When the Music Stops

1

When the Music Stops

Psalms 137: 1-9

Text Scripture:

Psalms 137:1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

4 How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?

5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.

6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.

7 Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.

8 O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.

Intro:

• In the text scripture we see where a major upheaval – a disruption of normalcy – had occurred it the life on the nation of Israel
• The Babylonians had taken them into captivity
• Then they add insult to injury by taunting them and telling them to sing one of those songs now
• In the midst of adverse circumstances – their captors began to taunt them saying:

Let us hear you sing now

• Sing now about the greatness of your God
• Sing now about the joy of the Lord
• Sing now about His mercy
• Sing now about His protection
• Sing now of His great provision
• Sing now of His favor upon you
• Sing now of His love

And sadly, the Israelites could not sing - because, in a strange land, they had hanged their harps on the willow trees

The circumstances had changed

The music had stopped!

There is a cadence and rhythm to life

Everything has a harmonic resonance – a point where when a certain pitch is reached - everything around the source vibrates in harmony

That’s why when a car comes by your house with one of those blaring, thumping stereo systems, your dishes and teeth rattle – they are resonating.

Life is like that

• When all is well between you and your spouse – there is a spiritual resonance
• When your children are doing well
• When your studies are on track
• When your career is skyrocketing
• When your health is good
• When you are young
• When you say as Robert Browning the poet:
  

But sadly, those Robert Browning Moments in life seem to be far and few between - and fleeting when they are here!

In life the question is not whether or not you and I will face moments when the music stops – the real question is - what will we do when it happens?

Somebody has rightly said about the path of life that we are either in a trial, coming out of one, or headed into one.

The question that begs an answer is: WHAT WILL WE DO WHEN THE MUSIC STOPS.

ILLUSTRATION:

• Anybody ever play “musical chairs”?
• You know the drill – Somebody manned a record played and played music while you marched around chairs that numbered one less than the number of participants
• When the music stopped you scrambled to get a seat
• The one left standing was “out”
• It was a horrible feeling
• And everyone else was glad not to be the one that was “out” and they hoped not to be the person the next round.
• Then it came down to two people - a battle to the finish ensued for that final chair.
• And all for what?
• Some trinket or other.
• Anyone remember what the winner’s prize was?
• No, I didn’t think so.
• I don’t, either.

Life is like this!

• We march in beat to the music
• We circle life’s chairs
• When the music stops – we scramble
• When we are the one that is “out” we struggle to make sense of it all
• And in reality – it cannot make sense – because the game is geared so that all but one who plays will lose
• And the won who wins – really does not win anything
• We vie for life’s trinkets – that really do not amount to a hill of beans

ILLUSTRATION:

• The July 11th edition of the LaGrange Daily News contained a story entitled: NOTHING LEFT TO REMEMBER HER BY
• The story was tragic
• It was about a fire that destroyed the house of a terminally ill lady who was admitted to a nursing home the day before.
• Staring and the burned out house her daughter made the statement, “We’ve got nothing left to remember her by now.”

For this family - THE MUSIC STOPPED!

And while I know & understand the intent of what the daughter was saying, and it is in no way my intent to disparage this family by what I am about to say - is not this the reality of life? Job said, Job 14:1 “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.”

All too often happiness is based upon winning life’s game of musical chairs – only to discover that when we focus on the trinkets – when the trinkets are gone – the music stops!

• When Israel was carried away captive – the music stopped
• When this terminally ill woman was placed in a nursing home and her home burned – the music stopped
• What is it that caused the music to stop in your life?

For some:

• It may have been a verbally or physically abusive parent or loved one – or perhaps you are the parent
• It may have been an unfaithful spouse – or perhaps you were the unfaithful spouse
• It may have been a friend that betrayed a confidence – or perhaps you were the friend
• It may have been a bad report from the doctor
• It may have been the death of a loved one
• It may be divorce – or perhaps you are the child of a divorced couple – and you blame yourself

The list can go on forever

But there is a truth to be learned – sometimes the very thing that stops the music in your life will cause you to sing a new melody that you would have never sang – had the storm not come into your life.

Israel was carried away captive by the Babylonians so that God could teach them to sing a new song –in a strange land!

Isaiah 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

Isaiah was simply saying – during one of the most painful, dreary, dark times in my life – I SAW GOD!

ILLUSTRATION

• German Baron who loved music
• Lived in a castle upon a hill
• A soft gentle breeze was always blowing
• He decided to erect towers around the castle and string wire to capture the gentle breezes and create a wind chime to provide beautiful music to the villagers below
• However, no matter how he tightened or loosened the tension on the cables – or repositioned them they would not produce a melody

• One night a horrible storm stuck the countryside.
• The castle was in the center of the storm
• The Baron was amazed as above the roar of the storm he began to hear a beautiful melody from the wind chimes

It took a storm to create winds that were strong enough to produce the melody!

There are three things I want to touch upon today that causes the music to stop in the life of a Christian:

1: When We Become Fixated or Focused on Our Present Circumstances

One of my favorite passages of scripture is found throughout the whole Bible – repeatedly the Bible records a passage that’s says: AND IT CAME TO PASS.

I love that scripture not some much for what it says – but because of what it does NOT say. It does not say: And it came to STAY! It says it came to pass!

All of life is fleeting – nothing remains the same.

Most of our crises are really crises at all!

1: When We Focus on Our Present Circumstances

2: When We Forget What God Has Done in the Past

Jesus has always come through for us –

One of satan’s greatest ploys is to try to make us think that this time – this circumstance – this trouble – this trial – is somehow different and that God cannot or will not handle our current situation.

1: When We Focus on Our Present Circumstances

2: When We Forget What God Has Done in the Past

3: When we Forget His Promise

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Proverbs 18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Close:

1: When We Focus on Our Present Circumstances

2: When We Forget What God Has Done in the Past

3: When we Forget His Promise

What has caused the music to stop in your life?

What has caused you to be the person that does not have a chair – and the one who is OUT?

Preached: 7-13-08 @ Mt. Pleasant Baptist Franklin, Georgia