'THE CANADIAN PROBLEM'

Rev. Canon George Sinclair

by Rev. Canon George Sinclair                           

 Pastor of the Church of the Messiah, Ottawa, ON.
  www.messiahchurch.ca

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Podcast of CFRA broadcast on Sunday,   

November 1^st, 2020

http://accm.ncf.ca/images/20.11.01.mp3

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This week's broadcast is the sermon I gave at Church of the Messiah. 

The sermon was called "The Canadian Problem" 

 It is part of my series, "Judges: Messy People, Faithful God"

"The Canadian Problem"

  

Today’s Reading: Judges 17:1-18:31  (ESV)

Micah and the Levite

17 There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2 And he said to his mother, “The 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the Lord.” 3 And he restored the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother. And his mother said, “I dedicate the silver to the Lord from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a metal image. Now therefore I will restore it to you.” 4 So when he restored the money to his mother, his mother took 200 pieces of silver and gave it to the silversmith, who made it into a carved image and a metal image. And it was in the house of Micah. 5 And the man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household gods, and ordained[a] one of his sons, who became his priest. 6 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

7 Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 8 And the man departed from the town of Bethlehem in Judah to sojourn where he could find a place. And as he journeyed, he came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah. 9 And Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to sojourn where I may find a place.” 10 And Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year and a suit of clothes and your living.” And the Levite went in. 11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man became to him like one of his sons. 12 And Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. 13 Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest.”

Danites Take the Levite and the Idol

18 In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the people of Dan was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in, for until then no inheritance among the tribes of Israel had fallen to them. 2 So the people of Dan sent five able men from the whole number of their tribe, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to explore it. And they said to them, “Go and explore the land.” And they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. 3 When they were by the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. And they turned aside and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?” 4 And he said to them, “This is how Micah dealt with me: he has hired me, and I have become his priest.” 5 And they said to him, “Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed.” 6 And the priest said to them, “Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the Lord.”

7 Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting, lacking[b] nothing that is in the earth and possessing wealth, and how they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. 8 And when they came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers said to them, “What do you report?” 9 They said, “Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And will you do nothing? Do not be slow to go, to enter in and possess the land. 10 As soon as you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people. The land is spacious, for God has given it into your hands, a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.”

11 So 600 men of the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol, 12 and went up and encamped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. On this account that place is called Mahaneh-dan[c] to this day; behold, it is west of Kiriath-jearim. 13 And they passed on from there to the hill country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.

14 Then the five men who had gone to scout out the country of Laish said to their brothers, “Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, household gods, a carved image, and a metal image? Now therefore consider what you will do.” 15 And they turned aside there and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and asked him about his welfare. 16 Now the 600 men of the Danites, armed with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate. 17 And the five men who had gone to scout out the land went up and entered and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war. 18 And when these went into Micah's house and took the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” 19 And they said to him, “Keep quiet; put your hand on your mouth and come with us and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and clan in Israel?” 20 And the priest's heart was glad. He took the ephod and the household gods and the carved image and went along with the people.

21 So they turned and departed, putting the little ones and the livestock and the goods in front of them. 22 When they had gone a distance from the home of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah's house were called out, and they overtook the people of Dan. 23 And they shouted to the people of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you, that you come with such a company?” 24 And he said, “You take my gods that I made and the priest, and go away, and what have I left? How then do you ask me, ‘What is the matter with you?’” 25 And the people of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and you lose your life with the lives of your household.” 26 Then the people of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home.

27 But the people of Dan took what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, and they came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire. 28 And there was no deliverer because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone. It was in the valley that belongs to Beth-rehob. Then they rebuilt the city and lived in it. 29 And they named the city Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel; but the name of the city was Laish at the first. 30 And the people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, son of Moses,[d] and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land. 31 So they set up Micah's carved image that he made, as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.

