A New Perspective

Before we get started, I have a video to show you. Last week I briefly discussed how we as a church are involved in missions. Well, this morning, I’m going to introduce you to a young lady named Kyrie. Kyrie is a good friend of our family. Many of you don’t know her but she knows you, has been praying for you, and has been to Glastonbury!

A couple of weeks ago, I heard about a missions trip she is going on and asked her to put together a short video to share with us. Here we go!

You may have noticed, Kyrie only asked for prayer. She believes in the power of prayer. She believes God will provide for her needs. She did not ask if our church would give her money, but that we would pray for her (and for the people of Croatia). That being said, I know what type of church you are! You are a generous Kingdom-minded church. So, if the Spirit does prompt you to give towards Kyrie’s missions trip you can:

1) Place that offering in and envelope and write “Kyrie”; or you can…

2) Give online and write “Kyrie” in the message box.

With that, let’s pray for Kyrie and Croatia.

Pray for provision, God’s kingdom to move forward, and specifically about discipleship. We know the Great Commission doesn’t say make converts but make disciples! Pray for healthy relationships and discipleship.

Okay. This morning I’d like to talk about the power of a new perspective. Anyone noticed how a new perspective can change things? We can be stuck in some type of life decision or situation, but a new perspective can bring clarity!

It’s like in the movie Avengers: End Game… just kidding. Not trying to die. My life insurance policy hasn’t been fully processed yet.

Good morning everyone. Happy Cinco de Mayo! Welcome to The River Church. Also, to those watching online for the first time, welcome ! Thanks for checking us out.

But it does remind me of movie. Now, I’m going to throw myself under the bus here… but it makes me think of the movie Pride and Prejudice. Yes, I know. Not your typical manly movie. Furthermore, I’m going to be transparent and say, “I like that movie - specifically the Kiera Knightly version”. Super embarrassing. And not only have I seen Pride and Prejudice, but I’ve seen most, if not all of the versions. Even the parody of it (the one with Zombies - that’s more manly). And, I’ve seen it enough times that I have enough knowledge to use it in my sermon!

To my defense, Janelle is an English Literature major and her favorite author is Jane Austen. So, I watched it to spend time with her - like a good husband! Okay, I may have watched it alone a couple of times...

Before we get started I have a video to show you. Last week I briefly discussed how we as a church are involved in missions. Well, this morning, I’m going to introduce you to a young lady named Kyrie. Kyrie is a good friend of our family. Many of you don’t know her but she knows you, has been praying for you, and has been to Glastonbury!

A couple of weeks ago, I heard about a missions trip she is going on and asked her to put together a short video to share with us. Here we go!

But there comes a point where Darcy expresses his love for her and she doesn’t feel the same way; because of mistakes Darcy has made, but mostly because she misinterprets his actions. Yet, at the end, she gets a new perspective. And she see’s Darcy in a new light and it changes her. They end up marrying and she’s radically in love with him.

Now, as you may have noticed, Kyrie is only asking for prayer. She believes in the power of prayer. She believes God will provide for her needs. She did not ask if our church would give her money but she has asked if we would pray for her (and for the people of Croatia). However, if the Spirit does prompt you to give towards missions trip you can 1) Place that offering in and envelope and write “Kyrie” or you can 2) Give online and write “Kyrie” in the message box. With that, let’s pray for Kyrie and Croatia.

Pray.

Her radical love for him reminds the love King David has for God. David had this radical, overwhelming, obsessive love for God. Let me share one example of where I see this. If you have your Bible/app, turn to . Let’s read verse 4 together...

Okay, well this morning I’d like to talk about the power of a new perspective. Anyone noticed how a new perspective can change things? We can be stuck in some type of life decision or situation, but a new perspective can bring clarity!

It’s like in the movie Avengers: End Game… just kidding. Not trying to die. My life insurance policy hasn’t been fully processed yet.

But it does remind me of movie. Now, I’m going to throw myself under the bus here… but it makes me think of the movie Pride and Prejudice. Yes, I know. Not your typical manly movie. Furthermore, I’m going to be transparent and say, “I like that movie - specifically the Kiera Knightly version). Super embarrassing. And not only have I seen Pride and Prejudice, but I’ve seen most, if not all of the versions, plus the parody of it (the one with Zombies - that’s more manly). And, I’ve seen it enough times that I have enough knowledge to use it in my sermon!

