SERMON: THE PERFECT STORM

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Mark 4:35-41

 

35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

 

39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

 

40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

 

41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

 

            -- in October of 1991, a storm stronger than any in recorded history hit the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts -- it became known as “the perfect storm” because it resulted from three separate storms coming together to form the most powerful and mighty storm ever known to man

            -- Sebastian Junger wrote about this storm and pointed out, “A mature hurricane is by far the most powerful event on Earth -- The combined nuclear arsenals of the United States and the former Soviet Union don’t contain enough energy to keep a hurricane going for one day.” -- but in this case, when these three storms combined to create a super-hurricane, it resulted in an almost apocalyptic situation in the Atlantic Ocean -- creating a storm far greater than any hurricane on record

-- Boats unfortunate enough to be in the open during this Perfect Storm encountered 100-ft waves -- the equivalent of a 10-story building -- Winds blasted over the ocean at more than 100 mph -- and as the storm made it’s way up the coast, it battered New England with 30 to 40 ft waves, destroying 200 homes, and causing property damage greater than $500 million -- nine people lost their lives in the midst of this storm, including the six-man crew of the swordfishing boat, the Andrea Gail, that Junger featured in his story

 -- the men and women who make their living along the shores and in the oceans are used to encountering storms and squalls -- it is part of their way of life -- but everyone who experienced that Perfect Storm in 1991 all said the same thing -- “it was a storm like no other that we have ever seen -- this storm made us afraid”

 

            -- this morning, we are going to be looking at the familiar story of Jesus calming the storm -- it is the first of four stories from the Book of Mark that demonstrate Jesus’ power and authority and that helped His disciples begin to fully understand who Jesus truly was

            -- the first story, the calming of the storm here in Mark 4, demonstrates Jesus’ power and authority over nature

            -- the second story, Jesus casting the demons from the man at Gerasenes, demonstrates Jesus’ power and authority over the spiritual world

            -- the third story, Jesus healing the woman with the issue of blood, demonstrates Jesus’ power and authority over sickness

            -- and the final story, Jesus raising the little girl from the dead, demonstrates Jesus’ power and authority over death

 

            -- each of these stories revealed the extent of Jesus’ power and authority and bolstered the faith of His fledgling disciples -- molding them and making them into the men who would carry His message to this world and build His church to prepare the world to receive Him as their Lord and Savior

 

            -- so, let’s turn now to this passage and see how this story of a Great Storm, a Great Calm, and a Great Fear can grow our faith in Jesus, too

 

II.  A Great Storm, A Great Calm, A Great Fear (Mark 4:35-41)

 

            -- normally, I use the NIV as my preaching Bible, but today I want to share with you this passage from the ESV, because I feel that its translation is somewhat closer to the original Greek than the NIV, especially in how it describes the storm, the calm, and the fear

 

            -- so, look back with me now at Mark 4:35-36

 

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.

 

            -- before we move on in this story, we need to stop right here and consider these verses -- as I said, this passage is one of revelation -- a revealing to the disciples of who Jesus really was

            -- now they had been with Him for some time -- they had heard His preaching -- they had sat under His teaching -- they had seen the miracles -- but the leap between accepting Jesus as more than just a great teacher -- a worker of miracles -- a man of God -- was still too great for them to make -- they just weren’t there yet

            -- and in these verses, we see part of that reason, for the humanity of Christ is given to us -- He had been through a long and trying day -- it began with a blasphemous accusation from the Pharisees, who accused Him of casting out demons through the power of Satan

-- it continued with a visit from His mother and brothers who came to take Him home, presumably, because He was touched in His head -- as we would say down here, they looked at what He was doing and the claims He was making and they thought, “He ain’t right,” -- so they sought to take Him home to rest and to heal

-- we read of Him teaching and healing in a crowded house -- and then His leaving the crowded house for the seaside, where He again teaches and preaches to a great multitude -- so great that He had to get into a boat to speak from in order to keep the crowd from pressing in on Him

-- everyone seemed to want His attention -- to want to hear Him speak -- to receive healing of sickness in their lives -- it took His energy -- it consumed His Spirit -- and, by the time evening approached, Jesus was tired -- He was completely and totally worn out -- physically, emotionally, and spiritually

-- so, He tells His disciples to come with Him -- to get in the boat and to go across to the other side -- to go away from the crowds and the demands so that He might get some rest

-- that is what Mark means here when he writes that they took Jesus “just as He was” -- they saw His humanity -- they saw His weariness and His need for rest -- and they took Him, just as He was, without demanding anything else from Him at that time

-- so, they got in the boat, and began to cross the sea to the other side

 

-- verse 37-38

 

37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

 

-- and, as they cross the sea that night, a storm comes upon them -- a storm that is more than a normal storm -- a storm that Mark described here as a Great Storm

