WEBVTT 00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:05.280 Alright, so if you got a Bible, and I know most of you do, you can go to Psalm 146. 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:08.560 Psalm 146. 00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:13.839 Now, uh throughout our life, uh we make commitments. 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:17.519 As we go about living, we make commitments. 00:00:17.600 --> 00:00:19.120 We choose to do certain things. 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:22.559 You all got up this morning and came to church. 00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:24.000 That was a commitment. 00:00:24.160 --> 00:00:25.600 You chose to do that. 00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:28.719 Some people make commitments to diets. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:35.039 People make commitments to reading Kindle over physical books. 00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:38.079 People choose Apple over Samsung. 00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:40.880 People choose to make a commitment to exercise. 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:44.000 Some people go as far as choosing to not eat meat. 00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:45.359 I wouldn't do that. 00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:48.240 But if you've done that, that is okay. 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:53.600 People choose Netflix over cable, sports teams, grocery stores. 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:56.640 You know, you look, you're like, hey, that one has all the checkout lines. 00:00:56.719 --> 00:00:57.840 They're open all the time. 00:00:57.920 --> 00:00:59.920 So I'm gonna go to that one. 00:01:00.159 --> 00:01:01.439 We make commitments. 00:01:01.600 --> 00:01:03.679 We make commitments to relationships. 00:01:03.840 --> 00:01:08.079 You meet someone and you're and you realize that this this person's fairly special. 00:01:08.879 --> 00:01:14.239 And then you you make a commitment to go about living and building a life together. 00:01:14.560 --> 00:01:16.560 People make commitment to churches. 00:01:16.879 --> 00:01:17.200 Right? 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:19.680 Many of you have done that here. 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:24.079 Some of you are visiting for the first time thinking, is this a place that I can commit? 00:01:24.239 --> 00:01:29.120 We choose to commit to churches, we commit to reading lists. 00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:35.760 See, whatever your commitments are, I'm I know you have a reason for doing them. 00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:41.680 When we make a commitment, we generally have a reason for doing them. 00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:47.439 Now, sometimes we make commitments, and our reasons, though, aren't very good. 00:01:48.719 --> 00:01:58.480 So I know you've made commitments to certain things, and I hope that those commitments, that the reasons for that is good, because sometimes we do that and it's not good. 00:01:58.640 --> 00:02:02.560 See, two summers ago I committed to a summer reading list. 00:02:03.200 --> 00:02:07.519 I committed just to, I'm gonna read these 20 books over the course of the summer. 00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:11.360 That was already a problem, 20 in two months or whatever it is. 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:17.520 So I I chose to do that, but my reasons for doing it were very bad. 00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:29.360 And I I my reason was I wanted to look smart, I wanted to look good, and that led to me reading some of the most boring books for the entire summer. 00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:32.719 There were not good reasons. 00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:39.840 See, just like we make commitments, the writer of this psalm is going to make a commitment with his life. 00:02:40.639 --> 00:02:47.199 He commits, we're gonna see, he commits to praising God for all times. 00:02:47.919 --> 00:02:52.159 Not sometimes, but all times. 00:02:52.319 --> 00:03:00.479 He commits to praising God every moment of his life, but his reasons for doing it are great. 00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:03.199 He has great reasons for doing it. 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:14.000 He chooses to praise God for all times because of who God is and what God does in the life of everyone who trusts him. 00:03:15.599 --> 00:03:17.360 He chooses to praise God. 00:03:17.439 --> 00:03:19.439 You gotta get this, we gotta get this into our minds. 00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:29.199 He chooses to praise God because of who God is and what God does in the life of everyone who trusts him. 00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:35.360 And the commitment the psalmist makes is the commitment that we should make. 00:03:35.759 --> 00:03:40.719 It's the commitment that the text is calling us to make. 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:50.000 And the psalm is going to show us that God is worthy of this, that he is worthy of our praise for all times. 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:53.120 Before we jump in, let's pray together. 00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:55.759 Father, we thank you, Lord, for your word. 00:03:56.479 --> 00:04:08.639 God, thank you that the Bible says that your word did not come, Lord, by the will of men, but men were were spoke as they were led along by the Spirit. 