Sermon – Psalm 71 – A Lifetime of Faith

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon – Psalm 71 – A Lifetime of Faith

August 25, 2013

There are people in our church who have lived lives of faith for many years. They have had lifetimes of worship, Bible study, prayer, and experiences of God. They provide for us a rich resource of faithfulness which we can draw on just by talking with them. I treasure the time I spend with people in their 80s and 90s in our congregation because I learn so much from them about living a life of faith. I urge you to talk with your parents, aunts and uncles, and the people who have sustained this church for decades and learn from them what it means to have a lifetime of faith. We are privileged today to hear from a psalmist who has lived a faithful life into old age. We will get to his or her wisdom. 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)

NIV Psalm 71 1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame. 2 In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me; turn your ear to me and save me. 3 Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. 4 Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.

The psalmist starts in prayer. Prayer is something she had done for years and years and so it come naturally. She cries out to God for salvation. From what does she need to be saved? We don't know. It could be health problems, a stroke, cancer, diverticulitis, or Alzheimer’s disease. Maybe she has financial problems. The value of her investments may have fallen. She may be unable to sell the house she cannot care for anymore. Maybe she has problems with family, a child, grandchild or great grandchild who doesn't call anymore, or a spouse who is sick or recently died. Whatever it is bothering the psalmist she knows that she can always turn to God in prayer. Let's listen in.

5 For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth. 6 From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you. 7 I have become a sign to many; you are my strong refuge. 8 My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.

So the psalmist has lived a life of worship. Since she was born her mother and grandmother must have taught her to always rely on God's saving power. And she has been taught to praise God continually in worship. And now, in her old age, people see her faith and how she has relied on God. They see her praising God with every breath she takes. But now the psalmist is getting older. She is becoming frail and afraid. Listen to what she says.

9 Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone.10 For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together. 11 They say, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.”

And so, frail and afraid of her life coming to an end, she does what she has always done. She turns to God in prayer.

12 Do not be far from me, my God; come quickly, God, to help me. 13 May my accusers perish in shame may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace.

And so she does what she has learned to do from a lifetime of faith to ask God for help, and to depend on God faithfulness in a time of trouble. Maybe she is in the hospital for yet another surgery, but she knows that God is with her and is never far away. And so she is filled with the thing that only a lifetime of faithfulness can provide, hope. And the proper responded to the hope that comes from God is praise.

14 As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.

The psalmist has placed herself in God's hands. The doctors have done everything they can do. Surgery and medicines can only go so far. But the psalmist is filled with hope and vows one day to return to church to tell her family and friends about all the wonderful things God has done for her.

15 My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long— though I know not how to relate them all. 16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.

As the psalmist dreams of the day when she can return to church to tell everyone what God has done for her, she remember all the things God has done for her during her long life.

17 Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. 18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.

And so, filled with hope that God will save her, she longs for the day when she can tell her children, and their children all that God has done for her. This longing to share the stories of God are common in people who have lived lives of faithfulness. Those who are in hospitals, or nursing homes, or just can't get out of the house, want to share their stories with all of you. I get to hear these stories as their pastor. But you can hear them too just by visiting the shut-ins. Listen as the psalmist tells about the God she worships.

19 Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens, you who have done great things. Who is like you, God? 20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. 21 You will increase my honor and comfort me once more.

Will we have this strong faith when we reach old age? As we approach death will we be so confident in the resurrection from the dead that our fears will be replaced with hope? This will happen to us if we live a life of faithfulness. And we do this with daily prayer, regular Bible study and worshiping every Sunday. Do this and at the end of your life your fears will be replaced by hope and you will sing God's praises.

Finally, listen to the psalmist as she sings her praises to God.

22 I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel. 23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you— I whom you have delivered. 24 My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.

Father in Heaven we praise you and thank you for all the blessings we have received. Help us to live lives of faithfulness so that when we approach the end of our days our fears will be replaced by hope in your faithfulness. And we will proclaim our praises of you to the next generation of those who are leading faithful lives. In the name of your son, our savior, amen.

