Sermon Notes for October 8th
October 8, 2006
“Standing on Level Ground”
Psalm 26
1. I was going to do a children’s sermon this morning, but instead we had Bible Sunday. So, instead I will do kind of children’s sermon anyway.
SHOW THE TWO LEVELS…these are commonly called spirit or bubble levels… Anyone care to guess when they were invented or who invented them?
The spirit level was invented by Melchisedech Thevenot (born in either 1620 or 1621; died 1692). Thevenot was an amateur scientist and patron of many scientists and mathematicians. He was wealthy and well-connected, later becoming the Royal Librarian to King Louis XIV of France. Thevenot invented the instrument some time before February 2, 1661. It is very likely that these levels were in use in France and elsewhere long before the turn of the next century.
There was no such thing as a level in Jesus’ time. Yet the tools which Jesus used as a carpenter were in many ways no different from those used by craftsmen even just a century ago.
In Jesus’ time, tools that required an edge were made of iron, although steel was less plentiful and of somewhat lower quality. Planes were also available as well as saws -- which were available, both in the form of a bow saw (referred to by some as a "Jesus" saw) and a hand saw. The handsaw was shorter than today to compensate for lower quality steel, and had steep-angle teeth. The adze was a very popular tool in antiquity, with a horizontal blade that could accurately shape timber via a chopping-like motion. Other tools that were available were the adze, iron call hammer, wooden mallet and chisel, and the lathe.
2. Another skilled trade was masonry or bricklaying. Slaves were often used to lay bricks as in the case of the Israelites who built the pyramids for the Pharaoh in Egypt as well as many who were coerced into constructing the great Temple in Jerusalem under King Solomon.
But imagine trying to get things to be straight and level without all the modern day precision tools we have today.
No wonder the idea of getting something level was so important to people in Ancient times … especially in Israel.
For instance – consider these words from the Bible:
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.
Psalm 143
he path of the righteous is level; O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth.
Isaiah 26
A voice of one calling:
"In the desert prepare
the way for the LORD [a] ;
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.
Isaiah 40
And consider these powerfully vivid words of Jesus in Luke - Chapter 6:
17He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, 18who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil[a] spirits were cured, 19and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
20Looking at his disciples, he said:
"Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
3. Level, smooth, straight – Jesus speaks while standing on level ground.
What does that mean … why is it so important to be on level ground?
Well, consider for a moment what this biblical metaphor really means in terms of our everyday relationships.
What does it mean to “level” with someone?
What does it mean to “level” with your spouse, your friend, you co-worker or employee, with a student in the classroom, a customer in your business?
What does it mean to level with someone?
What does it mean to level with God?
4. Actually, according to the dictionary, “to level with someone” is a slang term meaning to “be frank and honest.”
Frank and honest … and how important is this in today’s world? I ask you.
How important is it that we be honest and straightforward in our dealings with one another … and tell the truth, whenever possible?
Especially nowadays in the midst of the political campaigning … which is anything but frank and honest.
Honestly, if you are a person who desires to be honest with others … you have to be disappointed with the television ads … all of which, of course, pretend to be straightforward – but are, in many cases, half-truths designed to belittle, denigrate, and put down the opponent without ever getting to the truth.
SHOW THE LEVEL TILTED … ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
5. Now, we can’t do anything about political advertising, except to turn off the TV or the sound … But we can control our own behavior … toward others and toward God. We can strive to be straightforward and honest at least with those we love and respect … the most important people in our lives … for, in fact, isn’t that what makes them so important? – the fact that we can be honest and not play games with them?
For who wants a friend who puts them down?
For when someone is putting themselves above others or above us … then we can’t level with them …
And we have this … SHOW LEVEL TILTED.
6. Or who wants a boss who is always talking down to you?
Or a spouse … or a parent … or a teacher ...?
Nobody!
