Father, we confess before you that we often think we understand and hear your word, but we actually aren't hearing your word.
That we are projecting, Father, onto your word our fears, our vanity, our demands.
Father, that we project these things onto your word, and so we do not hear your word.
Father, we ask that you would gently but deeply pour out your Holy Spirit upon us so that we might listen to your word, that your word might enter deep into our lives, and that as your word enters deep into our lives, we will bear much fruit that brings you glory.
And this we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.
Please be seated.
You folks know about the taping as well? Is that starting?
Perfect.
A few things are going to be disorganized today.
In fact, when it comes time to do communion in a couple of minutes, well, more than a couple of minutes, there's usually a woman here who makes sure that all the right people are here.
I didn't know if the reader was going to get up.
I don't know if the intercessor is going to come.
I don't know if there's going to be enough people to help with communion.
And on top of that, the person who always does the audiovisual, they're away.
So if things are a little bit more chaotic than usual, then you can just tell your friends to come to a place that does not believe in organized religion.
And it'll make our church more attractive, I suppose, to people.
So we're taking a couple of weeks' break from the Book of Romans, which is what we're going through.
And I'm preaching on Psalm 1 today.
Now, here's the thing about Psalm 1.
I hope I haven't put you all to sleep by saying something like that right off the top.
And I didn't do something here.
Now I have.
Okay.
But I don't know if you remember when Laurie just read Psalm 1 just a couple of moments ago.
And if you have Bibles, we're going to be looking at Psalm 1.
But a lot of us hear Psalm 1.
Well, here's the thing.
I don't know how many of you here struggle with addictions.
I don't know how many of you struggle with alcoholism or maybe some type of sexual addiction or some other type of addiction.
But those of you who don't suffer from something like alcoholism or an addiction, you really don't understand the inner life of people who do struggle with those things.
Because often in the inner life of those who struggle with addictions, alcohol being one, it could be sex, a whole different range of sort of compulsive types of behaviors that people return to time and time and time again.
And for those who often are either struggling with them or succumbing to them or at least profoundly drawn to them and you have to fight against it, even if you're not engaging in the behavior, there's a very, very particular way that an addict understands themselves and talks to themselves.
And one of the things in the inner life of an addict is their belief that they're doomed.
And they believe, we believe, that we will be a failure.
That even though things can be going very, very well right now, that's not what is real.
What is real is that things will fail.
In fact, often as well what goes on in the inner life of a person who struggles with addictions is the belief that there's just basically something bad and wrong about them.
And that, in fact, at some point in time, it will be revealed to people that they're a failure.
And that, in fact, as people get closer to us, rather than this being something to look forward to, it's actually something to worry about.
Because as people get closer to us, they'll realize that there's something failed and wrong about us.
And that's the inner life, a key part of the inner life of somebody who struggles with addictions.
And it means that when they hear...
Now, all of us, of course, have times that we think that we're afraid of failure or that there's just something wrong with us.
But there's a profound difference between those who just...
It's a bit of a momentary thing or a short season in your life that you believe those things.
Whereas those of us who struggle with addictions, it's a far deeper thing.
It's like almost always going on there.
In fact, what often drives the person towards addictive behaviors is an attempt...
A belief that a particular thing, it's alcohol, drugs, or sex, you know, maybe sex with women or sex with men,
that will, if you can actually have that, it numbs things long enough for you to sort of function.
And so for people who struggle with addictions and that type of behavior,
when they hear a psalm like Psalm 1, you know, about the chaff that the wind drives away
and the righteous not stand, you know, the wicked not stand in the day of judgment,
for those of us, even though we might be Christians,
we hear this psalm and say,
I'm the chaff.
And we might try to pump ourselves up to say,
no, I'm not chaff, I'm not chaff, I'm a tree of life, I'm a tree of life, I'm a tree of life, I'm a tree of life, I'm a tree.
But inwardly, we're saying all those things, but inwardly, chaff, chaff, chaff.
Not stand, not stand, not stand.
