1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:05,640 Well, good morning, We are going to be reading Psalm 115. 2 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:09,320 If you do not have a Bible, you can find one under your seat. 3 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:12,080 And if you don't own one, that is our gift to you. 4 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:18,240 So Psalm 115, it will be found on page 478. 5 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:23,840 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name. 6 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:27,880 Give glory for the sake of Your steadfast love and Your 7 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:31,480 faithfulness. Why should the nation say, where 8 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:34,480 is their God? Our God is in the heavens. 9 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:39,640 He does all that He pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, 10 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:43,640 the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not 11 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:48,400 speak, eyes but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear, 12 00:00:48,480 --> 00:00:52,960 noses but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel 13 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:57,560 feet, but do not walk, and they do not make a sound in their 14 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:01,080 throat. Those who make them become like 15 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:04,319 them. So do all who trust in them. 16 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:09,080 O Israel, trust in the Lord. He is their help and their 17 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:12,000 shield. O House of Aaron, trust in the 18 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:13,760 Lord. He is their help and their 19 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:17,040 shield. You who fear the Lord, trust in 20 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:19,560 the Lord. He is their help and their 21 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:22,120 shield. The Lord has remembered us. 22 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:25,200 He will bless us. He will bless the House of 23 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:27,280 Israel. He will bless the House of 24 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:29,960 Aaron. He will bless those who fear the 25 00:01:29,960 --> 00:01:33,080 Lord, both the small and the great. 26 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:37,080 May the Lord give you, increase you and your children. 27 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:40,880 May you be blessed by the Lord who made heaven and earth. 28 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:44,880 The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth He has 29 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:49,240 given to the children of man. The dead do not praise the Lord, 30 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:53,760 nor do any who go down into silence, but we will bless the 31 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:58,560 Lord from this time forth, and forevermore praise the Lord. 32 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:00,280 And this is the word of the Lord. 33 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:05,520 Well, good morning. My name is John. 34 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:07,280 I'm one of the pastors here at Port City. 35 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:12,960 So glad you're here with us today as we continue to series 36 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:17,440 in the Psalms. Psalms are ancient Hebrew songs, 37 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,480 although they might seem a little weird in English. 38 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,240 OK, but try translating one of our songs in the Hebrew. 39 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:25,560 Might be kind of weird as well, right? 40 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:28,720 So our particular set of songs, though, that we've been going 41 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:32,960 through were traditionally sung at the Passover, OK, the 42 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:35,960 Passover, a holiday that celebrates God's deliverance of 43 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:41,440 Israel from slavery in Egypt. And today's Psalm, Psalm 115, 44 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:46,240 would have been sung after sharing the Passover meal. 45 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:48,760 But, you know, we've kind of talked about the traditional 46 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:53,080 context or historical context of of these Psalms in previous 47 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:56,000 weeks. But today what I want to do is I 48 00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:01,000 want to focus on what this Psalm is calling us to, whether you're 49 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:04,880 in Christ or not, ancient Hebrew or not, It just, it's just as 50 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:07,200 important as it was to them then. 51 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:12,080 But here's why I say that. So I recently went to a a 52 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:14,960 wedding and we stayed in an Airbnb, OK? 53 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:17,560 And it was a house that looked kind of like Joanna Gaines went 54 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:19,720 crazy. OK, Yeah. 55 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:23,440 It was shiplap everywhere, sliding barn doors, muted color 56 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:26,440 palettes, like white, blacks, Grays, you know, the works, 57 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:28,640 right? There was this huge kitchen 58 00:03:28,640 --> 00:03:31,920 island, though. It's like this this like island 59 00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:35,040 was like the size of a large table, like a big, big table. 60 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:37,600 It was beautiful. And there was this centerpiece 61 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:39,720 with a bowl of pears in it. OK. 62 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:43,080 And it was it was like just this amazing setup. 63 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:46,400 But then they had like this just little pop of green with this 64 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:49,480 bowl of pears that you know, within this muted pallet. 65 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:51,040 It's just like this pop of color. 66 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:52,960 It's quite tasteful, quite tasteful. 67 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:55,520 All right, It's beautiful. It's a beautiful place. 68 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:59,920 Hopefully I'm selling it. See the the the pears look so 69 00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:04,680 nice and in the house this nice. It was a wow factor to kind of 70 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:08,720 see, oh, they have fresh fruit on this table or on this island 71 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:11,680 for us. And, you know, I was like, wow, 72 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:13,880 OK, great. So naturally, I went to grab a 73 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:14,960 pair. All right. 74 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:17,640 But something that feel quite right about this, right? 75 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:19,720 They looked real and felt kind of real. 76 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,920 So they're kind of slightly squishy and a little fuzzy, but 77 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:26,120 they were plastic. But what was interesting about 78 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:31,000 this was that the pair I picked up had a bite mark in it, but 79 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:33,760 not just the one I picked up. I started looking at them and 80 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:36,240 there's a few others that had multiple bite marks as well. 81 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:38,600 I was like, what in the world? And now the interesting thing is 82 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:43,040 they all put them back. So so but like the plastic 83 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:47,800 pairs, this Psalm pushes us to see that something can look like 84 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:52,400 the real thing, but it be completely fake, be completely 85 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:54,080 fake. See, this Psalm pushes us to see 86 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:58,160 that people can become plastic versions of themselves. 