00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:16.160 This was a spirit-guided, spirit-infused, intentional word that was given to us. 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:24.480 And I pray, God, as you gave us your word, I pray now that you would shepherd us in your word, all of our hearts. 00:04:24.639 --> 00:04:29.920 Lord, the heart that needs to be comforted, I pray you would shepherd that heart into a place of comfort. 00:04:30.160 --> 00:04:36.160 The heart, Lord, that needs to be renewed and get a sense of excitement again about who you are. 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:38.560 I pray you would shepherd that heart in that place. 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:42.160 Lord, that heart that needs to be revived for the first time. 00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:45.680 Lord, I pray that you would shepherd that heart into that place. 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:48.959 God, I can't do all of these things. 00:04:49.199 --> 00:04:51.040 Only you can by your spirit. 00:04:51.120 --> 00:04:55.439 And so I pray as your word is open now that you would meet with us, we pray. 00:04:55.600 --> 00:04:56.879 In Jesus' name. 00:04:57.199 --> 00:04:57.839 Amen. 00:04:59.120 --> 00:04:59.600 Amen. 00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:05.279 Verse, verse 1, Psalm 146 says, Praise the Lord. 00:05:05.680 --> 00:05:07.839 Praise the Lord, O my soul. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:09.839 I will praise the Lord as long as I live. 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:14.480 I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. 00:05:14.639 --> 00:05:19.680 Now, four times in two verses, the word praised is used. 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:23.600 The writer calls everyone to praise the Lord. 00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:27.360 When he says, Praise the Lord, some would translate that, hallelujah. 00:05:27.519 --> 00:05:37.839 He's literally saying, everyone in the congregation where this psalm would have been sung, he's saying, everyone join with me in praising God, in worshiping him. 00:05:38.319 --> 00:05:42.959 He calls everyone to praise and then he tells his own soul to praise. 00:05:43.199 --> 00:05:44.079 You see that? 00:05:44.399 --> 00:05:45.600 Praise the Lord. 00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:49.759 Praise the Lord, oh my soul. 00:05:50.800 --> 00:05:52.800 He speaks to his soul. 00:05:53.040 --> 00:05:55.519 Now there's a lesson in that for us. 00:05:56.000 --> 00:06:02.160 The lesson is there are times in our life when praising God is hard. 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:07.920 That it's not always easy to praise God. 00:06:08.399 --> 00:06:14.959 And this this the psalmist is aware of this, and that's why he says, Praise the Lord, oh my soul. 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:18.639 He he is he's engaging in self-talk. 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:24.639 There are moments in our life, maybe some of you right now in this room, that's the place you're in. 00:06:24.720 --> 00:06:34.639 When you look at your life, when you think about what is going on, when you think about the things that have rolled in on your doorstep, you would say, It is very hard at this point to praise God. 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:41.199 It's not that easy, but in those moments, we are to engage in self-talk. 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:44.240 Psalm 42, such a good example of this. 00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:46.399 The psalmist there speaks to his soul. 00:06:46.480 --> 00:06:49.360 He says, Why are you downcast, my soul? 00:06:49.680 --> 00:07:01.040 Hope in God, he speaks to his own soul, and we can do the same, reminding ourselves of who God is and what he has done in our life. 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:10.560 That no matter what, that in those low moments, in those moments where it's hard to praise God, there's certain things about me that has not changed because of the gospel. 00:07:11.439 --> 00:07:16.160 Because of who I am in Christ, there's certain things that have not changed. 00:07:16.319 --> 00:07:24.399 I'm accepted by God, I am loved by God, I'm included into the family of God, I will never be cast out of the family of God. 00:07:24.560 --> 00:07:31.439 I've got a community of faith that loves me and that will walk with me and shoulder things with me as I tell them these things. 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:53.680 Yes, the moments are low, but when I speak to my soul, when I review what is true about the gospel, when I review what is true about where I'm going, when I review what is true about what God has done in my life, I can in those low moments still praise because of the ways that God is working in my life. 00:07:53.839 --> 00:08:00.399 And so the writer calls others to praise, he tells his own soul to praise, and then he commits to a life of praise. 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:03.199 He commits to a life of praise. 00:08:03.279 --> 00:08:07.040 He says, I will praise the Lord, verse 2, as long as I live. 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:11.920 I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. 