July 3, 2011
Morning Worship
Text: Psalm 121:1-8
Subject: Independence Day
Title: Always Dependent On God
Welcome everyone to Palmyra First Assembly on this Sunday before we celebrate our Independence. We are blessed to be able to say we live in the greatest nation on the face of the earth – contrary to what some of our elected officials might say. What is it that makes us great? Why have we remained such a force in the world for so many years? My belief regarding this is that it is because we are a nation founded upon God’s word. God has raised this nation up for this purpose – that He would be glorified among the nations. The greatness of America does not rest in who we are but in who God is.
French writer Alexis de Tocqueville, after visiting America in 1831, said, "I sought for the greatness of the United States in her commodious harbors, her ample rivers, her fertile fields, and boundless forests--and it was not there. I sought for it in her rich mines, her vast world commerce, her public school system, and in her institutions of higher learning--and it was not there. I looked for it in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution--and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great!"
"Moreover, almost all the sects of the United States are comprised within the great unity of Christianity, and Christian morality is everywhere the same. In the United States the sovereign authority is religious, and consequently hypocrisy must be common; but there is no country in the whole world in which the Christian religion retains a greater influence over the souls of men than in America, and there can be no greater proof of its utility, and of its conformity to human nature, than that its influence is most powerfully felt over the most enlightened and free nation of the earth.
The Americans combine the notions of Christianity and of liberty so intimately in their minds, that it is impossible to make them conceive the one without the other; and with them this conviction does not spring from that barren traditionary faith which seems to vegetate in the soul rather than to live.
There are certain populations in Europe whose unbelief is only equaled by their ignorance and their debasement, while in America one of the freest and most enlightened nations in the world fulfills all the outward duties of religion with fervor.
Upon my arrival in the United States, the religious aspect of the country was the first thing that struck my attention; and the longer I stayed there, the more did I perceive the great political consequences resulting from this state of things, to which I was unaccustomed. In France I had almost always seen the spirit of religion and the spirit of freedom pursuing courses diametrically opposed to each other; but in America I found that they were intimately united, and that they reigned in common over the same country."
Alexis de Tocqueville.
Amazing, isn’t it, that even one of the most liberal philosophers / politicians of the time recognized that America’s greatness depended upon it’s pursuit of God. Some things never change. If we are going to continue to be the great nation that God ordained, we must continue to be dependent upon Him.
I want to break down Psalm 121 verse by verse to help us see that dependence is a good thing when it is God you are dependent upon.
Lord, help us to see and understand what You want us to receive from Your Word today.
I. GOD IS OUR SOURCE FOR HELP (1-2) 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? The very first part of verse 1 gives a very clear indication of the fallen nature of man. We have this innate desire to be able to help ourselves. The Psalmist is referring to perhaps a time of meeting an enemy in a valley for battle. You know you are outmatched, out numbered, and maybe even out smarted. But you have set a plan in order. Just when the enemy thinks he is about to overwhelm you, you have a back-up plan. You have lined up an army to be watching from the mountaintops to swoop down and rescue from impending danger. But too many times those who you have looked for to help have let you down. Here is what happens when we look to our friends for help, or worse, look to ourselves. Sign seen in a textile mill, "When your thread becomes tangled, call the foreman." A young woman was new on the job. Her thread became tangled and she thought, "I'll just straighten this out myself." She tried, but the situation only worsened. Finally she called the foreman. "I did the best I could," she said. "No you didn't. To do the best, you should have called me." 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, 6:10-13, 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For 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. 13 Therefore 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. We learned last week that one of the things that is impossible for God to do is to lie. Jeremiah 33:3 says, ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know… Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. If those are promises that God has given to you do you not think that He is able to do it? Turn over to Luke 12. This is the story of a farmer who had a great plan. 16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” Let’s read a little more from Luke 12, 22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? 27 “Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. Whose plan will work out better – yours or God’s? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. If God is able to create the heavens and the earth with just His word, then surely He is able to be the help that you need. Psalm 46:1 says it well, 1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
