No. 311-New Year Strength to Strength A Sermon By Roosevelt Wright,Jr. For the Tabernacle Baptist Church Monroe,La. January 6, 1991 SCRIPTURE:"Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God." Psalms 84:5,7 INTRODUCTION How do you measure progress? The theme song of a popular television show, "The Jeffersons," measures progress quantitatively by saying "Well we're moving on up, to the East Side, to that great big apartment in the sky. Well we're moving up to get our piece of the pie." In this sense progress is measured by the heights one can reach on life's economic ladder and how many of the symbols of poverty that can be left behind. Measuring progress in this sense implies that we have progressed if we have accumulated more "things” than we did the year before. Progress is best measured qualitatively. Instead of counting the number of "things" acquired, this appraisal measures the quality of life the "things" acquired have brought us. It focuses on whether or not our two cars, gold card, sheepskin diploma and five figured salaries have improved those attributes of life most important to happiness. What are the qualitative measures? They are the answers to questions that focus on the quality of life: Am I happier? Am I more at peace with myself and my fellow man? Have I grown closer to my God? As Christians we should remember that progress is desirable both quantitatively and qualitatively. We strive to acquire the best of the honorable "things" of this world, but we should always measure our progress by whether or not we have moved closer to God's will in every expression of our experience. Exposition Our text considers a Psalm of praise that Jewish Pilgrims sang as they traveled to worship at Jerusalem. The temple, built by Solomon, drew worshippers from across the nation. Many walked the long dangerous journey to Zion, braving weather, wild animals, and thieves. For some, the journey took weeks and was a great expense. Some met sickness, misfortune and hardship along the way. It was a difficult way, but they constantly marched forward, by the thousands, with the single purpose of worshipping God at Zion. Along the way, they cheered themselves singing about the blessedness of being in the presence of God. Verse two notes their "yearning" to be in God's presence. They sang about how their souls "cried out" for the living God. Their desire to make it to Zion was intense. Though they walked several weeks to attend a worship service that occupied the smaller part of one day they resolved in verse 10 that "a day in thy courts is better than a thousand." They traveled day by day with their minds focused on the Lord! The hardships and struggles they encountered along their way is generally described as "passing through the valley of Baca." Whether Baca was a real place or not, it had significant meaning to the pilgrims. Most think that the Valley of Baca refers to the line of Baca-Trees or mulberries that lined the valleys surrounding Jerusalem from any direction. In the heat of the day, travelers would find them for shelter from the sun. In the valley of Baca- Trees they often found wells of water, replenished by the rains that helped strengthen them for their journey. Those who passed through the valley of Baca, were said to have passed through the valley of "weeping," for it was a hard and frustrating pilgrimage that brought many tears. When the pilgrims reached Zion they sang about their victory over the valley as in verse 6: "who passing through the valley of Baca, make it a well. The rain also filleth the pools." Every Christian Is On A Journey Today, every Christian is on a journey. We are on our way to Canaan Land. Our desire is to make heaven our home. The journey that we have undertaken, by necessity, is laborious, frustrating and painful. However, despite the difficulties it presents, our desire is to "run on" to see what the end will be. As we begin each new year we measure our progress in terms of the ground we have covered enrooted to Canaan. How can we measure our spiritual progress? A simple measurement would be to answer a series of questions: 1)Have I had an experience that has drawn me closer and more obedient to God? 2)Has my prayer life improved? 3)Have my bible study habits improved? 4)Has my active service increased? 5)Am I living a richer, and more fulfilling Christian life than I was a year ago? Our progress is measured by how many times we can answer "yes" to these five measurement questions. No matter how long we have been on the Christian journey, we are still striving to progressively move toward Mt. Zion. The pilgrims who traveled to Mt. Zion didn't get there in a day. But day by day they made their way. Perhaps that's what the song writer had in mind when he wrote: "Step by step, we'll make this journey, even though our way seems hard, hard hard. Step by step, we'll make this journey, if we just put our trust in God!" We Must Expect Valleys As we travel to Zion we must also expect to go through some valleys. Just as the pilgrims could not get to Jerusalem without going into the Valley of Baca, modern Christians will find that we can't make it to the kingdom of heaven without encountering our own Valley of Baca. The Valley of Baca is that experience that challenges your faith, shakes your confidence, weakens your spirit, and dashes your hopes. A valley is a depression. When you go through a valley you begin at a high plane and start going downward until you reach the lowest point. To get out of a valley requires a great commitment, because it is harder to climb up than it is to walk down. When times get tough and you can't see your way, you have entered the Valley of Baca! When you look for help but only get hurt, you have entered the valley of Baca! When you seek pleasure but only get pain, you have entered the valley of Baca! When you seek satisfaction but only get sorrow, you have entered the valley of Baca! When you look for hope but only get despair, you have entered the valley of Baca! We serve a God who is a God on the mountain top, but he is also a God in the valley! The three Hebrew Boys faced the fiery furnace, in the valley, but they told the world "our God is able to deliver us." Daniel met ferocious lions in the valley, but remained confident that God could turn lions into kittens. Job met poverty, sickness and despair, in the valley, but steadfastly proclaimed: "Yea though he slay me, yet will I serve him." David met the cold hand of death, in the valley, and resolved "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." During the last year many of us went through the valley and found out that God is able! We Progress From Strength to Strength The pilgrims traveled a long journey but encouragement and new strength each time they came to end of their own abilities. In the valley, exhausted from the heat of the day, they found refreshing pools of cooling water that brought them new strength. Though they tired from the journey, somehow they looked toward Jerusalem and found new strength. Over the last year, somebody here became weak along way! Somebody lost sight of their goal and wandered to the left or to the right! Somebody became frustrated at the obstacles in their way. But when they looked Jesus, they found new strength. No wonder the songwriter declares: "we bore our burdens in the heat of the day, we know the Lord will make a way, we've come a long way Lord, we've come a long way." We moved from strength to strength by leaning on the Lord! When there was no way, the Lord, helped us find a way! Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life." When there was no hope, the Lord gave us new inspiration! The poet declares: "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness, I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus name." When there was no happiness, the Lord gave us a renewed joy! David cried out to God, "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation" When there was no peace, the Lord gave us contentment and a new song to sing: "When peace, like a river, attendeth my way. When sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, it is well with my soul" When there was no strength the Lord taught us the value of patience. "For they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up on wings as Eagles, they run and not get weary. They shall walk and not faint." I don't know what the new year will bring, but I've decided, come what may to trust in the Lord! If I stumble and trust in the Lord, he'll help me to stand! If I'm discouraged and trust in the Lord, he'll give me new inspiration! If I get weak and trust in the Lord, he'll make me strong! If I get lost and trust in the Lord, he'll help me find my way! If I find myself in the valley of despair, he's able to deliver me! I don't know how long it will be, nor what the future holds for me, but this I know... If Jesus leads me, through the storm and the rain! If Jesus leads me, through heat of day and chill of the midnight hour! If Jesus leads me, through trials and tribulations! If Jesus leads me... I shall get home someday!