"A Joyful Noise"
By Rev. Billy D. Strayhorn (Psalm 98:1-9)
O sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things.
His right hand and his holy arm
have gotten him victory.
[2] The LORD has made known his victory;
he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
[3] He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the victory of our God.
[4] Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
[5] Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody.
[6] With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD.
[7] Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who live in it.
[8] Let the floods clap their hands;
let the hills sing together for joy
[9] at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.
(NRSV)
INTRODUCTION:
What a weird passage of Scripture. Or at least a weird ending to a Psalm filled with so much praise.
Here we have this Psalm filled with phrases like:
Sing to the Lord a new song.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord
Sing praises to the Lord.
AND WHY ALL THIS MERRIMENT AND REJOICING?
Listen to the last two verses again: "Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity."
I'm sorry, I feel a little like McCauly Culkin in "Home Alone," I want to put my hands on my face and holler: "Aaaahhh!"
What on earth does that mean?
Some people get so excited about this whole idea of judgement. They give the impression that they just can't wait. Jesus is coming back and boy is he mad! They're looking to see the showdown. They want to do like the Ortho Fire Ant commercials. They want to sit and laugh in glee as people are cast into the outer darkness.
But I don't think that's what this is about at all. I think those folks who are waiting for Jesus to come back and pour the Ortho of judgment all over the world are sadly mistaken and misguided.
Besides, I don't think that's what this passage is about. I think this passage is about the discovery of grace. We all know what we've done. We all know that at times we've failed God miserably. We've laid waste to our claims to be a Christian. We expect judgment. But when we turn back to God with repentance and confession through Christ, what we find is love, mercy and grace. And that's why God's people are able to rejoice.
And I think that it's this grace that our children help us see. I think that's why Jesus told us to come to God like little children. And to have faith as little children.
I. INSTRUMENTS OF GOD:
Children are instruments of God's grace and allow us to see things from a different perspective.
A man arrived at heaven and was shown into God's office for judgment. One office wall was a huge window looking down on earth. The earth was beautiful with its blue waters, green forests, and white clouds. On the table in front of the window, there was a pair of glasses. They must be God's glasses. No one was around, so the man tried them on and looked at the earth again. This time he saw hunger, poverty, sickness, and so much inhumanity that he could not bear it. He heard a voice behind him, "Please, take off my glasses."
The man did so, immediately. He stood there trembling, waiting for his punishment for messing with God's stuff. After a long pause, the voice gently asked, "What did you see?"
"I saw hate, corruption, and evil!" the man answered.
"Did you feel any love or compassion?" the voice asked.
"No!!!" the man said. "After what I saw, I would destroy the whole planet without any hesitation or regret!"
Then God said, "That's why YOU can't use my glasses. You may not see what I see, unless you can feel what I feel." (1)
I know children don't always get it right. For example did you hear about a certain little boy's version of the Old Testament verse: "A lie is an abomination unto the Lord, and a very present help in trouble." (2)
Or the little boy who said, "Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt by day and a ball of fire by night."
Or how about the two little girls who decided to play Church and Communion with their lunch. One of the little girls said, "Then Jesus took the cup and blessed it and said, "Fill it with Folgers and wake them up." Her quote might have been wrong, but her theology was excellent. (3)
II. THEY TEACH US ABOUT GOD:
Sure, sometimes they get it wrong. But more times than not, children let us see things through God's eyes and feel what God feels. But we have to take the time to listen and look through their eyes. One little girl misquoted the 23rd Psalm but probably got it better than anyone else except maybe the author. "The Lord is my shepherd, that's all I want!" (4)
John Boggs told me of a conversation he had with his nine year old granddaughter. In a discussion about God and heaven she said, "I know I'm going to heaven. It's a free gift from God." She may not even know what the word "Grace" means but she understands what God's Grace is all about.
When take the time to listen and look through the eyes of our children and youth, then we WILL be able to: "Sing to the Lord a new song." We will be able to: "Make a joyful noise to the Lord" and "Sing praises to the Lord." Not because Jesus is coming back like Little Rabbit Foo Foo, ready to bop someone on the head. But because we have experienced the love, mercy and grace of God through Christ.
CONCLUSION:
This morning we have the opportunity to look through the eyes of our children. And allow them to minister to us in a very unique way. This morning we get to see the hands of Jesus in the hands of these children as they break the bread and share it with us. We will serve them first and then they will help Steve and I serve you. Let their hands be a blessing to you. Let their service in this way be a blessing to you as well. We will be depending a lot on God's Grace. So be in prayer also as our children serve us this morning.
I want to close with a devotional I found in this years Daily Guideposts. I don't remember the date but it's been within the last month or so.
"My dear granddaughter Hannah,
"You are only two, and yet you have already mastered attitudes that have eluded me for half a century.
"You react to life. You laugh or cry outright. You squeal or sing, jump up and down and shout. You seem to reach out and touch life, extracting joy from thin air. I act at life, trying hard to hide my true feelings. I am calm, controlled, dignified. No one would ever know how sad and lonely I can be. Or how excited!
"You see opportunities everywhere; I see problems. You want to climb the attic stairs. You see steps; I see danger. You want to paint. I see mess; you see colors.
"You love to learn. With wild abandon you tackle new words, new skills. You find laughter in mistakes; I find embarrassment. You want to know everything. Book is your favorite word. Questions are your favorite tools. I struggle to learn, hoping to master the computer in one easy lesson or not at all. I've forgotten how to laugh at blunders.
"You live in the moment, your life a series of thrilling "nows." I languish in nostalgia or stew about a frightening future.
"You are trusting. I could easily overtax your energies, but you trust my love completely, and with good reason. I am cautious. Disillusioned by people so many times, I've come to expect disappointment.
"You are courageous. You walk right up to a stranger and smile. At lunch you boldly bite into broccoli, and though you dislike it, tomorrow you will tackle cauliflower with the same exuberance; I stick with the familiar favorites.
"I love you for who you are! Grandpa Dan
"Dear Lord, if it's not too late, help me to grow up and become just like Hannah."
This is the Word of the Lord for this day.
Gracious, Loving God, this is our prayer also: Help us to grow up and become just like Hannah and all the children you are growing in here in our Church.
1. THE JOKESMITH
2. Pastor's Story File, January 1996
3. Hodgin, 1001 Humorous Illustrations, (Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, Michigan) p.57.
4. Pastor's Story File, November 1995
5. Daily Guideposts, 1997, --Daniel Schantz