And for those who don't struggle with those types of addictive behaviors and stuff like that,
when we read the psalms, in fact, it can be very easy to think,
yeah, I'm going to stand in the day of judgment, I'll stand with the assembly of the righteous,
I'm a tree of life.
I mean, there might be times you sort of don't feel that way,
but it's just, it's far easier to believe those types of things.
Those of us who struggle with believing that we're chaff,
we wish that we could believe it, but it's sort of hard,
it's not in our bones, it's not sort of somehow in our DNA.
It got robbed from us at some point in time in our life,
and then our subsequent actions have made it even worse.
And so it's very easy, then, for a room like this,
even a room where probably the majority of us are Christians,
to hear a psalm like Psalm 1,
and in a sense to hear the common words,
but to experience the words in a radically different way.
I'm going to read the psalm again, just sort of now that you've been mindful of it,
that it might be very much the case that the person you sit beside,
or the person who's sitting across from you,
is going to have a very different experience of this psalm,
as I read it again, or as you read along with me.
It's Psalm 1.
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers,
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Now, it's interesting, not only to some of us,
those of us who struggle with addictions,
just it's very easy for us to believe that,
you know, at the end of the day,
I know and I believe that I'm going to go to heaven,
and I'm thankful for it,
but in our lived experience,
we just believe that we will perish,
that we are chaffed,
that we are the wind that will be driven away,
that we will be,
that that's just,
it's a very,
and in fact, actually,
those of us who are Christian addicts
might actually think that
these addictive types of thoughts
are a sign of humility,
and our knowledge of our sinfulness.
It can play in very, very deeply
in Pentecostal, or Presbyterian,
or Baptist,
Methodist types of circles.
But our self-attacking
is not actually coming from the Bible,
it's coming from this type of addictive lens
by which we understand and see the world.
Now, I'm not saying that religious people
and spiritual people are all addicts,
but it's also very interesting
that from a religious perspective
and a spiritual perspective,
we'll hear this psalm
in a very, very different type of way.
Like, we'll hear this psalm as if,
well, this is just,
this is very, very good.
God has given his laws.
And wise people
who are going to succeed in life,
they learn the laws of God,
and they do the laws of God,
and they don't spend time
hanging around with people who are bad
and going to give them bad advice.
And you stay away from people
who give you bad advice
who are going to get you into trouble,
and you follow God's laws,
and you will succeed.
And, in fact,
you know, that might take the form of,
you know, maybe very, very formal churches
or traditional type churches
which really emphasize the law
and the thou shalt's and thou shalt not's.
Or maybe it's a more modern
or postmodern church
where what they talk about more
are, you know, the ten laws
about how to have successful children
or the five laws for successful marriages
or how to have favor with your boss.
And there's a whole pile of how-to things.
But it's easy for us to hear this psalm
and think,
oh yeah, this psalm is really, really wise.
It's just reminding us
that there's these rules
or techniques
or advice that we need to follow.
And if we follow these advice
and these steps,
then we're going to be successful.
And we're going to go to heaven.
And we just stay away from bad people.
And bad people ignore what's going on with God
and ignore these rules
or these principles
or this advice.
And they're going to go to the bad place.
And interestingly enough,
not only then,
from a very religious perspective,
can we read this psalm
and think we agree with it,
but with very little changes in it,
a devout Muslim could like this psalm.
Now, the devout Muslim
will understand
that there's different things to do
than a Christian
will think there is to do.
If you come from a very,
you know,
Christian thing,
you might be thinking of,
you might be thinking of
the Ten Commandments.
If it's a very old-fashioned type of church
or in a new church,
it might be the Beatitudes.
How to be.
But in a Muslim,
it might be that you make your trip to Mecca,
that you fast during Ramadan,
that you give to the poor,
you do the normal things.
And if, in fact,
actually in traditional Buddhism
or Hinduism,
you could read Psalm 1
and you would also think
that this actually is just talking about
the fact that you're either
going to go towards reincarnation
or you're going to finally achieve nirvana
and you just do the,
you know,
you do the alms,
you do the sacrifices,
you do the meditation,
you do the yoga,
you do these different techniques
and you follow these techniques
that come from God
somehow or another
and good things will happen
and you don't do them
and bad things will happen.