87 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,440 Sure, we may look like people and feel like a person, but 88 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:06,080 something hollows us out, makes us plastic. 89 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:11,400 Like this Psalm tells us that this plasticizing force is 90 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:15,680 called idolatry. Idolatry, See our text says in 91 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,560 verse 8. Those who make them talk about 92 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:24,480 idols become like them. So do all who trust in them. 93 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:28,480 See, this is one of the central problems that the Psalm 94 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:30,680 confronts. And so for the next few moments, 95 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:33,320 let's look at really three questions. 96 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:38,440 OK, are there modern idols? What is the problem with idols? 97 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:43,360 And how does this Psalm provide a solution to all of it? 98 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:46,680 OK, so are there idols? What's the problem with idols? 99 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:49,000 And what's the solution? All right, let's get into it 100 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:52,360 first. Are there modern idols? 101 00:05:52,840 --> 00:05:56,040 So you can be tempting in our modern minds to think this Psalm 102 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:58,400 is antiquated and it doesn't apply to us. 103 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:01,720 We could think we don't do this. That's what those people way 104 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:03,720 back when did, right? We're beyond that. 105 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:06,280 Or this is this is kind of like why I'm not too big into 106 00:06:06,280 --> 00:06:08,640 religious things because stuff like this, what are we talking 107 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:10,400 about, right? Maybe you think that's 108 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:14,400 historically interesting, but I don't go to temples and bow down 109 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:16,600 to idols. I would never do that. 110 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:18,560 Oh, really? Oh, really? 111 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:21,240 I want us to consider a couple of things in our culture. 112 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:23,920 OK, let's take just for an example. 113 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:26,480 This is an example. Professional sports. 114 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:30,160 All right, now, I love football. You need to know that I love 115 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:32,800 football. I'm all in Go commanders, but 116 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:35,160 don't misunderstand me on that, all right, But listen to the 117 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:39,880 similarities in NFL culture. We have ceremonial feast outside 118 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:41,920 the stadium before the game starts, right? 119 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,760 I mean, right, It's it's serious brats, the works. 120 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:47,400 You know, whatever, whatever your flavor is, right? 121 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:50,080 Everyone wears the colors of the of the team. 122 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:53,600 We all all dress alike, right? Some get painted up and have big 123 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:56,000 foam hats, right? Go Packers. 124 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:59,760 We we all gather in a big building to celebrate and watch 125 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:02,200 the game. It frames up our week. 126 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:05,320 We have Thursday night, Sunday afternoon, Sunday night, Monday 127 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:07,880 night, right? And if you're really deep, if 128 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:11,080 you're really deep, you you listen to the podcast and you 129 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:14,360 watch the talking heads discuss all the games in between, right? 130 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:16,000 Otis Wade, did you see that play? 131 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:18,280 Watch that back. You know, after the season's 132 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:21,720 over, though, there's this endless conversation of trades 133 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:24,280 and injuries. And then there's there's just 134 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:27,720 the whole calendar that in in revolves around football and it 135 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:31,120 can kind of just consume your life right now. 136 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:33,440 No one is praying to the football gods. 137 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:36,840 Well, most people aren't, right? But football can become the 138 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:40,760 point of life itself and everything can gravitate around 139 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:42,960 it, right? Football gives purpose. 140 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:45,440 Football gives discipline. Football gives direction. 141 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:48,800 Football is life. This entire reorientation of 142 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,920 your life around football can begin to look like worship, a 143 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:53,920 metaphorical bowing, if you will. 144 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:56,480 But it doesn't have to be sports. 145 00:07:56,480 --> 00:07:59,920 That's just an example. We do this with careers, OK 146 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,760 family, kids, or our social lives. 147 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:04,040 Something bad happens. What do we do? 148 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:05,680 We throw ourselves into our work. 149 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:07,640 Something bad happens or life gets crazy. 150 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:09,040 What do we do? We throw ourselves into our 151 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:10,680 family. We try to be the best dad we can 152 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:11,880 do. Why do we do that? 153 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:16,040 We're running to something. See, modern people can have one 154 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:19,880 thing that completely consumes their lives to a worship level 155 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:23,240 of devotion. It may not sound like a religion 156 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:27,480 or have an outright deity, but there is worship going on. 157 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:30,560 Now, how do we? How do we know that worship is 158 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:34,320 going on? Because idols, as one writer has 159 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:37,480 put it, they do this. The idols capture our 160 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:40,520 imagination and we can locate them by looking at our 161 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:43,520 daydreams. What do you What do we enjoy 162 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:46,520 imagining? What are our fondest dreams? 