WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.799 To be honest, I am exhausted right now. 00:00:05.839 --> 00:00:10.640 And I say that because I know that at least some of you probably feel like I do. 00:00:11.400 --> 00:00:17.900 Trying to navigate all of the complexities of a global coronavirus pandemic 00:00:17.900 --> 00:00:27.760 and then being immersed in all of the grief and the pain and the anger of ongoing racial injustice in our country, 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:30.400 which is a very different kind of virus. 00:00:31.460 --> 00:00:32.980 It's utterly exhausting. 00:00:33.420 --> 00:00:36.760 And the people, the other pastors that I've talked to from around the city, 00:00:37.120 --> 00:00:39.520 I think many people are feeling the same way. 00:00:40.400 --> 00:00:46.740 And one of the things about being exhausted and feeling overwhelmed is that it can easily bring out the worst in us. 00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:50.760 And I've experienced that in my own heart over the past couple of weeks. 00:00:51.380 --> 00:00:53.960 And I think you see this most clearly online. 00:00:53.960 --> 00:01:01.520 I mean, there's so much hate and vitriol that is being flung around on the Internet right now. 00:01:02.439 --> 00:01:05.799 And so that's one side of this. 00:01:06.260 --> 00:01:08.519 But there's also an opportunity here. 00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:13.819 There's an opportunity in the midst of all of this for the church to be the church, 00:01:13.980 --> 00:01:21.900 for the church to be everything that God intended when he established the church in Jesus Christ. 00:01:21.900 --> 00:01:23.680 There's a tremendous opportunity. 00:01:24.060 --> 00:01:27.700 I think hearts are open in ways that they weren't before. 00:01:27.820 --> 00:01:36.100 I think people are searching and longing and hungry for the God who made them in a way that maybe they never have been before. 00:01:36.260 --> 00:01:38.200 And so there's a tremendous opportunity here. 00:01:38.860 --> 00:01:42.840 And this is one of the main reasons why worship is so crucial. 00:01:42.840 --> 00:01:50.400 Why now more than ever, we need to make sure that worship, worshiping God is our highest priority. 00:01:51.400 --> 00:01:54.480 And Psalm 33, which is what we're going to be looking at this morning, 00:01:54.659 --> 00:01:58.380 Psalm 33 shows us why worship is so crucial. 00:01:58.520 --> 00:01:59.980 It says it right here in verse 1. 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:00.740 It says, 00:02:01.140 --> 00:02:03.960 Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous. 00:02:04.300 --> 00:02:08.800 And these verses, they say we need to worship God with our best instruments. 00:02:08.800 --> 00:02:16.100 Get out the best instruments you have, your grand piano, and play a new song of worship to the Lord. 00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:16.480 Why? 00:02:17.660 --> 00:02:19.620 Praise befits the upright. 00:02:20.700 --> 00:02:26.020 In other words, when we worship God, it brings out the best in us. 00:02:26.760 --> 00:02:28.400 Or another way to say it would be this. 00:02:29.020 --> 00:02:33.380 Celebrating the best in God brings out the best in us. 00:02:34.200 --> 00:02:37.840 Celebrating the best in God brings out the best in us. 00:02:37.840 --> 00:02:48.020 And so if we want to be a part of the solution, if we want to avail ourselves of this opportunity as God's people in the world, 00:02:48.439 --> 00:02:51.939 if we want to be at our best, we need to worship. 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:54.740 And all of that will flow out of our worship. 00:02:55.759 --> 00:03:03.939 And Psalm 33 shows us a few ways, a few specific ways, that worship brings out the best in God's people. 00:03:03.939 --> 00:03:07.879 And I think they're particularly relevant for this cultural moment. 00:03:07.960 --> 00:03:09.759 So let's pray, and then we'll dive in. 00:03:10.819 --> 00:03:12.599 Lord, we thank you for your word. 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:18.539 And we thank you that even as you call us to worship you above all else, 00:03:18.699 --> 00:03:23.240 you also show us why we worship you and what that worship does, 00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:26.979 not only in our world, but in us, in our own hearts. 00:03:26.979 --> 00:03:32.319 And so we come to you with our exhaustion and our fear and our anguish. 00:03:32.919 --> 00:03:36.060 And we ask for you to minister to us through your word this morning, Lord, 00:03:36.239 --> 00:03:39.459 so that we can be all that you've called us to be in this world. 00:03:39.939 --> 00:03:40.780 For your glory. 00:03:41.079 --> 00:03:42.620 And it's in your son's name that we pray. 00:03:43.120 --> 00:03:43.379 Amen. 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:46.859 So the first thing that we see in Psalm 33, 00:03:47.019 --> 00:03:49.699 the first way that worship brings out the best in us, 00:03:49.780 --> 00:03:54.639 is as we worship, it enlarges our view of God. 00:03:54.639 --> 00:03:57.599 In other words, worship gives us a bigger view of God. 00:03:57.839 --> 00:03:59.799 And we see this in verses 4 through 9. 