00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:16.480 He plans to give his whole life to this. 00:08:17.759 --> 00:08:27.040 Now it's interesting because when we hear the word praise, what often comes into our minds is singing. 00:08:28.079 --> 00:08:32.559 When we hear praise, what often comes into our minds is singing. 00:08:32.639 --> 00:08:38.320 Like when we hear the word church, what often comes into our mind is building. 00:08:38.879 --> 00:08:41.440 When we hear church, we think building. 00:08:41.600 --> 00:08:50.000 Now, just like the church is more than a building, singing, praise, sorry, is more than just singing. 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:53.200 It's right for us to sing praise to God. 00:08:53.440 --> 00:08:58.960 That is right, and we should, because it pleases God when he hears it. 00:08:59.039 --> 00:09:02.480 But singing is just one aspect of praise. 00:09:02.960 --> 00:09:05.200 There's also talking. 00:09:06.159 --> 00:09:07.759 There's also talking. 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:16.240 See, I can sit my six-year-old son Zion down and say, Zion, I am so proud of you. 00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:26.320 I'm so proud of the way that you have grown, that you used to be terrified to go to any other church than our church. 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:35.519 That it used to be a miserable experience for you driving in the car, but I'm so proud that now we get somewhere and you're like, Dad, I can't wait to see Wyatt. 00:09:35.600 --> 00:09:37.120 I can't wait to go to class. 00:09:37.200 --> 00:09:39.600 And he just kind of jumps out of the van. 00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:46.159 I can tell him how proud I am of that, or I can tell you how proud I am of my son. 00:09:46.720 --> 00:10:02.320 To see him growing up, to see the confidence that I believe God is working in his life, to see him stroll across the lawn going to school, unafraid of what he's going to while his dad is so afraid of letting him go to school. 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:04.480 That I never want to let his hand go. 00:10:04.559 --> 00:10:07.919 That sometimes I'm like, hey, can I have a kiss before we I let you go? 00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:09.200 And he's like, No, dad, I'm good. 00:10:09.279 --> 00:10:11.039 I'm like, what do you mean you're good? 00:10:13.200 --> 00:10:14.720 I'm your dad. 00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:16.879 I want some lip service, bro. 00:10:16.960 --> 00:10:21.039 I'm like paying for all the clothes you're but he's just like, nope, you're embarrassing me. 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:21.440 I'm good. 00:10:21.519 --> 00:10:22.480 I'm like, you're six. 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:25.039 You should tell me I'm embarrassing you when you're 16. 00:10:25.200 --> 00:10:26.720 This is way too early. 00:10:27.039 --> 00:10:35.279 But he's confident, and I can so I can praise him to his face, or I can praise him to you and say, I'm very proud of my son. 00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:36.799 It's the same with God. 00:10:37.039 --> 00:10:53.440 You can stand in your living room in the morning and sing praises to God and thank him for everything that he has done in your life, or you can walk across the street and say to your neighbor, Hey, can I tell you about God and the things that he has done in my life? 00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:58.960 We praise God by singing, but we also praise God by talking to him about him to others. 00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:09.440 The people that God brings in and out of our lives, telling them who he is and what he will do in the life of anyone who trusts him. 00:11:09.759 --> 00:11:12.399 We praise him in these ways. 00:11:13.519 --> 00:11:16.159 We praise God by singing, talking. 00:11:16.320 --> 00:11:18.639 We also praise God by living. 00:11:19.200 --> 00:11:46.639 We bring praise to God by the way we live our lives, when we live lives that are worthy of the gospel, when we are confessing and repenting of our sin and receiving the forgiveness that He offers when we sin, when we consider other people, when we consider their interests above our own, when we treat believer and unbeliever with dignity and respect, we bring praise to God. 00:11:46.879 --> 00:11:55.120 When we steward well the gifts that God has given us, the resources that he has given in our lives, our gifts, our talents. 00:11:55.279 --> 00:11:58.879 When we steward those things well, we bring glory to God. 00:11:59.039 --> 00:11:59.360 Why? 00:11:59.519 --> 00:12:04.240 Because it's God working in us to make that possible. 00:12:04.480 --> 00:12:09.279 It's the Spirit filling us again to be able to do these things. 00:12:09.360 --> 00:12:13.360 And so praise doesn't come to us, it goes to God. 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:22.240 See, praise is not just singing, it's also our living. 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:28.320 So the writer commits to praising God and he calls us to join him in that. 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:35.039 And then the rest of the way in the psalm, he gives us three reasons, three great reasons why we should. 00:12:35.279 --> 00:12:39.120 Here's the first one it's because God is our eternal hope. 00:12:39.759 --> 00:12:41.440 He's our eternal hope. 00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:47.440 Verse 3 says, Put not your trust in princes, in the Son of Man in whom there's no salvation. 00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:50.000 When his breath departs, he returns to the earth. 