Back to Normal

Introduction

Good Morning and Welcome. Thank you for joining us online and for joining us today.

This last year and a half has been interesting to say the least. I think every person in here has been challenged and changed in some way. A time of loss and blessing. Jobs have been lost, people have lost loved ones, relationships have been broken, families have been strengthened, promotions have been gained, babies have been born. Not that these were not present before but they were amplified this last year and a half. With all of this COVID has been an opportunity for growth as well.

The world feels like it is getting back to normal again. Amen? We went to Silverwood for the first time in two years and it was like the last two years did not even exist. We are starting to feel normal again.

How many of you are feeling the same thing? How many can see the light at the end of the tunnel? How many of you cannot wait until every thing is back to the way things were before Covid?

THAT’S WHAT I AM AFRAID OF.

Pastor Chris finished up Jude last week with a message that focused on the fact that God is able. During that message he talked about stats that show the decline of people who claim to be evangelicals, and told us about other wrongs that are being commited among the believers of our denomination. Jude was a book that painted a bleak picture of the church in his time and Chris has shown us that there are many parallels today.

Can we agree here today that something is wrong? Why would we ever want to go back to normal?

As I look at all of the things going on in the church today, I can’t help but ask, Why? I look at the fighting, the nastiness, the selfishness of the world around us should appalls us but the church hasn’t stood up for what is right in God’s eyes. Why?

I am reminded of the verse at the end of Judges that says: In those days there was no king in Isreal; everyone did whatever seemed right to him.

This should resonate with us. We have no King in this country. We reject all levels of authority so naturally now. But that is not true we in this room. The body of believers has a King.

Daniel 7:13–14 (CSB)

I continued watching in the night visions, and suddenly one like a son of man was coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before him. He was given

dominion and glory and a kingdom, so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.

We have a King and he is on his throne. Do we behave like servants to the most Holy King? or do we act like spoiled children at grandma’s house?

Do you realize we sit in his presence this morning. You sang to him a couple of minutes ago. Let that sink in. You just sang in God's presence. He know what was in your mind and heart.

So what is our problem? Let’s analyse it. let’s label it? Let’s make a plan to fix it. Let’s find a book titled, “What’s wrong with you guys?” and we will implement his teaching, or maybe we will ask the church down the street that looks like they have it all together and we do what they are doing? Isn’t that our approach. Those things may help but I deep down do not believe that is the issue.

We are going to open our bibles to Psalm 19 and see what God’s Holy Spirit reveals to us today about our King and who we are as his servants. We are going to read a Psalm of David I believe it will shine a light on our lives today.

We Ignore Our King

Psalm 19:1–6 (CSB)

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands. Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge. There is no speech; there are no words; their voice is not heard.

Their message has gone out to the whole earth, and their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming from his home; it rejoices like an athlete running a course.

It rises from one end of the heavens and circles to their other end; nothing is hidden from its heat.

There are different types of kings, some are born into the throne and no matter how strong or weak, bold or shy, or any other attribute, they are the King. Others fight their way into the throne due to military power and might. When no one can stand against you, you can claim to be king. Some were selected by the religious leaders of the community. There are others but none of them can claim the claims of this verse.

Some one tell me one thing that has not been created by God. His creation man, has reconfigured his material to do amazing things with the minds, thoughts, and talents that he gave them. No human king can claim to make the heavens.

King David got this. He writes at the end of his life

1 Chronicles 29:11–16 (CSB)

Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to you. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and you are exalted as head over all. Riches and honor come from you, and you are the ruler of everything. Power and

might are in your hand, and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we give you thanks and praise your glorious name.

But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your own hand. For we are aliens and temporary residents in your presence as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a

shadow, without hope. Lord our God, all this wealth that we’ve provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand; everything belongs to you.

Kind David is praying to God and he understands the magnitude and power of God. He is talking about all of the supplies being gathered for the building of the temple.

He provides the means, materials, and people to make what ever he want on our temporary planet.

Everything he creates through man reflects his Glory. We live to give him glory for everything he creates through us. This building is here because he wills it to be here. We are here because he wills us to be here.

“Yours, Lord, is the Kingdom and you are exalted as head over all.”

Revelation 4:11 (CSB)

11 Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will they exist and were created.

We have forgotten or never really grasped, that we are on this planet for a short time. We focus so much on the things of this world. We have become experts at consumption. We have stuff in our homes we never use, we have excess everywhere. Why? Because we want our own kingdom, we spend most of our time building our kingdoms at home, or at work, or on social media, or in virtual worlds. We invest so much into things that will go away.

If there was ever a couple that deserved to have it all, a couple who has been faithful to God, blessed 10’s of thousands of people over the years, it would have been Phyllis and John. It is a sobering reminder that we do not get to take it with us. As devastating it is to lose nearly a century of treasure and memories, they have the greatest treasure of all and that is Jesus himself. The King of Kings is their Lord and savior and the hope they have in the life to come is amazing. They have treasure in heaven when they get there.

But as a culture, we keep building things that will go away. But his kingdom, the kingdom of the children of God, will last forever. But while we are here we have to keep our perspective on Who gets the glory for created things.

This is just one way that we try so hard to be the Lord of our own lives. We minimize who God really is so that we can build our own kingdoms. So much of the drama we are seeing today is because Christians have taken their eyes off of the almighty God to fight for what they believe they have built. We fight over buildings, colors, music styles, and it is sin. If your building takes your eyes off of God, get rid of it. If the music you listen to aligns with scripture then sing it. If the song you sing teaches a different God of the bible flee from it.