163 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:51,120 We look to our idols to love us to provide us with value and a 164 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:53,240 sense of beauty, significant and worth. 165 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:57,320 So what are you looking to love you to give you a sense of 166 00:08:57,320 --> 00:08:59,280 value? What is what is your in your 167 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:01,680 life is a source of your significance. 168 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:04,680 I matter because of what is that? 169 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:07,560 What in your life gives you meaning and purpose? 170 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:12,000 These may not be statues, but they are idols of the heart. 171 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:14,640 See, we love, trust and obey them. 172 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:17,040 They bend us. Our our lives are built around 173 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:19,000 them. Here's some questions kind of 174 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:23,480 thing about when you get angry. So I think about with time, like 175 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:24,560 you know, you're really mad, right? 176 00:09:24,560 --> 00:09:27,240 Or maybe you're mad right now. Here's a question. 177 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:31,160 What are you protecting? What are you defending? 178 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:34,120 What are you protecting when you're anxious? 179 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:36,320 What are you afraid of happening? 180 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:39,840 What do you, what do you feel like you might lose in that 181 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:43,200 moment when you're anxious, when things are hard and difficult, 182 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:47,840 what do you turn to for comfort? You run back into that. 183 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:52,720 See idols give us a sense of being in control and we can 184 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:55,920 locate them by looking at our nightmares even, right? 185 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:58,560 What do we fear the most? What if we lost? 186 00:09:58,560 --> 00:10:02,560 It would what would make our if we lost it would make our life 187 00:10:02,560 --> 00:10:05,960 not worth living. We make sacrifices to appease 188 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:10,040 and please our gods, We we who we believe will protect us. 189 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:13,440 We look to our idols to provide us with a sense of self, of 190 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:17,480 confidence and safety. See what in your life has that 191 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:20,680 power. Whatever that thing is, it's an 192 00:10:20,680 --> 00:10:21,960 idol. OK? 193 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:25,640 It may not be a statue, but it's an idol of the heart. 194 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:28,000 It's something that we are trusting in, even trusting 195 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:31,240 ourselves to. But something happens to us when 196 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:35,400 we follow idols, OK? We become less human in the 197 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:37,080 process. And that's kind of what our text 198 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:40,240 is showing us. See, our idols begin to define 199 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:42,040 us. See, here's what happens. 200 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:46,440 If we if we idolize our team, then all we are are Steelers 201 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:49,520 fans, right? If we idolize our kids, then all 202 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:53,440 we are is mom and dad. If we idolize our career 203 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:55,720 success, then all we are is the doctor. 204 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:58,080 We're the teacher, we're the lawyer, we're the designer, the 205 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:01,960 engineer, the sailor. We become the thing we idolize. 206 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:04,520 We are the funny person. We are the cool person. 207 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:07,360 We are whatever fill in the blank. 208 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:12,200 See, we get what we wanted, but that's all that's left of us. 209 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:14,960 That's all that's left of us. Our sense of identity gets 210 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:17,640 replaced with the thing that we have built our entire life 211 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:20,480 around. See, other aspects of who we are 212 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:22,760 become lost. We're reduced to the thing that 213 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:26,320 consumes our lives. We lose ourselves, and we become 214 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:30,080 our idols. There used to be more be to be 215 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:32,400 more to us, but everything else is consumed. 216 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:36,800 See, these idols dehumanize us. We think they're giving us the 217 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:41,200 life we always wanted, but when you get there, you might just be 218 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:44,760 a shell of a person. See, their demands squeeze out 219 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:48,360 things in our lives. They drain us of our humanity. 220 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:52,600 Idols plasticize us. They make us less human, not 221 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:54,680 more. See, we lose touch with what it 222 00:11:54,680 --> 00:11:57,360 means to be human when we go all in on idols. 223 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:03,000 They dehumanize us. OK, so we have modern idols, but 224 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,600 the next question. But what is the problem with 225 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,640 idols? So we are modern people. 226 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:12,320 We have modern idols and they dehumanize us, and that's what 227 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:14,680 this Psalm is teaching us. But what exactly is the problem 228 00:12:14,680 --> 00:12:17,200 with idolatry? Why does it have this effect on 229 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:18,560 us? Why does it do this? 230 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:21,800 It has to do with the Bible's explanation of what it means to 231 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:23,680 be human, of what it means to be human. 232 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:26,960 You see, humanity was created in the image of God. 233 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:30,440 See, we're image bearers of God. This means we were created in 234 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:34,040 such a way that our primary function as a human is to image 235 00:12:34,040 --> 00:12:36,040 God. And what that means is that we 236 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:39,120 were to represent him to all of creation. 237 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:42,720 When you look at us, you were meant to see the character and 238 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:47,320 nature of God himself. That is the way we were built. 239 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:51,360 OK, this works its way out through how we work, how we have 240 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:56,840 families, and even our culture. We cannot help but be an image 241 00:12:56,840 --> 00:12:58,960 bearer. This means that every single 242 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:01,640 person on planet earth has dignity, value, and worth. 