If the Lord Had Not Been on Our Side

Sermon Summary: Drawing from Psalm 124 and the broader series on "A Long Obedience in the Same Direction," this sermon explores the reality that following Jesus is difficult, hazardous work that requires genuine faith expressed through loyalty and trust. The pastor challenges the notion that God's presence means an absence of hardship, instead affirming that God's faithfulness is proven through the trials His people endure and survive. Using the language of the psalmist, the sermon calls believers to look back on their lives and remember how God has brought them through floods, enemies, and traps, so that they can face present and future struggles with renewed confidence. Faith is defined not as a feeling but as active trust and loyalty to King Jesus, even when circumstances are painful and the outcome is uncertain. The sermon culminates at the communion table, where remembrance of Christ's death and resurrection anchors the believer's hope.

Key Points:

- The Christian life is a long obedience in the same direction, requiring sustained faithfulness rather than a one-time decision

- Faith, drawn from the Greek word pistos, means loyalty and trust, not merely intellectual belief

- Following Jesus does not guarantee freedom from suffering, sickness, loss, or fear, but it does guarantee God's presence through all of it

- Psalm 124 is not written from a place of ease but from lived experience of danger, attack, and near destruction

- God's faithfulness is proven not by keeping trouble away but by bringing His people through trouble

- Faith grows in difficulty, not in comfort, because trust is only developed when outcomes are uncertain

- Believers are called to look back and remember what God has brought them through as a source of strength for present struggles

- The writer of Hebrews holds up generations of faithful men and women as evidence that God consistently comes through on His promises

- Christ, not circumstances or culture, defines the identity and worth of a believer

- The communion table is a weekly act of remembrance, calling the church to recall who Jesus is and what He has done

Scripture Reference:

- Psalm 124 (primary text), which describes God's protection of His people through attack, flood, and captivity

- Hebrews 11, which recounts the faith of the ancient people of God including Abraham, Moses, Noah, and others

- John 16, in which Jesus declares that in this world believers will have trouble, but He has overcome the world

- The Sermon on the Mount references, including teachings on turning the other cheek, forgiving repeatedly, and not worrying about tomorrow

- John 14, in which Jesus identifies Himself as the way to the Father

- Romans 8, which affirms that nothing can separate believers from the love of God in Christ Jesus

Stories:

- Abraham leaving the comfort of his home city to wander in the wilderness by faith in God's call

- Moses standing before Pharaoh, the most powerful ruler in the world, and demanding the release of God's people

- Noah building an ark on dry land and enduring ridicule while remaining obedient to God's instruction

- Daniel continuing to pray to God three times daily even when faced with being thrown into a lion's den

- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refusing to bow to a false idol and being thrown into a fiery furnace, only to be joined and preserved by a mysterious fourth figure

- The apostle Peter asking Jesus how many times he must forgive someone, and Jesus answering with an effectively limitless number

- Jesus sharing the final meal with His disciples on the night of His betrayal and instituting the practice of communion as an act of remembrance