[Propertalk] Fwd: Sermons Resources for July 3 - Part 2

[Joe Parrish]

Worship: Time to Cool Down
 
In the early days of automobiles, it was common for eating and drinking places to be built on the tops of long hills.  I know that near where I grew up on the old Island Highway, there is a restaurant called the Malahat Chalet - still located at the top of the longest grade between Nanaimo and Victoria.  It was not located there for the view, nor were most of the others you can still find around North America at the tops of hills and mountains.  These locations were for the convenience of people who needed to stop and let their overheated radiators cool down.


That is one of the functions of Worship for many of us - a time for rest and refreshment - when we let our overheated radiators cool down.  

Richard J Fairchild, Come Unto Me - For My Burden Is Easy
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Counter-cultural Surrender
 
There is something quite important for us to understand as we celebrate Independence Day. There is a "flip flop" quality to understanding today's scripture.  It goes counter to our usual way of thinking.  America is the home of Davey Crocket who conquered the "wild frontier" and Wyatt Earp who tamed the "wild west."  We honor and value independence, self-sufficiency, strength and the glory of a "self-made" man or woman. Surrender is what we did not do. With brains and brawn we became a super power in the world.  "Yankee Ingenuity" is the brilliance that made us great. Resisting the yoke others would put on us is the strength that made us free.

Now Jesus comes along to say that wisdom and intelligence did not cut the mustard when it comes to knowing God. Not only is the yoke not to be resisted, we are to voluntarily take this yoke upon ourselves and surrender to one who is greater than us!
 
How counter-cultural can you get? We can not fight, or think or power ourselves into the kingdom of God and the peace of Christ.


John Jewell, Knowing God
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The Discipline of Simplicity
 
In Richard Foster's book of discipline he divides discipline into three parts: Inward, Outward, and Corporate discipline. He places simplicity under the category of the Outward Disciplines. Here are his nine ways to order our world so that we can create simplicity in our life.
 
First, buy things for their usefulness rather than their status
Second, reject anything that is producing an addiction in you.
Third, develop a habit of giving things away.
Fourth, refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry.
Fifth, learn to enjoy things without owning them.
Sixth, develop a deeper appreciation for the creation.
Seventh, look at a healthy skepticism at all "buy now, pay later" schemes.
Eighth, obey Jesus' instructions about plain, honest speech.
Ninth, reject anything that will breed the oppression of others.
Tenth, shun whatever would distract you from you main goal: "Seek first the kingdom of God."
 
Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline.
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The Sweetest Sound
 
There is a story that Hebrew families tell their children to help them understand the fourth commandment. The fourth commandment reads, "Six days you shall labor but on the seventh you shall rest." The story is called, "The Sweetest Sound." The main character in the story is King Ruben. It goes something like this.

The king asked his royal subjects, "What is the sweetest melody of all?" Early the next morning they gathered all sorts of musicians. The sound awoke the king and all morning he listened to their tunes. But, after listening to all of them he could not tell which was the sweetest sound. Finally, one subject suggested they all play together. It was so noisy the king couldn’t think.

About that moment a woman, dressed in her Sunday best, pushed to the front of the crowd and stepped forward. "O, king," she said, "I have the answer to your question." The king was surprised since she had no instrument. "Why didn’t you come earlier?" he asked. She replied, "I had to wait until the setting of the sun." The musicians were still playing and the king told them all to stop.

The woman then took two candles and placed them on the king’s balcony rail. She lit them just as the sun continued to set. The flames glowed in the evening darkness. She then lifted her voice and said, "Blessed art thou, O Lord, Our God, King of the universe, who sanctified us with the commandments and commanded us to kindle the Sabbath lights." She then said, "He who has an ear, let him hear."

Everyone was completely still. "What is that?" asked the king." He could not hear a sound. The woman then replied, "What you hear is the sound of rest, the sweetest melody of all."

Jesus said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." This is also the sweetest sound any of us can hear.
 
Keith Wagner, True Freedom
 
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A Contented Man
 
A story is told of a king who was suffering from a malady and was advised by his astrologer that he would be cured if the shirt of a contented man were brought to him to wear. People went out to all parts of the kingdom after such a person, and after a long search they found a man who was really happy...but he did not possess a shirt.
 
David Leininger, Ask the Average Person, www.eSermons.com
 
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Did You Use All Your Strength?
 
I remember an old story about a little boy who was out helping dad with the yard work. Dad asked him to pick up the rocks in a certain area of the yard. Dad looked over and saw him struggling to pull up a huge rock buried in the dirt. The little boy struggled and struggled while Dad watched. Finally, the boy gave up and said, "I can't do it." Dad asked, "Did you use all of your strength?" The little boy looked hurt and said, "Yes, sir. I used every ounce of strength I have." The father smiled and said, "No you didn't. You didn't ask me to help." The father walked over and then the two of them pulled that big rock out of the dirt.
 
One of the great Biblical truths seems impossible. Liberty comes through being yoked with Christ.
 
Billy D. Strayhorn, Freedom through the Yoke 
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Our Value in God's Eyes
 
A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of two hundred, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 bill to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the $20 bill up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. "Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.
 
"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson…
 
The conclusion to this illustration and for many additional illustrations and sermons for Proper 9 can be accessed at www.Sermons.com.
 
 
 
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