If you'd like to turn or open Psalm 8 on your Bibles or devices, we'll be reading from that.
Psalm 8.
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants you have established strength because of your foes
to still the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moons and the stars,
which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands.
You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.
Well, good morning, everyone.
I'm David, one of the pastors here, if you're a visitor and don't know me.
So I wonder what the word worship means to you.
What does it bring to mind?
Probably the first cab off the rank for most of us would be,
well, it's the sort of thing we do on Sunday morning here at our meeting.
We sing, we pray, we sit under God's word.
That's worship.
Well, yes, it is.
But worship is actually much bigger than that.
It's much bigger than a church thing.
Indeed, it's much bigger even than a Christian thing.
I suggest to you this morning that worship is a human thing.
Worship is something that's hardwired into us as humans, as people.
It's something we do all the time.
To be human is to be a worshiper.
Because at the simplest level, worship is simply ascribing ultimate value or worth to someone or something.
And everybody does that in some shape or form.
Worship is ascribing, as I say, ultimate value, praise, or to use the word of Psalm 8, glory to a person or thing we think is significant or important in life.
It's something which probably has also captivated our heart and our minds.
Now, of course, religious people, and I'm talking about any sort of religion, not just Christians at this point, religious people ascribe ultimate value or worth to God.
And, of course, that God can take various shapes and forms.
But generally, religious people do that.
But people who deny being religious are also worshipers.
Because there's always something in life, their life, that they ascribe ultimate worth to.
Perhaps for them it's a relationship.
Perhaps it's an object, a possession.
Perhaps it's sport.
Perhaps it's shopping.
Perhaps it's leisure.
Perhaps it's being out in nature.
Or, in many cases, it's ascribing ultimate value to themselves.
And so they engage in self-worship.
They might not realize it, but that's ultimately what they're about.
And then you take another step.
And when we ascribe ultimate value to someone or something, we prioritize that someone or something.
We center our life around it.
Or around that person.
And most of our decisions from that point then are shaped by our devotion to that person or thing.
That's the anatomy of worship.
And because our worship reflects ultimate value and ultimate worth,
then it also connects us into what we believe is our ultimate purpose in life.
Our ultimate meaning.
Or, in other words, it connects us into what we believe the truly good, satisfying, rich life is.
Well, with that introduction, I want to now jump into Psalm 8,
where King David is swept up into worship from the very depth of his being.
Ascribing ultimate worth, glory, and praise to the Lord.
Captivated by his awesome character and actions,
as he expresses in words some very, very powerful conclusions about God.
Psalm 8 is a song, a poem of worship.
And the first powerful conclusion that David presents in verses 1 and 2 is that God is glorious in himself.
And without limit.
Now, this picture that Beth had put up, the night sky, I can tell you, I'm a camper.
I never tire, after many, many, many years of camping,
I never tire of lying on my back on a clear, cold, frosty night up in the high country, preferably,
looking up at the sky.
And I'm just looking at a trillion stars and galaxies.
Stars and galaxies behind stars and galaxies.
So distant that the light they emit can take many hundreds, if not thousands of years to get to my eyes.
And yet on a bright night, so clear that I feel as if I can reach out and touch them.
And as Beth said to the children, the awesomeness of it makes me feel so small.
It overwhelms me.
And what do I do?
Every single time I reach for the opening words of Psalm 8.
Why do I reach for those words?
Because I'm trying to get words to express something that I just find is beyond expression.
I'm trying to find words to capture in my mind that which is, well, ultimately beyond any mind can fathom,
beyond that which any mind can fathom.
King David pens these words,
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.
Perhaps King David, as he writes these words,
remembers David the shepherd boy,
minding his father's sheep at night out on the hills.
Lots of time just to enjoy the night sky,
the solitude.
Perhaps it's King David as a man
on the roof of his palace at the end of a long, hard day,
just enjoying the cool of the evening
as the evening celestial light show
appears before him.
Either way, it doesn't matter.
The awesomeness of the vast night sky
prompts King David
to worship.
To ascribe ultimate value,
praise, and glory to God
as he writes.
Now,
if you look at verse 1,
then we jump into this
and we start to see some depth in it.
This is not just a,
when he says,
O Lord, our Lord,
it's not just a concept of God
as some mysterious superior being or force
somewhere out there in our universe.
Someone who may exist,
but ultimately who's distant
and perhaps uninvolved
and perhaps uncaring.
Now,
when David speaks in worship,
he's seeing the fingerprints
of a very personal,
immediate,
powerful,
creative,
involved
God.