And in fact,
it's very, very interesting
that religious people
and even spiritual people
where the rules might be
very, very different
for spiritual people
because spiritual people
have sort of made up
their own principles
or discovered their own principles
and mixed and matched
and it might be that
for spiritual people
that I don't know,
you vote green
or you vote NDP at least
but you definitely
don't vote for Harper
and you know,
you do some yoga
and you do a bit of this
and you know,
and a whole range
of types of things.
You show some kindness
and generosity,
you pay it forward,
et cetera.
But at the end of the day,
whether it's spiritual
or religious,
whether it's a Christian form
or a Muslim form
or a Hindu or Buddhist form,
we can all end up
reading this psalm
and actually agreeing with it.
And once you think about that,
you think to yourself,
one moment,
there's something wrong here.
There's something wrong here
with this.
And there's two different
types of wrongness.
It's the religious,
spiritual way of reading it
and there's the addict
and non-addict way
of reading it
which sort of gets mixed
into that other type of thing
but it still just sort of doesn't,
that really can't be
what's going on
with the Bible
and we don't really realize it
because it's just so easy
for us maybe in our circle
and that we know
that it's,
I don't know,
using the prayer book
or singing praise music
or having a choir
or whatever it is
and we just think
we know what the different rules
and the processes
and steps are
but you take a step back
and all of a sudden
you say,
I don't know
if this can actually be
really what the Bible
is all about.
Now some of you
might be wondering
why on earth
did I come to this church
where George is just
going to say
all these really boring
and depressing things
and it makes it sound
as if we can't read the Bible.
Doesn't George believe the Bible?
I believe that the Bible
is God's word written.
I believe that
every word in the Bible
is the word
that God wanted to have there
and I believe that
because I believe
and trust Jesus
and that's what Jesus taught
and it's what the Bible
teaches about itself.
And
but just
just because
in fact actually
if we believe
that ultimately
the Bible
is God's word written
then we have to be careful
about
replacing God's words
with our words
unwittingly
and not actually
trying to hear
what God is saying
but assuming
that from our
addictive perspective
or religious perspective
or spiritual perspective
that we understand
what he's saying
but we don't actually
spend time
trying to actually
listen to it.
And here's the thing
I believe that
in the heart of this text
not only
what I've just done
can show that it's possible
to misread it
but the very very heart
of this text
there's a riddle
and that if we read
the text carefully
we realize
that there's a riddle
in the very heart
of the text
a riddle
which in fact
is
very very
very
revelatory.
So let's read it again
follow along with me
and
now that I've said
that there's a riddle
in the text
just try to hear
if you can sort of
have a bit of a sense
about where this riddle
is in the heart
of the text
a riddle
that goes
you see the thing
about the Bible
is the Bible
is not cynical
but
and the Bible
is not hip
and the Bible
is not just
a whole pile
of series of rules
and techniques
that we can just use
for our own advantage
but the Bible
isn't cynical
but the Bible
is God's word
addressed to our
human heart
like it
addresses our heart
the center
of who we are
and how we understand
things
and how we make decisions
the center of our
allegiances
and the Bible
always confronts
our heart
in the context
of the reality
of the fact
that there is a God
who's created all things
that's how the Bible
speaks to us
so
listen
try to listen
the second time
as we read the psalm
and see if you can notice
the riddle
in the psalm
blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel
of the wicked
nor stands in the way
of sinners
nor sits in the seat
of scoffers
but his delight
is in the law
of the Lord
and on his law
he meditates day and night
he is like a tree
planted by streams
of water
that yields its fruit
in its season
and its leaf
does not wither
in all that he does
he prospers
the wicked are not so
but are like chaff
that the wind drives away
therefore the wicked
will not stand
in the judgment
nor sinners
in the congregation
of the righteous
for the Lord knows
the way of the righteous
but the way of the wicked
will perish
and we're not going
to be able to have
I have points
but just due to some
of our technical problems
we're not going to be able
to be up on the screen
those of you
who are interested
and can't write them down
they'll be on online
on Monday or whatever
but here's
here's the first thing
Psalm 1
contains
a revealing riddle
how can chaff
become a tree
planted by streams
of water
Psalm 1
contains
a revealing riddle
how can chaff
become a tree
planted by streams
of water
in other words
how do verse 3
and 4 work
how is it
that you can be
in verse 3
he is like a tree
planted by streams
of water
