Psalm 107:1-9,43 Revival

What is the one thing that both the church and society need today?  

The answer can be summed up in one word-revival. Not only will a revival bring us and society back to God, it will also allow us to remember what God has done for his people in the past, what he is doing for them now, and what he will do for them in the future.

The message of Psalm 107 conveys what God has done for his children and how lovingly he has dealt with them. God withholds punishment (which is deserved) and gives mercy and grace, which are not deserved. The psalm gives thanks for God’s enduring, steadfast love. He is willing to forgive his people even when they are unfaithful.

The psalm begins with a call to praise, followed by a warning to confess our sins. The psalm is concerned with the entire community giving thanks, but individual members of the community also give thanks. Specifically, they gave thanks to God for saving them from slavery in Egypt and guiding them to the Promised Land. The wanderers in verses 4 to 9 also represent those lost in a desert of loneliness, routine futility and affluence that never satisfies. They, like the Israelites, search without hope and without help, unable to find their way home until they return to God.  It nudges us to move from our comfortable lives to imagine the hearts and lives of refugees, wayfarers, pilgrims and others who are coming to the cross from all over the world. They were in bondage and are now free. Since we were also bound by sin, we will naturally have compassion with these pilgrims.

Like the people of Israel, we wander in spiritual darkness and are rebellious, fearful and wicked. We are easily distracted by the world, and this is understandable. The world is so attractive to us that it overwhelms us to the point where we neglect our relationship with God. In the end we are humbled by the consequences of our disobedience. We turn back to God who forgives us, but then we become complacent and find ourselves back in darkness. This is a never-ending cycle. In spite of this, God’s love is steadfast. He never turns us away when we return to him.  

Today, we and the church need to return to God. We need revival. Many churches, including our own, have seen a decline in membership and attendance. For example, a poll conducted by the Pew Research Centre found that the percentage of Canadians surveyed who say that they attend church at least once a month fell from 43 percent in 1986 to 27 percent in 2012. Society needs to pray to God that he will restore the church so that it can evangelize the people. Society needs to pray that God will pour out his Holy Spirit with a message of repentance and godliness. Society needs restoration and freedom from bondage. God was faithful to his people in the past, he is faithful to his people today, and he will be faithful to his people in the future. His faithfulness opens a gateway to repentance and revival.

There is a spiritual thirst in the world today. Both the world and the church need revival. They need to heed the words of the old song, “That Old Time Religion”:

 Give me that old time religion

 give me that old time religion
 Give me that old time religion
 It's good enough for me

 Makes me love everybody

 Makes me love everybody
 Makes me love everybody
 It's good enough for me

 It has saved our fathers

 It has saved our fathers
 It has saved our fathers
 And it's good enough for me

 It was good for the prophet Daniel

 It was good for the prophet Daniel
 It was good for the prophet Daniel
 And it's good enough for me

 Give me that old time religion

 give me that old time religion
 Give me that old time religion
 It's good enough for me

 It was good for Hebrew children

 it was good for Hebrew children
 It was good for Hebrew children
 And it's good enough for me

Revival can only begin when we claim God’s mercy. It will restore a proper vision of who God is, his goodness, his moral perfection and his mercy. If we trust that he is merciful, we will experience his mercy. 

Adversity often forces us to admit our need for God. For example, the Israelites were wanderers in the desert with no home. They suffered from spiritual and physical hunger as well as physical and spiritual thirst. In their time of need, they returned to God. They had no illusions of grandeur or superiority. In contrast, sometimes the church lives under the illusions of power, money, traditions and rituals. God often uses adversity to bring us back to him. He wants us to rely on him instead of relying on ourselves. He wants the longing in our souls to drive us to him. He wants to satisfy our spiritual hunger and thirst. He wants to give us hope for the present and the future. He wants to give us vision and direction. When we approach our situations with gratitude, it takes our focus off of our problems and puts it onto God.

Adversity often leaves scars, and all of us have them. We have received these scars in one of two ways: because of what has been done to us by others and because of what we have done to ourselves. These scars are nothing to be ashamed of if we are Christians. They are an invitation to share Christ’s healing power with the world, just like the psalmist showed the scars of the Israelites. If we are not shamed of our scars, people will recognize Jesus, especially when we tell our stories of emotional, physical, spiritual and relational healing. If we are true children of God, we will say so publicly and not be ashamed of it. We will gladly tell everyone about God’s unfailing love, how he changed our lives and how he can change their lives.