-- keep in mind who is in this boat with Jesus -- this is not a group of casual boaters -- this crew includes a group of professional fishermen -- men who had been on the sea in storms before -- men who had been caught out in the open and braved the elements night after night to make their living

-- storms were not uncommon on the Sea of Galilee -- the lake is 690 feet below sea level, so there are tremendous downdrafts that create gusty conditions and can brew up thunderstorms in the matter of minutes -- the valleys to the west of the sea funneled the winds down onto the lake, creating squalls and storms that were more severe than those experienced on the Mediterranean

-- these men were used to such storms -- they had been through them before -- but this storm was different -- this storm was greater than anything they had ever experienced in their lives

-- the waves were breaking over the boat and it was rapidly filling with water -- they were in serious danger of getting swamped and sinking there in the middle of the sea

-- so, in their fear, they turned to Jesus to see if there was anything He could do to help -- and they found Him asleep in the back of the boat -- they woke Him up and cried out, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing!”

 

            -- how many times have we asked that same question to Jesus in our own lives? -- Lord Jesus, don’t you care?

            -- don’t you care that my child is sick?

--  don’t you care that my marriage is falling apart?

--  don’t you care that my friends have deserted me?

--  don’t you care that I have no money?

--  don’t you care that I feel so alone?

--  don’t you care that I want to give up?

--  don’t you care that my spouse has died?

--  don’t you care that I lost my job?

 

-- as Ray Pritchard points out, we have all asked that question in a million ways, a million times -- we never question the Lord’s compassion when things are going well -- but when the great storm hits -- when this life becomes too much to bear -- it is then we cry out, “Lord, don’t you care?”

-- but, as the disciples are going to find out, God cares just as much for us when the storm is raging and the boat is sinking as He does when the seas are calm and the sun in shining

 

            -- you see, Jesus got in that boat knowing that the storm was coming -- He wasn’t worried -- He was in perfect peace -- so peaceful, in fact, that He could sleep in the middle of the perfect storm because He knew what was coming and He knew the truth of the situation

            -- it’s just like the story of the little girl on the plane that was going through turbulence -- they were flying along and the pilot came on the intercom and told them to take their seats and buckle their seatbelts, because things were about to get bumpy

            -- the plane began to bounce and roll -- to drop unexpectedly -- to lurch from side to side -- everyone gripped their armrests and the seats in front of them to hold on for dear life -- everyone, that is, except for the little girl -- she sat peacefully through the worst of the turbulence, calming reading her book

            -- after the plane landed, someone asked her how she had been able to be so calm -- she responded, “My daddy is the pilot and he’s taking me home.  I knew we would be safe with him.”¹

 

            -- the disciples weren’t in that place yet -- they didn’t know Jesus in that way yet -- they still call Him, “Teacher,” and not Lord -- they still see only His humanity and think He is a man just like them, only touched by God -- they don’t realize that He is God -- and that if they truly trusted in Him -- if they put their faith in Him -- even in the midst of the storm -- they would have nothing to worry about

 

            -- Jesus led the disciples into that boat that evening, knowing that a storm was coming -- knowing that they would have to go through that storm in order to reach the other side -- the important thing to remember is that Jesus was going to be with them in the storm

            -- when storms come into our lives, it can do one of two things -- it can cause us to think we’re not in a right place with Jesus, and sometimes that is the case -- some storms come as a consequence of the sin in our lives

-- but this story lets us know that sometimes Jesus sends us into the storm, not as a punishment, but to disciple us -- to grow our faith and trust in Him -- He has not left us, but is there with us, in the midst of the wind and the waves

            -- secondly, it can us to doubt Jesus -- it can cause us to lose faith in His concerns about us -- this is what led the disciples to cry out, “Teacher, don’t you care?” -- but part of becoming mature in Christ is learning to trust Him in the middle of the storm -- to know that even if it seems like He is not there -- to know that even if it seems like He is asleep and not paying attention -- that we are safe in His arms and He will see us through to the other side

-- Storms often expose how we are not trusting in the Lord²

 

-- in great fear and with little faith, the disciples woke Jesus up, asking him a question that to us may seem impertinent, but it is one we have all asked in moments of desperation: “Don’t you care if we drown?”

            -- faith cannot live with fear -- either you trust or you don't -- either your expectation of the future is doom and gloom and despair or your expectation is based on the promise and power of God

            -- the disciples looked at that storm and said, "We're going to drown" -- Jesus looked at it and said, "Oh ye of little faith -- fear not -- I am with you -- you can go through this storm if you believe that"

-- it all comes down to faith

 

            -- verse 39

 

39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

 

            -- the great storm is followed by the great calm

            -- when Jesus speaks, the winds and the waves subside -- the storms dissipate -- and the sun shines again

            -- two miracles are recorded here as Jesus speaks into the fury of the storm -- “Peace! Be still!” -- out of the four gospel writers, only Mark recorded the very words of the command

            -- “Peace,” Jesus proclaimed as He rebuked the wind -- literally, be silent -- cease blowing -- and the wind died

            -- “Be still,” Jesus proclaimed to the sea -- literally, be muzzled -- stop moving -- and the sea stopped -- those waves that were threatening to swamp the boat only moments before were gone in an instant

            -- it was not uncommon for winds to suddenly stop -- we’ve all experienced that before in storms as they’ve come through -- but the waves continue for some time as the energy in them has to be dispersed -- but not in this case -- not when the Creator speaks -- and where the storm had been, there was only peace and stillness and calm -- as Mark describes it, a “great” calm

 

            -- in that moment just after a storm has passed, we experience a time of great peace that seems all the greater because of what we just went through

-- I’ve never been in the eye of a hurricane, but I’ve heard it described -- people tell you how unusual it is -- how peaceful it is -- when the eye passes over

-- moments before, the fury of the hurricane surrounds them -- the winds buffet -- the rain pounds -- the clouds surround -- but then as, the storm moves on, the eye passes -- and immediately, the wind and the rain just quit -- and the sun shines -- and you can look up and see blue sky for just a moment -- until the storm comes again

-- that’s how this great calm appeared to the disciples in the boat that evening -- it was sudden and it was sure -- the fury and the power and the might of the storm were completely erased and replaced with the peace of God

-- Just as you can’t experience a rainbow without the rain, you can’t experience the miracles of peace and calm until you have been through the storm.

 

            -- verse 40-41

40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

 

            -- we had a Great Storm -- then the Great Calm -- and now, a Great Fear

            -- curious, isn’t it? -- Mark tells us that the men in the boat had been afraid of the storm -- they were in fear for their lives -- they thought they were going to drown -- these tough, professional fishermen who had braved other storms in the past on this very same sea were now scared of the storm they were facing -- but that fear paled in comparison to the Great Fear they feel now in the calm after the storm

 

            -- after Jesus woke up and rebuked the storm with only three words and the sky cleared, Mark tells us the men were filled with great fear -- “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

            -- who is this that we are following? -- if He can do this, what else can He do?

 

            -- C.S. Lewis captured the heart of this great fear in his novel, “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe” as the beavers tell the children about Aslan and who he is:

 

“You’ll understand when you see him.”

“But shall we see him?” asked Susan.

“Why, Daughter of Eve, that’s what I brought you here for. I’m to lead you [to] where you shall meet him,” said Mr. Beaver.

“Is--is he a man?” asked Lucy.

“Aslan a man!” said Mr. Beaver sternly. “Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don’t you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion--the Lion, the great Lion.”

“Ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he--quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”

“That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver. “If there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”

“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

 

            -- in the moment of the calming of the storm, the disciples realized that Jesus was not safe and they were overwhelmed by a Great Fear -- but they also learned that He was good -- and over the course of their lives, they would come to know who Jesus truly was -- that He was not just a man touched by God -- but that He was God -- He was the Messiah -- He was the King

 

            -- Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

            -- in the start of this story, we read that the disciples were afraid, but their fear was in the wrong thing -- they feared their situation -- and their fear let the storm have power over them

            -- but as they experienced the Great Calm, they came to know the true fear -- the Great Fear -- the fear of the Lord -- and they learned to put their faith and trust in the One who could calm the storm and to not let the storm control them or make them afraid again

            -- the fear of the Lord is the reverence and awe we experience when confronted with the very presence and power of God -- the fear of the Lord is the attitude we should take when we enter into the presence of our God and our Creator

            -- the reason why the fear of the Lord is described as the beginning of wisdom is because it opens the eyes of our hearts -- it enables us to see just how majestic and powerful and mighty our Lord is -- it puts us in a right place in our lives -- and it exalts God to the throne of our heart

            -- when we have this great fear in our lives, nothing else can alarm us -- nothing else can touch us -- for we know that the all-powerful and all-loving God is with us and can calm the storm with just a word

 

            -- the greatest danger the disciples faced that evening wasn’t the great storm -- it was their lack of faith and trust in Jesus -- and Jesus taught them that night that the cure for this type of fear is faith and trust in the Savior

            -- worldly fear is looking at the storm and letting it control our thoughts and our emotions -- Godly fear is looking to the Savior in faith and trusting in His power above all else

 

            -- as Jesus stood in the sunshine before them and the boat rested on the calm surface of the sea, the disciples suddenly became conscious of Who they were with -- their hearts were filled with fear because they knew that Jesus was more than a man -- that He was the Messiah -- the Son of God -- God Himself

            -- and they cried out in their hearts as Isaiah did in Isaiah 6 when he was carried before the throne of God, “Woe is me, for I am ruined!  Because I am a man of unclean lips. And I live among a people of unclean lips.  for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.”

