WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.080 There's this cabin in West Virginia where we go sometimes when we can get away as a family. 00:00:08.599 --> 00:00:14.280 And this cabin happens to face west and has this view across the Shenandoah River Valley. 00:00:14.580 --> 00:00:17.559 And that makes for some really interesting experiences. 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:21.179 One of our favorite things to do is to watch sunsets. 00:00:21.440 --> 00:00:25.420 And especially in the summer, the sun sets directly out from our cabin. 00:00:25.420 --> 00:00:38.200 And so when it's time for sunset, every evening, no matter what we're doing, we will drop everything and go out on the deck and almost hold our breaths and watch as the sun slowly sets behind the Allegheny Mountains. 00:00:38.420 --> 00:00:42.900 And a lot of times we love to count it down until we can no longer see the sun. 00:00:43.280 --> 00:00:46.439 So that's a little liturgy that we enjoy when we're out there. 00:00:46.880 --> 00:00:54.719 But for me personally, as much as I love sunsets, by far my most favorite sort of natural experience out there is when we get to see a thunderstorm. 00:00:54.719 --> 00:01:00.420 Because we're looking west, a lot of times storms will start way far away and distant. 00:01:00.560 --> 00:01:04.239 And then they sweep across the valley floor toward us. 00:01:04.280 --> 00:01:11.180 And they can get bigger and bigger and bigger until these dark purple clouds are literally blotting out the sky. 00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:14.719 And they can be as beautiful as they are terrifying. 00:01:14.719 --> 00:01:20.340 You see these dark or even black clouds above. 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:29.780 And then these white translucent curtains of rain that are sweeping across the trees and the hills, enveloping everything in their path. 00:01:30.120 --> 00:01:35.439 And then you begin to hear the distant rolls of thunder that get louder and louder and louder. 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:41.000 And then the wind starts blowing and howling and it starts thrashing the trees. 00:01:41.519 --> 00:01:43.259 And then you begin to see streaks of lightning. 00:01:43.379 --> 00:01:48.200 And sometimes you can see streaks of lightning firing down all across the valley. 00:01:48.299 --> 00:01:49.819 They look like streaks of fire. 00:01:50.579 --> 00:02:00.500 And so sometimes we'll turn off all the lights and we'll sit in the window and we'll just watch these storms come until they're literally shaking the cabin that we're in. 00:02:00.500 --> 00:02:06.280 And there's something awe-inspiring about seeing a thunderstorm like that. 00:02:06.379 --> 00:02:17.960 There's something, a kind of glory, a kind of a sense of awe and majesty that you experience when you see a storm like that up close. 00:02:18.759 --> 00:02:29.520 And so it's no wonder that in Psalm 29 when David is looking for a metaphor to try to capture the glory of God in an image, 00:02:29.520 --> 00:02:33.659 he chooses the image of this ferocious thunderstorm. 00:02:33.659 --> 00:02:36.760 And that's the image that we see here in this psalm. 00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:40.219 And this psalm is really all about God's glory. 00:02:40.219 --> 00:02:48.320 And when we talk about God's glory, we're talking about God's majesty, God's awe-inspiring beauty, 00:02:48.600 --> 00:02:57.740 God's nature, which is beautiful but also terrifying and fearsome and uncontrollable. 00:02:57.740 --> 00:03:04.879 And this theme of God's glory is extremely relevant for us, particularly at this cultural moment. 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:06.960 It's something that I think we need to be reminded of. 00:03:07.439 --> 00:03:14.060 It may, in fact, arguably be the most important theme for us to grasp that there is. 00:03:14.060 --> 00:03:24.219 And if we understand God's glory and if we understand something about what it means to worship a God of this kind of glory, 00:03:24.780 --> 00:03:27.699 it will help us make sense of our lives. 00:03:27.960 --> 00:03:30.439 It will help us make sense of our hearts. 00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:35.199 It will help us make sense of the circumstances in which we find ourselves right now. 00:03:35.420 --> 00:03:40.740 And so we're going to look at Psalm 29, which tells us at least two things about glory. 00:03:40.740 --> 00:03:42.820 So let's pray, and then we will get started. 00:03:43.760 --> 00:03:45.719 Lord, we thank you for your word. 00:03:46.100 --> 00:03:51.879 And this week in particular, we thank you for using David so long ago to pen these words. 00:03:52.120 --> 00:03:57.160 And we pray that you would, through the power of your spirit, open these words up to us, 00:03:57.180 --> 00:03:59.920 that they would cease to simply be ink on paper, 00:04:00.100 --> 00:04:04.420 and that they would become something that is alive and dynamic and spirit-filled. 