00:04:00.159 --> 00:04:02.319 And this is very important because in times like this, 00:04:02.379 --> 00:04:08.000 I think it's very easy for our view of God to get smaller and smaller and smaller. 00:04:08.519 --> 00:04:12.679 There are countless voices clamoring for our attention right now. 00:04:12.779 --> 00:04:18.579 And it's very easy for God's word to get utterly drowned out in all of that chaos. 00:04:18.579 --> 00:04:25.699 And the more God shrinks in our estimation and the more God's word gets drowned out, 00:04:25.819 --> 00:04:27.699 the more we lose perspective. 00:04:28.579 --> 00:04:30.479 And when you start to lose perspective, 00:04:30.479 --> 00:04:34.459 you can tell because you start feeling like things are never going to get better. 00:04:35.419 --> 00:04:40.659 You start feeling overwhelmed by fear or dread or despair. 00:04:40.660 --> 00:04:46.760 You start feeling like the problems in our world are utterly unsolvable. 00:04:47.100 --> 00:04:49.040 So it's not even worth trying. 00:04:49.660 --> 00:04:53.020 You start feeling like everything is spiraling out of control 00:04:53.020 --> 00:04:57.260 and there is no one ultimately in charge of all of this. 00:04:57.680 --> 00:05:00.220 And when we start to feel that way, we're losing perspective. 00:05:00.780 --> 00:05:06.520 And what Psalm 33 does is it reminds us that God's word is rock solid. 00:05:07.720 --> 00:05:09.460 God's word is rock solid. 00:05:09.459 --> 00:05:12.680 When God speaks, it is so. 00:05:13.339 --> 00:05:15.979 God's word is what made the heavens and the earth. 00:05:16.239 --> 00:05:19.319 God's word is what created life and gave us breath. 00:05:20.139 --> 00:05:21.060 And verse 8 says, 00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:23.459 Let all the earth fear the Lord. 00:05:24.240 --> 00:05:27.240 Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 00:05:28.219 --> 00:05:28.679 Why? 00:05:30.099 --> 00:05:30.799 Verse 9, 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:33.519 For he spoke and it came to be. 00:05:34.359 --> 00:05:36.879 He commanded and it stood firm. 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:43.819 Fearing God means that his word matters most. 00:05:44.500 --> 00:05:48.040 It means that his priorities matter most. 00:05:48.040 --> 00:05:56.319 To fear God means that we most desire to please God above anyone or anything else in our lives. 00:05:56.439 --> 00:06:00.159 Our chief motivation in life is pleasing God. 00:06:00.259 --> 00:06:02.159 That's what it means to fear the Lord. 00:06:02.160 --> 00:06:11.860 So more than making money or being successful or gaining the approval of other people or even the desire to make a difference in the world, 00:06:12.640 --> 00:06:16.560 fearing the Lord means that God's pleasure is our chief aim. 00:06:16.560 --> 00:06:19.439 And as Proverbs 9.10 says, 00:06:19.439 --> 00:06:22.339 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. 00:06:23.339 --> 00:06:23.740 Right? 00:06:23.860 --> 00:06:29.139 So we're going to be in a much better place to make sense of our lives, 00:06:29.240 --> 00:06:32.019 to make sense of what is happening in the world right now. 00:06:32.120 --> 00:06:36.560 We're going to be much more likely to have a godly perspective on things, 00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:40.259 to have an even keel disposition toward things, 00:06:40.259 --> 00:06:42.719 if we fear God and God alone, 00:06:43.319 --> 00:06:45.519 if his pleasure is our highest aim, 00:06:45.779 --> 00:06:48.060 if his word is our highest authority. 00:06:49.839 --> 00:06:51.800 Worship enlarges our view of God. 00:06:52.839 --> 00:06:56.699 It gives us a bigger view of God. 00:06:57.579 --> 00:07:00.539 And in that way, it brings out the best in us. 00:07:01.300 --> 00:07:03.439 So that's the first thing that we see in Psalm 33. 00:07:03.720 --> 00:07:07.080 But there's another way that worship brings out the best in us. 00:07:07.080 --> 00:07:11.900 And that is that it gives us a broader view of righteousness and justice. 00:07:12.120 --> 00:07:14.460 It gives us a broader view of righteousness and justice. 00:07:14.720 --> 00:07:16.140 And we see this in verse 5. 00:07:16.220 --> 00:07:19.660 Now, it's easy to skip over this verse and to move right along, 00:07:19.780 --> 00:07:22.340 but it's a very important verse. 00:07:22.860 --> 00:07:23.640 Verse 5 says, 00:07:24.320 --> 00:07:26.439 God loves righteousness and justice. 00:07:27.180 --> 00:07:30.100 God loves righteousness and justice. 00:07:30.720 --> 00:07:33.400 Now, this little verse is extremely important. 00:07:33.480 --> 00:07:35.800 And if you want to know more about what I'm about to say, 00:07:35.879 --> 00:07:39.780 you can read the book Generous Justice by Pastor Tim Keller. 00:07:40.400 --> 00:07:44.939 But these two words that are translated as righteousness and justice 00:07:44.939 --> 00:07:48.340 are paired together dozens of times throughout Scripture. 