Nobody likes someone who goes around acting like they are somebody they are not … who constantly demand attention and pretend to know everything …
There are lots of illustrative remarks … about people like this … but one of the favorites from the Bible used to be …you may remember:
“Who does she think she is … the ------------- Queen of Sheba?”
7. And yet how easy is it to walk on the level ground … of which the Bible speaks? Not so easy – not so easy at all – don’t you agree … especially in a world in which there are temptations and misadventures everywhere we turn?
A world in which shrewd and clever dealing is looked upon with admiration and respect.
A world in which the goal for many is to the get to the top – even at all cost. To be a survivor. To rely on your wits and stamina to outlast, out perform, out smart, and manipulate all the competition.
Who can you trust? How do you know when someone won’t turn around and stab you in the back or take you to court over the slightest thing?
Sometimes it is discouraging and frustrating to say the least!
8. And who can we talk to about this? Who will understand? Who can we level with? Who will level with us? Well, this is the dilemma of the writer of Palms 26 …
Listen to these words (Gene Peterson version)
Clear my name, GOD; I've kept an honest shop.
I've thrown in my lot with you, GOD, and
I'm not budging.
2 Examine me, GOD, from head to foot,
order your battery of tests.
Make sure I'm fit
inside and out
3 So I never lose
sight of your love,
But keep in step with you,
never missing a beat.
4-5 I don't hang out with tricksters,
I don't pal around with thugs;
I hate that pack of gangsters,
I don't deal with double-dealers.
6-7 I scrub my hands with purest soap,
then join hands with the others in the great circle,
dancing around your altar, GOD,
Singing God-songs at the top of my lungs,
telling God-stories.
9. And what exactly is this person trying to do but to clear himself … to set things straight … to be honest with God.
Has he done anything wrong?
What are we to make of this? What is he really saying?
Can we really believe he has done nothing wrong? Aren’t we supposed to all be sinners and imperfect? Isn’t he overdoing it? Claiming his innocence – Shouldn’t there be a little more humility … a little more honesty … we wonder …
Well I would answer yes … and no …
First, from a Christian perspective we might say this … for we know that we are not going to achieve sinlessness just by our actions alone. Everyone from Luther to Wesley to today … knows that forgiveness is one of the central tenants of faith in Christ. Therefore, we need not try to justify ourselves … so absolutely.
And yet, a word is in order about the psalms and certain other parts of the scripture.
10. For this I have been enlightened by a little book called the God of Old by a Hebrew Scholar, James Kugel, who writes that in certain parts of the Bible – especially Job, the Proverbs and some of the psalms … the writing appears in the starkest way possible.
This appears particularly with regard to death as in Psalm 144:
3 O LORD, what is man that you care for him,
the son of man that you think of him?
4 Man is like a breath;
his days are like a fleeting shadow.
For here we see in stark terms the reality that we are but rather paltry things compared with the greatness of the universe … and in the end, death puts and end to all our endeavors on earth … regardless of our ultimate outcome in eternity.
11. What is suggested is that these are prayers which almost seem to be expressed at night. For night is a time of shadows … where things are black and white … when we are emotionally in a different realm … where are the surrounding things which reassure us during the daytime … our furniture, our house, our toys, and friends … are all gone…and we are alone … with God Almighty …
In the daytime … things seem more under control … they seem to reassure us …
It’s kind of like nightmare which seems to be so real … and where we are hurtling down the road in a car and the steering wheel comes off … or something like that …
And we wake up the next day … and say, “Whew, what was that all about? I’m glad that’s over with.”
12. But, no, the psalmist’s prayers are often extreme, like when we are alone in the hospital waiting room, or the doctor’s office, or something bad has happened to someone we love … and things are not all that comfortable … and we are praying with all our heart, and with all our emotions, and our thoughts are running together …
You get the picture?