00:04:04.600 --> 00:04:09.820 And that through these written words, we would come to see your living word, Jesus Christ, face-to-face. 00:04:09.819 --> 00:04:12.199 And it's in his name that we pray. Amen. 00:04:13.859 --> 00:04:17.899 So Psalm 29 tells us two things about glory. 00:04:18.099 --> 00:04:23.759 And the first is this, and I'm going to borrow a phrase from Paul Tripp when he preached a sermon on this, 00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:25.680 which I really love this phrasing. 00:04:25.800 --> 00:04:29.879 He says that in this psalm, we see that we are hardwired for glory, 00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:33.600 that human beings are hardwired for glory. 00:04:33.779 --> 00:04:36.860 We are, in other words, glory-seeking creatures. 00:04:36.860 --> 00:04:42.800 There's a reason why we love experiences like sunsets or like thunderstorms. 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:45.580 There's a reason why we crave these things. 00:04:45.639 --> 00:04:50.759 And there's a reason why we're compelled to stop what we're doing and watch when something like this is happening. 00:04:51.080 --> 00:04:54.379 And it's because there is a kind of glory in these experiences. 00:04:55.240 --> 00:04:57.100 They give us a sense of awe. 00:04:57.759 --> 00:05:02.600 They give us a sense of something much bigger and more powerful than ourselves. 00:05:02.600 --> 00:05:04.439 They give us a sense of majesty. 00:05:04.860 --> 00:05:11.820 And it seems that human beings, we have something deep down that craves these experiences of awe and majesty. 00:05:12.439 --> 00:05:15.640 I think it's the reason that we love live music. 00:05:15.760 --> 00:05:18.500 As much as we love music, there's something about going to a concert. 00:05:18.939 --> 00:05:24.620 And I bet if you took a minute, you could probably think back to the best concert you've ever been to. 00:05:24.620 --> 00:05:31.759 And probably if you think back to why that concert was great, there was a sense of glory in it. 00:05:31.980 --> 00:05:34.980 There was a sense of awe and majesty in it. 00:05:36.019 --> 00:05:43.699 There's a reason why so many people love sports and love to go see sports live whenever we can. 00:05:43.819 --> 00:05:48.280 When you see a player make an unexpectedly amazing play, 00:05:48.279 --> 00:05:54.000 or when an underdog team makes an unexpected surprise come from behind victory, 00:05:54.219 --> 00:05:56.519 these are experiences of glory. 00:05:56.759 --> 00:06:02.759 And something inside us comes alive when we get to witness something like that happen. 00:06:03.159 --> 00:06:07.319 But it can also happen in smaller things like an unforgettable meal. 00:06:07.779 --> 00:06:11.979 Think of maybe the best food you've ever eaten, the best meal experience you've ever had. 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:13.739 There's a kind of glory in that. 00:06:14.139 --> 00:06:18.059 Or getting to see and hold a newborn baby for the first time. 00:06:18.279 --> 00:06:21.659 That's an amazing, awe-filled experience. 00:06:22.239 --> 00:06:26.559 Hiking and finally reaching the peak of a very tall mountain. 00:06:26.679 --> 00:06:31.599 And that moment when you reach the top and you look out and you see the view laid out before you, 00:06:31.659 --> 00:06:33.159 there's a sense of glory in that. 00:06:33.699 --> 00:06:39.639 There's a sense of glory and awe and majesty in sexual intimacy and in romance. 00:06:39.639 --> 00:06:44.019 That thrill, that thrill when you first start to fall in love, 00:06:44.219 --> 00:06:46.819 the way your heart speeds up. 00:06:46.819 --> 00:06:48.339 There's a sense of glory in that. 00:06:48.779 --> 00:06:55.099 Even something like graduation, or if you're in sales, making a huge sale, 00:06:55.519 --> 00:07:02.279 or getting a promotion, or finishing a really hard, long project that you've been working on 00:07:02.279 --> 00:07:03.539 when you finally finish it. 00:07:03.699 --> 00:07:09.659 In all of these experiences, we get to taste and get a little glimpse of glory. 00:07:09.660 --> 00:07:15.480 And these are what we might consider lesser glories. 00:07:16.120 --> 00:07:17.760 These are lesser glories. 00:07:18.360 --> 00:07:25.080 And lesser glories in life are meant to point us to the ultimate glory, which is God's glory. 00:07:25.540 --> 00:07:29.720 That's why we have these experiences and why we crave these experiences. 00:07:29.720 --> 00:07:35.640 Psalm 19 tells us that God created this world to declare his glory. 00:07:36.060 --> 00:07:41.280 Isaiah 43 tells us that God created his people to declare his glory. 00:07:41.660 --> 00:07:46.280 Ephesians 3 verse 20 says that all glory belongs to God. 00:07:46.460 --> 00:07:50.980 So the entire purpose of existence, the reason that you and I are even here, 00:07:51.320 --> 00:07:53.360 is to proclaim God's glory. 00:07:53.360 --> 00:07:54.360 God's glory to make known. 00:07:54.360 --> 00:07:56.860 To make known God's excellence. 00:07:56.980 --> 00:07:59.600 So that when people look at this world, or when people look at us, 00:07:59.800 --> 00:08:01.900 they would say, isn't God amazing? 