THE MEANING OF BAPTISM
27 March 2011
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Matthew 23:37
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.
-- before God sent the rain to us yesterday, you were probably aware that we had gotten really dry and that we’ve been having a lot of wildfires in our area -- we had a small wildfire out at Moody last Thursday that we had to quickly put out and there’s been a lot of smaller fires throughout the county over the last couple of weeks -- of course, there’s the larger wildfire that has been raging in Clinch County for several days now that had been threatening homes and lives in Cogdell and north of Homerville
-- even though wildfires are natural and part of this southern ecosystem -- they can still be very destructive and cause a lot of damage -- not only to homes and structures -- but also to the forests and to the animals that live there
-- I was reading about a wildfire the other day that had happened not far from us -- it was a massive wildfire and many firefighters had been brought in to help put it out -- they finally got it stopped and the firefighters were walking through the area putting out all the hot spots that were left -- all the stumps and the logs that were still burning and that might ignite the fire again
-- as they were walking through the burned out area, one of the men noticed a large lump on the trail -- it was kind of unusual so he walked over to it to see what it was -- and as he got closer, he noticed it was the charred remains of a large bird that had burned nearly half way through in the fire
-- he stood there looking at that bird and he wondered why this bird had died -- birds can easily fly away from the approaching flames -- I’ve been on lots of burns and lots of wildfires and I’ve never found a bird that died from the fire -- they always just fly away -- and so this guy stood there looking at that bird and trying to figure this out -- and he wondered if maybe it had been sick or injured and just couldn’t get away
-- after a moment, he decided to just kick the remains of the bird off the trail and go on -- and as soon as he did, he jumped and was scared half to death because there was all kinds of activity right by his feet -- he jumped back and watched as four little birds ran out from underneath the remains and scurried away down the hillside
-- and then he realized what had happened -- the mother’s body had covered them from the searing flames -- and even though the heat was enough to consume her -- her body protected her babies and allowed them to find safety underneath her wings -- and even though the flames came near -- and even though the heat became unbearable -- she had stayed with her young
-- she was their only hope for safety -- and she was willing to risk her own life to save them -- even when the pain reached its most unbearable moment -- when she could have flown away to start another family on another day, she made herself stay through the raging flames
-- this mother made the ultimate sacrifice to save her young -- and her death illustrates an even greater story -- the very story that brings us here today -- it is the story of a God who covered His children with His very own body and protected them from the flames of sin and death on the cross of Calvary [illustration adapted from Wayne Jacobson, The Hen and Her Chicks -- http://www.lifestream.org/bodylife.php?blid=23]
II. The Sacrifice of Jesus
-- this was the very reason Jesus came -- He told Nicodemus in John 3:16-17 that He had come into the world -- not to condemn the world -- but to save the world through Himself
-- the Bible tells us that we are all sinners -- that all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God -- a lot of times we like to think that we’re ok -- that just because we haven’t done anything really bad -- we haven’t stolen anything or killed anyone -- that we’re going to get into heaven on our own merit
-- but the Bible tells us that this is just not true -- if we break God’s law at any point -- if we commit just one sin in our life -- then we have broken the entire law and are subject to the punishment of death and eternal separation from God
-- I’ve used this analogy before, but I think it makes a pretty clear picture -- think about all the different kinds of sins -- murder and robbery and lust -- telling white lies -- gossip -- impure thoughts -- all the sins -- everything you can think of
-- and now imagine them written on a plane of glass -- like that front window up there -- just written up there in a list with a little checkbox right next to each one of them -- now, I want you to imagine that on the other side of that window is a roaring lion and you can look through the glass and see him, just like an exhibit in the zoo
-- now let’s say that you were an extraordinary person and the only the only sin that you ever committed was to tell a white lie to someone -- and so I hand you a hammer and a nail and I tell you to go up there and put a hole in the checkbox next to that sin with the hammer and the nail
-- what’s going to happen to that plate of glass when you hit it with that hammer? -- it’s going to shatter -- that whole plane of glass is going to come crashing down around you -- and what’s that roaring lion going to do? -- he’s going to come through that window after you
-- that’s what happens with sin -- that’s what God tells us in His word -- if you break just one little sin out of all of the sins in the world -- it’s the same thing as breaking them all -- and you deserve the punishment that you will get
-- and there’s no one in here that has just committed one sin in their life -- we’ve all committed lots of sins -- and so the punishment that is owed us is great
-- but God didn’t want us to suffer the punishment for our sin -- He didn’t want us to spend an eternity apart from Him -- He certainly didn’t want us to end up in Hell
-- so He sent His Son to earth to die on the cross in our place -- to become sin for us -- to take up the sufferings and the afflictions that were ours -- to experience the eternal separation from God -- so that we might not have to
-- we see that here in this passage -- we see the heart of God right here in this verse --keep in mind that Jesus was talking to His most bitter enemies -- the Pharisees and those who thought they could justify themselves -- those that thought they could work themselves to heaven and make their own way to God by following the law
-- and Jesus weeps over them and He says, “I have longed to gather you up -- as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings -- but you were not willing”
-- Jesus was offering them salvation -- He was offering them eternal life -- but they just wouldn’t come
