He Has Done It

We're doing things a little differently this morning as Aaron shared. We're coming now to a time in the word or our sermon times. Sometimes we we we think it's really valuable to spend time in the word and then still have a big time of worship following that because sometimes you're in the word for a while and you think what I want to I want to worship even more now, I want to spend some more time singing. So we've rearranged the service a little bit this morning in that regard it we're finishing up a series this summer. We've been talking about the word of God and its potential impact in power in our lives and how we can accommodate its I want to begin by talking about words a little bit, but I want to share a joke that a comedian shared. Okay. He said that I'm constantly amazed at how different my twin daughters are Lisa is so much more positive and confident than her sister hog face.

Now I read that a friend sent that to me and I laughed out loud when I read that on my computer. I thought that is hilarious and it really does to the reality that words are powerful that they can make a big impact in our lives and on us may see if I can get my clicker working appropriately. It's user error. I have powered on to get it to work. There we go words are powerful and they make a big impact in our life, whether they're intended for ill or for good weather there big words or small words words are powerful in our lives. I told this before but I still remember when I was about 15 and my dad was trying to teach me to drive a stick shift with no lessons at all. He just said getting getting the truck. We had a truck at the house that had a stick shift that we never had except that week one was there and we drove down the street and I was trying to drive and I drove off into a ditch and he got so mad he got up and he said you can't do anything right and walked home. And I just I just mailed that down in my heart as reality because my dad had spoken those words it took me years to feel confident. I can do that especially in regard to driving or something like that. I told you this before two but one of the experiences that started turning that around was with a man I met name Dean Mathis who you know, he was the campus Minister when I was a freshman in college you led me to the Lord but one time we were prepping for a big event and making things and he tossed me the keys to his car so they go get us all burgers and I remember crying as I drove to McDonalds because an adult man had trusted me in a vehicle. Isn't insane how how powerful words on our life and this is a whole other sermon. That's what that w o s means there. And so hold me to 15 seconds right here. Okay. This is a hole that relationships are so related to The Power of Words and it's because my dad said that that impacted in that way because Dean was a man. I respected the way he treated me already when I saw him treat others made his words impactful on me some or seeing a Proverbs 27:6 says the wounds of a friend are faithful. So the relationship to make hard words even a gift to us at times because of the relationship that here's a whole other some of that I could preach. Does that say anything to the church about evangelism. We've got to stop inviting people to programs and events and start inviting them to relationships with Christ through us. Relationships are what make the words powerful and so often we want them just to be powerful with no context of Love or service or relationship now, I'll preach that another Sunday. Okay. So back on the theme of words are powerful in our lives. I read this amazing story that the native Australians I burn injuries. This is an amazing store in a store in San Diego was teaching a group of professors all phds Americans and she said to them would you all stand up and close your eyes and point Southeast and she did that. It was the same thing that would happen here. If I did the same thing and In This Crowd everybody pointed in different directions, there was no sense whatsoever. She had done the same experiment with six year old girls from Australia and guess what every single one of them got it, correct? Funny these native girls from Australia the indigenous people in Australia, they understood immediately how to do that and these phds here in America could not get it right at all. The reality is when those children are raised as natives in Australia. They never use the word left or right. They never say get that thing to the right if you were what's the name of the child to the left of you? They always use directional language that that thing to the South that thing to the east of person to the north of you. That's just their language from the beginning you realize that's a window on the reality that language in words that we use shape what were able to do They make some things more possible for us and other things less possible for us in that amazing. So the language we used here and all those professors with all their studying and education the language they do is they still could not pick that direction and these little six-year-old boys and girls could immediately do that because of the words in the language. They've been raised with listen words can equip us. To be able to do some things and the wrong words can keep us from being able to do some things scripture speaks to this reality. All scripture. Paul says is inspired by God and is useful for teaching for reproof for correction and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient equipped for every good work is a part of what we've been talking about. We study the word of God and we study it as good and faithful student. We handle it correctly. We do the work of studying it so that we can understand it accurately so that we can obey it accurately still that our lives can be changed because the word of God is it just a powerful word? It's reality. It's the truth. And when we adjust our lives to that are light-skinned flourish, we are blessed we can if we are saturated with the word of God it equips us to do things. We could not otherwise do and if we are saturated with the wrong narratives and the wrong words, then we will be prevented from doing some things that we need to do. And so words are powerful in our life and most of all the word of God in our life scripture or en sus to reality to the truth. If we believe the word of God is the word of God the one who created everything including us the one who redeems us in one day will come and call all of this world to an end and start having if we believe that truth then this is easy to believe that scripture orient's us to reality to the truth to self the truth