No, we would all agree that this is not entirely a reasonable prayer … and yet maybe we should not be too hard on this man … about his desire to prove himself innocent … because that’s sometimes how it really feels … And sometimes that is how it is …too
… I am thinking of Nelson Mandela, imprisoned in South Africa for 18 years for opposing apartheid … or Martin Luther King … how would these words have sounded in their mouths …?
And so whether true or not … or whether or not the man who prays in Psalm 26 is truly innocent … we can identify with his desire to level with God … to clear himself … and, above all, to connect and be connected.
13. And that is what the prayer is all about …to be redeemed … and to be received into God’s gracious presence … and to be restored to ones integrity … in other words … to be whole again … to feel right about oneself … and not conflicted … and anxious … and pulled one way and another …. Always on the defensive … always have to make excuses or apologize for ones behavior …
That’s what integrity is all about … whether it is about our relationship with God … in Christ … or in our relationships with other in our family…our friends…our neighbors…our children and parents…or grandparents…or co-workers …
To be able to level with them … as the palms asks of God:
8-10 GOD, I love living with you;
your house glows with your glory.
When it's time for spring cleaning,
don't sweep me out with the quacks and crooks,
Men with bags of dirty tricks,
women with purses stuffed with bribe-money.
11-12 You know I've been aboveboard with you;
now be aboveboard with me.
I'm on the level with you, GOD;
I bless you every chance I get.
What does it mean to be on level ground? John Wesley’s commentary on Psalm 26 says this: To Standeth on Level Ground means to stand upon a sure and solid foundation, being under the protection of God's promise, and his almighty and watchful providence.
14. But I have a more vivid story with which I will end this sermon which illustrates what level ground is all about.
Tell about Going to the Sun Highway in Glacier Park.
There I was going up and down this narrow piece of road and to one side, with little or no guard rail, it was 1,000 feet over the edge! It was, to say the least, nerve wracking!
All I can tell you is that I was never so glad to be back on level Ground!
And that is what our relationship with God and one another …. Is all about … its all about being on the level.
And so, in as it says, we are all here today … in the great congregation to stand on level ground and bless the Lord!
“Standing on Level Ground”
Psalm 26
1. I was going to do a children’s sermon this morning, but instead we had Bible Sunday. So, instead I will do kind of children’s sermon anyway.
SHOW THE TWO LEVELS…these are commonly called spirit or bubble levels… Anyone care to guess when they were invented or who invented them?
The spirit level was invented by Melchisedech Thevenot (born in either 1620 or 1621; died 1692). Thevenot was an amateur scientist and patron of many scientists and mathematicians. He was wealthy and well-connected, later becoming the Royal Librarian to King Louis XIV of France. Thevenot invented the instrument some time before February 2, 1661. It is very likely that these levels were in use in France and elsewhere long before the turn of the next century.
There was no such thing as a level in Jesus’ time. Yet the tools which Jesus used as a carpenter were in many ways no different from those used by craftsmen even just a century ago.
In Jesus’ time, tools that required an edge were made of iron, although steel was less plentiful and of somewhat lower quality. Planes were also available as well as saws -- which were available, both in the form of a bow saw (referred to by some as a "Jesus" saw) and a hand saw. The handsaw was shorter than today to compensate for lower quality steel, and had steep-angle teeth. The adze was a very popular tool in antiquity, with a horizontal blade that could accurately shape timber via a chopping-like motion. Other tools that were available were the adze, iron call hammer, wooden mallet and chisel, and the lathe.
2. Another skilled trade was masonry or bricklaying. Slaves were often used to lay bricks as in the case of the Israelites who built the pyramids for the Pharaoh in Egypt as well as many who were coerced into constructing the great Temple in Jerusalem under King Solomon.
But imagine trying to get things to be straight and level without all the modern day precision tools we have today.
No wonder the idea of getting something level was so important to people in Ancient times … especially in Israel.
For instance – consider these words from the Bible:
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.
Psalm 143
he path of the righteous is level; O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth.
Isaiah 26
A voice of one calling:
"In the desert prepare
the way for the LORD [a] ;
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.
