Psalm 136: Covenantal Love - The Secret to Staying Power

This is our last Sunday of the year and I was just reflecting. I just ask myself what words or phrases come to my mind without too much thinking what comes to my mind when I think of the Year 2020. Here's what I wrote down job loss. Many people have lost jobs in 2020 salary reduction. This is touch Tyrone family. A member of our own family has had his salary reduce. The employer has promised to revisit that in February, but for many people 2020 was the year of job loss or salary reduction. 20/20 mental illness mental illness Do you know that 48% of the population of North America fears severe illness as a result of the Cove advisors 48% job loss salary reduction serious illness the loss of a loved one 48% of the people in North America fear serious illness as a result of covet.

overworked and under work for some in 2020 because of the unique circumstances is his created an enormous overworked situation. I'm thinking doctors. I'm thinking Frontline workers and some is created in under work situation. I'm thinking people who have lost their jobs or had their hours reduced. I remember hearing someone describe an NFL football game and NFL football game is when 50,000 people in desperate need of exercise watch. So I can't remember how many guys on a football team 1122 people 50,000 people in desperate need of exercise watch 22 people in desperate need of rest. And that's what he's been like some people just probably need a break and some people need work. Job loss salary reduction serious illness the fear of serious illness for another one over work under work Financial loss. Prudential lost those of us those people who have their money in the stock market hasn't been a great year and is the matter of fact in the very beginning of the year in March. They lost 30% on average 30% of all of their money Financial laws isolation. I talked to a lot of people in the church this week just reaching out and saying hi and many people feel isolated particularly at this time of year. Where they can't see friends and family and children and grandchildren.

stress just this feeling of stress of not knowing what's going to happen. And what's the Reds where we going and this is ever going to end exhaustion. Not only physical exhaustion, but just tired of the situation. I was talking to a good friend the other day and they were telling me they have a rule in their house. They never talk about covid-19 cats are fighting about it. They're just tired of talking about it. That's 2020. I wrote down this change of plans many people had to change travel plans and visiting plans sharp disagreements families that don't see eye-to-eye churches. We have sharp disagreements in a room church. This has been 20/20 and you know, it's taking a toll is taking a toll Gallup the gal of the survey organization measures people's perception of their own mental health every November. I didn't know that I did not just found that out. But every November for the past 10 years, they have been measuring the perceived mental health of the population 2020 is the lowest on record. 20/20 is the lowest on record.

all age groups young old middle-aged men women no difference in the states of the provinces. They live in everyone's mental health has declined.

It's at not only has a decline. It's at an all-time low. It has never been measured lower mental health that people's own perception of their mental health has never been measured lower than it is right now no exceptions. except one

there is one group. That didn't show the decline. Tell the gender group. It's not men or women. It's not an age group. It's not 22 30s or 50s to 60s. It's not a geographic group. It's not Ontario is not BC. It's not an economic group those under $50,000 / 50,000. There's only one identifiable demographic group of people who have not felt a decline in their mental health is a matter of fact when everyone else was going to all time lows this group went up 4% The only ones who do that. What was that group?

It's us. It's lovers of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm not saying it hasn't been tough. I'm not saying there hasn't been difficult days. But we are not showing the same effects of wear-and-tear as other groups, and I just wanted to ask why that is. Why is that?

It's because his steadfast love endures forever.

The secret to staying power is not willpower. It's not something we find in ourselves is something that we find in God and what we find in God is that his steadfast love endures forever and as circumstances change as life becomes unpredictable as we get curveball after curveball. We know we have an anchor no matter what else happens his steadfast love endures forever. This my friends is the secret to staying power and this morning sermon is about how to live in that truth. I'm just one thing to hear that his steadfast love endures forever as a matter fact staff right at 4:26 because it appears in the psalm 26 x is one thing to hear it. It's even one thing to believe it, but it's another thing to live in it. How do we live in this truth? Does his steadfast love endures forever?

How do we use this truth as an anchor for good times and bad? And by the way God's people have used this song and have used this truth as an anchor in good times and in bad I direct you to 2nd Chronicles 7 326 what's happening in 2nd Chronicles 7 Solomon is dedicated to his Temple is built this Temple and you'll remember when they dedicated the spirit of God came into the holy of holies and he is the Shekinah glory shine Sean to such an extent that the priests had to run out. It was a holy time and you read these verses what did the people say when the people when the temple was being dedicated when the glory of the Lord was shining around when people couldn't even be in the presence of the Lord. What did they say?

