WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:15.599 Hi, my name is George Sinclair. I'm the lead pastor of Church of the Messiah. 00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:20.480 ! It is wonderful that you would like to check out some of the sermons done by Church of the Messiah, 00:00:20.480 --> 00:00:25.679 either by myself or some of the others. Listen, just a couple of things. First of all, would you pray for us 00:00:25.679 --> 00:00:32.159 that we will open God's Word well to His glory and for the good of people like yourself? 00:00:32.159 --> 00:00:37.359 The second thing is, if you aren't connected to a church and if you are a Christian, 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:42.159 we really, I would really like to encourage you to find a good local church where they believe the 00:00:42.159 --> 00:00:48.799 Bible, they preach the gospel, and if you have some trouble finding that, send us an email. We will do 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:55.120 what we can to help connect you with a good local church wherever you are. And if you're a non-Christian, 00:00:55.119 --> 00:01:00.320 checking us out, we're really, really, really glad you're doing that. Don't hesitate to send us 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:05.280 questions. It helps me actually to know, as I'm preaching, how to deal with the types of things 00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:07.679 that you're really struggling with. So God bless. 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:20.000 Heavenly Father, we give you thanks and praise that you draw us into yourselves. That's nothing that we do 00:01:20.719 --> 00:01:26.319 that helps us get to you, but it's everything that you do. Father, we ask now that you would speak to 00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:32.159 our hearts and our minds that any distractions from this week, Lord, would just fall away. Whether 00:01:32.159 --> 00:01:38.479 it's been a great week or whether it's been a very hard week, Lord, we just want to hear from you. 00:01:39.119 --> 00:01:45.519 We want to hear you speak to our hearts and our minds. And I pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Please be seated. 00:01:51.759 --> 00:01:57.840 Now, for those of you who know me, it's great to see you again. But for those of you who don't know me, 00:01:57.840 --> 00:02:04.480 my name is Matthew Usherwood. Two years ago, I had the great pleasure of being a ministry intern here 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:10.879 at Church of the Messiah for, I think, about four years. And then my family, we went off and we did, 00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:17.199 I was an assistant pastor in the GTA area. And now we've come back because that's come to a close. And 00:02:17.199 --> 00:02:23.520 now we're discerning the next steps about what we're doing in ministry. But the thing that, 00:02:24.240 --> 00:02:28.880 that's been a great blessing since being back. We've been back for about a month now. 00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:35.920 I've had the great privilege of going around to different churches in Ottawa, but also in Kingston, 00:02:35.920 --> 00:02:41.439 and preaching there as well. And it's been a great privilege to be able to worship together 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:48.800 with other brothers and sisters in Christ, and to lift up our praises to God, and just to talk with 00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:55.840 people, and just remember that it's so easy to feel like in a little bubble in our church. But the 00:02:55.840 --> 00:03:01.520 body of Christ is so vast and so big, and it's worldwide. And it's a great reminder. So I just 00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:08.880 want to say I feel very privileged to be up here right now to speak to you, to study God's Word 00:03:08.880 --> 00:03:14.560 together. So we're going to get into it. And last week, I was preaching at a different church, 00:03:14.560 --> 00:03:20.800 and after, we went to a restaurant after to pick up some food and go home and have it. 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:25.599 And it was lunchtime, so I ended up being the only one in the restaurant ordering the food and picking 00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:31.520 up while Amy and my wife stayed in the car with our son. And I got to talking with the owner who was 00:03:31.520 --> 00:03:37.520 there, because no one else was there. And we got to talking, and he asked me, what have I been up to 00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:43.599 this weekend? Where did I just come from? Why am I getting food now? And I said, I just spoke at a 00:03:43.599 --> 00:03:49.199 church. I'm an Anglican minister. And that really perked his interest, and we got to talking about it. 00:03:49.199 --> 00:03:55.439 And we talked for the whole time the food was being made. And then he mentioned that he was a 00:03:55.439 --> 00:04:01.759 Muslim man, and he tries to go to the mosque. But he finds it hard. He doesn't really want to commit 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:08.000 to all the amount of times he has to go during the week if he wants to be a very committed follower. 