while Joe was incarcerated, he entered a 6-month sobriety program with the Salvation Army. After completing a few months of the program, Joe went back to court and changed his plea to “guilty.” The judge gave him the maximum sentence of 12 years, stating that he hoped Joe would change.

The story didn’t provide details of Joe’s spiritual journey, except to say that while he was in prison he spent his time helping in the chapel, sharing the Gospel with other prisoners and helping with hospice patients. Because of the tremendous change in his life, Joe was released from prison after serving a total of 7 ½ years.

Not long after his release, Amy’s brother requested to meet with Joe and this began a long journey of reconciliation with Amy’s entire family. Joe repeatedly expressed his sorrow and sought forgiveness from each member of Amy’s family. Eventually the day came when Amy’s father, gave Joe a hug and said, “I love you Joe.” (Adapted from https://www.prisonfellowship.org/2016/11/joe-amy-story-reconciliation/)

This truly is a remarkable story of reconciliation. It is one that many people, including Christians, would think impossible. However, because of genuine repentance and genuine forgiveness; sincere reconciliation was made possible. Joe’s experience with the Wall family after taking the life of their daughter & sister, Amy, is just a small example of the reconciliation that can take place between a perfectly holy God and a wretched sinner.

Before we share the sacrament of communion, I want to speak to you briefly today about the possibility of being reconciled to God. As we consider the subject of reconciliation with God, there are three important principles we must be reminded of.

I.     Sinners are the objects of God’s wrath.

Romans 1:18 (NKJV) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

This is only one of many verses in the Bible that describe the wrath of God toward those who stand in opposition to His holiness because of their sin and ungodliness. The wrath of God is not merely the fact of being irritated or offended because God isn’t getting His way, or because we choose to go our way rather than His.

God’s wrath is not to be understood as “blowing His top” or “losing His cool” or “throwing a tantrum” because things aren’t going right. No, the wrath of God is the justifiable and understandable consequence of a perfectly holy God addressing anything that violates His standard of righteousness and perfection. Therefore, the Bible uses words like enmity, hostility and enemies to describe the relationship (or should we say lack of relationship) that exists between us and Him. And, Scripture often uses the word judgment to describe the result of this hostile relationship.

Before we come to Christ, we all are “by nature the children of wrath.” (According to Eph. 2:3)

We do not like to talk about the wrath of God…

The feelings that Amy Wall’s family originally felt toward Joe Avila were the natural results of the horrible crime he committed that took away the life of their young loved one. We can understand how they would want to see the man suffer for what he had done. The main difference however, is that kind of anger or wrath is tied up with a passion for revenge or payback. With God, on the other hand, it is a requirement of His holiness to keep everything in harmony with perfect justice. If justice isn’t real, then holiness isn’t.

Before we move on, we should also mention that the Bible portrays the hostility to be directed from man toward God as well. The relationship between us is not only broken because of God’s wrath, but also because of our anger and resentment over God requiring our worship and allegiance. In our sinful state we resent the demand that we “Have no other gods before Him.” We are incensed over the fact that we can’t just go our own way and do our own thing and still hope for a pleasant after life, or even no after life.

So, the hostility goes both ways.

II.    Jesus Christ, by His death, provided atonement.

It is interesting to note that the word that is translated “reconciliation” is also the same word that is sometimes translated “atonement.”

Romans 5¹¹ And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, paying the sentence of death for all sinners, atonement is made to erase the hostility and wrath of God.

The Bible uses different terms to describe the transaction that occurs. Terms like: redemption; justification; forgiveness; etc. These all speak to the biblical truth that the blood of Jesus Christ provides the basis for our forgiveness.

The doctrine of justification is the biblical truth of our record of sin being erased. You’ve heard me mention before that the word justify is very similar to our current understanding of the word “expunge.” Before coming to faith in Christ, our record of sins and “crimes” against the holiness of God is lengthy, dark and vile. But when we actively put our faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our record is expunged and it is as though we never, ever sinned.

In the hymn, Arise, My Soul, Arise, Charles Wesley wrote:

Five bleeding wounds he bears, received on Calvary;

They pour effectual prayers, they strongly plead for me.

Forgive him, oh forgive, they cry;

Forgive him, oh forgive they cry;

Nor let that ransomed sinner die.

The Father hears him pray, His dear Anointed One

He cannot turn away the presence of His Son.

His Spirit answers to the blood,

His Spirit answers to the blood;

And tells me I am born of God.