00:08:02.319 --> 00:08:03.660 And that's why we're here. 00:08:04.240 --> 00:08:08.139 And so when we see a beautiful sunset, or a raging storm, 00:08:08.139 --> 00:08:10.199 when we get to hold a newborn child, 00:08:10.759 --> 00:08:15.639 these experiences are meant to lead us to ascribe glory to God. 00:08:16.340 --> 00:08:18.900 They're meant to lead us to say, isn't God amazing? 00:08:19.639 --> 00:08:20.879 Isn't God creative? 00:08:20.879 --> 00:08:22.759 Isn't God powerful? 00:08:23.319 --> 00:08:24.620 Isn't God gracious? 00:08:25.980 --> 00:08:30.519 So we're hardwired for glory because that's the reason that we're here. 00:08:30.620 --> 00:08:34.139 That's why God made us and why God made the world. 00:08:35.879 --> 00:08:37.139 But there's a problem. 00:08:38.580 --> 00:08:40.320 There's a problem with all of this. 00:08:40.360 --> 00:08:44.379 And we see this problem right here in verse 2 of this psalm. 00:08:44.460 --> 00:08:46.220 It says, David writes, 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:50.039 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name. 00:08:50.039 --> 00:08:51.919 And you say, well, what's the problem with that? 00:08:51.919 --> 00:08:53.639 That sounds exactly right. 00:08:53.639 --> 00:08:54.959 The problem is this. 00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:58.659 Why would David have to tell us to do that? 00:08:59.939 --> 00:09:04.259 Why would David have to tell us to ascribe glory to the Lord? 00:09:04.360 --> 00:09:07.319 To ascribe to the Lord the glory that he is owed? 00:09:07.839 --> 00:09:10.819 Why would that be something that's necessary to say? 00:09:10.820 --> 00:09:15.140 And the reason, and this leads us to the second point, 00:09:15.500 --> 00:09:20.120 the reason is that instead of being people who live for God's glory, 00:09:20.500 --> 00:09:21.620 which is why we're here, 00:09:22.040 --> 00:09:26.300 we have become hostages to lesser glories. 00:09:26.299 --> 00:09:31.379 Our hearts have been hijacked, so to speak. 00:09:32.179 --> 00:09:37.439 And now every human being is born into a hostage situation. 00:09:38.059 --> 00:09:41.620 We are held hostage to lesser glories. 00:09:41.959 --> 00:09:44.419 Now, I want to explain what I mean by this. 00:09:44.419 --> 00:09:49.299 The God of the Bible, his covenant name is Yahweh. 00:09:49.439 --> 00:09:52.639 So anytime in scripture you see a capital L-O-R-D, 00:09:52.799 --> 00:09:54.079 the Lord in all caps, 00:09:54.439 --> 00:09:57.740 what that's actually referring to in the Hebrew is Yahweh. 00:09:57.860 --> 00:10:00.719 So this is God's covenant name, his personal name. 00:10:01.159 --> 00:10:02.699 So the God of the Bible, Yahweh, 00:10:02.899 --> 00:10:05.240 was utterly unique in the ancient Near East 00:10:05.240 --> 00:10:09.620 in that he revealed himself as the one true God 00:10:09.620 --> 00:10:10.959 who is over all people. 00:10:11.199 --> 00:10:12.679 He's not geographically limited. 00:10:12.679 --> 00:10:14.339 He's over all people. 00:10:14.639 --> 00:10:18.259 And he is over all of the natural phenomena of the world. 00:10:18.439 --> 00:10:20.019 So as verse 10 says, 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:24.000 the Lord, Yahweh, sits enthroned over the flood. 00:10:24.739 --> 00:10:27.819 He's the God who sits enthroned over the storm. 00:10:28.339 --> 00:10:31.500 He's the God who sits enthroned over the sun 00:10:31.500 --> 00:10:33.000 and the moon and the stars. 00:10:33.379 --> 00:10:34.739 And that's very important 00:10:34.739 --> 00:10:37.819 because if you look at other ancient Near Eastern religions, 00:10:38.199 --> 00:10:39.500 these natural phenomena, 00:10:39.500 --> 00:10:43.580 things like floods or the sun or the moon 00:10:43.580 --> 00:10:48.039 or thunderstorms or the ocean or even childbirth, 00:10:48.460 --> 00:10:52.740 people worshiped these phenomena as deities themselves. 00:10:53.840 --> 00:10:56.659 People took these lesser glories 00:10:56.659 --> 00:10:58.600 and they said, 00:10:58.679 --> 00:10:59.700 well, here's a place, 00:10:59.799 --> 00:11:02.159 here's something that gives me a sense of awe 00:11:02.159 --> 00:11:04.000 and majesty and glory. 00:11:04.139 --> 00:11:06.620 There must be something worth worshiping here. 00:11:06.620 --> 00:11:09.500 And so religions grew up around the worship 00:11:09.500 --> 00:11:13.320 of these various awe-inspiring, glory-filled events 00:11:13.320 --> 00:11:15.620 like sunsets or thunderstorms. 00:11:16.740 --> 00:11:18.399 But God from the very beginning, 00:11:18.580 --> 00:11:19.899 when he revealed himself, 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:21.419 revealed himself as being the God 00:11:21.419 --> 00:11:23.279 who is above all of these things, 00:11:23.379 --> 00:11:24.639 the God of the storm, 00:11:24.740 --> 00:11:27.600 the God of the sun or over the sun. 00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:30.500 And the point that I want to make 00:11:30.500 --> 00:11:31.879 is that that's not just something 00:11:31.879 --> 00:11:33.539 that we see in ancient times 00:11:33.539 --> 00:11:34.519 and in ancient religions, 00:11:34.639 --> 00:11:36.299 the worship of these lesser glories. 