Sermon Psalm 86 Listen to My Prayer

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

New Covenant Presbyterian Church

Sermon Psalm 86 Listen to My Prayer

July 23, 2017

After a wonderful VBS worship last week, let us return to our look at the Psalms of Summer.   God created us to praise him.  And by praising God we become jubilant.  The reason we praise God is because he is faithful forever.  And God is faithful to the most vulnerable in our society.   But even though God is faithful and deserves our praise, sometimes we are not jubilant.  Sometimes we experience great need in our lives.   And when we get into trouble of some sort the one thing we can do is pray.  Today we look at prayers of supplication where we humbly ask God to help us.  We will get to this, but first let’s start with prayer.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

A humble psalmist approached God in prayer.

Psalm 86:1 Hear me, Lord, and answer me,
   for I am poor and needy.
2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
   save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; 3 have mercy on me, Lord,
   for I call to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
   for I put my trust in you.

The relationship between the psalmist and God is like the relationship between a servant and his lord.   This language sounds odd to modern American ears.   We usually do not think of lords and servants.  We believe in equality.   But the ancient relationship of lord and servant is very much like the relationship between a business owner and employee today.   A business owner has obligation to pay the agreed upon wage on a regular basis.  An employee has the obligation of do the work assigned to him by his boss.  In this way the objectives of the business are met and the needs of the employee and his family are satisfied.

This is the same as the ancient lord/servant relationship.  The servant had no way to support himself and his family.   For some reason he did not own a farm which would satisfy his needs.  So without a farm for support a person had to become a servant and work for someone else.   The lord would be someone with the resources and the need to hire someone.   By covenant or contract the lord would pay the servant a wage so that he could support himself and family.  The servant promised to work for the lord, doing what he wanted, in exchange for a wage.   You can see from this that a lord/servant relationship in ancient time is actually very similar to an employer/employee relationship today.

This is the same as the relationship we have with God when we pray.   We accept an obligation to do what God wants us to do, to obey his commands.  And God has the responsibility of caring for us and providing what we need.   God has provided us with a beautiful land to live in.   He has given us food and air and water.   We have received abundant life.   And our obligation is to do what God wants us to do.   God is faithful.  We are to be obedient.   Let’s listen as the psalmist continues her prayer.

5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
   abounding in love to all who call to you.
6 Hear my prayer, Lord;
   listen to my cry for mercy.

Confident in the abiding love of a good God the psalmist lifts up her voice in prayer to her faithful God.  We can have this same confidence.   As we approach God in prayer we can be confident that the God we pray to is forgiving and good and abounding in love.   This also gives us the confidence to ask this loving God for help.  Let’s go back the psalmist and hear her prayer.

7 When I am in distress, I call to you,
   because you answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;
   no deeds can compare with yours.

The psalmist lives in a pluralistic culture.  There are many different religions to choose from.  And they all claim that their god answers prayer.  But through her long experience she knows that the only “god” that answers prayer is the God of Heaven.   All other “gods” do nothing.  Their prayers go unanswered.  But her God, the one she worships, does answer prayer.  And this is the source of her hope:  that one day everyone will realize that our God answers prayers and will turn to Him.

So too with us.     We live in a culture with many religions.   Some people worship the gods of the world religions Buddhism, Islam, or something else.   Other people worship western materialism, money, power, sex.   But none these have any ability to answer prayer.  Prayers can only be answered by the loving, forgiving and good God that we worship.  Let’s go back to the psalmist’s prayer

9 All the nations you have made
   will come and worship before you, Lord;
   they will bring glory to your name.
10 For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
   you alone are God.

Here the Psalmist has expressed her hope.   She hopes that one day everyone on earth will realize that only prayers to the good God of Heaven are answered.  And when this happen people will give up their worthless idols and come to the living God.

This is our hope as well.   We believe in God.  And we know from experience that our prayers are heard and God does answer them.   And so we hope that the people we love will also discover this.   Certainly we pray for the needs of our loved ones.   Wouldn’t it wonderful if they learn the benefits of praying to and worshiping our God?  You can help them by inviting them to come to church.  Let’s go back to the psalmist.

11 Teach me your way, Lord,
   that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
   that I may fear your name.

The first thing the psalmist prays for is for God to give her the gift of faith so that she can believe in God.  The psalmist has confessed that she something thinks about the pagan gods.   Sometimes she is tempted to worship things that cannot answer prayer.  So she wants the gift of faith that will allow her to only trust the true, faithful God.  

