"The Devil's in the Phone Booth, Dialing 911"

Pastor Laura Guy

October 11, 2009

Here's an instant replay of what happened in worship:

We heard the bad song, "The Devil's in the Phone Booth Dialing 911" - complete with choreography.
We thought about why we don't hear many sermons on the devil anymore. One reason is so we aren't tempted to blame the devil for our own sinful decisions. Another reason is that some people don't believe in the devil. The problem with that view is that Jesus talked about Satan quite a bit.
We read Luke 10:1-3, 16-20 where Jesus sends out the 72 to go tell his story in new places. He tells them to go without any supplies, and he warns them that they are being sent out "like sheep among wolves." But despite the difficult task, the 72 return with joy, describing the amazing things they saw God do. Jesus answers, "I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven." When these faithful people did what Jesus asked them to do, no matter how difficult, Satan had no control over them. "The devil's in the phone booth dialing 911."
We thought about the difference between the words "happiness" and "joy." Happiness seems to be fleeting; it is tied to our current circumstances. It can change from one minute to the next. But joy comes from being in the presence of God. It goes deeper. It goes beyond our circumstances. That's why Paul and Silas could sing praise songs in jail. They were not happy, but they were filled with joy.
We recognized that God sometimes asks us to do difficult things - things that might not make us very happy in the short run. But God longs for us to experience the joy of being in His presence, the joy the 72 felt when they returned. When we do that - it's a win-win. We get to know real joy, and Satan falls like lightening from heaven.
We listened in silence to hear Jesus tell us where he wants to send us. We thanked God for the gift of joy.
We celebrated communion at the table of love.