that yields its fruit
in its season
and its leaf
does not wither
in all that he does
he prospers
the wicked are not so
but are like chaff
that the wind drives away
and many of us
probably don't have
much of an experience
of chaff
hopefully you all
have experience
with onions
and so if you've ever
bought a bag of onions
a 3 or 5 or 10
or 20 pound bag
of onions
and just think
of those onion skins
that when you pick up
the bag
there's all these
little flaky
skin type things
of onion
that's chaff
okay
so how is it
that a tree
and an onion skin
like how is it
that onion skin
can become chaff
I mean
how can an onion skin
become a tree
like how on earth
can that be
like how can that be
you see
religion
our temperament
will just sort of
make us read this text
thinking well that George
all the text is just saying
is that
you know
some people are just
born doomed
they're just born to perish
George
they're just
they're not the elect
they're just born to
you know
some forms of Islam
understands that
your destiny is written
on you in the womb
and in some ways
it doesn't even really matter
whether you do
anything at all
any of the things
in the Quran
you're going to go to heaven
some people are going to go to hell
that's just the way it is
and in religion
and spirituality
there's in a sense
a type of proud assertion
that of course
by our way
by our church
if you're part of our church
and you follow our way
and you follow our rules
then you will be a tree of life
because you're part of us
and we are tree of life people
and if you don't do those things
you're on the outside
but surely
I mean
this Psalm 1
is recognized by Jewish people
and by Christians
right back from the early days
of the Christian faith
to today
as the entrance into the Psalter
is God just trying
to write something
so that at the end of the day
we read this
and we say
you know what
I'm reading this
I think I'm chaff
I guess I should stop
reading the book
like isn't
obviously
if this is the entrance way
into the Psalter
isn't it
isn't there some type
of encouragement
to be a type of tree of life
but how on earth
can chaff
how on earth
can an onion skin
how can an onion skin
become tree of life
that just doesn't make any sense
and so
I think
what this Psalm
wants to do
when you sort of
are gripped
gripped with this
and the fact of the matter is
is that unless you're
unbelievably
self-centered
we all know
that there's times
in our life
that we are like chaff
even the most
unbelievably
constantly positive
person
has times
that they're down
so at some point
in time
it has to hit them
now I have to remember
I do this from your point of view
okay your point of view
so I think for Christians
for people
in David's day
or whoever
wrote the Psalm
it wasn't David
and they didn't know
anything at all
about the cross
or anything like that
I think the only
response
that they could have
with reading this
that would have to
set them up
for the rest of the
of the Psalter
is a
profound sense
that God
has to do something
otherwise they have
no hope
in fact
my second point
would be that
only God
by his grace
can turn chaff
into a tree
planted by streams
of water
only God
by his grace
can turn
chaff
into a tree
planted by streams
of water
and so if you
were a believing
Jew
and you were
reading this text
and you come
to Psalm 1
and it one day
strikes you
that how can
chaff become
a tree
it will make
you realize
that all the way
through the Psalter
as you're reading
the other Psalms
even as you're
praying them
that God
wants you
to come
to this view
that it's not
a matter about
you justifying
yourself
it's not a matter
about me
making myself
righteous
or declaring
that I'm
righteous
or forcing
people to
understand
that I'm
righteous
or forcing
people to
understand
that I'm
justified
or that I
can just
that I can
somehow
by my
willpower
by my
religious
acts
or by my
prayer life
or my
praise songs
or something
or other
try to force
myself
or force
others
into recognizing
me as
not chaff
never chaff
never perishing
always tree
of life
always
that if we
can't do
that I
read the
Psalter
saying
only God
can deal
with this
that in
fact the
opening
Psalm
if we
actually try
to read
it and
aren't just
reading it
from an
addictive
or non-addictive
personality
or religious
where those
who just
like people
who just
give up on
religion
altogether
or any
type of
rules
or any
type of
following
God
or any
just give
up and
all
it's just
all a
whole
pile
of
crap
you know
religious
people
and spiritual
people
they're
just people
who think
that their
poop smells
better than
other people's
in fact it
doesn't even
smell at all
smells like
roses
but they're
just diluting
themselves
because their
poop just
smells as bad
as everybody
else's poop
they're just
diluted
we're just
being realistic
and honest
we just
sleep in
and then we
just go to
a bar
and then we
watch football
or we do
whatever we
feel like
and life is
just a lot
better if you
just
that this
Psalm is
saying that
all of that
type of
dividing the
world into
this
it's going
to have
only God
if he is
real
only God
