TRUST in the LORD (not your idols) for Blessing in 2020
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Dear congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
In
The year lies before us as individuals and households, but also as a church - what will make this truly a year of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, time that He has redeemed, and how will we find this year filled up even starting with this first day of the year with the blessing of the living God? How shall we begin to receive a new year from our LORD, for His glory and our benefit?
Picture this year before you as a brilliant white blank, clean sheet of paper - last years, and the last years for Israel when this Psalm was written, coming out of exile - looking for a new beginning, after the years behind them, they are coming to the temple of God, even as we do in worship to God in heaven, and with this Psalm we too will extol the person and character of God. Let’s read it as they would have in the temple - antiphonally - the congregation reading glorying and blessings parts, 1-3, and 12-18, and myself reading the threefold call to trust in 9-11.
The key truth: The Children of Men (who have been given the earth, this new year) must TRUST in the LORD not their Idols to find blessing in the new time that God’s given them.
The Children of Men (who have been given the earth, this new year) must TRUST in the LORD not their Idols to find blessing in the new time that God’s given them.
The central thrust is in this action you and I must fill this year with of TRUSTING into the HELPING WORK and the SHIELDING WORK of the living God, instead of the futile illusions of our idols.
But to understand why your trust in the Lord in this way is so vital, let’s begin, where the psalmist ends. What is the goal, where should we be setting our sights to land this coming year. Imagine a golfer just staring at the ball, and not looking up before making his drive. Or sewing and all you do is keep your eyes glued to where the needle on the machine is going up and down. I remember my mother - with brown tissue paper, and pins, and she’d pin the pattern to the fabric And that’s what we have in v.16-18. And I don’t want to tell you how we are to trusting in the Lord without you seeing the purpose and the end goal.
A. Firmly fix the goal of 2020 in your heart
If God wanted to zap you to heaven, if he said task on earth is done wouldn’t be here, but as year opens up as much as of it as we’ve been given, need to begin by seeing the goal in this coming year. Yes, there is an after life, yes there is God in heaven in his fulness, and the rest from our labours of serving him here, But as these exiles came out of there last year, starting a brand new sheet, God reminds them of what that sheet, like your year and y year out to look like at the end:
The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man. The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.
This is not the teaching about what happens in the after life, shadowy in the OT and not fully revealed until the Resurrection of Jesus Christ for His people. But this is teaching that those departed from us, they don’t add praise to the LORD on earth any more.
This year is to be pictured like an arena - a main stage event where something is supposed to happen. Like Hans Pera in Children of Men. Vast prairie landscape, and its is foreboding, his wife is actually scared to death at how the emptiness and fierce wildness of the land actually consuming all the ones she love,… but Hans one spring after a hard winter, begins early ..risky - sowing seed.. shared seems to pulsate, seed of life.
That is a picture of what your year and my year is to be full of. God in heaven isn’t going to fill this earth with His praise, He is here too of course, but His dwelling place and headquarter for action is from heaven. But the earth, though He also dwells with us in special way by His Spirit, the earth this arena isn’t for His activity like heaven is, it is for the activity of his image bearers… What an extraordinary risky thing he has done, in making earth not like heaven, but gifting it to the children of man - not just his Church but the whole humanity… we all receive the gift, some abuse it, some bury their seed , their talent, their time - afraid of it all, might mess it up , might sow to early… But God’s given us the gift of this time, of your unique talents, opportunities, relationships, placed you in the part of this wide creation where designed to partner for His praise to ring out, the trusting part will involve our seeking blessing this year in various places we find ourselves, trusting His promises and provisions, but the end result and goal, is that as we dwell in this year, this earth - God won’t bless us, that’s the how of how we get to the goal. But the end results and goal is that - after 2020 look at what you’ve done, where you’ve served, how you’ve built relationships, given service, lifted praise - and you will bless the LORD.
Can we make this determination together - that from this place and the place of our homes, work, friending, neighbouring in 2020 from this time forth - we will seek to fill our home, God’s church, our neighborhood place of work - with praise - So that we will bless the LORD.
But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!
DO you get that earth when it like Hans Pera - gives it self to sowing seed, service to extend the glory of God - earth responds and brings back the gift God gives it to heaven, and so we bless the LORD!
and that brings us to the central part and real instruction that this Psalm gives. You must leave this New Year’s Service, not only with a goal for this year, but with a plan to reach that goal in the specifics of your life. And that plan is all about TRUST!
B. Your Actual Plan for this New Year is Revealed by your trusting
What and whom do you trust. There is no fudging it here. You fool others and yourself about what you think, about opinions, what you like dislike, but at the end of the day, our lives can’t hide what or whom we are we are trusting in.