Play sad. His steadfast love endures forever.

And in church history, let me take you back to Thousand Years in February of 358 ad. So the Roman Empire is the ruling Empire. The world Christianity is in the third century. One Night in February 3:58 ad the church father of athanasius had an all-night service in his church in Alexandria. That's Alexandria of Egypt an all-night service. Well, if you need to know that in 358 there was a lot of political tension and it was spilling into the church as Medevac some Churches not all some Churches were being persecuted athanasius church was one of them. And that night in February when he called the all day service the all night service and his people were singing and praising that was the night that the Roman authorities decided that they were going to make their move. And so their eyes they were meeting think of this just put yourself in this position as they were meeting.

They could hear the Roman guards and circling the church. And banging on the door.

What did athanasius the pastor do? He calmly got up to the pulpit and he asked his people to sing Psalm 136.

For singing the song wasn't going to stop Roman soldiers and it didn't they came in the door. Isn't they? Were they have their swords drawn, but they were overwhelmed with the volume of the singing especially when the people were singing his steadfast love and yours forever and they were disoriented like what is going on? Is this really you having me? What are we supposed to do? Why are these people singing about God's love when we're coming in with swords everyone escaped.

In the confusion in the disorientation everyone escaped including athanasius. Who escaped in a boat remember this is 358 ad. So this is a paddle boat other people are paddling. The Roman guards realize that the pastor has escaped. They give him Chase. And they got in a boat as well. They figure out he's going up the river. They start giving them the Chase and they came right up to the boat with athanasius in at the course. This is the time before. Texting photographs. This is the time before Snapchat. This is the time before people's likenesses are well known outside their own City. So these Roman soldiers know they're looking for athanasius, but they don't know what I finished just looks like it roll right up to his boat and they say have you seen athanasius? Anastasia says he's just ahead of you. The soldiers battle even harder to pass after they just up to you on and then they athanasius the people that were paddling that boat come out to the shore and he escaped because those steadfast love of the Lord endures forever. We don't have time to go through all 30s are all 26 versus but the song organizes itself very neatly into 6 stanzas. And each stanza asks us to look at God in a different way. Each stanza invites us to look at God in a different rules as he plays. This is 1/6 faceted diamond and everytime. We look at God no matter what the role is the conclusion is the same. The conclusion is his steadfast love endures forever. Let's take a look at stanza number one. Verses 1 2 3 give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the god of gods for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords for his steadfast love endures forever. Instant someone in versus 123 we are encouraged to look at God as God. Notice words to he is the god of gods. And by the way, dr. Carter is your listening we're thinking of your Sunday school right now because God of gods in Hebrew is Elohim of Elohim. Did you know that God is Not the Only Elohim there are other lol games. This is the song made me to view the doctor Carter taught us from Michael Heiser book The Unseen Realm. But there's only one true God there may be many Elohim but there's only one Jehovah. There may be Heavenly Creatures that Jehovah has created for his glory that are enormously powerful and wise and rule over their own jurisdiction. There may be many owl games. But this is the Elohim of all the Elohim In versus 123. We are invited to see God as God the one true and Only God. And when we see him in his role as God the one in the only God guess what we find out. That in his role as God his steadfast love endures forever.

How would we apply this truth?

Brothers and sisters may I humbly suggest that the application of stanza one is to accept God in his role as God. Except his love by accepting him in his role as God. Of course because we're falling there are two natural objections here to not for reasons. We don't want to do that because we know is if we acknowledge God as God as the determiner of all things then whatever happens happens. When we acknowledge Him as God, we give over history to him because God is the determiner of all things and we resist that we want to control things. We want to be the determiner of all things. Not only that but when we acknowledge God as God the one true God he is the Great lawgiver. When we acknowledge God as God, he becomes the great lawgiver not only the physical laws of the universe, but the moral laws of the universe, but of course we want to read the fine those laws. We want to tell him what's right. We want to be evolving into moral laws people resist acknowledging God as God because they're reluctant to allow him to be the determiner of all things and The Giver of all laws.

