A Good Beginning to Lent (and also Spring cleaning)

We were blessed to have Rev. Dr. Donald Dawson guest preach this past Sunday. Below are his sermon notes. If you were unable to join us for Worship, you can watch Rev. Dawson preach the fuller sermon here at this link.

Spring Cleaning – Psalm 139

Theme – God’s sovereignty (all-knowing, all-present, creating, ordaining power) prompts us to search and discern if there is any sin within us.

Purpose – In response to God’s greatness, for each of us to search and examine ourselves to know if there is anything that keeps us separated from God.

“Awesome! What an awesome God we serve.”

How can we ever proclaim the greatness and sovereignty of God?

Psalm 139 gives a good run at it.

V 1-6 – Omniscient – All Knowing

God, you know me…when I sit and when I rise…my going and coming…even all my thoughts…every word before I speak. God knows everything and he knows us fully. That is both comforting and terrifying. Comforting that God cares that much. Terrifying that he knows every unsavory thing about us – even every bad thought. God knows us completely…and still loves us. No matter what we do! God knows even the hidden and unspoken motives behind our thoughts “scrutinize” – “sift”, which brings to mind an archaeological dig (toothbrushes, etc.).

V 7-12 – Omnipresent – All Present

Where can I hide from you…the place of the dead?…the most remote part of the sea?…darkness? Even in the extremes of the spiritual and physical universe, God guides and holds us. God is with us in every situation. No matter where we go! Darkness cannot hide us.

V 13-18 – Omnipotent – All Powerful

Who is more powerful than the One who creates us, and all things? Who formed us from the moment we were conceived? Verse 16 indicates God is at work shaping us from the moment of conception

[When so many are searching for their gender identity, a reminder that we are God-created, male and female]

[As the abortion debate is again in the forefront, we can reflect on this Psalm.]

V 16 – Ordaining Power – all loving in determining the days of our lives. God has laid out a plan for us.

“foreordination” (predestination) – God ordains everything before we were born

“All of this is too wonderful for me!” David wrote.

For me, too!

Psalm 139 highlights that we are lovingly shaped in the image of God and intended for oneness with him. Our identity and significance are tied to the One who is in control of all things. So, how do we relate to the Lord God Almighty? How do we respond? David humbly responded, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

That is an incredibly vulnerable prayer and provides an example for us.

” Examine me, All-knowing God. Take a thorough look at my life – my deeds, thoughts, motives – everything. Expose any wrong in me.” This should be a daily prayer, but it doesn’t happen for most of us, which is a good reason for the Prayer of Confession every Sunday.

We start with the praise of God, which awakens awareness that we don’t measure up to God’s holiness. The call to confession invites us to repent and seek God’s forgiveness. The unison prayer is intended to help expose the waywardness in us. The time of silent confession allows us to name and confess what God has found in searching us. The assurance of pardon clearly reassures us of God’s forgiveness.

Let’s try a “Psalm 139” time to examine ourselves and ask God to examine us. To consider, as David did, any thoughts, motives, or actions that are not pure. It is pretty common for us to look at our lives through “colored” glasses. We easily defend our viewpoint and justify our behavior. We are not as thorough in searching ourselves as Jesus is. We could call it our “Spring Cleaning,” when we go to work to clean out the sin that has accumulated in our lives, the persistent cobwebs of omission, the hidden dust balls of commission, and the collected clutter of undisciplined living that does not bring glory to God.

Sometimes we gloss over our sin and declare we are pretty good and there is not much cleaning needed. But the catechism reminds us “we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

How do we discover the sin that we may be ignoring in our lives? Historically, we use what we call “the means of grace,” which are resources for greater oneness with God.

God’s Word – if we are not regularly reading the Bible, it is easy to ignore the piercing truth about sin. Scripture helps us to scrutinize things we would otherwise overlook. Our shortcomings are most fully revealed as we expose them to the light and truth of God’s word. Ps 119 – “thy word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against thee.”

Prayer – If we ask God to search us and show us the error of our ways, God will do it. God will reveal the unkind words we speak, The critical attitude toward coworkers, The false motives we assign to rivals, The gossip we participate in, The arrogance in our relationships, How racial prejudice and white privilege might be present in us, The people we need to forgive and those we need to ask to forgive us, and much more.

Worship and Fellowship – Music, hymns, prayers, Scripture, sermon, responses all bring us into the presence of God, and there our unholiness is exposed. Worship re-tunes our hearts and sends us to love and serve others. Fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ brings out the best in us and keeps us accountable.

Sacraments – Baptism and the Lord’s Supper align us with the grace and love of God. These holy moments bring us to a special intimacy and awareness of all that God has done to save us.

Are you ready and willing to do some “Spring Cleaning” in the hidden or dark places of your life? Are you ready to kneel with David, willing to be vulnerable, do the tough self-examining, and ask God to reveal your sin?

I have decided that I am going to do “Spring Cleaning”. I hope you will join me. Let’s pray.