Where has all of the different opinions come from, why so much division?

We Ignore The Word

Psalm 19:7–10 (CSB)

The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise.

The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous. They are more desirable than gold—than an abundance of pure gold; and sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb.

Why are we divided? Do we have a divided God? Is he confusing or does he change no? So why are we divided, we have ignored the Word of God. We fail to understand the place the Word has in the lives of the Christian. Re read this.

Doesn’t this sound amazing. Perfect instruction, life renewing instruction, trustworthy testimony that makes the inexperienced wise. We can get behind that can we not. What is hard about that, why wouldn’t anyone grab a hold of the Word and zealously pursue it with their whole heart. Why? Because David is talking about the Laws that God gave Isreal.

Exodus 20:1–19 (CSB)

Then God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. Do not have other gods besides me. Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth.

Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commands.

Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses his name.

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy: 9 You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates.

11 For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.

12 Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

13 Do not murder. 14 Do not commit adultery. 15 Do not steal.

16 Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.

17 Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

18 All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the ram’s horn, and the mountain surrounded by smoke. When the people saw it they trembled and stood at a distance. 19 “You speak to us, and we will listen,” they said to Moses, “but don’t let God speak to us, or we will die.”

When God the 10 commandments they were afraid. Why do we not cling to God’s Word. Because we have to follow it. We have to obey them. Israel’s fear did not last that long. within days they would be building the golden calf and worshiping idols.

We have lost the fear of the Lord. When God spoke directly to them again Isreal believed that they would die. God spoke through all of the writers of this book and we should experience something when we engage with it.

Brothers and sisters, obedience is not optional. You either are obedient or disobedient. That is it. And how do we know what got wants for us? By his word and only his Word. All other avenues of teaching are subordinate to the word of God. The book you are reading, the pastor you are listening to , the pod cast you love, are subordinate to the Word. With out the word you get to make up new rules and a new God. One that does not punish you for sin, one that is supposed to bow down to you and not the other way around.

Why? Why do we not obey?

We Ignore Our Sin

Psalm 19:11–14 (CSB)

11 In addition, your servant is warned by them, and in keeping them there is an abundant reward. 12 Who perceives his unintentional sins? Cleanse me from my hidden faults.

13 Moreover, keep your servant from willful sins; do not let them rule me. Then I will be blameless and cleansed from blatant rebellion.

14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

This is the proper response to the Word of God, it should warn us, and David says there is reward in doing so. David recognizes that many sins are not perceived and may be unintentional. He asks for cleansing from them. He asks God to keep him from willful sins, to guide him and to not be ruled by them because it will make him blameless and cleaned from open rebellion.

You may not want to hear this but sin is open rebellion against our King. period. How many of you parents are ok with your children to be in open rebellion. If you are a manager or a lead at work what would you do with an employee that disobeyed everything you asked them to do?

God hates sin.

Daniel 9:16 CSB

16 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, may your anger and wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people have become an object of ridicule to all those around us.

Joshua 7 (CSB)

1 The Israelites, however, were unfaithful regarding the things set apart for destruction. Achan ... took some of what was set apart, and the Lord’s anger burned against the Israelites.

11 Israel has sinned. They have violated my covenant that I appointed for them. They have taken some of what was set apart. They have stolen, deceived, and put those things with their own belongings. 12 This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and run from their enemies, because they have been set apart for destruction. I will no longer be with you unless you remove from among you what is set apart.

God Hates sin. He hates it. When was the last time you felt hatred toward your sin. We have become comfortable in our sin. We actually love it as a society.

Romans 1 (CSB)

18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them...

...28 And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right. 29 They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud,

boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 senseless, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful. 32 Although they know God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die—they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them.

Is the church becoming known for those things. Is this the what we will become. We already see these things not just creeping into the church, they are here.

Conclusion

So what do we do? This hasn’t been the most uplifting sermon you have ever heard. Typically I would smooth it over with, but we do pretty good here, we are not that bad yet.

Excuse. We are so good at excuses.

We don’t have time to read, really, come on. really.

I can’t memorize scripture, my excuse has always been, too many translations. That not what God’s word says. I can still remember the maps of Nintendo games I played 20 years ago.

It is too hard to learn. We are disciplined in so many areas of our lives. sports, games, crafts, fantasy sports, … Why don’t we look at church and our Christian faith that way.

The reason I am being so hard on this is this is what God has shown me this year. I am lazy and full of excuses. I want to be crushed and made anew. I want to be in love with his word. I want it written on my heart. I want it as the core training of my family. I want sin removed from my life.

I want to serve my King, with humility. I don’t want to take his grace and mercy for granted.

I was asked about a year ago I think if I had ever heard of the Westminster Catechism. I had not so I bought one. It is a book of questions and answers put together in the 1600’s. The questions have answers with scripture proofs to defend the answer. The first question is:

What is the chief and highest end of man?

Man’s chief end is to Glorify God and to enjoy him for ever.

That’s as far as I have got.

If you want to know how well you are serving God, honoring his word, or dealing with your sin. Just ask yourself if the things youare doing the things you spend your time on, the things in your mind, do the bring Glory to God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 CSB

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.

I am going to ask you to go home and engage in your bible daily. Be in a bible group at least once this week discussing the word. Pray continuously. Will you submit to your king? Will you seek what He wants from you by the diligent study of his word? Will you deal with your sin? Will you seek help if you cannot do that on your own?

I do not want to go back to normal. Do you?

Let us pray.