 

III.  Closing

            -- in his painting, “Storm of the Sea of Galilee,” Rembrandt captured the terror that filled the hearts of the disciple as the storm and the waves threatened to overcome their little ship -- his painting dramatically shows the crashing waves, the boat high in the air and the men in the boat in various states of distress -- however, he also places a dramatic yellow light that opens hopefully in the distance, drenching the edge of the clouds and the ships mainsail -- a glimmer of hope in the midst of the storm

            -- while critics agree that this is one of Rembrandt’s most powerful masterpieces, many miss the hidden message within -- if you count the men on the ship, you’ll find not 12 disciples with Jesus, but 13 -- and the extra man, holding tight to the rigging with one hand and his hat with the other, bears the face of Rembrandt himself

            -- Rembrandt’s inclusion of himself in this scene tells us that this passage from Mark is more than just a story, but a reminder and a promise -- a reminder that all of us will go through storms in our lives -- all of us will be faced with storms that appear too great for us to handle -- storms that will fill our hearts with fear and doubt and dismay

            -- as some have said, at any point in your life, you are headed into a storm -- in the midst of a storm -- or coming out of a storm -- storms are part of life here on earth

            -- but we have a promise in the midst of the storm -- the glimmer of hope from the light that shines from Jesus Himself -- the certainty that He is with us in the midst of the storm -- and that He will calm the storm when the time is right

            -- so, we need not fear the storm any longer -- but let the storm develop our faith and our reverent fear of the Lord and let us fix our eyes on Him and not on what we are going through

 

            -- so, wherever you are today -- whether you’re in a storm at this very moment or headed into one or just coming through it -- turn your eyes to Jesus and put your faith and trust in Him

            -- for He is more than just a man -- He is our God and our Savior -- our King and our Creator -- and we can trust Him even when life seems more than we can bear

            -- let us pray

 

1 By C. P. Hia (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

2 Steven Cole

SERMON: THIRSTY

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Psalms 63:1-11

 

1 You, God, are my God,

 

earnestly I seek you;

 

I thirst for you,

 

my whole being longs for you,

 

in a dry and parched land

 

where there is no water.

 

2 I have seen you in the sanctuary

 

and beheld your power and your glory.

 

3 Because your love is better than life,

 

my lips will glorify you.

 

4 I will praise you as long as I live,

 

and in your name I will lift up my hands.

 

5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;

 

with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

 

6 On my bed I remember you;

 

I think of you through the watches of the night.

 

7 Because you are my help,

 

I sing in the shadow of your wings.

 

8 I cling to you;

 

your right hand upholds me.

 

9 Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;

 

they will go down to the depths of the earth.

 

10 They will be given over to the sword

 

and become food for jackals.

 

11 But the king will rejoice in God;

 

all who swear by God will glory in him,

 

while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

 

            -- when I started getting older, I came up with this grand plan of walking the entire Appalachian Trail -- the 2000-mile trail that runs from Georgia to Maine -- not all at one time -- but to complete it over several years by hiking sections at a time

            -- I started getting ready -- started buying equipment -- reading books and biographies -- studying the trail and learning about it -- started getting serious about fitness -- I was lifting weights and walking on the treadmill with a pack on at high inclines to imitate the hills and mountains I would be walking up

            -- I found someone willing to go with me -- and so, a few years ago, I loaded up and headed to north Georgia to begin my great adventure with a four-day, three-night trip

            -- things started out well -- we enjoyed the first day immensely -- it was a short, three-mile hike from the starting point to the first shelter -- things were going great

            -- but the next day, we ran into problems -- the one thing the guidebooks didn’t warn us about was droughts -- the books told us where to find springs of water along the way, but they didn’t tell us that sometimes, these springs dry up

            -- that summer we tried our first section on the trail was in the midst of a severe drought -- even here in south Georgia, there were a lot of shallow wells going dry -- and when we got up there on the second day, we stopped at the first watering hole, and it was completely dry

            -- we went on to the next -- it was dry, too -- we finally made it to the shelter, and found the promised rushing spring that was there was just a trickle -- we could fill up our water bottles, but it took a long time to get enough water

            -- the next day was a longer trek -- I had some other physical issues going on, and it was very hot, and I was drinking a lot of water -- I ended up running out of water about midday -- and all the springs and creeks were dry -- I continued to hike the next six hours without water -- and I became thirstier than I have ever been in my life

            -- towards nightfall, my vision narrowed down -- it was like tunnel-vision -- like I was walking in a tunnel through the woods -- I couldn’t think straight -- I wasn’t even sweating -- I was so deficient on water, that I was probably in the middle of heat exhaustion, and I was in very real danger

            -- I walked on, thinking of nothing more than wanting a drink of water -- just imagining what it would be like to take a drink of cold, clear water -- it was the only thing that kept me going