III. What Must We Do?
-- flip over to Acts 2:36
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
-- when God sent the Holy Spirit upon the church at Pentecost, Peter stood up and preached the message of salvation and told these same Pharisees and the Jews who had gathered for the feast in Jerusalem the good news of Jesus Christ
-- He told them about the cross and the resurrection -- and as the power of the Holy Spirit fell upon them -- they cried out, “What must we do? -- we know now that the law won’t save us -- we know now that our good works can’t get us to heaven -- what must we do?”
-- and Peter lines it out for them in verses 38 and 39
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
-- Peter says to “repent” -- to repent means that you confess to God that you know who you are and you know what you’ve done -- you take ownership for the sins that you have committed and you agree with God that you are guilty and that you stand condemned for your sin -- deserving of death
-- through repentance you ask Him to forgive you of your sins through Jesus -- to let Jesus’ death and suffering on the cross stand as payment for what you have done -- and then you agree to turn around and follow God by trusting and believing in Jesus
-- and then Peter tells us to “be baptized”
-- I read a story from Bob Beasley, who is a pastor in Canada, about the time he carried his three-year-old daughter with them to a baptismal service -- she just couldn’t understand what was going on -- when the pastor immersed the candidate and put them under the water, his daughter exclaimed in surprise, "Why he pushed that guy in the water? Why, Dad, why?"
-- later that night, they tried to help her understand what was going on -- they talked about in and told her that when people decide to live for Jesus and "do good" they want everyone to know and so they get baptized -- they explained to her that the water symbolizes Jesus' washing people from sin -- and that when they come out "clean," they are going to try to be "good."
-- but, it was obvious that his daughter still didn’t quite get it -- she responded, “Well, if he has been bad, why didn’t the preacher just spank him?” [Source: Preaching Today Illustration from Bob Beasley, pastor of Gregory Drive Alliance Church, West Chatham, Ontario, Canada]
-- that’s the great thing about grace -- we don’t have to be spanked because Jesus was spanked for us -- we don’t have to suffer the punishment for our sins because Jesus was punished for us
-- so, when we humble ourselves and ask Jesus to forgive us for all we have done wrong and we repent of our wicked ways and turn to follow Him -- Jesus gives us eternal life and tells us to offer ourselves to Him through the act of baptism as Peter tells us here
-- baptism is an outward expression of an inward grace -- it is a symbolic act that proclaims to the world the inward change that has occurred in our hearts and in our spirits
-- it signifies our new life in Christ that began with the forgiveness of our sins -- it makes us a part of the body of Christ -- and makes us one with Christ and one with the church
-- baptism is what we call a sacrament -- the word sacrament literally means “sacred moment” -- what this means is that when we are baptized, not only are we present in the act -- but God Himself is present and is pouring out His grace upon us
-- that is what makes this act of baptism so special and so meaningful in our lives -- it’s not just us -- it’s God with us
-- and while we use water to represent the waters of creation and the cleansing of sin in our lives -- we have to keep in mind that we are being baptized with both water and the Spirit -- when we are baptized, the presence of God through the Holy Spirit is made alive in us to raise us up from the old life to a new life in Christ and to empower us to live that new life in victory
-- because the water is used only as a symbol of what Jesus has done within us, I don’t believe it really matters how much water you use, although some will argue that you have to be immersed completely when you are baptized
-- here at Koinonia, we baptize in the three methods that we believe have been used throughout the Bible -- immersion, sprinkling, and pouring -- and we leave it up to the choice of the person being baptized as to how they would like to be baptized
-- I like the symbolism of immersion for I think it really proclaims to the world the death of our old body and the washing away of our sins and the rising to new life in Christ -- but, obviously, we can’t always baptize in this way -- sometimes we don’t have access to a pool of water and sometimes the person being baptized can’t be immersed -- they might be terminally ill and unable to be immersed -- or they might be an infant or a child who couldn’t be immersed safely
-- which brings up something that I want to note here in this passage -- Peter says in verse 39 that the promise of salvation is for you and your children -- we know that in the Old Testament infants were included in the covenant with God -- God commanded Abraham to mark all male infants at eight days of age with the sign of circumcision to show they were part of the covenant -- in the same way, the church has traditionally baptized infants and children as a sign that they are part of the new covenant in Christ
-- now, I know some churches do not baptize infants -- but I don’t believe they should be excluded from the sacrament simply because of their age -- Peter says here that the children are part of the promise -- and Jesus said in Matthew 19:14, “"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
-- children and infants have always been a part of the covenant of God, going back to the days of Abraham -- and nowhere in the Bible are we told to exclude them from the covenant of faith -- so I think they should be allowed to baptized as a sign of that they are part of the new covenant in Christ
-- think about it this way -- let me give you a picture of what’s really going on in baptism-- when we are baptized, we place ourselves under Jesus -- under His authority and His protection
-- very much like the picture I gave you in my story of a mother hen gathering her chicks under her wings to protect them from harm -- through baptism, we are publicly making the declaration that we have placed ourselves under the wings of Jesus -- we are proclaiming that we are part of His church -- that we are part of the new covenant that He offers us through His body and His blood