Footnotes

1. Judges 17:5 Hebrew filled the hand of; also verse 12
2. Judges 18:7 Compare 18:10; the meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
3. Judges 18:12 Mahaneh-dan means camp of Dan
4. Judges 18:30 Or Manasseh

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George Sinclair George is the Lead Pastor at Church of the Messiah. 

More about George Sinclair

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To listen to the above broadcast, click on the following link:

http://accm.ncf.ca/images/20.11.01.mp3

'EMBRACING YOUR PROBLEMS'

Rev. Donald S. Crisp

      by Rev. Don Crisp  

        Pastor of First Baptist Church  
        Smiths Falls, Ontario

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PODCAST LINK to CFRA Broadcast - Sunday, April 29^th, 2012: 
http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/6/6759/good_news_11_apr29.mp3

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Broadcast Notes:

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‘Embracing your problems’

 

The Bible says in James 1:2-4:

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,^{(A) 3} because you know that the testing of your faith^(B) develops perseverance.^{(C) 4} Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature^(D) and complete, not lacking anything.

Cross references:

A.      James 1:2 : ver 12; S Mt 5:12; Heb 10:34; 12:11

B.      James 1:3 : 1Pe 1:7

C.      James 1:3 : S Heb 10:36

D.      James 1:4 : S 1Co 2:6

 

The fact is, we needed to be reminded that God is watching us. The Bible informs us that He leads us, He guides us, He provides for us. Read Psalm 91:11. It says, “He commands His angles to guard over us”. In Psalm 121:8 it records these words, “He watches over us. He watches over our coming and our going, both now and for evermore.”

 

In fact, the Bible says, “His eye is constantly on the sparrow.”

 

Again, James 1: 2-4,

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴ Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

 

Did you notice the spiritual; process, there? Trials are allowed to come our way. Why? To test our faith, so that you and I can develop perseverance. Perseverance, will in turn, help us to gain maturity in our faith.

 

Now, we don’t count it pure joy because the bottom of our boat has just fallen out. We count it pure joy because we trust God for our journey. We trust His promises that he will be with us during the process. Yes, each one of can say, “I count it pure joy because God’s eye is on the sparrow, and therefore, I know that He is watching over me."

 

You may be faced with problems related to family, marriage, health problems, vocation, finances, drugs, abuse; well, the list goes on and on. How do you deal with problems that come your way in life? That’s really the question, isn’t it?

 

A seasoned poet once wrote these words, “It was pain that knocked upon my door and said that she had come to stay. And though I would not welcome her, but asked her to go away, she still entered in, and like my own shadow, she followed after me; and from her stabbing, stinging sword, no moment was I free.” The poet describes a very difficult, painful situation. Many of you listening today, are bruised and immobilized by your trials. The bruises are not always the kind we can see on the outside. We know that. They’re on the inside. Some of us are bruised over the death of loved ones. Others are facing emotional trauma, relational stress, spiritual doubts, marital conflicts, sexual temptations, financial setbacks, occupational disappointments, and so on. Now, here’s the truth; and no matter what some may tell you today, trials are common to all people; and Christians are not exempt.

 

In today’s text, James shows us how to respond to our trials. So my first point is simply this: You and I are to respond, and not react, to trials. What do I mean by that? Well, first of all, when we react, do we often react emotionally and we regret it later. When we respond, we begin to understand that most of life’s issues are fairly predictable, and we need to respond in a way that will be healthy. Therefore, I recommend that with each issue that comes our way, we stop, we think, and we pray about it.

 

You see, when we react, you find yourself not only acting emotionally, but often we’re motivated by fear or by anger. We find ourselves acting in a way that is not complimentary to the person, or the issue, or ourselves.

 

Think of it this way, it’s like a dog with a bone. The dog keeps chewing on it and chewing on it and chewing on it. Isn’t that what we keep doing with our problems: Nursing them, rehearsing them, cursing them? Yes, we are to respond, not to react, to trials. Secondly, you and I are to respond with perseverance. That’s what James was teaching in that text. J.B. Philips’ translation of verses 2 and 3, in James 1, reads this way: “When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers and sisters, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends. Realize that they have come to test your faith. Yes, that begins to make sense, doesn’t it? You see, the trials that God allows to come your way are never meant to hurt you, but rather, to help you.