            -- when I finally stumbled into the opening for the shelter, several people there greeted me -- I didn’t even respond to them -- I dropped my pack -- I dropped all my gear -- and I rushed to the promised creek at that shelter -- I almost wept in joy at the sight of rushing water -- I dropped down and drank my fill and that was the best water I have ever had in my entire life

            -- I needed it so much -- I wanted nothing more -- it was all I could think about -- it was all that I longed for -- it was the most important thing in my life at that moment

 

            -- that is what this psalm is all about -- it’s about David needing God in such a desperate way -- as we read, his soul is thirsting for God as our bodies thirst for water in a dry and parched wilderness -- for David, God was the most important thing in his life -- and without God, he would perish

            -- this needs to be our perspective on God, too -- we need to desire God -- to seek God -- to want Him and cry out for Him and to need Him in just such a way -- we need to remember why we are here -- we need to remember what the most important thing is -- and to seek God and need God as David does here in this passage

 

            -- we are told here that this is a Psalm of David -- it was written during a time when David was on the run -- when he was in the wilderness, hiding from those who would kill him and take his life and his throne

            -- most scholars believe that this psalm was written during Absalom’s revolt -- Absalom was David’s third oldest son, known for his good looks and especially his long flowing hair -- remember Fabio? -- the model who graced the cover of so many romance novels back in the day? -- when you read in the Bible about Absalom, think of Fabio

            -- Absalom sought the throne of David -- first, by trying to charm the people and draw them over to his side -- and then, once he had the following of a large multitude, through direct force -- he took over David’s palace and David had to flee for his life with just a handful of faithful attendants

            -- Absalom sent his troops into the wilderness to find David -- so, as this Psalm opens, we find David hiding in the wilderness, in fear of his life -- if you want to read more about this in detail, you can find the whole story in 2 Samuel 15

            -- So, let’s look together at this passage to see what we can learn about seeking God and desiring Him more in our lives

 

II.  Scripture Lesson (Psalm 63:1-11)

-- verse 1

 

1 You, God, are my God,

 

earnestly I seek you;

 

I thirst for you,

 

my whole being longs for you,

 

in a dry and parched land

 

where there is no water.

 

-- “You, God, are my God” -- this seems a little repetitive, doesn’t it? -- little redundant?

            -- the problem is that we’re reading this in English -- and when we do so, we miss the richness of what David is praying in the original Hebrew language

-- when David cries out, “God, you are my God,” there are actually two different Hebrew words that he uses here for God which add depth and meaning to his prayer

 

            -- the first word we have translated as God is Elohim in the original Hebrew -- Elohim is the plural form of God -- the same name of God that we find in the opening of the Book of Genesis -- it refers to God in all His majesty and power and glory

-- the plurality of the name speaks to God as the Three-in-One -- the Lord God Almighty -- Father -- Son -- and Holy Spirit -- God in all His greatness -- God in all His glory

 

            -- the second word David uses here that is translated as God is the two letter Hebrew word, El -- when used alone, it refers to the specific attributes of God’s strength and power -- narrowing down David’s prayer in this Psalm to what he needs in this moment

            -- so, reading this as originally written, this Psalm opens with David’s cry to God as You, Elohim, are my El -- or, to put it in English -- You, Lord God Almighty, You are my strength -- the source of my strength

            -- knowing the original intent of David’s prayer and the way he cried out to God specifically for God’s strength and power in his time of need reminds us that it is okay to tailor our prayers to the need of the moment

-- don’t just pray to God generically -- don’t just pray to God in a general sense, but pray to Him with your needs in mind

-- for instance, when we are in need of His healing, we can cry out to God with His healing power in mind -- or when we are in need of His providential care, we can cry out to God with His grace and blessings in mind -- calling on God to meet us at the specific point of our need -- whether that need is power, mercy, love, truth, faithfulness, or any of the other specific attributes of God

            -- David’s greatest need at this time was God’s strength, power, and protection from his enemies -- so, David prays to God with that need in mind

 

            -- this verse goes on to say, “earnestly I seek You” -- literally, “early I seek you”

-- in his cry to God, David is telling God that He is the first thing on his mind -- before he rises -- before he starts his day -- before he plans out what he is going to do -- his desire is for the Lord -- he seeks out God and God’s presence and God’s power and God’s will before the day begins

            -- what does it mean to seek God? -- we hear that often in the church -- we are commanded to seek God -- we sing in our hymns about seeking Him -- but what does that mean? -- what does that look like?