Sermon – Psalm 50 – God Speaks

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon – Psalm 50 – God Speaks

August 11, 2013

I am continuing today with my summer series drawn from the Book of Psalms. This wonderful book is the favorite of many Christians. It contains prayers and songs, and expresses our deepest emotions. Jesus loved the Psalms and ofter taught from them. And so it is very appropriate that we take an extended look and this important book in the Bible. Today we will turn to Psalm 50. This psalm tells us about a theophany, an appearance of God on Earth. In this case we see God come as the judge and all creation is called as a witness. We will get to this, 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)

Psalm 50:1-23 ^NIV Psalm 50:1 A psalm of Asaph. The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. ² From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth. ³ Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him, and around him a tempest rages. ⁴ He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people: ⁵ "Gather to me my consecrated ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice." ⁶ And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God himself is judge.

The image we have here is a courtroom. We all know about courtrooms. If you are my age you remember Perry Mason. Younger people will think of Law and Order. And some of you have served on juries, or possibly were judged yourselves. The courtroom here is in Jerusalem and God is the judge. A summons has gone out to all people on earth to come to Jerusalem and appear before God. All of creation will be called as witnesses for the prosecution. God's courtroom is not the mahogany paneled room we see on TV. Before god is the refiners fire. Around him is a great storm which reminds of the scene when Moses went up Mt. Horeb to get God's law. Now God has returned to see if that law has been kept.

God opens our trial by speaking.

⁷ "Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God. ⁸ I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me. ⁹ I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, ¹⁰ for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. ¹¹ I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. ¹² If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. ¹³ Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? ¹⁴ Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, ¹⁵ and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."

God's first concern is with our worship. Worship had become empty and devoid of meaning. People would bring their offerings and say their prayers, but there was no sense of them coming into the presence of God to account for their actions. They thought that they could go though the motions of worship, and that would be enough. But it's not. God wants more than worship. He wants us to fulfill our promises. You see we have a contract or a covenant with God. God promises to bless us richly with land, and sunshine, and rain so that we can be fruitful and multiply. God gives us everything we need for life. And all he wants in return is our obedience. We can't get away with worshiping on Sunday and then disobeying God the rest of the week. We must obey God during the week and then on Sunday come here to thank God for all our blessings. Then when the day comes and we really need God, he will be there when we call on him in prayer.

So God is concerned about empty worship coming on the heals of disobedience. So what is it that we do, or do not do that has brought us before God for judgment. Listen to God and the charges against us.

¹⁶ But to the wicked, God says: "What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips? ¹⁷ You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you. ¹⁸ When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers. ¹⁹ You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit. ²⁰ You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother's son. ²¹ These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was altogether like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face.

Well, there is the indictment. We have been accused not just of taking what does not belong to us, but also in joining with other thieves to steal. Not many of us are burglars, entering homes to steal what is not ours. But we have more subtle ways of getting what we want. We know how to cheat the system and take advantage of others for our own gain. We do this again and again all week long and then we come to church on Sundays. God wants an explanation.

But that's not all. God is concerned about the adulterers. God has blessed us with the covenant of marriage where three persons, the couple and God, promise their love and faithfulness for each other. Adultery is the sin that causes these promises to be broken. And yet we do it, or enable others to do it. And the result is broken marriages and broken lives. We do this again and again all week long and then we come to church on Sundays. God wants an explanation.

But our disobedience goes on. God has blessed us with tongues and the ability to communicate. This blessing allows us to trust God and others when they speak. All he asks is that we always speak the truth. But we don't. We might not tell bald faced lies, but we do shade the truth a little and spin it for our benefit. As a result trust is lost and relationships are broken. We do this again and again all week long and then we come to church on Sundays. God wants an explanation.

But there is even more disobedience that we are accused of. God has blessed us with friends and families. This allows us to live in community. All God asks is that we speak the truth in love to one another. But we don't. We gossip all the time, even in church. If we hear a bad story about someone we repeat it, even if it is not true. As a result friendships are broken and people hate each other. We do this again and again all week long and then we come to church on Sundays. God wants an explanation.

There is a rumor going around that a prominent pastor is having an affair. This pastor is a friend of mind and I do not know if this rumor is true or not. I heard this rumor because someone told it to a friend, he told it to his wife, the wife told it to her sister, her sister called her cousin, and the cousin told me. And so we have a possible adultery, possible lying, and obvious gossip.

God has heard all the evidence and is ready to pass judgment. Listen carefully to what he says.

²² "Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue: ²³ He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God."

