Introduction: Recently, I have been reading in the news about "panspermia" Have you heard about this most recent theory called "panspermia?" It’s the idea that life on Earth started as a result of bacteria coming from Mars on meteorites. The idea that life started elsewhere and was somehow transported through space to Earth.
Scientist actually tested this theory by purposely sending out millions of bacterial spores into outer space on a Russian satellite. Any idea what they learned? They learned that bacteria will not survive long enough in space to travel from one planet to another. (Cathryn Conroy, compusServe News Editor)
King David said,
"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou has ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him?" Psalm 8:3,4
All one has to do is look onto the heavens to realize that life did not begin by bacteria. It did not begin by chance, it begin by design. Our home in the universe is a spiral of 200 billion stars, just imagine a unit of suns whirling through space like a fiery pinwheel (Astronomer Fritz Coon, Wonder Worlds, Chapter Two). Every 24 hours our galaxy travels a million and a half miles through space at more than 66,000 miles per hour. Feel a little tired this morning?
Folks you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out the origin of life. Just study nature! For within nature itself you see the fingerprint of an Almighty God. Open your Bibles this morning to the book of Job.
Job 12:7-9 "But, ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the Lord has done this?"
Job said "...ask the animals, and they will teach you, the birds of the air, and they will tell you." This morning I want to give you a glimpse of who our Creator is through the eyes of nature. But, you have to listen closely if you want to gleam the spiritual lessons to be learned therein.
Sermon: One of my favorite subjects of study in nature is the America Bald Eagle. The Bald eagle is the fastest creature in the air. Not only can the eagle fly at tremendous speed, but the eagle’s eye sight is unlike any other. At an elevation of 10,000 feet (or about 2 miles) the eagle can see a rabbit in the forest. And, within a matter of seconds that eagle will fall out of the sky at a rate of over 100 mph and snatch up that rabbit.
Maybe, you have notice the shape of an eagle. It has the shape of a weight lifter. A powerful chest, a narrow waist, and powerful thighs. An eagle is very strong, for instance the African Crowned Eagle has been known to kill antelopes weighing up to fifty pounds. Not only are eagles strong, they are big too! Eagles have a wing span up to 7 1/2 feet, and can weigh as much as twenty pounds.
Brothers and sisters the eagle’s size and strength is not derived from a diet of dead or rotten meat. The eagle prefers a diet of fresh meat, a diet of high protein. Maybe, we can also learn from the eagle. Maybe we can learn not to feast on the dead rotten things of this world. But, instead feast daily upon the pure fresh things of God.
Uunlike most animals, eagles do very well in storms. For instance, most animals seek out a place to hide during a storm. Not the eagle. The eagle will actually challenge a storm. He will walk right out into the midst of a storm, and look up to where he last saw the sun.
The clouds, the lighting, the loud thunder won’t distract him. Why? Because he has his bearing set upon the sun. And, when the storm becomes intense that’s when the eagle mounts up and flies right to where he last saw the sun. All of a sudden he breaks through the storm and the sun is drying his feathers and the sun is giving him an anointing that he would have never found hiding under a rock.
You see friends, when the devil brings a storm your way you don’t hide among the rocks and the trees like the turkeys and buzzards. As a believer in God, you place your eyes upon the Son of Righteousness. You call upon His name.
Isaiah 40:31 "Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint."
Friends, there are spiritual lessons to be learned from an eagle, if we would only learn to use them!
When God designed the eagle, He designed a special bird. It did not arrived by some bacteria from another planet. The eagle was designed by the Almighty God. It is the only creature with the ability to look directly into the rays of the sun. God designed the eagle with special eyelids, so that he may keep his eyes toward the sun. And, because the eagle is the king of the air, he has many enemies. The enemy of the eagle is the Condor.
The Condor is the world’s heaviest flying bird of prey. They can weigh over 25 pounds, and have a wingspan of about 10 feet. Like the buzzards the Condors feed on dead animals. The Condor hates the eagle. So where ever an eagle flies he must be on the look out for his enemy, the Condor.
In battle, the Condor will try to claw the eagle, but the eagle doesn’t stay and fight instead, he mounts up and begins to fly, and he doesn’t fly to the left, he doesn’t fly to the right, he doesn’t fly to mom, nor does he fly to dad. Instead, he flies directly toward the sun. The Condor tries to catch the eagle but soon he is blinded by the sun and has to turn away and fall off.
Oh, brothers and sisters when the devil is at your heels, you do not have to stay and fight. All you have to do is turn your eyes toward the Son of Righteousness who will never fail nor forsake you. It is there that we will find safety from the devil. There are spiritual lessons to be learned from an eagle, if we would only learn to use them.
When the eagle begins to mate, he mates for life just like a dove. When he finds a lady, he will join her in the air and they will lock claws, then he will put his wings around her and they will drop out of the sky like they’ve been shot. She will never attempt to get away, she will never struggle, but she puts her life into his wings.