00:07:48.500 --> 00:07:51.320 And in fact, they show up together a lot in the Psalms, 00:07:51.660 --> 00:07:54.900 meaning that God's people have been praying about this 00:07:54.900 --> 00:07:57.640 in their gathered worship for centuries. 00:07:58.600 --> 00:07:59.960 Now, why are they so important? 00:08:00.100 --> 00:08:03.820 Well, justice is the Hebrew word mishpat. 00:08:04.320 --> 00:08:07.920 And mishpat means what we normally think of as justice, 00:08:08.120 --> 00:08:10.480 meaning retributive justice. 00:08:11.020 --> 00:08:15.820 This is punishing wrongdoers and caring for the victims of wrongdoing. 00:08:15.980 --> 00:08:18.180 That's the kind of more traditional understanding 00:08:18.180 --> 00:08:20.220 that most people think of when they think of justice. 00:08:20.580 --> 00:08:22.920 But the other word is very fascinating. 00:08:22.920 --> 00:08:25.199 The other word is tzedakah. 00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:29.439 And tzedakah kind of means righteousness. 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:31.199 Many Christians think of it as righteousness, 00:08:31.379 --> 00:08:32.560 but it can also mean justice. 00:08:32.700 --> 00:08:35.899 It can also be translated in other ways that we'll get into in just a minute. 00:08:36.259 --> 00:08:39.480 But many Christians, when they think of righteousness, 00:08:39.639 --> 00:08:42.519 when they see righteousness in places like Psalm 33, 00:08:42.800 --> 00:08:45.740 they think primarily in terms of personal morality. 00:08:45.740 --> 00:08:49.500 So tzedakah would be being righteous, 00:08:49.500 --> 00:08:51.419 would be being sexually faithful. 00:08:51.799 --> 00:08:53.419 It would mean telling the truth. 00:08:53.799 --> 00:08:55.460 It would mean avoiding slander. 00:08:55.919 --> 00:08:57.759 It would mean avoiding gossip and greed. 00:08:57.960 --> 00:09:00.879 It's basically being a good and upright person 00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:03.240 and living the way God wants us to live. 00:09:03.240 --> 00:09:05.019 And, you know, that's a part of it. 00:09:05.340 --> 00:09:06.759 But it's a small part of it. 00:09:06.960 --> 00:09:11.240 And in fact, the full meaning of this word is much broader. 00:09:11.320 --> 00:09:13.779 And that's what I want to focus on here for the next couple of minutes. 00:09:14.279 --> 00:09:16.620 The Bible scholar, Alec Mateer, 00:09:17.419 --> 00:09:19.620 says that righteousness, tzedakah, 00:09:20.139 --> 00:09:20.960 means, quote, 00:09:21.200 --> 00:09:23.539 being in right relationship with God 00:09:23.539 --> 00:09:26.960 and therefore being committed to putting right 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:28.879 all other relationships in life. 00:09:30.299 --> 00:09:31.740 Now, that's extremely important. 00:09:31.740 --> 00:09:36.060 It means that as our relationship with God is put right, 00:09:36.600 --> 00:09:41.120 that compels us to devote our lives 00:09:41.120 --> 00:09:45.620 to putting right all other relationships around us, 00:09:45.639 --> 00:09:47.220 in society, in our lives. 00:09:47.519 --> 00:09:51.060 So listen to Job and how Job defines 00:09:51.060 --> 00:09:53.700 a life of righteousness and justice. 00:09:53.899 --> 00:09:55.600 This is from Job chapter 29. 00:09:55.940 --> 00:09:59.100 He says, and this is the NIV version, by the way. 00:09:59.100 --> 00:09:59.820 He says, 00:09:59.820 --> 00:10:02.700 I rescued the poor who cried for help 00:10:02.700 --> 00:10:05.360 and the fatherless who had none to assist them. 00:10:05.640 --> 00:10:07.620 The one who was dying blessed me. 00:10:08.080 --> 00:10:09.980 I made the widow's heart sing. 00:10:10.360 --> 00:10:12.660 I put on righteousness, tzedakah, 00:10:13.200 --> 00:10:14.220 as my clothing. 00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:16.060 Justice, mishpat, 00:10:16.620 --> 00:10:18.100 was my robe and my turban. 00:10:18.680 --> 00:10:20.200 I was eyes to the blind 00:10:20.200 --> 00:10:21.760 and feet to the lame. 00:10:21.960 --> 00:10:23.560 I was a father to the needy. 00:10:23.740 --> 00:10:25.820 I took up the case of the stranger. 00:10:25.820 --> 00:10:28.040 I broke the fangs of the wicked 00:10:28.040 --> 00:10:31.180 and snatched the victims from their teeth. 00:10:31.420 --> 00:10:32.900 What I want you to notice here 00:10:32.900 --> 00:10:37.060 is that Job's definition of righteousness and justice 00:10:37.060 --> 00:10:39.040 is almost entirely social. 00:10:39.780 --> 00:10:42.640 It's almost entirely social. 00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:47.639 It means doing all that we can 00:10:47.639 --> 00:10:50.399 to ensure that everyone around us 00:10:50.399 --> 00:10:53.120 has everything they need in order to flourish. 00:10:54.539 --> 00:10:56.019 It means doing all that we can 00:10:56.019 --> 00:10:57.679 to make sure that all of the people around us, 00:10:57.720 --> 00:10:58.639 all the people in our society, 00:10:58.980 --> 00:11:01.759 have what they need in order to flourish. 00:11:03.039 --> 00:11:05.879 And so when you see righteousness and justice 00:11:05.879 --> 00:11:07.519 paired together like this, 00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:09.340 as we do in Psalm 33, 00:11:10.139 --> 00:11:12.939 probably the best definition of this 00:11:12.939 --> 00:11:14.199 would be social justice. 