The same thing is true for us.   We know that we should only put our trust in God.   But sometimes we hedge our bets and pray to the things of the world.   Most of us offer praises and thanksgiving to our retirement account statements with the net asset values goes up.    Surely, we think, we can count on our diversified investments.   But you can’t count on material things.  They will not save you.    Markets crash.  Bubbles burst.   And then you turn to the only God who listens to your prayers.  The psalmist puts it this way.

12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
   I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me;
   you have delivered me from the depths,
   from the realm of the dead.

Filled with faith, an answer to prayer, the psalmist praises God for her new life.   She thought her life was over when the things she counted on the most failed her.   And now she realizes that whatever it was that she had been counting on was worthless, and the only thing of true value was her faith in God.

This is open to us too.  Pray to God for faith.   And when God answers this prayer your eyes will be opened to what God is doing in this world.  When you see God at work you can’t help but sing his praise.

But we do live in a world of sin.   And with sin in the world even the faithful suffer.   Those without faith suffer alone with no hope.  Those with faith suffer in the presence of God with the hope that God will answer prayer and come to their rescue.  Let’s listen as the psalmist asks God for help.

14 Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;
   ruthless people are trying to kill me—
   they have no regard for you.
15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
   slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

The psalmist is under attack.  Maybe she fears for her life.   Maybe she fears for her reputation through gossip.   Whatever it is she needs help.  And with the gift of faith she prays to the only God who answers prayer.

This gift is available to us too.   Whatever problem we may face, we can turn them over to our faithful God.  God listens to our prayers.   God is our only hope in times of trouble.  Let’s go back to the psalmist and see what she asks for.

16 Turn to me and have mercy on me;
   show your strength in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
   just as my mother did.

The psalmist asks for help and reminds God of two things.  First, she asks God to remember her own obedience.   As a faithful person she knows what God wants her to do and tries to always do it.  She also reminds God of the faithfulness of her mother who probably has prayed for her for her entire life and brought her to worship.

These are things we can do for our own children too.  We can pray for them everyday.   And when they are young we can bring them to church.   This gives them a basic level of faith.  With this faith they know about God.   Like the psalmist our children might drift away to worship other gods.   But one day their gods will fail.   And when this happens your children will turn back to your God, the one you pray to and the one you taught them to worship.    Let’s go back to the psalmist.

17 Give me a sign of your goodness,
   that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
   for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

Other people must be ridiculing the psalmist for her faith.   They don’t understand when she doesn’t go with them to the Baal temple on the top of the mountain anymore.   They see the change that faith has brought upon her and it concerns them.   So the psalmist wants a sign from God that will demonstrate His faithfulness to her to all her family and friends.  Her hope is that through this sign others will come to faith.  She wants this because she has experienced a God who listens to her prayers and answers them.

It’s tough living in a pluralistic world.   Our friends and families will be concerned when we give up our faith in materialism and pledge our obedience to the God of the Bible.   We will be tempted to worship the god of materialism and god of hard work, and the god of wealth and retirement accounts, and the god of a big house and expensive car.   Our friends and families worship all these gods and expect us to do the same.    But if we pray to God for undivided hearts and the gift of faith then we can withstand these temptations and worship only the true God who answers prayer.

All of this gives us hope that God will not only listen to our prayers, but will also listen to the prayers of the ones we love.   And so we pray for a sign that will convince our loved ones that our faith is true.    And when God answers this prayer we will be jubilant because our loved one are coming to faith.  Let’s pray.

Father in Heaven,   We thank your for your faithfulness and steadfast love.  We know that you provide for us abundant lives.  And you listen to our prayers.  We pray today for those we love.  And we ask that you bring them to faith.   Bless them with your love and forgiveness.  And listen to their prayers.   In your Son’s name we pray.   Amen.   

Sermon – Psalm 146 – God Remains Faithful Forever

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

New Covenant Church

Sermon – Psalm 146 – God Remains Faithful Forever

July 9, 2017

We turn again today to the Psalm of Summer.  We have seen that whole world was created to praise God.  Praising God leads to jubilation.   But some of us are not jubilant, we suffer.  And God helps us with our suffering with prayer.  We saw last week, Independence Day that God blesses those nations that care for the vulnerable in their societies.  And today we will see that God remains faithful forever.   Let’s pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

Psalm 146:1-10  NIV Psalm 146:1 Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.  2 I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.  3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.  4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.  5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,  6 the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them-- the LORD, who remains faithful forever.  7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free,  8 the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous.  9 The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.  10 The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD.