00:12:50.159 --> 00:12:53.039 On that very day, his plans perish. 00:12:53.600 --> 00:12:56.399 So here in verse 3, the writer gives us a warning. 00:12:56.559 --> 00:12:59.600 He says, Put not your trust in princes. 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:03.440 Now, when he says that, he's not saying don't trust in the member of the royal family. 00:13:03.840 --> 00:13:06.320 He's not saying don't put your trust in Prince George. 00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:07.919 That's not what he's saying. 00:13:08.639 --> 00:13:16.799 He's saying don't put your trust in people, people who look influential, people who are powerful. 00:13:17.039 --> 00:13:20.159 Princes in our context would be political leaders, right? 00:13:20.320 --> 00:13:32.159 People with political power, spiritual leaders, even, influential celebrities, people with cash, people, if they put something, post something on social media, the world just sort of gets buzzing all around it. 00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:35.519 He's saying that's where our trust is not to be put. 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:38.480 We're not to put our trust in those people. 00:13:38.559 --> 00:13:41.360 And some of those people do some very good things. 00:13:42.159 --> 00:13:44.799 But that is not where our trust is to go. 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:56.000 I was reading a magazine that I subscribe to as Wired Magazine, and I was I'm reading uh in this magazine, and uh Jeff, I think Bezos is his name, the guy who sort of uh runs Amazon. 00:13:56.480 --> 00:14:03.600 He's got this little pet project that's going on in the in the Texas desert that some people know about, but many people don't. 00:14:03.840 --> 00:14:12.720 And what he's working on is this idea that we would be able to just sort of take, you know, a ride up the space and come back down. 00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:13.440 Right? 00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:23.039 This whole, it's just a massive rocket, and they're trying to figure out how to make it comfortable, they're trying to figure out how to make it easy so that you don't sort of have to have some stewardess type person on there with you. 00:14:23.120 --> 00:14:31.039 You just sort of get in, and in 11 minutes you sort of go up and come down, and they're like, it's gonna be for everyone, you know, the common man, but probably not. 00:14:31.120 --> 00:14:35.360 It's probably gonna be for people who have like a million dollars to take a space ride. 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:45.519 But ultimately, though, his goal is that not only would we take a ride into space for 11 minutes and come back down, but ultimately that we could live there. 00:14:46.799 --> 00:14:53.600 So he wants, it's it's one step, but there's another step that he'd like to take, which is just he wants to get us off the earth. 00:14:53.759 --> 00:14:59.919 He's like the earth is running out of resources, and we need somewhere that we are going to live and survive all of this. 00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:08.159 And as I'm reading this article, I'm like, one, this is pretty cool, but I find myself starting to feel like I wonder if this could work. 00:15:08.799 --> 00:15:11.039 I wonder if things, you know, sort of ran out. 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:13.360 Maybe we could live on space stations and all. 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:16.960 And you almost feel yourself tempted to trust in that. 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:28.720 And that's exactly what the Bible says not to do is to not to look at those sorts of things and think, this is the way we are going to be saved. 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:33.519 That's exactly where our trust is not supposed to go, and here's why. 00:15:33.840 --> 00:15:37.600 That person, that influential, that powerful person, here's what happens to them. 00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:43.679 Verse 4 When his breath departs, he returns to the earth, and on that very day his plans perish. 00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:49.360 We aren't to put our trust and hope in people because people die. 00:15:50.720 --> 00:15:52.720 Because we are mortal. 00:15:52.879 --> 00:16:01.200 That on that day when they die and pass away, all of their plans end with them, everything comes to an end. 00:16:01.440 --> 00:16:02.879 We are mortal. 00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:12.080 Now, this this picture that the Bible gives us of the mortality of those powerful, influential people should remind us of our own mortality. 00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:16.000 That there is a day coming that that we are going to die. 00:16:16.799 --> 00:16:25.759 But that we as Christians don't face death with fear, because it says that when we die, we are in the presence of our Father. 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:28.720 We go right to glory, so to speak. 