To my defense, Janelle is an English Literature major and her favorite author is Jane Austen. So I watched it to spend time with her - like a good husband! Okay, I may have watched it alone a couple of times...

Anyways, in the book/movie, one of the main characters is Elizabeth Bennett. And she has this complex relationship with another main character named Darcy. In the beginning, they hate each other, but they kinda like each other too. And throughout the story there is this rollercoaster of emotions between the two. But there comes a point where Darcy expresses his love for her, but she doesn’t feel the same way because of mistakes Darcy has made, but mostly because of misinterpreting his actions. Yet, at the end, she gets a new perspective. And she see’s Darcy in a new light and it changes her. They end up marrying and she’s radically in love with him.

Her love for him is very similar to the love King David has for God. It’s this radical, overwhelming, obsessive love for God. Let me share one example of where I see this. If you have your Bible/app, turn to . Let’s read verse 4 together...

Psalm 27:4 ESV

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

ESV

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

Body

I love this verse. It instructs me and it challenges me, because I want to love God like this. It further challenges me because if we read the entire Psalm, we realize David didn’t write this when everything was going good. He wrote this when he was in the fire. When he needed protection. He needed courage. He was surrounded by enemies. He was anxious and having doubts. And yet, when He turned his eyes towards heaven, he got a new perspective. He was consumed BY the love of God and with his love FOR God.

I’m thinking, “I want to love God like that!”

Kyrie video

Look what he says… “One thing I ask!” and “One thing I seek!” That he “would dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life.”

David had his priorities right. For him, one thing took priority over every other thing: God. God was the center of his life. You see this in verse 4. He’s essentially saying, “I want to be in God’s presence all the time. He’s the most important thing to me!”

And if you’re here this morning and find that’s a desire of our own heart, here’s something we should consider: David probably wasn’t born this way. He wasn’t born a radical lover of God. It was something cultivated in him through being taught the Scriptures, him walking in faith and obedience, and through his personal experience with God’s faithfulness.

Because you know what this verse reminds me of?

ESV

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.

Verse four sounds like David obeying in Jesus’ command. Now, you might be thinking, “But Jesus came 1000 years after David!” You’re right.

But about 400 years before David, Moses said:

ESV

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Body

It’s the same thing that Jesus taught. Why do I mention this? Because as awesome as David is, his heart for God developed over time. It was formed by God’s word taught to him. Over time, it developed David’s love for God.

Isn’t that encouraging? Especially to us who feel like we don’t love God the way we should! Getting there involves the word of God being spoken into our life over time. That’s why we teach the Bible here. That’s why we make a big deal about God’s word. And that’s why we encourage everyone to be here each week. It’s a time when we learn to love God together. I want our church to love God. I want us to love God like David.

But our heart is further developed by taking God’s word… THEN believing it (or putting our faith in God), THEN obeying it, and THEN experiencing God’s faithfulness. And repeating the cycle. It’s a process.

Again, I don’t believe David was born with a heart for God. He was born a sinner just like us. It was formed in him. He was taught the Scriptures, and THEN – this is crucial- he believed and obeyed!

All throughout David’s story, the Bible tells us David obeyed God. That’s instructive, right? Because faith without obedience (that leads to action) is not real faith. Isn’t that the heart of James’ words? “So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.”

I love this verse. It instructs me and it challenges me, because I want to love God like this. It further challenges me because if we read the entire Psalm, we realize David didn’t write this when everything was going good. He wrote this when he was in the fire. When he needed protection. He need courage. He was surrounded by enemies. He was anxious and having doubts. And yet, when He turned his eyes towards heaven, his perspective changed. He was consumed BY the love of God and with his love FOR God.

David understood that. He heard God’s word, believed God’s word, AND THEN acted upon God’s word in obedience. So, if I want to love God like David, I got to believe God AND obey.

I want to be like that. I want to love God like that.