Psalm 146 begins with the Hebrew word Hallelujah.   Hallelu means to praise someone or something.  Jah stands for Yahweh, the Lord God of Israel.  So we sing in English, “praise the Lord”, or in Hebrew hallelujah.  In worship we sing praises to God.

The psalmist teaches us that praising God is a lifelong activity.  We praise God from the moment of birth until we die.  We do this because we were created to sing praises to God.  And we are engaging in praise whenever we are doing what God has created us to do.  

All too often though we praise something other than God.  The psalmist says that we sometime praise “princes”.  This would be our political leaders and government.  We praise government whenever we believe that government will ultimately save us.  If we lose our jobs government will will care for us with unemployment checks.  If we lose our health and have no insurance government will give us the health care we need.  If we lose our homes and churches in a storm government will be there to help us rebuild.  If our parents are getting old and can no longer live in their homes, government will help them get into a nursing home.  Government is very seductive.  It will offer us what we need, but it will demand our praises.  And so we are greatly tempted to sing praises to and worship our government.

But the psalmist points out that all princes and governments are mortal.  They will not go on forever.  And if history is a guide, the moment you need government the most it will not be there for you.  Government, like any human institution is stained by sin.  And so you should expect corruption.  And if government is corrupt then it cannot save you.  So don't sing its praises, don't worship it.  

So if we should not be praising government, whom should we praise, and why?  The psalmist reminds us that the only object of our worship should be the Lord, God of Jacob.  But why?  The psalmist gives us two reasons.  First, the Lord is the creator of everyone and everything.  Therefore God is our creator.  And as creatures of that God we were created to worship him.  Singing praises to God is as natural to us as breathing and eating.  It takes enormous amounts of evil to keep us from worshiping.  The second reason we are to worship God is that he is faithful.  God did not create us and then leave us.  God is with us still, guiding, nurturing and protecting us.  And this God is faithful.  Unlike government He will always be there when we need him.  So when you need help turn to God and rest in His faithfulness.

So how do we know that God is faithful?  What evidence is there that God cares for us and will never leave us alone?  Let's look at some of the evidence we have.

Shakeela Bibi attends a small Presbyterian church in Pakistan.  Recently while preparing bread for a Bible study she heard a commotion in the street.  A group of boys with sticks was heading to the church.  She ran to the church to warn those inside of the coming mob.  This angered the mob.  She was beaten and shot.  Shakeel Bibi is a Christian martyr.   The psalmist said, “He upholds the cause of the oppressed.” http://www.opendoorsusa.org/persecution/christian-martyrs-stories/shakeela-bibi

Lemi is a four year old girl living in Tanzania.  In Tanzania 46% of the population is malnourished.  Her grandmother became concerned as Lemi became thinner and thinner.   World Vision came to Lemi's village with a plan.  The rice farmers were organized into a group and are now able to get higher prices for their crops.  As a result Lemi now eats “rice, banana, milk, beans, fish, meat, and vegetables”, and is now getting fat.  The psalmist said, “(He) gives food to the hungry”. http://blog.worldvision.org/stories/reclaiming-the-garden-of-eden/

In 2010 Jeremiah Zigwa found out that he had HIV/AIDS.  Shortly thereafter his wife died in childbirth leaving him to take care of his eight children alone.  Jeremiah had no idea of what to do, and seriously considered suicide.  He reached out to community based Christian counseling organization for help.  They got him the medicine he needed.  And Christians provided for him ten chickens so he could start an egg business.   Jeremiah was also given a couple of pigs, but found them too difficult to care for.  So he sold the pigs, and some piglets and bought a young cow and bull.  He now raises cattle, chickens and ducks.  The psalmist told us, “The LORD sets prisoners free,  the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous.” http://blog.worldvision.org/stories/jeremiah-dares-to-dream/