00:04:08.959 --> 00:04:12.959 He said it's not for him, but he just tries to go on Friday, because Fridays, he said, 00:04:12.960 --> 00:04:19.120 were the big days of worship there. So he tries to get there on a Friday. But then he also mentioned 00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:25.360 to me, as he was packing up the food to when I was about to leave, he said, all religions, 00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:31.600 aren't they just for the same? We all worship the same God, just looks differently. We do different 00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:36.960 things. We call it different things. But it's the same God, essentially. And he said, all things, 00:04:37.280 --> 00:04:41.680 all pathways, you know what the classic saying, all religions, all pathways lead to the same God. 00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:49.759 We'll get there in the end. But that's a very common assumption that the Western culture makes 00:04:49.759 --> 00:04:56.240 about God and about religion, and even about secularism. It's also a religion nowadays. But 00:04:56.240 --> 00:05:05.040 it's a very, to make that claim is a very uneducated claim. Because when you start breaking down all the 00:05:05.040 --> 00:05:11.280 other great religions of the world, the very popular ones, and even secularism, they all worship 00:05:11.280 --> 00:05:20.720 a very different God in a very different way. And it's like, it'd be like me saying to a sound person, 00:05:20.879 --> 00:05:25.120 Andrew's not here today, I was going to use him as an example. But it'd be like me saying to Andrew, 00:05:25.120 --> 00:05:30.480 our tech person of Messiah, telling him, he'd be talking about all the tech stuff. And then I'd be 00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:34.800 saying, well, aren't all soundboards just the same? They all do the same thing, essentially. It all 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:41.040 sounds the exact same. But that's not true. Because each soundboard is very different. You can get some 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:46.879 really cheap ones that don't really hone in and mix the sound properly. But then you can also get some 00:05:46.879 --> 00:05:56.720 really expensive ones that do a way better job at mixing the sound. So we're continuing this series in 00:05:56.720 --> 00:06:04.480 the Psalms. And we're going to look at this idea of that, this assumption that people make about you 00:06:04.480 --> 00:06:11.680 can just worship any God you want. But the Psalm today shows us there's only one true God that you 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:17.520 can worship. Because in, because we all have to worship something. If you're here and you don't know, 00:06:18.160 --> 00:06:22.560 you don't want to call yourself Christian, or you're watching online and you want to call yourself 00:06:22.560 --> 00:06:30.000 Christian, you got to serve somebody. The famous Bob Dylan song, you got to serve somebody. And the thing 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:37.680 is about this Psalm, this Psalm shows us the God who should be worshipped. So if you haven't already, please 00:06:37.680 --> 00:06:42.959 turn to Psalm 103 in your Bible. So it would be very helpful to have your Bible here with you today. Because 00:06:42.959 --> 00:06:47.199 I'm going to be jumping around in the Psalm. I'm not going to go in order of the verses. I'm going to make 00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:52.800 Claire work today really hard trying to match the verses as I'm going. And we're going to start, 00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:57.599 get Claire ready here, and we're going to start at verse six. But we're going to look at this Psalm, 00:06:57.599 --> 00:07:05.599 Psalm 103, in three ways. We're going to look at it in point number one, who to worship. Then we're 00:07:05.599 --> 00:07:11.120 going to look at it the second way, why to worship this person. And the third way is going to be how to 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:18.459 worship. So who to worship, why to worship, and how to worship. So point one, we're going to begin at 00:07:18.459 --> 00:07:25.959 verse six. And this is David, the great king of the Old Testament, the people of Israel, writing about 00:07:25.959 --> 00:07:32.199 this. And he's meditating on these great truths. If you haven't spent a lot of time in the Psalms, 00:07:32.579 --> 00:07:37.259 I would really recommend it through the summer months, trying to read a Psalm. Maybe if you get to 00:07:37.259 --> 00:07:46.079 Psalm 119, split it up because it's a long one. But the Psalms are such a great book to read. 00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:53.300 Martin Luther, one of the great reformers of the church history past, he called the book of Psalms 00:07:53.300 --> 00:08:01.800 a mini Bible. Because the Psalms show the gospel in every single Psalm. And then it also shows 00:08:01.800 --> 00:08:09.579 every single human emotion possible that you can feel in the Psalms. So it's a great reminder as you 00:08:09.579 --> 00:08:15.080 read the Psalms that you can come to God. You can come to the Lord in any emotion. You don't have to 00:08:15.080 --> 00:08:21.319 get yourself all trim and proper before you come to God. But you can come to him feeling any emotion you 00:08:21.319 --> 00:08:29.319 want. So let's look at it. Verse six. This is King David speaking. The Lord works righteousness and 00:08:29.319 --> 00:08:36.759 justice for all who are oppressed. He may know in his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. 