The children of men, can’t live without trusting - if one friend betrays you may not trust another friend, but you will trust yourself, if you fail yourself again and again - their is no option not to trust something - trust your work, rely on affirmation of others, you will trust the escape of a hobby, of a pleasure. And so the Psalmist says to Israel as they recover from exile and seek to make a new beginning with the LORD. Take a little inventory as you begin this new season, this new year as to what and how you are trusting!
And his inventory is pretty simple to take - whose hands, mouth, eye, ears, smells, feet are you relying upon?
Deirdre Walters in evangelism - young engineer - technology is making our lives better and is really the saviour. Can see this in the hopes of some that think entitled to perfect health - medicine is’t an art but a science with guaranteed, see this obsession with latest and greatest … Interesting if we were to compare how often we touched our phones and computers, to how often we touched the hand or patted a shoulder or embraced in a hug with those that we are called to… Interesting to see if we’d rather find a better tool to do our jobs ourselves, rather than ask or offer help - even with those tools with each other.
But ultimately you reach with your hands for tools, and even for others, but this call to God’s people - is in our seeking to do our jobs, our calling in His church, is to TRUST the hand of the LORD - is His arm shortened? It just might be for you, if aren’t reaching out to him for help, if not in the danger and the failures, shelter …
This is where their is a godly testing o f the LORD, calling out to him for help!
Or think about whose mouth you ultimately trust in - you can tell someone who foolishly believes and trusts in their own words - one of our friends’ room mates - kind talented person, but she makes up facts all the time - fact check later - Other people what the mouth, or Twitter Feed, or Facebook likes , or comments of others say is what weighs big in their lives - absolutely in fear of what other words say and think. Affirmation and avoidance of offering become an idol of the mouth
Or think of a mother or father or in any conversation, even around the camp fire, checking all the notification, looking up all the facts on google. And little kids are really saying, I don’t care I just want you to hear me, need to know that google doesn’t really listen to you, the way a person does. And the flip side of this is that the mouth of the LORD and the ear of the LORD, reveal an absolute wisdom and perfect compassion - personal God who truly speaks and who truly listens to you the way no machine or even other human ever could - and this year - Acknowledge the idols of the moth and ear you trust more than God, you turn to Google more than God's Holy Word, - written, discussed, offer that Word in conversation to others - reflect and meditate on it. I love music gift from God - but do I know the lyrics of and words of man, more than I do the lyrics and words of GOD??
And lastly idols of our world, idols even from the last year have noses! Think about your sense of smell - why is that such a gift? Step in dog doo doo would know what to be repulsed by, get most beautiful flowers from someone but not really appreciate them with out that sweet yet not overpowering head ache giving scent. Not notice your sandals burning as push feet up to the camp fire. Scent vital in our lives to TASTE! What are your idols of scent and taste? taste and see that the Lord is good. And we ourselves - smell a savour:
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?
When a man hears the gospel but won’t leave his lusts and believe - these are like a stinking cave in Italy that emits a perishing suffocating stench that fills the nostrils!
You know what is truly beautiful, satisfying, when is the last time you sighed a perfect contentment - well see can have idols here too. Trust in the buzz of alcohol or drugs, can live for the euphoria of endorphin release in selfish sexual pleasure, or addicted to the Adrenalin rush of digital response, as much as thrill seeker and sports addicts.
But the smells of gospel, turning ot the LORD, are like those smells that recover men as they swoon - like smelling salts. Like a perfume from haven, like an air purifier in the room of our lives!
Calvin got it right when he said the human heart is idol-factory. And at the beginning of this year, we are to take stalk - what idols am I trusting in for my pleasure, my security, where do I turn to shield myself from hurt, purposelessness, what do I turn my eyes, whose voice am I relying upon - you look under your sins, the sin under your sin so often find dynamics of idolatry going on there. - eating disorders, many of our anxieties, greed and compulsions - don’t think that I am talking down on anyone, I know them in my heart too.
But at the beginning of this year you are to name them, and don’t just feel condemned, understand like our Saviour you are tempted to trust in them, fame, power, ease. But here this warning it is vital spiritual secret God’s word reveals:
Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.
Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide, first just enamored, think you are in control, just using them for your pleasures and fixes, but then fateful day comes, when before the decision, yah I can handle some more of their potion, before you drink it - you become Mr Hyde and can’t get back. Like myth of Medusa - become what you crave and long for and trust to. As a friend told me this week - We become what we give our attention to.