You have been ordered by God to come on Sunday mornings filled with thanksgiving for all the blessing you have received. Do this and there will be no punishment. Come to worship thanking God for your spouse and your families and your friends. Realize that these are all blessings from God. And throughout the week don't mess up these relationships by lying or stealing or cheating or gossiping. This is the Word of God. Thanks be to God. Let us pray.

We come to you O Lord thankful for all your blessings. We confess that we have messed things up with our sin. We repent and ask forgiveness in the of Jesus Christ, our savior. Amen.

Sermon – Psalm 107 – God Is Good

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon – Psalm 107 – God Is Good

August 4, 2013

Last month we started looking at what the Bible says to the nations on earth, their obligation to care for the weak. These obligations are based on the inalienable rights granted by God that the basic needs of people must be met. They must have adequate food, clothing, and shelter. This is not just the responsibility of governments on all levels, but it is also the responsibility of the church.

Today we will see what happens when these needs are met. We have an awareness that our God is good. And so we approach him with thanksgiving. We will get to this, 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)

Psalm 107:1-3 NIV Psalm 107:1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say this-- those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, 3 those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and the sea. (See The Four Coners of Psalm 107 by John Jarick for discussion of the textual issue of verse 3)

The psalmist calls us to thanksgiving because of God goodness and steadfast love. God has demonstrated these characteristics by redeeming his people from perils. The psalmist tells us that God rescues people from the east and the west and the north and the sea.

Let's start by looking to the east. Whenever the Israelites oriented themselves they started by facing the east. The east is where the sun rises each day. I lived in Southern California for almost six years. Los Angeles is in a desert. In August, when the sun rises, there are no clouds in the sky. By mid morning temperatures near ninety. By afternoon they top 100. Everything not watered turns brown and dies. So too with the area east of Jerusalem. Scorching temperatures and high winds make the land unsuitable for human life. But some shepherds try to live there by constantly searching for watering holes and food for their flocks. In a drought, the lives of both the shepherd and the sheep are threatened. But here is what God does.

Psalm 107:4-9 4 Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. 5 They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. 6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 7 He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. 8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, 9 for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

And so they turned to God in prayer. Trusted in His faithfulness. And thanked God for his goodness.

Now let's turn around and face west. West is where the sun sets each day. The west is therefore a land of darkness. And as we all know evil comes out at night. The west is a place of sin and the evil it produces. The murderers, the liars, the racketeers try to avoid the light of day and do their dastardly things at night. Night is where the devil encourages adulterers to ruin relationships. Nighttime is the symbol of our enslavement to sin. We are bound to sin with shackles forged in the fires of hell. And there is nothing we can do to get out. This is how the psalmist put it.

Psalm 107:10-16 10 Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains, 11 for they had rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. 12 So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. 13 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. 14 He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains. 15 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, 16 for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.

And so they turned to God in prayer. Trusted in His faithfulness. And thanked God for his goodness.

Let's look to the north. From Jerusalem looking north you see a land filled with dangers. North is where the invading armies come from. The Egyptians, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Greeks, the Romans, all attack Jerusalem from the north. And so the north is the symbol of disease and death. The north is where things grow on your colon. The north is where your circulation is so bad your leg has to come off. The north is where you are so weak you can't get out of bed. The north is where your heart only works at 60% efficiency. This is could go on and on and on. Listen to what the psalmist says about the north.

Psalm 107:17-22 17 Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. 18 They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. 19 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. 20 He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. 21 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. 22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.

And so they turned to God in prayer. Trusted in His faithfulness. And thanked God for his goodness.

So far we have looked to the east and to the west and to the north. Now let's look to the sea. This might be surprising for those of you who grew up on islands and have boats, but for the ancient Israelites the sea was the last place they wanted to go. The sea was symbolic of the chaos before God created the land for us to live on. The sea's wind and waves can cause boats to overturn. And there are great ocean creatures that can swallow a man whole. No wonder that they were deathly afraid of the deep. Let's hear what the psalmist says about the sea.

Psalm 107:23-32 23 Others 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 drunken men; 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 men. 32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.

And so they turned to God in prayer. Trusted in His faithfulness. And thanked God for his goodness.

So what should we do if we find ourselves desperately in need? What should we do if we find ourselves chain to sin? What should we do if we find ourselves or loved one battling grave illnesses? What should we do if we find ourselves in danger? The psalmist says to turn to God is prayer, trust in his faithfulness, and thank God for his goodness.

