WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.160 Our reading this morning comes from Psalm 145. 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:11.679 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. 00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:16.019 Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. 00:00:16.839 --> 00:00:21.240 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. 00:00:22.199 --> 00:00:26.820 One generation shall commend your works to another and shall declare your mighty acts. 00:00:26.820 --> 00:00:32.200 On the glorious splendor of your majesty and on your wondrous works I will meditate. 00:00:33.020 --> 00:00:37.100 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. 00:00:37.840 --> 00:00:43.480 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 00:00:44.480 --> 00:00:49.400 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 00:00:50.100 --> 00:00:53.920 The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. 00:00:53.920 --> 00:00:59.200 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you. 00:01:00.020 --> 00:01:03.640 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, 00:01:04.019 --> 00:01:09.040 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 00:01:09.740 --> 00:01:15.040 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. 00:01:15.780 --> 00:01:19.439 The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works. 00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:25.060 The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. 00:01:25.579 --> 00:01:29.780 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. 00:01:30.379 --> 00:01:31.319 You open your hand. 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:34.340 You satisfy the desire of every living thing. 00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:38.739 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. 00:01:39.299 --> 00:01:43.379 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 00:01:43.900 --> 00:01:46.239 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him. 00:01:46.239 --> 00:01:48.780 He also hears their cry and saves them. 00:01:49.339 --> 00:01:53.479 The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. 00:01:54.259 --> 00:01:59.619 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever. 00:02:00.619 --> 00:02:05.239 If you can turn to the psalm that Nisa read for us, Psalm 145, 00:02:05.979 --> 00:02:12.060 we continue our summer series in the last book of the Psalter, Psalm 145. 00:02:12.060 --> 00:02:15.900 But before we get into it, just a bit of an opening. 00:02:16.420 --> 00:02:17.539 We were on vacation. 00:02:17.740 --> 00:02:19.180 We went out east this summer. 00:02:20.020 --> 00:02:27.219 One of the days we were driving to a beach, the fellow travelers in my car all fell asleep. 00:02:27.379 --> 00:02:34.920 So I turned on the radio quietly and found CBC Radio, the Atlantic CBC Radio. 00:02:34.919 --> 00:02:39.479 And they had a University of Alberta psychologist. 00:02:39.819 --> 00:02:42.039 But I think he's also like a business professor. 00:02:43.199 --> 00:02:47.119 And they were interviewing him on a very interesting book he wrote. 00:02:47.639 --> 00:02:50.279 And the book is entitled Don't Be Yourself. 00:02:51.060 --> 00:02:54.319 Why Authenticity is Overrated and What to Do Instead. 00:02:55.099 --> 00:02:55.959 That was very interesting. 00:02:56.139 --> 00:02:57.479 My ears perked right up. 00:02:57.479 --> 00:03:10.759 The idea being that our true selves in the workplace should be replaced with actually conformity, agreeability, a greater awareness of others. 00:03:11.379 --> 00:03:14.479 It's not a bad thing to swim with the stream. 00:03:15.939 --> 00:03:23.799 And it's really an interesting pushback against our current cultural moment where being authentic is a chief virtue. 00:03:23.799 --> 00:03:26.239 Maybe it's even a kind of pseudo-religion. 00:03:27.479 --> 00:03:33.699 The idea, I think, is personally, I found it very refreshing. 00:03:34.599 --> 00:03:40.319 However, the conversation was about navigating the workplace. 00:03:40.319 --> 00:03:49.479 Not applying this abandoning of authenticity to every area of your life. 00:03:50.399 --> 00:03:55.319 Conviction, individuality, and I would say, yes, authenticity. 00:03:55.319 --> 00:03:57.780 They are very important. 00:03:58.139 --> 00:04:02.120 They are very important things to consider and to not abandon. 00:04:03.459 --> 00:04:14.719 And it's interesting because throughout the Bible, authentic, heartfelt worship of God, it's not really optional, but it is required by God. 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:20.279 It's prescribed by the writers of Scripture. 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:31.319 Those who worship otherwise, with hearts that are cold, with an inauthentic posture towards the Lord, oftentimes they're called hypocrites in the Bible. 00:04:32.439 --> 00:04:34.540 Their worship is rejected by God. 00:04:34.540 --> 00:04:47.100 So, at its very core, biblical Christianity holds that authentic worship is very germane to what God expects of us as his people. 00:04:47.100 --> 00:04:51.320 So, we have a psalm this morning, Psalm 145. 00:04:51.620 --> 00:04:52.680 And it's an interesting psalm. 00:04:52.780 --> 00:04:57.540 In fact, Charles Spurgeon, if you know this name, no surprise he'd say this. 00:04:57.640 --> 00:05:02.100 If you don't know, Charles Spurgeon was a 19th century Baptist preacher. 00:05:02.100 --> 00:05:14.980 Interestingly, this is such an aside, I probably should have cut it out, but nevertheless, the Met downtown, when it was downtown, it was fashioned after Charles Spurgeon's church in London. 