 

            -- first, to seek after God means that you have an intimate relationship with Him -- you know Him -- you are desiring His presence -- you are seeking Him in your life

-- notice what David says in this verse -- Oh God, you are my God -- “My God”

 

            -- years ago, I was taught in an evangelism course to ask the question, “Who is Jesus to you?” -- if someone knows Jesus, they usually answer the question with the word, “My...” -- “He is my God -- He is my Savior -- He is my Lord” -- this lets you know that they have a personal relationship with Jesus -- He isn’t just words on a page -- He is a living person that they know -- they belong to Him and He belongs to them

-- but if someone doesn’t really know Jesus -- or if they don’t have a close, personal, intimate relationship with Him, they’ll answer more generically -- “He is the Son of God” -- He is the second person of the Trinity”

-- do you see the difference? -- the “my” makes all the difference in the world

 

-- David knew God in a real and personal way -- God was not an abstract thought -- He wasn’t “the man upstairs” -- He wasn’t just a distant God on His throne -- no, when David prayed this psalm, he is crying out to a God that he knows and loves and desires above all else -- he is crying out to “my God’

-- do you know God in this way? -- when you cry out from your heart for God, do you know Him? -- and, more importantly, does He know you?

            -- so, to seek after God means that you know Him in a real and personal way

 

            -- to seek after God also means that you desire more of Him -- that you can’t live without Him -- that you need Him, as surely as you need air and water and food -- that only He can fill what is missing in your life

            -- in the movie “Rocky,” Rocky is trying to explain to others his great love and need for Adrienne -- why he can’t leave her alone -- why he can’t live without her -- Rocky says, “She’s got gaps -- I’ve got gaps -- together we fill gaps” -- Rocky could not be complete because he had gaps in his life, and he needed Adrienne to fill those gaps, just as she needed him to fill hers -- it was only when they were together that they were whole

            -- we all have gaps -- and for many of us, our lives are a frantic running here and there seeking something to fill those gaps -- something to fill those holes in our lives in order to be made whole -- in order to be made complete

            -- David describes his desire for God in terms just like this -- he has gaps in his life that no human relationship can fill -- he has holes in his life that are meant only for God to fill

-- so, he describes his seeking of God’s presence and strength as a great thirst -- as thirsting for God in a dry and parched land where there is no water

-- there is nothing else in the whole wide world that can sustain David -- so, he seeks after God -- he thirsts after God with his whole being -- his body and soul and spirit -- he cries out achingly because of his need for God -- without God, David cannot live -- without God, David cannot go on

            -- and so here, before he rises for the day, David cries out to the Living Water and says, “Fill me -- quench my thirst -- fulfill the needs in me as I seek you with all my heart, soul, strength, and mind”

            -- in this first verse, we see David turning his wilderness into worship as he rises early in the morning to seek God and to know God and to worship God -- we need to learn to do the same in our lives, too

 

            -- verse 2

 

2 I have seen you in the sanctuary

 

and beheld your power and your glory.

 

            -- David knows the Lord -- he knows Elohim -- he knows Him as his El -- this is not just something that he read about -- this is something that he has experienced

-- David has seen God’s power and glory in the sanctuary, as he gathered with others to worship him -- he has felt God’s power and glory as his heart was lifted up to God -- as he completely and totally gave himself over to the presence of the One before him -- the Lord God Almighty

            -- when was the last time you truly felt the presence of God as you worshiped? -- when was the last time you knew God in the midst of corporate or private worship?

 

            -- too often, we can get caught up in the routine of worship -- we just go through the motions -- we just sing the words of the hymn out loud rather than lifting them up with our hearts to God -- we hear His word read and we listen to the message without ever really hearing it -- we bow our heads before we eat, but we’re just mouthing the same old words in the same old way and our hearts never carry our prayer to God

            -- you know, Jesus’ harshest rebukes were for the Pharisees, who were so caught up in following the Law and making sure they and everyone around them was doing everything right without ever really worshiping from the heart

            -- as Isaiah wrote, they were ever hearing, but never understanding -- they were ever seeing, but never perceiving -- their hearts were calloused -- their ears were dull -- their eyes were closed

            -- on the outside, they looked like they were truly worshiping God -- but even though their lips sang His praises, their hearts were far from Him

 

            -- when I look at the church in America today -- when I look at my own heart -- I see this -- we have made the worship of God so familiar -- so rote -- so ritualistic -- that we have turned the glory and the majesty of the Lord God Almighty into the common -- into something that we just take for granted

            -- I’ve been in churches where the music was so perfect and so professional it was like you were in a concert -- but God wasn’t there

            -- and I’ve been in churches where we struggled to sing and none of us could carry a tune in a bucket, but we all were touched by God’s presence

            -- it all comes down to the heart -- are we seeking God in our praises and our prayers? -- are we pouring ourselves out for Him -- giving Him all our hearts, souls, mind and strength? -- or are we merely going through the motions?

 

            -- we need to take care that we are actively seeking the Lord as David does here in this Psalm -- that our whole being cries out for Him -- that we come to worship Him, privately and together, with open hearts and open minds and open eyes, so that we can see Him and behold His greatness -- His power -- and His glory -- just as David did

            -- God is always with us -- Jesus said He would never leave us or forsake us -- He has put His very Spirit within our hearts -- we just need to learn to see Him again and give ourselves fully over to worshiping the God who made us and loved us and died for us that we might be with Him forever

 

            -- verse 3-5

 

3 Because your love is better than life,

 

my lips will glorify you.

