Sermon Notes — October 6, 2024
October 6, 2024
Psalm 107:1-9
“Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So”
Dr. Craig Goff
Once, a while back, a few years ago, I was a youth pastor in our conference. Terry Carty was the leader over all youth ministry in our conference. He did an incredible job and went on to take a position at the general church level working with youth ministry.
As our conference youth leader Terry coordinated a lot of neat programs and projects. One event that he put together featured a contemporary Christian band called Say So. The two main leaders of the group were husband and wife and I think they still live in this area. They were great.
I loved Say So and I love their name in large part because it is taken from our text today from Psalm 107. “Let the redeemed of the Lord Say So.”
In some versions of the Bible that verse is translated “Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story.”
It is important for all Christians everywhere to tell their story which is sort of what World Communion Day which we are observing today is all about.
Today is the day we celebrate God’s redeeming people all over the world who all have a story to tell. People with stories of redemption we can learn from like Gina Cavallo who is a survivor of human trafficking, who has become a spokesperson and advocate helping rescue people out of slavery.
I have mentioned before a pastor in our own district who was almost destroyed by her addiction to drugs who now is the pastor of a church that baptized more people last year than all other churches in our conference put together.
She was redeemed and is telling her story.
One of my best friends during the time I was at Vanderbilt Divinity School was Charles Rwakatere (sort of sounds like rock-guitari)
Charles was training for the Olympics in Tanzania, East Africa and competing at a national event when the flatbed truck he was on turned over and crushed his legs.
If he had been in the United States, he could have very likely fully recovered from his injuries; but the hospital where he received care was not able to provide the care he really needed and as a result he is permanently disabled.
While he was in the hospital, Charles met a nurse who was a Christian who shared her faith with him. Charles decided if he couldn’t be an athletic champion, which was his lifelong dream, he would be a champion for the Lord. He has been a champion for the Lord, here in the United States, back in his home of Tanzania in East Africa, in India and in all the places he has been.
He has been redeemed and he has told his story. He continues to tell his story.
I love to hear redemption stories of people whose lives have been dramatically changed and who have done great things for God, but I have to admit, when I think of my own story of redemption, I wish I had more to tell.
I am old enough now that when I look back over my ministry I wonder if I’ve done enough. I definitely wish I had done more.
But, here is one thing I can tell you, more than anything in this world, I want everyone to know the love of God I have known. I want everyone to know Jesus loves them the way Jesus loves me.
I want the young people of our church to know that Jesus loves them. I want the adults of our church to know that Jesus loves them. I want the older adults at our church to know that Jesus loves them.
In the same way I wanted the people Bo Turner and I sang to at Morning Pointe Alzheimer Unit last week to know that Jesus loves them.
Which is why World Communion Day is so important as we tell our story of redemption and listen to others tell their stories.
Yes, I do wish I had done more, I wish I had been on more mission trips, that I had given more to the church and other Christian organizations.
But it is helpful to remember that our story of redemption isn’t about us so much as it is about God.
I am not all that I could be but I am not what I was
I want to close with a little song that is kind of my song of redemption…..
It’s called “Lord, I am nothing without you.”