Sermon for 10/7/2007
Mown Grass
Psalm 72:6
Introduction:
Mike Miller- My son and I love to do things together. While he was home from college this summer, we had loads of fun teaming up to work on various projects around the house. For example, we would mow the grass together. This activity consisted of my son riding around the yard on our lawn tractor in the blazing sun, while I sat under an umbrella pointing out the spots that he missed as I sipped ice-cold Mountain Dew. After the mowing was finished, we would do the trimming. I found this took more skill than mowing because it was surprisingly hard to point out the spots that he missed with the weed-whacker while I was licking Fudgesicle drippings off the front of my shirt. Yes, it was quite a fun summer that I shared with my son, right up until the day he moved out.
WBTU:
A. Today is World Communion Sunday. This observance encourages all churches to partake of communion on this day.
B. In Psalm 72 we see a description of the King of the people of Israel. Now this is attributed to Solomon. One scholar of the Bible said that David may have given this as his dying prayer and his son Solomon was there and recorded this prayer for generations to come. We don’t know. What we do know is that this description of the King of Israel goes far beyond anything that Solomon or any of the other Kings of Israel or Judah ever did. We must attribute this Psalm to the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Read Psalm 72:5-8.
C. Just think that on this day from sea to sea and to the ends of the earth people are remembering Jesus Christ’s death through the bread and the juice. Jesus Christ’s kingdom extends from sea to sea and to the end of the land, over the whole globe.
D. Now in the midst of these descriptions of the Messiah Jesus Christ, is this interesting vs. 6. This is particularly telling considering the condition of the ground now. Above normal temperatures and below normal rainfall. 13 inches below normal rain fall this year. Went by Lake Norman, many docks are not useable. Extreme drought conditions here in Southeast!
E. We want the rain to come down.
F. He shall come down- KJV. How far he came down! Came from divine glory to earth and lived as a man and then died on a cross.
Thesis: Let’s talk about Jesus Christ and rain falling on mown grass
For instances:
I. Rain is a free gift of God.
A. (Mat 5:45 NIV) that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
B. It is free and cheap. (1 Pet 1:18 NIV) For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,(1 Pet 1:19 NIV) but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
C. Christ with his blessings is God’s free gift to a dry and perishing world. (Psa 63:1 NIV) O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
D. We be thankful. (2 Cor 9:15 NIV) Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
II. Nothing can stop the falling of the rain.
A. Nothing can stop the rain of the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ! (John 1:16 NIV) From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.
B. When Jesus Christ convicts, nothing can stop this. One can respond in a negative fashion but nothing can stop conviction. (John 16:8 NIV) When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:
C. May this rain fall upon more sinners. (Rom 5:8 NIV) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
D. Tony Campolo recalls a deeply moving incident that happened in a Christian junior high camp where he served. One of the campers, a boy with spastic paralysis, was the object of heartless ridicule. When he would ask a question, the boys would deliberately answer in a halting, mimicking way. One night his cabin group chose him to lead the devotions before the entire camp. It was one more effort to have some "fun" at his expense. Unashamedly the spastic boy stood up, and in his strained, slurred manner -- each word coming with enormous effort -- he said simple, "Jesus loves me -- and I love Jesus!" That was all. Conviction fell upon those junior-highers. Many began to cry. Revival gripped the camp. Years afterward, Campolo still meets men in the ministry who came to Christ because of that testimony.
III. Rain comes peacefully or fearfully
A. Light and calm
1. (1 Ki 19:12 NIV) After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
2. (2 Cor 1:20 NIV) For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.
3. (Rev 19:9 NIV) ’Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’"
4. Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling!
B. Fearfully, strong winds, thunder, lightening, hail, tornadoes
1. (Job 30:15 NIV) Terrors overwhelm me; my dignity is driven away as by the wind, my safety vanishes like a cloud.
2. (2 Cor 7:5 NIV) For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn--conflicts on the outside, fears within.
3. God can use many things to wake us up. Take away earthly joys. Out of my shameful failure and loss, Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come. Into the glorious gain of Thy cross, Jesus I come to Thee. Out of earth’s sorrows into Thy balm, Out of life’s storms and into Thy calm, Out of distress to jubilant psalm, Jesus, I come to Thee!
4. Hell (Mark 9:48 ) where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. Out of the fear and dread of the tomb, Jesus, I Come, Jesus, I Come. Into the joy and light of Thy home, Jesus I come to Thee. Out of the depths of ruin untold, into the peace of thy sheltering fold, Ever Thy glorious face to behold, Jesus, I Come to Thee.
IV. Rain makes grass green and beautiful
A. Think about the fragrance of a fresh fallen rain! (2 Cor 2:14 NIV) But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.(2 Cor 2:15 NIV) For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.(2 Cor 2:16 NIV) To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.
B. The effect of Jesus Christ upon depressed, drooping souls!
1. He will strengthen us. (Isa 41:10 NIV) So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
2. He will comfort us. (2 Cor 1:3 NIV) Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,(2 Cor 1:4 NIV) who comforts us in all our troubles.
3. He will satisfy us. (Psa 63:5 NIV) My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
4. He will make us lively and lush. (John 10:10 NIV) I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
5. He will make us beautiful. (Eph 5:26 NIV) to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,(Eph 5:27 NIV) and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
V. Rain causes things to grow!
A. The purpose of mowing grass is to keep yards from growing back into forests.
B. The rain from Jesus Christ causes people to grow!
C. Grow in:
1. Knowledge- (2 Pet 3:18 NIV) But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
2. Our salvation- (1 Pet 2:2 NIV) Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
3. Grace- 2 Peter 3:18
4. Faith- (2 Cor 10:15 NIV) Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand,
5. Jesus Christ- (Eph 4:15 NIV) Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
D. A party of tourists, looking up to the summit of an impressive mountain, thought that by climbing one of the less hills they would improve their view. On the way they passed a party coming down, and they asked, "Is it worthwhile?" The reply came back, "Anything above the ordinary level is always worthwhile."
E. I don’t want to be a casual Christian, don’t want to be on the ordinary level. Jesus Christ wants us to grow and he provides rain so that we can grow. Our yards grow after a rain and we must go out and mow. Now, the Lord does prune from time to time but he wants us to grow and not just sit on the ground.
F. I don’t want to be a casual Christian
I don’t want to live a lukewarm life.
But I want to light up the night
With an everlasting light.
I don’t want to live a casual Christian life.
