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Sunday 10 June 2018

"To Whom or What Gets Your Devotion"




When you hear the earlier biblical writers talking about worshiping other gods, images of rulers, statues, made of bronze or gold might come to mind.   What then of today, what would you say have become the gods of our time?   May I suggest the gods of fear, of knowledge, of fame and fortune, or we sometimes make people idles and turn to them.  
June 10, 2018  Psalm 138:  Mark 3:
Good morning folks:  I hope you have come this morning to hear something that will stimulate growth in your relationship with God.  My hope for today is that this Psalm of defiance written by David has something to offer us.  Yes this is a song of defiance.  The Psalmist giving alms of thanksgiving, singing praise to the one God, directly into the face of the many gods of his world.  He does so in total defiance of their calling, which is to turn from the One and to worship them.  He is praising the God of creation, the God who formed us in our Mothers womb and who new us before we were conceived.  Hear this wisdom in print as God speaks to Jeremiah, Jeremiah 1:5.   “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart: I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”    
 And the prophet Isaiah writes in chapter 49: verse 1:  “Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name”.   God once again affirms knowing His children before conception, and has carved the names of all who are His, on the palms of His hands Isaiah tell us.   Sing: “I Will Never Forget You My People”
The Psalmist David, tells us he is praising Yahweh in the face of the worldly gods that also call out to him because of the constant love and faithfulness God has shown to him.  Should we not spend more time in reflections of grace God has showered upon us?   The one God of creations Yahweh, is supreme and holy and is the only source of strength needed to sustain him as it should be for us in this world or the next.  Verse 3 of the psalm says “you answered me when I called to you, with your strength you strengthen me.”  I can just hear the modern day fateful singing this wonderful old spiritual song when strength is needed to overcome the storms of life where the winds of strife are blowing. “Over My Head I Hear Music In The Air”  You know the lyrics sing it with me. 
So I guess a good question for us here today would be what are the controlling gods in your life and when do they call out to you?   This question may sound a bit trivial or unimportant at first but when we begin to really take an honest inventory of that which we turn to in troubled times, or in times of celebration,  we will begin to remember all the other gods before whom we so often bow. The words get stuck in my throats when I began to recognize the gods I have turned to in times of depression, or loneliness, or when I was looking for fame or fortune.  What thing, person or persons has your full attention these days.    What are the gods of your world?  Why they are anything that we give primary place to, in our lives. For instance that which captivates our attention when it come to the priority use of money.  How much is set aside for the poor or the hungry?  Now I challenge you to take a look at what, where or to whom has your deepest devotion?   Who gets the thanks when things go well, whom usually receives the credit, and on what or whom do we rely on when we are in troubled times?  Often without even knowing it, or even being aware of it, we create little gods out of ourselves, others, or things.  These gods call out to us and require a great deal of our time and attention.  We often become devoted to them as we turn from the ONE.    This is when we need a remainder and it can come in a worship song such as “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.”  As we sing the choirs together, let the words take root in your person hood. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”
Participation in sports, social groups or clubs or the arts often paves the way for some of our young people to entry universities so that they can land great jobs.  Often these things takes precedence over church participation and involvement, which in our time doesn’t hold the same promise of upward mobility for the masses as church community once did.  Education is valuable, and a good job is an asset, but we should never forget that these things are not eternal; one thing you can count on is all things and people as we know them now will pass away.  Even so, we are still blessed with God’s eternal love and promises.   The downward spirals of the stock markets, the raiding of pension funds by corporate executives, and the collapse of the real estate market worldwide has had an impact on many folks both in the middle class and the rich.  This should remind us that even the most upwardly mobile people and their situations will fall prey to the unexpected changes within the global economy.  Here I truly believe people who devote themselves to strengthening their faith survive in times of strife and struggle.  This Psalm is a song that sings in full defiance of our worldly gods.  It’s a song to help us challenge the false promises that worldly gods often dangle in front of us.  Let us never forget that it is only God who giveth and taketh away all things. We! need to sing this song of praise more than God needs to hear it.  We need to sing songs that help ground ourselves once again in God’s love for all creation.
Singing songs in worship is one of the most important elements of reminding us how important it is to learn on God in all situations.  Not just in times of fellowship on Sunday morning, but every waking hour of every day of our short lives.  Let us keep in mind that millions upon millions of year have existed before us, and millions upon millions of year will continue after we expire.  How long then is 5 years, 10 years, 40 years, 80 years, or a 100 years?  Just a flicker folks.  Let us not waste it worshiping the many gods of this world, but let us begin to rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.    


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