Ferdoz lives in a tent in Lebanon.  She left her home in Syria with her five children to escape the violence of the civil war.  Her rent is $330 a year, which she cannot afford.  She owes $200 for plastic sheeting for the tent and another $40 to local shop keepers for food.  Dia is the wife of a shop keeper who gives eggs to Ferdoz when her husband is not looking.  But she know that her husband's business can't go on much longer.  Neither Ferdoz nor Dia know what to do.  Today a million refugees from Syria are in Lebanon and Jordan.  Another 300K are in Turkey.  It is estimated that if the conflict continues there could be another 6.8 million people fleeing Syria.  The United Nations says that it needs $1.5B, but this would not be nearly enough.  World Vision is raising $40M to feed as many children as they can.  The psalmist says, “The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow.”    http://blog.worldvision.org/disaster-relief/crisis-in-syria-part-6-debts-difficulties-rise-for-refugees/

So we know what God is doing in the world.  God is relieving the oppressed, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and is concerned for the poor.  This is the God we worship.  So how do we sing praises to a God like this?  We worship this God by doing what God created us to do.  And the implication is obvious.  We were created by God to participate in his work in this world.  And if God is concerned about the oppressed, the hungry, the sick and the poor then so should we.  So our work should be to find out what needs there our in this community, throughout the nation, and around the world.  And then we need to do something, even if it is just little, but something that advances God mission of Earth.  As a church we should look for ways to partner with Christian organizations doing God's work.  We can partner with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to care for the needs of people hurt in the storms.  Many of the international stories I have told you today came from World Vision International, which is doing wonderful work all over the world.  The psalmist wants you to remember that the reason you do these good works is because they are how you sing praises to the God who created you and will be with you forever.  Let's pray.

Father in heaven, we thank you for caring for us and the world we live in.  We know that your heart breaks over the oppression, hunger, disease, and poverty which sin has produced.  Use us and use our church to rid these problems from the world.  This we pray in your son's name.  Amen.  

Sermon Psalm 89 Covenant with the Nations

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

New Covenant Presbyterian Church

Sermon Psalm 89 Covenant with the Nations

July 2, 2017

In two days we will have a great national celebration.  On July 4 we will joyfully celebrate the anniversary of our independence from Great Britain with fireworks and family barbecues.   It is a wonderful time for all.  And that is why today we sing patriotic songs.

In ancient times the people of God also had an annual national festival.  This would include the coronation of a king.   But this was no ordinary king.  The coronation would be held not in the king’s palace but in the Jerusalem temple.  And they would crown God as their king.  This is important for us to remember.   We celebrate our independence on July 4.  And as Thomas Jefferson told us, our independence is founded on our God given inalienable rights.  We may have formed a republic to govern ourselves, but our government is still, “under God”, as we say in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Ancient people saw the relationship between God and their nation as a covenant or promise.   God promised his steadfast love.  The nation promised to rule in justice and righteousness.  Our nation benefits greatly from this covenant.  We will look at it closely, but first let’s pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

As the people of God approached the temple to crown God as king they would praise him and remember the covenant.

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Psalm 89: 1 I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;
   with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
   through all generations.
2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
   that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
3 You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
   I have sworn to David my servant,
4 ‘I will establish your line forever
   and make your throne firm through all generations.’”

The covenant between God and the Kingdom of Judah originated with King David.  God promised David that a descendant of his would always sit on the throne, forever.  The people were assured of this by a faithful God.  And so they when to the temple to praise and worship God.  Let’s hear what happened as they entered the temple.

5 The heavens praise your wonders, Lord,
   your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.
6 For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?
   Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?
7 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;
   he is more awesome than all who surround him.
8 Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?
   You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

As they entered the temple they acknowledged that the God they worshiped was the supreme God of the universe.  None of the gods of the surrounding nations could compare to the majesty of the God of heaven.  And so in awe and wonder, they bowed down in worship to this awesome God.  And they acknowledged that their God ruled all the earth as well.

9 You rule over the surging sea;
   when its waves mount up, you still them.
10 You crushed Rahab like one of the slain;
   with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.
11 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;
   you founded the world and all that is in it.
12 You created the north and the south;
   Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.
13 Your arm is endowed with power;
   your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.

They praised God, and then they remembered the terms of the covenant.

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14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
   love and faithfulness go before you.

The terms of the covenant were simple.  The kings of Judah from David on were required to uphold justice and righteousness.  God was required to faithfully love his people.  Let’s take a closer look at this covenant.