00:11:36.500 --> 00:11:37.579 It's actually something 00:11:37.579 --> 00:11:39.779 that is a part of human nature 00:11:39.779 --> 00:11:41.559 and something that we see in ancient times, 00:11:41.639 --> 00:11:43.179 but we also see it every bit as much 00:11:43.179 --> 00:11:44.939 in modern times. 00:11:45.319 --> 00:11:46.639 So all human beings, 00:11:46.799 --> 00:11:47.719 in one way or another, 00:11:48.059 --> 00:11:50.779 have come to worship lesser glories. 00:11:51.419 --> 00:11:53.179 We've actually been taken hostage 00:11:53.179 --> 00:11:54.839 by lesser glories. 00:11:55.000 --> 00:11:58.120 Instead of glorifying God over all things, 00:11:58.419 --> 00:12:01.480 we worship the things that God has made, 00:12:01.480 --> 00:12:03.759 the things that are a part of this world. 00:12:04.220 --> 00:12:07.220 So some people get fixated on entertainment 00:12:07.220 --> 00:12:10.600 and having the next best experience 00:12:10.600 --> 00:12:11.980 they can possibly have. 00:12:12.120 --> 00:12:15.560 Some people get fixated on food and drink, 00:12:15.680 --> 00:12:17.840 and it's all about pursuing the pleasure 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:19.560 of food and drink. 00:12:19.899 --> 00:12:22.500 Some people get fixated on sports. 00:12:22.940 --> 00:12:25.120 They don't just like sports or enjoy sports, 00:12:25.120 --> 00:12:27.159 but they become obsessed with sports, 00:12:27.300 --> 00:12:29.759 and then it becomes a part of their sense of identity 00:12:29.759 --> 00:12:31.860 and worth and value. 00:12:32.379 --> 00:12:34.299 Some people get overly fixated 00:12:34.299 --> 00:12:35.860 on sexual gratification 00:12:35.860 --> 00:12:38.299 and novel sexual experiences 00:12:38.299 --> 00:12:39.679 because there's that rush 00:12:39.679 --> 00:12:41.259 that comes with the novelty. 00:12:41.899 --> 00:12:44.319 Some people get fixated on being beautiful 00:12:44.319 --> 00:12:46.419 or on being attractive 00:12:46.419 --> 00:12:49.460 or on gaining the affirmation of other people. 00:12:49.539 --> 00:12:53.100 That's where they feel a sense of glory and worth. 00:12:53.539 --> 00:12:55.879 Some people get fixated on success. 00:12:55.879 --> 00:12:59.460 Some people get fixated on comfort and safety. 00:12:59.659 --> 00:13:01.939 Some people very overtly pursue 00:13:01.939 --> 00:13:05.139 and try to build their own glory in the world. 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:06.580 And there have been entire cultures 00:13:06.580 --> 00:13:09.960 that were built around personal glory 00:13:09.960 --> 00:13:12.779 and seeking glory for yourself and your family. 00:13:14.720 --> 00:13:18.299 The Bible would call all of these kinds of glory 00:13:18.299 --> 00:13:20.980 lesser glories, right? 00:13:20.980 --> 00:13:23.519 And so when we have these experiences 00:13:23.519 --> 00:13:26.639 that are meant to point us to God's glory, 00:13:27.060 --> 00:13:29.139 what we find is that our hearts instead 00:13:29.139 --> 00:13:31.220 want to hold onto and worship 00:13:31.220 --> 00:13:35.080 and ascribe glory to the experiences themselves. 00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:38.100 And this is exactly what Paul's talking about 00:13:38.100 --> 00:13:39.539 in Romans chapter one, 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:41.259 where he says our deepest problem, 00:13:41.320 --> 00:13:42.860 and he's talking about all human beings, 00:13:43.340 --> 00:13:44.960 our deepest problem as human beings 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:46.460 is that we have, as he says, 00:13:46.460 --> 00:13:49.960 exchanged the glory of the immortal God 00:13:49.960 --> 00:13:51.560 for created things. 00:13:52.800 --> 00:13:54.400 We've made this exchange 00:13:54.400 --> 00:13:56.620 where we worship and glorify the things 00:13:56.620 --> 00:13:59.400 that God made over God himself. 00:14:00.060 --> 00:14:03.600 As C.S. Lewis famously wrote in The Weight of Glory, 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:05.460 we are half-hearted creatures, 00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:08.580 fooling around with drink and sex and ambition 00:14:08.580 --> 00:14:10.639 when infinite joy is offered us, 00:14:10.800 --> 00:14:12.820 like an ignorant child who wants to go on 00:14:12.820 --> 00:14:14.100 making mud pies in a slum 00:14:14.100 --> 00:14:16.279 because he cannot imagine what is meant 00:14:16.279 --> 00:14:18.560 by the offer of a holiday at the sea. 00:14:19.139 --> 00:14:22.100 We are far too easily pleased. 00:14:23.159 --> 00:14:26.600 So the problem is not that we have too much desire. 00:14:27.040 --> 00:14:28.759 The problem is that we're half-hearted. 00:14:29.159 --> 00:14:30.899 We're too easily pleased. 00:14:31.100 --> 00:14:33.340 We've settled for lesser glories 00:14:33.340 --> 00:14:35.340 and we've forsaken the source 00:14:35.340 --> 00:14:37.720 and the maker of all things glorious, 00:14:37.899 --> 00:14:38.980 God himself, 00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:42.639 the one to whom all glory should be ascribed. 