00:08:37.399 --> 00:08:44.500 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always 00:08:44.500 --> 00:08:51.399 chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, 00:08:51.399 --> 00:09:01.279 nor repay us according to our iniquities. So David here, he's reflecting on a great truth about this God 00:09:01.279 --> 00:09:08.279 who should be worshipped. This God who should be worshipped is a covenantal God, and this God who 00:09:08.279 --> 00:09:15.559 should be worshipped is a historical God. In this Psalm, it says the Lord 11 times, I'm pretty sure. I 00:09:15.559 --> 00:09:21.479 counted it this morning. I might be wrong, but I wonder too. It says the Lord. And when you see the 00:09:21.479 --> 00:09:29.359 Lord in the Old Testament, it's talking about the covenantal Lord, the covenantal God. This is the God 00:09:29.359 --> 00:09:36.419 in Genesis, the first book of the Bible, that says to Abraham, who makes him, he says that it gives him 00:09:36.419 --> 00:09:43.919 the promise that I will make you a great nation. I will rescue your people, the people who through come 00:09:43.919 --> 00:09:50.459 through your offspring. He, this is the God who comes to his people, who reveals himself to his people. 00:09:50.459 --> 00:10:01.039 And he's a God who reveals himself historically. And David here is bringing up the end of Genesis 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:07.479 into Exodus, the book after Genesis, the second book of the Bible. He's bringing up in verse 6, 00:10:07.480 --> 00:10:16.620 Israel's enslavement, those who are oppressed, those who need justice for them. God will work for them. 00:10:16.620 --> 00:10:24.759 At the end of Genesis, the people of Israel, the people go to Egypt because there's a famine in the 00:10:24.759 --> 00:10:31.580 land. So they go to Egypt. And then in the beginning of the book of Exodus, the people become enslaved by 00:10:31.580 --> 00:10:36.680 the people of Egypt because the Pharaoh who was protecting them has died, and the new heirs have come 00:10:36.679 --> 00:10:43.099 through. So they are enslaved people. They are people who are oppressed. They are people who need 00:10:43.099 --> 00:10:50.419 justice for them. And David is reflecting on this as he writes. He's reflecting on the great history 00:10:50.419 --> 00:10:58.699 of his people. And then in verse 7, it says, he made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of 00:10:58.699 --> 00:11:05.139 Israel. So this is David also reflecting on God working in time, God working in history. 00:11:05.139 --> 00:11:12.939 He's reflecting on the plagues of Egypt, the plagues that God does to get his people out of Egypt, 00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:19.539 to rescue them, to rescue those who are oppressed. And then he's also reflecting on the people in the 00:11:19.539 --> 00:11:25.840 wilderness of the miracles, working that God works miracles, that he feeds his people. He looks after 00:11:25.840 --> 00:11:33.159 them. And then he's reflecting on also Moses on Mount Sinai, where God gives the law, the Ten Commandments. 00:11:33.159 --> 00:11:42.299 See, God that David is reflecting on, the God of the Bible, is a God who works in history. He's not a God 00:11:42.299 --> 00:11:49.039 who works outside of history. He works within history. And then the verse 8, he says, the Lord is merciful 00:11:49.039 --> 00:11:58.159 and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love. Again, David is reflecting on God working in 00:11:58.159 --> 00:12:09.419 history. And this verse is basically verbatim of what it says in Exodus chapter 34, verse 6. And this is 00:12:09.419 --> 00:12:15.259 right after the golden calf has happened, when the people of Israel were waiting on Moses to come down 00:12:15.259 --> 00:12:21.740 from the Mount of Sinai. They become lost, they almost become bored, and they're like, we need someone to 00:12:21.740 --> 00:12:26.680 worship. We need something to worship. And they end up making a golden calf, and they start worshiping 00:12:26.680 --> 00:12:33.320 that. And then God gets angry, but Moses prays for them. And then this is where verse 8 comes in, where 00:12:33.320 --> 00:12:39.240 the Lord is merciful. The Lord did not inflict wrath upon them. He was merciful and gracious, slow to anger, 00:12:40.019 --> 00:12:44.680 and abounding in steadfast love. See, no other religion, 00:12:44.679 --> 00:12:49.099 no other mindset, no other ideology can say 00:12:49.099 --> 00:12:52.000 their God has worked in history. 