III.  Reconciliation results between both parties.

Romans 5:10-11 ^(NKJV) For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

(The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) He is not arguing that if we have begun to love God we may reckon upon His doing so and so for us, but because He has done so much, we may expect Him to do more.  The verse is parallel to the preceding, and the being reconciled is on the same plane as being justified; the being justified was God's action, and so is the reconciling.  Justification delivers from "the wrath of God"; reconciliation takes effect upon enemies. – Archibald M'caig

Because of the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ in our place, God’s wrath is turned away and we now become His “beloved.” In Ephesians, Paul describes it by saying we are no longer foreigners (aliens) and strangers outside of the household of God, but we are now adopted into the family and are called sons of God.

Where there was tension, conflict, war and hostility, is now replaced by peace, communion, and fellowship.

Going back to Wesley’s hymn, Arise, My Soul, Arise:

He continues in the last verse…

My God is reconciled, His pardoning voice I hear

He owns me for His child, I can no longer fear.

With confidence I now draw nigh,

With confidence I now draw nigh;

And Father, Abba Father, cry!

Conclusion:

It is only through the blood of Jesus Christ that we have been reconciled to God.

Today, we will again share the sacrament of communion to remember and celebrate the sacrifice that Jesus made.

Before we share communion, let us sing the song in our hymnals.

I Gave My Life for Thee

A Prophetic Prayer for a Wayward People

(To download an mp3 file of this sermon, click on the title above. To listen online now, click on the play button of the audio player shown here.)

This is a sermon based on the account in 1 Kings 18, which records the contest on Mount Carmel between the prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal. It emphasizes the specific things Elijah asks God to do in the prayer he prayed over the sacrifice before the fire fell on the altar. These specific requests still have relevance for us today by reminding us of how we need God's intervention in our lives too.

Written Excerpts:
1 Kings 18:36-37 ^(NKJV) And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again."

Introduction:

I suppose if I would ask, many of you would say we are surely living in dark times spiritually. We are saddened and even anxious about the rampant departure from biblical norms for living that is evident in our society. 

I heard a radio personality several years ago commenting on the conditions of our society. He said that every generation generally believes that the world is the worst it has ever been. I suppose that there is some level of truth to his comment, because we have observed the moral decay and other changes in our own lifetime. Yet, we often fail to realize that we can only evaluate conditions in comparisons to one or two generations. We often cannot grasp what conditions were like a century ago. (I remember being surprised by the descriptions of the horrible conditions existing in England immediately prior to the Wesley revival that swept across the nation.)

In the story that is related in our Scripture reading today, it is easy to understand that the prophets of God, and others who knew God, could have very easily believed their day was worse than any other previous time. So we have read about a dramatic scene in which a prophet of the Lord by the name of Elijah has challenged the prophets of Baal to a contest in order to demonstrate that God is alive and deserving of their worship and service.

Today, I would like to focus on the very brief prayer of the prophet once he prepares the sacrifice, and I want to emphasize the few specific requests he asks of God in this prayer.

I.      Prelude to the Prayer

If you’re familiar with this story, you already know that Ahab was the king of the northern kingdom designated as Israel (the southern kingdom was Judah). 

Here’s a scriptural description of the kind of king Ahab was.

1 Kings 16:29-33 ^(NKJV) … Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel; and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 

Years earlier Israel had already departed from the true worship of the Lord by setting up calf idols to assist them in their worship of God. But now, King Ahab has married Jezebel, a daughter of a foreign king, and she brings to Israel her country’s worship of Baal. Ahab goes right along with her and erects idols, temples and institutes Baal worship in the land. Ahab and Jezebel are notoriously wicked. She orchestrates the slaughter of hundreds of God’s prophets. (See beginning of chapter 18.)

“Baal” - (The AMG Concise Bible Dictionary) The word baal was a common Hebrew word meaning 'master', 'husband' or 'owner'. When the Israelites entered Canaan and found that the local people believed every piece of land had a god as its 'owner', baal developed a particular use as a proper noun. It became the title or name of the god of the land, whether of the land as a whole or of a particular area of land. 

(The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) After the time of Ahab, however, the name became associated with the worship and rites of the Phoenician deity introduced into Samaria by Jezebel, and its idolatrous associations accordingly caused it to fall into disrepute.

The sources I consulted differ slightly in their description of Baal. The god was apparently believed to be associated with weather, sun, land/soil, etc. and the worship of Baal included sacrifices, including human (child) sacrifices. 