And when I do, guess what? I’m going to experience God’s faithfulness. You know why David continued to love God with all His heart? One reason is David experienced God’s faithfulness. God always did what He said He would do! Look at verse 13. David says:

Look what he says… “One thing I ask!” and “One thing I seek!” That he “would dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life.”

ESV

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!

David was a man who had his priorities right. There was one thing that took priority over every other thing: God. God was the center of his life. Here in verse 4, he’s essentially saying, “I want to be in God’s presence all the time.”

And here’s something I think we should consider: David probably wasn’t born this way. It was something cultivated in him through teaching, faith, obedience, and experience.

Why was David so confident about this? Because He experienced God’s faithfulness time and time again. And it strengthened David’s love for God.

Because, you know this verse reminds me of?

Matthew 22:37–38 ESV

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.

Matt 22:

Verse four sounds like David living in Jesus’ command. Now, you might be thinking, “But Jesus did came 1000 years after David!” You’re right.

But about 400 years before David, Moses said:

Deuteronomy 6:5 ESV

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

It’s the same thing that Jesus taught. Why do I mention this? Because as awesome as David is, his heart for God was likely formed by teaching. God’s word was taught to him and formed in him the right priorities. The teaching of God’s word develop David’s love for God. That’s why we teach the Bible here. That’s why we make a big deal about God’s word. It’s how we learn to love God. I want our church to love God. I want us to love God like David. So, we got to get God’s word into us.

But our heart is also developed by taking God’s word, believing it (or putting our faith in God), obeying it, and then experiencing God’s faithfulness.

Again, I don’t believe David was born with a heart for God. He was born a sinner just like us. But He was taught the Scriptures, and then - here’s the important part - he believed it. He believed God. He put his faith in what God says. How do we know? Because his belief lead to obedience. All throughout David’s story, the Bible tells us about the ways David obeyed God. That’s instructive, right? Because faith without obedience (that leads to action) is not real faith. Isn’t that the heart of James’ words?

James 2:17 NLT

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

James 2:17 GW

In the same way, faith by itself is dead if it doesn’t cause you to do any good things.

David heard God’s word, believed God’s word, AND THEN acted upon God’s word in obedience. So, if I want to love God like David, I got to believe God and obey it - act upon it.

And when I do, guess what? I’m going to experience God’s faithfulness. You know why David continued to love God with all His heart? One reason is David experienced God’s faithfulness. God continued to do everything He said He would do! Look at verse 13. David says:

Psalm 27:13 ESV

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!

Why was David so confident about this? It’s because He experienced God’s faithfulness time and time again. And it grew David’s love for God.

I see this happening when David says, “to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and inquire in his temple.” The sense of the passage is David loved to sit and think about all the wonderful deeds of God - His faithfulness. Who He is and what He has done. And David fell in love with God over and over again.

So, I want to be like David. Now, David was far from a perfect man. He made a lot of mistakes and was a sinner like us. But God calls David “a man after his own heart.” I think that means something. One thing it means is we can (and should) look to David for instruction on how to love God. And that’s why I’m challenged and instructed by . I believe it helps me love God.

Problem/New Perspective (Jesus)

I see that process happening when David says, “to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and inquire in his temple.” The sense of the passage is David loved to sit and think about all of God’s wonderful deeds - His faithfulness. Who He is and what He has done. And as he did, he was transformed by the glory of the One he gazed at, falling deeper in love with God over and over again.

So, I want to be like David. Now, David was far from a perfect man. He made a lot of mistakes and was a sinner like us. But God calls David “a man after his own heart.” I think that means something. One thing it means is we can (and should) learn from David on how to love God. And that’s why I’m personally challenged and instructed by . I believe it helps me love God.

Problem/New Perspective (Jesus)

Like many of you, I’ve read this verse many times. I’m probably not sharing anything new with you. But here’s the cool thing about the Bible.

NLT

Like many of you, I’ve read this verse many times. I’m probably not sharing anything new with you. But here’s the cool thing about the Bible.

For the word of God is alive and powerful…

One application of this verse is because the Word of God is alive, it speaks new things into our lives (relevant things), even when we’ve read the passage a thousand times. It’s alive and powerful!