about you me good evil. Love hate forgiveness righteousness. God the universe the word of God, it's this is it's this deep Reservoir. We have in order to thrive and to do good. It's designed to help us or in our lives to the truth. And when we were in our life to the truth, we are set free, right Jesus said if you know the truth the truth will set you free. He meant that in both a theological reality of who he is, but also I believe in a very practical reality. We align our lives with the word of God and what it reveals about everything. Like I said good evil right wrong righteousness forgiveness, when we align ourselves through scripture. We are set free by aligning ourselves with the truth about reality in the universe. It's words. The word of God is powerful. It advances Eternal good in our lives in the world. And in the universe, that's what God is about. He's about transforming us into christlikeness helping our lives to be aligned with the truth so that we can be this force in the universe for good. That's what time is he's talking about. The word of God is design not Needlepoint and hang up and worship is designed for us to take him to our hearts and our eyes and to believe and the Schaefer lines around it so that we are different people so that we can invite people to a relationship with Christ through us because we're christ-like and crisis living in us and we can actually become a window on the character of God to others as we invite them to know us and therefore know him as we introduce them to him in a relationship with him God's desire is to change us at The Forum us so that we Thrive and we have lights that are based on the reality of the universe based on truth so that we're not not it up with bitterness or unforgiveness in a relationship or we're not knotted up with anxiety about how we're going to get enough money or making up things or or look a certain way. He wants to free us from those false narrative and have us live in the truth and the Blessed ourselves and be a force of blessing to others as we bring light Into Darkness as we bring truth to Bear against faucet. God wants to use To do that as He blesses Our Lives, sometimes we fall for the adversaries lies and try to live out a false narrative. We talked a little bit about this last week. So I don't want to camp here too long, but we can buy a new consumerism Hedonism naturalism, you know consumerism says that that stuff is the meaning of life. And before we know it we live our lives out of that reality. So we worry constantly do I have enough money do I have enough retirement? I even thinking North American Christian Lee we kind of idolize finances in retirement and security. Their whole Industries men that live in million dollar homes make their money off telling you this is the most important thing in life. Make sure you've got your finances in order now. Look having your finances in order is a good thing but it is not the ultimate thing. Jesus had no place to lay his head. He would have failed. This gentleman's course. He'd be considered a big loser. You got how much in your savings nothing. How much is your house worth? I'll have lice. Lay my head. What about you? No extra this the rainy day that Jesus prophesied the father brings the rain down on the righteous and the unrighteous. I'm I'm happy to put it on him to see how even the false narrative seem to make sense and seem to be good and why wouldn't I do that so we can slip in the consumers if we can slip in the hidden isn't it says the meaning of life is about pleasure and experiences. And so we need bigger vacations. We need bigger experiences. We need these things in order to satisfy against some of those things are good. I'm not saying they're bad, but when they become ultimate when they become the substance of meaning of Our Lives, then they become a danger think we can slip in and naturalism. There's nothing in this world, but what we see and what we experience naturally, there's no other thing. So go for all the Gusto ultimately there's no morals. There's no value. There's no sacredness to anything we can slip into those false lies. It's interesting. I read in the Hebrew the phrase by the sweat of your brow when when Humanity's sinned against God and rejected God and send and lost their place in the garden and they were cast out and it said now you'll earn your living by the sweat of your brow. I've always understood that the means by physical labor. That was the change we had it easy before that. But now we said of just sitting around having animals bring this fruit, I guess before that time. We have to work with the work the brown until the ground by the sweat of your brow, but I found out that's not what that phrase means. This is one of the rewards of being a nerd and a case of saying I'm going to I'm going to research and not just read it is interesting. I was listening to lectures by a scholar on the Hebrew a Christian woman who's a fantastic scholar so is a wonderful series of lectures and she's doing this little tidbit that in the ancient time that Praise really had to do with anxiety not physical labor. It's the sweat of your brow of anxiety. And I thought how true. Is that even today? How many of us worry worry? What's the doctor going to tell me don't have enough money in my savings account. What's the future hold? Am I on my kids going to get a good degree? Are they going to get a good job is my marriage going to survive. Am I going to do this? We we just can be eat up with anxiety. And that's the product of that false Narrative of stepping away from what God is inviting us to live our life on base our life on the truth and it said buying in one of those false narrative when we do that really we are eliminating the context of the truth. Cuz the big picture context is what we're created or fallen or loved. We're redeemed and those false narrative say let's just push that context of reality away and let's live full of anxiety as if we're alone in this world. And if and if you even preacher say it, right if it's going to be it's up to me. bologna We are not alone in this world and we have this God who loves us and care for us here first and his is longing for us to know the truth and to be set free is longing for us to to study his word in order to know the truth to live Fuller life that are blessed and therefore a blessing to others. He's not saying you better study the Bible cuz that'll make you good enough to get in heaven. He's paid the price already. He's provided. He sang study the word be students of the word because it's this roadmap of reality. It will open up your life to such a blessing when you line up with that truth.