00:16:28.879 --> 00:16:40.159 And so we face death with confidence, but we are to be aware that death is coming, and death actually being aware of that that it's coming, helps us to not waste any time. 00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:52.240 The fact that death is at the doorstep for everyone should encourage us to not waste any of the days that God gives us with the people in our life. 00:16:52.399 --> 00:17:00.480 In Psalm 90, it says, Teach us to number our days so that we would get a heart of after you. 00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:16.799 Some translation says a heart of wisdom, so that we would look at the moments that we get with the people in our lives, and we should say, I don't know how much longer I'm going to be here, and so I am not wasting any of the moments that I get with you. 00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:21.440 I am delighting in every day that God gives me. 00:17:21.599 --> 00:17:29.680 We face it with confidence, but we're also allow it to help us to live in wise, wise ways. 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:34.400 The influential, they can't save us. 00:17:34.799 --> 00:17:40.799 The writer wants us trusting in the Lord who can save us. 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:45.119 And when our hope is in the Lord, we're blessed. 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:48.160 When your hope is in God, you're blessed. 00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:49.440 You're like, how do you know? 00:17:49.759 --> 00:17:52.079 Verse 5, blessed. 00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:53.119 See that? 00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:54.400 Not lying. 00:17:55.119 --> 00:18:06.559 Blessed is he whose health is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them. 00:18:07.599 --> 00:18:14.480 The person who hopes in the Lord is blessed because the creator of the universe is on their side. 00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:21.279 The one who made all things, the one who's ruling and guiding all things. 00:18:21.519 --> 00:18:28.319 I was reading the psalm this morning and sort of praying over all of you and whoever would sit under the hearing of the word. 00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:41.519 And then God just reminded me, myself, my own heart, how much I need to remember that He is the one who's in charge of everything, that He made all things, and that He is on my side. 00:18:41.759 --> 00:18:44.000 He's on your side as well. 00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:46.880 Everything is under His control. 00:18:47.119 --> 00:19:01.839 See, when we're hoping in God, we're hoping in the one who is eternal, the one who stands outside of His creation, the one who is guiding His creation to the end that He wants. 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:10.160 We're trusting also in the one who is completely trustworthy. 00:19:10.480 --> 00:19:18.480 Verse 6 Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever. 00:19:18.799 --> 00:19:20.480 The CSB translates this. 00:19:20.559 --> 00:19:24.640 It says that he remains faithful forever. 00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:27.200 God is faithful. 00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:38.240 Do you believe that when you look at your life, when you look at the ways that you think about God, do you actually believe that God is faithful? 00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:45.920 When you stand in a congregation and when you sing, Great is thy faithfulness, does that actually touch your heart? 00:19:46.079 --> 00:19:51.519 Does that take you to a place of trust and confidence where you believe that that is actually true? 00:19:51.599 --> 00:19:54.559 Or do you just mouth it because everybody else is? 00:19:55.359 --> 00:19:59.599 Do you truly believe that God is faithful? 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:01.920 See, God can be trusted. 00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:05.519 Whatever God promises to do, he will do it. 00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:07.839 God is not like the pizza man. 00:20:09.039 --> 00:20:16.079 Who tells you that your hot and ready is coming in 30 minutes and then it shows up in 45 minutes? 00:20:16.559 --> 00:20:18.559 It's God's not like that. 00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:20.319 He is faithful. 00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:23.440 If he says he's going to do something, he will do it. 00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:24.400 He's never late. 00:20:24.559 --> 00:20:27.680 It always comes in his perfect timing. 00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:29.599 That's why Psalm 118. 00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:35.839 Psalm 118 says it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. 00:20:36.559 --> 00:20:41.680 It's better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. 00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:47.039 See, this here is a great reminder for believers. 00:20:57.200 --> 00:21:04.720 If all of our hope, all of our plans, all of our trust is in the basket of God, that will not be in vain. 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:12.720 God says, it says in the word, He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. 00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:17.920 God has started something good in you, and the Bible says that he will complete it. 00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:19.200 That is a promise. 00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:21.680 You can hold on to that. 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:25.920 Having all of your hope in God will not be in vain. 00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:31.039 This is a reminder for believers, but it's also a call to unbelievers. 