00:12:52.959 --> 00:12:56.379 I had the great pleasure of going to Ryle Seminary here, which 00:12:56.379 --> 00:13:01.739 Church of Messiah runs with other churches. And that's the thing that really stood out to me 00:13:01.739 --> 00:13:05.919 as I went through seminary, is that we are able to study 00:13:05.919 --> 00:13:09.259 a God who works in history. 00:13:09.620 --> 00:13:12.599 This isn't a God that's on the outside of history. 00:13:12.600 --> 00:13:18.800 This is a God that comes into time and reveals himself to man, to humanity. 00:13:19.560 --> 00:13:20.659 It's a great truth. 00:13:21.399 --> 00:13:24.100 So here we see David showing us who to worship. 00:13:24.540 --> 00:13:27.820 A historical God who makes a covenant with his people. 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:31.980 But David also shows us something else about this God. 00:13:32.620 --> 00:13:36.440 And we're going to look at that now in verses 11 to 14. 00:13:36.759 --> 00:13:37.600 Let's look at it. 00:13:37.600 --> 00:14:07.320 See, I just want to acknowledge first and foremost, 00:14:07.320 --> 00:14:11.720 before we talk about this, is that, and I fall into this category. 00:14:12.340 --> 00:14:15.820 There's people here who haven't had really great dads growing up. 00:14:16.260 --> 00:14:20.460 And I know when God is referred to as the father, 00:14:20.760 --> 00:14:25.940 it can really make you remember some bad memories that you have in the past. 00:14:26.300 --> 00:14:29.920 But this text shows us something that's so great about this father. 00:14:30.220 --> 00:14:31.240 And we're going to look at it. 00:14:31.240 --> 00:14:36.620 So verses 11 and 12, David is writing, and he uses an illustration here. 00:14:37.159 --> 00:14:42.060 What he's saying is that this love of the father is so high, so vast. 00:14:42.120 --> 00:14:45.480 It's like when you're riding an airplane, and you're up in the clouds, 00:14:45.539 --> 00:14:48.039 and you look out the window, and you remark to yourself, 00:14:48.060 --> 00:14:49.659 you think to yourself, like, wow, I'm really high. 00:14:50.080 --> 00:14:51.680 God is higher than that. 00:14:51.679 --> 00:14:58.459 Or here, David also says how vast he is, how vast God is. 00:14:59.199 --> 00:15:02.959 He says that as far as the east and from the west, 00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:06.419 this is showing God's great love. 00:15:06.579 --> 00:15:09.399 You think about if you're driving across Canada and you're in Saskatchewan, 00:15:09.459 --> 00:15:11.479 how vast it is, how you can see forever. 00:15:12.500 --> 00:15:14.939 God's love is greater than that. 00:15:15.639 --> 00:15:18.699 The father's love is endlessly vast. 00:15:18.700 --> 00:15:23.860 Because in verses 13 and 14, it shows the father. 00:15:24.640 --> 00:15:26.780 And there's no father like this. 00:15:27.100 --> 00:15:27.960 There's no father. 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:29.759 You may have had a bad father. 00:15:30.400 --> 00:15:31.660 This is not a bad father. 00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:35.120 This is a great, loving, endlessly loving father. 00:15:37.020 --> 00:15:41.100 Myself and Amy, we now have a five-month-old baby. 00:15:41.879 --> 00:15:44.400 And when I look at him, I feel a great sense of pride, 00:15:44.660 --> 00:15:45.680 a great sense of love. 00:15:46.379 --> 00:15:48.180 But it doesn't come close. 00:15:48.700 --> 00:15:55.420 To the love that the father feels for those who put their faith and trust in Christ. 00:15:56.220 --> 00:16:01.180 Because the father, this father, knows us so greatly. 00:16:01.900 --> 00:16:04.660 In Psalm 139, I preached on that last week. 00:16:05.560 --> 00:16:08.820 David is also writing about how great God is 00:16:08.820 --> 00:16:11.620 and how his omniscience, how he knows everything, 00:16:12.260 --> 00:16:14.900 and his omnipresence, how he's always present with us. 00:16:15.379 --> 00:16:19.560 Because this God, the father, knows every thought about us. 00:16:20.180 --> 00:16:21.860 Is always with us. 00:16:21.860 --> 00:16:26.140 Even in those moments where it feels so dark, so gloom, 00:16:26.860 --> 00:16:30.760 that's so terrible, that you feel like you can't carry on in life. 00:16:30.759 --> 00:16:35.240 This father is with you, is with us. 00:16:36.439 --> 00:16:38.059 David writes about this. 00:16:38.139 --> 00:16:40.539 But he still chooses to love us. 00:16:41.379 --> 00:16:42.580 He's the creator. 00:16:43.139 --> 00:16:46.500 Because David also reveals that, reflects on this God. 00:16:46.740 --> 00:16:48.019 And he calls him the king. 00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:49.980 In verse 19, it says, 00:16:49.980 --> 00:17:01.779 See, he reveals him also as the God who is the great king of the universe. 00:17:02.039 --> 00:17:05.240 All other kingdoms will fall under this God. 00:17:05.420 --> 00:17:09.059 No other kingdom rises above this God, this king of the universe. 00:17:10.059 --> 00:17:13.819 See, you can either worship a distant God on the outside, 00:17:14.099 --> 00:17:16.279 who appears to be on the outside of time, 00:17:16.279 --> 00:17:19.180 who actually ends up enslaving his people. 