243 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:06,120 But notice that we have dignity because we were created in the 244 00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:10,440 image of the dignified one. OK, we have value because we 245 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:13,080 were created in the image of the valuable one. 246 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:17,200 We have worth because we were created in the image of the 247 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:21,040 worthy one. OK, you cannot cease to be an 248 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:23,400 image bearer. It's how God created us. 249 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:27,240 But something has happened since God created the first people, 250 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:30,440 our first parents, Adam and Eve. They rebelled against God. 251 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:34,680 They chose to disobey God. And that has led to all humanity 252 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:37,520 joining them in rebellion against God. 253 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:40,840 OK, and what does it? What does it mean to be the a 254 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:43,200 rebel? It means that we reject or do 255 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:45,360 not want to live in reference to God. 256 00:13:45,680 --> 00:13:50,160 See, our default mode as humans is to live life apart from God. 257 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:54,920 It's partially a choice and partially, partially by nature 258 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:58,240 at this point, because we are cut off from a life with God 259 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:01,800 because of our rebellion. It's kind of like when you put 260 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:04,200 your phone, your cell phone, in airplane mode. 261 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:08,640 OK, yeah, it still works, but it doesn't work the way it's 262 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:10,680 supposed to. You have to jump on someone's 263 00:14:10,680 --> 00:14:12,640 Wi-Fi or connect to some Bluetooth thing. 264 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:15,200 Or rather, you just can't use it like normal. 265 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:19,560 But to make matters worse, it's like having your phone stuck in 266 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:23,000 airplane mode, right? You can't turn the data back on 267 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:24,840 even if you wanted to. You're in trouble. 268 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:27,720 It ain't gonna work, right? That is what human rebellion, or 269 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:29,600 what the Bible calls sin, is like. 270 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:34,920 See, we we are made to be connected to God, but we are 271 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:38,480 disconnected because of our fallenness, our sinfulness, 272 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:41,120 airplane mode. It won't come off right. 273 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:46,200 Because of this disconnection, we turn to proxies, lesser 274 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:50,000 things, fall idols, false gods, an idol. 275 00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:51,680 Simply define. If you're wondering what that 276 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:54,720 is, we could simply define An idol this way is taking a 277 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:57,560 created thing and making it an ultimate thing. 278 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:01,880 Taking a created thing which is good and making an ultimate 279 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:06,080 thing which is not, or as one writer put it, an idol, is 280 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:09,160 whatever you look at and say in your heart of hearts. 281 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:13,840 If I have that, then I'll feel my life has meaning, and then 282 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:16,760 I'll know I have value. Then I'll feel significant and 283 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:19,080 secure. There are many ways to describe 284 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:22,640 that kind of a relationship to something, but perhaps the best 285 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:27,360 one is worship is worship. See, we turn to idols to give us 286 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:31,480 significance, value, and worth. But the problem with doing that 287 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:34,120 is that we were created in the image of God. 288 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:38,720 To turn to anything other than God for those things hollows us 289 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:41,400 out. It's a plastic version of what 290 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:44,720 we were meant to be. See, the Psalm is warning us 291 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:49,400 that idolatry turns us slowly but surely in the plastic 292 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:53,120 people, so they dehumanize us. That's the only thing they could 293 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:54,960 ever do. Because in order to be full 294 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:59,200 human, we need God. We need God because we are image 295 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:00,560 bearers. There's no way to live a 296 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:04,600 complete human life without God. This is why we chase God 297 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:07,480 replacements. We have to have something that 298 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:10,880 fills in the parts of us that only God can satisfy. 299 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:14,160 And This is why there is is the chase of the spiritual, the 300 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:17,600 beyond the cause, anything that can provide meaning to our 301 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:20,160 lives, a meaning that is bigger than us. 302 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:24,080 But the Bible tells us that the only thing that can truly meet 303 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:27,120 that longing it it has to be God like. 304 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:30,640 And the only God that there is is the living God of the Bible. 305 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:35,680 And that brings us to the solution that this Psalm offers. 306 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:43,080 OK, notice how the Psalm begins. It says not to us, O Lord, not 307 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:47,000 to us, but to your name. Give glory for the sake of your 308 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:49,280 steadfast love and your faithfulness. 309 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:53,040 Why should the nation say, where is their God? 310 00:16:53,480 --> 00:16:57,120 Our God is in the heavens. He does all that he pleases. 311 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:01,480 See, the cultural context of this Psalm was a culture that 312 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:05,640 had all kinds of gods, idols just like us. 313 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:08,880 There were many temples where you could go and worship before 314 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:12,319 the statue of the God. But the Hebrews did not have a 315 00:17:12,319 --> 00:17:16,720 temple that had a statue in it. So the cultural question is, 316 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:19,760 where's their God? Why don't you have a God? 317 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:21,599 Where's your statue? Where'd he go? 318 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:26,800 And the psalmist declares his response to that is our God is 319 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:29,360 in the heavens and he does all that he pleases. 320 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:34,800 The implication is that our God reigns from the heavens and he 321 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:37,800 doesn't need a temple. Heaven and earth are his. 322 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:42,440 What's more is that he has the power to do whatever he wants. 323 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:45,240 Do whatever he wants. Friends, faith, family. 