Call On God

CALL ON GOD

Text: Psalm 55:16

Who brought their cell phone tonight? Americans love their cell phones. Remember when phones were just for calling people? Now you can take pictures and movies with your cell phone, you can play games on your cell phone, or even use it to surf the net.

For young people, cell phones are a lifeline to their friends. In school, we have to make rules about cell phone usage because if we don’t the students won’t pay attention to the teacher and will spend all their time in class texting one another!

Cell phones can be a distraction too. How many of us have ever been in the middle of an important conversation with someone only to be interrupted by a cell phone? It is common courtesy to turn off your cell phone during doctor’s appointments, meetings at work, or at church.

Tonight I have asked you to bring your cell phone because I want this sermon to be memorable. Our text tonight is Psalm 55:16. I will refer to the text several times throughout the message, and every time I do I would like for you to hold your cell phone to your ear and read that verse with me. I know…some of you are thinking, “Yeah, Shawn has lost all his marbles now!” If nothing else, just humor me for a few minutes, and I promise that you will never forget what happens here tonight. Deal? Let’s practice. The text tonight is Psalm 55:16, “But I will call on God, and the Lord will rescue me.” Good job! So let’s begin the sermon!

We all have cell phones at our house, but just a few years ago we debated about whether or not to get one for Heather and Holli. We finally decided to get one for emergency reasons. Heather was driving and you never know when you are going to have a flat or when the car won’t start. Cell phones are great when you need to call for help.

I want to tell you about several people in the Bible that needed to call for help. The first one is a young man by the name of David. The Bible calls David a man after God’s own heart, but he was certainly no stranger to trouble. He had lots of it! On one occasion there was a group of wicked men chasing David in an attempt to kill him. After running through thick forests and hiding in dark caves, David decides to pull out his cell phone and call for help. He dials Psalm 55:16, “But I will call on God, and the Lord will rescue me.” Listen to his conversation, recorded in Psalm 86:

“Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help. Protect me, for I am devoted to you. Save me, for I serve you and trust you. You are my God. Be merciful, O Lord, for I am calling on you constantly. Give me happiness, O Lord, for my life depends on you. O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask your aid. Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord; hear my urgent cry. I will call to you whenever trouble strikes, and you will answer me.” (Psalm 86:1-7)

David knew that when he was in trouble, the best person to call for help was the Lord. God took David’s call and sent the help that he needed. David wrote, “With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever, for your love for me is very great. You have rescued me from the depths of death!” (Psalm 86:12, 13)

The good news is that you’re in trouble you can call God too. As a matter of fact, God wants you to call Him! Listen to what God says in Psalm 50:15: “Trust me in your times of trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory."

David isn’t the only person that ever ran into trouble. In the book of Daniel we read about three boys named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These boys were in a strange land, far away from home. The king decided to set up a large statue downtown in the park, and hired a band to stay by it and play every now and then. He passed a law that whenever the band played everyone there had to kneel down and worship the statue. Well, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego decided that they were gonna do their own thing and not bow down to worship this statue. After all, they served the living God of Israel, and He was the object of their worship. So one day, the boys are walking downtown, and the band starts jamming. The crowd falls to their knees and, before you know it, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are the only ones left standing. The Babylon Police Department show up and arrest the boys and take them to see the king.