can change
chaff into
a tree of
life
and only God
can stop me
from perishing
and only God
can put me in
the assembly of
the righteous
and only God
can cause me
to flourish
only God
we start to
read the
Psalm
in a new
light
and
but for
those of
us
you know
who are
now reading
this Psalm
on this
side
of the
cross
the cross
is now
for us
in the
past
we see
that not
only does
the Psalm
have a
riddle
that's
forcing us
to recognize
that only
God
it actually
also gives
us a bit
of an
understanding
about what
it is
that God
is going
to have
to do
to answer
the riddle
listen to
the Psalm
again
in fact
I'll tell
you what
it is
and then
we'll read
the Psalm
in love
and grace
Jesus
became
chaff
driven
away
by wind
so
by faith
in him
God
will
make
me
into
a
tree
planted
by
streams
of
water
in love
and grace
Jesus
became
chaff
driven
away
by
wind
so
by
faith
in
him
God
will
make
me
into
a
tree
planted
by
streams
of
water
let's listen to the psalm again I'll start at verse 1
blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked nor stands in the
way of sinners nor sits in the seat of scoffers but his delight is in the law
of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night
he is like a tree planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither
in all that he does he prospers the wicked are not so but are like chaff
that the wind drives away just sort of pause there the heart of the gospel
is this idea that God looking down at human beings who cannot make themselves
into trees planted by streams of water by their own efforts
that if they think they're doing that they are just in a sense suffering under
some type of a type of of of sad delusion but it's they can't do it
and and God the son of God the second person of the Trinity
out of love for human beings and out of grace and mercy and out of love for the
father love for his creatures and love for the
creation he steps down from heaven he
sets aside his appearance as God his glory as God his majesty as God his power
as God he sets aside his his position at the right hand of the father he
sets aside all of those appearances as God and he
humbles himself he still is God but he ends up
being born in as a single cell in the womb of Mary and he suffers not suffers he
lives a normal human life but then on the cross he empties himself and
becomes chaff like even more the image of chaff driven away by the wind is a is an
image of judgment and Christians believe that on the cross when Jesus dies upon the cross
that he is suffering the judgment that you and I deserve that he suffers that for us
that he in a sense becomes chaff for us he takes upon himself the punishment we deserve
and he even on the cross experiences God's judgment that he experiences that he's driven
away from God when he cries out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me
and out of love for you and me Jesus becomes Jesus who in a sense was life was the tree of life was
verse 3 becomes verse 4 for you and me in fact if we go on and read therefore the wicked will not
stand in the judgment Jesus stands for the wicked and stands in our place in the judgment nor sinners in
the congregation of the of the of the righteous for the Lord knows the way of the righteous but the way
of the wicked will perish in my place condemned he stood in my place he perishes for me in my place
he becomes chaff driven away by the wind and in the gospel when we put our faith and trust in Jesus it's not
just that in my place condemned he stood but he he trades places with me like everything about the cross
is not only an act of substitution but it's an act of exchange his life given for me his life given to me
my chaff driven away by the wind taken upon him given to him and taken by him and that's what he does in the cross
there's a very very well known part in the Bible in Revelation 3 where it says behold I stand at the door and
knock and in fact here I'll just read it it's Revelation 3 16 I think it's Revelation 3 16
and it's a very very famous image it's verse 20 behold I stand at the door and knock if anyone hears my voice
and opens the door I will come into him and eat with him and he with me say it again behold I stand at
the door and knock if anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into him and eat with him
and he with me see here's the thing about the shamelessness of God only God most people they're
probably a little bit like myself I had given up on religion I wanted to be part of the counterculture I
wanted to do all sorts of types of things I didn't I didn't I found religion I found Christianity boring I
found it irrelevant and then I this this God started to get my attention and then as I as I start to get
in the lives of different Christians whose lives have just been completely and utterly transformed
and being in in in Christian congregations and groups that just somehow it was able to break
through my force field and I was able to just sense that there was this that Jesus was there that he
loved me that there was a type of a longing for him that I had that could not be satisfied by anything