00:11:15.199 --> 00:11:18.539 So you could reasonably translate this verse, 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:21.179 God loves social justice. 00:11:21.960 --> 00:11:23.419 God loves social justice. 00:11:23.519 --> 00:11:25.319 Now, there's a problem with that 00:11:25.319 --> 00:11:26.500 because even as I say that, 00:11:26.659 --> 00:11:28.819 there may be some people scratching their heads. 00:11:28.939 --> 00:11:31.139 And the reason is that there's a huge problem 00:11:31.139 --> 00:11:32.759 with the term social justice. 00:11:33.360 --> 00:11:34.939 And that's because social justice 00:11:34.940 --> 00:11:37.180 has almost completely lost its meaning 00:11:37.180 --> 00:11:39.280 because it has been redefined 00:11:39.280 --> 00:11:41.540 over and over and over again. 00:11:41.900 --> 00:11:43.540 And, you know, that's become very clear 00:11:43.540 --> 00:11:44.540 the past couple of weeks. 00:11:44.640 --> 00:11:46.100 I've talked to a number of Christians 00:11:46.100 --> 00:11:47.620 over the past couple of weeks 00:11:47.620 --> 00:11:49.980 who earnestly want to join the fight 00:11:49.980 --> 00:11:50.900 for racial justice. 00:11:51.040 --> 00:11:52.500 They want to be in the fight. 00:11:52.620 --> 00:11:53.240 They want to, 00:11:53.400 --> 00:11:55.600 they see this as a very important cause 00:11:55.600 --> 00:11:57.920 that Christians need to be involved in. 00:11:58.220 --> 00:11:59.380 But what I'm hearing 00:11:59.380 --> 00:12:00.720 is some people are saying, 00:12:01.040 --> 00:12:03.960 I'm not sure what version of justice 00:12:03.960 --> 00:12:05.320 I'm actually endorsing. 00:12:06.019 --> 00:12:08.160 I'm not sure what justice means. 00:12:08.220 --> 00:12:09.860 And I feel like when I talk to different people, 00:12:09.960 --> 00:12:11.400 I hear different definitions. 00:12:11.639 --> 00:12:13.300 And that's because there are 00:12:13.300 --> 00:12:15.620 different definitions of justice. 00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:16.800 There are different visions 00:12:16.800 --> 00:12:19.480 of what a just world should look like. 00:12:19.960 --> 00:12:22.379 And what we see is that the church 00:12:22.379 --> 00:12:25.860 is very split over the idea of social justice. 00:12:26.540 --> 00:12:28.519 There are some Christians in the church, 00:12:28.700 --> 00:12:29.420 faithful Christians, 00:12:30.280 --> 00:12:32.580 who earnestly believe that our sole focus 00:12:32.580 --> 00:12:34.220 should be personal holiness, 00:12:34.759 --> 00:12:36.759 evangelism, and discipleship. 00:12:36.820 --> 00:12:39.440 Our primary concern should be sharing the gospel, 00:12:39.820 --> 00:12:41.120 but not social justice. 00:12:41.340 --> 00:12:44.680 Because they associate the concept of social justice 00:12:44.680 --> 00:12:46.440 with the liberal church. 00:12:46.580 --> 00:12:47.860 And they don't want to be a part of that. 00:12:47.980 --> 00:12:50.520 They see that as something that you see 00:12:50.520 --> 00:12:52.820 in the liberal side of the church, 00:12:52.920 --> 00:12:54.160 but it has no place 00:12:54.160 --> 00:12:56.080 in the conservative Orthodox church. 00:12:56.080 --> 00:12:58.360 You see other Christians 00:12:58.360 --> 00:13:00.320 on the other side of this 00:13:00.320 --> 00:13:02.780 who earnestly desire to do justice 00:13:02.780 --> 00:13:03.860 and love mercy. 00:13:03.960 --> 00:13:05.660 They see Scripture calling us to do this, 00:13:05.720 --> 00:13:07.320 and they earnestly desire to do that. 00:13:07.660 --> 00:13:09.379 But they don't realize 00:13:09.379 --> 00:13:13.120 that some of the modern conceptions of justice 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:16.259 have been subtly redefined. 00:13:17.139 --> 00:13:22.200 They can sometimes reflect more Marxist thinking 00:13:22.200 --> 00:13:24.140 than they do biblical thinking. 00:13:24.139 --> 00:13:27.139 And so they no longer reflect God's heart 00:13:27.139 --> 00:13:29.879 in the way that justice is meant to. 00:13:30.699 --> 00:13:32.340 And so in both cases, 00:13:32.679 --> 00:13:35.120 you have a very impoverished view 00:13:35.120 --> 00:13:38.000 of righteousness and justice. 00:13:38.559 --> 00:13:39.679 And Psalm 33, 00:13:39.939 --> 00:13:42.460 and many other places in Scripture like it, 00:13:42.840 --> 00:13:44.899 calls us to a broader view. 00:13:45.819 --> 00:13:46.899 It says, on the one hand, 00:13:47.199 --> 00:13:49.919 you cannot be in right relationship with God 00:13:49.919 --> 00:13:53.339 if you are not seeking justice 00:13:53.339 --> 00:13:56.019 and caring for the fatherless 00:13:56.019 --> 00:13:58.899 and the widow and the orphan 00:13:58.899 --> 00:14:01.599 and taking up the case of the stranger 00:14:01.599 --> 00:14:03.559 and protecting the vulnerable 00:14:03.559 --> 00:14:05.819 and breaking the fangs of the wicked. 00:14:05.939 --> 00:14:08.299 That is, people who are in positions of power 00:14:08.299 --> 00:14:10.899 who are able to take advantage of 00:14:10.899 --> 00:14:12.959 or harm or enact injustice 00:14:12.959 --> 00:14:14.779 toward those who can't defend themselves. 