Sermon Text: Psalm 107: 1-3, 23-32
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.
23 Some went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters.
24 They saw the works of the LORD, his wonderful deeds in the deep.
25 For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves.
26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards; they were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress.
29 He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.
31 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.
Morning Message:
This morning I hope that you will notice in your bulletin a slight change from the norm. I have placed a suggested reading in place of the first scripture reading. There are a couple of reasons for doing this. The most important one is to get you to open a bible and read this story for yourselves. The second underlying reason is that it is simply too long to be listened to without me losing your attention. I will share some of the facts of this story with you this morning, but as I was beginning to prepare, I wondered: How many of you have actually looked at this story for yourselves? It is a wonderful story that used to be a bible school favorite, but that is part of the problem. Because it is so familiar, we lose some of the very important meaning of the text. I don’t think that I am asking too much. If it were a story that popped up on your phone, you would take the time to read it. Why is it so difficult to pick up a bible and read?
What is true courage? It’s hard for me to think about that question without thinking about the cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz. All through the movie the lion is afraid of everything. He tries to hide his fear by picking on and scaring people and things that are weaker or smaller than himself. It is easy to have courage when there is not too much on the line. When the stakes are small and the outcome is pretty much assured I can be as courageous as the next guy. Do you remember how the lion finally obtained courage? The wizard gave it to him, right? The wizard gave him a metal for bravery and reminded him of how brave he had been on their journey. What was the lion really lacking? Confidence and conviction. What is conviction? A firm belief.
The story of David and Goliath has long been thought of as a children’s story. A way of showing young people that faith in God is bigger than a giant. We tend to focus on the heroic parts of the story, the parts that show bravery and victory against all odds. In the beginning of this story there was no bravery. This giant stepped out on the battlefield and challenged the entire army of Israel. The entire army, including the King, shook with fear and hid from the Philistines and their giant. Not only did he challenge them, he blasphemed and spoke against God. Not one of Israel’s army had the conviction to defend God. Now we have to stop here and consider if we have the courage and conviction to defend God. We are not usually challenged so openly and aggressively, but people challenge our beliefs every day. And, what if we were called out for our faith; would we cower in fear or would we stand for God?
Now David, who is just a young boy at this point in his life, hears what the giant is saying. He feels outrage in his soul because Goliath is not only making fun of Israel but also mocking God. David, because of his strong conviction, his trust and faith in the living God, doesn’t see danger, doesn’t feel fear; he only knows right from wrong, and because of his faith, knows that he cannot let God be disrespected in this way. You might ask: Where does David get this kind of courage and conviction? He tells King Saul, and this is important for us to hear. David says when he is watching over his father’s sheep and a lion snatches one away, he chases down the lion and pries the sheep from its jaws. Now listen: The same God who gave me strength to defeat the lion will save me from this giant. Now you really need to read the entire text because I have left a lot out and have not quoted it word for word. The point is that courage and conviction come from our faithful experiences with God. You will never have the courage to stand up for what you believe in until you start to take small steps of faith and allow God to demonstrate who He is. When David stood before Goliath with just a sling and a stone it was not his first step of faith.
What I want you to draw from this Psalm today is that courage and conviction is only gained through putting yourself out there and allowing God to show you. These ones who went out on ships found that life was out of their control but God could do amazing things to protect them. Yes it shows them being fearful, they reeled and they staggered and were at their wits’ end, but through the storm they saw God and found salvation. The Psalms can be beautiful and give you such confidence in your faith, but you have to read them and allow them to penetrate your soul. The world today is in such need of courageous Christians who are willing to show their faith with conviction. You don’t have to fight Goliath today, but maybe someday you will. Will you shake with fear and hide, or will you be ready to defend your faith?
In Christ’s Love and Peace
Pastor Bob
Views: 6