The nation had apparently fallen into deep wickedness and immorality as a result of the new religion and the priests and prophets that promoted it. It was a dark, dark, time. Elijah obviously felt out-numbered (as he stated later when Jezebel was hunting for him), but he didn’t give in or give up. This time of great spiritual darkness was the ideal time for the true God of Israel to “show off.”

It’s not always easy to remember, but “the darker the night, the brighter the light shines!”

II.    Petitions in the Prayer

As I said earlier, Elijah’s prayer is a very brief prayer. One could argue that Elijah was so close to God and in constant communication with God that he didn’t need to say much when it came time to rely on God for His special intervention.

There seem to be 3 specific things that Elijah prays for:

A.    Reveal Your Existence

“Let it be known…You are God.” (36)

“That this people may know You are the Lord God.” (37)

Elijah does not pray for fire to come down. He merely prays for God to manifest himself and authenticate His worship.   (Adapted from: www. sermonwriter.com/biblical-commentary/ 1-kings-1820-39/)

Elijah prays for God to do such an awesome demonstration of power that everyone watching will no longer believe that Yahweh/Jehovah is just one of many gods, including Baal, but they will realize that the Lord, alone, is the true God. Elijah was not interested in getting a name for himself or building any kind of religious empire. He want God to be manifested, glorified and worshiped.

It’s nice to have people compliment my preaching, or my ministry, but my greatest desire for the people who come to Wayside Church is for them to sense God is here! I want them to see Jesus. I want people to hear the voice of the Lord and personally know God.

B.     Authenticate My Calling

“I am Your servant.” (36)

“I have done these things at Your word.” (36)

“I have done” – perfect tense, denotes not only what has already occurred, but what shall yet take place as certain as it had already taken place. (Keil & Delitzsch Commentary)

Elijah knew that without the authority of the God of Israel, he had no right or authority to “impose” his faith and form of worship upon the people. It really didn’t matter what Elijah thought. In himself, he had no more credibility than any of the false prophets or any of the common residents.

(Quoted from www.enduringword.com) “It was no whim of his to chastise the nation with a drought. [Recorded in the previous chapter.] It was no scheme of his, concocted in his own brain, that he should put the Godhead of Jehovah or of Baal to the test by a sacrifice to be consumed by miraculous fire.” (Spurgeon)

Spurgeon recommended that believers use the same principle in prayer, especially those who preach the Word of God: “Go you to the mercy-seat with this as one of your arguments, ‘Lord, I have done according to thy word. Now let it be seen that it is even so. I have preached thy word, and thou hast said, “It shall not return unto me void.” I have prayed for these people, and thou hast said, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”; let it be seen that this is according to thy word.’”

Every preacher, teacher and prophet of God should want their hearers and followers to know that they represent the living God. He is our authority. We do not speak for ourselves, we speak for God. Therefore we need to be very careful about the risk of mixing our own ideas in with the Word. None of us will be accountable for what any preacher thinks, but we will be held accountable for what God says.

C.    Revive Your People

“You have turned their hearts back again.”

“have turned” – perfect tense; that which will occur is written as though it has already happened.

These few words of Elijah’s prayer get at the heart of what is happening on Mount Carmel.  Yahweh’s primary interest is not in providing a circus-like display that will impress his audience.  Yahweh’s primary interest is the redemption of the Israelite people—in turning their hearts back to the true faith—in restoring the covenant relationship that they have broken—in securing their repentance so that he might forgive their sins.  (Quoted from: www. sermonwriter.com/biblical-commentary/1-kings-1820-39/)

Again, we notice that Elijah is not just interested in some dynamic display of supernatural power. He is not merely interested in proving he’s right and they’re wrong. His ultimate goal is to see the hearts of the people and the leaders turned back to the true God and to give Him the worship and service He demands and deserves.

Miracles, dynamic demonstrations of spiritual fervor and everything else associated with them are of no lasting spiritual benefit if it doesn’t result in people turning their hearts back to God.

Conclusion:

We are living in dark days. We have strayed far away from God’s standards of righteousness. Deep immorality, drunkenness, drug addiction, human trafficking, are just a few of the horrible conditions of our society. If there was ever a time when we needed men and women of God to stand up and be counted, it is now. We need people who will speak up and proclaim God’s Word in spite of the potential threats it may draw. We need people who will carry the burden of prayer until we hear from heaven and God brings a revival.