00:14:14.779 --> 00:14:16.439 So on the one hand, 00:14:16.519 --> 00:14:18.819 it's saying we can't be in right relationship with God 00:14:18.819 --> 00:14:20.399 unless we are devoting ourselves 00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:23.139 to that kind of justice and mercy in the world. 00:14:23.699 --> 00:14:24.980 But on the other hand, 00:14:25.039 --> 00:14:28.360 it says you cannot seek true justice 00:14:28.360 --> 00:14:32.199 if you're not devoted to God's definition of justice, 00:14:33.059 --> 00:14:36.319 if you're not devoted to God's purposes 00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:40.520 and God's desires for human beings and his world. 00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:49.700 So Psalm 33 puts it out here for us to see very clearly. 00:14:50.200 --> 00:14:52.060 God loves righteousness and justice, 00:14:52.620 --> 00:14:54.560 which means that we as God's people 00:14:54.560 --> 00:14:57.980 are called to love righteousness and justice. 00:14:58.240 --> 00:15:00.780 And what that means is our core mission 00:15:00.780 --> 00:15:04.560 as Church of the Advent in D.C. should include both. 00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:08.159 It should include evangelizing and discipling 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:09.919 every single person in this city 00:15:09.919 --> 00:15:11.299 and through this city of the world. 00:15:11.959 --> 00:15:13.739 It should include proclaiming the gospel 00:15:13.739 --> 00:15:15.179 to everyone we can. 00:15:15.619 --> 00:15:20.179 But it should also include our pursuit of justice, 00:15:20.479 --> 00:15:23.000 doing everything we can to bring about 00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:26.899 the complete eradication of racism and racial injustice 00:15:26.899 --> 00:15:29.199 anywhere and everywhere it exists. 00:15:30.099 --> 00:15:31.879 It means we devote ourselves to both. 00:15:31.879 --> 00:15:37.279 So Psalm 33 and worshiping God 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:39.320 brings out the best in us 00:15:39.320 --> 00:15:41.820 by giving us a bigger view of God, 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:44.320 but then it also gives us a broader view 00:15:44.320 --> 00:15:46.559 of righteousness and justice. 00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:48.480 The third thing that it does in us 00:15:48.480 --> 00:15:52.360 is it gives us a more balanced view of politics. 00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:54.460 And my Lord, we need that right now. 00:15:55.139 --> 00:15:57.000 In verses 10 through 17, 00:15:57.299 --> 00:15:58.779 you'll see what I'm talking about. 00:15:58.779 --> 00:16:03.379 David Brooks recently observed that, 00:16:04.059 --> 00:16:04.079 quote, 00:16:04.179 --> 00:16:06.039 one of the great problems of the moment 00:16:06.039 --> 00:16:09.720 is that morality has been replaced by politics. 00:16:10.399 --> 00:16:12.120 So moral conformity, 00:16:12.299 --> 00:16:15.319 our kind of conformity to some publicly agreed upon 00:16:15.319 --> 00:16:16.360 moral standard, 00:16:16.559 --> 00:16:19.879 moral conformity has been replaced by political conformity. 00:16:19.879 --> 00:16:25.580 And by that I mean conformity to the political orthodoxy 00:16:25.580 --> 00:16:27.840 of your particular tribe. 00:16:28.240 --> 00:16:30.860 So instead of a common moral framework, 00:16:31.120 --> 00:16:34.080 we have competing political ideologies, 00:16:34.500 --> 00:16:38.179 which means everything has become a power struggle. 00:16:38.720 --> 00:16:40.480 Everything has become a power struggle. 00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:42.179 And you see this online. 00:16:42.179 --> 00:16:46.279 The internet seems to be one big shouting match. 00:16:47.399 --> 00:16:48.859 There are people on the internet 00:16:48.859 --> 00:16:50.559 trying to bully and coerce 00:16:50.559 --> 00:16:53.959 and shame other people into adopting their perspective. 00:16:54.120 --> 00:16:55.299 There are people on the internet 00:16:55.299 --> 00:16:57.039 who are signaling their virtue 00:16:57.039 --> 00:16:59.739 and calling out and shaming their opponents. 00:16:59.959 --> 00:17:02.399 And it's been horrible to see all of this play out 00:17:02.399 --> 00:17:04.700 around the killing of George Floyd 00:17:04.700 --> 00:17:06.759 and the other people who have lost their lives 00:17:06.759 --> 00:17:08.980 in these horrible ways. 00:17:08.980 --> 00:17:12.339 Because there are drastically different narratives out there 00:17:12.339 --> 00:17:13.339 about what happened 00:17:13.339 --> 00:17:16.500 depending on which political tribe you are listening to. 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:19.759 There are drastically different narratives and accounts 00:17:19.759 --> 00:17:22.500 depending on which political tribe 00:17:22.500 --> 00:17:23.980 you're paying attention to. 00:17:24.259 --> 00:17:25.819 And the reason, I think, 00:17:25.880 --> 00:17:28.779 is that more and more people look to politics 00:17:28.779 --> 00:17:30.440 to find meaning in life. 