Stiffkey/Saxlingham 24-05-02
Isaiah 40:27-31
Story: Eric Liddell
Many of you will have seen the film "Chariots of Fire".
For those of you who don’t know the story, the film is about the competition between two runners, Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell. And film works towards their apparently inevitable clash in the prestigious 100 metres finals in the 1924 Paris Olympics.
However, that contest never took place. Eric Liddell was a committed Christian and took the Ten Commandments very seriously, including the fourth commandment – to “keep the Sabbath holy to God”.
As one of the qualifying heats for the 100 metres was on a Sunday, Liddell refused to run and so had to withdraw from the 100 metres.
Liddell was probably the fastest man alive at that
time and had been the favourite to win it for
Britain.
The Press and even the Prince of Wales tried to talk him into running on the Sunday but he refused.
Instead, on the Sunday morning of the 100 metres heats, he went to the Scottish Presbyterian church in Paris.
And the text of the Scripture that he read was from Isaiah 40 – our OT reading today. And the final verse of Isaiah 40 seem to sum up the situation
31. "But those who hope in the Lord...will run and not grow weary"
One of the other British athletes pulled out of the 400 metres and Liddell was given his place – even though he had never ever run a 400 metres race.
And God honoured Liddell for his stand on the Sabbath. Liddell got into the 400 metres final. Although he was not favourite, he won the race. He ran the 400 metres at a 100 metres pace. To experts of the time, they thought he was running the first 100 metres far too fast and would tire later in the race.
But Liddell did not tire, he did not grow weary. He won with a new world record. As one of the sports commentators of the day said: Liddell seemed to gather strength from somewhere to keep going.
I would like to look at the final verse of the lesson that Liddell read in the Scottish Presbyterian Church in Paris on that Sunday in 1924
- Isaiah 40: 31
But those who wait upon the Lord
Will renew their strength
They will soar on wings like eagles
They will run and not grow weary
They will walk and not be faint.
1. They that wait upon the Lord
If you are anything like me, you’ll want to do. I want to get on and DO IT.
Yet the paradox in the Christian life is that by waiting - we succeed. God will give us strength when we RELY on him.
As Christians God wants us to rely on him, whatever we are doing.
Story: Even as I was preparing the sermon this week and nothing came – I waited on the Lord to give me something to say. And then it came on Thursday night.
As we look to Him, He will give us the strength to continue. Even when we are tempted to give in. There are times when we want to chuck the towel in - yet when we look to our Lord, he will RENEW our strength.
2. They will soar on wings like eagles.
I wonder if you have ever seen the Bumper sticker that says:
“Do you want to fly with the eagles or scratch with the chickens.”
I know which I want to do!!!
As Christians, we have the right as children of God, to soar like eagles. Why because our source of strength comes from God – from Jesus.
Isaiah 40 tells us that if we want to soar like the eagle – we need to wait upon God to renew our strength.
The eagle is a majestic bird. It has always been a symbol of power and majesty.
The standard of the Roman legions bore an eagle.
The eagle was the symbol on the coat of arms of the German Kaisers, the Austrian emperors and Russian Czars- and even the Old Guard of Napolean’s army used it.
And interestingly many of the lecterns in Anglican parishes bear the symbol of the eagle – symbolizing the power and majesty of God’s word – the Bible.
Story: A flying eagle is a magnificent sight. He soars in the air above us. But it does just happen overnight. An eagle has to learn to fly.
The eagle is an interesting bird. It makes its nest from briars and thorns and then lines the nest with animal skin - to stop the thorns and briars hurting the newly hatched eaglets.
For the eaglets - this is the life. Mum brings the food and the eaglet hangs around the nest getting fat.
UNTIL one day, when Mum decides it is time to fly. Naturally the eaglets are not keen and so the mother eagle pulls away the animal skins. And soon the eaglet is keen to leave the prickly nest.
He clambers on his mothers back and the mother flies high, 1000 ft, 2000 ft till she reaches about 5000 ft over the ground.
If the eaglet suffers from vertigo, this isn’t the job for him.
Suddenly, the mother tips the eaglet off and it goes hurtling down. It flaps it wings but nothing happens and the earth looks closer and closer.
Just as the eaglet is about to be splattered all over the ground, the mother eagle swoops down and catches the eaglet and the process is repeated until the eaglet can fly.
And so it is with us in the Christian life. When we first become Christians we feel protected in God’s nest. But it is not designed for us to stay in.
God will soon take us out of it, and it often feels like we are flapping hopelessly – like the eaglets. But he does it so that he can teach us to "soar on wings like eagles"
God wants us to soar like eagles in the spiritual realms.
Prayer for the Christian is like the strength of the eagle’s wings. Some of the great men and women of God have had to struggle with prayer.
But be encouraged - God TRAINS and DISCIPLINES US for our own good.
We often forget that Jesus himself needed time alone with God(Mark 1:29-39). It is often overlooked that Jesus went off to pray: St Mark records one such occurence
"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." (Mk 1:35)
Many of us find it difficult to make space in the day to pray. Jesus had the same problem - so he got up early to pray.
Martin Luther once said that if he had a busy day ahead of him he would get up two hours earlier at 4am to pray.
In conclusion, if we want to fly in the spiritual realm, let us resolve to find that precious time for prayer and Bible study regularly so that we can learn to strengthen our spiritual wings.
As Paul put it: "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." (Colossians 4:2)