These are the things that we do as we gather around this table today. We approach God in prayer. We trust in God's faithfulness through Jesus Christ. And we are filled with thanksgiving for what God has done for us.

Father in heaven, we pray to you this day for those who are in need. Give the people of this world their daily bread. Forgive their sin. Heal their diseases. And protect them from danger. We trust in your faithfulness because of your goodness. And we thank you for the blessings we have received through your son's name. Amen.

Sermon – Psalm 85 – Restore Us Again

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon – Psalm 85 – Restore Us Again

July 28, 2013

This month we have been looking at the Book of Psalms. Psalm 82 told us about the inalienable rights God has given to everyone which governments are instituted to ensure. These rights are that every person should have food to eat, clothes to keep them warm, and a place to sleep. Psalm 52 was a warning to the powerful that God wants them to care for the weak, and God wants the weak to know that He will care for them. Today we will ask the question: What happens to the nation that ignores these commands? And when this happens what should we do about it? We will get to all of this, 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)

The men's group on Friday mornings has been using the Book of Jeremiah for its devotionals. Jeremiah lived in the sixth century before Christ. He came with a warning to the nation. The nation under King Josiah was rich and powerful. The people believed that they had been blessed by God and that these blessing would continue forever. But Jeremiah warned them that if they continued to ignore God's commands God would remove his blessings. The poor and needy were not cared for. People worshiped other gods. And so God removed his blessings. The nation of Judah was conquered, and carried into exile in Babylon.

As we read Jeremiah each week we can't help but see that Jerusalem of the sixth century BC was very much like America today. The government is in debt, and cities are on the edge of bankruptcy. Our culture is normalizing what the Bible clearly calls sin. The powerful seek to increase their power at the expense of the week. We seem to be following our own gods. And this leads us to an important question. Do the warnings Jeremiah gave to Judah twenty-five hundred years goes apply to America today? I think the answer is yes. America is prosperous, richly blessed by God. But we could lose all of this if we don't begin doing what God wants.

The author of Psalm 85 was writing to a group of people who never thought that their nation would be defeated and they would be uprooted from their homes, farms and business, and taken into exile. But that is precisely what happened. We can't conceive of this happening to us, but it could. And it is likely if we continue to turn away from God. Speaking to the exiles the psalmist said this.

Psalm 85:1-3 ^NIV Psalm 85:1 For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. You showed favor to your land, O LORD; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. ² You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. Selah ³ You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger.

The psalmist reminded the people of a time, long ago, when God had forgiven his people. This helped them to remember that God is a forgiving God. God will not remain angry forever. If we confess our sins and change our ways God will restore us. God has done this in the past because we read about it in the Bible. And God will restore us as well because He is faithful.

Once the psalmist reminded his people of God's faithfulness he was able to lead them in prayer.

Psalm 85:4-7 ⁴ Restore us again, O God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us. ⁵ Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations? ⁶ Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? ⁷ Show us your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.

Prayer is what our nation needs right now more tha anything else. We need divine guidance to be able to care for the urban poor as cities go bankrupt. We need God's help in finding affordable ways of providing food, shelter and heath care in a era of government cutbacks. W need God to restore our economy so people can find work. And so we need to pray that God will restore our nation.

Of course we must also pray that our nation will become more obedient. Our leaders need to read, respect and follow God's word. Our leaders must worship and pray regularly. And they must acknowledge that their power and authority come from the creator God and Father of Jesus Christ. These thing we must pray for every day. Our prayers are the only hope our nation has.

After leading the exiled people in prayer the psalmist took a moment for personal reflection. Possibly this was at a time of silent prayer. Here is what he thought.

Psalm 85:8-9 ⁸ I will listen to what God the LORD will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints-- but let them not return to folly. ⁹ Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.

So while praying the psalmist has heard God's voice. God had promised that we will live in peace provided that we turn from the folly of ignoring him. If we give our full respect to God then he will be with us. We will be blessed. And our nation will be restored.

This is good news, but why would the people living in exile believe it? Wouldn't it be more likely that they would give up on the God of their ancestors and just worship the Babylonian gods? What is so special about the God of Israel anyway? Listen to what the psalmist has to say.

Psalm 85:10-13 ¹⁰ Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. ¹¹ Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. ¹² The LORD will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. ¹³ Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.