 

4 I will praise you as long as I live,

 

and in your name I will lift up my hands.

 

5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;

 

with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

 

            -- David reminds us here that God’s love -- literally, His loving-kindness -- His grace -- His favor -- His mercy -- His blessings -- are better than life

            -- too many of us value our lives above God -- we value the physical over the spiritual -- the temporal over the eternal

            -- over the last several years -- especially through the height of the Covid pandemic -- I’ve had to go to the emergency room multiple times -- and I have been amazed at the efforts that we put into saving a life -- at how multiple people will rush to save just one person -- how they will even sacrifice their own life for someone else -- how they will go to extraordinary means to save one human

            -- think about what would happen if we left here and, God forbid, came upon a wreck where a person was trapped in a burning car -- we would do everything in our power to rescue them -- to pull them out of the car -- to save their life -- we would withstand the heat and the danger to bring them to safety -- but the thing is, all our efforts would be to save the physical -- how much more should our focus be on the eternal?

            -- and I’m not saying that this is completely wrong -- that we shouldn’t seek to save the lives of others -- but as David points out to us here, our focus -- our desire -- should be on the spiritual first, before the physical

-- that even in our own lives, being in the presence of God -- receiving His loving-kindness -- is of greater importance than anything else we might consider

            -- that is why Jesus said, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, but lose their soul?” -- the physical has importance, but it pales in relation to the spiritual

            -- David understood this, so David valued the friendship and favor of God above all else the world could provide -- if something needed to be sacrificed, David would offer up his life before he would even think of forsaking his relationship with God

            -- when we begin to realize this -- when we can begin to put our focus on the spiritual and eternal above the things of this world -- then the things of earth will slowly fade from being what drives us and our desires will shift to what’s truly important, God Himself

 

            -- David’s desire for God above all else drove his worship -- because of his great desire for God, David tells us that his lips glorified the Father -- he spoke of God in the presence of others -- he lifted God up in his prayers -- he praised God’s name with his heart and with his whole being

            -- David tells God that his love for Him would never fail -- that he would worship and praise God his whole life -- that there never would be a moment when he would not remember and praise God -- that there would never be a moment when he would not offer up his worship to the Lord God Almighty

            -- this, David writes, is what truly satisfies -- this sustains the soul, just as the richest food sustains the body -- through his worship and praise -- in his seeking of God -- David found satisfaction and sustenance -- praising God in this way fed his soul -- he could not help but worship God

 

            -- I like the way Mercy Me captures this same thought in their new song, “To Not Worship You” -- let me share with you the chorus to that:

 

“You're the one, You're the one

Who makes mountains move

Stars will not shine

Unless You tell them to, tell them to

Conquered the grave

To make all things new

So, who am I, who am I

To not worship You

Who am I, who am I

To not worship You”

 

            -- verse 6-8

 

6 On my bed I remember you;

 

I think of you through the watches of the night.

 

7 Because you are my help,

 

I sing in the shadow of your wings.

 

8 I cling to you;

 

your right hand upholds me.

 

            -- David began his day by seeking Elohim -- he ends his day the same -- by remembering God’s presence and power in his life -- by reflecting on the blessings of God that he had received that day

            -- it’s a good practice to take a moment at the end of your day to reflect on where you have been -- on what you have done -- and to see how God has been with you through it all

            -- David made a practice of doing that -- of thinking of God and His power and grace throughout the watches of the night -- as he rested from the day’s labors, he rested in the protection of God

            -- and, keep in mind the context of this passage -- David is on the run -- he is hiding for his life from his son Absalom -- he is hiding from people trying to kill him

            -- but because of his relationship with God -- because he knows God and seeks Him with all his heart -- because he cries out to him as his El -- as his strength and power -- David can lay his head down and sleep in peace -- you can only do that if your faith is strong

 

            -- one thing that really touched my heart over the last few years was meditating on how the Jews viewed the passage of time -- for us, our day begins when we wake up -- for the Jew, their day begins when the sun sets

            -- Jesus taught us to pray, “give us this day, our daily bread” -- to give us this day, what we need -- protection and providence -- grace and mercy -- to be with us and take care of us in this new day

            -- that carries with it a different meaning when your day starts as you close your eyes and lay down to sleep -- when we sleep, we are at our most vulnerable -- we are unaware of what is going on around us -- we are unaware of what is going on in the world -- we can’t protect ourselves

-- yet with hearts of faith and trust, we can pray, “God, give us this day our daily bread,” and then close our eyes and go to sleep, putting our faith and trust in Him to protect us until we rise in the morning