And that is the heart of trusting not Idols this year but the Living Lord. What attention will we give him in our year, in each day of this year. How will we trust the works of his hands and attend to Him? What about what captures our eye and what words we give attention to most in our day. How about your affections, and tastes - do you have a taste for true inner beauty for holiness.
As children of men living in this world, among the neighbours and coworkers - - need to be seeking help and shielding work of God. He promises it. And in your specifics in daily life - as you seek it, trust in it - the answer is in v. 12 bless the house of Israel.
But as children of God, in this community of faith, in the house of Aaron - ways we need to find help - grown, more needs, big challenges doctrinally, how are we going to financially support, - and their is real shielding we need in this community of faith - as we get real with hurt, the needs, the struggle in our lives, even those booklets - real potential to hurt instead of help - shielding work - Satan love to work pride, love to spread gossip, shield us from the spirit of the world, the corruption of the flesh and the attack and accusation of the devil.
So God we seek you and not our idols for help for shield in this house of Aaron in your church.
But look at the last place we are to to do this trusting - most personal:
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.
Can you personalize this as you begin this new season - can you think of how you ned the LORD”s help this year, even write it down - amaybe even some steps, instruction, promises He gives - and trust. Can you do the same for how you must personally trus God’s shielding work - any tmeptation particuarl to you, any risky decision have to make and relying on God to protect you from , any physical infirmity maybe remove maybe say endure but work new and idfferent strgeth… Write down how you need His protection - ask through out the year how am I actibvely trusting and relying on God!
Remember - you become waht you rely on trust in, relfect. Often said we make our tools and then our tools remake us. Well If God has given HImself to us and we rely on HIm, lets also rejoce that as we trust HIm, we too will becom like HIm.
But let me leave you with not only a goal: the places God given you as earth become a place of praise; and a method of trusting God for specific help and shielding instead of identified idols; Let me also leave you with a practical first step.
C. Give Glory to God already by Recording God’s Past Work in Your Life
Another year has passed, even if it were like Israel a tough year of exile, God didn’t abandon us in the hard times. Big and little signs and works of His mercy.
Just like that pattern my Mom used in sewing - those dots on the line, they actually line up to lead somethwere. I great place to start with what God is doing in your life right now, and what help and protection you should be trusting in Him for, and where new praise can be added; is by looking at the dots so far from the last year.
The Bible describes fallen humanity as glory thieves, although we live knowing about God, we neither acknowledge, Him, give him the glory, nor give Him thanks.
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
And this is the place to start. God is not famous in our world and neighbourhood even in our homes and my personal life, even in the working of this church - when we take the glory in life and say - well that’s because of us, that’s because of me!
I am not saying we shouldn’t be a community where we really encourage each other, but the proportion of giving glory to God to giving glory to each other should be like the log and the speck. NO problem dealing with the speck, but take the log out first. So too give encouragement lavishly to each other, because we are so used to not stealing glory for ourselves but tracing it back to God and what he is doing in our lives.
Any one notice the sunset , sunrise, stars, I failed a question on psychological - in woods see things other people don’t - thought I meant pink elephants floating by… But you and I being this year, not living so fast don’t see, and appreciate and give thanks for what:
Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!
Just finished a decade - can you acknowledge God’ faithfulness to his promises, maybe you became a Christian, maybe sustained in trial, maybe thrust into new service, maybe you have been limited and forgotten, lost a friendship - can you take a step back and give God glory, - can you testify to anyone of how His Name His Person has been great. Is there a word of God - given, can you point to a truth that’s been soul anchor more weighty and lasting and true - than any word of man - can you testify of that truth to someone.
Then those around us will see, the connection between what goes on in our lives the ups the down,s the opportunities, the service, - and won’t be able to sy where is there God? But the God who does all His great and good will from the heavens, they will see the stuff of earth, that you fill up with praise, God has helped, and protected, shield and sustained, and He from heaven , with us is at work through us, and even for us , for His glory on earth!
Trust in the LORD (not your idols) for Blessing in 2020
Give glory to God for His Past Work this Decade:
Mercy or Kindness
b. A Sou-Anchor Truth or Promise
c. An opportunity, struggle, success showing God’s faithfulness:
2. Trust in the LORD for new blessing
a. What help will I seek from the LORD?
b. What shielding protection do I need from trial, temptation, or weakness?
(What dangers, obstacles, challenges come with my station of life this year?)
3. What unique place do I have to work for God’s praise in 2019
a. A Relationship: home, friendship, neighour, work/school
b. My work or recreation
c. In the Fellowship, Service, or Mission of Gospel-Ministry