May the Lord help me and all of us to be strong and faithfully love God and serve Him.

A Father's Awesome Privilege

(To download an mp3 file of this sermon, click on the title above. To listen online now, click on the play button of the audio player shown here.)

This is a sermon given for Father's Day that emphasizes the privilege fathers (and all parents) have in teaching their children the ways that God has performed miracles and provided daily needs for His people, so that the children will grow up trusting in the Lord themselves.

Written Excerpts:

Psalm 78:4 ^(NKJV) We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. 

Introduction:

I want to share some Father’s Day humor before I begin the message.

“Dad, are bugs good to eat?” asked the boy.

“Let’s not talk about such things at the dinner table, son,” his father replied.

After dinner the father inquired, “Now, son, what did you want to ask me?”

“Oh, nothing,” the boy said.  “There was a bug in your soup, but now it’s gone.” — Submitted by Mark Y., Glendora, Calif.      (From boyslife.org)

A little child in church for the first time watched as the ushers passed the offering plates. When they neared the pew where he sat, the youngster piped up so that everyone could hear: "Don't pay for me Daddy, I'm under five."  (http://www.loveyoufather.com/jokes/christian-fathers-day-jokes.html)

(Jokes on Reader’s Digest website)

World’s Most Technical Dad - Before I took the old family car to college, my father loaded the trunk with soft-drink bottles filled with oil, coolant, and transmission fluid. Sure enough, my car overheated. Scolding myself for not listening to my father’s instructions, I [raised the hood] looked at the engine and [discovered] how well he knew me. The oil cap was labeled “Dr. Pepper,” the transmission stick, “Coke,” and the coolant container, “Diet Pepsi.” I finished the trip safely. – Charlotte G. Alexander

World’s Safest Dad - No one is more cautious than a first-time parent. After our daughter was big enough to ride on the back of my bicycle, I bought a special carrier with a seat belt and got her a little helmet. The day of the first ride, I put her in the seat, double-checked all the equipment, wheeled the bike to the end of the driveway, carefully looked both ways, and swinging my leg up over the crossbar, I kicked her right in the chin. – Zachary Gibbs

Sometimes, even the best prepared and most conscientious dads can really blow it, can’t they?

Well, today I want to use the passage that was read for us a little earlier to point out dad’s greatest privilege. This psalm indicates that fathers have the wonderful privilege of passing on to their children and grandchildren the wonderful message of God’s redemption.

About a year ago I had this Psalm read in our worship service. I had chosen it then because of its review of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and I was making application to deliverance from the bondage of sin. Today, I want to focus on a different truth that is emphasized on the Psalm, which is written by Asaph – one of King David’s chief musicians. 

As we consider the awesome privilege that fathers have in passing the message of God’s redemption, we want to notice the source of the message, the content of the message and the purpose of the message.

I.      The Source of the Message

Ps. 78:3 ^(NKJV) Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. 

The psalmist clearly indicates that the message has already been passed down by “our fathers.” This word probably does not literally refer to “fathers” as distinct from “mothers,” “aunts & uncles,” etc. It probably carries more of the idea of “forefathers” or ancestors.

God had given specific instructions to the Israelites that they were to diligently teach the knowledge of their history to their children. They were to teach the covenant and the miracles.

Ex. 10:1-2 ^(NKJV) Now the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him, ² and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son's son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD." 

Ex. 12:26-27 ^(NKJV) And it shall be, when your children say to you, 'What do you mean by this service?' ²⁷ that you shall say, 'It is the Passover sacrifice of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.' So the people bowed their heads and worshiped.

Deut. 6:20-22, 24-25 ^(NKJV) "When your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the LORD our God has commanded you?' ²¹ then you shall say to your son: 'We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand; ²² and the LORD showed signs and wonders before our eyes, great and severe, against Egypt, Pharaoh, and all his household.  

²⁴ And the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day. ²⁵ Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the LORD our God, as He has commanded us.'

If the Israelites had diligently obeyed the instructions of the Lord through Moses, the nation would have done a much better job of staying true to God.

We too have received the instruction and the Word of God from our forefathers (or spiritual forefathers). I am extremely grateful for the faithful men of God who diligently and passionately passed on to me the knowledge of God and His will for my life.

II.    The Content of the Message

Psalm 78:4-5 ^(NKJV) We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, 

When we talk about the content of the message, we find that the fathers were to pass on the praises of the Lord to the future generations. There are two specific things they were to praise the Lord for.

