Greetings – Thankful to be here
Our text this evening is Psalm 73:1-16
Illustration:
Proverbs from Fourth Graders
A 4th grade teacher collected well-known proverbs. She gave each child in the class the first half of the proverb, and asked them to come up with the rest. Here is what they came up with:
Better to be safe than …… to be punched a 5th grader
Strike while the ………bug is close.
It’s always darkest before ………daylight savings time
Never underestimate the power of ………termites.
You can lead a horse to water ………but how?
Don’t bite the hand that ………looks dirty.
No news is………… impossible.
A miss is as good as ………….a Mr.
You can’t teach an old dog new………math.
If you lie down with dogs……… you will stink in the morning.
The pen is mightier than ………the pigs
An idle mind is …………the best way to relax.
Where there is smoke………there’s pollution.
Happy is the bride who ………gets all the presents.
A penny saved is ………not much.
Two is company, three’s…………The Musketeers.
None are so blind as …………Helen Keller.
Children should be seen and not …………spanked or grounded.
If at first you don’t succeed ………….get new batteries.
You get out of something what you…see pictured on the box.
When the blind lead the blind………get out of the way.
Laugh and the whole world laughs with you; cry and …you have to blow your nose.
The fourth graders finished the second half of the Proverb with their own words based on the experience and education they had…and some of their answers were not bad. Well……I guess their efforts are proof we can all learn more…and tonight we look into the Old Testament to do so…
Introduction
The Bible indicates to us why studying the Old Testament is beneficial. Romans 15:4 says, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Our text in Psalm 73 this evening helps us evaluate the writer’s state of mind. Perhaps God’s word from the Old Testament speaks to us this evening, and meets us where we are.
Scripture - Psalm 73:1-16 (Read)
1Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong. [a]
5 They are free from the burdens common to man;
they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
they clothe themselves with violence.
7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity [b] ;
the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice;
in their arrogance they threaten oppression.
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them
and drink up waters in abundance. [c]
11 They say, "How can God know?
Does the Most High have knowledge?"
12 This is what the wicked are like—
always carefree, they increase in wealth.
13 Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure;
in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.
14 All day long I have been plagued;
I have been punished every morning.
15 If I had said, "I will speak thus,"
I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand all this,
it was oppressive to me
It seems the Psalm writer is disillusioned, frustrated, angry and depressed.
Some may say the Bible is an old archaic relic that is not relevant to us today. I submit to you this evening it is very relevant.
I can attest I have felt very much like the Psalm writer in my life time…Perhaps we all can…
Psalm 73:1-16 can be an indicator of Shaken Faith or Sure Faith
Point I - How is my faith today? (Shaken Faith or Sure Faith)
The popular comedian Jeff Foxworthy talks about a test to see if you "Might be a RednecK"
Perhaps we can take our own test, of a more serious nature...
Test:
If you feel God is only good to the pure in heart…
You may have developed a ‘Shaken Faith”
If you judge others as arrogant, and envy you their prosperity…
You may have developed a ‘Shaken Faith”
If you look at non-believers with distain, and assume they have no struggles or burdens, and they are always healthy and strong…
You may have developed a ‘Shaken Faith”
If you see your neighbors or as prideful and callous…
You may have developed a ‘Shaken Faith”
If you view fellow believers as falling short…
You may have developed a ‘Shaken Faith”
If you are critical of others questioning God…
You may have developed a ‘Shaken Faith”
If you feel you have kept a pure heart at all times and have been continuously innocent…
You may have developed a ‘Shaken Faith”
If you feel you are constantly plagued and punished in life…
You may have developed a ‘Shaken Faith”
If you are depressed about God blessing those who are non-deserving……while He has left you in dire straits after you have worked so hard to live for Him…
You may have developed a ‘Shaken Faith”
Do you see the pattern here?
The focus of others tends to be judgmental and negative.
While the focus on self is ……"I am deserving because of such hard work for the Lord"…"Also I notice others are being unfairly blessed more than me"…"And all I can do is be depressed and angry with God"
How dare He be good to the undeserving …and not good to me!
That’s the test.
Do I have a Shaken Faith?
Do I fit into some of the catagories of this evening’s text?
I believe we all have at one time or another…
If we feel God is only good to the pure in heart…Perhaps we should read...
Matthew 9:11-13
11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ’sinners’?" 12On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: ’I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
If we judge others as arrogant, and envy their prosperity…
If we look at non-believers with distain….
If we see our neighbors or as prideful and callous…
If see others Falling short or Questioning God….
Perhaps we should read...
Luke 6:37
37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
If we feel we have kept a pure heart at all times…
Perhaps we should read...
Proverbs 20:9
9 Who can say, "I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin"?
How is my faith today?
Is my faith a Shaken Faith or a Sure Faith?
It’s a question only we can answer for ourselves. Using this evening’s text as an indicator.
If the answer is a “Shaken Faith”, that may lead us to ask the question in our second point this evening
Point II - How did I get here?
Illustration
Max Lucado, in his book In the Eye of the Storm, tells the story of Chippie the Parakeet. He writes:
Chippie the Parakeet never saw it coming. One second he was peacefully perched in his cage. The next he was sucked in, washed up, blown over.
The problems began when Chippie’s owner decided to clean Chippie’s cage with a vacuum cleaner. She removed the attachment from the end of the hose and stuck it in the cage. The phone rang, and she turned to pick it up. She’d barely said ‘hello’ when ‘sssopp!’ Chippie got sucked in.