00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:44.160 It's a reminder to encourage believers, but it's also a call to unbelievers, those who are not trusting in Jesus Christ, those who are not walking with Jesus, those who are doubting that. 00:21:44.319 --> 00:21:45.519 It's a reminder. 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:54.319 It's to tell you, it's a call to say that if you have your hope and trust in anything else other than Jesus Christ, it will be in vain. 00:21:56.480 --> 00:21:59.759 And I don't, I'm not saying that to be disrespectful. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:00.880 To you. 00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:06.799 I'm not saying that to come off some sort of like high and mighty person that if as if I'm above you. 00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:08.480 That is not my heart in saying that. 00:22:08.640 --> 00:22:10.880 I'm saying that because it's true. 00:22:13.440 --> 00:22:26.880 And God in his grace, if you are here and you're not trusting in Jesus Christ, he is in his grace telling you, reminding you, saying that death is a reality for everyone. 00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:32.160 And that there is a day coming where all of us will stand before God. 00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:39.759 And if you're trusting in anything else other than Jesus Christ, you will stand before your Creator without the Advocate. 00:22:40.960 --> 00:22:42.720 Without Jesus Christ. 00:22:43.759 --> 00:22:45.519 And that will not go well. 00:22:46.799 --> 00:23:04.000 But today can be the day that you can turn and trust in Jesus Christ for the first time and find yourself full of hope, waiting on him to come and get you. 00:23:04.559 --> 00:23:06.799 It's a call, it's a reminder to believers. 00:23:06.960 --> 00:23:10.079 Having all our hope in God will not be in vain. 00:23:10.160 --> 00:23:16.160 But unbelievers, it's a call to say, today is the day to trust in Jesus Christ. 00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:25.759 This is why we praise God for all times, because He is the one who sent His Son to live and die for us. 00:23:26.799 --> 00:23:28.559 God is our only hope. 00:23:28.880 --> 00:23:30.319 We praise Him for this. 00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:33.440 He's also our eternal help. 00:23:34.160 --> 00:23:37.200 He's our eternal hope, but He's also our eternal help. 00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:55.920 Verse 7 It says, Who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry, the Lord sets the prisoner free, the Lord opens the eyes of the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous, the Lord watches over the sojourners, he upholds the widows and the fatherless. 00:23:56.079 --> 00:23:58.960 But the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. 00:23:59.599 --> 00:24:05.119 In these verses, we're given a list of ways that God helps the needy. 00:24:05.839 --> 00:24:07.279 He rhymes that off. 00:24:07.359 --> 00:24:12.319 And then we're told, sort of in the middle, in verse 8, it says that the Lord loves the righteous. 00:24:12.960 --> 00:24:19.119 So you get this list, but then in the middle there, you see this thing where he says, And the Lord loves the righteous. 00:24:19.920 --> 00:24:30.960 Now, anytime someone is called righteous in the Psalms, it's always speaking of somebody who's needy, but they trust God to meet their needs. 00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:36.319 They're called righteous because they look to God for help. 00:24:36.480 --> 00:24:40.720 See, in the the people in these verses are called righteous. 00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:48.240 Because in the in the history of Israel, there was a there was temptations to trust in princes. 00:24:48.319 --> 00:24:54.799 There were temptations to trust in something else other than God, but they did not. 00:24:55.759 --> 00:24:57.759 And so they're called righteous. 00:24:57.920 --> 00:25:01.279 They did not trust in the princes of their day. 00:25:01.440 --> 00:25:04.880 They're actually being contrasted with the people in verse 9. 00:25:05.440 --> 00:25:10.160 In verse 9, it says that the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. 00:25:10.319 --> 00:25:15.200 See, the wicked is someone who trusts themselves or they trust in princes. 00:25:15.519 --> 00:25:19.440 They trust in someone else, something other than God. 00:25:19.599 --> 00:25:24.640 And it says that things do not end well for that person. 00:25:26.079 --> 00:25:27.359 Things go well. 00:25:28.079 --> 00:25:31.200 Things go well for the person who's trusting God. 00:25:31.359 --> 00:25:35.359 It says the Lord loves the righteous, people who trust in him. 00:25:35.680 --> 00:25:37.680 And this should encourage us. 00:25:38.480 --> 00:25:44.480 This is meant to encourage us because Christians, we are called righteous. 00:25:44.880 --> 00:25:50.160 When you read through the New Testament, we are called righteous. 00:25:50.799 --> 00:25:56.319 And we're called righteous for trusting the Lord, but it's not because we have lived perfect lives. 00:25:57.279 --> 00:26:01.119 We're not called righteous because of anything in us. 00:26:01.279 --> 00:26:04.640 We're called righteous because of Jesus Christ. 00:26:05.440 --> 00:26:09.039 We're called righteous because of what he has done. 00:26:09.200 --> 00:26:16.000 See, when I hear verse 2, put not your trust in princes, right away I know I'm in trouble. 00:26:16.799 --> 00:26:27.440 As soon as I read that verse, I know that I'm in trouble because I know how many times in my life I've trusted myself or I've trusted something else. 00:26:27.759 --> 00:26:30.079 And so I know right away that I've failed. 