Sermon
Psalms 78:1-8
A Matter of Influence
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Psalms 78:1-8
A Matter of Influence
If you just got here, we’re following the Psalm readings from the lectionary this fall. We heard Psalm 105 last Sunday. Today’s psalm is Psalm 78. The psalms for the coming weeks are listed in your bulletin.
Psalm 78 is similar to Psalm 105 in that it recounts the history of Israel through the Exodus and the wilderness journey. What I’d like for us to focus on in the sermon this morning is the sovereignty of God’s Word, as found in the first eight verses. The psalmist makes it clear: We’re called to heed God’s Word and pass it on from one generation to the next.
What I’d like for you to think is this: It’s a matter of influence. God’s Word influences us to think and act as children of God; we, in turn, use our influence to help others find strength and direction for their lives through God’s Word. The psalm begins,
“Hear my teaching, my people.
Turn your ears to the words of my mouth” (Psalm 78:1).
Other translations read, “Give ear … to my instruction,” and others, “Give ear … to my law.” According to Psalm 119, law, statutes, ordinances, teaching and instruction are all synonymous with the Word of God. So, the way I read the verse is, “Give ear, O my people, to the authority of God’s Word; incline your ears to the voice of the Spirit.”
I don’t have to tell you, there are a lot of competing voices today clamoring for your attention. Whether you get your information from radio, television, newspapers and magazines or the computer, there are any number of people out there who’d like to influence you in what you think, what you wear, what you buy and who and what you believe.
I read a sermon some time ago entitled, “Who’ve You Been Listening To?” The gist of it was this: If you listen carefully to what others say, you can usually trace where they got their information.
Try this on your friends. Just be discreet. Bring up a topic-of-the-day – say the President’s new jobs initiative – and ask what they think of it. It shouldn’t be too hard to tell whether they’ve been listening to, say, CNN or Fox News; Rush Limbaugh or NPR.
Who’ve you been listening to? The psalmist admonishes us to listen to the Word of God.
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Here’s a simple challenge: Resolve to spend as much time this week reading the Bible as you spend listening to the news. If you spend thirty minutes watching the evening news, then spend thirty minutes reading the Bible. You can do the math. And, if you don’t know where to begin, start with the Psalms. They’re easy to find. Just open the Bible to the middle of the book. You’ll hit psalms almost every time. Start with Psalm 1, where it says,
“Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stand in the way of sinners,
nor sit in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in Yahweh’s law.
On his law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree planted by the streams of water,
that brings forth its fruit in its season,
whose leaf also does not wither.
Whatever he does shall prosper” (Psalm 1:1-3).
Read the Bible. Familiarize yourself with the teachings of the Old and New Testaments. Give heed to what it says.
Just don’t be surprised if you don’t get it all at once. The psalmist writes,
“I will open my mouth in a parable.
I will utter dark sayings of old,
Which we have heard and known,
and our fathers have told us” (Psalm 78:2-3).
Parts of the Bible are hard to understand. That’s because of two things: The Bible was written long ago in Hebrew and Greek, and it’s not easy to translate its message across time and cultural barriers. As importantly, the Bible was written for people in search of faith and understanding; as such, it’s intended for those who are not ashamed to humble themselves and look to the Spirit to guide them. Charles Wesley wrote,
“No one can truly say that Jesus is the Lord
Unless Thou take the veil away and breathe the living Word;
Then, only then, do we feel an interest in his blood
And cry with joy unspeakable, ‘Thou art my Lord, my God.'”
The disciples once asked Jesus, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” He said:
“To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven,
but it is not given to them.
For whoever has, to him will be given,
and he will have abundance,
but whoever doesn’t have,
from him will be taken away even that which he has.
Therefore I speak to them in parables,
because seeing they don’t see,
and hearing, they don’t hear,
neither do they understand” (Matthew 13:10-13).
To the unbeliever, the cynic, the disinterested man-on-the-street, God’s Word sounds cryptic and confusing. It sounds archaic and out of touch. It sounds poetic and quaint, but not applicable to the complexities of our world today.
But to those who are willing to humble themselves and accept God’s Word on faith alone, the scripture comes alive with truth and meaning, and they’re able to understand its message. For example, through the eyes of faith:
• Noah’s Ark is more than a story about a man who built a boat to save himself and his family and the animals from the flood; it’s a reminder that, by the grace of God, good will triumph over evil and life will prosper, even after the wicked have done everything in their power to destroy it.