So the reason to turn back to God is because God is loving, faithful, righteous, and peaceful. His love and faithfulness can clearly be seen in the crops that grow in the ground each summer. God has provided the soil, the nutrients, the seed, the rain and the sunshine that is needed. And the result is a full harvest that feeds everyone. God righteousness and peace are revealed from heaven in God's word, the Bible, and through our prayers. God tells us that he wants us to ensure that everyone gets enough to each, and warm clothes, and a place to sleep. If we do these things God will continue to bless us with bounty.

So what are we to do today? Like the psalmist we are to remind people of God's faithfulness in our past. We are to pray and ask others to pray with us for our nation that it will be obedient to God in all aspects of our national life together. And we can assure others that if we are obedient by caring for the weakest in our society, God will continue to bless us with abundance.

But we must also be prepared for the day when our nation falls off the cliff because of continuing disobedience. And if this should happen we need to be ready to tell people how God was faithful in the past, lead them in prayer, and assure them that if they return to God will full obedience their prosperity will be restored again.

Thankfully the people of God followed the Psalmist. They prayed for restoration and became obedient. Jerusalem was restored and the temple rebuilt. From this we can be assured of God love and faithfulness.

Let us pray. Father in Heaven we remember your faithfulness to us and your blessings of love and peace. We pledge to follow you and do what you command us. We thank you for your continued blessing. This we pray in your son's glorious name. Amen.

Sermon – Psalm 52 – Warning to the Powerful

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon – Psalm 52 – Warning to the Powerful

July 21, 2013

Two weeks ago we talked about inalienable rights. These are rights given to us by God. We institute government to protect and preserve these rights. And so the powerful have a responsibility to listen to God and do what God wants. We saw that God desires that we care for the marginalized in our society, the poor, the needy, the widow, the orphan and the alien living in our land. But the powerful do not always listen to God's voice. There are numerous examples throughout scripture and in our own history of powerful people exploiting the poor for their own gain. And it is to these people that the psalmist today gives a warning. We will get to this warning to the powerful, 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)

There is an ancient story about the abuse of power which is recorded in the Book of First Samuel. Saul is the king, and David is his general. David has been so successful in his campaigns against the Philistines that his popularity among the people has soared. There is a popular song going around that says, 1 Samuel 18:7 "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands." As you might imagine Saul is very jealous of David. And this jealousy quickly turns to fear and then to hatred. Saul wants David dead.

So David flees and is in hiding. And he travels to Nob, to meet with the High Priest, Ahimelech. There are three things that David needs. First, he needs Ahimelech to inquire of God what David should do. Second, he needs food for his men. And third, he needs a weapon which the people will recognize as the weapon of a ruler. Ahimelech does these things for David. The High Priest enters into the presence of God and asks for instructions for David. He took the day-old bread that had been placed in front of the Ark of God and gave it to David for his men to eat. And he gave David the sword of Goliath, the Philistine giant David had killed with a slingshot. With the blessing of God, food to eat, and Goliath's sword, David was ready to take his rightful place as king.

But there was a problem. While David was visiting the priest, Ahimelech, there was another visitor there at the same time. It was Doeg, the king's top shepherd. Doeg told Saul what he had seen. And King Saul ordered Doeg to kill Ahimelech and all the priests of Nob, which he did. As the top shepherd of Israel, Doeg had the responsibility to care for the vulnerable. But he was more concerned with power, and used violence to get it. And so David wrote a warning to Doeg and all people of power.

Psalm 52 ^NIV Psalm 52:1 For the director of music. A maskil of David. When Doeg the Edomite had gone to Saul and told him: "David has gone to the house of Ahimelech." Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God? ² Your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, you who practice deceit. ³ You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth.

As we have seen in the Book of Psalms all power and authority on Earth comes from God with the expectation that this power and authority will be used for God's purposes. But sadly, we see that this power is often abused and God ignored. When this happens innocent people get hurt. The priest of Nob had done nothing wrong when they were murdered by Doeg at Saul's command. In his powerful position Doeg had the responsibility to care for the priests. He knew full well what God wanted done. But he wanted power and wealth and so carried out the king's shameful orders.

Usually people who ignore God's law try to hide their sin. But when the powerful go against God they boast about what they have done. They usually lie to make it sound better. When powerful people do something wrong they are ofter not bothered with any guilt. They say “the ends justify the means” and go on. And so they boast of their evil deeds, happy that their wretched plans have succeeded.