 

To persevere will take focus. One has to be consistently intentional. One has to decide from the very beginning, never to give up. Walter Payton never gave up. At just 5’10’’, 202 pounds, he was not a particularly large running-back for the NFL, but he set one of sport’s greatest records: the all-time rushing record of 16,726 yards. Wow! During his twelve-year career, Payton carried the ball over nine miles. What is truly impressive, though, is that he was knocked to the ground, on the average of, every 4.4 yards, of those nine miles. He was knocked down by someone bigger than himself. Yes, he kept getting up because, (now, listen to this); he kept getting up because he understood that his purpose was not to stay down, but to get up, and to move forward, and to persevere.

 

I think that’s what the Bible’s teaching us in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 when it says, “We are hard pressed on each side but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed.”

 

Here’s the truth: God is not as concerned about my comfort as He is about my character. God is not as concerned about your comfort as He is about your character. “We must learn that failure teaches us.” Proverbs 24:16 says that. "A righteous man, a righteous woman may fall seven times. They will rise again." You see, God wants us to focus on Him; and when we do so, we will keep getting up. We’ll be motivated by a purpose greater than ourselves.

 

One translation reads this way: “We are knocked down, but we are not knocked out. So get up and move forward and try again!”

 

O yes, the year was 1831. This gentleman failed in business. He went bankrupt. 1833: he was back on his feet, then failed again. 1835: his fiancé died. 1836: he had a nervous breakdown. 1838: he ran for Speaker of the House in the United States, but was defeated. 1840, Elector: he ran for that office and was defeated. 1843, Congress; well, he ran for that and was defeated. 1848: he ran again for congress and he was defeated, again. 1855: he ran for the Senate, and guess what; again, he was defeated. 1856: he ran for the Vice President of the United States of America. Ah, yes, and he was defeated. 1858: he ran for Senate once again, and once again, he was defeated. And then came the year 1860. He ran for the President of the United States, and he was elected, and one of the greatest presidents to have ever lived. His name: Abraham Lincoln. Yes, we are knocked down, but we are not knocked out.

 

So get up and move forward and try again.

 

I think that’s what Winston Churchill meant when he said, “Success is the ability to move from one failure to the next.” I like that: moving from one failure to the next. Actually, I see life as this way; perhaps you’ve heard it: “Every setback is a setup for a comeback”. So, the next time, you think you’ve taken two steps forward, and three or four back, just remember: every setback is a setup for a comeback.

 

There was a skinny young boy who loved football with all his heart. He was determined to try his best at every practice, and perhaps he’d get to play when he became a senior. All through high school he never missed a practice. He never missed a game, but remained a bench-warmer all four years. His faithful father was always in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him. When the young man went to college he decided to try out for the football team as a walk-in. Everyone was sure he could never make the cut, but he did. The coach admitted that he put him on the roster because this young lad always put his heart and soul into every practice, and was a great model for the team mates.

 

The news that he had survived the cuts thrilled him so much that he rushed ti the nearest phone and called his father. His father shared his excitement and was sent seasons tickets for all the college games. Well, you know for sure that the father attended all those games. This persistent young athlete never missed practice during the four years of college. But, he never got to play in any game, either. It was at the end of his senior football season, and as he trotted onto the field to practice, the coach called him over to his side and handed the young man a telegram. The young man read the telegram and he became deadly silent. Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach, “Coach, my father died this morning. Do you think it would be alright if I missed practice today?” The coach put his arm around him and gently said, “Son, take whatever time you need.” Well. He did. But soon, a few days later, the game came. Saturday arrived and the game was not going well. It was in the third quarter when the team was ten points behind. The silent young man quietly slipped into the locker room and put on his football gear, and he ran onto the sidelines. The coach and the players were all astonished to see this faithful team-mate back so soon. “Coach, please let me play today. I’ve just got to play today!” The coach pretended not to hear him. There’s no way he wanted his worst player on the team, playing in this close playoff game; not going to happen.