00:17:19.759 --> 00:17:22.160 Or you can either worship the God of self, 00:17:22.339 --> 00:17:25.319 of trying to accumulate material, 00:17:25.740 --> 00:17:27.740 to make your perfect image of yourself, 00:17:27.839 --> 00:17:29.180 whether in person or online. 00:17:29.899 --> 00:17:33.740 Or you can worship the God who reveals himself in history, 00:17:34.220 --> 00:17:35.859 makes a covenant with his people, 00:17:36.119 --> 00:17:38.319 who reveals himself as a loving father, 00:17:38.460 --> 00:17:40.339 who is the king of the universe. 00:17:41.619 --> 00:17:42.740 But you might be thinking, 00:17:42.920 --> 00:17:44.319 Why should I worship this God? 00:17:44.759 --> 00:17:46.139 What does this have to do with me? 00:17:47.139 --> 00:17:48.879 Point two, why to worship? 00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:52.579 We're going to look at verses 15 and 18 for this point, 00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:53.759 where it says, 00:17:54.399 --> 00:17:57.759 As for man, his days are like grass. 00:17:58.059 --> 00:18:00.399 He flourishes like a flower of the field, 00:18:00.660 --> 00:18:03.420 for the wind passes over it and it is gone, 00:18:03.980 --> 00:18:05.740 and its place knows it no more. 00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:08.599 But the steadfast love of the Lord 00:18:08.599 --> 00:18:11.099 is from everlasting to everlasting 00:18:11.099 --> 00:18:12.799 on those who fear him, 00:18:13.420 --> 00:18:15.980 and his righteousness to children's children. 00:18:16.279 --> 00:18:19.200 To those who keep his covenant 00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:21.440 and remember to do his commandments. 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:26.779 See, man dies. 00:18:27.319 --> 00:18:29.299 Humanity, everyone, all of us here 00:18:29.299 --> 00:18:32.180 will die someday unless Jesus returns first. 00:18:32.180 --> 00:18:35.039 But it says here that God, 00:18:35.320 --> 00:18:36.480 the historical God, 00:18:36.480 --> 00:18:37.440 the covenantal God, 00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:38.460 the father God, 00:18:38.620 --> 00:18:39.900 the king of the universe, 00:18:40.100 --> 00:18:42.980 is from everlasting to everlasting. 00:18:42.980 --> 00:18:46.360 One commentator on this part of the text 00:18:46.360 --> 00:18:50.220 uses an illustration to describe humanity as this. 00:18:50.579 --> 00:18:53.420 It's like humanity is like a bird that flies in the air. 00:18:53.880 --> 00:18:55.019 You see it pass by, 00:18:55.120 --> 00:18:56.599 but there's no track of it, 00:18:56.640 --> 00:18:57.799 no trail that it leaves. 00:18:57.799 --> 00:19:00.220 Or you see a boat in the sea 00:19:00.220 --> 00:19:03.039 as it leaves port and goes out into the sea. 00:19:03.259 --> 00:19:06.420 There is no trace of it after it's gone. 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:07.140 There's nothing. 00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:09.340 Humans, when they die, 00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:10.700 they leave nothing. 00:19:11.660 --> 00:19:13.280 But this also shows 00:19:13.280 --> 00:19:14.580 that humans, 00:19:14.740 --> 00:19:16.620 because God is everlasting to everlasting, 00:19:16.900 --> 00:19:18.160 are eternal beings. 00:19:18.259 --> 00:19:19.400 We are eternal beings, 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:21.280 even though we face death. 00:19:22.740 --> 00:19:23.960 But we see this. 00:19:24.440 --> 00:19:26.140 This shows us we are eternal beings. 00:19:26.140 --> 00:19:29.200 And this shows us also, 00:19:29.400 --> 00:19:30.360 because we are eternal beings 00:19:30.360 --> 00:19:31.340 and because we die, 00:19:32.020 --> 00:19:33.980 when we go back to the book of Genesis again, 00:19:34.060 --> 00:19:35.840 in the first three chapters, 00:19:36.540 --> 00:19:38.580 it shows us the fall of man, 00:19:38.700 --> 00:19:39.600 the fall of humanity, 00:19:40.100 --> 00:19:41.680 where sin enters the world, 00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:44.660 where humanity tries to lift themselves up to God, 00:19:44.920 --> 00:19:47.160 but they just become crushed by it. 00:19:47.700 --> 00:19:48.440 Sin enters in, 00:19:48.500 --> 00:19:50.400 and it actually pushes them away from God. 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:54.140 We need somebody else to stand for us. 00:19:54.140 --> 00:19:56.180 But the thing that's interesting here, 00:19:56.240 --> 00:19:56.940 did you catch it? 00:19:57.280 --> 00:19:59.460 If God reveals himself as a father, 00:20:00.200 --> 00:20:01.780 as the loving father, 00:20:02.440 --> 00:20:05.100 he has to have a child to be a father, right? 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:07.420 See, God has a son, 00:20:08.180 --> 00:20:09.320 and the son is Jesus. 00:20:10.040 --> 00:20:11.520 As you read in the New Testament, 00:20:11.800 --> 00:20:12.920 God sends his son. 00:20:13.360 --> 00:20:17.420 Here we see God entering into history even more, 00:20:17.940 --> 00:20:19.020 becoming a person, 00:20:19.400 --> 00:20:20.440 walking among us, 00:20:20.520 --> 00:20:21.520 walking on this earth, 00:20:21.519 --> 00:20:26.480 to take the sin that we so rightfully have put into the world, 00:20:26.700 --> 00:20:28.500 and the punishment that we deserve. 