00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:46.100 And there are at least three major problems with this 00:14:46.100 --> 00:14:49.340 that might help make sense of life a little bit more. 00:14:49.439 --> 00:14:51.639 The first problem when we make this exchange 00:14:51.639 --> 00:14:54.100 is that we're never going to be satisfied 00:14:54.100 --> 00:14:55.799 by the lesser glories of this world. 00:14:56.699 --> 00:14:58.259 We're never going to be satisfied 00:14:58.259 --> 00:14:59.819 by the lesser glories of this world. 00:15:00.679 --> 00:15:03.080 You can have the most amazing experience, 00:15:03.340 --> 00:15:04.600 the most amazing concert, 00:15:05.019 --> 00:15:07.580 the most amazing new relationship with somebody, 00:15:07.580 --> 00:15:10.420 the most amazing sexual experience, 00:15:10.540 --> 00:15:12.960 the most amazing food and drink, 00:15:13.080 --> 00:15:15.379 the most amazing vacation adventure. 00:15:15.580 --> 00:15:17.800 You can have these amazing experiences, 00:15:18.139 --> 00:15:20.879 but very often once the experience is over, 00:15:21.740 --> 00:15:25.540 they leave us feeling not a sense of completeness 00:15:25.540 --> 00:15:26.840 and wholeness, 00:15:27.080 --> 00:15:29.460 but rather a sense of emptiness, 00:15:30.460 --> 00:15:31.480 a sense of longing. 00:15:31.960 --> 00:15:34.879 When you have a mountaintop experience, 00:15:34.879 --> 00:15:36.620 often on the other side of that, 00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:39.639 there can be a kind of mild to moderate depression 00:15:39.639 --> 00:15:41.019 that sets in. 00:15:41.639 --> 00:15:44.019 And that can be really hard to deal with. 00:15:44.340 --> 00:15:46.159 A lot of times research shows us 00:15:46.159 --> 00:15:50.639 that what we'll do after an experience like that 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:53.179 is to try to bring back the memories 00:15:53.179 --> 00:15:55.200 and reminisce about the experience 00:15:55.200 --> 00:15:59.220 to try to prolong that emotional high 00:15:59.220 --> 00:16:00.320 as much as we can. 00:16:00.440 --> 00:16:01.620 But almost invariably, 00:16:01.620 --> 00:16:03.679 they leave us with a sense of emptiness 00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:06.560 because they're not meant to satisfy us completely. 00:16:07.100 --> 00:16:08.240 So that's the first problem. 00:16:08.379 --> 00:16:10.039 They'll never really satisfy 00:16:10.039 --> 00:16:11.879 the deepest parts of ourselves, 00:16:12.039 --> 00:16:12.940 these lesser glories. 00:16:13.419 --> 00:16:15.399 The second problem that's kind of related to that 00:16:15.399 --> 00:16:18.740 is that sometimes we can actually become addicted 00:16:18.740 --> 00:16:20.460 to lesser glories. 00:16:21.340 --> 00:16:23.820 Heroin, people recovering from heroin addiction 00:16:23.820 --> 00:16:25.820 will often talk about that first high. 00:16:26.120 --> 00:16:27.259 And that first high, 00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:28.720 when they first used heroin, 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:31.080 that becomes the standard. 00:16:31.220 --> 00:16:32.960 And every time they use heroin after that, 00:16:33.019 --> 00:16:33.899 it's never as good. 00:16:34.259 --> 00:16:36.460 And so people will talk about spending all of their time, 00:16:36.560 --> 00:16:37.100 all of their money, 00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:37.820 all of their energy, 00:16:37.940 --> 00:16:40.100 everything chasing that high, 00:16:40.279 --> 00:16:40.580 chasing, 00:16:40.700 --> 00:16:42.139 trying to get back to that first high. 00:16:42.340 --> 00:16:44.080 And they'll chase it all the way into the grave. 00:16:44.580 --> 00:16:46.000 Now that's a more extreme example, 00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:47.560 but the same kind of thing 00:16:47.560 --> 00:16:50.759 can happen in many different areas of life. 00:16:50.759 --> 00:16:55.139 We're always chasing after the dopamine rush 00:16:55.139 --> 00:16:58.980 of a new purchase or the next great meal 00:16:58.980 --> 00:17:00.819 or a new sexual encounter 00:17:00.819 --> 00:17:04.319 or a bigger sale or a more important job. 00:17:04.859 --> 00:17:08.879 And it can easily become this never ending chase 00:17:08.879 --> 00:17:11.599 where we're always going after the next thing, 00:17:11.700 --> 00:17:13.200 but it's never satisfying us. 00:17:13.259 --> 00:17:14.519 And this can, for some people, 00:17:14.579 --> 00:17:15.579 become quite addictive. 00:17:16.519 --> 00:17:17.799 The third problem 00:17:17.799 --> 00:17:20.220 is I think the most significant 00:17:20.220 --> 00:17:21.980 and the one we need to pay attention to. 00:17:21.980 --> 00:17:25.120 Life will only ever make sense 00:17:25.120 --> 00:17:28.420 if you realize that all of this 00:17:28.420 --> 00:17:30.480 is actually about God's glory. 00:17:31.880 --> 00:17:34.440 Your life will only ever really make sense 00:17:34.440 --> 00:17:37.019 once you realize that all of this exists 00:17:37.019 --> 00:17:39.279 and you exist for God's glory. 