else and it started to be as if I I recognized that Jesus was standing the door of my heart and
knocking and the Christian life begins when you stop just sensing that Jesus is trying to get your
attention but you in a sense if you visualize you just open the door of your life the inner door of
your life and you open it up and there's Jesus standing on the other side and you say to Jesus
Jesus will you come into my life will you come into me and not only come into me but do just live in
me just have your way with me come in not just as a as a guest that I serve you but that you might
come in as savior and you might come in as lord and for every person we don't have to wait to figure
out whether we're part of the elect we don't have to wait for a particular religious experience for
every person who does that Jesus comes in and I only had a hazy notion of the cross I only had a
hazy notion of all of these things I just sort of understood that I was chaff and if I ever wanted to
be at all connected to life I had to let Jesus into my life but then God is so shameless
he comes in not expecting us to know perfect theology but then as as Jesus comes into our lives and
we start to read the word and start to think about things in it we start to realize what it is
actually that Jesus has done for us on the cross that he set aside his life he offers his life to me
and takes for himself my chaff driven away by the wind he offers his life that will never perish
and takes upon himself my life that will perish that it is not just an act of substitution but an act of
exchange freely and utterly given and that when he comes in by this act of grace he turns chaff like me
into a tree planted by streams of water not because of my beauty not because of my power not because of my
religion not because of my affections not because of my accomplishments not because of my IQ not because
I'm Canadian but all because of him all because of him
and so as we're gripped first by the riddle and then by Jesus and then by the gospel
as we're gripped by the gospel
it starts
to do its work
of
changing how we read
changing our experience
of God
my fourth point we're going to read this psalm again in light of this but as I am gripped by the gospel
I will humbly and hungrily read all of God's word and think on it as I am gripped by the gospel I will humbly and hungrily read all of God's word and think on it
as as the riddle of the text about how it is even though I might suffer from addictive thoughts
even though I suffer from all sorts of idolatries even though at times my default position is religion or spirituality
because at the heart of all religion and spirituality is self-justification and self-righteousness and the gospel as I'm gripped by what Jesus does for me on the cross
as I'm gripped by it
it undermines my self-justification
it undermines my self-righteousness
it undermines my idolatry
it undermines
my self-perception of myself
and it's
and all of those things are rooted in what Jesus has done for me
and so listen to the psalm again as we read it
blessed is the man
one moment only God can do that can't he
like only God
can bless
only God can do it
like even the very opening words of the psalm are teaching us
that there's to be this mystery at the heart of it
that it's not about my righteousness and
and my accomplishment
so I know that I am part of the elect
that it's going to have to be God doing a miracle
because it says blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked
nor stands in the way of sinners
nor sits in the seat of scoffers
and at the heart of the gospel
that at first might begin with a whole pile of fear about things
it's not
I'm not at all trying to undermine the fact that
that we should
that we should be a
a flee evil
but that as the gospel grips us
as the gospel grips us
it
it provides a
a different ground
for seeing and understanding things
and even understanding the Bible
it provides a shape
and it starts to shape us
as it grounds us
and it nudges us
into things
and draws us into things
so that we see evil and wicked
and all of those things
in very very different ways
and that we even start to understand
that it doesn't mean wicked and sinful
it doesn't mean
just people who I don't know
they
they do pornography
they're involved in this
in the sex trade
and
and slavery
and in violence
and all
but it also
it just includes anybody
and everybody
whose life is organized
around the claim
and the desire
that they will be like God
and they do not need God
the soccer mom in Kanata
who does not need God
because she has her life
completely under control
but
those of us
who've been humbled
by the riddle
know
we are all beggars
and all
we can do
is tell other beggars
where to find life
and that's what God offers us
in his son
his life
verse 2
but his delight
is in the law
of the Lord
and on his law
he meditates
day and night
and law
of the Lord
here's this really interesting
law of the Lord
in the Hebrew
it's Torah
and what does Torah mean?