The unfortunate downside of not acknowledging God is God is that we can never live in his steadfast. Love as he assumes the role of God.

Let's look at stanza 2. versus 429 notice that it is him alone who does great wonders. What are those wonders making the heavens verse 5 spreading out Earth above the waters verse 6 making the great lights for 7 the sun to rule over the Day verse 8 the moon and stars to rule over the night. This is Genesis 1 and 2. We are to acknowledge God not only is God but as Creator, by the way, just going back to God known as verse for to him to to him who only break does does does great wonders. There are other Elohim verse two, but there's only one who does great wonders first four.

We are to acknowledge God not only as God but as the Creator. And when we see God in that light not only in his role as the one true God but as the only Creator guess what we find out. We find out that his steadfast love endures forever and what our creator verse 5 to him who by understanding made the heaven friends. This is a complicated universe and it all works because God made it with understanding the level of complexity in the universe is staggering. Can I just give you high I enjoy science? Can I just give you a couple of examples? particularly appropriate for a cold Canadian morning water freezing very complex water. Freezing is very complex.

Most things when they get cold shrink in size and therefore get more dense and heavy water is one of the only exceptions in the whole universe that when it freezes it expands and gets lighter. That's why ice floats. Give me say well, that's nice for ice cubes. No, no. No, you don't get it if water didn't expand when it freezes. If it did what everything else does when it got frozen if it got heavier, then life could not exist. Lakes would freeze over the ice would become too heavy and fall to the bottom freezer over again fall to the bottom Lakes wood in just 10 or 20 years all the lakes in the northern hemisphere would be frozen solid and they would never melt again because each summer that would be a little pool of water, but the bottom would still be ice. And that's just one of the things if if water didn't expand when it froze. Do you know the life could not exist our life could not exist. The universe is a complicated Place notice all the technology that we have most of the technology that we have. That's complicated. We stole from nature. Where did we get the idea from radar? From bats have you seen big excavation equipment those big diggers and the big cats and they came from the design of the human arm. Look at those things on the back of an arm. We steal his understanding to build technology. He made the world with understanding verse 9, he made the moon and the stars not only the things that we see in touch with the things that are So far away that we can't fathom them. It said that Napoleon the great French leader military leader was on a boat in Napoleon lights debate when he was with people. He would always try to get them to the Bay take one point. If you take another point of you not go out at I want to hear these points of view expressed. Or one particular Voyage. He had a group of philosophers on who would all atheists who had looked at the universe and said this is clearly a random job. There is no God and back and forth. They went with their arguments and then they were under they were in a deck and he took them to the surface of the boat. It was night time. They looked at this guy and he said gentlemen Who made these then pointing to the Stars? God is our creator. And the application of stanza 2 is to see God not only is God, but as Creator and is except and accept his love as our creator.

Friends, most of our world does not accept God as Creator they cling to a myth that everything that we see came out of nothing and the order that we live in created itself. This is not an exercise in logic. This is an exercise in trying to escape reason The plane this is why the Bible says only the fool says in his heart. There is no God because the evidence is so clear. Why do we want to escape reason? Why do we want to resist acknowledging God not only is God and therefore the ultimate moral thought lawgiver, but as Creator, why do we resist that?

Because of God is our creator. He is also our owner. You know yourself. If you write a story or a piece of music, it's yours. You have certain rights. If you're a woodworker and you make a bowl or a vase. It's yours you have certain rights. You can put flowers in it, or you can burn that you can do whatever you want. It's yours. Well, if God is our creator than we are his we deny God is our creator not in an effort to pursue fact or logic but in an effort to escape of facts and logic because we desperately do not want to be his well. I'm sorry the only way to live in his steadfast love that injures forever is to acknowledge Him both as God. and creator

stanza 3 is verses 10 to 16 and it shows God not as God not as Creator, but as redeemer first 10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, what's this talking about? What part of the Bible is this talking about? Yeah, I was talking about when God use Moses to lead the people out of Egypt remember they had been in slavery for 400 years and then there was the 10 Flags in the crossing the Red Sea Turtle. That's what the stand just talkin about verse 13 to him who divided the Red Sea into why verse 14 so that is real can pass for the midst of it. specifically mentions Farrow Friends, one of the things it's helpful to know is that in the Old Testament? There are pictures of Truth. better later explained in New Testament when we see the picture of Abraham about to offer Isaac and an angel comes up, so don't don't don't we see a father sacrificing his son? That's a type. That's a precursor. That's an image to help us understand Christ's sacrifice.