And, when they get almost to tree top level, he will throw open his wings, and she will throw open her wings and they will fly back to the top of the sky. They will lock claws again this time she will put her wings around him, and he will put his life into her wings. And, they will fall, he does not struggle, he does not try to get way, but for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer unto death do them part, he puts his trust into her.
When they get almost to the ground, she will throw open her wings, and he will throw open his wings, and they will fly back to the top of the sky. They will lock claws again, the third time they fall, the female eagle will have conceived and they will be committed to each other for life. And, no matter where she goes, he will always be there somewhere in the shadows. What a lesson for married couples today. To be totally committed to each other for life, just as the eagle.
These eagles will build a nest together. An eagle can live to be 45 - 50 years of age. When they build their nest, they don’t just throw it together in an emotional fling of passion. No when they build their nest, they build it for a life time. When the eagle begins to select a place for the nest, there must be several things in the area. First of all, he will always go to the higest mountain, you see eagles don’t live in the valley. In other words, they don’t hang around with the turkeys and they don’t associate with the buzzards.
But, in this mountain, the eagle looks for a tree, not just any old tree, but a tree that has withstand every attack of nature. It has to be a tree that is planted by a river, or a stream or a place where there is some supply of water. In this tree the eagle builds his nest, it’s incredible to watch, he will fall out of the sky and crash into trees to break off branches, some larger than a couple inches in diameter.
And, when he sees a fox, or a rabbit, he swoops down and grabs it, rips out the meat and uses the skin to line his nest. Soon an egg will appear in that nest, and when mom gets hungry and goes looking for some food, dad will take over. That big old macho eagle will sit on that egg looking like he’s out of place, but he’s not. He accepts his responsibility as protector and provider for his family. What a lesson for some of us today. We need more fathers involved in the care of children. More fathers involved in providing for the needs found within the family.
Soon Junior appears, an eaglet is born with his eyes wide opened. And, an eaglet has a big mouth, and his body is covered with loose skin. And, that mouth always swaking feed me, feed me. Just as some people do today always demanding to have something in their lives. Well, every time mom would fly by she would drop some meat into Junior’s mouth. With this diet of protein the little eaglet begins to grow and put on weight. And, each day as the eaglet becomes stronger and stronger mom is watching.
Then one day mom realizes that Junior is to big for the nest, so she drops out of the nest and lands upon a rock. It is not just any old rock. It is a rock that withstood the storms, the forest fires, the snow, it is a rock that can not be moved. It is a rock that is directly in the shade of the tree.
And, on this rock, mom begins to build a small nest, she lines it with soft grass, and rabbit fur. Then, mom will go back to the nest and will bump Junior out, and he falls landing directly upon the rock. He looks up and says "ouch mama that hurts". It is during his youth that he is first introducted to the rock.
At first it seems strange and unfriendly, but soon he gets accustomed to the rock. And, then he looks around and sees his nest upon the rock. "Hey what this?" He says, he walks over to the nest, and gets into it. "Hey, this alright, I got it made in the shade.’ Soon he gets hungry and mama comes by and drops some more meat into his mouth. He is independent yet he is in the shade of his mama’s nest.
He gets out of his nest to examine the rock, and then he walks up to the edge, and sees the 1,000 foot drop. "Whoa!" He says, as he backs away from the edge. He is on vacation it’s just like youth camp. The whole time he keeps eating, and he keeps growing.
Finally, he comes to a place in his life, where he must do what he was born to do. Mama will fly out of the nest and land there upon the rock. And, as Junior is walking around the rock, mama very casualy strolls around the nest, then grabs the soft rabbit fur and throws it over the cliff. Out of the corner of his eye, Junior thinks he sees mama messing with his nest.
So, he walks by and gives mama a concerned look. Junior takes another look at his nest, he doesn’t see anything different. Mama again walks by the nest and reaches down and takes out the soft straw and grass and throws it over the cliff. This time Junior knows that he has caught mama messing with his nest.
He walks by and gives mama another concerned look, and he hops into his nest, "Ouch!" The sticks are poking Junior in the back. He doesn’t realize it, but he is about to make an awesome discovery, the nest is temporary but the rock is permanent. Junior has all of his confidence and hope in the nest but the nest is about to pass away. But, the rock is stable and it will always be there.
Beloved, my hope is not built upon the nest; my hope is build on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. It’s on Christ the solid Rock, I stand because all other ground is sinking sand.
Psalm 18:2 "The Lord is my rock and my fortress, and my deliver; my God, my strength in whom I will trust..."
Brothers and sisters, Jesus is the Rock of ages and that Rock is permanent it will never change. That’s why:
*When I’m hungry, I need to go back to the Rock, because Jesus is manna from heaven.
*That’s why, when I’m thirsty, I need to go back to the Rock, because Jesus is the Living Water.
*That’s why, when I’m tired I need to go back to the Rock, because Jesus is a friend that sticked closer than a brother.
*That’s why when I’m scared I need to go back to the Rock, because Jesus is my protector.
And, to the highest mountain or to the deepest depths of the seas, whatever your need, Jesus is the Rock of Ages. There are spiritual lessons to be learned from an eagle, if we would only learn to use them.