-- when an infant or child is baptized, we are doing the same thing to them that Jesus does to us -- not only are they under the sheltering wings of Jesus, but they are being placed under the sheltering wings of their parents and the entire community of faith
-- through baptism, children are brought into the community of faith and are sheltered and protected from the world around them by the grace of God
-- now, that’s not to say that infants and children receive salvation through the act of baptism -- it only means that they are part of the covenant of God and part of the body of Christ -- to be protected and nurtured and raised in the faith until they can declare on their own their personal faith and trust in the saving grace of Jesus Christ at confirmation
-- just like a Jewish boy who was circumcised at 8 days of age would one day have to stand up and become a believer on his own and agree to live for God -- infants and children who are baptized will have to do the same -- at some point in their life they are going to have to ask Jesus to forgive them of their sins and to be their Savior if they want eternal life with Him
IV. Closing
-- one Sunday morning after the worship service, a little boy came up to Rick Warren, the pastor of Saddleback Church in California and the author of the Purpose-Driven Life, and asked him, "When can I get advertised?"
-- He meant "baptized" but he made the right point -- baptism is advertising that you're a Christian
-- in the church we are baptized -- not only because we are commanded to do so in Scripture -- but because we want to proclaim to the world that we have been washed in the blood of the Lamb and have received forgiveness for our sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus
-- this morning, we are honored to have Kaylee Harpe being presented to us for baptism by her parents -- but before I invite them up, I want to offer this invitation to you
-- Christ calls for us to be baptized as an act of obedience -- as a proclamation of who we are in Him -- and as a witness to the inward change that has come through our salvation
-- maybe some of you here have never received Jesus before as your Lord and Savior -- maybe you grew up thinking that going to church and believing that Jesus was real was enough to be saved -- but the Bible tells us that you have to do more
-- you have to repent -- you have to confess your sins and admit you are a sinner and ask Jesus to forgive you for what you have done -- and then you have to trust in His atoning death and His resurrection and believe in your heart -- not just your head -- that He is God and that we are saved and can go to heaven only because of Him
-- if you’ve never received Jesus as your personal Savior -- if you’ve never come and asked Him to forgive you for your sins, then I want to invite you to do so right now
-- and if you have received Jesus but you’ve never followed through and been baptized -- then I want to invite you to come up and offer yourself for baptism -- if you want to be immersed, we can arrange a time and place for that -- but if you just want to experience the baptism and the grace of Jesus right now through the symbolic act of sprinkling with water, then I’d invite you to come forward as we prepare to baptize Kaylee
-- so, let’s close in prayer and then I’ll have Seth lead us in the final song and then we’ll celebrate together the sacrament of baptism
-- let’s pray
Sunday, July 10, 2011
SERMON: LIVING IN A TSUNAMI WORLD
LIVING IN A TSUNAMI WORLD
20 March 2011
I. Introduction
-- turn in your Bibles to Psalm 121
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
-- as I’m sure everyone in here knows, on March 11th at 2:46 pm the nation of Japan was rocked by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake that hit off its northeast coast -- the fourth largest earthquake recorded in the world since 1900
-- this quake along the Pacific tectonic plate generated a massive tsunami that sent 30-ft waves roaring onto Japan -- devastating coastal towns and causing damage as far away as California and Hawaii -- and resulting in the deaths of over 10,000 people in the small island nation
-- in addition to the wholesale destruction of homes and communities along the coast, the massive tsunami also severely damaged nuclear plants in northeast Japan -- and for the past week the eyes of the world have been watching as Japan’s scientists and engineers desperately tried to cool the nuclear material in these plants and prevent the catastrophic release of radiation at levels exceeding that of Three Mile Island and Chernobyl
-- while people in California and along the United State’s western coast scrambled to buy iodine tablets and Geiger counters -- and as our TV screens were filled with the horrific images of the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami and of the race against time to rescue survivors and to restore order in a devastated country which was trying not only to survive a natural disaster but also the complete meltdown of a nuclear reactor -- we looked at the situation and felt hopeless and wondered if anyone would be able to help us out of this disaster
-- how often in recent years have we experienced these same feelings of hopelessness and helplessness? -- in the last decade, we have seen unprecedented natural and man-made disasters of increasing magnitude -- from the horrific events of 9-11 and the 2004 tsunami that killed over 230,000 people in Indonesia -- to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and earthquakes in Haiti, Tibet, Chili, and New Zealand -- to catastrophic flooding in Europe and South America
-- we have witnessed economic and financial collapses -- seen the dollar decrease in value against other national currency -- and watched as home foreclosure rates and unemployment reached all-time highs
-- and, just this morning, we open our papers to read of military attacks against the nation of Libya as our country expands the war effort from Afghanistan and Iraq and Pakistan to yet another region of the world while unrest and civil protests rage throughout Bahrain and Iran and other Arab countries
-- events such as these cause us to do just as the Psalmist does here and turn our eyes to the heavens and ask the questions, “How do we live in such a world? -- How do we survive in the midst of total chaos and devastation and destruction? -- Where do we look for answers and hope and help?”