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:32.299 More and more people look to politics 00:17:32.299 --> 00:17:34.640 to make meaning of their lives. 00:17:35.120 --> 00:17:36.480 Andrew Sullivan wrote a piece 00:17:36.480 --> 00:17:37.880 that I think is extremely important. 00:17:37.880 --> 00:17:39.340 He wrote it back in 2018 00:17:39.340 --> 00:17:41.500 called America's New Religion. 00:17:42.140 --> 00:17:44.240 And he basically says, 00:17:44.360 --> 00:17:48.380 what happens when Christianity is removed from society? 00:17:48.380 --> 00:17:50.720 When you take that piece out of society, 00:17:50.720 --> 00:17:51.560 what's the result? 00:17:51.860 --> 00:17:52.260 And he says, 00:17:52.360 --> 00:17:53.400 I think what happens, 00:17:53.460 --> 00:17:54.340 and this is quoting him, 00:17:55.100 --> 00:17:57.780 I think what happens is illiberal politics. 00:17:58.240 --> 00:18:00.520 The need for meaning hasn't gone away. 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:02.040 But without Christianity, 00:18:02.280 --> 00:18:05.220 this yearning looks to politics for satisfaction. 00:18:05.220 --> 00:18:07.019 And religious impulses, 00:18:07.400 --> 00:18:09.880 once anchored in and tamed by Christianity, 00:18:10.240 --> 00:18:13.079 find expression in various political cults. 00:18:13.500 --> 00:18:15.220 And I think he's sitting the nail on the head. 00:18:15.360 --> 00:18:17.420 Politics is America's new religion. 00:18:18.420 --> 00:18:20.200 So what's the answer to all of this? 00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:23.759 Well, the answer is worship. 00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:27.299 The answer is worshiping God 00:18:27.299 --> 00:18:30.419 and worshiping God in such a way 00:18:30.419 --> 00:18:32.919 that it puts politics in its place. 00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:37.619 So that means we sing the words of Psalm 33. 00:18:37.819 --> 00:18:39.419 As God's people, we join together, 00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:41.299 we get out our instruments, 00:18:41.539 --> 00:18:42.919 and we sing verse 10. 00:18:43.259 --> 00:18:46.359 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing. 00:18:46.779 --> 00:18:49.759 He frustrates the plans of the people. 00:18:50.180 --> 00:18:50.940 Verse 16, 00:18:50.940 --> 00:18:53.220 The king is not saved by his great army. 00:18:53.539 --> 00:18:55.880 A warrior is not delivered by his great strength. 00:18:56.200 --> 00:18:56.840 Verse 17, 00:18:57.200 --> 00:18:59.799 The war horse is a false hope for salvation, 00:19:00.080 --> 00:19:02.240 and by its great might, it cannot rescue. 00:19:04.620 --> 00:19:06.140 Politics cannot save 00:19:06.140 --> 00:19:08.740 because people cannot save ourselves. 00:19:09.880 --> 00:19:12.120 Because we cannot save ourselves. 00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:15.240 We can do a lot to alleviate suffering. 00:19:15.640 --> 00:19:17.900 We can do a lot to create better policies 00:19:17.900 --> 00:19:18.960 and better legislation. 00:19:19.420 --> 00:19:23.380 We can do a lot to get strong administrations in place 00:19:23.380 --> 00:19:25.160 and good leaders in place. 00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:28.180 But we cannot ultimately heal the brokenness 00:19:28.180 --> 00:19:29.660 and the sin of the world. 00:19:29.960 --> 00:19:31.040 And every system, 00:19:31.460 --> 00:19:33.320 every administration that we touch 00:19:33.320 --> 00:19:34.820 is going to be tainted by sin. 00:19:35.340 --> 00:19:37.400 It's impossible for us to build anything 00:19:37.400 --> 00:19:40.280 that's not in some way tainted by sin. 00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:43.160 Now that's not to say that this doesn't matter. 00:19:43.280 --> 00:19:45.220 That's not to say that politics doesn't matter. 00:19:45.320 --> 00:19:47.040 Politics matters very much. 00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:49.460 We need to be out there voting. 00:19:50.359 --> 00:19:51.579 We need to be out there 00:19:51.579 --> 00:19:55.960 trying to get the best candidates possible 00:19:55.960 --> 00:19:58.920 into the positions that matter most. 00:19:59.000 --> 00:19:59.799 We need to be doing that. 00:20:00.200 --> 00:20:02.599 Christians need to be pushing for reforms 00:20:02.599 --> 00:20:06.059 that lead to a more just and equitable society 00:20:06.059 --> 00:20:06.940 for all people. 00:20:07.059 --> 00:20:09.500 We need to be as fully engaged as we can be. 00:20:09.859 --> 00:20:11.960 And we need to be praying for our country. 00:20:12.639 --> 00:20:14.240 And we need to be praying for our leaders. 00:20:14.240 --> 00:20:15.720 Verse 12 says, 00:20:15.720 --> 00:20:19.539 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. 00:20:19.900 --> 00:20:23.480 Rather than assuming that our country is a blessed nation, 00:20:23.859 --> 00:20:26.420 we should be praying that our leaders 00:20:26.420 --> 00:20:30.299 seek the blessing of God and follow the Lord. 00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:32.519 We need to be praying for godly leaders 00:20:32.519 --> 00:20:33.440 who worship the Lord 00:20:33.440 --> 00:20:35.240 instead of all of the idols 00:20:35.240 --> 00:20:37.099 that do define our country's culture. 