And he acknowledges
the handiwork
and the hallmark
of O Lord,
our Lord,
using
two different names of God.
The first one,
O Lord,
is the word Yahweh,
the personal name of God,
the covenant God
who's already committed himself
to his world
and to dealing with sinful people
who's committed to love
and show compassion
and care for.
And the second one
is sovereign Lord,
highlighting the character of God
that is all powerful,
beyond challenge,
without limit.
The one who's in total control
as the owner,
maker,
and operator
of the universe
that David is appearing into.
See, for David,
God's name is
God's character.
And wherever he looks
in the vastness of the sky,
in the vastness of the universe,
he sees evidence
of God's greatness,
God's glory,
God's majesty,
or a more modern word for us,
I suppose,
young people's word,
God's awesomeness.
And he says,
you have set your glory
above the heavens.
Now,
we need a little bit of help
to understand that.
And here it is,
the Jews
in David's day
thought of the universe
as three levels
of heavens.
first is what we would call the sky
or the atmosphere
and the second is then
what we would call outer space
and the third level is beyond that
the heaven of heavens as they used to call it
the place where God exists
where God is
so David's saying here that
God is so majestic, so glorious
so all powerful
that he has actually
put his glory everywhere
in the universe
God's glory
David understands is far greater
than can be observed, far greater
than can be described
there's no
place in the universe where
there's not the fingerprints of
God
for David you see
it's not possible to add
to God's glory
it cannot be matched
it cannot be surpassed
it is ultimate
it is above
the heavens
it is beyond this
physical creation
and my friends
I think honest observation
the universe
pushes a person
to this conclusion
I think there's a little better
commentary in verse 1
than the children's song
I think Colm Buchanan
my God is so big
so strong
and so mighty
there's nothing
my God cannot do
and then we move into verse 2
which
perhaps at first
seems like jar
a contrast
or something
it had me thrown
for a little while
out of the mouths
of babes and infants
you have established
strength
because of your foes
to still the enemy
and the avenger
when I first started
to look at it
I thought
that verse just doesn't
quite fit in there
but then I realized
it's the other side
of the coin
in which David
introduces the notion
of foes
and enemies
and avengers
that is
people who are
in opposition
to this great
and powerful
and glorious God
because that's the reality
of this world
people who are determined
to be their own authority
people who are determined
to live in the world
without reference to God
and I think
the two verses
go together
like this
or something like this
I think
just as it's impossible
verse 1
to add to God's glory
so verse 2
David's saying
it's impossible
to detract
from God's glory
even those
who challenge him
in his powerfulness
and his supremacy
it's not possible
to take away
from his glory
God's response
to those who rebel
against him
shows his limitless
majesty
or glory
and power
and we have the imagery
there
of little babies
and toddlers
and what are they
well
in a sense
they're the least
if you had to think
of something of power
and influence
a changer
in this world
you wouldn't think
of a baby
or a toddler
and it's the words
emphasized there
so
very very simple words
faltering words
and I have to say
as a grandpa
sometimes
unintelligible words
but
that's what the Lord's
using
to confound
his enemies
to still them
in other words
he just
settles them down
makes their wheels
spin
takes them out
of the action
neutralizes them
and it speaks
therefore
of the ease
with which
our all powerful
God
does that
he cannot
add to his glory
nor will
any opposition
detract from his glory
or challenge
his glory
the same thought
actually is expressed
in Psalm 2
and you could look
at Psalm 2
through to Psalm 8
as an inclusive
or a group
of Psalms
both have this
very strong
sense of
God is
in control
of his world
yes there's a lot
out there
who would oppose
God
enemies
who would take
God out
take God down
or at least
try to
but Psalm 2
picture there
is well
God just sits
back
hands behind
his head
and has a good
old laugh
that's bright
in my day
God sits
on his throne
and laughs
at those
who would rebel
and treat
his glorious
name
with disregard
at that point
I just want to
pause and ask
two questions
I want to ask
you first of all
if you
are sure
that your
world view
is thoroughly
biblical
now your
world view
is like a set
of glasses
it's the lens
through which
you see life
through which
you understand
life
through which
you operate
in life
it determines