Hebrews 4:12 NLT

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

And as I was reading this familiar verse this week, I got a new perspective ().

One application of this verse is because the Word of God is alive, it speaks new things into our lives (relevant things), even if we’ve read the passage a thousand times in the past. It’s alive and powerful!

You see, I realized this verse taken in historical context, isn’t written to me. It’s a promise written by a king, to a people group, that I don’t belong to. It’s written to the people of Israel, by their king, about their God, 3,000 years ago. And David probably had no intention of this psalm reaching me, being sent out to me, and someone like me reading it. I wasn’t part of his intended audience. If anything, I would need to travel to Jerusalem and become part of THEIR people group to get access to this promise. And as I thought about this, there was a moment of panic and despair. But THEN I thought about something else… I thought about Jesus.

And as I was reading this verse this week, I got a new perspective from this verse.

You see, I realized this verse taken in historical context, isn’t written to me. It’s a promise written by a king, to a people group, that I don’t belong to. It was written to the people of Israel, by their king, about their God. And David probably had no intention of this psalm reaching me, being sent out to me, and someone like me reading it. I wasn’t part of his intended audience. If anything, again in this context, I would need to travel to Jerusalem and become part of THEIR people group to get access to this promise. And as I thought about this, there was a moment of panic and despair. But then I thought about something else… I thought about Jesus.

You see, although the God of Israel has always been the God of all creation, there was a time when His promises were directed to a certain people group. That doesn’t mean He didn’t love the rest of the world, it’s just how He chose to do things. And back then, Israel was called to be a “light to the nations” but not necessarily “sent to the nations.” As an outsider, the way you became part of God’s people was to come and join the Jewish people. But then Jesus, the Messiah (which means Savior), came. However, He wasn’t just the Jewish Savior, He was the Savior of the world! And two things happened because of Jesus:

The promises of God were sent to me! After Jesus died and rose again, He gave His disciples a mission:

Mark 16:15 NLT

And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

All of a sudden, an outsider like me has access to God and His promises! Think about it, we’re on the other side of the world and reading about it.

2. I didn’t just gain access to them, they were made AVAILABLE to me. God could be my God. His promises could be my promises!

And I got a new perspective. Because of Jesus, I have the same right as King David to ask things of God. Because of Jesus, I have the same ability to enjoy God’s presence. To dwell in the house of the Lord forever, to gaze upon His beauty, and inquire in His temple! Me! A sinner and outside like me! Actually, even more than David because on earth, David never experienced the fullness of Christ the way I do now. And all of this is possible, because of Jesus!

And it made me consider with a new perspective, and in a fresh way, how could I not give my whole life to my Lord Jesus Christ.

Because of Jesus...

I’m blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (). I BELONG to the most blessed people on earth.

I, like King David, am safe - even in the hardest times. When my enemies surround me. He is my protector and all of His good promises BELONG to me. Like David, I can trust Him.

Additionally, I always have hope for the future. I can be in the pit of despair, but with God, there is always hope for rescue. He will save me. He will provide for me. He will strengthen me. He will help me.

I WILL dwell in the house of the Lord forever. David was talking about a physical temple, but it pointed to something greater that Jesus brought about. We will one day be with the Lord forever. Because of what Jesus did on the Cross, my eternal destiny is secure, and I will be with Him all the days of my life.

And all though I’ve known all this information before, God gave me a new perspective and it changed everything. I believe this week God drew me a little closer than I was before. And I WANT that because in his presence is the fullness of joy. I believe He wants to offer all of us that this morning...

Response:

As an outsider, the way you became part of God’s people was to come and join the Jewish people. But THEN Jesus, the Messiah (which means Savior), came. But when He came, He wasn’t just the Jewish Savior, He was the Savior of the world! And because of Jesus, two things happened:

1. The promises of God were now sent to me! After Jesus died and rose again, He gave His disciples a mission:

NLT

And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.

All of a sudden, an outsider like me has access to God and His promises! Jesus told his disciples, “I’m sending you to bring this message to everyone!” Think about it that. It worked. Israel is on the other side of the world and yet we’re reading in Connecticut.