King David and his descendants were responsible for ruling in justice and righteousness.  In Hebrew these words are “mishpat” and “tsedaqah”.  Mishpat and tsedaqah refer to the responsibility we have, both us individually and the government to care for the poor, the needy, the widow, the orphan and the alien in our land.  All of these people could not own land themselves.  And so they had a hard time supporting themselves and their families.  People were required by God to work to support themselves, but some people couldn’t.  God did not want them to fall through the cracks.  Mishpat and tsedaqah required the government to impose rules so that the most vulnerable were cared for.  Farmers were required to leave a border around their fields where the poor could find food.  They were not to pick up food that fell from their carts so that the poor would find food when gleaning the field.   And all debts and mortgages were canceled every 25 years so that people suffering from excess debt could get a fresh start.

The covenant required Judah to care for the vulnerable.  In return, God promised his love.  The Hebrew word for steadfast love is hesed. Hesed means more than just love.  It also includes loyalty and faithfulness.  It is love you can count on.  The opposite of hesed would be “fair weather friend.”  A “fair weather friend” is here today, but when the going gets rough he’s gone tomorrow.  Not so with God.  God’s faithful love endures forever.   This covenant is offered to us as well.  If we care for the vulnerable in our society God will bless us and our nation richly.  And God has blessed us and so we rejoice.    

15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
   who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
16 They rejoice in your name all day long;
   they celebrate your righteousness.
17 For you are their glory and strength,
   and by your favor you exalt our horn.
18 Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord,
   our king to the Holy One of Israel.  

But in the middle of this great coronation of God as king and the reaffirmation of the covenant something happened.  A disaster occurred.  Let’s listen.

38 But you have rejected, you have spurned,
   you have been very angry with your anointed one.
39 You have renounced the covenant with your servant
   and have defiled his crown in the dust.
40 You have broken through all his walls
   and reduced his strongholds to ruins.
41 All who pass by have plundered him;
   he has become the scorn of his neighbors.
42 You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
   you have made all his enemies rejoice.
43 Indeed, you have turned back the edge of his sword
   and have not supported him in battle.
44 You have put an end to his splendor
   and cast his throne to the ground.
45 You have cut short the days of his youth;
   you have covered him with a mantle of shame.
46 How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?
   How long will your wrath burn like fire?

In 587 BC the Babylonian army was ordered by King Nebuchadnezzar to destroy Jerusalem and violently bring the Davidic dynasty to an end.   What happened?   The descendants of David had not cared for the poor and the needy and the widows and the orphans and aliens in the land as they have promised.  They had broken the covenant.  And God had withdrawn his protection.

This is a sobering warning to all the nations of the world.  God is serious when his tells us that the most vulnerable are to be cared for.  All governments, including our republic, will be destroyed if we do not obey God in this matter.  But if we do what God wants, he will love us faithfully forever.  The choice is ours.  Keep our nation “under God” or lose it.

The people of God were eventually able to rebuild their city and temple under Persian rule.  They began worshiping God and crowning him as king in his temple.  But the descendants of David no longer sat on the throne of Judah.  And so they turned to God in prayer.

47 Remember how fleeting is my life.
   For what futility you have created all humanity!
48 Who can live and not see death,
   or who can escape the power of the grave?
49 Lord, where is your former great love,
   which in your faithfulness you swore to David?
50 Remember, Lord, how your servant has[g] been mocked,
   how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,
51 the taunts with which your enemies, Lord, have mocked,
   with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.
52 Praise be to the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen.

It seemed to the people of God that the covenant was broken forever.  Never again would a descendant of David sit on the throne.  Never again would a King of Judah reign in justice and righteousness.  Never again would we be blessed with the steadfast love of the Lord our God.   

Then, one night an angel appeared to a young woman.  And he said to her,

Luke 1:26 …  God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

And with the covenant relationship between God and his people was restored.  Jesus Christ, a descendant of David, rules from a throne in heaven.  The foundation of his throne is justice and righteousness.  Christ requires of all nations that they care for the most vulnerable people in their lands.  In return, God promised his steadfast love.  The renewal of the covenant is what we celebrate on today.  Let’s pray.

Father in Heaven, we thank you that in Jesus Christ your covenant with David has been reestablished.   We thank you for your unfailing love for us.   We promise, Lord, to care for the most vulnerable in our land.   This we pray in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.