Bibliography

1.      Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN; Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 777-778)

2.      Pew Research Centre, “Canada’s Changing Religious Landscape.” Retrieved from http://www.pewforum.org/2013/06/27/canadas-changing-religious-landscape/#decline-in-canadians-attendance-at-religious-services

3.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.

4.      Williams, D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 14: Psalms 73-150 (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1989, pp. 276-277)

5.      Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)

6.      Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 810-812)

7.      Sharon Janes, “The Power of Your Story.” Retrieved from www.girlfriendsingod.com

8.      Rick Boxx, “A Walk of Gratitude.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

9.      Scott Schauf, “Commentary on Psalm 107:1-3,23-32.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2490

10.  Lisa Nichols Hickman, “ON Scripture: Immigration: Journey to a New Life.” Retrieved from www.day1.org

11.  Houston, David: “Old Time Religion.” Retrieved from http://www.metrolyrics.com/old-time-religion-lyrics-david-houston.html

12.  Craig Condon, “Memories, Faith and Forgiveness.” Retrieved from the author’s personal library.

Psalm 85 Memories, Faith and Forgiveness

When I led the weekly worship service at a local nursing home a couple of weeks ago, I talked about memories and how they can be both good and bad, depending on the memories. I talked about how Joshua told representatives of the twelve tribes of Israel to take 12 stones from the Jordan River and make a monument after the Israelites entered the Promised Land. This monument was intended to help the Israelites remember God’s faithfulness to them during the forty years that they wandered in the wilderness.

The writer of Psalm 85 also talks about memories. Memories give us hope. For example, people who are grieving the loss of a loved one are often comforted by their memories of their loved ones. Memories let us recall with gratitude what God has done in the past, and they give us the hope that God will do good things for us again in the future. That makes our present sorrows and sufferings bearable.

Psalm 85 is a community lament. God was not pleased that his people were unfaithful, and he showed his displeasure. The people repented and asked God to forgive them. The six verbs-been favourable, brought back, have forgiven, covered, taken away, turned down-highlight God’s redemptive work in Israel’s history. God’s gracious dealings with Israel in the past justify the hope that He will once again show grace and forgiveness. The psalm closes with the confidence that God will forgive his people. 

The psalmist also urges us to make sure that our repentance is genuine. He urges us not to make the same mistakes that caused God’s displeasure. The word mercy literally means “lovingkindness” or “steadfast love.” It is a powerful word used elsewhere in the Old Testament to describe God’s unconditional love and His covenant commitment. God’s promise of salvation is available to everyone who believes in him in faith, but that provision is not automatic. It only comes if we repent and turn to God in faith.

God’s judgment is the result of his righteousness and our sins. There will never be any reconciliation without repentance and forgiveness. Reconciliation was made possible by Christ’s death on the cross. Since he bore our sins and our punishment on his shoulders, we can come home to God. His wrath has been lifted, but it will return every time we sin. Every time we repent, God will forgive us, but that does not give us a license to sin.

Spiritual revival involves getting right with God and returning to a place in our lives where we can delight in God and celebrate his goodness, love and mercy. It will rescue us from the penalty of sin and the urge to practice our sins.  

Jesus is like water. Both can go where we can’t go. Throw something against a wall, and it will hit the wall and drop. Throw water on a wall, and the water will spread. Jesus is the same. He is a spirit who is not limited by an earthly body. He enters our souls and quenches our spiritual thirst just like water quenches our physical thirst.

There is a spiritual thirst in the world today. Both the world and the church need revival. They need to heed the words of the old song, “That Old Time Religion”:

 Give me that old time religion

 Give me that old time religion
 Give me that old time religion
 It's good enough for me

 Makes me love everybody

 Makes me love everybody
 Makes me love everybody
 It's good enough for me

 It has saved our fathers

 It has saved our fathers
 It has saved our fathers
 And it's good enough for me

 It was good for the prophet Daniel

 It was good for the prophet Daniel
 It was good for the prophet Daniel
 And it's good enough for me

 Give me that old time religion

 give me that old time religion
 Give me that old time religion
 It's good enough for me

 It was good for Hebrew children

 it was good for Hebrew children
 It was good for Hebrew children
 And it's good enough for me

The church needs to have the same impact that the church in the first century AD did. We and the church need to pray, evangelize and give faithfully of time, talent and treasures.  