 

Well, the young man persisted and he kept saying, “Coach, I just need to play today.” Finally the coach said, “Alright, you can go in.” And, you know what, before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands could not believe their eyes. This little, unknown, who had never played before, was doing everything right. The opposing team could not stop him. He ran, he blocked, he tackled like a star. His team began to win. They were motivated, just by watching him. The score was soon tied, and in the closing seconds of the game, this kid intercepted a pass and he ran all the way for the winning touchdown.

 

Ah, this could be a movie. The fans broke loose, his team-mates hoisted him on their shoulders: such cheering like you’ve never heard. Finally after the stands had emptied and the team had left the locker room, the coach noticed the this young man was sitting quietly in the locker room all alone.

 

The coach came over to him and he said, “Son, I can’t believe it, but you were fantastic. Tell me, what got into you? How did you do what you did?”

 

The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile, “You see, coach, my dad came to all my games, but today would have been the first day that he could actually see me play. I wanted to show him how well I could do.”

 

You know, folks, we have a Father in Heaven who’s watching how we’re walking and how we’re living. I don’t want to suggest that life is a game, but the fact is, we are to be like an athlete when it comes to running the race of faith, knowing full well, our Father in Heaven is watching everything. Yes, even when we go through trials and temptations; even when we have problems; even when we walk through the valley of pain.

 

Now, let’s note the spiritual process, again. Trials are allowed to come our way. Why? To test our faith; that’s why. Why? So that you and I can develop perseverance. Why? Because perseverance will help us gain maturity in our journey of faith, and we will be able to understand that we must trust God: the one who is promising us, to lead us and guide us, and to provide for us.

 

I want us to look at motivation for a second. Our motivation for running the race of faith, even when problems come, our motivation should be to love God, and be determined to love Him, and be determined to bring Him honour and glory.

 

I think that is what 1 Corinthians 10:31 is really saying, It says, “So whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.” You see, folks, the word ‘persevere’ means to take whatever trial or burden that you are going through, and use it as a platform to bring God honour and glory.

 

As I close, I want each of us to ponder the following words of wisdom; and as I read these words, I want us to really think about them, and apply our own life to them. Listen to these words:

 

“I asked for help, that I might do greater things.

            I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve.

            I was made weak, that I might learn to obey.

I asked for riches, that I might be happy.

            I was given poverty, that I might be wise.

I asked for power and the praise of men.

            I was given weakness, to sense my need of God.

I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.

            I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for, but everything that I hoped for.

                In spite of myself, my prayers were answered.

I am among all people, most richly blessed.”

 

Yes, we must learn to embrace our problems; trusting God, the one who will lead and guide us for the journey.

Would you pray with me?

  
“Our gracious, loving, Heavenly Father, we thank you that you are Lord of the Journey; and Father, even as we pray, right now, we know that life will hand us all kinds of challenges. There will be many valleys that we go through. Father, we want to keep our eyes on you. We want to be able to follow you, not so that we’d be safe or comfortable, but so that we can be all that you want us to be.

Today, Father, I surrender my life to you. Today, Father, I surrender my life to Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus, would you come into my life, right now, and save me? Forgive me of all my sins. Ah, I give you thanks, and, Father, for those of us who already know Jesus as our Saviour, Lord, we would also pray that He would be Lord of the Journey.

Lord Jesus, I surrender myself to you. You are the one who will lead. I am the one who is to follow. And I would just pray that I will be faithful in following you, all the days of my life.

Father, we pray this prayer, in Jesus’ name. Amen

Rev. Donald S. Crisp

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To listen to the above broadcast, click on the following link:

http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/6/6759/good_news_11_apr29.mp3