Sermon for Sunday December 10th, 2006

Get Your Weather Report Here by Steve Shepherd

Matthew 16:1-16:20

INTRO.- ILL.- It was autumn, and the Indians on the remote reservation asked their new Chief if the winter was going to be cold or mild. Since he was a new Indian Chief in a modern society, he had never been taught the old secrets, and when he looked at the sky, he couldn’t tell what the weather was going to be. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he replied to his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect wood to be prepared. But also being a practical leader, after several days he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked, "Is the coming winter going to be cold?" "It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold indeed," the meteorologist at the weather service responded.

So the Chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more wood in order to be prepared. A week later he called the National Weather Service again.

"Is it going to be a very cold winter?" "Yes," the man at National Weather Service again replied, "it’s going to be a very cold winter."

The Chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of wood they could find. Two weeks later he called the National Weather Service again.

"Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?" "Absolutely," the man replied. "It’s going to be one of the coldest winters ever."

"How can you be so sure?" the Chief asked. The weatherman replied, "Because the Indians are collecting wood like crazy!"

The weather has always been important to people. It’s important to farmers since they make a living based on what the weather does.

The weather also determines mood in some people. There is truly such a thing as SAD or Seasonal affective disorder or winter depression. The typical symptoms of SAD include depression, lack of energy, increased need for sleep, a craving for sweets and weight gain. (Wow! Sounds like most of us!)

I think the weather is important to us “older” people because it gives us something to talk about and perhaps try to guess at. And, of course, if you live in hurricane country or tornado alley keeping watch on the weather is vitally important.

May 15, 1968. Does this date ring a bell? A tornado struck Jonesboro at 10 PM, killing 36. Also, on May 27, 1973, early that morning a series of three tornadoes struck Jonesboro, AR, causing three deaths and extensive property damage.

Is the old adage true or not? “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning.”

Red sky at night, sailors delight. When we see a red sky at night, this means that the setting sun is sending its light through a high concentration of dust particles. This usually indicates high pressure and stable air coming in from the west. Basically good weather will follow.

Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning. A red sunrise reflects the dust particles of a system that has just passed from the west. This indicates that a storm system may be moving to the east. If the morning sky is a deep fiery red, it means a high water content in the atmosphere. So, rain is on its way.

The point of what Jesus is saying is not about the weather. Weather may be important to many people but the important thing is what is happening spiritually in our world!

We may not be blind when it comes to the weather, BUT WE MUST NOT BE BLIND WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR WORLD!

PROP.- Let’s think about what Jesus said in regard to protecting ourselves spiritually in this world.
1- We must interpret the times, not the seasons
2- We must beware of the yeast, not the bread
3- We must cling to the rock, not the sand

I. WE MUST INTERPRET THE TIMES, NOT THE SEASONS

ILL. - Early in WWII, baseball broadcasters were forbidden to give information about weather conditions over the air, for fear it might be of aid to enemy bombers. On one St. Louis broadcast, Dizzy Dean and his play-by-play partner Johnny O’Hara filled a rain delay with about an hour of aimless talk, never mentioning why there was no action on the field. Finally, Dizzy Dean “ran out of words,” as O’Hara explained it, and said, “If you folks don’t know what’s holdin’ up this game just stick your heads out the window.”

Sticking your head out the window is one sure way to determine the weather. But determining the signs of our time may be a bit harder.

Matt. 16:1-3 “The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ’It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ’Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.”

Most of us have no trouble finding out what the weather is going to be for the day or the week. But when it comes to knowing what kind of spiritual temptation we’ll be faced with, we may have trouble figuring this one out.

I think we need to have our eyes on the world and our hearts and minds in the Word of God if we are going to be able to protect ourselves in this unstable and unspiritual world.

I John 2:16 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

ILL.- Summing up his troubles as Secretary of State, Dean Rusk (1961-69) told the House Foreign Affairs Committee, with a sigh: “The world is round. Only one-third of the people of the world are asleep at any given moment. The other two-thirds are awake and probably stirring up mischief somewhere.”

Somebody somewhere is stirring some trouble in this world of ours at all times and we must be alert to what’s going on in order to protect ourselves and others!

I Pet. 5:8-9 “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…” The only way to be alert is to live the faith. Read the Word. Go to church. Be much in prayer.

ILL.- A Jew, who was known to like liquor, explained that he drank only to drown his troubles. “After you drown them, why do you continue to drink?” he was asked. “You don’t know my troubles,” he sighed. “My troubles are excellent swimmers. I try to drown them, but they swim right up again!”

I don’t think that guy was very smart. If he had been he wouldn’t have been drinking in the first place. It doesn’t take a spiritually alert person very long to figure out that drinking never helped anybody or cured anything.