324 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:47,880 The God of the Bible can do all that he pleases. 325 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:50,040 He can. The God of the Bible is a big 326 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:52,520 God, right? He doesn't pull favors to make 327 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:53,880 things happen. He doesn't do that. 328 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:55,760 He doesn't need anyone for anything. 329 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:59,480 He is not subject to some sort of evil force that balances them 330 00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:00,720 out. There's no yin Yang here. 331 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:04,400 There's a one God, right? The God of the Bible reigns over 332 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:06,280 all creation. We do whatever he wishes. 333 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:11,560 Nothing binds or controls him. Nothing he spoke and the world 334 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:14,960 was made. He speaks and life happens. 335 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:17,720 That's how this thing works right now. 336 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:22,760 The psalmist contrasts the God that does all he pleases with 337 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:26,400 the idols of the nations. So look back at at verse four. 338 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:30,960 He says their idols are silver and gold and the work of human 339 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:33,960 hands made from some stuff I made, right. 340 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:37,280 They have mouths, or sorry, they have mouths, but do not speak. 341 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:40,320 But see, our God speaks. The God of the Bible is one who 342 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:43,880 speaks, right. He has spoken through his word, 343 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:47,360 right. They eyes but do not see. 344 00:18:47,360 --> 00:18:49,040 But yet the God of the Bible sees. 345 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:52,040 He sees you in me. We read it in the scriptures. 346 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:56,160 They have ears, but do not hear. All over the place we hear that 347 00:18:56,160 --> 00:19:00,280 God hears you. He hears you noses, but do not 348 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:02,600 smell. I guess God does smell in some 349 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:05,880 way, right? But they have hands but do not 350 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:08,040 feel. But yet our God is a feeling. 351 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:11,360 God feet but do not walk. But yet our God is everywhere. 352 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:14,240 And they do not make a sound in their throat. 353 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:17,000 But our God declares what will be. 354 00:19:17,120 --> 00:19:20,600 See those who make them become like them, and so do all who 355 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:23,240 trusted them. See, our God does all that he 356 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:25,120 pleases. But your idols can't do 357 00:19:25,120 --> 00:19:27,560 anything. They are helpless, is what the 358 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:29,840 Psalmist is saying. They are not real. 359 00:19:30,040 --> 00:19:32,520 The psalmist is saying statues cannot help you. 360 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:36,800 You need the living God. So we got dead statues who don't 361 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:40,760 move and don't live, and we have the living God, is what he's 362 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:44,240 saying. He's saying that he can help, 363 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:45,760 right? He can do it. 364 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:47,760 See. Now, what I need you to notice 365 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:50,160 is that this is actually a song. It's a song. 366 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:52,480 So it repeats things several times. 367 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:55,840 But essentially what it does is it calls people to trust in the 368 00:19:55,840 --> 00:20:00,480 Lord, the God of the Bible, and he can do three things for you 369 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:02,280 that idols cannot. And that's just straight from 370 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:04,480 what the Psalm says and just kind of summing that up. 371 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:08,640 He can help, he can shield and he can bless. 372 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:10,680 Those are the three things that it's listing. 373 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:14,240 The psalmist points out the idols cannot help shield or 374 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:16,680 bless you. You serve them, but they will 375 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:18,720 never serve you. They won't. 376 00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:22,080 Because I can't and in contrast, the Lord can help you. 377 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:23,840 He can protect you and bless you. 378 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:27,400 He has the power to do these things though, because of verse 379 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:30,520 15. Verse 15 says may you be blessed 380 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:31,840 by the Lord. Why? 381 00:20:32,120 --> 00:20:36,320 Who made heaven and earth? See, He can do this because He 382 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:39,800 made us and this is His world. He is the Creator. 383 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:43,400 All things came from Him. Everything was His idea and He 384 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:46,240 controls it all. Our God is in the heavens and He 385 00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:49,640 does all that He pleases. See friends and faith, family, 386 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:52,720 our idols cannot help us. We will serve and serve and 387 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:55,400 serve them, but they will never serve us. 388 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:59,600 Sure, we may gain some temporary benefit from them, but they are 389 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:03,640 hollowing us out. The Lord can help us and shield 390 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:07,160 us and bless us. See, chasing, chasing Him will 391 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:10,840 actually fill us up and complete us, not dehumanize us. 392 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:13,600 And that's a big difference. See the feeling that you have 393 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:16,760 when you're tired of your, of your career or, or playing the 394 00:21:16,760 --> 00:21:20,200 role that you've been reduced to, or the dismay in which when 395 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:23,400 the, when the, the football season's over, that feeling 396 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:27,680 after that is hollowness. It's our idol's inability to 397 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:31,760 satisfy us in very deep ways. Say our only hope to live a full 398 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:34,760 human life is to be reconnected to a life with God. 399 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:38,240 Now, this doesn't mean that many people won't live enjoyable 400 00:21:38,240 --> 00:21:40,480 lives in some way. It doesn't praise God. 401 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:42,520 It doesn't, right? That's his common grace. 402 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:46,120 It just means something will always be missing. 