We take scripture out of context by removing it from its hole God's truth to us C and when we do that, I think about this the way we interact or scripture. Sometimes we treat it like a tool. Like I just said something that we take what I need to memorize scripture it again memorizing scripture is good. Don't miss hear me but when it becomes the essence of this logic that says, I need to memorize scripture in order to be a good Christian in order to please God in order to get in heaven. Then we slipped into this wrong Dynamics where scripture is this tool were using to get our way or we just get overwhelmed and becomes a mystery for becomes this burden to us when God has designed it to be this map of reality this truth that frees us. So when we look at the scripture we shouldn't be like well, it's not supposed to memorize how many verses so John 11:35. Boom. Now that you know, Jesus, well, you know or read so many chapters go to Psalm 117. If you want to say I read 30 chapters of scripture. You can read Psalm 117 38 * probably before I finished preaching with he's sometimes we slip into using scripture like it's this sort of cool to use to gain our ends or we take it out of context and it's all a fortune cookie and we like well, I'll pull this verse out of context and I'll just and we don't leave in the context of the word of God. The description the map of reality and when we pull it out of that context really the reality is we make ourselves The Authority contact understanding the part within the whole is power field. It understands the part within which the reality of grew out of it. So we need to understand scripture as the word of God as a map of reality. That's a big picture context of what scriptures we didn't understand it that way so that we base our lives on that. Look at what scripture says about itself in about the word of God in the beginning were told there was nothing and science if you love science confirms that today right in the beginning there was nothing that's what scripture says formless and void. Nothing now science says out of nothing King nothing just suddenly something was there and something happened and that something happened over such a long enough period of time that he got so complex Then before, you know it we had VCRs buttons and things like that scripture says yes, there was nothing and that in that nothing God spoke. And his word created reality. He said let there be light and there was like he said let there be a firmament and land and there was land he spoke reality into existence in John 1. We're told that Jesus is the word of God that Essence that truth of God's and he's become human flesh to be among us to teach us in James 1. We're told that God wants to recreate us as a fallen people through his work. So the same way the word of God speaks into the darkness of the Abyss in Genesis 1 and creates life and creates something we're told and James one that God will use his word to recreate us to speak into hearts that have fallen away from parts that have slipped into these false narrative. If we go to his word we can let him recreate our hearts recreate our convictions our worldviews the way we live life the way we see everything God Jesus love righteousness forgiveness. And if we let God give us the gift of that truth of his word, Will transform Our Lives Jesus life was a product of that whole context of knowing loving and trusting God in his word. He's the example for us. What would it look like if someone was in The Flash like you and I and yet they trusted God completely and they lived based on his truth his word completely if they structured their life that way what if win-win encountered someone who hated them. They said father forgive them for they know not what they do. What if when they were challenged to say all the salads important? You can't do that on a Sabbath they spoke authoritatively. You've misunderstood the salmon man wasn't made for the Sabbath Sabbath was made for man. Jesus modeled for us. Someone who knew and understood the whole counsel of God's character in his word and lived his life that way and it's a model we desperately need because again, we live in a world where the adversary constantly Whispers to us these false narratives. You've got to look out for number one, you're alone. You've got to take care of yourself. Even if it means trampling over someone else you can't be vulnerable. You can't let other people hurt you. There is no forgiveness. You got to hold that Grudge all these falsehoods that tear up our hearts and our minds and our life. Jesus is begging say trust me. Give over to the truth and the truth will set you free the truth that God offers his complete forgiveness to you. And I threw the work of Christ and that we can accept that forgiveness and knowing that complete forgiveness can transform the way we forgive others. Because the truth is the reality is if I fully Embrace and understand and believe that I've been forgiven of everything. That my unrighteousness has been covered by the righteousness of Christ. Then the step to forgive others the step to be generous and gracious to others out of my own heart is accessible. So much easier so much more doable than just living in a world that's close and that there is no God and that everyone fence for them self. But if we believe the gospel that we've been forgiven through Christ and that changes are very hard Sahar bility to forgive others and to live like Christ. Jesus modeled the deep understanding and Trust of Truth on the cross. I want to close with this but it's not going to be a short closing but this is the whole point of what we're doing. Okay, Jesus models for us what it means to trust God to trust him on the cross. How do we how do we how do we have faith in the midst of the cross in our own life? How do we have faith in the midst of hardship or Challenge and Jesus models that for us on the cross two things. I want to point out here in Matthew 27:46. He says it says in about 3, Jesus cried with a loud voice Eli Eli Lama sabachthani. That is my God my God. Why have you forsaken me? And I've always read that verse as this transparent moment on the cross where Jesus admits the pain the isolation the separation from God the father because he's embracing our sand and it's this dark dark moment. And on one level it is a window into that moment. When Jesus said I feel Forsaken and betrayed