II. Scripture Lesson -- Psalm 121:1-8
-- we are unsure who wrote this Psalm -- the scriptures do not tell us who the author is -- some scholars think it was King David and that this Psalm was written as he fled from Saul and his armies or later in life as he fled Jerusalem after his son usurped the throne
-- but, regardless of who wrote these words, they resonate in our hearts -- because we have felt the same emotion -- we have experienced the same doubt and despair and uncertainty -- and we know, as we read the heart-cry of this Psalmist, that we could have written these words ourselves
-- while we don’t know exactly the situation that led to this Psalm, we do know this -- the Psalmist who penned these words was in the midst of chaos -- perhaps surrounded by enemies who sought his life -- perhaps seeking answers in the midst of a natural disaster
-- he had little hope left of surviving -- and everywhere he looked, he saw danger and death and destruction -- he asked himself, “How do I live in this world?” -- and then he gives us the answer in this Psalm
-- look back at verse 1 and see what he wrote
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
-- Corrie ten Boom -- the great Dutch evangelist who was sent to a German concentration camp for hiding Jews in her home during World War II -- once wrote, “Look around and be distressed -- Look within and be depressed -- Look at Jesus and be at rest”
-- the Psalmist looked around and was distressed -- he looked within himself and didn’t see any hope there -- so he lifted his eyes to the hills -- he lifted his eyes to heaven -- wondering where help would come from
-- verse 2
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
-- the Psalmist makes it clear here -- our help does not come from charismatic presidents or politicians -- it doesn’t come from bank presidents or generals leading armies -- it doesn’t come from scientists or engineers
-- our help comes only from the Lord -- from the maker of heaven and earth -- and that’s true, whether we’re talking about being surrounded by enemies or if we’re talking about natural or economic disasters or if we’re talking about the state of our soul -- our hope rests only in God -- our Savior can only be God
-- verse 3
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
-- when I read these verses, I am reminded of the great battle of faith on Mount Carmel when the prophet Elijah confronted the false prophets of Asherah and Baal -- if you remember this story, Elijah proposed a test of faith whereby the nation would see who the true God of Israel was based on which God could supernaturally light the fire on the altar
-- the false prophets went first, and no matter how loud they wailed and cried out -- no matter how much they cut themselves and offered their souls to their gods -- nothing happened -- and Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry louder -- perhaps your god is asleep and cannot hear”
-- the Psalmist here reminds of the great truth that our God doesn’t sleep or slumber -- the Bible tells us that God is with us always and will never leave us or forsake us
-- God wasn’t asleep when the earthquake hit off the coast of Japan last week -- He wasn’t slumbering when the tsunami roared ashore -- He wasn’t surprised by what happened -- He was there, in the midst of His people, ministering to them in their despair
-- some might ask why God didn’t stop the tsunami -- why He didn’t stop the earth from quaking or the tectonic plates from shifting -- but answers to questions like that are above our understanding -- God is God and His purposes and His ways are higher than ours
-- but, I do know this -- without winter, we can never enjoy the beauty of spring -- without sickness, we can never rejoice in health -- without pain and death, we can never realize the blessing of life
-- why do bad things happen? -- why does God allow bad things to happen? -- we don’t know -- but, we do know that He is there in the midst of our pain and suffering -- ministering to our hearts and spirits and giving comfort to our souls
-- the Psalmist gives us the promise that God will never let our foot slip off the path of salvation -- He will never let our faith waiver -- no matter what we may experience -- no matter the tragedies we may faith -- He will hold us firm and keep us on the straight and narrow because our God never sleeps -- He never slumbers -- but He is always there to lift us up and to bring us hope and help wherever our feet may trod
-- verse 5
5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
-- I don’t know about you, but these verses here speak to me in a special way -- I don’t know how many of you have spent sleepless nights worrying about things in your life -- about your family -- about your work -- about school or tests or friends -- but I know the feeling of being wide awake at 3:00 in the morning -- worrying and anxious about things to come
-- some have done that with this disaster in Japan -- others have stayed up and worried about finances and jobs and other things -- but these verses say that we don’t have to worry -- that whether it’s in the middle of the day or in the middle of the night, God is with us and He is watching over us
-- they remind us of the truth of that quote that gets passed around on e-mail and on the internet -- “Why take your worries and troubles to bed with you? -- Give them to God -- He’s going to be up anyway!”
-- Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. -- And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
-- all the worrying in the world won’t make the slightest difference in the situation in Japan -- staying up all night and fretting about your family or your job or your friends won’t change the situation in the slightest
-- worry is actually the opposite of faith -- worry says that the problem is too great for God and that we must come up with some answer on our own to fix the problems in our lives and in this world
-- but, the Psalmist reminds us that it’s not up to us -- it’s up to God -- the Lord is with us and He watches over us -- regardless of whether we slumber or sleep or whether we stay up all night worrying and fretting -- God watches over us and He keeps us from all harm -- not only now but in the future as well
-- but what about those in the tsunami? -- what about those in the flood? -- God didn’t keep them from all harm, did He?
-- the thing to remember is that God’s focus is on eternity and not on this world -- Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
-- Jesus didn’t die on the cross so that we would live a life free from trouble and pain here on earth -- He didn’t die on the cross so that our 401Ks would be full and that we would enjoy a peaceful and secure retirement in the sunset of life -- no, Jesus died on the cross so that we might have eternal life with Him
-- God’s focus is always on the eternal and on bringing glory to Himself -- when the Psalmist says here that God will not let our foot slip and that He will keep us from all harm, he is not referring to life here on earth -- he is referring to eternity
-- the message of this psalm is that our trust and our faith should be on the God who sees past the immediate -- who sees past the worry and stress of the crisis -- to the great eternity we will share with Him in heaven
III. Closing
-- so, what do we do with disasters such as the one in Japan? -- how do we live in a tsunami world?
-- Hudson Taylor -- the great missionary to China and founder of what is today known as the Overseas Missionary Fellowship -- gave this excellent advice in regards to worry and anxiety -- he wrote: "Let us give up our work, our plans, ourselves, our lives, our loved ones, our influence, our all, right into [God's] hand -- and then, when we have given all over to Him, there will be nothing left for us to be troubled about."
-- in other words, Taylor suggests that we work to meet the immediate needs of those affected by these disasters and that we show the love of God by being His hands and feet to those most in need of His presence
-- if you are looking for tangible steps you can take to survive in this world, let me give you this advice
--first, when trials and troubles come our way -- when things arise that give us pause and that cause us anxiety and worry -- the first thing we should do is to look to the hills -- we should turn to God in prayer and ask for His hand and His grace to be in the situation -- ask Him to take away your worry and anxiety and to replace it with His peace -- and rest sure in the knowledge that He is with you no matter what is going on around you
-- second, you can prepare -- Jesus gave us the parable of the man who built his house on the foundation of rock and who was ready when the storms came -- we know that troubles are going to come our way -- we know that trials and natural disasters will occur -- and we should prepare for them by having on hand ample supplies of food and water and medicine
-- third, you serve -- we have been called to be Christ’s hands and feet in this world and to share His love with others -- physically, materially, and spiritually
-- and, granted, we may not be able to respond physically to the crisis in Japan or in other parts of the world, but we can serve in other ways -- we can send our financial resources to Christian relief organizations already present in the country working to help those affected by the disaster -- we can send blankets and food or other items to relief agencies -- we can write notes of hope and encouragement and share the love of God with them
-- one reason I encourage people to prepare for disasters is so that we are able to respond to those around us in their time of need -- what better way to show the love of Christ than to share your food and resources with someone who needs help in their lives
-- I’ve printed out a list for you of two things that you can take with you today -- one is a list of Christian relief agencies who are actively working in Japan right now and who could use your financial assistance if you feel so led -- the other is a list from FEMA of basic supplies that everyone needs to have on hand to prepare for disasters or unexpected situations
-- lastly, you trust -- it is too easy in our day and age to get overwhelmed with life and the things around us -- the overwhelming message of this Psalm is that we should trust in God -- we should rest in His arms and in His grace and let His peace that surpasses all understanding lift up our hearts in the midst of uncertainty and despair
-- trusting God to take care of you demonstrates a depth of faith rarely seen these days -- by trusting God in the midst of trouble we proclaim to the world that our God saves -- that our God cares -- that our God loves
-- Jesus called us to go forth and proclaim His word to this world and to carry His message of good news to all -- what better message can we give an anxious world than to rest and trust in the arms of our Maker?