403 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:50,200 Always. In fact, sometimes, sometimes, 404 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:53,480 friends, it takes a lifetime to realize the thing you were 405 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:56,640 chasing isn't enough. It takes a whole lifetime to 406 00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:58,720 figure that out. Friends, don't let that be you. 407 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:02,000 Don't let that be you. We were meant to live life of 408 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:04,480 God, and that's the way things were meant to be. 409 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:06,080 And the God of the Bible has helped us. 410 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:07,840 He shielded us and He's blessed us. 411 00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:10,640 Because that's why Jesus is a big deal, right? 412 00:22:11,120 --> 00:22:13,880 If you don't know, Christians actually gather on Sunday 413 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:16,680 because it was a Sunday. That is the first day of the 414 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:18,200 week. In case you didn't know, it's 415 00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:21,280 not Monday. Jesus arose from the dead on a 416 00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:23,920 Sunday. You see, the Bible teaches that 417 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:27,760 God the Father sent God the Son to take on humanity in the 418 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:32,680 person of Jesus. See, Jesus is both God and man. 419 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:34,920 He's a, he's a human, but he's also God. 420 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:39,520 He stepped in and he lived a perfect life and then he died to 421 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:42,520 death for sin in the place of sinners and then resurrected 3 422 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:44,640 days later. And when someone turns from 423 00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:47,880 their sins and turns to Christ, God the Holy Spirit, and dwells 424 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:52,240 them, reconnecting them to the life with God, That's how it's 425 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:54,200 possible. See, Jesus shielded those who 426 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:56,200 trust in him from the consequences of sin. 427 00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,280 It should have been us, but Jesus Shields. 428 00:22:59,960 --> 00:23:01,880 We were helpless, but Jesus helped us. 429 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:05,280 We were cursed, but Jesus blessed us. 430 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:08,400 It's only through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus 431 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:11,760 that this can happen. It's only through Him that we 432 00:23:11,760 --> 00:23:14,600 can have the help, protection, and blessing of which the Psalm 433 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:18,000 even talks about. See, we're not, I don't know if 434 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:19,960 you know this, but we're not of the House of Israel. 435 00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:22,560 We're not right. We're not of the House of Aaron, 436 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:26,240 meaning the line of priests. We may not even fear the Lord 437 00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:29,720 like the other group of people. We had to be brought near. 438 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:34,320 We needed to be made new. See, this isn't a clean yourself 439 00:23:34,320 --> 00:23:37,560 up sort of thing. This is a a being made new sort 440 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:40,720 of thing, right? There is no amount of moral 441 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:43,000 deeds that could ever make things right. 442 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:47,040 There's no amount of religious rights you can perform. 443 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:51,760 Everything has to be done by Jesus and he has it's through 444 00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:54,200 Jesus. Airplane mode can actually be 445 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:57,320 turned off, right? The cellular data starts working 446 00:23:57,320 --> 00:24:00,840 again, and therefore so do we. So do we. 447 00:24:01,120 --> 00:24:02,680 See. Does that mean your life will be 448 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:05,040 perfect? No, it doesn't. 449 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:09,080 But things begin to change and one day, one day Jesus will 450 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:13,360 return to make all things completely new and perfect as 451 00:24:13,360 --> 00:24:16,520 they were meant to be. They will be perfect, just not 452 00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:21,840 immediately, right? But what is the solution that 453 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:25,600 this Psalm gives us to our idolatry problem? 454 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:29,960 I've kind of talked around what it says this the Psalm solution 455 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:35,320 is worship is worship. Whether you're in Christ or not, 456 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:38,720 Hebrew or not. We all worshipped our way into 457 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:42,680 idolatry, these God replacements, and guess what? 458 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:46,440 We have to worship our way out and we have to worship our way. 459 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:48,360 This may sound like self effort or it might. 460 00:24:48,360 --> 00:24:51,360 It sounds too too simple, but I promise you it's not. 461 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:54,400 It's not either of those. See when we confront idols, we 462 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:58,040 are put in a position to tell ourselves and them that they are 463 00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:00,160 not God. See? 464 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:03,600 And we inwardly and outwardly turn away from them and and turn 465 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:06,800 back to the Lord. Is that not what repentance and 466 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:11,440 faith in Jesus is right? We turn from them back to Him. 467 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:14,320 See, this is what the implication of the Psalm is. 468 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:17,520 Those things can't help you, so trust in the Lord. 469 00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:19,640 That's what the Psalm is calling us to. 470 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:23,280 But this isn't purely about decisions, but worship. 471 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:26,800 See, we were created in God's image, and we were created in 472 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:29,760 such a way that we are worshippers, OK? 473 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:34,640 It's not. It's not we cannot, you know, we 474 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:37,280 can't help but be worshippers because God made us in such a 475 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:39,200 way. It made us a part of what it 476 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:41,400 means to be human. We cannot help but worship 477 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:43,920 something. The question isn't do you 478 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:46,960 worship, but are you worshiping well? 479 00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:50,960 See, to worship well is to worship only the true God, the 480 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:54,440 living God of the Bible, the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, right? 481 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:58,320 So by the power of the Holy Spirit, we must redirect our 482 00:25:58,320 --> 00:26:00,760 hearts to worship the Lord and not idols. 483 00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:04,920 Implication of the of the Psalm like trust in the Lord Israel, 484 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:09,520 it's through God's power that our hearts must be pried away 485 00:26:09,520 --> 00:26:12,000 from idols. We must turn our worship from 486 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:16,160 false gods to the living God. OK, see the difference between a 487 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:19,920 Christian and someone who is not is it's if you were turning from 488 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:23,600 the idols for the very first time or the the thousandth time. 489 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:27,400 See, this is a continual thing because as one theologian said 490 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:30,920 many years ago, the human heart is an idol factory. 