II. GOD IS OUR PROTECTOR (3-4) Lorrie Anderson, missionary to the head-shrinking Candoshi Shapra Indians of Peru, was looking for a quiet place for her daily time of Bible reading and prayer, so she went down by the edge of the river. After reading the Bible, she took up her prayer list. Eyes closed, she did not see the deadly anaconda weaving through the water until it struck, burying its fangs into her flesh. It withdrew to strike, hitting her arm again and again as it held her, screaming, in its coils. It reared up for the death blows. Then suddenly the giant snake, never known to release its prey, relaxed its grip and slithered off through the water. While Lorrie was being treated, a witch doctor from a nearby village burst into the hut and stared at her. She couldn't believe Lorrie had survived. She said her son-in-law, also a witch doctor, had chanted to the spirit of the anaconda that morning and sent it to kill the young missionary. "I'm certain," Lorrie said, "that except for the protection of God, it would have worked." Daily Bread, August 13, 1990. 3 He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The word that is translated “watches over” means, “to put a hedge around”… Like a landowner would plant a hedgerow around his vineyards to keep people our or around his sheep pen to keep the wolves and other wild animals away. That’s the way that God watches over His children. If God is our protector, then why do bad things happen to His people? For the most part this goes all the way back before satan tempted Eve in the garden. It goes back to the pride that was exposed that got Lucifer kicked out of heaven. He wanted to be better than God and he wanted to do things his way. And he got Eve (and Adam) to buy into the lie that they could be like God by disobeying Him – by living life according to their plan instead of His. He got them to look to themselves for answers rather than following the principle from Proverbs 3:5-6, 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. The early American Indians had a unique practice of training young braves. On the night of a boy's thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills, he was put to one final test. He was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then, he had never been away from the security of the family and the tribe. But on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of a thick woods and he was terrified! Every time a twig snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. After what seemed like an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was his father. He had been there all night long. Our Daily Bread.
III. GOD BRINGS US COMFORT 5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand; 6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The word that is translated “shade” in verse 5 is also translated elsewhere in the bible as “defense”. The Lord defends you. He keeps you in His shade – in His shadow… Let me ask you a question. When you are born again is God’s protection an automatic? Is there anything required of you to stay under His protection? Psalm 91:1-2, 1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Proverbs 18:10 indicates that we have a responsibility that is involved in order to receive that protection. 10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. According to those two passages there are three things that must happen to receive the promise of protection. 1) You must dwell in the shelter of the Most High… the word “dwell” means among other things, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry… You are the bride of Christ aren’t you. Then you must remain faithful to the bridegroom… dwelling is about faithfulness. 2) You must confess His protection… I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. We’re talking about being dependant on God. God has already established His provision for your life. He is waiting for you to set it into motion by claiming His promise. That is what Jesus is talking about in Mark 11:22-25, 22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Look at the steps involved in what Jesus says here. First you must have faith in God. He is the source that you must look to. Faith in yourself or faith in your faith won’t get it done: Only faith in God. Second, say to this mountain… Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks… Proverbs 18:21, The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. This is the same principle that is connected to salvation in Romans 10, 9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. You have to confess it… Third, you have to believe… does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. You can confess your healing over and over until you are blue in the face, but if you don’t believe it how can you expect to receive it? James 1:6-7, 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 3) In times of trouble you must run to God instead of running away from Him. 10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. What does it say that you run to? The name of the LORD… When you run to His name you are running to His authority and His power that is at work within you. Philippians 2:9-11, 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. The power and authority that you have in the name of Jesus comes from the Comforter, the Holy Spirit that God has poured out on those who believe.
IV. GOD’S PLAN IS BOTH TEMPORAL AND ETERNAL 7 The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; My own experience with people tells me that nearly everyone who is born again has no doubt that they have heaven waiting for them. On occasion someone will allow the devil a foothold to cause them to doubt their own salvation, but for the most part Christians know they are saved. It isn’t until we start talking about the now part of His concern for you that we struggle. 8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. James 1:17, Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Closing:
On this week end when we celebrate America’s independence can I ask you to set aside your own independent nature and to ask yourself this question, “Lord, do I look to you for my help always, or only when I can’t do it on my own?”
The nation of Israel was God chosen people and He delivered them from bondage in Egypt with mighty signs and wonders, and then provided for their every need for forty years, even after they had rejected His promise that He would give them a land flowing with milk and honey.
But they would repeatedly turn from Him to follow false gods and to depend on themselves. Even after they had gone into the Promised Land Judges 21:25 says, 25 In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.
We can say that it is human nature to want to do things on our own. True, but we have a God nature. Our spirit is entwined with the Spirit of the Living God. We have His Spirit in us so we do not have to rely on self any longer.
On this Independence Day can we make a commitment to say, “I am in-dependence of a God who cares enough for me to be my source of help, to be my protector, to be my comforter, and to be with me now and forever?”