A.    His strength and works.

^4b And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. 

Israel had a rich history of God displaying His strength in behalf of His people. In Israel’s history, God’s strength is intimately connected with His works. Looking down through the rest of this Psalm, the author is describing all of the great and wonderful works the Lord did in delivering His people from Egypt.

God is omnipotent. He is a miracle-working God. He demonstrated this over and over to the people of Israel, and it was the duty and privilege of fathers and parents to tell their children and succeeding generations about all the mighty works of God.

B.     His testimony and law.

⁵ For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children; 

At the beginning, in verse 1, the psalmist urges the people to listen to “my law.” In this context the word has a more generic meaning of instruction or teaching. However, here in verse 5, the words testimony and law carry a more narrow meaning. They refer to the Law God gave to them as a covenant between Himself and the people He has chosen.

(Expositor's Bible Commentary, Revised) – Each generation must remember that the Lord revealed the divine oracles to Israel (cf. Ro 3:2) as an expression of the covenantal relationship that he had sovereignly and graciously established between himself and Israel. 

The psalmist is acknowledging the fact that each generation has the responsibility to carry on the message of God’s miraculous power and God’s eternal Word. They must not only tell what God can do and has done, but they also need to tell about the relationship God desires to have with His people. 

My fellow brothers, we need to feel a sense of urgency to pass on to our children and future generations a clear and definite testimony about God’s power and work; not only in the biblical history of Israel, but even in our own family history.

III.   The Purpose of the Message

There are several purposes given in these three verses for the message that was to be passed on to future generations.

A.    To give future generations knowledge.

Psalm 78:6-8 ^(NKJV) That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children, 

How will their children and grandchildren learn about God and His “track record” of miraculous deliverance? How will they know about God’s plan of salvation and redemption? The message was to be passed on so that “the generation to come might know them.” They in turn, once they grasp the knowledge given, will teach it to the next generation.

I don’t mean to sound judgmental, but it seems like in our society and culture today, we’re very diligent about teaching our children how to be politically correct, but how much are we teaching them about God’s law and God’s love? We’re diligent to teach them knowledge about a lot of different topics except the awesome Creator and His great love and redemption. 

B.     To help future generations obtain hope.

⁷ That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God,

Hope=trust  Hope and trust come from remembering the works of God. 

I’m sure there are numerous examples we could point to in scripture of what happens when people lose hope. We sure have enough evidence today in our society of people, especially young people, who have lost hope and have no knowledge of God or His works.

C.    To foster obedience in future generations.

^{7 (con’t)} But keep His commandments;

In addition to giving hope, the message passed down was to inspire obedience to the Lord’s commands. God desired obedience from His covenant people. 

Sometimes disobedience is the result of faulty communication of the message from one generation to the next. However, sometimes the message is clear, but the rebellion in the hearts of the hearers puts them on a path of disobedience to the will of God.

D.    To help future generations avoid stubborn disobedience.

⁸ And may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

Finally, the purpose is clearly to help the future generations to avoid the mistakes of past generations. As indicated in the previous point, the purpose of spreading the message to the children is to generate and foster obedience to God’s commandments. Multiple descriptions are provided in this Psalm regarding the stiff-necked rebellion and resistance the Israelites exhibited toward God’s will.

There is untold suffering and pain described in the Bible for those who abandoned the covenant of God and stubbornly chose their own path. That pattern continues today. The devil often convinces people that following God will bring unhappiness and unfulfillment. But it is actually the opposite. Those who choose to disobey the Lord and His plans find themselves beset with many, many sorrows and troubles.

Conclusion:

I want to share a couple of short articles that I read, which emphasize what I’ve been trying to describe for you today.

(From: Illustrations Unlimited)

RIGHT BEHIND FATHER - A man and his young son were climbing a mountain. They came to a place where the climbing was difficult and even dangerous. The father stopped to consider which way he should go. He heard the boy behind him say, "Choose the good path, Dad; I'm coming right behind you!" Author unknown

What does a father teach?

He teaches kindness by being thoughtful and gracious even at home.

He teaches patience by being gentle and understanding over and over.

He teaches honesty by keeping his promises to his family even when it costs.

He teaches courage by living unafraid with faith, in all circumstances.

He teaches justice by being fair and dealing equally with everyone.

He teaches obedience to God’s Word by precept and example as he reads and prays daily with his family.

He teaches love for God and His Church as he takes his family regularly to all the services.