00:20:28.700 --> 00:20:29.960 He takes it on himself. 00:20:31.400 --> 00:20:34.960 For he goes to the cross for you and for me, 00:20:35.059 --> 00:20:38.079 and for all those who have put their faith and trust in him, 00:20:38.279 --> 00:20:39.720 and he rises again. 00:20:41.019 --> 00:20:42.079 See, in this psalm, 00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:43.960 Owen read it, 00:20:43.960 --> 00:20:45.880 in verses 2 to 5. 00:20:46.500 --> 00:20:48.980 These can only work with Jesus 00:20:48.980 --> 00:20:51.640 in the forefront of our minds. 00:20:52.100 --> 00:20:52.960 Let's look at them. 00:20:53.380 --> 00:20:54.960 Bless the Lord, O my soul, 00:20:55.519 --> 00:20:57.440 and forget not all his benefits, 00:20:57.759 --> 00:20:59.720 who forgives all your iniquity 00:20:59.720 --> 00:21:01.079 and heals your disease, 00:21:01.299 --> 00:21:03.380 who redeems your life from the pit, 00:21:03.720 --> 00:21:06.299 who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 00:21:06.779 --> 00:21:08.680 who satisfies you with good 00:21:08.680 --> 00:21:11.620 so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. 00:21:11.619 --> 00:21:14.139 Now, in Port Perry, 00:21:14.279 --> 00:21:16.639 where I was serving as an assistant pastor, 00:21:16.979 --> 00:21:19.119 I had the great pleasure of getting to know a man 00:21:19.119 --> 00:21:21.059 over the span of the two years I was there, 00:21:21.259 --> 00:21:22.619 and his name was Norman. 00:21:23.399 --> 00:21:26.039 And when I first met this man two years ago, 00:21:26.419 --> 00:21:27.039 this man, 00:21:27.219 --> 00:21:29.659 he was considering doing MAID. 00:21:30.299 --> 00:21:32.399 He was a shut-in in the community. 00:21:33.279 --> 00:21:34.599 He couldn't leave his house. 00:21:35.000 --> 00:21:36.539 And the thing about Norman is that 00:21:36.539 --> 00:21:37.619 at a young age, 00:21:37.619 --> 00:21:41.079 he faced a lot of sickness. 00:21:41.439 --> 00:21:42.759 He faced a lot of disease. 00:21:43.699 --> 00:21:45.259 He was basically blind. 00:21:45.379 --> 00:21:46.739 He could only see, like, blobs, 00:21:46.819 --> 00:21:47.799 the way he described it. 00:21:47.819 --> 00:21:49.219 He couldn't really see my face. 00:21:50.059 --> 00:21:52.279 Everything was going wrong for him his whole life. 00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:55.639 And the reason why he couldn't do MAID 00:21:55.639 --> 00:21:58.039 is because he actually didn't qualify for it 00:21:58.039 --> 00:21:59.619 because he wasn't terminally ill. 00:22:00.039 --> 00:22:02.619 He just dealt with all these sicknesses 00:22:02.619 --> 00:22:06.359 and these things that plagued him his entire life. 00:22:07.039 --> 00:22:07.939 And when you get to know him, 00:22:07.979 --> 00:22:08.819 he was a nice guy, 00:22:09.000 --> 00:22:11.379 but he definitely had a lot of things 00:22:11.379 --> 00:22:12.979 that were going against him. 00:22:13.599 --> 00:22:15.379 But the thing is with him, 00:22:15.539 --> 00:22:16.819 over the two years, 00:22:16.899 --> 00:22:18.459 I got to know him and visit him in the hospital 00:22:18.459 --> 00:22:20.039 when he would go from time to time, 00:22:20.619 --> 00:22:21.959 is that he got curious 00:22:21.959 --> 00:22:24.459 about what it means for me to be a pastor, 00:22:24.519 --> 00:22:25.779 and he started asking about Christianity. 00:22:25.979 --> 00:22:28.619 I never pushed it on him. 00:22:28.679 --> 00:22:29.679 I just wanted to meet with him 00:22:29.679 --> 00:22:30.679 and give him my time. 00:22:30.680 --> 00:22:32.720 And he started getting curious, 00:22:32.940 --> 00:22:34.100 and then over the two years, 00:22:34.900 --> 00:22:36.120 he got more curious. 00:22:36.820 --> 00:22:39.000 And then before we left Port Prairie 00:22:39.000 --> 00:22:39.920 to come back to Ottawa, 00:22:40.279 --> 00:22:41.640 he gave his life to Christ. 00:22:41.820 --> 00:22:44.400 I got to see God do everything in his life. 00:22:44.460 --> 00:22:45.160 I didn't do anything. 00:22:45.720 --> 00:22:46.799 God worked in his life, 00:22:46.880 --> 00:22:48.680 and he gave his life to Christ. 00:22:49.600 --> 00:22:50.519 And then this week, 00:22:50.560 --> 00:22:52.000 when I was driving to a meeting, 00:22:52.220 --> 00:22:52.960 I got a call, 00:22:53.180 --> 00:22:56.279 and then Norman died in his sleep on Tuesday night. 00:22:57.259 --> 00:23:00.620 See, Norman, for this text, 00:23:00.680 --> 00:23:02.560 this text is so real to him right now. 00:23:03.000 --> 00:23:03.960 Because for Norman, 00:23:04.620 --> 00:23:06.080 all his sins are forgiven. 00:23:06.320 --> 00:23:07.279 His iniquity is forgiven. 00:23:08.060 --> 00:23:10.140 His sin is healed. 00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:11.519 His disease is healed. 00:23:11.920 --> 00:23:14.500 His life has been redeemed from the pit of hell. 00:23:15.600 --> 00:23:17.900 He's been crowned with righteousness, 00:23:18.140 --> 00:23:19.700 with the steadfast love and mercy. 00:23:20.140 --> 00:23:22.440 He's been satisfied with the good of Christ. 00:23:23.000 --> 00:23:24.519 And his youth has been renewed. 