Recently as I am trying to practice what I've been preaching in the sermon series on the word of God. When you look at the hole and not just the part and you realize that Jesus understood scripture and quoted scripture in that sense of the context of the whole this is all about everything we know from Genesis to Revelation. It's all about God the father and his character what we know about him suddenly gives you more insight to what's being said in this and so if you go and read Psalm 22 and read the entire song out of which this is a quote when he says Eli Eli Lama sabachthani my God my God. Why have you forsaken me? He's quoting Psalm 22, and in that culture, they would have understood those who knew the scriptures would have understood to quote that verse is to reference the whole he is a bulking that whole song. We do that in our culture today. We have certain phrases that we intend to evoke more than just that phrase right if I say to somebody are you feeling lucky punk? Some of you know what I'm talkin about. That's a Clint Eastwood line from movie which which devotes more than just those words does vokes. Hey, you're on thin ice. What are you doing? You're about to get in trouble whole thing whole bag. Is that goes with that? I remember if your Seinfeld fan you might know this phrase where Jerry said once good luck with all that now friend of mine and I are both big Seinfeld and that that's that references a whole plot where there's a moment where George said Jerry. I want to Bare my soul to you and he starts talking and it fades out and face back in and Jerry just got these big guys. I just goes good luck with all that and that's kind of our code word with each other that would if we need to confess or can find each other we joke sometimes yeah, good luck with all that. We we understand that concept and that's the way it would have been understood in this context. When Jesus quoted that verse from Psalms 22, they would have understood he's evoking the entire song. So what I want us to do is to read or or rather, maybe listen to Psalm 22 the whole song this morning and understand the context of that verse. Now it's a it's a long song and I would not read it with a skill that's necessary for you guys to listen to the entire song. So we've got an audio of a very skilled gentlemen reading. From a church that I know a very skilled M1 reading this song and so you can look at the screen. There's a lineage of a flame and Open Bible, but the words aren't there. But if you prefer to look at the screen and then listen to this word you can you can open your Bible and go to Psalm 22. He uses the nrsv so it won't match the NIV in your pubic. Don't let that startle you they're both good solid translation. You can follow along that way. If you want we can stare out the window and just listen to those words, but I want you to take in This morning everything that Jesus was calling to mine when from the cross. He said my God my God. Why have you forsaken me?