2. But I didn’t just gain access to them, they were made AVAILABLE to me. God can be my God. His promises can be my promises!

And it made me consider with a new perspective, and in a fresh way, something: How could I not give my whole life to my Lord Jesus Christ?

Because of Jesus...

1. I’m blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (). I BELONG to the most blessed people on earth.

New perspective in your life. Maybe you need the hope and salvation found in Jesus.

2. Because of Jesus… I, like King David, am safe - even in the hardest times. When my enemies surround me. He is my protector and all of His good promises BELONG to me.

3. Additionally, because of Jesus… I always have hope for the future. I can be in the pit of despair, but with God, there is always hope for rescue. He will save me. He will provide for me. He will strengthen me. He will help me. Why? Because I BELONG to Him now.

4. Because of Jesus… I WILL dwell in the house of the Lord forever. David was talking about a physical temple, but it pointed to something greater that Jesus brought about. We will one day be with the Lord forever. Because of what Jesus did on the Cross, my destiny is secure, and I will be with Him all the days of my life. And He will make His home with me, because I BELONG with Him for eternity.

And although I’ve known all this information before, God gave me a new perspective and it changed me. I believe this week God drew me a little closer than I was before. And I believe He wants to offer all of us that this morning...

Response:

Call the worship Team up…

My prayer today is you would consider the offer God is giving us today.

1. Maybe you need an entirely new perspective. You’ve been trying to live life the way you want to, and it hasn’t been working out. Maybe everything just keeps getting worse. Or, maybe things are going great circumstantially. You’re having great success but you’re also realizing no matter what you do, there’s something huge missing. If that’s you, may I suggest the new perspective you need in your life is Jesus. Maybe you need the hope and salvation found in Jesus. Would you surrender your life to Him?

2. Maybe you know Jesus but you’re going through a hard time. First, know that doesn’t automatically mean you’re doing something wrong in your life. Jesus said: “In this life, you WILL have trials...” Being a Christian doesn’t mean you’ll never face anything hard. It just means Jesus will be with you the entire time and you can trust Him to get you through the valley to the mountain top. And maybe in you’re trial you need a new perspective. Turn your eyes to Jesus and find help in your present time of need. That’s what David did! Trust God will save you because He will come! You may have to wait. God’s timing is not ours! But look at David! Through experience, David waited - as hard as that is - because He knew God is faithful. He writes:

ESV

Maybe you know Jesus but you’re going through a hard time. First, know that doesn’t automatically mean you’re doing something wrong in your life. Jesus said: “In this life, you WILL have trials...” Being a Christian doesn’t mean you’ll never go through anything hard. It just means Jesus will be with you the entire time and you can trust Him through the valley to get to the mountain top. But maybe you’re in that hard time and you need a new perspective. Turn your eyes to Jesus and find help in your present time of need. That’s what David did! And through experience, David was even willing to wait - as hard as that is - because He knew God is faithful. He writes:

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

3. But maybe… you’re here this morning and you just need a fresh injection of Jesus. Maybe you’ve been taking Him for granted and not living fully surrendered to Him. Consequently, that means you’re not fully enjoying Him either! You need a new perspective. And as we’ve talked about what Jesus has done for us, you’re seeing Him in a new way and realize it’s time to commit to Him. Take serious your relationship with God.

Psalm 27:14 ESV

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Psalm 27:13–14 ESV

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Maybe this morning you’ve heard God say to you what He said to David...

NLT

My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”

But maybe… you’re here this morning and you just need a fresh injection of Jesus. Maybe you’ve been taking Him for granted and not living fully surrendered to Him. Consequently, that means you’re not fully enjoying Him either! You need a new perspective. And as we’ve talked about what Jesus has done for us you’re seeing Him in a new way and realize it’s time to commit to Him. To take serious your relationship with God.

If you have, respond like David! David said: My heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”

You’ve heard what David heard...

Psalm 27:8–9 NLT

My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation!

God is inviting you into something new and fresh this morning.

and ready to live like:

Take that next step of faith. Go a little deeper. Fall more in love with Jesus.

Psalm 27:4 ESV

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

Let’s pray.

[Response]

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