-- In his book, “If God Is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil,” author Randy Alcorn tells the story about a friend of his who had to have a double mastectomy because of breast cancer -- Two months after the surgery, her doctors discovered that the cancer had spread -- and that more radical treatments would be needed just to save her life -- in the midst of this devastating diagnosis, one of her friends asked, “How do you feel about God now?” -- after spending some time reflecting on that question and the trial that she was facing, Alcorn’s friend offered up the following response:
-- As I sought to explain what had happened in my spirit, it all became clearer to me -- God has been preparing me for this moment -- He has undergirded me in ways I've never known before -- He has made himself increasingly real and precious to me -- He has given me joy such as I've never known before—and I've no need to work at it, it just comes, even amidst the tears.
-- He has taught me that no matter how good my genes are or how well I take care of my diet and myself, he will lead me on whatever journey he chooses and will never leave me for a moment of that journey.
-- And he planned it all in such a way that step by step, he prepared me for the moment when the doctor dropped the last shoe … God is good, no matter what the diagnosis or the prognosis, or the fearfulness of the uncertainty of having neither.
-- The key to knowing God is good is simply knowing him."
[Randy Alcorn, If God Is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil (Multnomah, 2009), p. 399]
-- that is the message of this Psalm -- in the midst of our trials and troubles -- when we try to learn how to live in this tsunami world -- the answer is simply to know that God is good and to trust Him with our lives and our hearts and our souls
-- as I close now, I want us to remember our families in Japan -- our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering through this devastating natural disaster -- and I want us to consider our response to their plight
-- and, I want to invite you to lift up to God your own worries and anxieties -- to leave these burdens at the cross -- and to trust that He will see you through
-- if anyone would like me to pray with them or if you feel a need to respond to God’s word in some other way -- please either come up as the last song is playing or meet with me after the service
-- let us pray
20 March 2011
I. Introduction
-- turn in your Bibles to Psalm 121
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
-- as I’m sure everyone in here knows, on March 11th at 2:46 pm the nation of Japan was rocked by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake that hit off its northeast coast -- the fourth largest earthquake recorded in the world since 1900
-- this quake along the Pacific tectonic plate generated a massive tsunami that sent 30-ft waves roaring onto Japan -- devastating coastal towns and causing damage as far away as California and Hawaii -- and resulting in the deaths of over 10,000 people in the small island nation
-- in addition to the wholesale destruction of homes and communities along the coast, the massive tsunami also severely damaged nuclear plants in northeast Japan -- and for the past week the eyes of the world have been watching as Japan’s scientists and engineers desperately tried to cool the nuclear material in these plants and prevent the catastrophic release of radiation at levels exceeding that of Three Mile Island and Chernobyl
-- while people in California and along the United State’s western coast scrambled to buy iodine tablets and Geiger counters -- and as our TV screens were filled with the horrific images of the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami and of the race against time to rescue survivors and to restore order in a devastated country which was trying not only to survive a natural disaster but also the complete meltdown of a nuclear reactor -- we looked at the situation and felt hopeless and wondered if anyone would be able to help us out of this disaster
-- how often in recent years have we experienced these same feelings of hopelessness and helplessness? -- in the last decade, we have seen unprecedented natural and man-made disasters of increasing magnitude -- from the horrific events of 9-11 and the 2004 tsunami that killed over 230,000 people in Indonesia -- to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and earthquakes in Haiti, Tibet, Chili, and New Zealand -- to catastrophic flooding in Europe and South America
-- we have witnessed economic and financial collapses -- seen the dollar decrease in value against other national currency -- and watched as home foreclosure rates and unemployment reached all-time highs
-- and, just this morning, we open our papers to read of military attacks against the nation of Libya as our country expands the war effort from Afghanistan and Iraq and Pakistan to yet another region of the world while unrest and civil protests rage throughout Bahrain and Iran and other Arab countries
-- events such as these cause us to do just as the Psalmist does here and turn our eyes to the heavens and ask the questions, “How do we live in such a world? -- How do we survive in the midst of total chaos and devastation and destruction? -- Where do we look for answers and hope and help?”