00:17:40.200 --> 00:17:42.620 If you are like most people 00:17:42.620 --> 00:17:47.960 and you assume that life is all about us being happy, 00:17:48.380 --> 00:17:49.319 the pursuit of happiness, 00:17:49.799 --> 00:17:51.880 and it's all about us being satisfied, 00:17:52.339 --> 00:17:53.980 and being fulfilled, 00:17:54.380 --> 00:17:56.099 then how do you make sense of something 00:17:56.099 --> 00:17:57.480 like a global pandemic? 00:17:58.819 --> 00:18:00.480 If you believe in God, 00:18:00.539 --> 00:18:02.319 but you think God's primary role 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:04.079 is to make sure that we're happy, 00:18:04.400 --> 00:18:05.539 to make sure that we're satisfied, 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:07.519 to make sure that we have what we need. 00:18:07.579 --> 00:18:09.740 This is what the sociologist Christian Smith found 00:18:09.740 --> 00:18:12.660 when he researched religious belief in America, 00:18:13.059 --> 00:18:14.599 that a lot of people, 00:18:14.700 --> 00:18:15.620 including a lot of Christians, 00:18:16.039 --> 00:18:18.279 think that that's God's primary role in our lives 00:18:18.279 --> 00:18:20.160 is just to kind of make sure we have what we need 00:18:20.160 --> 00:18:21.220 and that we're happy at work. 00:18:22.220 --> 00:18:24.120 If you believe that about life 00:18:24.120 --> 00:18:25.620 and if you believe that about God, 00:18:26.440 --> 00:18:28.580 how do you make sense of something like a global pandemic? 00:18:29.480 --> 00:18:31.440 How do you make sense of economic collapse? 00:18:32.279 --> 00:18:32.500 Right? 00:18:32.500 --> 00:18:34.500 It's going to be hard to make sense of these things. 00:18:35.059 --> 00:18:38.079 But if you believe the words of Isaiah 42, 8, 00:18:38.400 --> 00:18:39.339 where God says, 00:18:39.779 --> 00:18:40.720 I am the Lord, 00:18:40.859 --> 00:18:41.720 I am Yahweh, 00:18:42.359 --> 00:18:43.440 that is my name, 00:18:43.859 --> 00:18:44.759 my glory, 00:18:44.859 --> 00:18:46.279 I give to no other. 00:18:46.279 --> 00:18:48.660 If you believe those words 00:18:48.660 --> 00:18:49.759 and if you recognize 00:18:49.759 --> 00:18:52.220 that God will relentlessly do 00:18:52.220 --> 00:18:54.019 whatever is necessary 00:18:54.019 --> 00:18:55.480 to strip away 00:18:55.480 --> 00:18:57.619 the things that compete for him, 00:18:58.119 --> 00:18:59.639 compete with him for glory, 00:19:00.299 --> 00:19:01.680 that he will relentlessly do 00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:02.619 whatever is necessary 00:19:02.619 --> 00:19:05.579 to strip those competitors away. 00:19:05.980 --> 00:19:07.240 And you realize 00:19:07.240 --> 00:19:09.180 that God is doing this 00:19:09.180 --> 00:19:10.559 out of love for his people. 00:19:11.379 --> 00:19:12.559 You realize that 00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:14.160 that God desires his people 00:19:14.160 --> 00:19:15.620 to thrive and flourish. 00:19:16.019 --> 00:19:17.980 But the thing that we most need 00:19:17.980 --> 00:19:20.700 for our lives to flourish 00:19:20.700 --> 00:19:22.759 is for our lives 00:19:22.759 --> 00:19:24.480 to be centered around God's glory. 00:19:24.640 --> 00:19:25.860 If you realize that, 00:19:26.900 --> 00:19:28.259 then your life is going to start 00:19:28.259 --> 00:19:29.300 to make a little more sense. 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:31.460 Then you're going to start 00:19:31.460 --> 00:19:32.740 to be able to make sense 00:19:32.740 --> 00:19:34.420 not only of the good things 00:19:34.420 --> 00:19:35.900 that we would immediately recognize 00:19:35.900 --> 00:19:36.620 as blessings, 00:19:37.160 --> 00:19:38.519 but you will also begin 00:19:38.519 --> 00:19:40.400 to rethink the hardships in your life. 00:19:40.940 --> 00:19:42.120 Because you'll realize 00:19:42.120 --> 00:19:43.660 that God's ultimate aim 00:19:43.660 --> 00:19:47.060 is his glory shining through us. 00:19:47.220 --> 00:19:49.340 And there's a lot of different ways 00:19:49.340 --> 00:19:50.860 that God can bring that about 00:19:50.860 --> 00:19:51.940 in our lives. 00:19:52.340 --> 00:19:54.720 So we're hardwired for God's glory, 00:19:54.840 --> 00:19:56.900 but our hearts have been hijacked. 00:19:57.380 --> 00:19:59.440 And so now we are held hostage 00:19:59.440 --> 00:20:01.519 to these lesser glories. 00:20:01.519 --> 00:20:02.560 Instead of pointing us 00:20:02.560 --> 00:20:03.400 to God's glory, 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:05.560 they've become gods themselves 00:20:05.560 --> 00:20:06.480 in our hearts. 00:20:06.940 --> 00:20:08.560 And so the last question we'll ask is, 00:20:08.660 --> 00:20:10.320 what hope is there for us? 00:20:10.319 --> 00:20:12.859 If you look at verse 11, 00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:14.259 the last line of the psalm, 00:20:14.639 --> 00:20:15.099 it says, 00:20:15.259 --> 00:20:17.200 may the Lord bless his people with peace. 