Sermon Tone Analysis

There is Great Wisdom in Reflection!

Each year since Angie and I came to ABC, we have taken the time, at the end of the year to reflect on what God has accomplished in our midst.

My pastor used to say that it is a healthy practice to look back and see, access and remember because it is all too easy simply to press on, always moving forward.

And if we are not careful, without reflection on the past, we set ourselves up for failure in the future.

The other benefit of reflecting and remembering is it can lift us out of the mire of self-pity and show us that God has travelled with us every step of the way!

Even when you do not see His hand moving clearly in front of you, you can always look back and see how His hand clearly moved for you!

So, when you are looking for comfort and hope, search your memory for the things God has done in your life.

And while it is true that things are going very well in our church, it is also true that it hasn’t always been this way and in the future may not be this way.

But the circumstances we find ourselves in do not dictate the faithfulness of our God.

God is faithful to His people.

God is faithful to ABC!

As I was thinking about this morning’s sermon/reflection, I came across a Psalm that I found to be quite interesting.

The Psalm is found in chapter 77

As you will see in this Psalm, the writer, Asaph, was struggling with God not answering his prayer.

And I’m not sure what you think, but it can be very discouraging when you pray and pray and it seems like your prayers go no higher than the ceiling!

Have you been there?

Me too!

And the writer of this Psalm, Asaph, is feeling the same way!

ASAPH—convener, or collector.

(1.)

A Levite; one of the leaders of David’s choir (1 Chr.

6:39).

Psalms 50 and 73–83 inclusive are attributed to him.

He is mentioned along with David as skilled in music, and a “seer” (2 Chr.

29:30).

The “sons of Asaph,” mentioned in 1 Chr.

25:1, 2 Chr.

20:14, and Ezra 2:41, were his descendants, or more probably a class of poets or singers who recognized him as their master.

Now I want to break this Psalm up into two sections and point a few things out to you...

Outline of Psalm 77

The Problem (Vs.

1-9)

2. Vs. 4-9

The problem for Asaph life is really hard right now and he is discouraged!

His soul refuses to be comforted!

He is so troubled he can’t even talk!

He is wrestling and struggling.

He then asks himself a question about God.

“Will it always be this way with the Lord?

Will my times be difficult and challenging from here on out?

Is the God of all compassion suddenly out of compassion?”

And, of course, the answer to this question is a resounding NO! Our God’s mercies and compassions are new EVERY MORNING!

And so Asaph had to REMIND HIMSELF about the faithfulness of God.

This is his way out from despair and discouragement!

2. The Solution Vs. 10-20

4. Vs. 16-18

psalm 77

5. Vs. 19-20

Asaph’s solution is to look back and remember what God has done!

He looked back quite a ways to God’s “wonders of old”.

He meditated on God’s mighty deeds.

To meditate means one ruminates!

We think and chew on an idea.

It is not a cursory, quick thought, it is something you sit in for a while!

He remembers the character of God, that He is holy!

That He revealed Himself to all people and that He purposed to rescue His people from slavery.

Literally!

They were enslaved by the Egyptians.

And “with his arm He redeemed His people.”

He rescued them from Egypt and sent them through the Red Sea.

And it was there that He destroyed their enemies!

(Sounds like the Gospel to me).

Asaph was not seeing God move and so he moved his mind to remember and indisputable time when God did move and He moved decisively!

The Point of ?

When you do not see God moving, look a little closer!

Remember what He has done throughout your life and throughout history!

And, my friends, it is so easy to get to the end of a year and say good riddance, to be without hope.

After all between mass shootings, sexual scandals (from politicians to Hollywood producers and actors and everywhere in between), Global unrest, Hurricanes and tornados, and a great political and racial divide in our country, this has been a hard year.

And if all you listen to are the major media outlets, one could quickly come to the conclusion that armageddon is just around the corner!

And in these turbulent times it’s easy to miss God’s glorious hand moving among us!

Maybe even in your own life it has been an exceptionally hard year for you?

You may have gotten divorced, lost your job, had a health problem, experienced the loss of a loved one or had another setback.

Whatever the case, perhaps it has been hard seeing God’s loving hand.

Just like Asaph, perhaps you feel like the Heavens are closed off to you and God isn’t there for you.

But we must learn from Asaph as well.

He didn’t stay there in his thinking.

Instead, he began to recount all that God had done not simply in his life but in the life and history of His people.

And you know what?

We can do the very same thing today!

Maybe 2017 was a tough year for you personally.

You may have gotten divorced, lost your job, had a health problem, experienced the loss of a loved one or had another setback.

Whatever the case, you can turn your setback into a comeback.

God loves Allendale Baptist Church because the church, His church is not a building.

No! His church are people.

You are His church and Christ loves His church so much that He gave His life for her!

For you!

And He delights in delighting His people!

has been hard seeing God’s loving hand.

Well, we cannot look at everyone’s individual lives, but we can and will take a snapshot of what God has tangibly done in our midst here at Allendale Baptist Church.

God has done amazing things...

Jer

This morning I will catalog the tangible ways in which we have seen God demonstrate His love for us over the past year!

First and foremost His has continued to keep His promises in His word.

And I believe He has blessed because of our desire to hold His truth!

He has grown us in PRAYER - Our theme for this year “Moving Forward on Our Knees - Being a church of Prayer”

Our Sunday morning Prayer gathering has grown in number and in substance!

Our Connection Group Ministry covered a book on how to pray and has increased in prayer as well.

Amy Vissers led a women’s group through Paul Miller’s book on prayer.

Prayer emails to the church to “stop and pray”

The overall temperature in our church is one of going to the Lord early and often!

Anonymous - “I prayed that the fruits of the spirit would finally be evident in my life after years of believing but not really bearing any fruit.

God is definitely answering!

I’ve been learning a lot about how to control myself in certain areas and have been finding the strength to actually do that.”

Anonymous - A loved one has finally sought help for a long-standing stronghold of sin.