00:05:15.900 --> 00:05:19.260 Anyways, this is some random trivia for you. 00:05:19.259 --> 00:05:30.379 But anyway, Spurgeon, this big, giant evangelical of the 19th century, he said of Psalm 145, it was the crown jewel of David's praise psalms in all of the Psalter. 00:05:30.539 --> 00:05:32.259 The crown jewel, he called it. 00:05:33.480 --> 00:05:43.659 And it's a fantastic psalm, but one thing it does is it makes it very clear, King David does, as the choir leader, as the praise leader of his people, 00:05:43.660 --> 00:05:55.540 that praise to God should be unreserved, our whole self, everything within us, and it should be forever and every day. 00:05:56.340 --> 00:05:58.220 Okay, so unreserved forever, every day. 00:05:59.900 --> 00:06:04.660 See if you can spot it with me in verses 1 to 3, the opening of our psalm. 00:06:05.520 --> 00:06:07.080 A song of praise of David. 00:06:07.220 --> 00:06:10.740 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. 00:06:10.740 --> 00:06:14.740 Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever. 00:06:14.860 --> 00:06:19.480 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. 00:06:20.280 --> 00:06:28.939 David is not just leading the people in singing God's praises, he is prescribing a type of praise that they are to engage in. 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:40.439 I find this a very difficult opening bit, and I'll tell you the reason why, and maybe you'll agree with me. 00:06:40.740 --> 00:06:50.319 If we are commanded to authentically, wholeheartedly praise God every single day, every moment of every day, 00:06:50.379 --> 00:06:57.019 that our lives are fashioned around it, that it will be something that we are to do without ceasing, 00:06:57.019 --> 00:07:01.099 and with zeal, I can't keep that up. 00:07:02.599 --> 00:07:08.620 It is a command that I cannot keep, and I think it is, and maybe I'm being a bit overly pessimistic, 00:07:08.819 --> 00:07:13.219 but this will help us frame the rest of our time in Psalm 145. 00:07:14.099 --> 00:07:16.039 I think it's kind of unfair. 00:07:16.519 --> 00:07:20.359 It's an unfair thing for David to ask of his people. 00:07:20.360 --> 00:07:28.939 So, this is really going to be a time, the next, say, 20, 25 minutes, where we're going to talk about what praise is, 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:38.180 and how to understand Psalm 145 as not some unfair command, but something that will give us life. 00:07:38.280 --> 00:07:39.699 It will feed our souls. 00:07:39.699 --> 00:07:50.079 If you are new to the Christian faith, or you are on the fence, or you're just here, and you're not sure where you're at, 00:07:50.300 --> 00:07:55.639 this is a Sunday where you've got to kind of peek behind the curtain to see how Christianity really works. 00:07:56.300 --> 00:08:03.839 And it is far from this perfect put-together faith where everybody who's a Christian worships God perfectly. 00:08:03.839 --> 00:08:08.619 It can be difficult, and it can be trying, but we're going to walk towards it. 00:08:09.379 --> 00:08:14.359 So, if authentic and heartfelt worship is at the very center of the Christian faith, 00:08:15.699 --> 00:08:19.699 how do we, humanly speaking, worship the Lord properly? 00:08:21.139 --> 00:08:23.359 We're going to consider two points this morning. 00:08:24.539 --> 00:08:27.019 God's greatness and God's goodness. 00:08:27.159 --> 00:08:33.360 And we're going to walk towards these two points and see if we can make sense of what David is commanding us to do. 00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:35.360 Our first point, God's greatness. 00:08:35.680 --> 00:08:41.320 We're going to read the opening three verses again, and we're going to kind of crawl through the text, 00:08:41.519 --> 00:08:44.080 kind of going back and forth through different sections. 00:08:44.740 --> 00:08:45.620 Verse 1 to 3. 00:08:47.160 --> 00:08:51.000 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. 00:08:51.680 --> 00:08:55.360 Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. 00:08:55.360 --> 00:09:00.879 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. 00:09:01.720 --> 00:09:03.480 David begins the psalm. 00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:10.240 By proclaiming God's praise in the highest way, he extols the Lord as God and King. 00:09:11.259 --> 00:09:19.100 To extol is to highly esteem, as one would a monarch, which is very fitting, because David himself, he is a monarch. 00:09:19.259 --> 00:09:24.120 He is royal in his house as royal. 00:09:24.300 --> 00:09:26.780 He understands the importance of honoring royalty. 00:09:26.779 --> 00:09:33.179 He esteems the Lord as the greatest king over everything that exists. 00:09:33.699 --> 00:09:35.919 There is no higher authority than the Lord. 00:09:36.039 --> 00:09:40.779 There is no stronger power than God himself. 00:09:41.159 --> 00:09:43.120 There is no being that is more knowledgeable. 00:09:44.120 --> 00:09:52.139 There is no rival kingdom that can somehow usurp God's kingship. 00:09:52.139 --> 00:09:54.419 He is unchanging. 00:09:54.419 --> 00:09:59.059 He is ultimately worthy of all the praise. 00:09:59.179 --> 00:10:07.659 And this is precisely what is captured in this term, where David says he is extolling the Lord as God and King. 00:10:07.659 --> 00:10:15.939 God's name alone is the only name deserving of this forever blessing, this forever praise. 00:10:15.940 --> 00:10:22.740 So to truly understand God's greatness in a very real sense is impossible. 00:10:23.100 --> 00:10:27.640 We can understand aspects of what God is, what he has done, his greatness. 00:10:28.100 --> 00:10:36.880 But to somehow exhaust a real deep dive, a real understanding of God's greatness is something that's beyond us. 