491 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:33,960 We have to have something that is the basis of our 492 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:37,600 significance, value and worth. And by default, we turn to 493 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:40,280 idols. We just do, we replace God. 494 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:42,360 That's our that's our, our default mode. 495 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:46,200 We make creative things into ultimate things. 496 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:51,080 So how do we get out of this simple two things as we're 497 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:52,880 looking at worshipping our way out? 498 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:56,120 The first one is this. We need to restore. 499 00:26:56,120 --> 00:26:59,240 We need to restore. See, this means that we must 500 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:04,120 reset our imaginations on a life pleasing to him, a life that 501 00:27:04,120 --> 00:27:07,920 lives in his world, his way. We look to him who has loved us 502 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:11,800 by dying for us. We love him because we remember 503 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:16,120 he had he first loved us. We fight to see his value in 504 00:27:16,120 --> 00:27:20,560 worth and realize the same value in worth flows to us because we 505 00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:23,880 image him. See we don't have to try and be 506 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:27,480 beautiful, we already are because we were made in his 507 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:30,880 image. We have to restore our 508 00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:34,400 imaginations and thoughts to reorient them back. 509 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:37,640 See, the story we operate from by default is not true. 510 00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:41,040 In some ways, we've got it wrong because of our fallenness. 511 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:44,040 So we have to confront it. We have to undermine the story 512 00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:48,040 that our idols live in and grow in and hold power over us. 513 00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:50,600 And the first step in worshipping our way out of that 514 00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:54,040 idolatry is to remember the first line of this Psalm. 515 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:58,040 Look back at it. It says not to us, O Lord, not 516 00:27:58,040 --> 00:28:01,080 to us, but to your name. Give glory. 517 00:28:01,280 --> 00:28:05,240 See, we are not the center of the story of the world, OK? 518 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:07,760 God is. It's his story. 519 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:10,320 The story of the world has everything to do with him, not 520 00:28:10,320 --> 00:28:12,120 us. Our idolatry. 521 00:28:12,120 --> 00:28:16,760 Our idolatry is really about us and getting what we want, right? 522 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:18,920 But the story of the world is primarily about God. 523 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:24,800 So the idol that we are chasing is not a God, only God is right. 524 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:26,240 So that's the first thing we need. 525 00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:29,040 We need a restoring. We need to see what what is it 526 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:30,320 that we're believing about the world. 527 00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:32,480 It's just not true. So that's the first thing. 528 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:37,960 Second thing, it's Christian. You already have it. 529 00:28:38,360 --> 00:28:42,600 Have what we need to realize that in Christ we already have 530 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:46,840 everything that those idols promised to give us, but they 531 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:51,600 never will see in Christ. We are fully known and yet fully 532 00:28:51,600 --> 00:28:54,720 loved in Christ. You are safe in Christ you don't 533 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:57,560 need to be powerful because He is all powerful. 534 00:28:57,720 --> 00:29:02,800 In Christ you are free to be no one because in Him you are 535 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:04,800 someone. You're a child of the King. 536 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:07,440 See friends, this can be yours in Jesus. 537 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:11,520 Do you want it? Faith, family, this is already 538 00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:14,600 yours. Grab it, hold on to it. 539 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:18,640 In idol worship, you can never quite be sure that you have done 540 00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:22,440 enough to appease the gods and gain their favor or or that 541 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:25,280 things might change and you no longer are in good graces. 542 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:27,240 Right? People aren't buying into the 543 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:28,920 persona that that you're giving them. 544 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:32,240 The current project is not going as well as the previous one. 545 00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:35,080 The art project doesn't look as good as the one before. 546 00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:38,440 Your role in the group is changing and it's unsettling 547 00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:40,760 you. You didn't have the key insight 548 00:29:40,760 --> 00:29:43,840 this time, and so someone else appears smarter than you. 549 00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:47,080 Nothing is certain with idols. Nothing. 550 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:49,640 But this is not so in Christianity. 551 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:52,560 In Christ we are blessed and highly favored. 552 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:55,640 There is no amount of affection that the Lord withholds from 553 00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:57,800 those who are His. None. 554 00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:00,000 See, in Christ, you don't have to wonder. 555 00:30:00,360 --> 00:30:04,360 It's finished, it's done. Nothing can separate you from 556 00:30:04,360 --> 00:30:07,000 the love of Christ. Paul tells us nothing. 557 00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:10,360 See, you see, in the gospel we have the resources to turn from 558 00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:12,960 our idols. The goal of worshipping our way 559 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:18,080 out is to finally taste and see that the Lord is good, that the 560 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:21,600 Lord is good, that the Lord can give you and fulfill those deep 561 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:24,480 longings of your heart. He can do it because He has 562 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:26,480 made. He made us for it. 563 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:30,440 He made us to need Him. He made us that way. 564 00:30:31,360 --> 00:30:34,800 See, one Christian thinker famously said that there is this 565 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:39,640 God shaped vacuum that can only be filled by an endless being 566 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:43,280 and only God is. It will work. 567 00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:47,280 You see, it's not that our idols just cannot deliver, but even if 568 00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:49,800 they could, they can never deliver. 569 00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:52,640 Over and over and over and over they can't. 570 00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:55,320 The longings of the human heart are too great. 571 00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:59,280 They are endless. We know this about ourselves. 