We need revival daily even thought we may say to ourselves, “I’ve confessed, tried and failed so many times. Revival doesn’t last.”  Someone said the same thing to evangelist Billy Sunday in the early 1900s. He made the point that since personal revival wasn’t a permanent end to temptation, sin and failure, times of revival weren’t important. The man complained to Billy Sunday that revival just doesn’t last. Billy Sunday just smiled and replied, “Well, a bath doesn’t last either, but it’s good to take one occasionally!” Daily revival is like a daily bath. Both get rid of dirt and grime. A bath gets rid of physical dirt and grime, and daily revival gets rid of the spiritual dirt and grime called sin. When we are restored, we can rejoice at having been restored and forgiven. At the same time we can anticipate with joy the fulfillment of prophecy and our promised salvation.

We can’t do anything to earn our salvation except repent and accept God by faith. Salvation is a gift from God that was paid for when Christ died on the cross. When God forgives us, we will know that God keeps his promises. God’s mercy and righteousness will always triumph over sin and death. Lovingkindness, righteousness and peace are characteristics of God, and they are also characteristics of our eternal, heavenly home.

Bibliography

1.      Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN; Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 762-763)

2.      Houston, David: “Old Time Religion.” Retrieved from http://www.metrolyrics.com/old-time-religion-lyrics-david-houston.html

3.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.

4.      Williams, D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 14: Psalms 73-150 (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1989; pp. 108-113)

5.      MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)

6.      Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010, pp. 785-787)

7.      Pastor Greg Laurie, “Revival is Personal.” Retrieved from www.harvest.org

8.      Joel Osteen, “Ask to Hear Him Better.” Retrieved from www.joelsoteen.com

9.      Dr. Stephen Davey, “Taking a Bath-Daily!” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

10.  Dr. Billy Graham, “Does God Give Up on a Nation That Turns Against Him?” Retrieved from www.billygraham.org

11.  The Rev. Margaret Leichester-Stoddard, “Bible Study, Proper 12 (C)-July 24, 2016.” Retrieved from http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/stw/2016/07/11/bible-study-proper-12-c-juolu-24-2016/

 

 

 

Luke 10:38-42 Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

How many of you have ever prepared a meal for a large group of people and wished that you had at least one other person to help you? If you have, you can understand how Martha felt in the gospel reading we heard from Luke 10:38-42 earlier in this morning’s service.

This story takes place while Jesus and his disciples are on their way to Jerusalem and the cross. Luke presumes that Jesus and the disciples will encounter listening hearts and gracious hosts.  Mary and Martha represent the hospitality that Jesus and the disciples will need on their journey. When Jesus arrived in Bethany with many disciples, Martha knew she was going to have a lot of work to do. In the culture of that time, women measured their worth by how well they performed chores like cooking and cleaning. We as Christians are called on to extend hospitality both as hosts and as guests, and to fellow believers and nonbelievers alike. We are not called on to simply tolerate and endure those people who are not like us.

Every responsible person feels the burden of carrying more than his/her fair share, and Martha felt the same way. It is too much to expect that the responsible person will never feel resentment. The older son in the Parable of the Prodigal Son is a good example of this. We are often in situations when we have too much to do and not enough time to do it. We have trouble saying “no.” Christ did not come to encourage us to be superhumans. He came to give us an abundant life, rest, peace and joy. Our relationship with Jesus is more important than anything else in life.

Like Martha, we can be so obsessed with doing what we think we should be doing that we miss what God wants us to do. All of us face the pressures of daily lives because there is constant pressure on us to produce or succeed, especially if we are working. There are times when we have to set aside our “to do” lists so that we can spend time with God. We are to be more like Mary and less like Martha. If there is anything more important than serving Jesus, it is simply being in his presence. God wants us to learn to stop and rest once in awhile. He wants us to balance all the demands in our lives. He encourages us to ignore the distractions in our lives and concentrate on our lives with God.