00:20:18.539 --> 00:20:20.139 Now, if you've read the psalm, 00:20:20.220 --> 00:20:22.819 that should be an odd verse 00:20:22.819 --> 00:20:24.480 to encounter for you. 00:20:24.559 --> 00:20:26.460 It's kind of an odd ending to the psalm. 00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:28.220 Because David has just described 00:20:28.220 --> 00:20:30.500 this God who is this ferocious, 00:20:30.700 --> 00:20:31.980 terrifying thunderstorm, 00:20:32.200 --> 00:20:36.119 a God who describes this God 00:20:36.119 --> 00:20:38.039 with flashes of lightning 00:20:38.039 --> 00:20:40.459 lighting up the sky with fire 00:20:40.459 --> 00:20:42.479 and wind tearing up trees 00:20:42.479 --> 00:20:43.319 by their roots 00:20:43.319 --> 00:20:45.199 and thunder so terrifying 00:20:45.199 --> 00:20:46.339 that it causes deer 00:20:46.339 --> 00:20:47.039 to go into, 00:20:47.439 --> 00:20:49.299 to prematurely give birth 00:20:49.299 --> 00:20:50.459 to their young. 00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:52.279 And so this is very clearly 00:20:52.279 --> 00:20:53.679 a storm of destruction. 00:20:54.819 --> 00:20:55.639 And so the question is, 00:20:55.859 --> 00:20:58.479 how do you calm a storm like this 00:20:58.479 --> 00:21:00.139 and make peace possible? 00:21:00.359 --> 00:21:02.419 How do you bring a blessing of peace 00:21:02.419 --> 00:21:04.759 out of a storm this fierce? 00:21:06.979 --> 00:21:09.259 One day, years later, 00:21:09.339 --> 00:21:10.679 after David wrote this psalm, 00:21:11.359 --> 00:21:13.279 Jesus was with his disciples 00:21:13.279 --> 00:21:15.299 and they were on a fishing boat 00:21:15.299 --> 00:21:16.439 in the Sea of Galilee. 00:21:16.799 --> 00:21:18.439 And the Sea of Galilee is known 00:21:18.439 --> 00:21:20.279 for very ferocious storms 00:21:20.279 --> 00:21:21.899 coming up out of nowhere. 00:21:22.159 --> 00:21:23.819 And one such storm came 00:21:23.819 --> 00:21:25.039 while they were out fishing 00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:27.979 while Jesus was sleeping in the boat. 00:21:28.359 --> 00:21:29.899 And so the storm comes up, 00:21:29.979 --> 00:21:30.759 Jesus is asleep, 00:21:30.879 --> 00:21:32.199 the disciples are terrified, 00:21:32.359 --> 00:21:33.219 they think they're gonna die, 00:21:33.439 --> 00:21:34.719 so they shake Jesus awake 00:21:34.720 --> 00:21:36.180 and they say, save us, save us, 00:21:36.200 --> 00:21:36.980 we're all gonna die. 00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:39.660 And so Jesus rises up 00:21:39.660 --> 00:21:41.960 and he simply says to the storm, 00:21:42.700 --> 00:21:44.700 peace, be still. 00:21:46.279 --> 00:21:47.460 And the storm ceases 00:21:47.460 --> 00:21:49.440 and all is peaceful. 00:21:50.579 --> 00:21:52.460 And you realize when you read this account 00:21:52.460 --> 00:21:53.620 that only the God 00:21:53.620 --> 00:21:56.299 who sits enthroned above the storm, 00:21:57.079 --> 00:21:58.740 the God who sits enthroned 00:21:58.740 --> 00:22:00.240 above all of that chaos 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:01.559 would have the power 00:22:01.559 --> 00:22:03.259 to do that kind of thing. 00:22:04.259 --> 00:22:07.639 And this is why Jesus Christ came, 00:22:08.399 --> 00:22:09.919 to calm the storm, 00:22:10.419 --> 00:22:11.919 to calm the storm 00:22:11.919 --> 00:22:13.759 and bring God's blessing 00:22:13.759 --> 00:22:15.299 to his people, 00:22:15.440 --> 00:22:16.740 God's blessing of peace. 00:22:17.399 --> 00:22:19.139 But the storm that Jesus 00:22:19.139 --> 00:22:21.859 really came to bring peace to 00:22:21.859 --> 00:22:24.119 is not the storm on the Sea of Galilee, 00:22:24.339 --> 00:22:26.980 it's the storm of the wrath of God. 00:22:26.980 --> 00:22:29.180 And so the true storm 00:22:29.180 --> 00:22:30.460 that Jesus came for 00:22:30.460 --> 00:22:35.259 is the storm that manifests itself 00:22:35.259 --> 00:22:36.700 at Calvary 00:22:36.700 --> 00:22:38.599 as Jesus hangs on the cross. 00:22:39.720 --> 00:22:40.720 Scripture tells us 00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:42.299 that when Jesus was crucified, 00:22:42.759 --> 00:22:44.720 darkness fell across the land. 00:22:45.559 --> 00:22:46.900 The earth shook. 00:22:47.960 --> 00:22:49.500 The storm of God's wrath 00:22:49.500 --> 00:22:50.700 was being poured out 00:22:50.700 --> 00:22:51.940 on God's Son 00:22:51.940 --> 00:22:54.059 instead of human beings. 00:22:54.059 --> 00:22:56.859 On that day, 00:22:58.019 --> 00:22:59.740 Jesus received 00:22:59.740 --> 00:23:03.460 what we deserved. 00:23:04.519 --> 00:23:06.539 Jesus took upon himself 00:23:06.539 --> 00:23:08.399 all of the wrath 00:23:08.399 --> 00:23:10.179 that was meant for us, 00:23:10.399 --> 00:23:11.940 for all of the ways 00:23:11.940 --> 00:23:13.220 that we have exchanged 00:23:13.220 --> 00:23:14.359 God's glory 00:23:14.359 --> 00:23:16.039 for these lesser glories. 00:23:16.379 --> 00:23:17.779 And then three days later 00:23:17.779 --> 00:23:19.079 when Jesus rose again, 00:23:19.259 --> 00:23:20.799 he came to his disciples 00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:22.059 and what did he say to them? 00:23:22.059 --> 00:23:24.480 Peace be with you. 00:23:25.639 --> 00:23:28.159 The storm has been calmed. 