My God my God. Why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me from the words of my groaning? Oh my God. I Cry by Jay-Z, but you do not answer them by night, but I find no rest. Yeah, you are holy and throw them down on the Praises of Israel and you are ancestors trust. They trusted and you rescued them to you. They cry The Dorsey and use a trusted and we're not put to shame. But I am a worm man's not human scorned by others and despised by the people all who see me. They make malts at me. They shake their heads saying commit your cost of the Lord. Let him say let him rescue the one man who

Get it was you who took me from the womb? You kept me safe on my mother's breast on you. I was cast from my birth. And since my mother bore me you have been my God do not far from me for trouble is near and there is no one to hell. Encircle mean strong Bulls of Bashan surround me they open wide their mouths set me like a ravening a roaring lion. I am poured out like water and all my bones are out of drawings. My heart is like wax is melted within my breast. My miles is dried up like a popsicle and my tongue sticks to my job. You lay me in the dust of death for dogs are all around me a company of evildoers in circles me my hands and feet shrivel. I can count all my bone. They stare and gloat over me. They divided my clothes among themselves for my clothing. They cast lots but you oh Lord do not be far away all my help come quickly to my age save my soul from The Sword my life from the power of the dog save me from the mouth of the Lion. From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued me. I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters in the midst of the congregation. I will praise you fear the Lord praise him all you offspring of Jacob glorify of him all four. He did not despise or abhor the Affliction of The Afflicted you did not hide his face from me but heard when I cried to him. From you comes my praise in the great congregation my vowels. I will pay before those who feed the poor shall eat and be satisfied. Those who seek Him shall praise the Lord may your hearts move forever. all the ends of the Earth shall remember and turn to the Lord and all the families of the Nations shall worship before him for Dominion Belongs to the Lord rules over the nation to him indeed show all who sleep in the earth bow down before him shall bow all who go down to the Dust The I shall look for him posterity will serve him future. Generations will be told about the Lord you will proclaim the Salvation to a people yet unborn has done.

think about those words But on the cross Christ Begins by saying my God my God, why have you forsaken me but he evokes that entire song that ends with god. He has done it. I mean the truth about God and everything else revealed in Jesus is this glorious reality that God has done it that narrative. That truth is untouchable. even by Death

That's the big picture. That's the context. How do you and I carry our own cross on days that we have these cross to bear or season's that ride heavy on our heart. We see this example of Christ that even in the midst of the suffering he acknowledged. It didn't say it wasn't real acknowledged it but none the less. He trusted that ultimately God has done it. Ultimately God has provided that reality will prevail the truth will prevail that even death will not separate us from God, but nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.

And knowing that whole immersing ourself in scripture as a whole trusting God on that sort of level can Empower our lives on a daily basis to walk through our own difficulties or to reach out and love for others to reject false narratives. Not just out of will power to reject them out of the conviction of knowing the truth of spotting the falsehood of knowing they lead us down a path of Ruin when it's dead God invites us to trust in him to know a life that flourishes. In an amazing that even in that song the psalmist is staying in Christ is quoting yet my God my God. Why have you forsaken me but it ends with him saying God has achieved salvation and this will be preached and will be shared to others that your trust in God. Is not foolish that you're trusting God even on the cross even when facing death leads to Resurrection. And a life that is resurrected to forgiveness. restored relationships through a nun Attaching of the tendons of our culture that want to fill us with anxiety about money and appearance and everything else and of the sun we can jerk those things out and live by the truth and no a life that price because we don't live by the sweat of our brow by the anxiety that we're not measuring up or we're not forgiven or we don't have enough or life's going to be too hard instead we can walk in that reality that Christ modeled. Trusting in God's love loving him loving others with abandon with open hands. There I say that politics and money and so many things that just get there tendons into us. just are frail and pale by comparison to the reality of God's love and his direction for us to live a different way. And that's our call. Now the worship team is going to come and lead us. God is certainly worthy of our worship and it's a chance for us to kind of renew that commitment and sing his praises to Proclaim our faith and our belief in him. We're going to have a little more more songs than usual, but then we'll have our communion time and are offering time.