Our main priority as Christians is to stay centered on Christ. One way we can do this is by searching God’s word. While Martha was busy preparing the meal, Mary was busy listening to Jesus’ teachings. Our relationship with the Bible reflects our relationship with Christ’s teachings. Scripture turns the world’s logic on its head. People might think that we are being unreasonable by listening to and obeying God’s Word, but the truth is that only people who study His Word will know what reason really is. God’s course and logic will ultimately prevail.

There is a balance that has to be struck in our Christian lives. Jesus urges us to do good deeds just like Martha was doing a good deed by preparing the meal, but he also urges us to engage in kingdom work. Doing good deeds as Christians has to be balanced with citizenship in the kingdom. That citizenship can only be received by grace through faith in Christ.

Martha’s name comes from an Aramaic word meaning “lady” or “mistress,” as in the “lady of the house. It describes her personality: responsible, serious and intense. Mary is the opposite. When Jesus arrived, she sat down at his feet to listen to His teaching. That position was reserved for official disciples of a teacher, and never for a woman in the culture of that time. A rabbi’s disciples sat at his feet when he taught. That was the proper place for a disciple, and since Mary was a “disciple” of Jesus, she was in the proper place. On the other hand, Martha was not in the proper place to learn from Jesus. Mary was in fellowship with Jesus, and our proper place is to be in fellowship with Jesus.  

Martha is like many of us. We focus on tasks when relating to others. We are so eager to serve that sometimes we spot needs without asking and supply what is needed without thinking of ourselves. That’s good up to a point. Without having a task-oriented temperament, our world would come to a halt, but if we pay too much attention to things that don’t matter and not enough attention to the person who matters-namely, Jesus-there is a problem. Martha had that problem, and instead of looking to herself for the solution, she lashed out at Jesus and Mary. She expected Jesus to rebuke Mary for being lazy and selfish, but Martha was the one who was rebuked for neglecting the most important thing-time with Jesus.

There is an old saying that “where your heart is, there will be your actions.” If our heart is with God, we will follow him. We will see God’s love. While Martha was preparing physical food, Jesus was offering spiritual food. Mary enjoyed this spiritual food. Her focus was on God, and in the words of Jesus, she chose the right thing to focus on.

This story deals with our goals in life, or what has our attention most of the time. Martha was focused on being a good hostess. She had no time to be with the Lord. Like Martha, we can easily lose sight of who we are and whose we are. The good things in life can choke out God’s life in us. Sometimes we have to get rid of some of our roles, identities and patterns of behaviour to become more fully who we are as Christians and be more fully into our Christian ministry. If we make God and his presence in our lives our primary focus, we will find that he is the key to everything in our lives.

Martha was worried about something that was good. She was literally serving God by having Jesus over for dinner. Her aim was to please God, but her work became more important than her Lord. Serving Jesus became a way to serve herself. Martha and Mary represent the two types of people who are needed to do God’s work-the doers and the followers. For example, Jesus knew that when he needed a place to rest, Martha would have the welcome mat out for him 24 hours a day. Mary and Martha are not mutually exclusive. Thinking, especially about God’s kingdom, can lead to action. God needs both types of people so that his work can be done here on earth. 

The heart of humility is found in serving others. Martha was on the right path. Her heart was in the right place, but she was focused on the wrong thing. She was focused on the work she was doing when, like Mary, she should have been focused on Jesus. We are called to be listeners of the word, and we are also called to serve others. The key is to strike a balance between these two priorities.

There are many varieties of people in God’s kingdom. There are conventional people who keep things running smoothly, pay attention to detail and have hidden reserves of strength. There are also unconventional people who have lots of energy at times and have the ability and vision to change the world but are tired and helpless at other times. These different types of people argue from time to time because they approach life from different directions. Love forms the basis of God’s kingdom, and those who love each other will find that they compliment each other and that everyone’s gifts and strengths are needed.

When people are with us, we must be with them. When God is present with us, we must be present with him. When life gets complicated, simplicity is the best solution. We must make the choice to set aside time in our daily lives to be silent and listen for God’s voice. The best way to do that is to learn to say “no.” A kind, polite, respectful no is the key to unlocking the power of spiritual disciplines. Saying no to others frees us to say yes to God and listen to his word. Jesus and his disciples represent the kingdom of God that is coming near. Will we welcome it like Mary and Martha did? Will we welcome the kingdom with hospitality and service in the world?