            -- going to sleep in this way -- remembering God and praying for His protection and providence in this new day -- is an act of surrender and trust in El -- in the God who is strong and mighty to save

            -- we can rest in the shadow of His wings -- at night or when danger comes, a mother bird wraps her young under her wings to keep them safe -- David says here that God does the same -- He draws us close and protects us through the watches of the night -- so we can rest safe throughout the night, near to the heart of God, underneath His sheltering wings

 

            -- David says that this picture of God surrounding him -- protecting him -- keeping him safe through His power and strength -- causes his heart to cry out in praise -- he clings to God throughout the night, trusting Him because he knows that God’s mighty right hand sustains him and upholds him and that there is no fear when you are safe in the hand of God          

            -- even though enemies seek him -- even though people are searching for David to kill him -- David can close his eyes and sleep in peace because he is with God

 

            -- verse 9-11

 

9 Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;

 

they will go down to the depths of the earth.

 

10 They will be given over to the sword

 

and become food for jackals.

 

11 But the king will rejoice in God;

 

all who swear by God will glory in him,

 

while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

 

            -- this is not David’s first rodeo -- this is not the first time he had been hunted in the wilderness by those seeking to take his life -- when he was a young man -- before he was made king of Israel -- Saul had sought to kill David

            -- he chased him into the wilderness and had the entire army of Israel seeking after David, to kill him and remove the threat to Saul’s throne

            -- it was there, in the wilderness, in the most trying time of his life, that David learned a new way to trust in the Lord -- before he had known God as His creator and provider -- he had known the beauty of God’s creation and God’s providence as he had roamed the pastures as a boy and as a young man -- taking care of his father’s sheep

            -- he knew God in part, but not in whole -- but as he experienced the trial of Saul seeking his life, David came to know God in a new way -- he came to know God as El -- he came to know and depend on God’s strength and power and protection from those who sought his life

 

            -- and now we see David in a similar situation -- once again hiding in the wilderness from those who would take his life -- but David is older and more experienced now -- he has walked with God for a long time -- his desire and his heart has always been for God

-- and he knows God now in a different way -- a more encompassing way -- a more mature way -- he has seen God’s sustaining and protecting hand in the past -- he had experienced God’s grace in the midst of trial and trouble before

            -- so, he cries out with the voice of experience -- as God’s anointed -- as the man after God’s own heart -- he remembers God’s grace and mercy in the past and stands on those promises

-- he knows that he will emerge on the other side of this -- he knows that all his enemies will be destroyed -- he knows that their efforts are in vain, because they are on the wrong side of God’s will and God’s plan

            -- and while he may suffer in the meantime, he continues to live in the knowledge of God’s grace and mercy and love -- he rejoices in El -- the God who sustains -- the God who gives power and strength to the weak -- the God who is in charge, no matter how dark things look

            -- David’s voice will cry out with praises and in worship as he rejoices at God’s victory, silencing the mouths of all those who stood opposed

            -- despite the best laid plans of mice and men, God’s will will be done -- God’s will will be made manifest -- until finally His kingdom will be firmly established here on earth and all those who oppose Him will be destroyed

            -- David trusted in that day -- he looked forward to that day -- and so he reminds us here in this psalm that the most important thing of all is to remember God -- to seek Him and love Him with all our hearts and minds and soul and strength -- to desire Him more than life itself -- and to lift Him up in praise and worship with our whole being

 

III.  Closing

            -- in his poem, “Nearer,” C.S. Lewis wrote:

 

            “If you want to get warm, you must stand near the fire;

            if you want to get wet, you must get into the water.

            If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life,

            you must get close to, or even into,

            the thing that has them.”

 

            -- David and C.S. Lewis were cut from the same cloth -- they both understood that the only source of joy, power, peace, and eternal life was the Lord God Almighty -- and the only way to receive these blessings from Him -- to experience His loving-kindness -- was to get near to Him

            -- we get near to God by seeking Him -- we get near to God by lifting up our hearts and our souls to Him -- by seeking His presence in our lives -- by desiring Him above all else

            -- as we close now, let me encourage you to take an honest look within yourself -- are you where you want to be with God? -- are you in a close personal relationship with Him, or have you drifted away from where you once were?

 

            -- we all remember the parable of the coal -- of the pastor visiting a member who had drifted away from God and who hadn’t been to church in quite a while -- as they sat in silence, staring at the fire, the pastor pulled a glowing red coal from the fire and set it aside on the hearth

            -- together they watched as it grew darker and colder and the flames went out -- but then the pastor picked it back up and put it back into the fire, and immediately it flamed up again in all its previous brightness

 

            -- if you are like that lump of coal -- if you feel your fire is dwindling and growing cold -- if you don’t find yourself thirsting for God as in a dry and parched land, as David describes it in this psalm -- then the answer is to draw near -- to seek God again with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength -- and when you do that, God will set your heart on fire again

            -- let us pray