Sermon at First Presbyterian
Church Lockhart
by James Greene
Today is Father's day in our culture. Today, we reflect upon our fathers and their influence in our lives. They help us to learn about life, about
responsibilities, and about choices.
In the readings this
morning, we see how God, our Father, demonstrates to us life standards and gives us vision of
what it is to be in His Kingdom. Thus the reason for the title of “No
Fear, With The Father”. It is the central theme of our readings today.
In the reading in I Kings we
again see Ahab and Jezebel in the life of Elijah.
Jezebel sends him a
message that swears to him that
he will meet the same fate as her prophets of Baal. Remember that, Elijah was the prophet who killed all of the prophets of Baal after his demonstration of the Lord’s
power on Monut Carmel. He is the last prophet for the Lord. Sometimes we give into fear in the presence of earthly power. Elijah gives into that fear, when he realizes that ”Sometimes running is a good strategy”
It is, what we call today a “Dadism”. Those are the ‘pearls of wisdom’ and ‘bits of
advice’ that Dad’s like to give out again, - and again, - and again.
When I was about 8, and getting into trouble with a bunch of kids who were
engaged in a mud fight, I
took this lesson to heart, when a
big kid came after me. I ran as fast as I could for the house, and used my hand to stop myself, before ducking in the front door, which left a muddy hand print on the wall on our front landing.
When we moved out of that
house a year later that hand print was still there as a reminder that it pays
to learn how to run fast, and stop faster.
The Dadism
for that – ”Sometimes running is a good strategy” (especially if they are bigger
than you)
So, Elijah does just that. He leaves northern
He really wanted
to get out of town.
He experiences on the mountain- a great wind - an earthquake, - and a
fire. God is not in any of these. Then he hears a “gentle whisper” and knows it
is the Lord, and goes out
to meet God. He
covers his face.
Realize - there is no fear when he meets and stands in the presence of God. There is “no fear with the father”. He is then told to go all the way
back to
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In Psalm 42 we see a thirst for God, the
God of our life. We also see our desire to meet with
God, like Elijah. We also see how important God is
to us. It is revealed when our longing to
worship God is intensified, when
we are not able to worship. It effects our outlook, and it effects our
motivation, because we
place our hope in God. This hope
in God reduces fear, because
we like Elijah know that God
is greater than our deepest fear.
It’s like tackling in little league football, when you are 4’ 10” and weigh 70 pounds,
and you get to tackle the kid 5’4” and weighs 145
pounds. The first time there
is no fear, until that 145 pounds lands on top of you.
The Dadism for that - “The bigger they are, the harder they fall”… just make sure they don’t
fall on top of you.
In the Galatians, we see how the Law restricted the Jews, but through faith it was used to help lead us to Christ. It is through our faith in Christ that we are the sons of God (the
Children of God). The Law is there to instruct us
how we should behave, and Christ has come showing us what that behavior looks like. There
is no fear in our faith in Christ. I’m talking about the regular kind of fear that
Elijah experience. (Not the fear that is associated with
the awe and wonder at the Power
of God.) It is with, and in Christ, that we are freed from The Law’s
supervision. We are to apply The Law in it’s heart and intent.
Not that people are separated from each other and God, “because” they are Jew
–Greek, male –
female, or slave – free, but
that in Christ they
are
all one.
They are all part of the children of God, and the people of God.
The Dadism for that – “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink”. You can read, and learn The Law, but
like the Pharasses you may not know how to apply the heart of The Law as
it was intended. It
is only through faith, and
in Christ, that we are engrafted into God’s family, and are a part of Abraham’s offspring, and inheritors of the promise of The Covenant.
In Luke we see Jesus allowing demons
to leave a man possessed who is living in tombs outside the town of
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So
how does this apply to us today? We
can through our faith in Christ, have “No
fear, with the Father” because he comes to
us, and redeems us, if we but believe in Him. The fear in
The Law is removed because we, as the Children of God, are covered by
God’s Covenant. The Law is a lot like Dadisms. It is the wisdom passed down to instruct us, to keep us out of
harm, and to help guide us, in life, as the people of
God.
Since
it is Father’s Day, - I’d like to share some of the Dadisms that help guide us,
- that we have heard,
- more often than we would like to
hear:
I used to go to have to walk to school, in the snow, up hill both ways.
Do your best, that is all that I ask.
Don’t be so serious,
life is too short.
A little hard work never hurt anyone.
You could mess up an Iron ball with a rubber hammer.
You couldn’t pour water out of a glass if
the instructions were on the bottom.
Doing that will make you short.
Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall.
The reason you make mistakes is so you can recognize them again.
Act your age.
Life is tough, but it is tougher if you’re stupid. -John Wayne
–The Sands of
Fighting
You want to fight … Join the Marine Corps.
Because you’re small, 98% of the guys you come up against are
going to be bigger
than you, so pick up and equalizer and use
it.
You can run, but you can’t hide.
Relationships
You show respect to your elders.
Go ask you mother.
What part of NO, do you not understand?
If I catch you doing that again I’ll…. _____
Don’t you look at me that way.
You can’t live long enough to learn everything the hard way.
In the Name of … the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit. Amen
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