00:20:37.559 --> 00:20:41.240 Idols like power and money and consumerism. 00:20:41.240 --> 00:20:44.299 We need to pray for godly leaders 00:20:44.299 --> 00:20:47.720 who fear the Lord above all else. 00:20:48.099 --> 00:20:50.120 We need to be praying for our country. 00:20:51.339 --> 00:20:54.120 And as we devote ourselves to justice and mercy, 00:20:54.460 --> 00:20:56.620 and as we push for reform, 00:20:56.980 --> 00:20:58.900 and as we engage politically, 00:20:58.900 --> 00:21:01.320 and as we pray for godly leaders, 00:21:01.720 --> 00:21:04.980 we need to do all of this with verse 20 in mind. 00:21:05.720 --> 00:21:07.400 Our soul waits for the Lord. 00:21:07.900 --> 00:21:09.980 He is our help and our shield. 00:21:10.860 --> 00:21:14.759 See, this is what protects us from burnout and cynicism. 00:21:15.300 --> 00:21:15.660 Right? 00:21:15.740 --> 00:21:19.519 We throw ourselves into doing all that we can here and now, 00:21:19.680 --> 00:21:23.259 but we reserve our innermost being for God. 00:21:23.259 --> 00:21:27.640 We don't put our ultimate hope in what we're able to accomplish. 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:30.779 We put our ultimate hope in God alone 00:21:30.779 --> 00:21:34.240 because we know that only God can bring perfect justice 00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:36.119 and healing to the world. 00:21:36.579 --> 00:21:40.180 So we do all that we can right now while it is night, 00:21:40.920 --> 00:21:45.619 but our soul is continually fixed on the horizon, 00:21:46.160 --> 00:21:47.960 waiting for the rising sun. 00:21:47.960 --> 00:21:52.440 So Psalm 33 is giving us this picture 00:21:52.440 --> 00:21:55.140 of what worship does in us. 00:21:55.440 --> 00:21:58.180 It gives us a bigger view of God. 00:21:58.279 --> 00:22:01.819 It gives us a broader view of righteousness and justice, 00:22:01.819 --> 00:22:04.980 and it gives us a more balanced view of politics, 00:22:05.019 --> 00:22:07.500 what it is and what it never can be. 00:22:07.840 --> 00:22:10.720 And then the final point that I want to make is a brief point, 00:22:10.980 --> 00:22:12.660 but the fourth thing that worship does, 00:22:12.680 --> 00:22:14.059 and we see this in Psalm 33, 00:22:14.340 --> 00:22:15.900 is that worship shows us, 00:22:15.940 --> 00:22:17.740 it gives us a better source of hope. 00:22:18.240 --> 00:22:19.680 A better source of hope. 00:22:20.220 --> 00:22:21.400 The good news is, 00:22:21.840 --> 00:22:24.700 we have the best reason for hope that there is, 00:22:25.240 --> 00:22:28.100 and that is God's steadfast love. 00:22:28.360 --> 00:22:29.880 The last line of the Psalm says, 00:22:29.880 --> 00:22:32.319 let your steadfast love, O Lord, 00:22:32.559 --> 00:22:35.559 be upon us even as we hope in you. 00:22:35.860 --> 00:22:39.180 And that's where all of this has to begin and end, 00:22:39.319 --> 00:22:42.059 in the steadfast love of the Lord. 00:22:43.200 --> 00:22:44.240 You know, last weekend, 00:22:44.380 --> 00:22:46.380 some of us at Church of the Advent 00:22:46.380 --> 00:22:49.400 joined together with Christians from all around the DMV area 00:22:49.400 --> 00:22:53.220 in a Christian march for racial justice and healing. 00:22:53.300 --> 00:22:54.120 And I don't know about you, 00:22:54.320 --> 00:22:56.560 but I desperately needed that. 00:22:56.640 --> 00:22:59.560 I felt tremendously encouraged by that. 00:22:59.800 --> 00:23:02.720 And one of the pastors leading that march 00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:04.600 was Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile, 00:23:05.040 --> 00:23:07.600 who's the pastor at Anacostia River Church. 00:23:07.599 --> 00:23:11.399 And he said something at one point during the march 00:23:11.399 --> 00:23:13.659 when we all stopped near the reflecting pool. 00:23:14.159 --> 00:23:16.859 He said something that I think is extremely important. 00:23:17.279 --> 00:23:17.879 He said, you know, 00:23:17.959 --> 00:23:18.419 ultimately, 00:23:18.740 --> 00:23:20.799 as important as these issues are 00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:22.619 and as important as racial justice is, 00:23:22.939 --> 00:23:25.379 the biggest justice issue in our world 00:23:25.379 --> 00:23:26.819 is not racial justice. 00:23:26.819 --> 00:23:31.919 The biggest justice issue is not the issue of race, 00:23:31.960 --> 00:23:32.939 as important as that is. 00:23:33.000 --> 00:23:34.980 He said the biggest justice issue in this world 00:23:34.980 --> 00:23:37.159 is the sin that we've committed against God. 00:23:38.839 --> 00:23:40.039 That's the biggest issue. 00:23:40.139 --> 00:23:41.039 It's the deepest issue. 