00:26:30.240 --> 00:26:31.839 I know right away that I'm guilty. 00:26:32.000 --> 00:26:38.240 And maybe if you look into your life, you'd see that you have some similar tendencies. 00:26:38.799 --> 00:26:46.559 Maybe if you examine yourself, you'll see that there's moments where you trust in something else other than God. 00:26:49.200 --> 00:26:50.799 But not Jesus. 00:26:51.920 --> 00:26:56.240 There is never a moment where Jesus put his trust in people. 00:26:56.799 --> 00:26:58.079 John 2. 00:26:58.720 --> 00:27:05.839 John 2, verses 23 to 25 says, Many believed in his name when he saw the signs that he was doing. 00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:11.680 But Jesus, on his part, did not entrust himself to them because he knew all people. 00:27:12.400 --> 00:27:16.720 Jesus entrusted himself to his father. 00:27:17.200 --> 00:27:25.599 And he lived a perfectly righteous life as a way of worship and praise to his father. 00:27:25.759 --> 00:27:35.519 And because of his life and death on the cross for our sins, when we trust in Jesus Christ, that righteousness is given to us. 00:27:35.680 --> 00:27:42.880 And so when we are called righteous, it's talking of an imputed righteousness, it's a credited righteousness. 00:27:44.160 --> 00:27:48.960 And then when we turn to Jesus, he gives us all the help we need. 00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:53.519 Jesus Christ gives us all the help we need. 00:27:53.680 --> 00:27:57.920 Do you know that everything that's listed in this psalm, Jesus does for us? 00:27:59.039 --> 00:28:04.880 Everything listed here, Jesus does for those who are trusting in him. 00:28:05.279 --> 00:28:06.799 We are oppressed. 00:28:07.680 --> 00:28:17.920 And I know when I say that we are oppressed in this room, it doesn't hit the same way that it would hit if I say we are oppressed to some Christians around the world. 00:28:18.240 --> 00:28:22.799 See, we can gather here and open our Bibles and I can speak and everything like that. 00:28:22.960 --> 00:28:31.440 We can sing praise to God, we can hug one another after the service, we can head out after that for a good lunch, but that's not the reality for every Christian. 00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:39.759 There are some Christians in the world that when they meet together, it's huddled somewhere full of fear but also filled with faith. 00:28:40.079 --> 00:28:44.559 Because if they're found out for meeting, they would get killed. 00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:54.559 And so we don't always feel the oppression that is on Christians in the ways that some other people feel it, but maybe that will change. 00:28:56.079 --> 00:29:01.599 Maybe there's gonna come a day where we'll feel that just a little bit more, but other Christians feel that. 00:29:01.680 --> 00:29:08.000 But even though we don't always feel it in the same ways, it is true, but we don't have to take justice into our own hands. 00:29:08.160 --> 00:29:20.000 The Bible says that we can continue entrusting our souls when people oppress us, entrusting our souls to a faithful Creator while doing good, because God will take care of all of it. 00:29:20.319 --> 00:29:23.680 And so we put our trust and our hope in God. 00:29:23.839 --> 00:29:30.799 And yes, people may oppress us, but we are called to continue to love them and pray for them. 00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:33.119 We hunger for righteousness. 00:29:33.680 --> 00:29:37.519 And when we come to Jesus Christ, he satisfies us. 00:29:38.000 --> 00:29:40.319 We were prisoners to sinful habits. 00:29:40.400 --> 00:29:49.519 Some of us in this room know what it was like to go to that sin over and over again, but we also are sitting in this room knowing the freedom we have now from that sin. 00:29:49.920 --> 00:29:51.200 Because Jesus has done that. 00:29:51.359 --> 00:29:56.240 The Spirit is in us that gives us the power to say no to that sinful habit. 00:29:56.319 --> 00:29:59.440 And now we are living in gospel freedom. 00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:01.599 Jesus does that in our lives. 00:30:01.759 --> 00:30:04.480 We were blind, but now our eyes are open. 00:30:05.279 --> 00:30:07.759 Our eyes are open to our world. 00:30:07.920 --> 00:30:08.960 We see it clearly. 00:30:09.119 --> 00:30:12.960 Our eyes are open to where we are going, we see that clearly. 00:30:13.119 --> 00:30:28.880 Our eyes are open to ourselves, we see ourselves clearly, and that should infuse a level of humility into our life, not self-righteousness, because we are so aware of our brokenness, of the leftover and residual sin that is still there. 00:30:29.039 --> 00:30:33.359 But we know that there's a day coming where that will all be gone. 00:30:33.599 --> 00:30:36.000 And so we see ourselves clearly. 00:30:36.160 --> 00:30:37.039 We have been bowed down. 00:30:37.200 --> 00:30:43.680 Maybe some of us right now we're bowed down by grief, but when we come to Jesus Christ, he lifts us up. 00:30:43.920 --> 00:30:46.640 We are sojourners, the Bible says. 00:30:47.440 --> 00:30:50.960 That living here on earth is a sojourn. 00:30:51.359 --> 00:30:57.359 That we are exiles in some ways, but we're also promised that that is going to come to an end. 00:30:57.519 --> 00:31:01.599 Jesus says, In my father's house are many rooms. 00:31:01.920 --> 00:31:05.680 I go there to prepare a place for you. 00:31:05.920 --> 00:31:09.680 Our sojourn is not going to go on forever. 00:31:09.839 --> 00:31:12.079 It's going to come to an end. 00:31:12.319 --> 00:31:17.200 We are going to be with our Father one day for all eternity. 