Well, good morning, church.
Hope you all have had a good Fourth of July weekend, a good extended time of rest.
! My name is Chandler Durden, for those of y'all who do not know me.
I've been a member at Christ Family Church for about six years or so at this point,
and I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to preach God's Word to you all.
But before I begin, I want to ask for a little extra grace with me this morning.
This is my first sermon that I've ever preached,
and I also found out four hours ago that this is my first sermon that I've ever preached.
And so, anyways, Nathan woke up this morning not feeling super well, as TJ alluded to,
so definitely keep him in your thoughts and prayers that he'll make a full and swift recovery.
But my family and I have also been at my parents' house this weekend, pet-sitting their dogs,
and so I did not have access to my full wardrobe.
So, if you have any expectations of the types of shoes preachers would wear this morning,
well, I really apologize, because I'm currently wearing on clouds.
But due to the time constraints also, I was not able to prepare the normal length of a sermon,
so Nathan asked if I could share a little bit about the work that my wife and I are planning to do in Japan long-term as missionaries.
So, we'll spend some time kind of scattered throughout that message talking about that a little bit.
But without further ado, I want to draw your attention this morning to Psalm 67.
So, if you would, take your copy of God's Word and turn there with me.
Psalm 67.
And we will begin our reading with the heading right above verse 1,
which is actually included in the original manuscripts, so we'll begin there.
Our text reads,
Let's pray together.
Father in heaven, we thank you for this opportunity to meet together as a church,
to hear from your Word, to sing your Word, to pray your Word, to see your Word.
We are thankful, God, that you have saved us and called us to yourself,
and that just as our justification surely happens,
so our sanctification and glorification will surely happen.
We thank you for that.
We thank you for just this time.
And we pray that by your Spirit, that you would work among your people,
that we would see and savor the glory of Christ.
And we pray this in Christ's name.
Amen.
So, I want to draw your attention to two truths that we see in this text,
and we'll spend the majority of our time looking at the first truth.
And I'll make a few brief points about the second truth.
So, truth number one, God's chief end for creating and sustaining the nations,
is that he might be glorified,
and that they might be satisfied.
And then truth number two,
God blesses us so that we might bless the nations.
I want to make a case that truth number one is the primary emphasis of this psalm,
and that truth number two is a secondary emphasis,
and is written to serve truth number one.
In other words, Psalm 67's main emphasis is God's chief desire to globally glorify his name
by blessing the nations.
And Psalm 67 makes clear that God accomplishes this end by blessing us.
God blesses us so that we might bless the nations.
And just to be clear, I'm not saying that God does not love us or is simply using us.
I'm just saying that he loves the nations,
and that our joy in him actually increases when it expands into the lives of others.
And therefore, God actually has our highest good in mind
when he commands us to seek the good of others.
Now, with the remainder of our time,
I want to examine these two truths in more details
and show you how central they are to Psalm 67's message,
and ultimately how central they are to the entire Bible.
So let's spend some time meditating on this first glorious truth,
which is the main theme of this psalm.
God's chief end for creating and sustaining the nations
is that he might be glorified and they might be satisfied.
The number of times this truth is repeated throughout this psalm
is more than enough evidence to argue that this is Psalm 67's main theme.
But I'm convinced that the structure of this psalm itself
leads us to this conclusion as well.
I believe this psalm is structured chiastically,
which is a common form of parallelism used in both Old and New Testaments.
A chiasm is where a sequence of ideas is presented
and then repeated in reverse order.
This results in the second half of the psalm mirroring the first half
so that the ideas are reflected back in the passage.
So to give an example of what this would look like,
if there were three ideas in a passage structured chiastically,
you would have idea A stated,
then idea B stated,
then idea C,
and then these ideas in the second half
would be repeated using different words
or with a slightly different emphasis.
So the structure of the passage would look like idea A
followed by B,
then C,
and then C,
B,
A.
Now,
there are two main reasons
why I believe this psalm is structured chiastically.
First,
it seems that just like a chiasm,
the ideas introduced in the psalm's first half
are repeated in the psalm's second half,
but in reverse order.
Look at verses 1 and 2 with me.
verses 1 and 2 introduce the first idea,
idea A,
which is God blessing his people
so that the nations might know and fear him.
And this idea is clearly repeated
in verses 6 and 7,
except now in the form of a promise
rather than a prayer.
In the beginning of the psalm,
it was,
may God bless us,
and now at the end of the psalm,
it's God shall bless us.
We also see the purpose of this blessing
reflected on at the end of the psalm.
In the beginning of the psalm,
the blessing is,
so that your way might be known on the earth,
your saving power among all nations.
And at the end of the psalm,
after the psalmist promises that God will bless us,
once again,
this truth has an intended purpose,
which is why the psalmist's last words are,
let all the ends of the earth fear him.
The psalm's next idea,
idea B,
is introduced in verse 3.
And this idea is clearly repeated,
quite literally,
since verse 5 simply restates verse 3 word for word.
Now, notice this whole time
I haven't said anything about verse 4.
And it's because this verse
is not paired with any other verses.
And I think verse 4's inclusion
in our text is the second reason
why I think there's a chiasc structure in Psalm 67.
More often than not,
chiasms include a verse directly
in the middle of the passage.
And this verse is the passage's central message.
It seems clear that verse 4
is indeed functioning
as this psalm's central message.
Because if you were to see this psalm
written in its original language,
you would see that the sentence in verse 4
contains twice the number of Hebrew words
found in every other verse.
with the sheer number of Hebrew words
emphasizing the importance of this verse.
Also, the content of verse 4
is unique to the rest of the psalm.
This verse alone highlights the reason
as to why the nations should praise God.
Verse 4 says,
let the nations be glad and sing for joy
for, or because,
you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth.
In other words,
the nations should delight themselves in God
because he is worthy of being delighted in.
The living and triune God of the universe is good.
He has fixed a day
on which he will judge
the world and righteousness,
and one day he will set aright
all of the wrongs of wicked humanity.
The living and triune God of the universe is kind.
He blesses us
despite the abundant evidence
that we're guilty as charged.
And he blesses us
by cursing his son.
He answers the psalmist's prayer
in verse 1
to shine his face upon us
by turning his back on his son.
Now, earlier,
I made the claim
that this first truth,
namely,
God's chief end for creating the nations
is for his glory
and for their joy,
that this truth
is Psalm 67's main theme.
But you may be wondering,
well,
what about verse 4?
Why isn't the main theme
that God is fully worthy of our praise?
Since verse 4,
which contains the psalm's central message,
says that God judges the peoples with equity
and guides the nations upon earth.
Or you might think
that the main theme
has to do with the nations
and their joy.
Verse 4 says,
let the nations be glad
and sing for joy.
But I think that verses 3 and 5
guard against these interpretations.
Verses 3 and 5
emphasize God's God-centeredness
and his passionate zeal
to spread his glory
to the ends of the earth.
We can go to verses 3 and 5
to help us understand
what the psalmist means
when he says in verse 4,
let the nations be glad
and sing for joy.
What does it mean
for the nations to be glad
and sing for joy?
Verses 3 and 5,
let the peoples praise you.
That's what it means.
It means to praise God.
Who are the nations to be glad in?
Who are they to sing to?
Verses 3 and 5,
let the peoples praise you,
O God.
And then lastly,
you may be wondering,
well, what exactly did the psalmist mean
when he used the word nations
or the word peoples?
Did he really understand
God's global purposes
since he was living
under the old covenant
and therefore he hasn't heard
the great commission delivered
in the new covenant?
And I think that's a fair question
considering how ethnocentric
the Jewish nation was.
So let's start with the word peoples.
This word and its original language
is often used to refer
to the people of Israel,
but it also is used to refer
to the people of other nations.
Consider Deuteronomy 13, 7,
where God commands the Israelites,
if your brother,
the son of your mother,
or the son of your daughter,
or the wife you embrace,
or your friend who is as your own soul
entices you secretly,
saying,
let us go after gods
and serve other gods,
which neither you
nor your fathers have known,
some of the gods of the peoples
who are around you,
whether near you
or far off from you,
from the one end of the earth
to the other,
you shall not yield to him
or listen to him.
And then as for the Hebrew word
that's translated as nations
in our psalm,
this is a fair translation.
It could be translated as peoples,
but what's interesting
is that the Septuagint,
which is the Greek translation
of the Hebrew Old Bible,
or Hebrew Old Testament,
translates this Hebrew word
into the Greek word ethnos,
which is the same Greek word
that Christ uses
in the Great Commission
when he says,
go therefore
and make disciples
of all ethnos,
of all nations.
So I hope that these Hebrew words
and the structure of the psalm
has convinced you
that God's aim
to reach people
from every tribe
and every tongue
and every language
and nation
is not some side goal
of God's.
This is actually central
to his plan.
Brothers and sisters,
this is why we exist,
to praise him
and to be used by him
to bring others
into this glorious feast of joy,
which Christ has purchased
for us
and for the nations.
And the rest of scripture
also makes abundantly clear
that this is God's chief end
for creating you
and for creating me.
Consider the book of Psalms.
David begins the entire book
by speaking of a decree
that Yahweh proclaims
to his anointed one,
which we know
in its immediate context
is referring to David,
but it finds its ultimate fulfillment
in Christ.
The decree is found
in Psalm 2-7,
which reads,
quote,
You are my son,
today I have begotten you.
Ask of me
and I will make the nations
your heritage
and the ends of the earth
your possession.
So,
we see Christ
receiving the nations
as his inheritance
and reigning over them
as king.
The book of Psalms
also ends
in a similar way.
The heartbeat
of Psalm 150
is that everyone
and everything
in all creation
is to praise the Lord.
The chapter begins
by saying in verse 1,
Praise God
in his sanctuary.
Praise him
in his mighty heavens.
The psalmist is calling
on both earthly worshippers
and heavenly worshippers.
Then,
as the psalmist's last words,
he cries out,
let everything
that has breath
praise the Lord.
And then,
consider the Bible
as a whole
here as well.
So,
in the beginning
of the Bible,
on day 6 of creation,
after God looked
at everything he made
and saw that it was good,
he said in Genesis 1-26,
Let us make man
in our image
and after our likeness.
Then,
a few verses later,
God commands Adam and Eve
and says to them,
Be fruitful
and multiply
and fill the earth
and subdue it
and have dominion
over the fish
of the sea
and over the birds
of the heavens
and over everything
that moves on the earth.
Adam and Eve
were made in the likeness
of God
and were therefore
meant to be
a picture
or an image
or an expression
on earth
of the triune God,
of his character
and of his sovereignty
over all things.
They were commissioned
to create
more image bearers
and to fill the earth.
They were expelled
from the garden
and exiled
from God's presence
and now,
they and their offspring
would be
but a faint reflection
of God's glory.
But praise be to God,
church family,
because what the first Adam
failed to accomplish,
the last Adam
fulfilled perfectly.
Jesus Christ,
who is the image
of God
and the exact imprint
of his nature,
he perfectly reflected
God's character
and rule.
He obeyed the law
in full.
He loved his friends
by dying for them.
He ruled the nations
first by becoming
their servant
and now,
he reigns his head
over his body,
the church,
and commissions them
to go therefore
and make disciples
of all nations.
And then,
also,
the very end
of the Bible
makes clear
God's chief end
to glorify himself
through the nations
as well.
So,
you've got the beginning
and the end of scripture
and then things
all throughout
making it super,
super clear
that his chief end
is to glorify himself
to the nations.
So,
we know how the story ends.
In Revelation 21,
the new heavens
and the new earth
are filled with
the most joyful people
from every tribe,
people,
nation,
and language.
And the whole earth
is filled with God's glory
because the last Adam
was a faithful servant
who did all that God
commanded him to do.
Because of his obedience,
his bride's glorification
is sure.
And one day,
she will perfectly reflect
the brightness
of the Father's glory.
Okay,
so now we move on
much more briefly
to our second truth.
God blesses us
so that we will
bless the nations.
Look at verse 1
with me.
May God be gracious
to us
and bless us
and make his face
to shine upon us.
that your way
may be known on earth,
your saving power
among all nations.
This same foundational truth
is not limited
to Psalm 67,
but in fact
was spoken to Abraham
when God brought him
out of the land of Ur.
In Genesis 12,
2,
God says to Abraham,
I will make you
a great nation
and I will bless you
and make your name great
and so you shall be
a blessing
and I will bless
those who bless you
and curse those
who curse you.
this purpose
that God has
to bless Israel,
to bless Abraham,
to bless us,
is not
his ultimate purpose.
His ultimate purpose
is to bless
the whole world
and he uses people
from certain parts
of the world
who are already
blessed by him
to go to other parts
of the world
who are presently
cursed by him
to go and preach
the gospel to them
so that they might
fall under the blessing
of God.
So that the brightness
of God's face
might shine
in the darkest places
of the whole world.
And this same truth
is repeated yet again
at the end of
our psalm in verse 7.
Verse 7 says,
God shall bless us,
let all the ends
of the earth fear him.
After stating
that God will bless
Israel,
the psalmist is propelled
to cry out,
let all the ends
of the earth fear him.
Which I'm convinced
is actually geared
toward Israel.
I don't think this command
is directed
for the nations,
but I believe
it's ultimately
about Israel
being a beacon,
chosen to spread
the knowledge
of God
beyond her borders.
And so,
it's passages
of scripture
like Psalm 67
that have gripped
my family and I
to move to Japan,
a country with less
than 0.5%
professing Christians.
It's passages
like Revelation 7-9
that greatly encourage me,
but also humble me,
since God has already
promised that
all the nations
will stand before
his throne
to worship him.
Dear brothers and sisters,
God does not need us
to accomplish
his purposes.
but he uses us.
And what a treasure
it is to be used by God.
What a delight it is
to be used by him
to accomplish his work,
though in his omnipotence
he does not need us
in any way whatsoever.
So our family is being sent
by Christ Family Church
through reaching
and teaching
international ministries
to move to Yokohama,
Japan,
which is a city
just one hour
south of Tokyo.
And in this city
we will be a part
of a healthy local church
while we will learn
the language and culture
for the first few years.
And then once we learn
the language and culture,
we will be sent
by that church
to go to somewhere
around Tokyo
where there's
a great need
for the gospel.
We're not too sure yet
where that will be.
but our aim,
our hope,
is to see
the Japanese people
go from death
to life,
just like we have gone
from death to life,
and then to go from
infancy to adulthood
in Christ.
So we want to be a part
of that whole process
to see a people
who have never heard,
hear the gospel,
repent and believe
in the gospel,
have saving faith,
have the joy
that we have,
and then go from,
you know,
being a newborn Christian
to being raised up
to the full stature
of the measure of Christ.
That's our plan.
And the primary religions
in Japan
are Shintoism
and Buddhism,
though functionally
many people
in this country
are atheists.
It's kind of like
similar to America
where a lot of people
profess to be Christians,
but,
and they go to church
on Sundays,
but in real actuality,
they don't have
true saving faith.
It's kind of similar to that.
Japan also has
one of the highest
suicide rates
in the world,
and many people
suffer from
chronic depression there.
And so our hope
is that the joy
of the gospel message
and the joy of our hearts
as a family
will pour into
their hearts
and that they will
experience the joy
that we have in Christ.
So I hope
that you will join me
in committing to
praying for the
Japanese people,
that their hearts
would be softened
to the gospel,
and that the Lord
would provide
both spiritually
and financially
for our family
as we prepare
to go to the field
in early 2026,
Lord willing.
So now I'm going
back to our text,
some brief points
of application.
It may not be,
and probably is not,
God's will
for most of you
in this room,
or possibly any of you
in this room,
to pack up your bags,
hop on a plane,
and spend your lives
preaching the gospel
to an unreached people group.
And I'm fully aware
of that.
So you may be thinking,
what's my role
in this?
How am I going to
bless the nations
when I live here?
Well, I want to
first off say,
don't be discouraged.
Your obedience here
will have
a ripple effect
on the nations.
Be a faithful
church member here.
Be an unashamed
proclaimer of the truth
here,
and you have
no idea
how capable God
is of using
your faithfulness
here to impact
there.
I remember one time
listening to a Q&A session
at a missionary
conference called
CrossCon,
and one of the panel
members there
was a pastor
in India.
He is somewhat
well-known
in the missions world.
His name is
Harshit Singh,
and one of the questions
he was asked
during the Q&A
was essentially,
what is the one way
that someone
who is not a missionary
can have an impact
on the nations?
And his immediate
answer without hesitation
was,
be a faithful
church member
where you're at.
That's the number
one way.
And so I don't
want you to think
that your obedience
in Dahlonega
or Gainesville
or wherever you live
here will have
no effect on the nations.
In fact,
I want you to remember
that your obedience
here within God's
mysterious providence
and probably within
ways that you won't
even maybe see
in this side of glory
will have a ripple
effect on the nations.
And trust that the Lord
is working in that way.
Have that mindset
geared toward reaching
not just people
in Dahlonega
but reaching
the ends of the earth
though you may not
be there.
And then second of all,
there are goers
and there are senders.
There are those
who go down
into the well
and there are those
who hold the rope
for those who go down.
God has ordained
that goers
cannot go
unless senders send.
Disciple,
support,
serve,
and pray
for the goers.
Don't forget
those who are being
sent out from us
to be missionaries.
Don't let go
of the rope.
Consider the words
of the 19th century
missionary to China,
Hudson Taylor.
He says,
quote,
The hand alone
cannot save
dying humanity.
The hand alone
cannot deliver man.
The body
must cooperate
with the hand
if the hand
is to rescue
the perishing.
Beloved,
you whose duty
it is to remain
at home
are equally sharers
with those
who go into
the mission fields
in this work.
Yours the responsibility,
yours equally
to share in the reward
when Christ is glorified
and his kingdom
is everywhere
made known.
It's a very important
fact for us all
to bear in mind
that as we have
already been reminded,
the command
of the Great Commission
was not given
to a limited class.
It was given
to the whole church.
And we all
have our share
in the responsibility.
End quote.
So,
brothers and sisters,
my hope for you
this morning
is that your heart
would be swept up
with God's God-centeredness
and his passion
for his glory.
I hope that your heart
would be set aflame
for God's purposes
to make his name
known among
every culture
and language
and nation
of the world.
I hope that your soul
is deeply troubled
over the 5.3 billion people
who are currently
in an unreached people group
and therefore
will have a 99% chance
of never meeting
a Christian
their entire life.
Little to no chance
of ever hearing
a gospel message
because of that.
And therefore,
eternal separation
without Christ
because of that.
Church,
may we,
or may the lamb
that was slain
receive the reward
of his suffering
for he is worthy.
Thank you.