II. Scripture Lesson -- Psalm 121:1-8
-- we are unsure who wrote this Psalm -- the scriptures do not tell us who the author is -- some scholars think it was King David and that this Psalm was written as he fled from Saul and his armies or later in life as he fled Jerusalem after his son usurped the throne
-- but, regardless of who wrote these words, they resonate in our hearts -- because we have felt the same emotion -- we have experienced the same doubt and despair and uncertainty -- and we know, as we read the heart-cry of this Psalmist, that we could have written these words ourselves
-- while we don’t know exactly the situation that led to this Psalm, we do know this -- the Psalmist who penned these words was in the midst of chaos -- perhaps surrounded by enemies who sought his life -- perhaps seeking answers in the midst of a natural disaster
-- he had little hope left of surviving -- and everywhere he looked, he saw danger and death and destruction -- he asked himself, “How do I live in this world?” -- and then he gives us the answer in this Psalm
-- look back at verse 1 and see what he wrote
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
-- Corrie ten Boom -- the great Dutch evangelist who was sent to a German concentration camp for hiding Jews in her home during World War II -- once wrote, “Look around and be distressed -- Look within and be depressed -- Look at Jesus and be at rest”
-- the Psalmist looked around and was distressed -- he looked within himself and didn’t see any hope there -- so he lifted his eyes to the hills -- he lifted his eyes to heaven -- wondering where help would come from
-- verse 2
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
-- the Psalmist makes it clear here -- our help does not come from charismatic presidents or politicians -- it doesn’t come from bank presidents or generals leading armies -- it doesn’t come from scientists or engineers
-- our help comes only from the Lord -- from the maker of heaven and earth -- and that’s true, whether we’re talking about being surrounded by enemies or if we’re talking about natural or economic disasters or if we’re talking about the state of our soul -- our hope rests only in God -- our Savior can only be God
-- verse 3
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
-- when I read these verses, I am reminded of the great battle of faith on Mount Carmel when the prophet Elijah confronted the false prophets of Asherah and Baal -- if you remember this story, Elijah proposed a test of faith whereby the nation would see who the true God of Israel was based on which God could supernaturally light the fire on the altar
-- the false prophets went first, and no matter how loud they wailed and cried out -- no matter how much they cut themselves and offered their souls to their gods -- nothing happened -- and Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry louder -- perhaps your god is asleep and cannot hear”
-- the Psalmist here reminds of the great truth that our God doesn’t sleep or slumber -- the Bible tells us that God is with us always and will never leave us or forsake us
-- God wasn’t asleep when the earthquake hit off the coast of Japan last week -- He wasn’t slumbering when the tsunami roared ashore -- He wasn’t surprised by what happened -- He was there, in the midst of His people, ministering to them in their despair
-- some might ask why God didn’t stop the tsunami -- why He didn’t stop the earth from quaking or the tectonic plates from shifting -- but answers to questions like that are above our understanding -- God is God and His purposes and His ways are higher than ours
-- but, I do know this -- without winter, we can never enjoy the beauty of spring -- without sickness, we can never rejoice in health -- without pain and death, we can never realize the blessing of life
-- why do bad things happen? -- why does God allow bad things to happen? -- we don’t know -- but, we do know that He is there in the midst of our pain and suffering -- ministering to our hearts and spirits and giving comfort to our souls
-- the Psalmist gives us the promise that God will never let our foot slip off the path of salvation -- He will never let our faith waiver -- no matter what we may experience -- no matter the tragedies we may faith -- He will hold us firm and keep us on the straight and narrow because our God never sleeps -- He never slumbers -- but He is always there to lift us up and to bring us hope and help wherever our feet may trod
-- verse 5
5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
-- I don’t know about you, but these verses here speak to me in a special way -- I don’t know how many of you have spent sleepless nights worrying about things in your life -- about your family -- about your work -- about school or tests or friends -- but I know the feeling of being wide awake at 3:00 in the morning -- worrying and anxious about things to come
-- some have done that with this disaster in Japan -- others have stayed up and worried about finances and jobs and other things -- but these verses say that we don’t have to worry -- that whether it’s in the middle of the day or in the middle of the night, God is with us and He is watching over us
-- they remind us of the truth of that quote that gets passed around on e-mail and on the internet -- “Why take your worries and troubles to bed with you? -- Give them to God -- He’s going to be up anyway!”
-- Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. -- And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
-- all the worrying in the world won’t make the slightest difference in the situation in Japan -- staying up all night and fretting about your family or your job or your friends won’t change the situation in the slightest
-- worry is actually the opposite of faith -- worry says that the problem is too great for God and that we must come up with some answer on our own to fix the problems in our lives and in this world
-- but, the Psalmist reminds us that it’s not up to us -- it’s up to God -- the Lord is with us and He watches over us -- regardless of whether we slumber or sleep or whether we stay up all night worrying and fretting -- God watches over us and He keeps us from all harm -- not only now but in the future as well
-- but what about those in the tsunami? -- what about those in the flood? -- God didn’t keep them from all harm, did He?
-- the thing to remember is that God’s focus is on eternity and not on this world -- Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
-- Jesus didn’t die on the cross so that we would live a life free from trouble and pain here on earth -- He didn’t die on the cross so that our 401Ks would be full and that we would enjoy a peaceful and secure retirement in the sunset of life -- no, Jesus died on the cross so that we might have eternal life with Him
-- God’s focus is always on the eternal and on bringing glory to Himself -- when the Psalmist says here that God will not let our foot slip and that He will keep us from all harm, he is not referring to life here on earth -- he is referring to eternity
-- the message of this psalm is that our trust and our faith should be on the God who sees past the immediate -- who sees past the worry and stress of the crisis -- to the great eternity we will share with Him in heaven
III. Closing
-- so, what do we do with disasters such as the one in Japan? -- how do we live in a tsunami world?