00:23:25.319 --> 00:23:26.519 See, when you read this text, 00:23:26.559 --> 00:23:27.099 when it says, 00:23:27.740 --> 00:23:29.519 so that your youth is renewed like an eagle, 00:23:30.039 --> 00:23:31.500 what it's talking about here, 00:23:31.539 --> 00:23:32.639 it's not talking about that 00:23:32.639 --> 00:23:33.960 if you start blessing the Lord, 00:23:34.139 --> 00:23:35.339 you're going to start getting young. 00:23:35.539 --> 00:23:36.819 It's not a way to get young. 00:23:37.440 --> 00:23:39.619 What it's talking about here is a resurrection. 00:23:40.279 --> 00:23:42.119 David's talking about a resurrection here, 00:23:42.400 --> 00:23:43.220 new life. 00:23:44.259 --> 00:23:46.220 Norman's experiencing this youth. 00:23:46.220 --> 00:23:50.059 And that same invitation is here for you. 00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:53.059 If you have put your faith and trust in Christ, 00:23:53.519 --> 00:23:55.039 your sins have been forgiven. 00:23:55.339 --> 00:23:56.759 You may experience suffering. 00:23:56.980 --> 00:23:58.740 You may experience hardship in your life. 00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:01.120 But your disease of your heart, 00:24:01.220 --> 00:24:02.799 of the sin that was in it, 00:24:02.860 --> 00:24:03.779 has been healed. 00:24:04.579 --> 00:24:06.200 But our bodies still crumble 00:24:06.200 --> 00:24:08.240 because sin is still in the world 00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:10.039 and we wrestle with the flesh. 00:24:10.039 --> 00:24:14.339 Our sins have been forgiven 00:24:14.339 --> 00:24:17.619 if you put your faith and trust in Christ. 00:24:18.000 --> 00:24:20.759 We see the gospel in verses 2 to 5. 00:24:21.740 --> 00:24:23.200 But you also might be asking, 00:24:23.359 --> 00:24:24.420 well, here's Ice Cat. 00:24:25.159 --> 00:24:26.159 God's historical. 00:24:26.659 --> 00:24:28.200 He's revealed himself in his son. 00:24:28.980 --> 00:24:30.899 But how do I worship this God? 00:24:31.420 --> 00:24:31.799 How? 00:24:32.659 --> 00:24:34.000 If you're here and you put your faith 00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:35.079 and trust in Christ, 00:24:35.359 --> 00:24:36.859 that's the first step. 00:24:37.159 --> 00:24:38.440 That's the only step, really. 00:24:38.440 --> 00:24:40.259 But there's things you need to do 00:24:40.259 --> 00:24:41.180 within your life. 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:43.259 So how do you worship? 00:24:43.640 --> 00:24:44.559 Point 3. 00:24:45.420 --> 00:24:46.920 And we're going to look at verse 1 00:24:46.920 --> 00:24:49.100 where David says, 00:24:49.360 --> 00:24:50.799 Bless the Lord, all my soul, 00:24:51.279 --> 00:24:52.779 and all that is within me. 00:24:53.240 --> 00:24:54.779 Bless his holy name. 00:24:55.880 --> 00:24:56.779 See, here we see 00:24:56.779 --> 00:24:59.160 something that we need to do constantly. 00:24:59.380 --> 00:25:01.259 We need to remind ourselves constantly 00:25:01.259 --> 00:25:02.340 of the great benefits, 00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:03.779 as it says in verse 2, 00:25:04.259 --> 00:25:06.320 of God and what he's done in our life 00:25:06.320 --> 00:25:07.759 through his son, Jesus Christ. 00:25:08.440 --> 00:25:11.100 But to bless God seems so lofty. 00:25:11.220 --> 00:25:12.440 Seems like we shouldn't bless him. 00:25:12.799 --> 00:25:14.460 But what it means by bless, 00:25:14.779 --> 00:25:15.660 bless means worship. 00:25:16.180 --> 00:25:17.740 And we need to worship God 00:25:17.740 --> 00:25:19.200 for his greatness, 00:25:19.640 --> 00:25:20.860 for his reverence, 00:25:21.140 --> 00:25:23.039 for how he's the creator, 00:25:23.180 --> 00:25:23.860 the great king, 00:25:23.940 --> 00:25:25.240 the father of the universe. 00:25:26.160 --> 00:25:27.660 And then when it says soul, 00:25:27.779 --> 00:25:29.140 that means your entire being. 00:25:29.840 --> 00:25:31.799 And then it says all that within me. 00:25:31.920 --> 00:25:33.559 Bless this Lord, all my soul, 00:25:33.700 --> 00:25:34.960 and all that is within me. 00:25:35.059 --> 00:25:36.059 Bless his holy name. 00:25:36.059 --> 00:25:37.599 What it means, 00:25:38.319 --> 00:25:39.500 all that is within me. 00:25:39.720 --> 00:25:41.819 It means your body, 00:25:42.419 --> 00:25:43.159 my heart, 00:25:43.460 --> 00:25:44.259 your will, 00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:45.480 my emotions, 00:25:45.659 --> 00:25:46.519 your affections, 00:25:46.740 --> 00:25:47.579 my feelings, 00:25:47.740 --> 00:25:48.440 your desires. 00:25:49.179 --> 00:25:50.379 Everything needs to be given 00:25:50.379 --> 00:25:51.000 to the Lord. 00:25:51.539 --> 00:25:53.220 And we need to bow our knees 00:25:53.220 --> 00:25:54.539 and worship the Lord. 00:25:55.019 --> 00:25:55.919 Worship Christ. 00:25:56.759 --> 00:25:58.559 But you also do it in another way, 00:25:58.919 --> 00:26:01.240 as David says in verses 11 and 13. 00:26:01.339 --> 00:26:02.159 I'm not going to read it, 00:26:02.160 --> 00:26:03.740 but he talks about the fear. 00:26:04.200 --> 00:26:05.400 We need to worship in fear. 00:26:06.180 --> 00:26:08.779 Now this isn't a father coming home 00:26:08.779 --> 00:26:10.600 to punish his naughty boy 00:26:10.600 --> 00:26:11.560 or his naughty daughter. 