His steps are important   - Unknown

I pray that all of us, but especially fathers, will realize the importance of teaching our following generations to not only know the Lord and love the Lord, but to also be good “soldiers” for the Lord.

When My Cry Was Heard

(Audio recording of this sermon is not available due to technical difficulties.)

This is a sermon that was given with the purpose of providing encouragement to those who are going through trials and tribulations in their lives. It is based on Ps. 3:4 ^(NKJV) I cried to the LORD with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction: I’m sure I don’t need to ask if anyone here has ever felt like they were getting beat down by the circumstances of life. I’m sure that most, if not all of us, could answer “yes” to that question. I know for a fact that any day or any week of the year there is a percentage of our congregation that is going through difficult circumstances or severe adversity. It often involves physical suffering, but in some cases it involves other kinds of trouble.

In light of this fact, I try to make sure I periodically bring a message of encouragement and hope, so we do not lose heart and get overcome with discouragement. The passage of Scripture that was read earlier is the reference I would like to focus our attention on this morning as we seek encouragement from the Lord for our challenges and adversities.

What does King David have to say about trouble and strife in his life? As we examine this Psalm, it appears that David presents a realistic picture of his troubles followed by an equally realistic description of his God. Then he concludes with a renewed cry for divine intervention.

I.      The true picture of troubles and adversity.

David starts out this psalm by accurately describing the situation he faces. If you notice the title given to the psalm, it says that this was a psalm he wrote when he was being pursued by his son, Absalom.

Interesting note: “Absalom” means, “father is peace.” King David no doubt gave him this name in recognition of how God was establishing his kingdom in peace and all his enemies were systematically being defeated. Ironically, now this son named in honor of peace is overseeing a campaign of intrigue and insurrection.

So David begins writing about the situation he finds himself in, and he doesn’t “pull any punches” or sugar-coat the details.

A.    His enemies are myriad.

¹ LORD, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me.

I’ve just recently read the account of this uprising in my personal Bible reading. It is striking to realize how murderous these people were in trying to take away the kingdom from David. Almost every king, if not everyone, would literally kill all potential rivals to the throne. (This is a practice that continues today.) So David was rightfully fearful of what might happen to him.

There are times when it seems like we are literally surrounded with trouble. It seems like every direction we turn there is suffering, heartache, trouble or conflict. We don’t accomplish anything by trying to minimize the threats or by ignoring the way things really are. The secret is, to not allow the conditions of the trouble to obscure our perception and sight of our deliverance.

B.     They expect God to abandon him.

² Many are they who say of me, "There is no help for him in God." Selah

One writer suggested that this might have been their assumption because of David’s own sins and failures. God won’t save him, because David has had times of unfaithfulness himself. However, they do not take into consideration that God is a loving God and a forgiving God towards anyone who demonstrates an attitude of humility and repentance.

II.    A true record of God’s direct aid.

In the Present

³  But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.

“for me” – lit. “about me or around me” Instead of abandoning His servant/worshiper, God actually shields him on every side from the attacks of the enemies.

“my glory” – “glory” comes from a Hebrew word that literally means “heavy” and is only used a couple of times in its literal meaning in the OT. It portrays the idea of “weightiness” and signifies worthiness, impressive or noteworthy. It seems to indicate that David admits and affirms that the only worthiness he possesses comes because of his ties to God.

“One who lifts…” – KJV, “lifter of my head.” This phrase is sometimes used in a negative sense to indicate pride and arrogance. For example: Psalm 83:2 ^(KJV) For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.

However, in a more positive sense, it gives the idea of confidence and dignity. Psalm 27:6 ^(KJV) And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD. So David is acknowledging that, in spite of the enemies and what they think/do, God gives David the ability to hold his head up in dignity and confident in God’s provision of safety for him.

In the Past

⁴ I cried to the LORD with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah ⁵ I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me.

The reason David can feel confidence in the present is based on his experience of God’s faithful aid in the past. If we take the time to reflect on the past, we can recall various times when we have gone through trials and situations that seemed unbearable at the time.

There are those experiences in the past when we desperately cried out to God and He responded with help just in the “nick of time.” It hasn’t always happened just like we wish or as soon as we hoped. David experienced the same disappointments. There were times recorded in other psalms when David asked the Lord, “Why have you forsaken me?” But, he has experienced enough times when God came to his rescue, that he still has faith He will do it again.

In the Future

Because of what God is to me now, and what God has been for me in the past, I know I can trust Him to be all that I need for the future. That is one of the blessed truths the people of God know and can rely on.

