Stronghold
March 7, 2004
Psalm 27:1
2nd Sunday in Lent
Galena-Warwick United Methodist Charge
Warwick & Galena, Maryland
Rev. Dr. Lawrence D. Jameson
larry@larryjameson.com
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The LORD is the stronghold of my life -
of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1
David, the warrior king, wrote Psalm 27.
His entire life was characterized by
physical, moral, and political battles.
David often needed a stronghold,
a fortress,
a hiding place,
somewhere safe
preferably up high on a mountain
carved into rock
a place where his enemies could not track him
where stones would not reveal a footprint
in the wilderness where no one lived
and neighbors couldn’t give him away.
David loved to hide in places like that,
and more than once
a stronghold saved his life, and the lives of his men.
David was the greatest military leader in the history of Israel.
Long before Kenny Rogers, David knew:
"You gotta know when to hold 'em,
know when to fold 'em,
know when to walk away, know when to run”
Sometimes David had to run.
And when he ran, he looked for a safe place,
a stronghold.
Later on, David became king,
and he wrote beautiful songs of praise
that reflected his struggles.
He wrote:
The LORD is the stronghold of my life -
of whom shall I be afraid?
David ran to God for shelter and safety.
He learned early on
that his greatest strength was
his relationship with God.
FORTRESS BUILDER
There was about 400 years
between the age of Moses
and the days of Saul, David, and Solomon.
During those 400 years,
the people of Israel did not build fortresses.
When their enemies attacked,
they ran away.
They didn’t have any fortified cities or towns.
Judges 6:2 says:
Because the power of Midian was so oppressive,
the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and
strongholds.
When Israel accepted their first king,
this began to change.
Saul fortified his capital city of Gibeah. (Gib-ee-uh)
When David became king,
he continued Saul’s fortress building policy.
David had his people construct massive walls
around their cities.
The walls would often be twenty five feet thick,
and twenty five feet high.
Sometimes, several walls were built around a city.
This happened in Jerusalem,
and many other cities in Israel.
Solomon followed the same pattern.
Warrior kings
knew the importance of
a big wall,
and having the high ground in battle.
However, heavy walls didn’t always work for the Jewish people.
They were useful,
but
there is a way to overcome every fortress.
David knew that his greatest protection
is God.
That’s why he wrote:
The LORD is my light and my salvation-
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life-
of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.
DO WE HAVE ENEMIES?
King David was a warrior king,
but what about us?
Do we have enemies?
Do we need a stronghold?
In Ephesians 6:12 the Bible says,
our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the powers of this dark world
and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13
Therefore put on the full armor of God,
so that when the day of evil comes,
you may be able to stand your ground,
and after you have done everything, to stand.
Dear ones,
we have terrible enemies:
sin, death, and the powers of evil.
We need a stronghold
because no matter what kind of walls you build
there is a way to overcome every human fortress.
WORST CASE SCENARIO
In March 2001
J Paul, Patsy, and Jennifer Adkins
were invited to Florida
for a visit with the parents of
Jennifer’s fiancé.
It was the first time they had ever
left John Paul on his own.
They felt he was ready.
He was 18 years old, just a week from graduation.
He was a Boy Scout,
just a week from his Eagle Court of Honor.
He was a committed Christian.
I know, because I was his pastor for six years.
He was active in the Ocean City Fire Company,
and he was the Chaplain of the Fire Cadets.
John Paul had never been on his own before that night.
He made a couple of poor choices.
He went to a party and drank.
Then he tried to drive home.
I will never forget John Paul’s funeral.
It was held in the Stephen Decatur High School auditorium.
It was the largest funeral service I have ever seen.
They awarded John Paul his High School Diploma,
and the rank of Eagle Scout,
posthumously.
Was God there?
Yes he was.
And he has been a stronghold for
J. Paul, Patsy, Jennifer and their family.
Where was God
when John Paul Adkins crashed his car?
It was John Paul who made a poor choice,
not God.
There are no easy answers
to being a Christian.
Christians suffer loss.
We crash our cars,
We get cancer.
We experience divorce, bankruptcy, and heartaches
just like everyone else in the world.
The difference is
we have a stronghold in Jesus Christ.
We have a place to run and hide.
We have a God who protects us
if we let him.
SELF FORGIVENESS
Sometimes,
we can be our own worst enemy.
I have talked to a lot of people
who for one reason or another
just don’t seem to be able to forgive themselves.
This is a perplexing thing.
But there is no human problem that God can’t solve.
People can tie themselves into emotional knots,
with all kinds of twists and turns:
guilt, anger, poor self esteem,
trauma, fear.
When I run across someone who is unable to forgive themself
I turn to Romans 8:31.
What, then, shall we say in response to this?
If God is for us, who can be against us?
He who did not spare his own Son,
but gave him up for us all
--how will he not also, along with him,
graciously give us all things?
I love that verse.
If God is for us,
who can be against us?
Even if we cannot forgive ourselves
God can AND DOES!
The death of Jesus Christ
paid for every sin in this world,
even the sin of self anger.
God really does forgive.
He cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
He heals every broken part.
He gives HIS strength, HIS courage, HIS purpose.
God is our stronghold,
even when we have become
our own worst enemy.
CONCLUSION
( Hold up the small safe used in the children’s sermon.
Open the box and pull out the following items: )
PEARL NECKLACE and a DEED
We don’t put our complete faith in riches or money.
By itself, money is neutral, neither good nor bad,
but it becomes a stumbling stone
when that is all we trust.
SUBSCRIPTION MEDICINE BOTTLE
We don’t fully depend on modern medicine or doctors.
These things are good,
but God alone gives life.
FAMILY PHOTO
We can’t depend on family ties to get us to heaven.
Mom, dad, or grandma might be strong Christians,
but God wants YOU to trust him personally.
DIPLOMA
An education is a precious and important possession.
But we don’t completely depend on our own intelligence
to be a success.
The Bible tells us that
the fear of the Lord is the beginning of true wisdom.
MARRIAGE LICENSE
Being married is one of the greatest joys in my life.
God is greater than your marriage,
and you can only succeed in marriage
when you put God first.
King David
ran to God for shelter and safety.
He learned early on
that his greatest strength was
his relationship with God.
The LORD is the stronghold of my life -
of whom shall I be afraid?
PRAYER
Thank you, dear Jesus, for keeping me safe.
You are stronger than Fort Knox.
You are more powerful than the world’s greatest army.
You have more wealth than the Federal Reserve.
I can trust you. I can invest everything I have in you
and never fear, because no person, and no possession
in your care is ever forsaken or lost.
Thank you for guarding me and everyone I love. Amen.