Sermon Tone Analysis

The Day the Sun Stood Still

January 16, 2011

Matt Todd

In preparation for this morning’s sermon, I’ve come to discover that the message is really directed at just one person in this room this morning.

Me.

You’re invited to listen in as I preach to myself, though.

Something tells me I’m not the only one who needs to hear it.

One of the books that i recently completed reading was one that spoke to me in some pretty uncomfortable ways.

It’s one of those books that I have a love/hate relationship with.

The Author hits the nail on the head in many areas and he essentially kicks me in the teeth with some of his hard-hitting commentary about how we live as Christians in the United States.

In this book, the author tells the story of George Muller*, a pastor in England for more than sixty years in the 19th century.

David says this about George Muller:

“He was best known for the orphan ministry he began.

During his life he cared for more than ten thousand orphans.

Remarkably, and intentionally, he never asked for money or other resources to provide for these orphans.

Instead, he simply prayed and trusted God to provide.”

The author continues, “When I read Muller’s biography, I was shocked to learn why he started the orphanage.

His primary purpose was not to (simply) care for orphans.

Instead, he wrote in his journal:

‘If I, a poor man, simply by prayer and faith, obtained without asking any individual, the means for establishing and carrying on an Orphan-House, there would be something which, with the Lord’s blessing, might be instrumental in strengthening the faith of the children of God, besides being the testimony to the consciences of the unconverted, of the reality of the things of God.

This, then, was the primary reason for establishing the Orphan-House…the first and primary object of the work was (and still is:) that God might be magnified by the fact, that the orphans under my care are provided with all they need, only by prayer and faith without anyone being asked by me or my fellow-laborers whereby it may be seen, that God is faithful still, and hears prayer still.’”

He concludes this story with this thought: “Muller decided that he wanted to live in such a way that it would be evident to all who looked at his life – Christian and non-Christian alike – that God is indeed faithful to provide for his people.

He risked his life trusting in the greatness of God, and in the end his life made much of the glory of God.”[1]

That’s some pretty audacious stuff, isn’t it?

He had a bold confidence in God and His provision, didn’t he?

When I read that the first time, had to pause for a moment.

It led me to ask myself, “Do I have faith like Muller’s?”

And in the weeks after I first read this account of his life, I find myself continuing to ask this question.

What kind of faith do I have?

Do I really believe that God will provide in His own perfect timing all of the things that I need?

Do I really believe that?

What if God called my family to do something like that?

I don’t think I would never be able to do that.

There’s too many bills to pay.

I have a family of five to take care of.

What about paying for their school, helping out with college.

I can come up with reason after reason of why living on such an audacious and bold faith is not in my future.

It’s just too…impractical.

It’s just too…impossible.

It’s just too…crazy.

Maybe you’re like me.

When presented stories and opportunities that sound pretty outlandish, I generally focus on that which cannot be done.

Instead of seeing the opportunity, it’s much easier to focus on the obstacles.

So the real question is this: Do I believe that God is really God or not?

Do I believe that He will do what He says He will do?

Or am I merely content in believing in a challenging but not overly challenging, powerful but not too powerful, big but not too big and really rather small kind of God?

God is at work accomplishing His amazing plan.

He has invited us to join Him in carrying out this plan.

Our purpose is to make His name famous throughout the world.

And that happens when people see God’s power at work through us.

But are we really willing to rely on His power and His power alone?

Or do we need to have a safety net – just in case?

I’m reminded of a quote by Mark Batterson, a pastor in Washington, DC, who likes to challenge his congregation to

“Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death.”

[2] God has so much in store for us.

And His power can be displayed moment by moment through our lives – if only we decide to give Him enough room to work through it.

Are we audacious enough in our faith to live our lives in such a way that when people look at us, there’s no question that God is the One who moved in our lives?

Are we audacious enough in our faith to live our lives in such a way that we can approach the throne of the Living God with confidence and can bring our bold requests before Him?

No mountain is too big.

No obstacle is too great.

Jesus never promised that our lives would be comfortable when we choose to follow Him.

He did, however, show us that a life that is committed to following God’s direction will be an amazing journey – even if you never leave your home town.

Mike Yaconelli, who was the co-founder of Youth Specialties, a training and encouragement resource for people in youth ministry around the world, said this

“If I were to have a heart attack right at this moment, I hope I would have just enough air in my lungs and just enough strength in me to utter one last sentence as I fell to the floor: ‘What a ride!’

My life has been up and down, careening left then right, full of mistakes and bad decisions, and if I died right now, even though I would love to live longer, I could say from the depths of my soul ‘What a ride!’”[3]

Can you say that?

Looking back on your life, can you declare “What a ride!”?

The Scriptures are full of accounts of people who had the audacious faith to follow God’s direction wherever He led and could ultimately look back on his life and declare, “What a ride!”

His name is Joshua and his story is told in, conveniently enough, the book of Joshua in the Old Testament.

If you have your Bibles with you – and I hope you do – please turn with me to the 10th chapter in the book of Joshua.

Joshua was an apprentice, so to speak, of Moses when he led the people out of Egypt.

He served as Moses’ second in command during the exodus out of slavery and the subsequent journey towards the Promised Land.

He had seen God at work time and time again.

He was one of the people who walked across the Red Sea – on dry land.

He, along with the rest of the children of Israel, had been fed by the hand of God Himself with the miraculous appearance of quail and manna on a daily basis.

He knew that God was leading them and he was confident in God’s power.

When the people of God approached the Promised Land, Joshua was one of the twelve spies who were sent into the land to scout the territory.

He and Caleb were the only two who believed that God would provide them victory over their opponents.

After all, He had already brought them this far.

Why would He turn back on them now?

As we have studied this book, we have seen God do some amazing things.

Stopping the Jordan from flowing, Bringing Down the Walls of Jericho, giving the victory over AI.

The news of all of these were beginning to spread across the land as they heard of this people who had God on their side.

Because they could see God at work in their lives, the enemies of God’s people joined forces to put a stop to their advance.

Five kingdoms joined together to attack the Gibeonites, who had formed a treaty with Joshua and the people of Israel.

But Joshua knew the power of God and that He was fighting with them.

So he responded to the threat of their enemies with boldness.

Joshua and his troops were surely exhausted.

They had just marched all night in order to confront the enemy head-on.

Joshua saw that they were on the verge of victory when the sun was beginning to set.

The onset of darkness would mean that the enemy could escape.

It would be like snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

“Joshua needed a special act from God to enable him to claim the victory the Lord had promised.”[4]

Because He had seen God’s hand at work time and time again, he had the boldness to pray what might be the most audacious prayer contained in Scriptures.

This was bigger than making a mountain move.

This was bigger than making dry land out of the Red Sea.

This was a request to alter time itself.

Read 10:12-15

The sun stood still.

We don’t know how God did it.