Bibliography

1.      Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1408)

2.      Jeremiah, David: Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2009, pp. 129-131)

3.      Swindoll, Charles R.: Swindoll’s New Testament Insights on Luke (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan; 2012; pp. 281-286)

4.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.

5.      Larsen, B. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 26: Luke (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983, p. 191)

6.      Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010, pp. 1413-1418)

7.      “The Bread that Satisfies.” Retrieved from donotreply@email.rbc.org

8.      Greg Laurie, “Important in God’s Eyes.” Retrieved from www.harvest.org

9.      Bobby Schuller, “First Movement.” Retrieved from www.hourofpower.cc

10.  Karen Ehman, “Scurrying or Seated?” retrieved from www.proverbs31.org

11.  Crystal Pine,” I Hate Saying ‘No’.” Retrieved from www.proverbs31.org

12.  “The Greatest Thing.” Retrieved from donotreply@email.pbc.org

13.  Joni Eareckson Tada, “Focus on Service.” Retrieved from www.joniandfriends.org

14.  Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 16^th Sunday, (C).” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

15.  Mary Southerland, “Learn How to Sit Down.” Retrieved from www.girlfriendsingod.com

16.  Exegesis for Luke 10:38-42. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

17.  Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 16^th Sunday-C-, July 17, 2016”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

18.  The Rev. Janet Hatt,” Sitting in the Presence of the Holy: Mary and Martha.” Retrieved from http://word.dancingwiththeword.com/2016/07/sitting-in-presence-of-holy-mary-and.html

19.  Mikeal C. Parsons, “Commentary on Luke 10:38-42.” Retrieved from http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2917

20.  Brian P. Stoffregen, “Exegetical Notes; Luke 10:38-42, Proper 11-Year C.” Retrieved from http://www.crossmarks.com/brian/luke10x38.htm

21.  Sarah Dylan Breuer, “Proper 11, Year C.” Retrieved from http://www.sarahlaughed.net/lectionary/2007/07/proper-11-year.html.

22.  Janice B. Scott, “Unconventional People.” Retrieved from http://www.sermonsuite.com/printer.php?i=788017582

 

 

 

 

 

Joshua 3:14-4:7 Memories

How many of you have memories of things that happened years ago?

Memories can be both a good thing and a bad thing. Memories such as those of our families can be good or bad. Memories of loved ones who have died can be good or bad.

In the reading we heard from the Book of Joshua a few minutes ago, God brought the Israelites to the banks of the Jordan River at a time when he could miraculously demonstrate his power. The miracle happened during harvest time, when the river was filled to overflowing. The priests bearing the ark came to the water’s edge and stepped forward, obeying Joshua’s command. It was just a step, but the waters parted and the people crossed over on dry land. Like he did at the Red Sea, God brought his people through a crossing that they could not undertake in their own strength. Every big act for God begins with a small step of faith. 

Joshua wanted the people to remember their entrance into the Promised Land. That’s why he asked each of the 12 tribes of Israel to choose a representative. That’s also why he asked each representative to choose a stone from the Jordan River. These stones were used to build a monument. It was a memorial to the significance of the people crossing the Jordan and entering the Promised Land.

Memorials help us preserve memories. God memorialized many important things and events in the Old Testament. The stones were to be a memorial and a reminder to future generations that the people of Israel crossed the Jordan because of God and not because of their own ability. There are times in our own lives that God does not want us to forget. How will we remember these events?

Some people live in the past. They want to return to the “good old days.” The problem is that the “good old days” usually weren’t as good as people think they were. Other people want to change everything. They always look to the future. Both views involve escaping into a fantasy world. The Bible tells us that we are to live in the present and claim God’s memory and struggle for today.

Joshua chapter 4 presents the dynamic truth that the hope of the future is based on the memories of the past, and this hope gives meaning to the present. That way of living will give us hope for the future that is based on the memories of the past-specifically, the memory of what God has done for us in the past, what he does for us today, and what he will do in the future.

 Bibliography

1.      Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 282)

2.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.

3.      Huffman, John A. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 6: Joshua (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1986)

4.      Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2005)