00:26:12.259 --> 00:26:13.120 What it is, 00:26:13.519 --> 00:26:15.200 is that we fear the Lord 00:26:15.200 --> 00:26:17.600 in the sense of this great reverence, 00:26:18.340 --> 00:26:20.680 that this all-powerful being 00:26:20.680 --> 00:26:22.920 who knows us so deeply, 00:26:23.400 --> 00:26:25.340 who's such an intimately close God, 00:26:25.940 --> 00:26:27.360 is with us in our life. 00:26:27.879 --> 00:26:29.779 That we fear him in that sense. 00:26:29.859 --> 00:26:31.379 Not in the sense where we cower, 00:26:31.939 --> 00:26:33.259 but in a sense of like, 00:26:33.599 --> 00:26:35.319 Lord, I give my life to you 00:26:35.319 --> 00:26:36.559 because you are so great. 00:26:37.559 --> 00:26:38.759 Worship in reverence. 00:26:39.399 --> 00:26:40.379 We worship him 00:26:40.379 --> 00:26:41.599 because he gave his son. 00:26:41.899 --> 00:26:42.659 We worship him 00:26:42.659 --> 00:26:43.859 because he created the universe. 00:26:46.039 --> 00:26:47.699 And then there's the last sense 00:26:47.699 --> 00:26:49.359 of this great psalm 00:26:49.359 --> 00:26:51.039 that we should meditate on constantly. 00:26:52.259 --> 00:26:53.479 In the end of the psalm, 00:26:53.619 --> 00:26:54.679 the way the psalm is written, 00:26:54.859 --> 00:26:55.859 the way David writes it, 00:26:55.919 --> 00:26:57.059 is that it starts personal. 00:26:57.359 --> 00:26:59.240 In verses 1 to 5. 00:27:00.099 --> 00:27:01.519 And then it moves on 00:27:01.519 --> 00:27:04.079 to the people of God, 00:27:04.199 --> 00:27:04.719 the church, 00:27:05.019 --> 00:27:06.539 in verses 6 to 19. 00:27:07.559 --> 00:27:09.039 And then it moves on 00:27:09.039 --> 00:27:11.299 to all of the universe creation 00:27:11.299 --> 00:27:13.599 in the next verses of 20 to 22. 00:27:14.299 --> 00:27:15.859 When it says this, 00:27:16.740 --> 00:27:17.559 or yeah, 2022, 00:27:17.879 --> 00:27:18.799 Bless the Lord, 00:27:19.240 --> 00:27:20.539 all you his angels, 00:27:21.059 --> 00:27:23.240 you mighty ones who do his word, 00:27:23.599 --> 00:27:25.839 obeying the voice of the word. 00:27:26.459 --> 00:27:27.099 Bless the Lord, 00:27:27.179 --> 00:27:27.919 all his hosts, 00:27:28.299 --> 00:27:29.059 all his ministers, 00:27:29.259 --> 00:27:30.159 who do his will. 00:27:30.799 --> 00:27:31.500 Bless the Lord, 00:27:31.619 --> 00:27:32.559 all his works, 00:27:32.679 --> 00:27:34.299 in all places of his dominion. 00:27:34.740 --> 00:27:35.439 Bless the Lord, 00:27:35.959 --> 00:27:36.839 all my soul. 00:27:38.240 --> 00:27:39.819 See, this is the only God. 00:27:39.959 --> 00:27:40.720 This is the God 00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:41.839 who should be worshipped. 00:27:42.000 --> 00:27:43.000 This is the God 00:27:43.000 --> 00:27:44.899 that when you put your faith 00:27:44.899 --> 00:27:45.839 and trust in Christ, 00:27:45.919 --> 00:27:46.659 you will stand 00:27:46.659 --> 00:27:48.240 with the entire universe, 00:27:48.799 --> 00:27:49.959 worshipping him 00:27:49.960 --> 00:27:52.079 at the end of time, 00:27:52.120 --> 00:27:53.380 when Jesus returns. 00:27:54.079 --> 00:27:55.220 This is the God 00:27:55.220 --> 00:27:56.779 where we can gather together 00:27:56.779 --> 00:27:58.519 as a community of believers 00:27:58.519 --> 00:28:00.660 and bless the Lord 00:28:00.660 --> 00:28:01.700 and worship him. 00:28:02.059 --> 00:28:03.660 But we are only here 00:28:03.660 --> 00:28:04.860 because of his son 00:28:04.860 --> 00:28:06.019 and his work 00:28:06.019 --> 00:28:07.279 that he did on the cross. 00:28:07.500 --> 00:28:08.759 And we get to bless him. 00:28:08.840 --> 00:28:10.840 We get to worship him for that. 00:28:11.079 --> 00:28:11.980 And we get to have 00:28:11.980 --> 00:28:13.000 this father figure 00:28:13.000 --> 00:28:15.000 who is so close to us, 00:28:15.180 --> 00:28:17.019 who has given his son for us. 00:28:17.779 --> 00:28:18.460 And let's pray. 00:28:19.920 --> 00:28:20.839 Heavenly Father, 00:28:21.420 --> 00:28:22.720 we thank you 00:28:22.720 --> 00:28:24.720 for sending your son 00:28:24.720 --> 00:28:25.440 into the world. 00:28:25.879 --> 00:28:26.839 We thank you 00:28:26.839 --> 00:28:29.700 that you have revealed yourself 00:28:29.700 --> 00:28:31.759 as a God 00:28:31.759 --> 00:28:33.319 who works within our history, 00:28:33.859 --> 00:28:34.720 who is a God 00:28:34.720 --> 00:28:37.839 who is not on the outskirts of time, 00:28:38.180 --> 00:28:40.059 but we can tangibly see you 00:28:40.059 --> 00:28:41.879 working through our time. 00:28:42.720 --> 00:28:43.079 And Lord, 00:28:43.160 --> 00:28:43.759 we give you thanks 00:28:43.759 --> 00:28:44.579 and praise for that. 00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:45.200 Father, 00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:47.180 continually remind us 00:28:47.180 --> 00:28:48.140 of the great things 00:28:48.140 --> 00:28:49.120 you've done for us 00:28:49.120 --> 00:28:49.960 through your son. 00:28:50.480 --> 00:28:51.360 Please pour out 00:28:51.360 --> 00:28:52.640 your Holy Spirit upon us. 00:28:52.960 --> 00:28:53.740 In Jesus' name. 00:28:54.160 --> 00:28:54.500 Amen.