-- Hudson Taylor -- the great missionary to China and founder of what is today known as the Overseas Missionary Fellowship -- gave this excellent advice in regards to worry and anxiety -- he wrote: "Let us give up our work, our plans, ourselves, our lives, our loved ones, our influence, our all, right into [God's] hand -- and then, when we have given all over to Him, there will be nothing left for us to be troubled about."
-- in other words, Taylor suggests that we work to meet the immediate needs of those affected by these disasters and that we show the love of God by being His hands and feet to those most in need of His presence
-- if you are looking for tangible steps you can take to survive in this world, let me give you this advice
--first, when trials and troubles come our way -- when things arise that give us pause and that cause us anxiety and worry -- the first thing we should do is to look to the hills -- we should turn to God in prayer and ask for His hand and His grace to be in the situation -- ask Him to take away your worry and anxiety and to replace it with His peace -- and rest sure in the knowledge that He is with you no matter what is going on around you
-- second, you can prepare -- Jesus gave us the parable of the man who built his house on the foundation of rock and who was ready when the storms came -- we know that troubles are going to come our way -- we know that trials and natural disasters will occur -- and we should prepare for them by having on hand ample supplies of food and water and medicine
-- third, you serve -- we have been called to be Christ’s hands and feet in this world and to share His love with others -- physically, materially, and spiritually
-- and, granted, we may not be able to respond physically to the crisis in Japan or in other parts of the world, but we can serve in other ways -- we can send our financial resources to Christian relief organizations already present in the country working to help those affected by the disaster -- we can send blankets and food or other items to relief agencies -- we can write notes of hope and encouragement and share the love of God with them
-- one reason I encourage people to prepare for disasters is so that we are able to respond to those around us in their time of need -- what better way to show the love of Christ than to share your food and resources with someone who needs help in their lives
-- I’ve printed out a list for you of two things that you can take with you today -- one is a list of Christian relief agencies who are actively working in Japan right now and who could use your financial assistance if you feel so led -- the other is a list from FEMA of basic supplies that everyone needs to have on hand to prepare for disasters or unexpected situations
-- lastly, you trust -- it is too easy in our day and age to get overwhelmed with life and the things around us -- the overwhelming message of this Psalm is that we should trust in God -- we should rest in His arms and in His grace and let His peace that surpasses all understanding lift up our hearts in the midst of uncertainty and despair
-- trusting God to take care of you demonstrates a depth of faith rarely seen these days -- by trusting God in the midst of trouble we proclaim to the world that our God saves -- that our God cares -- that our God loves
-- Jesus called us to go forth and proclaim His word to this world and to carry His message of good news to all -- what better message can we give an anxious world than to rest and trust in the arms of our Maker?
-- In his book, “If God Is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil,” author Randy Alcorn tells the story about a friend of his who had to have a double mastectomy because of breast cancer -- Two months after the surgery, her doctors discovered that the cancer had spread -- and that more radical treatments would be needed just to save her life -- in the midst of this devastating diagnosis, one of her friends asked, “How do you feel about God now?” -- after spending some time reflecting on that question and the trial that she was facing, Alcorn’s friend offered up the following response:
-- As I sought to explain what had happened in my spirit, it all became clearer to me -- God has been preparing me for this moment -- He has undergirded me in ways I've never known before -- He has made himself increasingly real and precious to me -- He has given me joy such as I've never known before—and I've no need to work at it, it just comes, even amidst the tears.
-- He has taught me that no matter how good my genes are or how well I take care of my diet and myself, he will lead me on whatever journey he chooses and will never leave me for a moment of that journey.
-- And he planned it all in such a way that step by step, he prepared me for the moment when the doctor dropped the last shoe … God is good, no matter what the diagnosis or the prognosis, or the fearfulness of the uncertainty of having neither.
-- The key to knowing God is good is simply knowing him."
[Randy Alcorn, If God Is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil (Multnomah, 2009), p. 399]
-- that is the message of this Psalm -- in the midst of our trials and troubles -- when we try to learn how to live in this tsunami world -- the answer is simply to know that God is good and to trust Him with our lives and our hearts and our souls
-- as I close now, I want us to remember our families in Japan -- our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering through this devastating natural disaster -- and I want us to consider our response to their plight
-- and, I want to invite you to lift up to God your own worries and anxieties -- to leave these burdens at the cross -- and to trust that He will see you through
-- if anyone would like me to pray with them or if you feel a need to respond to God’s word in some other way -- please either come up as the last song is playing or meet with me after the service
-- let us pray
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)