572 00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:03,280 Our appetites are too immense. Nothing satisfies us. 573 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:09,080 Nothing will except. And there is not enough success, 574 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:11,960 there is not enough pleasure, there is not enough power that 575 00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:16,120 will make us secure, satisfied, OK, or whatever the longing is. 576 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:20,360 There's just not enough. Unless those things are drawn 577 00:31:20,480 --> 00:31:22,640 from an infinite and personal God. 578 00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:26,560 We need something never ending. We need God. 579 00:31:27,560 --> 00:31:30,560 See, now you may be thinking that a life with God through 580 00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:32,800 Jesus Christ limits your life. OK, maybe that's you. 581 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:34,960 You're like, man, I hear you. But I want to live my life how I 582 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:37,040 want to live my life. I hear you, I hear you, I see 583 00:31:37,040 --> 00:31:39,280 you. But it's it's quite the 584 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:42,560 opposite. This life actually frees you to 585 00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:46,280 most fully be human. OK, there's one line in the 586 00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:49,080 Psalm we actually didn't look at that seems kind of bizarre, 587 00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:51,840 admittingly. But if you look at verse 16, it 588 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:55,280 says the heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth he has 589 00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:58,120 given to the children of men. Bizarre. 590 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:02,360 To trust in the Lord isn't purely about praying, singing, 591 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:05,120 and reading the Bible all the time, although it includes that. 592 00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:08,880 OK, it's in there. God created us to steward and 593 00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:12,680 cultivate a world. OK, there is a new life awaiting 594 00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:15,760 you that taps into who you were created to be. 595 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:19,400 OK friends, it's available to you through Christ, faith, 596 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:22,320 family. Realize what you already have in 597 00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:25,200 Him. OK, we already got it all. 598 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:28,160 The time and energy that we waste on idols is meant to be 599 00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:32,280 directed towards making much of the One who made us and saved us 600 00:32:32,280 --> 00:32:34,520 through our cultivation of His world. 601 00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:37,640 So turn it from all of that idol chasing and turn it to 602 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:40,760 cultivating his world. To be full human is to be 603 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:43,560 reconnected to the living God so that we can live a life of 604 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:47,840 praise through our work, our cultivation, and all the things. 605 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:50,720 All the things. See, a life with God is not 606 00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:53,400 about cloistering yourself into a room by yourself. 607 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:56,600 It's just not a life with God is meant to be 1 working, 608 00:32:56,600 --> 00:32:59,960 cultivating, producing, enjoying, laughing, singing, 609 00:32:59,960 --> 00:33:03,000 loving, and whatever else good thing that we can do. 610 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:07,080 See, we are meant to fully and really live, but not for 611 00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:12,240 ourselves, but to Him, to him we're to build a world to, to 612 00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:14,480 the praise of his name, the living God. 613 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:18,240 The psalmist says that the dead do not praise him, but we will, 614 00:33:18,520 --> 00:33:21,840 right? And we do that through, through 615 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:26,320 cultivating a world. Lastly, the immediate first step 616 00:33:26,320 --> 00:33:30,160 this Psalm gives us and getting this and, and getting this thing 617 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:33,160 started is rather quite simple. What's the first step that the 618 00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:35,320 psalmist gives us? It's really not. 619 00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:38,040 It's it's so simple. You could have missed the whole 620 00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:40,360 thing. It's simply this. 621 00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:45,880 He tells us to sing. He tells us to sing. 622 00:33:46,520 --> 00:33:51,720 OK, wherever you're at, near far, cold, hot, tired, 623 00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:54,320 energized, sad, mad, happy, whatever. 624 00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:58,520 We need to sing. We need to sing. 625 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:01,600 I'm I'm not saying you want to sing. 626 00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:04,680 I'm admitting that you don't want maybe you don't want to 627 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:07,200 sing. I'm saying you need to sing. 628 00:34:07,880 --> 00:34:10,159 We need to sing. I need to sing. 629 00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:14,760 See, singing forces us to declare truth that we that we 630 00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:17,239 are having trouble believing, right? 631 00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:20,120 It puts in our mouths that which we need. 632 00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:22,440 OK. But it's not just any songs. 633 00:34:22,440 --> 00:34:25,639 It's songs that push us to the true story of the world. 634 00:34:26,480 --> 00:34:28,520 So in a few moments, we're going to have an opportunity to 635 00:34:28,520 --> 00:34:31,639 redirect our hearts away from our idols back to God. 636 00:34:32,199 --> 00:34:34,719 I just plead with you to take it. 637 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:38,320 We need it. Even if you don't want it, you 638 00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:40,520 need it. See, we have idols. 639 00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:46,520 They dehumanize us and the the Lord is the only one who can 640 00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:48,800 actually make us whole. Let's pray. 641 00:34:50,679 --> 00:34:54,280 Father, I thank you that you are in the heavens and that you do 642 00:34:54,280 --> 00:34:57,080 all that you please. You're the maker of heaven and 643 00:34:57,080 --> 00:35:00,040 earth and there is no other false gods will not do. 644 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:03,200 They're they're bad for us, Father, and you know that you 645 00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:06,720 know what the dark produces. You already knew that they rob 646 00:35:06,920 --> 00:35:08,840 you of your praise that you're due. 647 00:35:08,840 --> 00:35:12,320 But God, they are so bad for us and they crush what you made us 648 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:14,160 to be. So Father, we ask your 649 00:35:14,160 --> 00:35:17,200 forgiveness for where we we run to foolish idols. 650 00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:19,960 But Father, would you direct us back to yourself? 651 00:35:20,400 --> 00:35:22,680 Help us to see and know that you are the living God. 652 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:26,760 Father, the Psalm says that you are the God who helps, Shields, 653 00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:29,880 and blesses. So, Father, we come to you for 654 00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:33,800 help, we come to you for safety, and we come to you for blessing. 655 00:35:34,720 --> 00:35:36,320 Father, we love you. It's for your beautiful name. 656 00:35:36,960 --> 00:35:37,280 Amen.