⁶ I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me all around.

Even though the number of enemies have increased (v.1), even up to ten thousands of people, I will not resort to paralyzing fear, because I know God is real and He has the help I need.

III.   A renewed cry for divine intervention.

So, since I have confidence in God, I am going to cry out to Him for His deliverance from all my enemies now. Since He has heard my cry before, I’m going to cry out again.

⁷ Arise, O LORD; Save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.

This phrase, “Arise, O Lord” derives from an old prayer of Moses when the Ark of the Covenant was taken up to lead the people of Israel against their enemies. Numbers 10:35 ^(NKJV) So it was, whenever the ark set out, that Moses said: "Rise up, O LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered, And let those who hate You flee before You."

⁸ Salvation belongs to the LORD. Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah

Salvation = deliverance – With God alone are all resources of help, and how they shall be bestowed rests exclusively with Him. (Leupold)

Conclusion:

Based on what we have been reminded of about God, what is the appropriate response? It is appropriate for each one of us to relax and rest in the assurance that God is going to see us through the crisis. We know we can trust the Lord to be faithful to us every day that lies ahead. We can “be still and know that He is God.”

Psalm 4:4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Let us be encouraged and uplifted with the closing song: Be Still My Soul

Power for What?

(To download an mp3 file of this sermon, click on the title above. To listen now, click on the play button of the audio player shown.)

This sermon was given in recognition of Pentecost Sunday and is based on Acts 1:8. It emphasizes the power for witnessing that is imparted to believers when they are filled with the Holy Spirit. Witnessing not only involves verbal testimony but also righteous conduct as well.

Written Excerpts:

Acts 1:8 ^(NKJV) But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

John Oswalt – This statement by Jesus is one of the few times that the disciples did not “need” to ask Jesus what He meant by what He said. They apparently already knew from the OT that the Messiah was “supposed” to initiate the gift/ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Introduction:

I imagine that most of us in this service today have seen and been impressed by some kind of awesome display of power. 

I’ve seen my grandfather do some pretty heavy jobs with any one of his teams of Percheron draft horses.

I’ve seen the aftermath of destructive storms. 

I’ve read about the power of atomic bombs or even the power of a volcanic eruption.

No matter what power we may think of, there is nothing that compares to the power of Almighty God.

Theologians refer to the unlimited power of God as His omnipotence. 

There is nothing too hard for thee [God]. (Jer. 32:17)

With God, all things are possible. (Matt. 19:26)

In this passage of Scripture we have read from Acts 1:8, Jesus speaks about a type of power that is available to His disciples. It is a power that originates from God (Holy Ghost).

Jesus is speaking to His disciples some final words of instruction and admonition before He returns to heaven. He reminds them of a power source available to them that would provide exactly what they needed for the future. It is related to a promise he had given earlier in his ministry:

Luke 24:49 ^(NKJV) Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." 

The “power from on high” is none other than the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. On the Christian calendar, last Sunday was designated as “Pentecost Sunday.” Since I wasn’t here, I felt impressed to focus on the subject this Sunday.

I have preached from this passage in Acts 1 before, but I want to return to it again today and focus on one specific part of the passage by asking the question, “The Holy Ghost will provide power for what?”

Previously, we have discussed the kind of power that Jesus is speaking about here. It was not “authority” to control others, but it was a supernatural ability to accomplish a specific task. As you can see in the verse, the power provided by the Holy Spirit is for the task of witnessing. For a little while this morning I want to focus our attention on the promise of the Holy Spirit’s power to make us witnesses.

I.    Witnessing is part of the promise.

Some authors point out the fact that the structure of this sentence does not indicate or emphasize a command AND a promise, but rather the whole statement is a promise. The point is not – I command you to be witnesses, and in order to accomplish that I’ll baptize you with the Holy Spirit. But rather – I promise to baptize you with the Holy Spirit and witnessing will be the natural result of that experience.

(Lenski N. T. Commentary) – … the future tense reads as though being witnesses is a continuation of the promise. This is not an admonition, but only a glorious future fact: "you shall be my witnesses" even as Jesus designated them already in Luke 24:48 – (You are witnesses of these things). 

When people are truly born again and their lives have been changed; when they are filled with the very presence of God Himself in the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, they can’t help but be witnesses. They may not always say the right words, or know exactly how to address certain questions, but they witness or testify to the transforming grace of God in their lives anyway.