Eph. 5:15-17 “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”

The only way that I know to be alert in this world is to be saturated with the Word of God.

Psalm 119:9 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.”

II. WE MUST BEWARE OF THE YEAST, NOT THE BREAD

ILL.- “Sadie,” a Labrador retriever belonging to the Charles Thurber family in California, was ordained as a minister of faith by the Hilltop House Church in San Rafael. The dog’s name and $15 were submitted by the Better Business Bureau of San Francisco through a newspaper ad. By return mail Sadie received her “Certificate of Ordination.”

Brothers and sisters, it’s getting pretty bad when a dog can become an ordained minister. And it may be there are plenty of dogs out there preaching. Of course, I’m not referring literally to “dogs,” but rather to some self-proclaimed prophets or preachers who are “dogs.”

Phil. 3:2 “Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.”

The “dogs” referred to in this text were false prophets or false preachers. They were called Judaizers or those who mixed the law and grace, which is false teaching.

Sometimes we are guilty of this same teaching. How so? On one hand we talk of how we are saved by the grace of God and then on the other hand we try to convince people that they must be perfect and “walk the line,” in order to be saved.

ILL.- For example, when I was a young preacher I used to think that if the church had three services: Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday, then every Christian should attend everyone of those service or ELSE! Or else what? Or else they wouldn’t be saved.

That’s nothing but legalism! That’s preaching grace but practicing legalism. And no one can be saved by their good works. NO ONE. Not Billy Graham and not Mother Teresa. We’re all dependent on the grace and graciousness of God!

I do believe that Christians hurt themselves by not being faithful at the fellowship of the church. It doesn’t mean, however, that God is going to keep them out of heaven.

Matt. 16:6 Jesus said, "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

Matt. 16:11-12 “How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Brothers and sisters, there is a lot more false preaching out there than you would believe and we need to beware of that yeast. Meaning we need to beware of the teaching of false prophets. And here’s one reason why.

ILL.- During the great famine of China, the people made “bread” from a kind of edible earth. But this ingredient was devoid of any nutrients, so those who ate the loaves, starved. There is also what is called the nardoo plant, which grows in Australia. The spores of this clover fern can be made into bread and porridge. But they contain no proteins, carbohydrates, or vitamins—the essentials for sustaining life. Those who depend upon it for food will have their stomachs filled, but they’ll eventually die.

And the same thing is true when it comes to false teaching. A person can get their fill of it, but it doesn’t mean it will do them any good. In fact, they may die spiritually.

Matt. 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”

III. WE MUST CLING TO THE ROCK, NOT THE SAND

Matt. 16:14-18 “They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

ILL.- A sailor in a shipwreck was thrown upon a rock where he clung in great danger until the tide went down. Later a friend asked him, “Jim, didn’t you shake with fear when you were hanging on that rock?” “Yes, but the rock didn’t.”

Jesus said, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

The rock upon which Jesus would build His church was Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus is our rock. He is our hope. He is our only hope. WE MUST CLING TO HIM, not the shifting sands of the things of this world.

ILL.- I read recently that the big internet search engine called “Google” has made a ton of money and their stock rose over $500 a share the week of Thanksgiving. Just two years earlier that stock could have been bought for only $85 a share. I calculated that if a person had bought 300 shares it would have cost $25,500. And that’s a lot of money, but listen to this. Just two years later those 300 shares would have been worth $150,000. That’s a profit of almost $125,000 in two years! And I don’t know of anything that pays that well! And I was considering investing some money in that stock! I COULD KICK MYSELF FOR NOT DOING IT!

But listen, I could kick myself a whole lot harder if I had never believed in Christ and given my life to Him! Why? Because some day this life will end and all the money in the world will not mean anything then nor will it get me or anyone else into heaven!

WE MUST CLING TO CHRIST, NOT THE SHIFTING SANDS OF WORLDLINESS!

ILL.- One of the “Jubilee Singers,” a student of Fisk University, was on board a steamboat that caught on fire. He had the presence of mind to put life preservers on himself and wife. But in the agony of despair, when all on board were trying to save themselves, someone took from his wife her life-preserver, so that she found herself helpless in the water. But she clung to her husband, placing her hands firmly on his shoulders as he swam on. After a little while her strength was exhausted. “I can hold on no longer,” she cried out. “Try a little longer,” was her husband’s agonized plea; and then he added, “Let’s sing ‘Rock of Ages.’ ”

Immediately they both began to sing ever so faintly. And soon the people around them heard them singing. One by one the exhausted swimmers raised their heads and joined in the singing.

Soon, strength seemed to come with the singing and they were able to hold out a little longer. A boat was seen approaching, and they did keep enough strength to stay afloat ’til the crew lifted them on board. And so it was the hymn that helped to save more than one from death.
“Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee.”

We must cling to the rock, not the sinking sands of this world.