Sample Sermon from the book, "Is God Alive in Your Heart?" by Pastor Ock Soo Park of the Good News Mission.
David was a shepherd. Leading his father's flock of sheep to the pastures or waters, he would play a music with his harp, thanking the Lord. While praising the Lord with a harp under the tree and watching over the flock, he was summoned by Saul. Saul had been so afflicted by the distressing spirit from God that he asked David a music for him. As David played a music with his harp, the distressing spirit departed and Saul became refreshed and peaceful.
One day, he went to the war and fought with Goliath. By defeating Goliath, he became the commander of the army. After that, he still played the music with a harp for Saul whenever he was caught up with the distressing spirit.
"And it came to pass on the morrow, that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in saul's hand. And Saul cast the javelin: for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice." (1 Samuel 18:10, 11) King Saul and David the commander dwelt together in the palace. That day, as the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, and he was afflicted, David began to play a harp for him. David had a harp in his hand, while, Saul had a spear. He cast the spear twice to kill David, but David managed to avoid it through the grace of God.
Reading the story, I thought it over. Why should Saul have a spear in his hand? He was not in the battlefield, but in the palace with the guards. Although he was surrounded by many people who were protecting him, he had to catch a spear in his hand. The reason why he always kept a spear in his hand, whatever he did, was because he feared that someone would harm or kill him. He had prepared for the war, assembling the brave at every opportunity practicing how to use the spears, but eventually he and his sons were destroyed by the sword.
David, however, had a harp in his hand, while he was a shepherd, remained before Saul, and was a commander of the army. He wrote many psalms which were praising God. Whatever things he confronted, he sang a song, playing the harp.In Psalms, the titles named 'To the Chief Musician, A Psalm of David' or 'To the Chief Musician, With Stringed Instruments, A Contemplation of David' are often seen. David wrote many psalms all through his life in his bitter days or joyful days, praising and glorifying the Lord. They are so touching.
Two men remained in the palace. And one had a spear in his hand, but the other, a harp. Nobody tried to kill Saul, but he was always nervous with the fearful thought that somebody would harm him. Because he thought his son had made a covenant with David to kill him, he sought to destroy David. In the course of seeking David, he slaughtered 80 priests of God. So, when he was under the urgent circumstance, he could not go to the priests to inquire of the Lord. Instead, he asked a medium.
DAVID HAD MANY ENEMIES
It was not because David had no enemy that he had a harp in his hand. When Saul cast the spear twice, he should have thrown away his harp and protected himself with a spear. He did not do so, however. Besides Saul, there arose many enemies against David."Lord, how are they increased that trouble me? Many are they that rise up against me." (Psalms 3:1)
But he still had a harp with which he praised God. It was not because he was brave or wise. As he trusted himself to the Almighty God, instead of protecting himself by his own way, he could play a harp in his bitter days. He confessed, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;" (Psalms 23:4) Walking through the valley of the shadow of death, he said to Jonathan his friend, "There is but a step between me and death" (1 Samuel 20:3) Because of the faith that God kept him, David did not try to protect himself not fear any harm. Like his psalms, he experienced the danger of death many times and had many enemies who were killing him. But he could play a harp instead of bearing a shield and a sword, for he had the faith that God would keep him safe. Even though nobody would kill Saul, he had to protect himself, because he had no faith that God keeps him. Walking in the palace, he could not let go the spear.
After I was saved, I was still busy with my life for a while, for I did not trust all my problems to the Lord. To protect myself, I studied hard and earned money. I lived as the servant of money, because of the fear to meet the difficulties. I was sure of my forgiveness, but I had no faith that God kept my life. So, I was busy protecting myself. The best way to keep myself safe was through money, I believed, and I was fascinated by it. But, as the years went by, after being saved, I could experience that Jesus helped me. When I was in difficulties, seeing that the Lord protected me, I could trust all my problems to Him, giving up keeping myself. During the last 30 years after being born again, I have confronted many difficulties. Whenever I preached the gospel, there arose people against me. Sometimes I fell into such difficult circumstances that I even thought, 'Now, my life as an evangelist is ending.' Even when I often met such crises, I saw that God solved them. At first, I thought it happened by chance. However, experiencing God helped me whenever I confronted difficulties, I learned I could trust myself to the Lord and take a rest. Now, I found that I was so transformed as to expect how God would change my adversities instead of struggling with them.
TRUSTING IS FAITH
Attending the church zealously is not the proof of faith. Reading the Bible, or praying, or giving an offering, or preaching the gospel are not faith. Today, many people, who do not know exactly what faith is, misunderstand that attending the church or preaching the gospel, giving an offering, praying or reading the Bible, or doing good acts are faith. True faith is trusting all our pains and dangers to the faithful Lord. When we have faith, we can move all our impatience and cares caused by many difficulties into the hand of God. If faith comes upon one's heart, he does not any longer bear his problems. So, he can rest. Bearing hardships, or adversities, or persecutions, or diseases, or sins, or any other problems by one's self is not true faith, even when one says, "I trust the Lord." Regardless of confessing, "I trust the Lord." with his lips, trusting one's problems to the Lord, and being released from them, is genuine faith. It's same with being saved by trusting in Jesus Christ. If we are saved by attending the church, preaching the gospel, and giving an offer, it's not by faith.
Being saved by faith is being forgiven of his sins, because he believes that Jesus took already his sins away. Therefore sin can not remain in the heart of those saved by faith. Because he trusted the fears of sin, the cares and the horrors to the Lord, the peace from Him only remains in him. There were many enemies against David, but the faith that the Lord was with him and His rod and His staff comforted him. It drove out the fear of death from David and made him rest. Meanwhile, Saul led the miserable and fearful life through which he had to protect himself with his spear, because he had no faith that God kept him. Trusting all our problems to the Lord is faith. The faith of the sick is trusting that the Lord will heal his disease. Because his disease was moved to the Lord, he is recovered. Although he has still sickness in his body, his heart is released from it.
There was a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years. One day, the faith that she could be cured just by touching the garment of Jesus came into her heart. She drew near to Jesus to touch His garment. On that moment, she was no longer the sick in her heart, even though her body was still sick. Her painful disease was already moved to Jesus and she could come to Jesus joyfully. The faith toward God is necessary not only for the disease, but also for the money. If we are still worrying after praying to God, it is not faith. If we prayed to God by faith, we should be free from our problems. Jesus said, "What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them."(Mark 11:24)
THE FAITH WHICH MAKES US SAVED
The faith which makes us saved is like that. Our efforts not to sin, or reading the Bible, or praying to God, or doing good is not faith. All our sins are moved to Jesus by trusting that Jesus our Lord took away all our sins on the cross. That is faith. There are some kinds of faith. When we are sure that the Lord will solve our need for money, we are already answered, as He said that it would be done according to our faith. Men of faith no longer worry, even before his need for money is solved, because he was already answered in his heart. Men of faith trust the Lord and take a rest whatever diseases or adversities they confront. The faith for salvation is most important. It is trusting that the blood of Jesus Christ washed all our sins. By trusting that all our sins were moved to Jesus, no sin and fear of death, which is the result of sin, remain in us.
Today, there are many who still struggle with sin, continuing to confess their sins and crying over them, even though they say that they believe Jesus. They seem to be the believers, but in reality they do not believe that their sins are forgiven on the cross. They have no relation with Jesus Christ, for they have still sins in their heart. David would pray to God in many adversities. He had the faith that God protected him and could praise the Lord with a harp before the difficulties. True faith is not bearing our problems or sins by ourselves, but moving them to God and enjoying rest and peace. When such faith remains in our heart, the precious works of faith are done and God is glorified.