Well time has gone by now, and the next time that mama walks by the nest, she grabs it and throws it completely off the cliff, then she flies back to the tree. Junior spends a cold lonely night on the rock. In the morning, he looks up at mama and swaks "Mama, mama it’s cold down here." Mama drops out of the nest and lands besides Junior on the rock. She tells Junior, that he is designed for greatness, she tells Junior that he was born for a higher purpose.
He looks at her and says "say what?" She takes him and places him on her back and then she walks up to the edge of the cliff and leaps off. Junior begins to freak out, "Mama what’s wrong with you?" Mama doesn’t respond, but turns upside down and Junior begins to fall. He is falling, and it looks like he is going to crash and burn. But, what he doesn’t realize is that he can’t fall as fast as mama can fly. She swoops down and catches him, taking him again to the top of the sky.
Brothers and sisters, you can’t fall as fast as God can fly; because the lightening bolts are his chariots, and He is never late. By this time Junior has a death grip. And, his claws are locked unto mama’s back. Mama, again turns upside down and drops him This time if Junior doesn’t fly mama won’t catch him. Because, you see an eagle was born to fly.
Mama gives Junior a second chance, but this time mama does something different. She falls with him. And, all the while Junior is falling, mama is crying out in bird swaks "Fly, flap them wings boy!" All of a sudden, Junior responds to his mother’s voice, and he sticks out those little wings and rides the wind. Guess where dad is during this whole time. He is at the top fo the sky, crusing around making sure there are no Condors near by.
Just like the eagle, our Heavenly Father has His eye upon us. he is the Almighty God who is in complete control. And, though our enemy lurks nearby, we can rest assure because our heavenly Father above is watching for the enemy. And, He will not rest until He knows that we are safe within His hands. Don’t we serve a wonderful Father?
Now for some eagles calcium will begin to deposit on the beak, this usually happens when they become old. As a result, their beak becomes swollen and sore, to sore to eat. Thus, the eagle loose a desire to feed himself. He no longer flies to the top of the sky to hunt, and when the storm comes he begins to hide under the rocks and among the trees like the turkeys and the buzzards. He begins to lose weight, he loses strength, his shoulders begin to stoop and his head hangs low.
And, all this time Mrs. Eagle is watching, she is concerned and tries to strengthen him. Soon she can’t watch any longer, she finds a rabbit and brings it to his feet. If he eats what she brings to him, he will never fly to the top of the sky again. He will allow his family to feed him for the rest of his life. But, as he gazes at the meat, all of a sudden a sprit of remembrance comes upon him.
He remembers when he used to fly at the top of the sky, he remembers when he used to be the king of the air. But, something happened to his mouth, and he lost his strength and power. Just as some today bring harm to the body, when they speak wrongly of others. Friends, there are spiritual lessons to be learned from the eagle, if we would only learn to use them.
All of a sudden, the eagle remembers what he was, where he has been, and he backs away from someone’ else meat. He begins to make that slow painful climb back to the rock. It has been a long time since he has been to that rock. Other things were more important, and he had forgotten about that place in the shadow of the tree.
No longer with the ability to fly, he very slowly, very painfully climb back up to the top of the cliff, where he once lived. It has taken him over 36 hours to finally reach the top. He stands upon the rock, and he takes his beak and pulls out his dirty and useless feathers one by one. He will remove these feathers from his wings, from his chest, and from his thighs.
Then he takes his claws and bangs them against the rock to rid of the infested dead skin. He takes that sore and infected beak and bangs it also against the rock. And, there he stands, he has removed himself from all of his glory. He has removed himself from all of his pride, from all of his covering. He walks over to the water and allows the fresh water to soothe his body. Then he will return back to the rock allowing the sun to warm and heal. Brothers and sisters there are spiritual lessons to be learned from an eagle, if we would only learn to use them.
It has been 40 days now, the feathers begin to return. The claws begin to return with power and strengh. The beak heals. Yet, he does not move from the rock. Instead, he annoints himself with some oil found beneath his wings. He annoints himself once again as King of the birds.
Standing on the edge of that rock, his eyes once again looks directly into the rays of the sun. He makes a new sound, a sound that has never been heard before, and he mounts up and flies not to his home, or to his family. Neither does he fly to his old hunting ground, but once again he flies directly toward the sun. But, this time something is different. He has renewed hope, and he flies faster, and stronger, and highter and closer to the sun then he has ever flown before.
Brothers and sisters, we must remove those things that keep us from God. We must fall upon the Rock. And, that Rcok is Jesus Christ. And, He will bring you an anointing like none other. And, you will have a new song in your heart. A song that has never been sang before.
Some day I’m going to fly to God’s celestial shore.
I’m going to take a trip in that good old gospel ship.
I’m leaving this world behind, to a place that I’m inclined.
I’m going zoom, zoom, zoom far above the moon.
I’m going past the Mily Way to a parkway called Heaven.
I’m going to live with a man called Jesus, where I can soar like an eagle on high.
Why?
"For God so love the world that He sent His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
Yes! There are spiritual lessons to be learn from nature, if we would only learn to use them!