Or even when we see in Genesis 6 God tells Noah to build an ark and I'm going to bring a big flood and people that go in the ark or saved and everyone else parishes. That's a picture of Salvation. The New Testament expressly says, it's a picture of Salvation And if you run into the ark Jesus, you're safe. If you choose not to run into the ark the Storm still coming you will perish

What friends the escape from Egypt is the primary Old Testament picture of redemption? It's a people enslaved by a hostile power with no way of Escape. No way to extricate himself from the situation and yet God sends Moses the ten plagues the Red Sea his people leave slavery and that's why by the way in many hymns, you'll notice that the promised land Heaven is represented by the promise like we're going to all get to the promise. I why is that because this whole picture coming out of Egypt is a picture of redemption and they are redeemed out of slavery into the Promised Land. All I'm trying to say is here in stanza 3 the psalmist is drawing upon the primary picture of redemption. This is the god who took us out of slavery and gave us our own land.

Any application is to live in his love? Doesn't yours forever. We need to accept God in his role as God except God in his role as Creator and accept God in his role as Our Redeemer.

Now there's some natural resistance to doing that. I don't want to acknowledge God is God. Why because then he's the moral God give her a lawgiver. And I don't like his moral laws. I don't want to acknowledge. God is Creator. Why because that means he owns me. I don't want to be I want to be mine. I want to make my own way. And I don't want to acknowledge God Is My Redeemer. Why because then I would have to admit that I'm in need.

Then I would have to admit that there's a problem.

After all if I need a redeemer, what am I being redeemed from from my own sin friends, if you're listening to this message and you have no idea what I'm talking about what this needs might be. I want to refer you to our website go to Western Heights Baptist Church website in the top left corner, you'll see a little red triangle click on it and then looks back and you'll see something called Good News click on it. You'll see something called The Gospel read the gospel and on the bottom, you'll see a little button called the story and you'll see a film that is that that animates that demonstrates the truth in this little book The Story. On why you need a redeemer? And Jesus Christ, is that Redeemer? I don't want to Redeemer then you will your choice your choice. We respect you. We love you. It's your choice. But if we will not acknowledge God is Redeemer, we will never be able to enter into and live from his steadfast love that is yours forever.

And then stands are for witches verses 17 through 22. His steadfast love endures forever because of his role as God and Creator and Redeemer and father. Noticed they're not he's not talking about the same. In history. Now. He's not talking about the 10 plagues is not talk to you about red. The Red Sea being parted. He's not talking about the escape from Egypt is talking with something else. And the only two Clues he gives us our to King's saihara. Nandog, who are these people what's going on here? Well, let me just tell you something on is the King Junior member. God calls Moses go to Pharaoh. OG I can't do that. No, you going to go. Anyways, he goes to Pharaoh 10 plagues. Then goes to the border. The Red Sea the in the Roman chariots are coming behind them. God Parts the Red Sea through the water. The Israelites go the Egyptians try to follow the water crosses in on them. Are you with me so far? Okay. So what happens next?

What what happens next is you got to say this is a big logistical problem. You got two million people that are on the other side of the red seat not in their Promised Land not developed since systems of currency or Justice not agriculture how they going to feed themselves. How are they going to get clothing? There's a lot of logistical problems with I need to get to the promised land and they ate together. They have to pass through the land of King Scion. So Moses says, hey, we're not an opposing Army. We're not interested in your land. We're just looking for safe passage. God has called us to the promised land and sign on says not on your life. No, no, no, no, no not on my watch. You're not going through my land and God defeated King Scion because he stood in the way of his people this is what a father does.

Who's King odd?