Isaiah 40
And consider these powerfully vivid words of Jesus in Luke - Chapter 6:
17He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, 18who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil[a] spirits were cured, 19and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
20Looking at his disciples, he said:
"Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
3. Level, smooth, straight – Jesus speaks while standing on level ground.
What does that mean … why is it so important to be on level ground?
Well, consider for a moment what this biblical metaphor really means in terms of our everyday relationships.
What does it mean to “level” with someone?
What does it mean to “level” with your spouse, your friend, you co-worker or employee, with a student in the classroom, a customer in your business?
What does it mean to level with someone?
What does it mean to level with God?
4. Actually, according to the dictionary, “to level with someone” is a slang term meaning to “be frank and honest.”
Frank and honest … and how important is this in today’s world? I ask you.
How important is it that we be honest and straightforward in our dealings with one another … and tell the truth, whenever possible?
Especially nowadays in the midst of the political campaigning … which is anything but frank and honest.
Honestly, if you are a person who desires to be honest with others … you have to be disappointed with the television ads … all of which, of course, pretend to be straightforward – but are, in many cases, half-truths designed to belittle, denigrate, and put down the opponent without ever getting to the truth.
SHOW THE LEVEL TILTED … ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
5. Now, we can’t do anything about political advertising, except to turn off the TV or the sound … But we can control our own behavior … toward others and toward God. We can strive to be straightforward and honest at least with those we love and respect … the most important people in our lives … for, in fact, isn’t that what makes them so important? – the fact that we can be honest and not play games with them?
For who wants a friend who puts them down?
For when someone is putting themselves above others or above us … then we can’t level with them …
And we have this … SHOW LEVEL TILTED.
6. Or who wants a boss who is always talking down to you?
Or a spouse … or a parent … or a teacher ...?
Nobody!
Nobody likes someone who goes around acting like they are somebody they are not … who constantly demand attention and pretend to know everything …
There are lots of illustrative remarks … about people like this … but one of the favorites from the Bible used to be …you may remember:
“Who does she think she is … the ------------- Queen of Sheba?”
7. And yet how easy is it to walk on the level ground … of which the Bible speaks? Not so easy – not so easy at all – don’t you agree … especially in a world in which there are temptations and misadventures everywhere we turn?
A world in which shrewd and clever dealing is looked upon with admiration and respect.
A world in which the goal for many is to the get to the top – even at all cost. To be a survivor. To rely on your wits and stamina to outlast, out perform, out smart, and manipulate all the competition.
Who can you trust? How do you know when someone won’t turn around and stab you in the back or take you to court over the slightest thing?
Sometimes it is discouraging and frustrating to say the least!
8. And who can we talk to about this? Who will understand? Who can we level with? Who will level with us? Well, this is the dilemma of the writer of Palms 26 …
Listen to these words (Gene Peterson version)
Clear my name, GOD; I've kept an honest shop.
I've thrown in my lot with you, GOD, and
I'm not budging.
2 Examine me, GOD, from head to foot,
order your battery of tests.
Make sure I'm fit
inside and out
3 So I never lose
sight of your love,
But keep in step with you,
never missing a beat.
4-5 I don't hang out with tricksters,
I don't pal around with thugs;
I hate that pack of gangsters,
I don't deal with double-dealers.
6-7 I scrub my hands with purest soap,
then join hands with the others in the great circle,
dancing around your altar, GOD,
Singing God-songs at the top of my lungs,
telling God-stories.
9. And what exactly is this person trying to do but to clear himself … to set things straight … to be honest with God.
Has he done anything wrong?
What are we to make of this? What is he really saying?
Can we really believe he has done nothing wrong? Aren’t we supposed to all be sinners and imperfect? Isn’t he overdoing it? Claiming his innocence – Shouldn’t there be a little more humility … a little more honesty … we wonder …
Well I would answer yes … and no …
First, from a Christian perspective we might say this … for we know that we are not going to achieve sinlessness just by our actions alone. Everyone from Luther to Wesley to today … knows that forgiveness is one of the central tenants of faith in Christ. Therefore, we need not try to justify ourselves … so absolutely.