We have all heard stories of the powerful who prey on the weak. There is the home contractor who comes to your door offering to fix your roof ,who then disappears with a large down payment never to be seen again. And there is the financial adviser who gets members of the church to invest in his company and then skips town with the money. I've even heard of charities asking for contributions for worthy causes where no help is ever provided. Scams are rampant in and out of the church and those who run them have no shame and boast of what they have done. Let's return to the psalm.

⁴ You love every harmful word, O you deceitful tongue! ⁵ Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living.

How do we protect ourselves from the unscrupulous evil doers who would separate us from our money? We could put our hope in money trusting that if we have enough we can get through. But the more we money have the bigger the target we are. Money makes it more likely that we will be defrauded and lose it. The more money we have the greater the boasts of the powerful when they take it away from us. The psalmist, wisely, wants us not to trust in our own resources, but instead to put our trust in God. Only God can effectively deal with the evil of the powerful. And God will deal with them. What they have will certainly be taken away. There ill gotten gains will be lost. The psalmist puts it this way.

⁶ The righteous will see and fear; they will laugh at him, saying, ⁷ "Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!" ⁸ But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. ⁹ I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever. I will praise you in the presence of your saints.

The promise of scripture is that if we put our hope in God we will recognize the evil schemes when they are hatched against us. And we will learn to fear them, a fear that helps us to avoid them. Thus protected we laugh at the powerful when they try to harm us because we know that God is with us, and God's justice will prevail. Put you hope in God and receive the assurance that all will turn out alright.

For the powerful who harm the weak their gain is short lived. What they take will be taken from them. Doeg decided to follow Saul rather than God. And so when God made David king Doeg lost everything he thought he had won. The priests of Nob were avenged.

So if you are powerful remember that God wants you to care for the poor. If you exploit the poor for your own gain you are making God your opponent and you will lose everything. But if you follow God's wishes and care for the powerless you will be richly blessed by God.

If you are not powerful remember that God will take care of you. And if you are exploited, God will be on your side and his justice will prevail. You will praise God for his unfailing love. And you will boast about the power of your God.

Let us pray. Father in heaven we ask that you speak to the powerful of their obligation to the weak. Punish those who ignore your teachings and bless those who follow your word. We ask that you protect and bless the powerless in our world. We look forward to the day when your justice will prevail. This we pray in the name of your son who became weak and vulnerable on the cross to demonstrate your great strength. Amen.

Sermon – Psalm 82 – Inalienable Rights

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon – Psalm 82 – Inalienable Rights

July 7, 2013

On July 4, 1776 the Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, made a declaration of independence from the tyrannical government of King George III of England. King George had asserted that his right to rule was given to him by God. The men who met in Philadelphia that day disagreed. They believed that God grants right to individuals and that government is instituted to preserve, protect and defend these rights. Thomas Jefferson put it this way. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Years later a group of men gathered to write a constitution that would create a government that would guarantee these God given rights. They believed that God has given us the right to assemble and speak the truth. We have the right to worship as we chose. We have the right to the private use of our homes free from unwarranted government searches and seizures. And we have the right to defend ourselves and our families with our guns. The framers believed that all these rights came from God and they instituted a government to ensure them. Today we will look at some more inalienable, God given rights, 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)

Psalm 82:1 - 83:1 ^NIV Psalm 82:1 A psalm of Asaph. God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgment among the "gods": ² "How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Selah ³ Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. ⁴ Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. ⁵ "They know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. ⁶ "I said, 'You are "gods"; you are all sons of the Most High.' ⁷ But you will die like mere men; you will fall like every other ruler." ⁸ Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.

According to the psalmist, inalienable God given rights must be guaranteed to the weak, the orphan, the poor, the oppressed, and the needy. This is a list of those in society who cannot care for themselves. In ancient times the poor and the needy had the God given right to the gleanings in the field after the harvest. The people of God remembered living in poverty in Egypt when they were often hungry and had little to eat. They wanted to make sure that in Israel and Judah everyone would always have plenty to eat. So God told farmers not to harvest all the way to the edges of their fields, and if something fell off their wagons they should leave it on the ground. This way the poor and needy would find something to eat.

But sometimes the poor and needy were exploited for personal gain by evil men. Some people would lend the poor money at high interest rates that could never be paid back. Some people would not let the poor from foreign countries glean their fields. Some people would take a coat from a poor person as a pledge for a debt and not return it on a cold winter night. Some employers would not pay their poor workers their daily wage at the end of the day. The poor and needy are often filled with sorrows and troubles.