how you understand
and live in the
world
and in this
situation
it determines
who or what
you worship
who or what
you ascribe
ultimate value
or worth to
and so the question
out of Psalm 8
I think for each
of us this morning
is
is your worldview
shaped
and filled
with the
awesome
grandeur
of our
majestic
all powerful
glorious
God
now
that's becoming
increasingly important
for us to be able
to answer that
question
because our
world view
needs to stand
untroubled
by those
who in the
name of
science
would remove
God
completely
from our
minds
and from
this world
arguing
that our
universe
is coming
to existence
by a product
of chance
cause
and effect
and we are
the masters
of our own
destiny
will your
worldview
stand
untroubled
by those
who want
to redefine
God
as just
a spiritual
force
and we're
bombarded
by that
new
spirituality
these days
that God
is actually
just
a mysterious
non-specific
spiritual
super being
somewhere out
there
a mysterious
force
that somehow
or other
we have to
find and tap
into
or perhaps
even that
that forces
ourselves
to be
found
within
ourselves
and will
your worldview
stand untroubled
by those
who would
confine
God
by saying
well
yes God
exists
but
he's
distant
he's not
actually
interested
in our
world
so
as long
as you
just
believe
in
the
concept
of
God
you can
actually
still
just
live
however
you
like
he's
impersonal
and simply
the great
architect
of our
world
not
interested
in how
we live
or behave
a bit
like a
landlord
as long
as you
keep
paying
your
rent
you know
giving
God
due
acknowledgement
then
you can
do
whatever
you like
we're
under
attack
constantly
to just
subtly
shift
our
worldview
to sort
of
meld
what we
see
here
in the
Bible
with
what's
around
us
in
our
culture
and I
think as
Christians
we do
it more
than we
realise
but you
can have
a think
about that
the second
question I
want to ask
you now
is
do you
hear the
whisper
of Jesus
in verse
2
it's
interesting
in Matthew
chapter
21
verse
16
Jesus
quotes
the first
part
of verse
2
or the
whole
of verse
2
actually
remember
in Matthew
chapter
21
Jesus
just
entered
Jerusalem
there's
all the
fanfare
but behind
the fanfare
Jesus
knows
that the
Jewish
religious
leaders
are
actually
plotting
to kill
him
and in
less than
a week
he will
actually
be
crucified
and
he's
just
cleaned
up the
temple
and once
again the
Jewish
religious
leaders
express
their
hatred
of Jesus
yes
hatred
this time
the circumstance
in which they
express their
hatred is
that they're
really really
annoyed that
Jesus would
accept the
praise of
little children
little street
kids running
after Jesus
calling him
son of
David
that is
addressing
Jesus as
the Messiah
recognizing
that Jesus
is the Messiah
and the
Jewish
religious leaders
they're furious
that Jesus
accepted that
essentially
accusing Jesus
of blasphemy
Jesus
says
don't you
remember
and he
quotes this
verse
Jesus
reminds them
that God
could
and would
use any
means
to bring
glory to
himself
and in
saying that
I think
Jesus
is
saying to
the Jewish
religious leaders
to stir
them up
even more
you accuse
me of
blasphemy
well let me
tell you
very clear
I am
God
he's
declaring
himself
to be
God
and
secondly
involved
in that
he's
actually
declaring
himself
to be
worthy
of the
praise
and the
glory
that these
little street
kids
are
in their
smallness
of mind
giving
them
they don't
for a second
understand all
about Jesus
but they
sense something
and they
adore
something
and I
think the
same principle
is true
for us
today
Jesus
says in
another
place
unless you
come to
me as
little
children
you'll
never
see the
kingdom
of God
these
little
children
who spoke
to Jesus
and called
him
Messiah
well
they didn't
understand
everything about
Jesus
they can
explain
everything about
Jesus
but
they
sensed
something
the Lord
probably put
it in their
mind
to come
to him
as
saviour
and king
that's
what Messiah
he came
to him
and worshipped
him
praised
him
my friends
that's the
pattern
still to
this day
do I
understand
everything I
read in the
Bible
no I wish
I did
but then what
would I talk
to people I
work with
and people I
hang out
with
as part of
the enjoyment
of just
digging into
God's word
but I
know
enough
to see
the limits
of my
understanding
and from
there just
move into
adoration
and praise
and worship
we'll move
on to the
second point
then
God's glory
is reflected
in the glory
of man
and I've
used the
word man
in the
word of
commas
if you're
looking at
the sermon
outline
but really
the word
there we're
picking up
is mankind
or people
or humankind
in verses
3 through
to 7
so what
happens when
David spends
some time
considering
the glory
of God
well
very simply
it pushes
him to
consider
himself
in
respect
of God's
universe
and in
respect of
God
what's his
own place
