Disclaimer: Source material for this sermon has been gleaned from many different sources. I have attempted to acknowledge these sources whenever possible.
"CALLING UPON THE LORD"
TEXT: PSALM 145:14-19
KEY – Ps. 145:18 “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.”
Introduction: To call upon the Lord is to address or approach God with a specific request. It is a reverential act of summoning the aid of the Lord God Almighty. God wants us to call upon His name. Let us examine that for which God would have us to call upon Him.
I. Call upon the Lord for your material needs.
A. Matthew 6:8 “…your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”
B. Many people make the mistake of thinking since God already knows their needs and will automatically meet them. Nothing could be further from the truth. God wants you to continually come to Him and be specific about all your needs.
C. James 4:2 “you do not have because you do not ask.”
D. Matthew 7:7 “"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
E. George Mueller knew how to call upon the Lord. He never made his needs known to anyone but God. He then waited for God to put the need on someone’s heart. The children are dressed and ready for school. But there is no food for them to eat," the housemother of the orphanage informed George Mueller. George asked her to take the 300 children into the dining room and have them sit at the tables. He thanked God for the food and waited. George knew God would provide food for the children as he always did. Within minutes, a baker knocked on the door. "Mr. Mueller," he said, "last night I could not sleep. Somehow I knew that you would need bread this morning. I got up and baked three batches for you. I will bring it in." Soon, there was another knock at the door. It was the milkman. His cart had broken down in front of the orphanage. The milk would spoil by the time the wheel was fixed. He asked George if he could use some free milk. George smiled as the milkman brought in ten large cans of milk. It was just enough for the 300 thirsty children. Mueller kept a record of his prayers, and his prayer records filled more than 3,000 pages. His notes show that more than 30,000 prayers were answered.
F. Philippians 4:19 “my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
G. Psalm 34:6 “This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.”
II. Call upon the Lord for deliverance and shelter from trouble
A. Psalm 50:15 “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me."
B. Psalm 91:15 “He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.
C. The source of our safety and security is the Lord God Almighty, no threat, obstacle, or danger, no matter how great, is strongeer than God’s keeping power.
D. Psalm 55:16 “As for me, I will call upon God, And the Lord shall save me.”
E. John Paton was a missionary in the New Hebrides Islands. One night hostile natives surrounded the mission station, intent on burning out the Patons and killing them. Paton and his wife prayed during that terror-filled night that God would deliver them. When daylight came they were amazed to see their attackers leave. A year later, the chief of the tribe was converted to Christ. Remembering what had happened, Paton asked the chief what had kept him from burning down the house and killing them. The chief replied in surprise, “Who were all those men with you there?” Paton knew no men were present—but the chief said he was afraid to attack because he had seen hundreds of big men in shining garments with drawn swords circling the mission station. Today in the Word, MBI, October, 1991, p. 18
F. Psalm 86:7 “In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, For You will answer me.”
G. God never would send you the darkness, If He felt you could bear the light; But you would not cling to His guiding hand If the way were always bright; And you would not care to walk by faith Could you always walk by sight. So He sends you the blinding darkness, And the furnace of sevenfold heat; ’Tis the only way, believe me, To keep you close to His feet; For ’tis always so easy to wander When our lives are glad and sweet. Then nestle your hand in your Father’s, And sing, if you can, as you go; Your song may cheer someone behind you Whose courage is sinking low. - {The Crisis}
III. Call upon the Lord for daily guidance and strength
A. James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
B. Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.”
C. God has promised to be our Guide. God knows where we are headed. And God offers to be with us on the journey.
D. Elizabeth Elliot tells of two adventurers who stopped by to see her, all loaded with equipment for the rain forest east of the Andes. They sought no advice, just a few phrases to converse with the Indians. She writes: “Sometimes we come to God as the two adventurers came to me—confident and, we think, well-informed and well equipped. But has it occurred to us that with all our accumulation of stuff, something is missing?” She suggests that we often ask God for too little. “We know what we need—a yes or no answer, please, to a simple question. Or perhaps a road sign. Something quick and easy to point the way. “What we really ought to have is the Guide himself. Maps, road signs, a few useful phrases are things, but infinitely better is someone who has been there before and knows the way.” - Elizabeth Elliot, A Slow and Certain Light
E. Jeremiah 33:3 “’Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’”
F. Not for one single day, Can I discern my way, But this I surely know— He who gives the day, Will show the way, So I securely go. - John Oxenham
IV. Call upon the Lord for eternal life.
A. Romans 10:12-13 “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
B. In order for men to be saved, men must call upon the name of the Lord. If you want salvation from condemnation, then you must call upon the name of the Lord. If you want freedom from God’s wrath, then you must call upon the name of the Lord.
C. The word call signifies “to make an appeal.” For instance, Paul employed the word call in his appeal to Caesar: “If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!” (Acts 25:11). For the believer, to call upon the name of the Lord is to confess one’s distance from God and to appeal to Him for mercy. If you have not appealed to God for mercy, then there is still distance between you and God. – Dallas Burdette, Oakwood Hills Church,: 7-4-1999
D. In calling upon the Lord for salvation, one also is acknowledging Christ as one’s Lord and Master, the only source of redemption.
E. Psalm 116:13 “I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the Lord.”
V. Call upon the Lord for a renewed spirit.
A. Psalm 86:5 “For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.”
B. The boy walked along the ocean shore... trying not to stray. He looked up to his Father, saying " Dad, I want to play." His Father looked towards him, love showing in his eyes. "Do what you want, my son... but do not leave my side." "I would never leave you daddy, I love you far too much." But the boy took one step, away from his father’s touch. Walking through the surf, the waves tickled his toe. "If I take one more step... " he thought "Father will never know." His father then called out to him, "Son, remain true." But the boy thought with delight... "Hey, I don’t need you." Despite the feeling of sadness, his Father held his tongue. Sometimes lessons need to be learned... even when so young. The boy stepped out a little further... the water covered his waist. His Father spoke with urgency... and called to him with haste. "My Son come back to me," he said, " The day is almost done." "Not yet, Dad," the boy replied, " I’m having too much fun!" But the Boy did not have his father’s sight... he could not yet tell... The Tide was coming in fast... There would be no time to yell. "Father!" he tried to scream, as the water covered his head. "I need you now daddy!" was what the boy said. And in a single instant his father was by his side. "I thought you left me daddy... I thought you went to hide." The Father looked down at his son... a tear streaming down his cheek. The Boy looked up at his father, while the tears fell to his feet. "I could never leave you son... my love will never change." "I was only waiting for you, to call upon my name."
C. Psalm 51:10-12 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit