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:39.179 This is what David is getting at in verse 3. 00:10:39.860 --> 00:10:43.539 Great is the Lord, greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. 00:10:44.460 --> 00:10:47.519 It doesn't mean that God is mysterious as if he is far off. 00:10:47.580 --> 00:10:48.740 He has made himself known. 00:10:49.320 --> 00:10:57.019 But to understand his fullness, to understand God as only God can understand God, it's an impossible task for us. 00:10:57.019 --> 00:11:02.860 And yet, here we have it very clearly that God has revealed himself to us. 00:11:03.460 --> 00:11:11.460 So that we, finite created beings, can understand the infinite creator of all things. 00:11:12.360 --> 00:11:14.960 This is especially the case when we consider Christ. 00:11:15.939 --> 00:11:22.939 We see this unsearchable God in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the greatness of God. 00:11:22.940 --> 00:11:28.040 For if we have seen Christ, he says to us, we have seen the Father. 00:11:28.780 --> 00:11:32.560 God is indeed great, and he is worthy of our praise. 00:11:33.900 --> 00:11:39.240 David continues on in verses 4 through 6, and this is what he says. 00:11:40.380 --> 00:11:43.620 One generation shall commend your works to another, 00:11:44.460 --> 00:11:48.820 and shall declare your mighty acts on the glorious splendor of your majesty, 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:50.920 and on your wondrous works I will meditate. 00:11:50.919 --> 00:11:58.219 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. 00:11:59.139 --> 00:12:01.399 It is precisely because God is great. 00:12:01.899 --> 00:12:07.219 He's so much greater than anything in the known universe, in the created order, 00:12:07.799 --> 00:12:12.679 in the world that we inhabit, that his acts can be understood as magnificent. 00:12:12.679 --> 00:12:18.759 Notice verse 5 again, his glorious splendor, his majesty. 00:12:19.019 --> 00:12:22.120 It's deeply connected to his wondrous works. 00:12:23.579 --> 00:12:29.299 It is because God is greater, it is because God is great that his acts are wondrous. 00:12:29.859 --> 00:12:34.000 A great God can't do unwondrous acts. 00:12:34.439 --> 00:12:36.699 Everything he does is magnificent. 00:12:37.159 --> 00:12:38.000 Everything he does. 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:43.559 David is drawing our attention to God and his goodness and his splendor. 00:12:44.299 --> 00:12:46.259 So you see, front and center in David's mind, 00:12:46.320 --> 00:12:49.919 when we think of God's glorious acts being connected to his greatness, 00:12:50.980 --> 00:12:54.080 any Israelite, David included, he'll think about the Exodus. 00:12:54.440 --> 00:12:57.240 If you're unfamiliar with the Exodus, 00:12:58.019 --> 00:13:01.039 Israel's enslaved for 400 years, and what ends up happening? 00:13:01.039 --> 00:13:06.599 They cry out to God for salvation, and God shows up in a magnificent way. 00:13:07.480 --> 00:13:12.500 But he is acting on behalf of his people, and his acts are awesome. 00:13:13.079 --> 00:13:14.120 They're also terrifying. 00:13:15.799 --> 00:13:18.699 But we understand that God's greatness and his acts, 00:13:18.839 --> 00:13:20.919 they are not to be divorced from one another. 00:13:24.079 --> 00:13:28.419 David goes on to talk about communicating this from one generation to another. 00:13:28.419 --> 00:13:31.120 Such things, they are worthy of transmission. 00:13:32.019 --> 00:13:35.139 Just as monumental events in history, they are remembered. 00:13:35.339 --> 00:13:38.399 I mean, I think the, I don't know if it's for certain, 00:13:38.539 --> 00:13:41.519 but by far in this congregation, and amongst the people I talk to, 00:13:41.759 --> 00:13:46.579 the most popular podcast is this podcast called The Rest is History. 00:13:47.099 --> 00:13:50.419 It's just story after story after story throughout history. 00:13:51.179 --> 00:13:55.519 People sharing, these two hosts, they're sharing what has happened. 00:13:55.519 --> 00:13:56.879 It's worth transmission. 00:13:57.019 --> 00:13:58.919 A good story is worth telling. 00:13:59.980 --> 00:14:01.960 David is saying precisely this. 00:14:02.480 --> 00:14:05.179 Share the stories of what God has done. 00:14:06.139 --> 00:14:10.419 Testify to his goodness, because it is the greatest, most epic story 00:14:10.419 --> 00:14:13.240 that has ever been written, that has ever existed. 00:14:14.360 --> 00:14:18.679 But I'll say this as well, and I think it's important for us to consider. 00:14:18.679 --> 00:14:25.199 Scripture is the testament to God's interaction with humankind, 00:14:26.379 --> 00:14:27.399 okay, throughout history. 00:14:27.500 --> 00:14:28.639 This is salvation history. 00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:29.799 This is our history. 00:14:31.219 --> 00:14:35.279 But there's also history that has happened after the Scriptures, 00:14:35.399 --> 00:14:36.839 where God has continued to move. 00:14:36.939 --> 00:14:37.199 Why? 00:14:37.699 --> 00:14:39.959 Because he's unchanging throughout history. 00:14:40.319 --> 00:14:42.079 So we can read about revivals. 00:14:42.279 --> 00:14:44.799 We can read about big moves of God throughout history. 00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:52.579 But even more than that, we can share and testify about how God has been active in our families. 00:14:53.679 --> 00:14:56.679 Stories that will never make the rest of history, okay? 00:14:57.159 --> 00:14:58.779 They're not going to be found in books. 00:14:59.599 --> 00:15:03.919 But surely we can testify and share from generation to generation 00:15:03.919 --> 00:15:07.079 how God has seen us through difficulties, 00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:09.159 how he has provided in our time of need, 00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:12.379 how he has opened our eyes to truth, 00:15:12.379 --> 00:15:14.639 He has ministered to our souls. 00:15:15.480 --> 00:15:17.220 That is worthy of transmitting. 00:15:17.340 --> 00:15:18.240 That is our history. 00:15:18.299 --> 00:15:19.039 That is your history. 00:15:20.460 --> 00:15:21.600 Write some of this stuff down. 00:15:21.740 --> 00:15:22.480 Share it with your kids. 00:15:22.679 --> 00:15:27.299 And if you're so blessed to one day have grandkids or grandnieces and nephews, 00:15:27.960 --> 00:15:28.759 share it with them. 00:15:29.399 --> 00:15:34.120 Testify and share it boldly and with great worship towards the Lord. 00:15:34.620 --> 00:15:39.720 Testify to God's goodness and greatness to the next generation. 00:15:39.720 --> 00:15:40.720 Testify and share it with God. 00:15:40.720 --> 00:15:46.920 There's this interesting story where Jesus, he heals a widow's son, okay? 00:15:47.899 --> 00:15:56.300 The widow's son has fallen asleep, has died, and he has resuscitated this son. 00:15:56.940 --> 00:16:01.139 And the people marveled, rightfully so. 00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:02.180 They were also very afraid. 00:16:02.300 --> 00:16:06.759 But then there's this interesting line in the story, 00:16:06.759 --> 00:16:09.320 and it says, God has surely visited us. 00:16:09.320 --> 00:16:12.820 And friends, I'll just say this. 00:16:13.180 --> 00:16:15.020 God is in the business of visiting us. 00:16:15.980 --> 00:16:19.780 He is in the business of hearing our prayers 00:16:19.780 --> 00:16:26.180 and showing that continued greatness that he has shown through stories like in the Exodus to this day. 00:16:28.400 --> 00:16:31.440 Don't be afraid to say, hey, listen, God has visited us. 00:16:32.379 --> 00:16:34.120 He has come in my time of need. 00:16:34.200 --> 00:16:34.980 He has helped me out. 00:16:35.040 --> 00:16:36.240 He has ministered to my soul. 00:16:36.600 --> 00:16:37.640 God has visited me. 00:16:37.639 --> 00:16:40.220 It's a wonderful thing to share. 00:16:41.879 --> 00:16:42.879 David continues. 00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:44.559 Verses 11, 12. 00:16:45.059 --> 00:16:48.019 And then we'll read just the first part of verse 13. 00:16:49.340 --> 00:16:50.100 Verse 11. 00:16:50.100 --> 00:17:14.620 See, deeply connected to God's glory, his greatness as king is the idea of a kingdom. 00:17:14.619 --> 00:17:15.919 A king has a kingdom. 00:17:15.919 --> 00:17:16.839 It makes sense. 00:17:17.019 --> 00:17:18.919 And we see this in these three verses. 00:17:19.699 --> 00:17:24.979 Three verses, four times, five if you include dominion in this. 00:17:25.059 --> 00:17:27.979 Five times it is mentioned something about God's kingdom. 00:17:28.579 --> 00:17:33.419 God's kingdom, it features huge throughout the scriptures, especially in the New Testament. 00:17:33.420 --> 00:17:37.039 God's kingdom, it's glorious, it's splendid. 00:17:38.380 --> 00:17:39.360 It's everlasting. 00:17:39.620 --> 00:17:41.259 It's enduring throughout all generations. 00:17:41.460 --> 00:17:45.300 It extends to every person in every land, in every generation. 00:17:45.480 --> 00:17:50.200 Whether or not somebody bends a knee to Christ as king, it does not matter. 00:17:50.300 --> 00:17:51.080 He is king of all. 00:17:51.079 --> 00:17:55.859 And his kingdom then extends and continues to extend into this world. 00:17:55.859 --> 00:18:02.319 It is a kingdom unlike any other kingdom, any other government, any other country. 00:18:03.399 --> 00:18:06.299 The culture of the kingdom of God is perfect. 00:18:06.939 --> 00:18:08.740 Okay, it's perfect in every way. 00:18:10.519 --> 00:18:13.199 There is no evil in his kingdom. 00:18:13.959 --> 00:18:21.319 There is no rival kingdom that can overtake it, just like there's no rival king that can overtake the Lord. 00:18:21.799 --> 00:18:24.039 In God's kingdom there is fullness of joy. 00:18:24.039 --> 00:18:26.039 There is real, true equity. 00:18:27.460 --> 00:18:28.720 There is perfection. 00:18:29.500 --> 00:18:30.440 There is wisdom. 00:18:32.059 --> 00:18:41.740 Our leader, the king of all, God himself, ruling in his kingdom, means that this kingdom is, in every respect, perfect. 00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:45.079 And will not fail, will not fall. 00:18:45.940 --> 00:18:47.759 It's this wonderful, beautiful picture. 00:18:47.759 --> 00:18:55.059 And we see this supremely in the ministry of Jesus, who came declaring in the beginning of Mark's gospel account, 00:18:55.660 --> 00:18:57.660 the kingdom of God is at hand. 00:18:58.460 --> 00:19:08.019 So Jesus, if we're wondering what the kingdom looks like, we read the testimony, the four gospel accounts of Jesus, 00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:09.960 and we see what the kingdom of God looks like. 00:19:09.960 --> 00:19:13.380 So in the kingdom of God, there is perfect health. 00:19:14.380 --> 00:19:14.500 Okay? 00:19:15.180 --> 00:19:16.079 There is healing. 00:19:16.240 --> 00:19:17.079 There is deliverance. 00:19:17.559 --> 00:19:19.059 There is true joy. 00:19:19.240 --> 00:19:19.960 There is redemption. 00:19:21.400 --> 00:19:23.920 Again, this is all tied to God's greatness. 00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:34.000 In his goodness, which we'll see in the next section, but in his greatness, that God, the great king, has an incredible kingdom that he continues to spread. 00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:47.420 So we see in these verses, in verses 1 to 3 and 4 to 6, 11, 12, and 13, we see this aspect of the greatness of God. 00:19:47.420 --> 00:19:47.740 Okay? 00:19:48.380 --> 00:19:50.519 His attributes are great. 00:19:50.759 --> 00:19:52.720 His acts are great. 00:19:52.840 --> 00:19:54.740 And his kingdom is great. 00:19:54.840 --> 00:19:57.660 And these things are deeply intertwined and connected. 00:19:58.580 --> 00:20:01.880 And we see that Christ embodies all three. 00:20:02.920 --> 00:20:07.200 That if we see Christ, we see God, as he says in his high priestly prayer. 00:20:08.340 --> 00:20:10.000 Jesus embodies the greatness of God. 00:20:10.900 --> 00:20:16.380 But it's not just the greatness of God that is on display for David will begin to talk about 00:20:16.380 --> 00:20:17.880 the goodness of God. 00:20:17.980 --> 00:20:22.320 Again, I'm separating these things for the sake of kind of clarity in a sermon, but 00:20:22.320 --> 00:20:24.040 it would be 00:20:24.040 --> 00:20:28.520 very problematic if you left here and you think that these things are kind of separate. 00:20:28.620 --> 00:20:29.780 They're deeply intertwined. 00:20:29.880 --> 00:20:33.360 To talk about God's greatness is to talk about his goodness, goodness, greatness. 00:20:34.180 --> 00:20:37.560 Nevertheless, let's move on to our second point and look at God's goodness. 00:20:38.600 --> 00:20:42.160 These next few verses, verses 7, 8, and 9, 00:20:42.680 --> 00:20:45.080 they are really the pinnacle of this psalm. 00:20:45.079 --> 00:20:51.159 And especially verse 8, it's the pinnacle of the Old Testament and potentially the pinnacle 00:20:51.159 --> 00:20:51.740 of the Bible. 00:20:52.500 --> 00:20:53.399 And this is what it says. 00:20:53.659 --> 00:20:54.099 Read with me. 00:20:54.179 --> 00:20:58.879 The second part of, no, all of verse 7, 8, and 9. 00:20:59.679 --> 00:21:01.519 Praise the Lord from the earth. 00:21:02.599 --> 00:21:05.399 You great, oh, I'm reading the wrong psalm. 00:21:05.859 --> 00:21:06.539 I turned the page. 00:21:06.599 --> 00:21:07.099 My apologies. 00:21:08.019 --> 00:21:08.980 Keep you guys on your toes. 00:21:08.980 --> 00:21:16.420 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 00:21:16.660 --> 00:21:18.599 The Lord is gracious and merciful. 00:21:18.680 --> 00:21:19.259 This is verse 8. 00:21:19.559 --> 00:21:25.880 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. 00:21:27.039 --> 00:21:31.720 The Lord is good to all and his mercy is over all that he has made. 00:21:31.720 --> 00:21:32.319 Hmm. 00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:34.019 Verse 8 in particular. 00:21:34.180 --> 00:21:34.600 It's beautiful. 00:21:35.839 --> 00:21:42.120 And the first time we really encounter it is after God rescues Israel from Egyptian slavery, 00:21:42.539 --> 00:21:45.279 takes this whole multitude of people into the desert, 00:21:45.500 --> 00:21:49.000 and then meets with the people through their representative, Moses. 00:21:49.160 --> 00:21:51.440 And Moses asks this really interesting question, okay? 00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:55.160 He says, God, show me your glory. 00:21:56.080 --> 00:21:57.620 And then God passes before him. 00:21:58.340 --> 00:22:06.180 And then not long after that, in the same scene, God says, verse 8, and I'll read it again. 00:22:06.259 --> 00:22:12.640 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. 00:22:14.620 --> 00:22:18.920 Moses asks to see the glory of God, and what does God do? 00:22:18.920 --> 00:22:25.300 He says, this is my glory, to show goodness and mercy and love to all. 00:22:26.480 --> 00:22:27.539 It's a remarkable thing. 00:22:28.600 --> 00:22:38.060 I mean, if you read the story, there's lightning, there's clouds, there's some crazy, intense imagery at Mount Sinai. 00:22:38.160 --> 00:22:45.700 But isn't it wonderful and remarkable that Moses asks to see the glory of God, okay? 00:22:45.700 --> 00:22:56.019 And God responds by saying that he is merciful, that he is gracious, that he is abounding, abounding in steadfast love. 00:22:56.819 --> 00:22:57.700 It's a remarkable thing. 00:22:58.000 --> 00:23:01.920 At the very core of who God is, is goodness, okay? 00:23:02.559 --> 00:23:08.100 It's like this umbrella term of all of the wonderful, most beautiful things you can think of. 00:23:08.099 --> 00:23:18.299 The highest qualities, the best attributes, the nicest, kindest, gracious, most loving person you can think of, but on overload. 00:23:18.939 --> 00:23:23.219 This is what is encapsulated with this term, goodness, that I'm using this morning. 00:23:23.220 --> 00:23:35.640 God, his character is first to show mercy, to show love, to delay judgment in order to make room for repentance and redemption, 00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:40.200 and to extend grace, unmerited favor, to lift up. 00:23:41.160 --> 00:23:46.299 And all of this, again, because he is steadfast and faithful in his love. 00:23:46.299 --> 00:23:53.839 What's interesting here is that God's goodness is in perfect alignment with his attributes. 00:23:55.339 --> 00:23:59.940 Such a love, therefore, emanates from who God is. 00:24:00.480 --> 00:24:02.740 So God freely loves, okay? 00:24:03.180 --> 00:24:09.879 What God doesn't do is find himself in a bit of a pickle or in a bit of a jam where he is compelled to love, okay? 00:24:09.880 --> 00:24:15.100 That somehow, somebody's got the jump on him, and now he owes them. 00:24:15.220 --> 00:24:15.540 No. 00:24:16.120 --> 00:24:22.480 The love of God is always freely given because it emanates from his very character of who he is. 00:24:25.700 --> 00:24:28.700 That means God doesn't begrudgingly extend mercy. 00:24:29.800 --> 00:24:32.420 He doesn't begrudgingly extend grace. 00:24:33.660 --> 00:24:35.460 He enjoys it. 00:24:36.600 --> 00:24:38.280 He loves to do so. 00:24:38.279 --> 00:24:46.740 And what's interesting, we see this in verse 9, is that this love that's specifically geared, aimed at his covenant people, 00:24:46.839 --> 00:24:52.019 so the people that have faith in him, it pours out to the world. 00:24:52.220 --> 00:24:53.200 Look at verse 9 again. 00:24:53.279 --> 00:24:59.119 The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. 00:24:59.200 --> 00:25:02.440 This isn't to say that God is extending salvation to everybody, 00:25:02.440 --> 00:25:09.480 but that his desire is always to extend his love in the same way that his kingdom continues to push boundaries. 00:25:11.799 --> 00:25:16.559 David continues to speak of God's goodness in verse 14 all the way down to verse 20, 00:25:17.360 --> 00:25:19.200 highlighting God's works of goodness. 00:25:19.920 --> 00:25:22.180 And I want you to notice as I'm reading this, 00:25:22.180 --> 00:25:26.220 all of the verbs associated with God's goodness. 00:25:26.700 --> 00:25:30.840 All of the actions of blessing that he extends. 00:25:32.060 --> 00:25:34.980 Look with me at verse 14 and following. 00:25:34.980 --> 00:25:42.420 The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. 00:25:43.460 --> 00:25:48.839 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. 00:25:49.519 --> 00:25:50.839 You open your hand. 00:25:51.700 --> 00:25:54.059 You satisfy the desires of every living thing. 00:25:55.039 --> 00:25:58.579 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. 00:25:58.579 --> 00:26:05.460 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 00:26:06.339 --> 00:26:08.759 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him. 00:26:09.439 --> 00:26:11.919 He also hears their cry and saves them. 00:26:12.980 --> 00:26:18.480 The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. 00:26:19.819 --> 00:26:21.899 God is kind in all his works. 00:26:22.939 --> 00:26:23.919 Verse 17. 00:26:25.139 --> 00:26:26.539 That's a wonderful summary. 00:26:26.539 --> 00:26:28.319 He is kind in all his works. 00:26:29.199 --> 00:26:32.139 In such a broken world that's full of calamity, 00:26:32.859 --> 00:26:35.079 he is moved to act out of goodness. 00:26:35.480 --> 00:26:38.679 Everything he does, an expression of his goodness. 00:26:39.679 --> 00:26:42.599 He's not merely the God of the Israelites either, right? 00:26:42.679 --> 00:26:44.099 He raises all. 00:26:44.419 --> 00:26:48.779 Again, not in a universal sense, but in an indiscriminate way. 00:26:49.599 --> 00:26:50.679 Without prejudice. 00:26:51.339 --> 00:26:56.619 He doesn't focus on one group, or one language, or one era, or one age. 00:26:57.319 --> 00:27:00.939 Rather, his desire is always, always to bless. 00:27:02.379 --> 00:27:07.039 Throughout time, theologians have called this the common grace of God. 00:27:07.539 --> 00:27:11.159 He makes it rain on the just and the unjust all the same. 00:27:11.160 --> 00:27:15.620 And we see here that it is an aspect of his goodness that he does so. 00:27:16.720 --> 00:27:20.820 But he also hears the cries of salvation, and he answers. 00:27:21.680 --> 00:27:23.440 He provides salvation. 00:27:23.440 --> 00:27:26.220 God makes himself accessible. 00:27:27.220 --> 00:27:31.940 Not by making a way for us to ascend to him, but by descending to us. 00:27:32.140 --> 00:27:37.100 The very act of revelation, the fact that we have a Bible, is God descending to us. 00:27:37.099 --> 00:27:41.599 This is especially the case with the incarnation. 00:27:42.379 --> 00:27:50.419 And this is why the incarnation is such a remarkable, glorious, key aspect to our faith. 00:27:50.579 --> 00:27:57.279 That God, the Son of God, descended to us, condescended, and took up human flesh. 00:27:58.059 --> 00:28:03.059 That God came to us, but did not somehow compel us to come to him. 00:28:03.480 --> 00:28:04.859 An impossible task. 00:28:04.980 --> 00:28:05.899 But he comes to us. 00:28:05.900 --> 00:28:09.080 God makes himself accessible. 00:28:09.400 --> 00:28:13.120 Again, all his works are good. 00:28:14.340 --> 00:28:15.240 But here's the thing. 00:28:15.980 --> 00:28:16.600 What do we read? 00:28:17.000 --> 00:28:19.900 What do we make sense of verse 19 and 20? 00:28:20.040 --> 00:28:24.300 We read it, and it says that he fulfills the desires of those who fear him. 00:28:25.019 --> 00:28:28.519 I mean, that doesn't seem like a loving act, right? 00:28:28.680 --> 00:28:31.280 That he'll only act when we fear him. 00:28:31.580 --> 00:28:34.300 And then verse 20, all the wicked he will destroy. 00:28:34.299 --> 00:28:41.519 How are we to make sense of these two verses in light of God's benevolence, of his goodness, of his love? 00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:45.559 Why the mention of fear and destruction at all? 00:28:45.559 --> 00:28:51.599 It would have been nice to just tie a bow on this psalm and be on our way, but this is what it says. 00:28:53.059 --> 00:28:54.379 Let me try to address each. 00:28:54.500 --> 00:28:55.319 Verse 19. 00:28:55.440 --> 00:28:56.399 I'm actually just going to quote. 00:28:56.700 --> 00:29:01.839 I don't usually like to do this, but I'm just going to read this quote and just kind of leave it where it's at. 00:29:01.839 --> 00:29:07.259 This is from a Lutheran theologian from yester century. 00:29:08.199 --> 00:29:12.259 A guy named Franz, I don't know how to pronounce his last name, Delch? 00:29:14.319 --> 00:29:17.859 You know, he has a tough last name, but he has a wonderful quote, and this is what it says. 00:29:17.859 --> 00:29:23.299 Fear and love of God belong inseparably together. 00:29:24.579 --> 00:29:29.819 For fear without love is an unfree, servile disposition. 00:29:30.619 --> 00:29:34.459 And love without fear, bold-faced familiarity. 00:29:35.459 --> 00:29:41.579 The one dishonors the all-gracious one, and the other dishonors the all-exalted one. 00:29:41.579 --> 00:29:53.759 I think that's a fine, fine, fine understanding of why fear is in that list, and why fear is not disconnected from the love of God. 00:29:54.519 --> 00:29:55.399 How about verse 20? 00:29:55.639 --> 00:29:59.019 God destroying the wicked. 00:30:01.220 --> 00:30:02.279 I'll just say this. 00:30:03.079 --> 00:30:06.339 There's 21 verses in Psalm 145. 00:30:06.339 --> 00:30:12.439 Half of one verse makes mention of the wicked getting destroyed. 00:30:12.639 --> 00:30:16.779 The rest of it, it just gushes with God's goodness. 00:30:18.079 --> 00:30:18.980 And that's no mistake. 00:30:19.619 --> 00:30:26.319 God, his desire, his nature, like I've stressed, it's always to bless, always to redeem, right? 00:30:26.480 --> 00:30:29.379 He is slow to anger, not quick to anger, slow to anger. 00:30:29.779 --> 00:30:30.939 He delays judgment. 00:30:31.500 --> 00:30:32.980 Not by a week, okay? 00:30:32.980 --> 00:30:38.259 Not by a month or a year, centuries we have in the scriptures of him delaying justice. 00:30:38.420 --> 00:30:39.420 Delaying justice. 00:30:39.720 --> 00:30:39.960 Why? 00:30:40.360 --> 00:30:43.400 So that people could turn from their wickedness and so live. 00:30:45.860 --> 00:30:50.880 The judgment of God is not his first instinct. 00:30:51.680 --> 00:30:58.140 And I think it's very clear that there's just a half of a verse out of 21 that makes mention of that. 00:30:58.140 --> 00:31:04.759 But I think there's more to it because if God didn't judge evil, then his goodness and his love would be fairly meaningless. 00:31:05.440 --> 00:31:06.160 I'll give an example. 00:31:07.040 --> 00:31:11.680 When our boy was four, he was in junior kindergarten. 00:31:12.540 --> 00:31:20.080 And there was a boy, and he was a bit of a troubled boy, but he was pushing our boy every day, all right? 00:31:20.079 --> 00:31:23.139 So we asked him, Joseph, did you get pushed today? 00:31:23.179 --> 00:31:23.779 He goes, oh, yeah. 00:31:23.960 --> 00:31:26.879 And then sometimes he'd have like scrapes on his knees and stuff like that. 00:31:27.799 --> 00:31:30.619 I wanted to like destroy the four-year-old. 00:31:30.839 --> 00:31:31.740 I'm a grown man. 00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:32.859 I didn't. 00:31:33.259 --> 00:31:36.279 But like I was, I had borderline rage. 00:31:36.559 --> 00:31:37.599 Don't touch my son. 00:31:38.220 --> 00:31:39.299 Like we talked to teachers. 00:31:39.419 --> 00:31:40.059 It kept happening. 00:31:40.500 --> 00:31:41.919 He's a four-year-old kid, okay? 00:31:42.019 --> 00:31:43.539 Like I'm not, kids are weird. 00:31:43.539 --> 00:31:45.259 So it happens. 00:31:45.460 --> 00:31:52.039 But my love for my son made me angry towards somebody else that was pushing him around. 00:31:52.759 --> 00:31:56.420 If I was indifferent, I'd say, listen, like sucks to be you, kid. 00:31:56.839 --> 00:31:57.500 Like figure it out. 00:31:58.019 --> 00:32:00.579 That wouldn't be a loving response, okay? 00:32:00.599 --> 00:32:08.039 That would not be a love that had any guts to it, any backbone to it, any foundation underneath it. 00:32:08.039 --> 00:32:17.599 Because God judges the wicked, even though he delays judgment, it is a sign of his love. 00:32:17.720 --> 00:32:24.940 Because evil always will seek to destroy and unravel and break apart and alienate. 00:32:25.519 --> 00:32:29.519 All things that are the antithesis of who God is and his character. 00:32:29.680 --> 00:32:30.839 And he will not stand for it. 00:32:31.639 --> 00:32:32.480 He will be faithful. 00:32:33.299 --> 00:32:35.339 This is what the righteousness of God is all about. 00:32:35.339 --> 00:32:37.579 He has made promises and he will see them through. 00:32:38.039 --> 00:32:43.039 So his judgment is actually an aspect of his love. 00:32:45.039 --> 00:32:51.720 So we see here that God's goodness, including his judgment, is evident because he acts on our behalf. 00:32:51.819 --> 00:32:53.500 He is the initiator. 00:32:53.639 --> 00:32:54.859 He is steadfast. 00:32:54.960 --> 00:32:59.119 He desires that none should perish, but that all would have eternal life. 00:32:59.180 --> 00:32:59.759 He upholds. 00:32:59.779 --> 00:33:00.359 He blesses. 00:33:00.420 --> 00:33:01.099 He redeems. 00:33:01.480 --> 00:33:02.119 He heals. 00:33:02.240 --> 00:33:02.819 He restores. 00:33:02.960 --> 00:33:03.440 He delivers. 00:33:03.440 --> 00:33:03.920 He provides. 00:33:04.240 --> 00:33:04.659 He gives. 00:33:05.220 --> 00:33:05.839 He loves. 00:33:05.839 --> 00:33:06.720 He loves. 00:33:06.720 --> 00:33:09.899 This is the goodness of God on full display. 00:33:10.699 --> 00:33:22.480 And as with his greatness, we see that the goodness of God is perfectly fulfilled in Jesus Christ, in his ministry, his passion, his resurrection, his ascension, and his reign. 00:33:22.480 --> 00:33:25.339 So we'll close with this. 00:33:26.779 --> 00:33:29.180 How do we answer the question I posed at the beginning? 00:33:29.299 --> 00:33:35.160 How do we authentically worship God every day with full zeal forever? 00:33:36.680 --> 00:33:40.539 And hopefully you've noticed that I haven't actually talked a lot about us, of what to do. 00:33:40.680 --> 00:33:42.259 Instead, what have we done? 00:33:42.319 --> 00:33:45.940 We've focused on God and who he is and what he does. 00:33:45.940 --> 00:33:49.080 On his greatness, on his goodness. 00:33:50.360 --> 00:33:52.059 You see, this is the real answer. 00:33:53.240 --> 00:33:57.580 When we get hung up on ourselves and we get hung up on ourselves, do we not? 00:33:59.259 --> 00:34:00.140 Naval gazing. 00:34:01.320 --> 00:34:02.759 It extends to our worship. 00:34:02.860 --> 00:34:03.680 We're not doing enough. 00:34:03.840 --> 00:34:07.279 Or, look how wonderful I am. 00:34:07.340 --> 00:34:08.179 I worship God. 00:34:08.480 --> 00:34:09.500 I do my devotions. 00:34:09.579 --> 00:34:10.320 I haven't missed it. 00:34:10.380 --> 00:34:11.220 The daily offices. 00:34:11.460 --> 00:34:12.360 Check, check, check. 00:34:12.840 --> 00:34:13.280 Fantastic. 00:34:13.280 --> 00:34:15.280 And you get a bit puffed up. 00:34:15.380 --> 00:34:18.960 Either way, the view is not up. 00:34:19.120 --> 00:34:19.740 It's in. 00:34:22.380 --> 00:34:27.460 David here is telling us, listen, the focus is actually on the triune God. 00:34:30.240 --> 00:34:31.740 Direct your gaze upward. 00:34:32.660 --> 00:34:35.440 Think about and dwell upon the greatness of God. 00:34:35.780 --> 00:34:37.760 Whether or not you feel like it. 00:34:38.420 --> 00:34:39.460 Think about his goodness. 00:34:39.460 --> 00:34:45.240 Testify to somebody about the wonderful acts of the Lord. 00:34:45.639 --> 00:34:48.720 And how it emanates from his very character and his attributes. 00:34:48.860 --> 00:34:53.740 And how encompassed in all of this is Jesus Christ who perfectly displays it. 00:34:54.800 --> 00:34:56.420 Fully man and fully God. 00:34:57.880 --> 00:34:59.599 Make less of yourself. 00:34:59.900 --> 00:35:01.119 Make much of God. 00:35:01.320 --> 00:35:03.559 I think this is the whole direction of the psalm. 00:35:03.559 --> 00:35:05.579 The reality is this. 00:35:05.619 --> 00:35:11.619 If we could worship God with perfect zeal every day and forever, I'm not sure we would need a savior. 00:35:13.340 --> 00:35:15.340 We would not need Jesus the Messiah. 00:35:15.500 --> 00:35:16.500 He would be unnecessary. 00:35:16.779 --> 00:35:18.519 But it's precisely because we can't. 00:35:18.940 --> 00:35:19.099 Okay? 00:35:19.460 --> 00:35:22.519 It's precisely because we are riddled with selfishness. 00:35:22.679 --> 00:35:24.579 That we need a savior. 00:35:25.340 --> 00:35:29.880 And in Jesus we have this picture of actually the greatest worshiper that has ever walked the earth. 00:35:29.880 --> 00:35:34.340 He worshipped the Father perfectly. 00:35:36.460 --> 00:35:45.200 Much of Jesus' high priestly prayer in John concerns him glorifying or praising or bringing honor or extolling the Father. 00:35:46.480 --> 00:35:53.880 See, King David, he's certainly speaking of his own worship towards the Lord as the choir master of Israel. 00:35:54.000 --> 00:35:57.619 But if you know anything about David's story, he didn't even follow this advice. 00:35:58.260 --> 00:35:58.420 Okay? 00:35:58.420 --> 00:36:01.840 He was a terrible, terrible, terrible sinner. 00:36:02.500 --> 00:36:04.619 His family was in shambles. 00:36:04.760 --> 00:36:11.480 He did not perfectly worship the Lord with zeal every day forever. 00:36:11.680 --> 00:36:12.680 He just didn't do it. 00:36:14.119 --> 00:36:17.780 And that's why David ultimately isn't pointing to himself as the example. 00:36:17.900 --> 00:36:19.220 But he's pointing to the future. 00:36:19.219 --> 00:36:24.359 To the one who would come, who would be fully man and yet still fully God. 00:36:24.919 --> 00:36:29.859 Worshipping perfectly the one true God in his humanity as a perfect person. 00:36:30.059 --> 00:36:38.699 And the promise is that if we are in Christ, if he is the object of our praise, whether or not we are doing it perfectly. 00:36:38.699 --> 00:36:44.739 But if he is the object of our praise, that he will lead us in singing God's praises. 00:36:44.739 --> 00:36:50.539 He will give us the very spirit so that we can begin to lift our gaze up. 00:36:51.079 --> 00:36:56.219 So that it is no longer directed towards ourselves. 00:36:56.219 --> 00:37:05.379 For one day at the end of the age, we will use all of this language that King David is using. 00:37:05.480 --> 00:37:06.919 So that's one thing I never touched on. 00:37:07.019 --> 00:37:08.119 I mean, we only have so much time. 00:37:08.459 --> 00:37:14.419 But if you go through it, David will use an incredible, incredible amount of language to describe his worship. 00:37:14.420 --> 00:37:23.980 He'll say stuff like, he'll extol God, he'll bless God, he'll praise God, he'll commend to others God's goodness and greatness. 00:37:24.119 --> 00:37:29.639 He will declare, he will meditate, he will speak, he will pour forth, he will sing aloud, and he'll give thanks. 00:37:29.880 --> 00:37:31.619 And this is what the Christian life is. 00:37:32.000 --> 00:37:38.180 As we look to Christ away from ourselves and trust that by his Holy Spirit, he is helping us to worship like him. 00:37:38.179 --> 00:37:46.659 You know, the great irony is that being authentic will make us very inauthentic, trying to be authentic. 00:37:47.359 --> 00:37:50.679 But when we look to Christ, we will be fashioned to be just like him. 00:37:51.079 --> 00:37:52.940 And we'll be our authentic selves in the end. 00:37:54.119 --> 00:38:01.259 And the joy and the privilege for us is that we begin to enjoy such worship and authenticity now. 00:38:01.419 --> 00:38:04.699 So, a closing question for you. 00:38:05.299 --> 00:38:07.719 Will you learn to join Christ's choir? 00:38:08.179 --> 00:38:13.039 Will you learn from him and sing with him, glorifying the Father? 00:38:13.179 --> 00:38:17.000 Will you follow his lead in praising and extolling the Lord? 00:38:17.960 --> 00:38:20.899 Will you lift up your gaze from yourself and look to him? 00:38:20.899 --> 00:38:20.899