The bird owner gasped, put down the phone, turned off the vacuum, and opened the bag. There was Chippie—still alive, but stunned.
Since the bird was covered with dust and soot, she grabbed him and raced to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and held Chippie under the running water. Then, realizing that Chippie was soaked and shivering, she did what any compassionate bird owner would do . . . she reached for the hair dryer and blasted the pet with hot air.
Poor Chippie never knew what hit him.
A few days after the trauma, the reporter who’d initially written about the event contacted Chippie’s owner to see how the bird was recovering. “Well,” she replied, “Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore—he just sits and stares.”
It’s hard not to see why. Sucked in, washed up, and blown over . . . that’s enough to steal the song from the stoutest heart.
I suspect that all of us here this evening have felt like Chippie at one time or another. Our dreams have been dashed, our spirits have been shattered, and our world has been turned upside down. And just like Chippie, we never saw it coming. One minute we were just singing away, and the next we had been blown over by one of life’s many storms. In spite of all our pious platitudes, the plain truth is this: life can be very, very difficult at times. And sometimes it can be more than we can bear alone.
The Illustration in Max Lucado’s book can be all too true for us…
Perhaps the job promotion went to someone else…
Maybe the job was eliminated altogether…Out of work
Perhaps injury or sickness impacted us…with devastating news about our loved one…
Maybe we had no warning…a suddenly lost a friend or loved one
Perhaps the child that used to love to be with the family is now a teen who says “I hate you and I hate being here!…
Maybe one of our parents chose a terrible decision…and virtually tore the family apart…
Perhaps we no longer feel on fire for the Lord…
Understandably…We have all been in a place when our faith was shaken.
And we ask ourselves…What’s the use, why even try?
We may even find it hard to look at scripture…Like
James 1:12
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
Or
Philippians 4:13
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Or
I Peter 5:6-7
6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Or
Romans 5:3-5
3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
4perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
We may not be able to clearly give a detailed road map of how we arrived to a “Shaken Faith” – But we can surely recall events…
However, God seems to always provide strength, especially in a strong church family, even in the worst of times. And with His strength we may realize we don’t like having a “Shaken Faith” and we may eventually ask ourselves:
Point III - How do I avoid getting here again?
Ephesians 6:12-18 says:
12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
You see…even though it can serious events that can Shake our Faith…
many times it is minor events or repeated negative messages that side track us…and we subconsciously begin to doubt…
And before trouble came…
we already had a shaken faith…
And honestly avoiding a “Shaken Faith” can be a struggle…
Don’t get me wrong…
there are times when having a sure faith is the easiest thing to do in this world…
and we have mountain top experiences…
But there are other times it is a real struggle…
Regular worship…
Bible Study…
Hearing God’s word…
These would be the obvious good suggestions to avoid a "Shaken Faith"
However, I would like to offer a suggestion using this scripture passage as a tool…
from a popular minister who challenged his congregates to mentally put on the Armor of God everyday for a minumum of seven days.
This is a prayer derived form his suggestion that I personalized for myself...
Almighty God I put on my Belt of Truth………………………………
and I pray I would seek the truth, hear the truth, recognize the truth and speak the truth. I know your word tells me the truth will set me free! And as your word says in Psalm 119:11 - I want to hide your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
I put on my Breastplate of Righteousness…………
and I pray I would think about what is right, seek what is right and do what is right. I know if I am doing so, that I will not be worried about something that has the potential to hurt me. Some action or comment could cut me to the heart, but if I am within your will, doing what is right, my over-sensitive heart and emotions will be protected. And as you word says in Hebrews 10:35 I will not throw away my confidence because it will be richly rewarded!
I put on my symbolic Sandals of the Gospel……
And I pray for the opportunity to pray with someone in need or share the Gospel. Please speak through me with the Holy Spirit at the appointed time. As your work says in Isaiah 6:8...Here am I Lord, Send Me
I put on my Shield of Faith…………………………
Becuase I know flaming arrows of negative comments will come my way today. Both spiritully and literally. I pray for your strength to hold up this sheild of faith! I know your word says in Hebrews 11:1 that Faith is being sure of what I hope for, and certain of what I do not see.
I put on my Helmet of Salvation………
And I remember that no matter what happens this day I am saved! I know that even if physical death came to me this day, I have eternal life through Jesus Christ! I know your word says in John 3:16 that you gave your only Son, and if I believe in Him and accept Him, I will not perish.
I pick up my Sword of the Spirit……………………
And I pray I understand what I read in your word this day. I know your word says in Isaiah 40:31 that if I hope in you that I will soar on wings like eagles, I will run and not grow weary, and I will walk and not be faint!
I thank you Almighty God for this Armor to face this day!
This prayer can be a personal one for you to add your own words and favorite scripture passages. And perhaps be used as tool to avoid a Shaken Faith before the storms come…
Because as followers of Christ we know we are forgiven sinners…
And if we choose to follow Him, God can use our lives for good while we are still here on this earth…
And if we accept him as Lord and Savior we have eternal life…
And if we tell others abut Him…They can have eternal life as well…
Conclusion
As always, scripture meets us where we are. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” If we find ourselves with a ”Shaken Faith” perhaps we should ask one more question that we did not address this evening:
How do I get back to a sure faith?
Test (Sure Faith)
If you prayed with others during their difficult times
You have developed a sure faith…
If you were a victim of a hateful attack…and you responded with the love of Christ…
You have developed a sure faith…
If you attended worship and comforted others…the day after you buried your family member…
You have developed a sure faith…
How do I get back to a sure faith?
The answer is also in scripture, which we will study next week.