Torah means
instruction
in the context
of a covenant
it doesn't just mean
some impersonal principles
it means instruction
by God himself
by Jesus
who becomes
chaff for us
and gives us
his life
it's his
instruction
in the context
of the fact
that in his death
and resurrection
he now lives
within me
that he knows
my chaff likeness
he knows
that I cannot
become a tree
by my own power
and it is in that context
that he instructs me
it's within this context
that I am a beggar
that it is in this context
that in my place
condemned he stood
that I hear
his instruction
and even the word
God
or Lord
here is very
very interesting
because in the Hebrew
and there is no way
we can capture this
in English
in Hebrew
the word Lord
for God
is a verb
in the Old Testament
the covenant name
for God
is not a noun
an object
out there
amongst other objects
that I can control
God is a verb
an action
towards me
not something
that I can capture
and manipulate
or put in my debt
but Lord
as a verb
and then just
pause before I read
verse 3
and here is sort of
my final point
in closing
we read this next
description
as
we understand
that in light
of the cross
we are listening
to God's
a verb
that cannot be
controlled
him
he's wild
and untamed
but completely
and utterly good
and he who is now
within me
because he has died
to be my savior
and he knows me
deeply
because he's inside
of me
and he instructs me
knowing
that I can never
by my own power
accomplish these things
that I am always
completely
and utterly
dependent upon grace
and as he speaks
to me
in his instruction
and I listen
to his instruction
then verse 3
begins to be true
of you and me
and as we read it
keep in mind this
God graciously
makes trees
not pipes
God
graciously
makes
trees
not pipes
listen to this
verse 3
but he is like
a tree
planted by streams
of water
that yields
its fruit
in its season
and its leaf
does not wither
a pipe
for water
takes water
from here
to there
or wherever it is
and a proper pipe
lets none of the water
out
all of the land
or whatever it is
around it
stays completely
and utterly dry
but God doesn't say
here that he turns
us into pipes
he turns us into
trees
planted by streams
of water
and a tree
also
in a sense
moves water
the tree
takes the water
in
but as the tree
takes the water
in
in the context
of the other things
that give it life
it turns into
leaves
it turns into
fruit
it turns into
a place
where birds
and small
critters
can take
their shade
it turns into
a place
where our
neighbors
and our
friends
can come
and have
a picnic
underneath it
in the shade
and the cover
that it gives
a tree
with its roots
helps to stop
the soil
from falling apart
and going into
the stream
and being washed
away
and the tree
provides
helps to provide
oxygen for us
to breathe
and it isn't just
that as we meditate
upon the God
who is in covenant
with us
that all of a sudden
through us
just flows
these spiritual
things that pop
out of our head
or come out
here and in here
and pop out
of our feet
and it's not just
all of a sudden
all we do
is that we
sprout out
Bible verses
but as our
Savior
as we are
gripped by the
gospel
and as the
gospel
shapes us
and grounds
us
and nudges
us
and draws
and pulls
us
and we start
to listen
to the
instruction
and the
words of
the one
who died
for us
because he
loves us
well out
of that
comes businesses
that we can
start that will
bless the city
out of that
comes poetry
and out of that
comes music
and out of that
comes art
and out of that
comes dance
and out of that
comes families
out of that
comes mothers
and fathers
and children
out of that
comes neighborhoods
out of that
comes
different ways
of handling money
and using money
out of that
comes a whole
range of fruit
and other
creational
consequences
all not for
our glory
but for
God's glory
it comes
in
as words
carried by
the Holy
Spirit