00:23:42.119 --> 00:23:43.279 And every human being, 00:23:43.740 --> 00:23:44.779 every human being, 00:23:44.839 --> 00:23:48.099 before we throw ourselves into any other justice issue, 00:23:48.319 --> 00:23:50.779 we have to figure out how we're going to resolve 00:23:50.779 --> 00:23:54.679 that justice issue that exists between us and God. 00:23:54.680 --> 00:23:58.340 Because as horrible as systemic racism 00:23:58.340 --> 00:23:59.900 and white supremacy are, 00:23:59.960 --> 00:24:01.460 as much damage as they have done, 00:24:01.860 --> 00:24:05.340 they are ultimately symptoms of a deeper issue, 00:24:05.500 --> 00:24:06.860 which is the issue of sin. 00:24:07.279 --> 00:24:09.480 The issue that human beings have turned 00:24:09.480 --> 00:24:10.980 and rebelled against God. 00:24:11.279 --> 00:24:13.240 That's the core problem in the world. 00:24:13.340 --> 00:24:15.580 That's the reason why the world is the way it is. 00:24:15.820 --> 00:24:17.980 Why our society is the way it is. 00:24:18.860 --> 00:24:21.000 But the good news of the gospel is this. 00:24:21.840 --> 00:24:24.180 As much as God loves righteousness 00:24:24.180 --> 00:24:25.100 and justice, 00:24:25.620 --> 00:24:27.360 he also loves you. 00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:29.140 And he loves me. 00:24:29.620 --> 00:24:31.080 He loves his people. 00:24:31.500 --> 00:24:33.160 This psalm says that the entire earth 00:24:33.160 --> 00:24:35.660 is filled with the steadfast love of the Lord. 00:24:35.799 --> 00:24:37.080 God loves every rock, 00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:38.180 every twig, 00:24:38.420 --> 00:24:39.480 every blade of grass, 00:24:39.600 --> 00:24:40.880 and every human being. 00:24:41.500 --> 00:24:43.240 And that's the good news of the gospel. 00:24:43.900 --> 00:24:45.279 And what that means is that 00:24:45.279 --> 00:24:48.120 when God saw this justice issue with us, 00:24:48.120 --> 00:24:50.220 when he realized that the relationship 00:24:50.220 --> 00:24:53.100 between God and the people that he made 00:24:53.100 --> 00:24:55.620 was seemingly irreparably broken, 00:24:56.620 --> 00:24:58.039 he did the unthinkable. 00:24:58.559 --> 00:25:00.480 He sent his son, Jesus Christ, 00:25:01.120 --> 00:25:02.940 who was perfect and innocent 00:25:02.940 --> 00:25:05.440 and holy and righteous and just. 00:25:05.440 --> 00:25:09.840 And Jesus willingly and joyfully went to the cross 00:25:09.840 --> 00:25:11.820 and sacrificed himself 00:25:11.820 --> 00:25:14.340 to pay the debt that we owe, 00:25:14.880 --> 00:25:17.820 to set us free from the debt of sin, 00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:20.240 to set us free to be adopted by God 00:25:20.240 --> 00:25:22.380 and to become his sons and daughters, 00:25:22.500 --> 00:25:24.759 to inherit all of the rights and privileges 00:25:24.759 --> 00:25:26.259 in the kingdom of God. 00:25:26.259 --> 00:25:29.019 And because Jesus did that, 00:25:29.259 --> 00:25:32.019 it sets us free to become part of the solution 00:25:32.019 --> 00:25:34.119 rather than part of the problem. 00:25:34.240 --> 00:25:36.619 The ultimate justice issue is resolved 00:25:36.619 --> 00:25:38.740 by putting our faith in Jesus Christ, 00:25:38.879 --> 00:25:41.579 which sets us free to devote the rest of our lives 00:25:41.579 --> 00:25:44.379 to all of the other issues of injustice 00:25:44.379 --> 00:25:47.000 that I believe we are here to confront 00:25:47.000 --> 00:25:48.379 as God's people. 00:25:48.940 --> 00:25:51.519 So if you want to be at your best right now, 00:25:51.680 --> 00:25:54.599 if you want to be part of the solution in this world, 00:25:54.599 --> 00:25:57.019 it all begins with getting right with God 00:25:57.019 --> 00:25:58.959 and then making the worship of God 00:25:58.959 --> 00:26:00.359 your highest priority. 00:26:02.139 --> 00:26:03.599 Celebrating the best in God 00:26:03.599 --> 00:26:05.980 brings out the best in us. 00:26:06.079 --> 00:26:07.859 It gives us a bigger view of God. 00:26:08.159 --> 00:26:11.119 It gives us a broader view of righteousness and justice. 00:26:11.279 --> 00:26:13.980 It gives us a more balanced view of politics 00:26:13.980 --> 00:26:16.919 and it shows us a better source of hope. 00:26:17.219 --> 00:26:20.279 And it's in that hope that we now pray. 00:26:20.859 --> 00:26:21.199 Amen. 00:26:21.200 --> 00:26:25.580 Lord, we thank you for this hope that we have. 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:28.440 We thank you for the truth of the gospel. 00:26:28.940 --> 00:26:31.279 And we thank you that as hopeless and overwhelmed 00:26:31.279 --> 00:26:34.799 as we may feel, that Lord, you are at work now. 00:26:35.120 --> 00:26:37.559 And we pray that we would be at the very center 00:26:37.559 --> 00:26:39.299 of what you're doing in this city. 00:26:39.819 --> 00:26:41.880 We pray that we would have the honor 00:26:41.880 --> 00:26:43.940 of participating alongside you 00:26:43.940 --> 00:26:46.940 in the healing and the restoration of our society, Lord. 00:26:47.140 --> 00:26:49.660 And we pray this not only for our good, 00:26:49.660 --> 00:26:53.279 but we pray this that your name would be glorified 00:26:53.279 --> 00:26:56.580 above all others as the one who makes all things new. 00:26:56.920 --> 00:26:58.620 We pray this in your son's holy name. 00:26:59.360 --> 00:26:59.580 Amen.