• The Exodus is more than a story about how God set the people of Israel free from their bondage in Egypt, it’s a symbol of how God will deliver us from the slavery of sinful people, habits and addictions, if we’re willing to call on him;
• David and Goliath is more than a story of a young boy who brought down a mighty Philistine with a slingshot and a stone; it’s a word of assurance that, with God on your side, you have the ability to overcome whatever giant may be threatening you;
• The Resurrection of Jesus is more than a story of how the Son of God died on the Cross and rose from the dead; it’s a promise, that whosoever believeth in him, though he die, yet shall he live and have the gift of eternal life. (John 11:25)
Read the Bible. Ask the Spirit to help you understand its message. Let it influence your life. Then pass on what you know with others, especially the children. The psalmist writes,
“For he established a testimony in Jacob,
and appointed a teaching in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers,
that they should make them known to their children;
that the generation to come might know,
even the children who should be born;
who should arise and tell their children,
that they might set their hope in God,
and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments” (Psalm 78:5-7).
It’s a no-brainer: One generation passes its faith and understanding on to the next. This is what Moses told the people of Israel when he gave them the Law. He said,
“Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one:
and you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your might.
These words, which I command you this day, shall be on your heart;
and you shall teach them diligently to your children,
and shall talk of them when you sit in your house,
and when you walk by the way,
and when you lie down, and when you rise up” (Psalm 6:4-7).
It’s the picture Paul paints of Timothy, when he says,
“I thank God… having been reminded of the sincere faith that is in you; which lived first in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and, I am persuaded, in you also” (2 Timothy 1:3, 5).
Nothing could be simpler: Children born into loving families, where they’re nourished with wholesome food, nurtured with patience, kindness and love; taught to read and write and think for themselves; all the while, being grounded in the faith of their fathers and mothers from generations before. This is what Frederick Faber had in mind when he penned the words,
Faith of our fathers, living still,
In spite of dungeon, fire and sword;
O how our hearts beat high with joy
Whenever we hear that glorious Word!
The problem is not many of us have children in the home. For most of us, our children are grown and gone with children of their own. How are you going to influence children with whom you have little contact? My sense is you have to be creative. For example,
• I know a woman who writes Sunday School lessons for her grandson with little worksheets for him to fill out and mail back to her.
• Several years ago, I knew a man who had a passion for restoring old bicycles. He’d find them on the curb waiting for the city to come pick them up. As often as not, he only had to do a little adjusting and oiling and fixing flat tires to get them going again. He deliberately set up shop out in the open and worked in the afternoons, as kids were walking by on their way home from school. Sure enough, a few wandered over to see what he was doing, and he invited them to help. As they worked together, he talked to them, asked them questions, told them stories. He brought out the best in them, just by being himself. And when a bicycle was ready to ride, he’d give it to one of them to keep.
• I knew an older woman in Winnie, Texas who became a surrogate grandmother for a nine-year-old girl up the street. The little girl started visiting Mamaw because she’d fix her a snack when she came home from school and let her watch TV. One day Mamaw asked her to help in the kitchen. One thing led to another and, before they knew it, Mamaw was teaching her to cook and sharing bits and pieces of God’s Word, as well.
You have a greater influence on others than you might think. Not only children, but neighbors, coworkers, those you pass in aisle at the grocery store, or sit next to in the restaurant, watch what you do and how you do it. You can have a positive effect on how others think and act, if you try.
And make no mistake about it – your influence is crucial to the shape of our community and nation and to our hope for the future. The psalmist writes,
“Tell others “that the generation to come might know,
even the children who should be born;
who should arise and tell their children,
that they might set their hope in God,
and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments,
and might not be as their fathers,
a stubborn and rebellious generation” (Psalm 78:6-8).
The psalm goes on to tell what happened to the people of Israel when they stopped listening to God. The promises were lost, and the people faltered and stumbled and lost their way.
The same can happen to us … and, in many ways, it’s already happening.
• Children of once strong church leaders have not stepped up to take the place of their parents – and their children are even less active.
• This is reflected in the community: Children of once strong families in the community have not taken their place as community leaders – and their children are increasingly less educated, less productive and more dependent on others.
• And, as we all know: As goes the community, so goes the nation.
It goes back to the fundamentals of faith and understanding … or lack thereof. For example, one study reported that over 50% of high school seniors thought Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife, and that Billy Graham preached the Sermon on the Mount.
I’ve seen a similar survey reflecting students’ lack of knowledge of American history. It’s just as telling … and just as sad.
It might be funny if it weren’t so incriminating. We’re the one who’ve failed to teach our children the fundamentals. We’re the ones who’ve failed to pass on our faith and understanding – and our love of God’s Word – to those who’ll take our place.
The good news is it’s not too late. But time is running short. And so, I implore you: Do everything within your power to share what you know, what you believe, what you’ve experienced of God’s grace and love. Don’t let a day go by without at least making an effort.
Let’s wrap it up: It’s a matter of influence, and you’ve got a lot more than you think. First, let God’s Word influence you. Read the Bible. Listen for the voice of God’s Spirit speaking to you and helping you to know the truth of God’s Word. Then use your influence to help others know the Lord and find strength and direction for their lives. Let the words of Katherine Hankey be your mantra:
I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love;
I love to tell the story, because I know ‘tis true;
It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.
I love to tell the story, ‘twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Copyright 2011, Philip McLarty. Used by permission.
SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible.