Sumoto Chapel

Message for Sunday -  Aug  25- 2013 – Sumoto Chapel – Psalm 15

Two questions David asks his audience and us.

1.        Who may dwell in your sanctuary?

2.       Who may dwell on your holy hill?

He does not leave them hanging.  He has a list of characteristics of the Godly.  Things, he thinks is important.  This is David’s list of the fruit of the holy life.  Faith is not just speech it is action.  James said, “I show my faith by what I do.”  Faith is action.  You say more about your Christianity by what you do than by what you say. 

1.        He who walks blameless and who does what is righteous or right.  No blame can be attached to your speech, actions, attitudes or motives.  You do what is right.  People can count on you to do the right thing.  Your integrity and honesty make you stand out. 

2.       You speak the truth from your heart.  You season all your speech with love.  You watch what you say and how you say it.  You are like David when he said. “Lord put a watchman at the door of my mouth that I will not sin against you.”  Your heart is guided by the love of God and when you speak that is what comes out.

3.       He has no slander on his tongue.  You do not gossip, speak bad or knowingly hurt your neighbor by your speech.  This is known in some circles as back biting.  You are nice to their face but behind their back you speak evil of them.   You will always speak well of your neighbor.  One time there was a man whose neighbor what not a nice man but he was hard working so whenever he spoke about his neighbor he spoke about how working he was.  Your tongue could be the thing God uses to restore someone.

4.       He does not do his neighbor wrong.  You must never knowingly be dishonest, untruthful or intentionally hurt your neighbor.  Jesus used the illustration of the Good Samaritan to bring the point that anyone who needs our help or we meet is our neighbor.   William Booth was asked what words would best described his ministry as the founder of the Salvation Army.  He wrote “others”.   We are to love our neighbor as ourselves.

5.       He does not slur on his fellow man.  This is talking about people we do not know.  Here is a perfect example, “You are driving down the road, someone, cuts you off or pulls in front of you and causes you to stop or swerve suddenly.”  You immediately yell at them , in my country you honk the horn like a mad man.  You call them bad names.  It makes you feel better but you have judged that person by one incident.   David says we are not to do that.  This can also apply to people groups or families.  You may say for example, every body in Tokyo is crazy.  Those who live in Kobe are great but those in Osaka are snobs.  You are making a general statement.  It is like me saying well everyone in U.S. are gun happy, tobacco chewing, truck driving, over weight people.  That is slurring your fellow man.

6.       Is a person that despises and hates vile and evil men.  David said, we should hate sin but love the sinner.  You should love what is good and hate what is evil.  David then says we should honor those who fear and have a respect for the Lord.  We should appreciate those around us who put the Lord first in their lives.  Honor means to hold someone in high esteem. 

7.       Keeps his oath even when it hurts.  If you make a promise, David says you must keep it.  Jesus said, let your yes be yes and your no be no.  It means if you tell someone you are going to do it.  You do it.  Even if costs you something which it usually does.

8.       Lends his money without usury or interest.  Jews were to lend money to their fellow Jews  without any interest added to it.  It was a straight loan paid back at the same amount.  You loaned someone 100,000 yen he only had to pay back 100,000 yen.  The banks would go out of business if they did.  In Nehemiah’s day he had to deal with this problem.

9.       Does not accept a bribe against the innocent.  You never take money to hurt another.  Especially those who cannot defend themselves.  James said pure religion is taking care of the widows and orphans and keep oneself unpolluted by the world.

David closes this Psalm by saying that those who do these things will never be shaken.  No matter what goes on around them they will be never shaken.  Their trust is in the Lord.   Great words of exhortation and things to think about.    So David answered his original questions and then tells us that whoever does these things will never be shaken.

Now in my tradition and way of closing a service,  I would like to pray for people who need God to heal or meet their need.  So if you need prayer, would you come to the front and I would love to pray for you.