it goes
out
well
we're trees
not pipes
it doesn't
come into
us
and leave us
unchanged
it changes
us
that's why
it's so
important for
those of us
who are gripped
by the gospel
that we call
out to God
to ask him
to help us
to hear his
instruction
and to read
his word
and to read
not just little
bits and pieces
of his word
but to read
all of his
word
there's some
things in the
blog
there'll be
some more
things in the
blog
over the
next coming
weeks
to encourage
us to be
Christians
who read
the word
and read
all of the
word
and read
the word
every day
as it says
here
but his
delight is in
the law of
the Lord
and on his
law he
meditates
day and
night
please stand
I want to
challenge you
if you haven't
given your
life to
Jesus
if you
sense
you're here
this morning
and you
sense that
Jesus is
knocking on
the door
of your
life
I want to
exhort you
to not be
afraid
he's the
one who
left heaven's
glory to
become chaff
driven away
by the wind
for you
but there's
no better
time than
today
and maybe
you're an
imagine
a person
uses
imagination
maybe it's
words
but imagine
just opening
the door
that's inside
of you
and seeing
Jesus
who is there
who's been
knocking on
the door
of your
life
and say
Jesus
please come
in
please come
in and be
my savior
and my
lord
thank you
for dying
on the cross
for me
please come
in
I give you
permission
I invite you
to come
in
there's no
better time
than today
if you are
here and
you've never
done it
and you
sense that
knocking
answer the
knock
open the
door
I urge
you
and for
those of
us who
have opened
the door
and we're
reading the
word I just
want to
encourage you
to be
regular in
the word
and to be
regular in
reading the
word from
cover to
cover
and for
those of
us who
maybe not
understood
that God
wants to
continue in
the context
of a covenant
of love
and security
in the context
of the gospel
to speak
into your
life
to call out
to him
and ask him
that you
would help
he would help
you to start
to read the
Bible every
day and to
start to read
it cover to
cover
and then take
action on it
I encourage you
to make that
commitment before
God
let's just bow
our heads in
prayer
father for
those of us
who suffer
from
addictions
father we
ask that
you would
just continue
to pour out
your holy
spirit upon
us that you
would make
us disciples
of Jesus
who are
gripped by
the gospel
that understand
that even
though we
might believe
that we
are chaff
driven away
by the
wind
that you
father desire
to heal
that by
the ministry
of your
holy spirit
by the
instruction
of your
word
that we
might
understand
that in
Jesus
you are
turning us
who are
chaff
into trees
of life
out of
your love
and for
your glory
and father
for those
of us
who even
though we've
opened the
door of our
hearts to
Jesus have
slipped back
into religious
understandings of
the text
believing that
we can manipulate
you and
control you
that we can
manipulate and
control others
to see us as
righteous and
justified
all by our
own action
and by our
own effort
and for our
own glory
and to keep
you at a
distance and
people at a
distance
father we ask
that you would
continue that
work of grace
that you would
pour out your
holy spirit upon
us and help us
to die to
self-righteousness
and self-justification
to be gripped by
the gospel and
what your son did
for us on the
cross
father pour out
your holy spirit
upon us
make us
disciples of
Jesus gripped
by the gospel
who live for
your glory
and father for
all of us who
are your people
help us to be
people of your
word to listen
to your instruction
every day and
to think upon it
in light of the
gospel and this
we ask in the name
of Jesus your son
and our savior
amen
for you
to think upon it
to think upon
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have givenply
you
have given terrorists
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