This is My Father’s World
Notes
Transcript
More and more I am seeing the necessity of bringing the hymns back. Not the hymnal, but the hymns themselves.
An area missing in many churches today is the use of hymns.
Churches wanting to be considered relevant focus so heavily on contemporary music that they miss the theological teaching of the hymns.
There is a balance that needs to take place between hymns and contemporary songs.
You believe what you sing. Some of what we believe is taught in the songs that we sing.
It is so important that some denominations will change the words of the hymns to fit their theology.
In the next 5 weeks I want to focus on 5 hymns, talk about the words, the authors, and what they remind us.
Today’s hymn we just sang: This is My Father’s World.
Singing this hymns took me to this passage: Psalm 8:1-9
1 Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, You who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
2 From the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have established strength Because of Your enemies, To do away with the enemy and the revengeful.
3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have set in place;
4 What is man that You think of him, And a son of man that You are concerned about him?
5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!
6 You have him rule over the works of Your hands; You have put everything under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen, And also the animals of the field,
8 The birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
9 Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!
Are you ready for the message God has for us today?
Cool let’s dig in
Maltbie Davenport Babcock
Maltbie Davenport Babcock
He is the author of the hymn.
He was born in Syracuse NY., on August 3, 1858.
He died in Naples Italy May 18, 1901.
He was pastor of the First Presbeteryian Church in Lockport New York.
One of the things Maltbie enjoyed was hiking in the hills out side of Lockport.
Lockport is located between Lake Eire and Lake Ontario. Not far from Niagara Falls.
When leaving for hikes he would tell his secretary, “I’m going out to see my Father’s world.”
It would be during this ministry that Maltbie would write a sixteen stanza poem which would supply the words for the hymn we sing.
Here are the missing stanzas — Read from Poem
I found some quotes from Pastor Babcock that I found interesting:
“Salvation is not putting a man into heaven, but putting heaven into a man.”
“Better to lose count while naming your blessings, than to lose your blessings to counting your troubles.”
Maltbie Babcock was given a gift of pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
While enroute he fell ill with a deadly bacterial fever and died at the International Hospital in Naples Italy on May 18, 1901.
He never lived to see any of writings published.
His wife complied his writings into a book entitled: “Thoughts for Everyday Living,” published in 1901.
This included the poem, he never lived to hear his poem put to music.
What the song teaches and reminds us
What the song teaches and reminds us
The words of this song come to my mind soften.
It is a song memorized and carried in my heart.
“This is my Father’s World.”
Think about those words in light of the Psalm which we read — we begin to look into creation.
1 The heavens tell of the glory of God; And their expanse declares the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard.
4 Their line has gone out into all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is like a groom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices like a strong person to run his course.
6 Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
What is the most wondrous thing you have seen in our Father’s world?
The Northern lights? — picture
The Orion Nebula — picture
South of Orion’s belt and the middle of Orion’s sword.
It is visible to the naked eye
A Cluster of galaxies — Picture
In the song, we are reminded that nature sings — the cosmos sings, plants, animals, and us sing to God.
That nebula I showed you gives off sound.
We are also reminded that we live under the sovereignty of God.
The great philosophical question — If God is good why is there evil?
God isn’t the problem people are.
Evil is in the world because people make bad choices. Have from the very beginning.
Read the third verse of the song!
Conclusion:
Another appropriate passage: Romans 1:19-20
19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
This song teaches and reminds to look at creation.
To look outside ourselves.
The song teaches us go on a hike and see our Father’s world!
The reminders that God has left us are so powerful!
Just a quick look should remind us that This IS Our Father’s World!
What are you going to do based upon what God has said today?