00:31:17.359 --> 00:31:18.880 We were without a husband. 00:31:19.119 --> 00:31:21.839 And as his church, we are now his bride. 00:31:22.000 --> 00:31:31.599 We walked away from our Father, but by faith, by placing our faith in Jesus Christ, we have been adopted into the family of God. 00:31:32.799 --> 00:31:36.559 Jesus, the Lord, our eternal help. 00:31:36.799 --> 00:31:38.960 He meets all of our needs. 00:31:39.039 --> 00:31:43.200 And now, as people who have been helped in these ways, do you know what we are to do? 00:31:43.440 --> 00:31:46.160 We are to turn around and help others. 00:31:46.960 --> 00:31:55.839 Jesus meets all of our needs so that we as Christians would turn around and meet the needs of those around us who are needy. 00:31:56.559 --> 00:32:08.319 We can live now righteous lives through the power of the Holy Spirit and help the oppressed, the hungry, the prisoner, the blind, the bowed down, the sojourner, the widow, the fatherless. 00:32:08.640 --> 00:32:12.079 I love what Isaiah 58 says on this. 00:32:13.039 --> 00:32:16.480 Isaiah 58 says, Is not this the fast that I choose? 00:32:16.640 --> 00:32:24.160 To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free and to break every yoke? 00:32:24.319 --> 00:32:29.599 Is not this, is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house? 00:32:29.839 --> 00:32:38.880 When you see the naked, to cover him and not hide yourself from your own flesh, then your light, then shall your light break forth like the dawn. 00:32:39.920 --> 00:32:46.000 Now this is first written to the people of Israel, but God is actually upset with them. 00:32:46.559 --> 00:32:50.400 And he's upset with them because they just they go to temple and they go home. 00:32:50.640 --> 00:32:52.880 They go to temple and they go home. 00:32:53.200 --> 00:32:54.799 They go to temple, they go home. 00:32:54.960 --> 00:32:58.000 And God says, I am I'm kind of sick of that. 00:32:58.960 --> 00:33:04.400 Because you do all of that, but then you look and you ignore your own flesh. 00:33:04.640 --> 00:33:09.279 The broken and the oppressed are all around you, but you just ignore them. 00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:21.279 And so when we go up the ladder and then come down the ladder to our day, we sometimes drift into the same thing: church, home, church, home, church, work, home. 00:33:21.680 --> 00:33:25.279 And we ignore the oppressed, we ignore the broken. 00:33:25.440 --> 00:33:28.880 The church is supposed to be about the word, yes. 00:33:29.519 --> 00:33:36.240 But it's also supposed to be about deeds, caring for the poor and the needy. 00:33:36.400 --> 00:33:42.559 Notice it says in Isaiah that when we do that, when the church lives like that, it's like the dawn. 00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:46.559 Have you ever seen like a sunrise coming up? 00:33:46.720 --> 00:33:48.720 You almost can't take your eyes off of it. 00:33:48.880 --> 00:33:50.160 It's that beautiful. 00:33:50.400 --> 00:33:58.400 Think about what it would look like in Newmarket and in Toronto and in the GTA if we committed to these ways as a church. 00:33:58.559 --> 00:34:00.640 Now I know some of you are doing those things. 00:34:00.799 --> 00:34:03.680 But what if all of us got on this train? 00:34:03.759 --> 00:34:18.400 That not we're not just gonna just go and do church and then go home, that we're gonna do the church thing, yes, but we're also gonna look for those in the community who we can serve and help and minister the gospel, minister the love of Jesus Christ. 00:34:18.480 --> 00:34:27.119 The Bible says it would be like the dawn that people would couldn't get their eyes off of a church like that. 00:34:28.079 --> 00:34:40.000 And so we pray and ask the Spirit to lead us to people like this, to open our eyes to people like this, so that we can love them and minister to them with the love of Jesus Christ. 00:34:40.159 --> 00:34:44.639 And hear this: we do this for believers and unbelievers. 00:34:46.239 --> 00:34:59.039 We love the church of God in a special way, yes, but we are called also to love all of humanity, all of the other image-bearers of Jesus Christ. 00:34:59.440 --> 00:35:09.599 And we ask the Spirit to do this, and we do these things not for our glory, not for our praise, but for the praise and glory of God. 00:35:09.840 --> 00:35:10.079 Why? 00:35:10.239 --> 00:35:13.199 Because it's Him working in us. 00:35:13.599 --> 00:35:19.519 See, praise is not just singing, it's also our living. 00:35:20.559 --> 00:35:29.280 We can live in such a way that brings praise and glory to God, and it's right for God to get praise and glory because God is king. 00:35:29.760 --> 00:35:31.280 Look at verse 10. 00:35:31.519 --> 00:35:37.760 The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations, praise the Lord. 00:35:37.920 --> 00:35:43.840 We choose to praise God because He's our hope, our help, and because He is our eternal King. 00:35:44.639 --> 00:35:46.800 Our final point, our eternal King. 00:35:46.960 --> 00:35:50.480 See, when I read verse 10, I again I'm blessed. 00:35:51.360 --> 00:36:01.119 I'm blessed because it reminds me that even though our world looks bumpy and rocky, every time you sort of go on Twitter or something like that, you're like, what is going on? 00:36:01.679 --> 00:36:08.480 Even though it feels that way, it reminds us that we are not without a king on the throne. 00:36:08.800 --> 00:36:14.559 That God is in charge and that our king will reign for all eternity. 00:36:14.719 --> 00:36:17.920 Again, he's being contrasted with princes. 00:36:18.880 --> 00:36:21.360 See, God is king for all times. 00:36:21.519 --> 00:36:28.480