The Lord Commands the Blessing
Sunday Sermon / February 11th 2007
Call forward everyone under the age of 34 – take a good look at every one of these beautiful children of God.
How many of you long to receive the Blessing of God over your life?
How doest that happen? Do we just name it and claim it? Or is there more to it than that?
There are three times in Scripture that God says he will command his blessing on the people.
We are going to look at those passages and consider
Text: Psalm 133:1-3 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity! 2It is like the precious oil upon the head, Coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron’s beard, Coming down upon the edge of his robes. 3It is like the dew of Hermon Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing--life forever.
I. Solidarity
sol•i•dar•i•ty union or fellowship arising from common responsibilities and interests, as between members of a group or between classes, peoples, etc
a. Unity
i. Annointing for ministry / With power!
Psalm 133 tells us that whenever the children of God stand as the Family of God and dwell together in unity it is like the anointing of Aaron as High Priest.
Scripture teaches us elsewhere that Jesus is our ultimate High Priest. Can you imagine the scene of this powerful anointing? The pouring out of the oil (representing the anointing of the Holy Spirit by which comes healing, deliverance and life) the fragrance of the spices mixed with the oil fill the whole room.
What an awesome picture. God says that when we stand united under Him it as though Christ where standing in the Holy Spirit is being poured out over Him.
ii. Refreshing for growth
It also tells us that when the children of God stand as the Family of God and dwell together in unity it is like the dew coming down upon the mountains of Zion. There is no rain, no moisture other than the dew that falls. The Dew alone waters the vegetation and brings growth, life and refreshing
• I want to take my time today to call this church to unity; to the same side. To see any and all differences as adding to our strength.
• We all have role to play, a gift to give.
I am convinced that we all have been given strength and fight. But when we lose sight of the ministry God has set before us and the Battle for His Kingdom, we easily turn on one another.
Text: Deuteronomy 28:1-8 "(Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the LORD your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2"All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the LORD your God: 3"Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. 4"Blessed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock. 5"Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. 6"Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. 7"The LORD shall cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way and will flee before you seven ways. 8"The LORD will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you.
b. Common responsibilities and interests.
i. Our common interest must be to hear the voice of the God
ii. Our common responsibility must be to diligently do the work of God
Although there are many causes in need of Christian attention and diligence one stands out among the most important: The issue of Abortion
Life Support Clip
Abortion always results in the death of an innocent baby
• There can be no mistaking those videos from the womb as anything else but real human beings.
• All of those beautiful people standing up here a moments ago where considered optional
• There are 100 abortions per/day in the State of Pennsylvania
Hosea 4:1-3a Hear the word of the LORD, You children of Israel, For the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: “There is no truth or mercy Or knowledge of God in the land. 2By swearing and lying, Killing and stealing and committing adultery, They break all restraint, With bloodshed upon bloodshed.3 Therefore the land will mourn; And everyone who dwells there will waste away
Abortion Damages Women
“This isn’t just about saving babies.
It’s about helping hurting woman and preventing further damage done to woman.”
Problems with future pregnancies
1. Ectopic (tubal) pregnancy
50% higher risk after 1 abortion
90% higher risk after 2 abortions
2. Pre-term delivery and Low birth weight
3. Birth defects
–Anencephaly - condition when baby is born without most of brain and spinal cord.
–Study: 2.5 times higher risk of anencephaly after abortion.
4. Miscarriage
40% higher risk after 1 abortion
340% increased risk after 2 abortions.
Woman’s future health
5. Breast Cancer
National Cancer Institute: 50% higher risk of breast cancer after abortion
British study: 170% higher risk among women who had their abortion before their first childbirth.
6. Psychological Effects of Abortion
Study: 50-60% of women experience some amount of emotional distress, classified as severe in 30% of the cases.
Finnish study: 3 times higher incidence of suicide after abortion
7. Post-Abortion Symptoms
a. Guilt
b. Anxiety
c. Avoidance behavior (of anything to remind the mother of pregnancy & children)
d. Psychological “numbing”
e. Depression
f. Re-experiencing events related to the abortion
g. Withdrawal
h. Anger
i. Preoccupation with becoming pregnant again
j. Anxiety over fertility & childbearing issues
k. Interruption or disruption of the bonding with the present and/or future children
l. Self-abuse/self-destructive behaviors
m. Anniversary reactions
n. Brief psychotic disorder
o. Fear of failure
p. Despair
Complications resulting from an Abortion
8. Varity of possible complication including Toxic Shock
9. Even Death
William Wilberforce Clip: Movie coming out in just a few weeks.
William Wilberforce story: The Amazing Grace author John Newton was in influencial man in the life of Wilberforce.
Text: Leviticus 25:17-21 ’So you shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the LORD your God. 18’You shall thus observe My statutes and keep My judgments, so as to carry them out, that you may live securely on the land. 19’Then the land will yield its produce, so that you can eat your fill and live securely on it. 20’But if you say, "What are we going to eat on the seventh year if we do not sow or gather in our crops?" 21then I will so order My blessing for you in the sixth year that it will bring forth the crop for three years.
II. Sacrifice
sac•ri•fice the surrender of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim.
This Leviticus passage speaks to the need to everyone with dignity and respect.
a. To obey
b. To have faith
i. What can we expect from God?
ii. What does God expect from Us.
c. To give blood, sweat and tears
Caesar Rodney’s Story – Delaware Quarter
Was a soldier / Judge / Speaker of Delaware’s Assembly / In fact he held more offices than any other Delaware Citizen. But the reason Rodney is on the Quarter is for his role as a delegate to the Continental Congress.
In early July of 1776 he was in Kent County mustering troops when he learned of the dispute between the other two delegates from Delaware on the vote for independence. George Read was against the declaration, however Thomas McKean was for the split with England and sent Rodney the note that led to his famous ride. Upon receiving McKean’s message Rodney immediately headed for Philadelphia an 80-mile journey to Philadelphia withstanding thundershowers and a severe summer heat wave. The next day, he arrived at Independence Hall exhausted and covered in mud to cast the deciding vote in favor of our nation’s independence.
But that isn’t the whole story: Caesar Rodney was also dieing from cancer. Cancer had eaten away half his face. He wore a scarf to cover the sight. The ride had nearly killed him. After casting his vote he collapsed.
Two other interesting points about Rodney, he was bachelor and remained so until his death. Meaning he had no wife for which to fight and he had no children for which to pass on the Freedom. He did it for the sake of justice and freedom. Second, Rodney’s only hope of treatment for his cancer was to return to England. His vote for Independence and Signature on the Declaration of Independence was equivalent to signing his own death certificate.
Theodore Roosevelt, “You are not going to overcome evil by one spasm of virtue.”
That was the first speech I gave on the trade in the House, it was in May, 1789. Actually, I spoke for three and a half hours…
My friends thought I would be barbecued by the African merchants and eaten by the ship captains. Probably naively, I thought we would prevail in my enterprise fairly quickly. I had the support of my good friend Prime Minister Pitt, of Edmund Burke and George Fox. The case itself was undeniable. But who was I to know that this campaign would encompass the rest of my life?
We can come against this from many sides. Think of it as supply and demand.
• Stop the providers
• Reach the woman
Who here could be a Newton? A person finding amazing Grace?
Who here could be a Wilberforce? A person fighting for Life?
I think we all have at least some of each of these great men in us. It’s incorporated into the Salvation of every person.
• A sinner in need of Grace
• A New Creation becoming an instrument in God’s Hand!
• What can you do?
Conclusion:
Closing Congregational Prayer / Benevolence offering