Well, some of our church have made a real study this seek them. I don't want to mention their names because I had I don't have permission to but they're really experts in this Mark. I'm looking at you but there was a time in human history where human hybrids existed and one of the identifying features of these human hybrid is they were giants physically powerful Goliath was one he was the most famous one, but there were others King odd was a king of one of those and they oppose the people of God. So God. Defeated the king of all the king of Bashan. This is what a father does in his role as protector. He's already redeemed them, but we're on in the promised land yet. There's a lot of work to be doing while I will be your father. I will be your father.

Define we get to a role where people are willing to embrace God as I don't want him as my God. I don't want to mess my Creator and I don't need a redeemer. Thank you very much. But God is my father. You know, there's this idea about the universal fatherhood of God, you know, there's only one problem with this idea of the universal problem fatherhood of God. Have you heard the saying? How does it go with I just had a brain cramp what how does it go

I believe in the Universal fatherhood of God and the universal Brotherhood of Man it just two little problems. Just two little problems. Neither were true. God is not the father of every human being. He's the creator of every human being he will be the Redeemer of all who are willing but God has fathered only to those that have given themselves to him the Bible never talks about God as being the father of unbelievers. So we reject them as Creator. We reject them. We reject them as God as Creator as Redeemer. We Embrace him as father that doesn't work that way. Doesn't work that way. He becomes our father when he becomes when his son becomes Our Redeemer.

And guess what we find out with God in his role as father. The same thing we found out in his role as Creator as God as Redeemer, we find out as our father his steadfast love endures forever. And the application is to allow God to be that our God our creator Our Redeemer and our father our protector provider.

Sansa 5 verses 23 to 25 We don't see God as the as God. He's not called God here or has Creator. There's no references to Genesis 1 or 2 or is Our Redeemer. There's no mention of a red sea or anything like that. There's no picture of redemption here. Is not mentioned as our father and sense of five. He's presented as our friend. Who remembers us in our low estate who knows us and knows our foils and foibles and still remembers us still wants to associate with us. You know, what you call those people you call them friends. Any rescues us from our foes friends stick up for one another they protect and he gives food to all flash friends are concerned about providing for their friends. and again We got into a role where our society naturally but yeah, God God's my friend. I'm good with God. Everything is good. Friend. God is not our friend until he's our father and he's not our father until he's Our Redeemer and he's not Our Redeemer until we acknowledge Him as Creator and he's not our creator until we acknowledge Him as God. We see God in five different rules. And when we see him as God, we discover that his steadfast love endures forever. And when we see him as Creator, we discovered that his steadfast love endures forever. And when we see him as a redeemer, we discover that his steadfast love endures forever. And when we see him as a father we discover that his steadfast love is a father and yours forever. And when we see them is a friend we discover that his love for us as friends is steadfast and injures forever friend when we ignore each God and embraced God in the these five. We will learn to live in the truth that his steadfast love endures forever. And when we do that, we will join athanasius.

We will travel back to February. A358 ad we will be with Solomon. At the dedication of the temple because we will be resting in the truth that his steadfast love endures forever covid-19.

Bought his steadfast love endures forever. Just one last little point and it's not a role of God. It's a warning. Census 6 is verse 26 give thanks to the god of Heaven for his steadfast love endures forever. Just one little point about stands at 6, and then we'll be done.

God has given us the choice to embrace him as God or not. God has given us the choice of acknowledging him as Creator or not. God has given us the choice of embracing his son as Redeemer or not. God has offered to be our father, but we don't have to accept. He has offered to be our friend, but we don't need to reciprocate. These are all our choices. But verse 26 is reminding us regardless of our choices. The truth is still the truth in business. We used to say you're entitled to your own your own opinion, but not your own facts. We don't have to acknowledge. God is God, but he still got. We don't have to acknowledge Him as Creator, but he still creator. We don't have to ignore watch him as Redeemer father or friend, but he is Redeemer father and friend. The facts are the facts and we ignore them at our own Peril and the Peril that song 136 is pointing out as we will never have the Blessed Joy of living in the truth that his steadfast love injures forever. Chaguanas final Sunday of 2020. What a year. I leave you with one question. Who is God to you? Is he a magical Santa Claus that will grant every wish? Or is he God? The moral law Giver for the universe. Is he Creator and therefore owner of you? Is he Redeemer father friend or is he something else? The choice is yours. But whatever you Choice the truth will still be true. He is the light of the world.