Who are the poor and needy today? How are they fed? How can they stay warm on cold nights? They are all around. You see them every day. There are people with mental illnesses who cannot hold onto a job. There are people trying to raise families while their spouses are in jail or run off. There are children with no parents, living in one foster home after another. Who cares for these who cannot help themselves.

For the most part we let government take care of the problem. And God certainly hold government responsible. The federal Department of Agriculture supplies bulk food to food banks and food stamps directly to the poor. The State of Maryland food banks delivers food to church and non profit organizations to supplement this. County government fund offices of social services to ensure that people get the services they need.

Psalm 82 was written in the context of the poor not getting enough to eat. Listen to the first three verses again. “God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgment among the "gods": ² "How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? ³ Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.” So God has come to hold people responsible for the poor not being fed.

The people being judged are called “gods” with a little “g”. Who are these gods? First of all we know that there is only one God, with a big “G:. This is the creator God we worship. But who are these lesser gods? Some argue that these are the lesser gods of the nations whom the kings of the world mistakenly worship. This is a possibility. Others have argued that the psalmist is referring to the kings themselves who mistakenly think that they are gods. This too makes sense. But there was a first century rabbi who had a very interesting interpretation of who these “gods” are. His name was Jesus, and gave his surprising interpretation in the context of an argument with some Pharisees. According to Jesus these “gods” in Psalm 82 refer to everyone who has received the word of God. So that means that we are the “gods”, little “g”. God has come to judge us because we are the ones God has given the responsibility to care for the poor and needy, the widow and orphan, and the alien in our land.

As we gather around this table today we believe that we are lifted up by the Holy Spirit into the presence of God. We stand before the throne of God awaiting his judgment. We will be judged by how well we have cared for the weak in our society. What will you say when God asks you to account for what you have done for the poor and needy?

Here in Pocomoke there are opportunities where you can give your time and money to help the poor. Samaritan Shelter provides rooms where people can stay temporarily while they are looking for work. They serve meals to the community and have a food pantry where people can get groceries to feed their families. Miracle Deliverance Temple has the Helping Hands Outreach Ministry on Market Street where they operate a food pantry several days a week. We can get involved with one of these. Or we can do something on our own. There is no reason why we couldn't cook a free lunch once a month and invite the poor and needy into our building for food and fellowship. There is no reason why we couldn't get food from the Maryland Food Bank and have our own emergency pantry.

This past week I met with Melissa Johanning who manages the relationships with nonprofits and churches for the Maryland Food Bank in Salisbury. They sell food at a nominal cost to cover their own expense and will deliver it to our door. All we would have to do is invite people to come and get it and keep track of who do.

So I challenge you to think about who the poor and needy are here in this community, and how does God want us to serve them? Today we are feasting at the table God has prepared for us. This would be a wonderful time to ask God what it is that he wants us to do. The need is great. The opportunities are numerous. And we have the responsibility.

The right to have enough food, and the right to have a warm place to sleep are inalienable, God given rights. We have been commissioned by God to preserve, protect and defend these rights. And God will judge us on what we do. Let us pray.

God in heaven, as we approach your throne today help us to see the weakest in community and place in our hearts a burden to care for them by satisfying their needs for food to eat and a warm place to sleep. Bless us with opportunities to serve the poor here Pocomoke though our efforts and our church. We pray this is the name of the one who brought good news to the poor, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Sermon – Psalm 77 – Turning to God

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon – Psalm 77 – Turning to God

June 30, 2013

For several weeks now we have been looking at the Book of Psalms. We have found that worship prepares us for the storms of life. It teaches us to pray to our creator God. Worship fills us with memories of that God which fills us with hope when we need it the most. But what happens when we face a crises and we have no memories of God, or the memories we do have our insufficient to give us the hope we need. Are we then without hope? Do we then fall into despair? I think not with a loving God. We will see how this works, 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)

Psalm 77 NIV For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.

1 I cried out to Go for help; I cried out to God to hear me. 2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands, and I would not be comforted. 3 I remembered you, God, and I groaned; I meditated, and my spirit grew faint. 4 You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak. 5 I thought about the former days, the years of long ago; 6a I remembered my songs in the night.