II.  Witnessing includes specific content.

A witness has a specific task – to convey the facts / truth about something he/she has experienced.

I’ve said this before, but in court a witness is not allowed to tell what he/she thinks or heard someone else describe, etc. A witness can only provide what they know to be a fact because they have seen it with their own eyes, etc.

On an internet website, Attorney Ellen Harman gives this answer to the question, “What does a witness do in court?” A witness is anyone who has firsthand knowledge of something, who perceived it, can remember what he perceived and can retell it. I use perceive because a witness can testify to what he heard under some circumstances, what he smelled, tasted, how something felt when he touched or lifted it, etc as well as what he may have seen. (https://www.quora.com/What-does-a-witness-do-in-court)

The same basic concept applies to Christian disciples.

Jesus said, “You shall be witnesses to me…” Some translations of this verse simply translate it as: “my witnesses.”

But… (Lenski) – "My" witnesses = called to witness by me, for me, about me, yea, all about me.

The emphasis seems to be not only that witnesses belong to Jesus (my witnesses), but that Jesus is the content of their witness.

 (Philip Bence, Wesleyan Bible Commentary) – What would they do with that power? They would be witnesses. Those who are witnesses need not be clever or articulate. Witnesses merely describe what they have seen and heard.

 (Lenski, Con’t) They are to be more than heralds (preachers) who proclaim only what they are ordered to proclaim; they are to be … "witnesses" in the sense of 1^st John 1:1, men who have themselves seen, heard, touched, experienced, and are qualified, even called, to testify accordingly.

Those first century disciples and apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and immediately began to tell everyone what they had seen, heard, and experienced firsthand. We 21^st century disciples were not there to see Jesus, hear Jesus and experience the power of Jesus, but we still have the privilege of discovering all of those things based on the witness of others. When we do, it is our responsibility to continue the chain of testimony, but we won’t be able or effective without the filling of the Holy Spirit with power from above.

III. Witnessing includes various means.

There are many ways to witness through the power of the Spirit.

1. Speaking – The Christians in Acts, boldly spoke/proclaimed the message of salvation through faith in Jesus.

2. Actions – They faithfully ministered the grace of Jesus to the sick, the oppressed and the needy by their actions.

Their lives and attitudes were such that, in Acts 4:13, it states that some people “took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus.” 

What do people “perceive” about us when they’ve been around us for a while?

What do our words communicate to others about Jesus?

What do our actions and choices communicate to others about Jesus?

One of the thoughts that has been going through my mind lately is this: “What do the people living near our church know about Jesus because of us?” “What have we communicated to them about Jesus by our actions?” That’s part of the reason I have been burdened to attempt the outreach we’ve been talking about lately. We’re going to start making an effort to connect with our neighbors and demonstrate love and compassion like Jesus would.

3. There is a third way the Christians witnessed. They laid down their lives for what they believed.

The word “witness” in Greek is actually the same word that is sometimes translated “martyr.” Dying for the sake of arrogance or pride has no value. But dying for the testimony and witness of Jesus Christ had a tremendous impact. All through history, there have been remarkable stories not only of those who were willing to die for their faith, but also how their willingness to do so has impacted others to the point they also gave their hearts to Jesus.

You’ve heard me say this before but… I once read a cartoon where a young man was bragging to a friend, “I’d be willing to die for my faith!” The friend replied, “I just wish you would live for it!”

Conclusion:

I read this account I wanted to share before we close today.

One New Year's Day, in the Tournament of Roses parade, a beautiful float suddenly sputtered and quit. It was out of gas. The whole parade was held up until someone could get a can of gas. The amusing thing was this float represented the Standard Oil Company. With its vast oil resources, its truck was out of gas. 

Often, Christians neglect their spiritual maintenance, and though they are "clothed with power" (Luke 24:49) find themselves out of gas.  (Steve Blankenship in God Came Near by Max Lucado, Multnomah Press, 1987, p. 95. Quoted at: www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/p/power.htm)

Far too often the Christians parade under the banner of Salvation and holiness, but they don’t have the power to live it out before a world that is watching and searching for authenticity and integrity in those who profess faith.

Jesus has provided all that is necessary for us to be effective witnesses for Him and about Him. But it’s up to us to take advantage of what He has provided by surrendering ourselves to be completely filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit. I hope each one of us here today will truly seek more and more of the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit and will live out our witness for Christ every day.

Let’s close the service by standing and singing the closing hymn: I Would Be True