And yet, a word is in order about the psalms and certain other parts of the scripture.
10. For this I have been enlightened by a little book called the God of Old by a Hebrew Scholar, James Kugel, who writes that in certain parts of the Bible – especially Job, the Proverbs and some of the psalms … the writing appears in the starkest way possible.
This appears particularly with regard to death as in Psalm 144:
3 O LORD, what is man that you care for him,
the son of man that you think of him?
4 Man is like a breath;
his days are like a fleeting shadow.
For here we see in stark terms the reality that we are but rather paltry things compared with the greatness of the universe … and in the end, death puts and end to all our endeavors on earth … regardless of our ultimate outcome in eternity.
11. What is suggested is that these are prayers which almost seem to be expressed at night. For night is a time of shadows … where things are black and white … when we are emotionally in a different realm … where are the surrounding things which reassure us during the daytime … our furniture, our house, our toys, and friends … are all gone…and we are alone … with God Almighty …
In the daytime … things seem more under control … they seem to reassure us …
It’s kind of like nightmare which seems to be so real … and where we are hurtling down the road in a car and the steering wheel comes off … or something like that …
And we wake up the next day … and say, “Whew, what was that all about? I’m glad that’s over with.”
12. But, no, the psalmist’s prayers are often extreme, like when we are alone in the hospital waiting room, or the doctor’s office, or something bad has happened to someone we love … and things are not all that comfortable … and we are praying with all our heart, and with all our emotions, and our thoughts are running together …
You get the picture?
No, we would all agree that this is not entirely a reasonable prayer … and yet maybe we should not be too hard on this man … about his desire to prove himself innocent … because that’s sometimes how it really feels … And sometimes that is how it is …too
… I am thinking of Nelson Mandela, imprisoned in South Africa for 18 years for opposing apartheid … or Martin Luther King … how would these words have sounded in their mouths …?
And so whether true or not … or whether or not the man who prays in Psalm 26 is truly innocent … we can identify with his desire to level with God … to clear himself … and, above all, to connect and be connected.
13. And that is what the prayer is all about …to be redeemed … and to be received into God’s gracious presence … and to be restored to ones integrity … in other words … to be whole again … to feel right about oneself … and not conflicted … and anxious … and pulled one way and another …. Always on the defensive … always have to make excuses or apologize for ones behavior …
That’s what integrity is all about … whether it is about our relationship with God … in Christ … or in our relationships with other in our family…our friends…our neighbors…our children and parents…or grandparents…or co-workers …
To be able to level with them … as the palms asks of God:
8-10 GOD, I love living with you;
your house glows with your glory.
When it's time for spring cleaning,
don't sweep me out with the quacks and crooks,
Men with bags of dirty tricks,
women with purses stuffed with bribe-money.
11-12 You know I've been aboveboard with you;
now be aboveboard with me.
I'm on the level with you, GOD;
I bless you every chance I get.
What does it mean to be on level ground? John Wesley’s commentary on Psalm 26 says this: To Standeth on Level Ground means to stand upon a sure and solid foundation, being under the protection of God's promise, and his almighty and watchful providence.
14. But I have a more vivid story with which I will end this sermon which illustrates what level ground is all about.
Tell about Going to the Sun Highway in Glacier Park.
There I was going up and down this narrow piece of road and to one side, with little or no guard rail, it was 1,000 feet over the edge! It was, to say the least, nerve wracking!
All I can tell you is that I was never so glad to be back on level Ground!
And that is what our relationship with God and one another …. Is all about … its all about being on the level.
And so, in as it says, we are all here today … in the great congregation to stand on level ground and bless the Lord!
posted by Anonymous at 2:39 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home