in God's
universe
what's his
own place
with this
absolutely
all powerful
all glorious
God
and verse
4
immediately
David's
blown away
with the
realization
that God
is deeply
committed
to being
in relationship
with his
created beings
we already
saw that
in the way
that David
spoke to
God
in verse
1
Yahweh
it's a
term of
relationship
but he
comes back
now and
spells it out
a little bit
more
and questions
it
what is
man
that you
are mindful
of him
the son
of man
that you
care for
him
God
is
committed
to being
in relationship
with his
created beings
to whom he
gives glory
in special
position
honor and
responsibility
within his
world
so God
is glorious
and the way
God has set
up the
universe to
operate
gives
mankind
a special
responsibility
and a
special
position
a position
of
reflected
glory
so
friends
another
point to
make here
is
true
worship
is
responding
to
with a
proper
understanding
of God's
character
and glory
true
worship
is
responding
to God
with
proper
understanding
of his
character
and glory
and
with the
proper
understanding
of our
world
and
a
proper
understanding
of ourselves
with God's
reflected glory
as created
beings
as image
bearers
within the
world
true
worship
needs to
get a
balance
of those
three
things
need to
understand
God
we need
to
understand
the
world
we
live
in
at least
the
connections
of the
world
we live
in
and we
need
to
understand
ourselves
as
created
beings
within
God's
glorious
world
if we
get any
of those
three
wrong
or if
we get
them out
of whack
out of
bounds
then
whatever
we do
and call
it worship
it will
be false
worship
and
God
demands
that we
worship
him
because
our
worship
reveals
how we
value
our
connection
to him
how we
reflect
our
dependence
on him
he is
the sovereign
lord
the creator
god
we are
his
created
beings
if we
invert
that
order
so that
God
is
domesticated
and becomes
defined
by us
then we're
no longer
worshipping
the lord
of the
universe
we're
worshipping
something
of a
figment
of our
imagination
our
worship
ought to
say that
he is
the
ultimate
life
giving
source
which
means
that
as
we
are
worshipping
servants
of the
lord
then
we are
best
connected
to
true
meaning
true
purpose
and the
truly
good
life
and when
we
express
that
worship
from the
depths
of our
being
then we're
actually
connecting
into
and enjoying
the good
life we
were created
to enjoy
flip the
coin for a
minute
what is
false
worship
well
false
worship
is failing
therefore
to live
with
reflected
glory
what's the
reflected
glory
well
look at
the
verbs
listen to
the verbs
as I read
them through
you have
made him
talking about
mankind
you have
made him
a little
lower
than the
heavenly
beings
crowned him
with glory
and honour
given him
dominion
put all
things under
his feet
it's an
incredible
position of
honour and
responsibility
and indeed
reflected glory
everything that
God has made
in all its
beauty
has now
been
given to
us
in a
sense
to
operate
so
false
worship
coming back
to think
about that
false
worship
is failing
to live
and operate
with the
reflected
glory
given us
by God
as his
image
bearers
so
therefore
in a
sense
put it
in other
words
false
worship
is actually
to steal
God's
glory
or to
attempt
to steal
God's
glory
or to
usurp
God's
glory
for
ourselves
and again
you see
I guess
I hope I'm not
just speaking
about myself
I think I speak
for everybody
but we so
easily tend
to domesticate
God
don't we
we make
him subject
to our
understanding
our preferences
we think
well this
is how
God
should
be
this
is what
God
is
like
this
is how
he should
operate
in his
world
this
is how
he should
operate
towards
me
and so
when we do
that
we still
manage
an appearance
of worship
that is we still
go through
all those
religious
things
we still
have the
language
but it is
only an
appearance
because
as we
domesticate
God
and shape
him to
our
preferences
and our
desires
then we're
actually
expressing
autonomy
we're
actually
trying to
say I
want to
worship
the Lord
but I
want to
be
autonomous
I want
to run
my own
paddle my
own canoe
and sometimes
that goes
to be so
extreme
that we
even
make
ourselves
God
that is
we take
so much
charge
of life
and think
almost like
a practical
atheism
we live
and act
as though
God
doesn't
exist
at so
many
points
in our
lives
and I
can only
say then
that that's
self-worship
we're
ascribing
to ourselves
ultimate
value and
worth
so the
question of
all that
then I
think if
you're
still with
me if
you haven't
totally
lost you
is the
question for
us is are
we willing
to live
with
reflected
glory
and be
passionate
worshipping
image bearers
and servants
if we live
with reflected
glory and
are worshipping
servants
then our
greatest desire
will be to
get more
and more
glory for
the Lord
the
alternative
is as I
say
that we
will seek
to steal
God's
glory
consciously
or
unconsciously
or find
our own
glory
apart
from
God
and
that's
the world
we live
in
it's
called
expressive
individualism
we talked
about at
the end
of last
year
that I
can
set the
good life
for myself
with my
own
resources
without
reference
to
anybody
else
of course
many here
this morning
including
myself
will want
to be
true
worshippers
living
in
reflected
glory
and yet
constantly
we find
ourselves
ascribing
ultimate
value and
worth
to things
and people
knowing
they will
disappoint
as they've
disappointed
us in
the past
that is
the struggle
of living
as a
Christian
at least
that's
what I
find the
struggle
of living
as a
Christian
is
and we
tire of
that constant
struggle
to maintain
true worship
when our
hearts are
working against
us
when our
hearts
want us
to lead
us astray
when our
hearts
want us
to usurp
God's
glory for
ourselves
it's a
challenge
isn't it
and that
prompts my
second question
we're nearly
finished
the second
question is
this
again have
you heard
another
whisper of
Jesus in
verses 4
through to
7
it's a
beautiful
desirable
picture there
I think
in those
verses
47
the picture
of man
and the
son of
man
that is
man and
his
descendants
ruling
God's
world
under
God's
control
and in
harmony
with him
it's a
beautiful
picture
isn't it
mankind
living
happily
and fully
in the
reflected
glory
of God
their creator
as image
bearers
of course
as I said
that's not
how we
experience life
is it
life's not
simple like
that
life's a
struggle
and we're
constantly
sliding away
from that
well
there's a
whisper of
Jesus in
that
because if
you turn
to Hebrews
chapter 2
with me
again the
writer of
Hebrews picks
up this
very notion
in verses
5 through
to 9
he actually
quotes
Psalm 8
talks about
everything
being put
under
the feet
of Christ
and there's
the whisper
of Jesus
in
Psalm 8
that that
picture
of living
completely
and happily
with great
satisfaction
in the
reflected glory
of the
Lord
only ever
came true
in Christ
go right
back to
Adam
he wasn't
able to
manage it
he usurped
God's glory
for himself
King David
he wasn't
able to
manage it
and every
one of
God's
promise
bearers
right through
the ages
right down
to Christ
himself
every son
of man
failed to
be consistently
true
worshippers
failed to
be content
to reflect
God's glory
in their
lives
each was
part of
the problem
of sin
part of
the problem
of craving
glory for
themselves
craving
and stealing
God's
glory
but what
we're told
here is
that Jesus
was the
perfect man
the perfect
human
he was the
true son
of man
in the sense
that he
lived life
perfectly
reflecting the
glory of
God
reflecting the
picture of
creation
reflecting the
picture of
mankind's
part in
creation
his glory
was in his
obedience to
the father
his worship
of the father
his proper
understanding of
God's world
and God's
character
and this
ultimately
followed him
right through
and was
demonstrated in
his death
and resurrection
now
here's the
benefit for us
connected to
Jesus
united with
him in
faith
we are
considered by
God to
be true
worshippers
we cannot
consistently
worship
on our
own in
spite of
our best
efforts
but in
Christ
we are
true
worshippers
who bring
the Lord
delight
who are up
close and
personal with
him in
relationship
and as
Hebrews 2
says
it hasn't
yet been
seen for
Christ himself
but one
day will be
it's true
and one
day will
be seen
by all
and the
same for
us in
Christ
in the
meanwhile
Jesus is
both our
model and
our helper
as we set
ourselves this
week again
to be
true
worshippers
joyful
worshippers
those who
reflect the
glory of
God
in the
way we
live
in the
way we
speak
in the
way we
relate to
others
and those
who seek
to enhance
the glory
of God
as we
struggle to
do that
more and
more
we have a
helper
we have a
model
and it
will happen
that's God's
promise to us
in Christ
Hebrews 2
well join me
in prayer
Lord the
picture of
worship is
one that
does
delight us
we're drawn
into it we
want to be
those who
ascribe to
you the
glory and
honour and
praise that
you deserve
and yet
Lord at the
same time
that picture
tantalises us
because Lord
it's so
remote from
us at
some points
in our
lives
we find
ourselves
just
pursuing
our
own
glory
or even
Lord
thinking
we can
in a
sense
usurp
your
glory
for
ourselves
Lord help
us to
look to
the Lord
Jesus
confident
that in
him
we are
true
worshippers
that united
with him
we have
the power
and the
ability
and the
desire
God
given
spirit
driven
to
honour
you
and to
live
in
reflected
glory
we pray
Lord
that we
might
this
week
in
whatever
circumstances
we are
in
cause
those
around
us
whether
it be
family
members
or the
wider
community
to see
something
of the
glory
of God
in the
way we
speak
and the
way we
conduct
ourselves
and we
pray this
in Jesus
name
Amen