The psalmist is having a sleepless night. He is tossing and turning, and his troubles, whatever they are, are keeping him awake. So he started to pray, cry out to God in prayer. But this didn't work. He still couldn't get to sleep. He drew on his memories of God for comfort, and he began to sing the songs of God he had learned. But these memories and songs did not take away his pain. Sleep remained elusive.

Psalm 77:6b My heart meditated and my spirit asked: 7“Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? 8Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? 9 Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”

The psalmist is experiencing a crisis. God seems so far away that the psalmist fears he has gone for good. This is what happen to people who do not know God. When disaster strikes, and it always does, they have no God to turn to. They no memories to serve as a foundation of hope. All they are left with is themselves and their own experiences there is nothing beyond them.

I am concerned about many of the children growing up today. My generation went to church when we were growing up. But many young people today have never been to church and do not know what church is. They do not know God. They only know about themselves and the things they process. This is fine so long as they have the health and money they need. But if they lose their health or their money what do they have to fall back on? For many they fall back on their parents. But eventually their parents will not be able to care for them. And then they will be truly alone without parents, church or God. When sleepless nights come they will not turn to God in prayer, and they will not be filled with hope.

Christians are not immune from this. For many of us our memories of God and of worship will be so thin that they will be useless on those inevitable sleepless night. This is what the psalmist has experienced. He has called upon his memories of his creator God, but it hasn't work. And he expresses his fear in verse 10, which I will read from the Revised Standard Version, which I think has the best translation of this verse.

Psalm 77:10 RSV And I say, “It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”

The psalmist greatest fear is that God is no longer faithful. The God he remembered from worship and song is no longer there to save him. God can no longer be counted on. Maybe there is no

God. And so the psalmist tosses and turns throughout a sleepless night worrying about himself and his troubles convinced that God will not be there to help. What do you do at times like these when you even doubt that God exists? Where do you turn for help? What is your source of hope?

Psalm 77 NIV 11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. 12 I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” 13 Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? 14 You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. 15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

What they psalmist has done was to change his focus. In verses 1-9 he focused on himself. “I cried out”. “I sought”. “I stretched”. “I would not be comforted.” And as long as he thought about himself God seemed to be missing. But then he changed his focus. He began thinking not about himself, but about God. “You … perform miracles”. “You display your power”. “You redeemed your people”. The psalmist chose to stop thinking about himself and start thinking about God. So too with us. When we think that God is far away, or that God is missing, or that God has changed it is because our focus is on ourselves. We are thinking about our grief, our pain, our concerns. And if that is all that we think about then it is no wonder that God seems to be somewhere else. But we can choose to focus our attention, not on our own needs but on God. And if we do that our memories of God will return and we will be filled with hope.

Psalm 77 NIV 16 The waters saw you, God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed. 17 The clouds poured down water, the heavens resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth. 18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.

Notice how there is not a single “I” “me” or “my” in all of this. The psalmist has chosen to focus his attention only on God. This has relieved him from thinking only about himself. He is now thinking about God and all that God is doing.

Psalm 77 NIV 19 Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. 20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

So the transition is complete. The psalmist had only focused on himself. When he did this the only things he could see were his own problems. But he chose to think about God instead. And this freed him to remember all that God had done which filled him with hope. This is offered to us as well. Whenever we are overwhelmed by our own problems we can choose to just think about those problems and be filled with despair. Or we can choose to think about God and be filled with hope. The choice is ours.

My hope is that the people who do not know God will find him during those sleepless nights of despair. This is why it is so important for you to share your faith with others. If people don't come to church, you may be the only way they will know about God. So look for opportunities when you can share your faith with others. Start Bible studies in your homes and businesses. Give away Bibles to friends. Invite people you know to church. And enter into sacred conversations about God with people outside of the church. Your faith, your memories of a faithful God, your prayers will make all the difference when a person of no faith needs God. They will turn to the Bibles you gave them and remember the conversations they had with you. Then they will be able to turn their focus away from their troubles toward God. This is what we call conversion. It is the first step toward becoming a Christian. The non-Christians we know desperately need our help to find their creator God. Help them by sharing your faith and leading them to the only God who can save them, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Father in heaven, we ask that you help us to focus our attention on you rather than ourselves. Help us to share our faith with others so that they will find you when they need you. Make us instruments for bringing others to the saving faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.