00:23:28.399 --> 00:23:29.519 The storm has been, 00:23:29.940 --> 00:23:31.339 the storm has abated. 00:23:31.980 --> 00:23:33.059 And I am here 00:23:33.059 --> 00:23:34.819 to fulfill this prayer. 00:23:35.819 --> 00:23:37.179 The blessing of God's peace 00:23:37.179 --> 00:23:38.379 is now upon you. 00:23:39.460 --> 00:23:40.859 And so the gospel is this. 00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:42.059 The gospel is really, 00:23:42.720 --> 00:23:43.519 here's how we see it 00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:44.639 playing out in this psalm. 00:23:44.919 --> 00:23:46.980 You are hardwired for glory. 00:23:47.119 --> 00:23:48.940 You're hardwired for God's glory. 00:23:48.940 --> 00:23:51.480 But all of us begin our lives 00:23:51.480 --> 00:23:53.180 as hostages 00:23:53.180 --> 00:23:54.660 to lesser glories. 00:23:55.320 --> 00:23:56.960 And you will never be satisfied. 00:23:57.640 --> 00:23:58.559 And your life 00:23:58.559 --> 00:24:00.360 will never really make sense 00:24:00.360 --> 00:24:02.140 until you realize 00:24:02.140 --> 00:24:03.160 that about yourself 00:24:03.160 --> 00:24:05.120 and the reason that you're here. 00:24:06.220 --> 00:24:07.759 And so Jesus Christ came 00:24:07.759 --> 00:24:09.400 to calm the storm 00:24:09.400 --> 00:24:10.860 of God's wrath 00:24:10.860 --> 00:24:12.220 in order to bring 00:24:12.220 --> 00:24:12.940 everlasting peace 00:24:13.500 --> 00:24:15.360 and to set us free. 00:24:15.359 --> 00:24:18.519 And when His glory, 00:24:19.299 --> 00:24:21.159 when the glory of Jesus Christ, 00:24:21.240 --> 00:24:22.559 when that starts to become 00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:24.240 the center of your life, 00:24:24.379 --> 00:24:25.740 what you realize is that 00:24:25.740 --> 00:24:27.479 even the greatest experiences 00:24:27.479 --> 00:24:28.240 you have, 00:24:28.399 --> 00:24:29.419 it doesn't diminish 00:24:29.419 --> 00:24:30.240 those experiences, 00:24:30.439 --> 00:24:31.159 but it shows you 00:24:31.159 --> 00:24:31.959 what they're for. 00:24:32.299 --> 00:24:33.479 And so even the greatest 00:24:33.479 --> 00:24:34.679 experiences we have, 00:24:34.740 --> 00:24:36.079 the most beautiful sunsets, 00:24:36.339 --> 00:24:37.899 or the best food, 00:24:38.019 --> 00:24:39.379 those things begin to do 00:24:39.379 --> 00:24:40.819 what God intended, 00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:41.979 which is they begin 00:24:41.979 --> 00:24:43.159 to point us, 00:24:43.279 --> 00:24:44.419 to point our hearts, 00:24:44.420 --> 00:24:45.880 to the ultimate source 00:24:45.880 --> 00:24:46.420 of glory, 00:24:47.080 --> 00:24:47.620 God Himself. 00:24:49.440 --> 00:24:50.060 Let's pray. 00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:52.920 Lord, we thank You 00:24:52.920 --> 00:24:53.640 for Your Word 00:24:53.640 --> 00:24:54.539 and we thank You 00:24:54.539 --> 00:24:55.279 for Your glory. 00:24:55.500 --> 00:24:56.200 And we pray that 00:24:56.200 --> 00:24:56.820 whatever sits 00:24:56.820 --> 00:24:57.980 at the center of our lives, 00:24:58.080 --> 00:24:59.420 whatever lesser glories 00:24:59.420 --> 00:25:00.720 sit at the center 00:25:00.720 --> 00:25:01.320 of our lives, 00:25:01.360 --> 00:25:02.060 we pray that those 00:25:02.060 --> 00:25:03.140 would be displaced 00:25:03.140 --> 00:25:05.440 through the glory 00:25:05.440 --> 00:25:06.019 of the cross. 00:25:06.940 --> 00:25:08.580 And we believe 00:25:08.580 --> 00:25:09.539 that that would not 00:25:09.539 --> 00:25:10.860 diminish our enjoyment 00:25:10.860 --> 00:25:11.539 of this world, 00:25:11.640 --> 00:25:12.240 but that it would 00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:13.240 magnify it, 00:25:13.300 --> 00:25:14.300 that it would enhance it, 00:25:14.299 --> 00:25:15.200 because it would show us 00:25:15.200 --> 00:25:16.720 what all of the joy 00:25:16.720 --> 00:25:17.960 and all of the glory 00:25:17.960 --> 00:25:19.119 in this world is for, 00:25:19.299 --> 00:25:19.480 Lord, 00:25:19.579 --> 00:25:21.319 and that our hearts, 00:25:21.779 --> 00:25:22.279 Lord, 00:25:22.379 --> 00:25:24.480 as we live our lives 00:25:24.480 --> 00:25:25.500 and have these 00:25:25.500 --> 00:25:26.680 great experiences 00:25:26.680 --> 00:25:27.740 that You bless us with, 00:25:27.779 --> 00:25:28.339 that our hearts 00:25:28.339 --> 00:25:29.220 would naturally 00:25:29.220 --> 00:25:30.079 turn toward You 00:25:30.079 --> 00:25:30.599 and that we would 00:25:30.599 --> 00:25:32.359 ascribe all of that glory 00:25:32.359 --> 00:25:33.379 to Your name 00:25:33.379 --> 00:25:34.099 where it belongs. 00:25:34.359 --> 00:25:35.180 And we pray this 00:25:35.180 --> 00:25:36.159 in Your Son's holy name. 00:25:36.160 --> 00:25:39.779 in your life through 00:25:39.779 --> 00:25:40.360 and have each 00:25:40.360 --> 00:25:41.019 Speark 00:25:43.480 --> 00:25:44.300 andoso 00:25:44.300 --> 00:26:04.900 and